The Athena Factor by W. Michael Gear Read Free Book Online

face. Handing him the cup, he led him to the conference room and snaked out a chair before dropping into it backward so he could rest his arms on the back.
    The room was paneled in oak veneer with bulletin boards, chalkboards, a screen for PowerPoint and slide projections, as well as a foot locker full of toys. Actually they were props, used by Lymon’s people for planning purposes. With the assortment of blocks, cardboard, and toy cars, they could create most any kind of scale model for route or location briefings.
    Ensley flopped into one of the cushioned chairs and stared into his coffee. “What happened in New York? What’s your side of the story?”
    Lymon detailed it yet again.
    When he had finished, Ensley looked up quizzically. “He tried to poke her with a needle? No shit? Like, to inject her with what? HIV? His sperm?”
    Lymon shrugged. “You got me.”
    Ensley sipped at his coffee and raised an eyebrow. Lymon could see faint freckles on his skin. “Hey, that’s good. If you keep losing clients, you can go head-to-head with Starbucks.”
    â€œI didn’t lose my client,” Lymon groused, irritated. “But the guy came awfully close.” He met Ensley’s eyes. “I can’t swear to it—I just got the briefest glimpse—but it looked like the plunger was down on the syringe. Flipped out as it sounds, it was like he was going to try to suck something out her, not shoot it in. When he finally figured out that the attack was blown, he dropped a flash-bang and ran.”
    â€œHuh?” Ensley was skeptical.
    â€œStandard CTS 7290. You might say he was fully committed to escape.”

    â€œMaybe it was drugs? Some wacko wanting to share his favorite high with his favorite actress?”
    â€œOr maybe he wanted to inject her with something contagious, something only he had the antidote for? I don’t know. Like I said, it looked to me like the plunger was down. Things were happening fast.” Lymon settled his chin on his forearms. “So, what brings you to my door? Sure you’re not looking for a job? I’ll start you at five-fifty an hour taking out the trash.”
    Ensley grinned, but lost it too fast. “Julia had a break-in last night.” Julia was Julia Roberts, Sheela’s competition for highest-paid top-grossing female star and American icon. “Weird thing. Doesn’t make any sense. It was a professional job.”
    â€œJulia Roberts has some of the best technology in the business. Sheela’s thinking about upgrading to her system.”
    â€œYeah, well, what if I told you some guy parachuted onto her roof last night? He left his chute dangling off the satellite dish just so we’d know for sure. He also left the pitonlike things he screwed into the roof under the tiles and the rope and harness he used to drop over the edge. He cut the screen out of an open third-floor window, and he was in.”
    â€œWhere’s Julia?”
    â€œShe had just left the house. She’s got a six a.m. screen call and has to be out for costuming and makeup.” Ensley turned the coffee cup in his hands. “The thing is, the guy must know this. You got me as to how. Maybe they were watching from the chopper. When her car pulled out of the drive, the guy dropped out the hatch.”
    â€œSo what did he take?”
    Ensley looked up. “That’s the weird thing. He took her sheets. Right off the bed, still, like warm, you know? That, and the trash out of the bedroom wastebasket. What kind of guy steals dirty sheets and bedroom trash?”
    â€œI’d start watching eBay. Maybe Julia’s trash sells for a whole lot.”
    Ensley didn’t look amused. “So, the guy bags up the sheets and trash, then climbs out the window. Up to now it’s been a perfect job. Julia’s people find out she’s been hit because
the helicopter comes in low, drops a line, and snags the guy off the