The Gauntlet Assassin by LJ Sellers Read Free Book Online

him for his shyness and accused him of going through life with the brakes on. This was pedal to the metal, Paul thought, then laughed at himself.
    A woman walking by looked over at him and smiled, surprising him. Was it the laughter? People never noticed him. Nor had humor ever come naturally.
    The woman moved out of earshot. It was now or never, Paul thought. He brought the unit close to his mouth and said, “Send.”
    Stomach churning, Paul hurried down the street to a bus stop. The wind cut through his jacket and the sky darkened. How long would it take Rathmore to answer? What if he never did? Paul decided he would give the client twenty-four hours to respond, then throw away the iCom—just in case Rathmore decided to be righteous and report the incident. Paul had no idea who Rathmore would report it to or if anyone would investigate. Law enforcement had restricted budgets and focused their efforts on violent crime, terrorists, and the drug trade. Otherwise, people were expected to look out for themselves in the new order, and frivolous lawsuits were a thing of the past.
    A moment later, the iCom beeped and Paul stopped in his tracks. He touched the screen and text appeared. Who are you? What federal position? I want to talk.
    Yes! Rathmore was interested. Paul started to speak, then took a breath and reminded himself to be careful. He knew he would have to speak directly to Rathmore sooner or later. Fortunately, he would always have more leverage because he knew his client’s identity.
    Paul said, “Respond, voice,” and the unit connected to Rathmore again.
    “Who is this? And where did you get my name?” Rathmore took an aggressive tone.
    “You’ll never know. That’s the deal.” Paul kept talking, not giving him a chance to argue. “The position is director of planning in HHS. It pays twenty thousand more than what you’re making now.”
    “How do you know the position is coming open? No one voluntarily leaves a job with a high-end med card.”
    “You’ll have to trust me. And if you don’t want to pay for the position, I’m sure one of your competitors will.”
    Rathmore paused. “Are you sure I’m being considered for the position?”
    “Yes. I want ten thousand in cash up front and ten thousand when you get called for the interview.”
    “I can’t get that much money together. I’ll give you five up front and five after I get my first new deposit.”
    “My terms aren’t negotiable.” Paul couldn’t believe he’d just said that. It was as if some tough guy character had taken over his body.
    “I’ll have to think about it.”
    “You have twenty-four hours to contact me at this number. Send a text.”
    “How do I know you’re not a scammer? A lot of people have been burned by phony job auctions.”
    “None of those jobs were at this level, and none of the scammers had this kind of information.” Paul waited while his client considered his options.
    After a moment, Rathmore said, “Give me a week to see if I can raid my retirement fund or max out my credit limit.”
    “Forty-eight hours.” Paul hung up.
    Once it was over, his legs shook so hard, he stumbled to the bus stop bench and sat. He was not cut out for this kind of thing. He tried to imagine himself collecting a bag full of cash and getting away unseen. His heart raced at the thought. It wasn’t too late to back out—but he didn’t want to. As terrified as he was, he’d never felt more empowered and engaged. He was finally taking control of his future. He was a player now, and there was no turning back.

Chapter 6
    Mon., May 8
    Lara woke to the sound of beeping. Disoriented at first, she sat up and grabbed her 9-millimeter off the nightstand. The hotel room came into focus and she remembered where she was. The beep was her six o’clock wake-up alarm from her iCom.
    She heard her roommate moving around, so she put her weapon in the nightstand drawer and pushed out of bed. After splashing cold water on her face, Lara