Rough Diamonds (A Spider Shepherd short story) by Stephen Leather Read Free Book Online Page A

won’t be in dollars, Farid, it’ll be in blood.’ He smiled. ‘Isn’t that right, Farid?’
    Farid, whose eyes had been glued to the rough diamonds, gave an involuntary shudder. ‘You have my word that, apart from a modest commission for myself of course - though only enough to cover my time and trouble,’ he said hastily as he saw the look in Shepherd’s eye, ‘I shall give every cent I receive to this beautiful lady.’
    ‘Make sure you do,’ Jock said. ‘Or else.’ He drew his finger across his throat menacingly.
    They said their goodbyes to Laurence and the boys, then dropped Farid in the Lebanese quarter of the city, where he disappeared into a maze of alleys.
    Jock drove back out of the city and along Lumley Beach Road to their hotel. As they got out of the Landcruiser, Jock gave a broad smile. ‘When did you sneak those diamonds out of the bag?’ he asked.
    Shepherd grinned. ‘On the chopper.’
    ‘You did the right thing.’
    ‘I know that.’
    ‘Didn’t keep a few back for yourself and your mates, did you?’
    Shepherd laughed. ‘Sorry, Jock. No.’
    ‘Probably best. Don’t know what I’d do with serious money.’
    ‘Me neither.’
    They walked into the hotel together. ‘Know what, Spider? I would never have taken you for a do-gooder.’
    Shepherd grinned back at him. ‘I didn’t see you objecting to me giving her the diamonds.’
    ‘For the kids,’ said Jock.
    Shepherd nodded. ‘Yeah. For the kids.’
    ‘Well if you’re not going to give me diamonds, I’ll settle for a few whiskies. And correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve got a feeling it’s your round.’
    ‘Funny how it always seems to be your round yesterday and my round today, Jock.’
    The Glaswegian’s smile broadened even further. ‘You’ve still got much to learn, Grasshopper. Watch and learn from the Master, watch and learn.’
     
    * * *
     
    Spider Shepherd left the SAS at the end of 2002 and joined an elite police undercover unit. You can read the first of his undercover adventures in Hard Landing, where he goes undercover in a high security prison to unmask a drugs dealer who is killing off witnesses to his crimes. The Spider Shepherd series continues with Soft Target, Cold Kill, Hot Blood, Dead Men, Live Fire, Rough Justice, Fair Game, False Friends and True Colours. You can read more about Stephen Leather’s work at www.stephenleather.com
     
    Hard Landing is available in the UK for 49p at –  http://amzn.to/xxX2YU
     
    And in the US for less than a dollar at –  http://amzn.to/xWg1E7
     
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