What Lies Behind by J. T. Ellison Read Free Book Online Page A

operation was the trickiest. Whipping out their weapons at an airport was a surefire way to get noticed. If a bogey were to make a move now, they would have to counter it with subtle, quick and meaningful brute force.
    Xander was fine with that. It had been ages since he’d been in an honest-to-God fight. He wouldn’t mind sinking his fists into a bad guy’s face.
    It wouldn’t happen today. The job had been simple, straightforward. James Denon was well-liked by his people, his company and his country. There had been no signs of trouble all week. The people who hated him were half a world away, and the trip had been on close hold, so they had no idea he was in the States.
    They’d timed their arrival well. The wait was short; after only fifteen minutes, their principal’s flight was ready. This was the beauty of Teterboro, New Jersey’s private airport. The crowds were smaller, the people waiting for private flights and charters. The usual program—parking, security, long wait times at the gates—wasn’t at all the same.
    Good for the principal, but more difficult for Xander to fit in. They’d been lucky today; there was a group of private high schoolers being ferried to Canada, and they were creating quite a bit of distraction. Enough for Xander to find a spot along the periphery and look like one of their chaperones, exhausted already by their energy.
    Behind the mirrored lenses, he watched the small crowd. Their principal began making his way toward the doors. Xander gave Chalk the nod, stood, stretched. Moved toward the double glass doors to the tarmac, gave things a look-see. All clear. He spoke quietly into his hand mike. “We’re a go. Plane’s here.”
    Chalk, standing four feet away, touched the principal on the shoulder, gestured unobtrusively toward the door. Xander kept watch while the principal and his people dutifully paraded out the door, across the tarmac and into the plane.
    Five minutes later, it was done. The flight attendant had closed the door, and the plane pulled away, engines purring.
    “A final all clear,” Xander said, and felt the tension of the past few days leak away.
    Chalk strolled toward the exit, and Xander followed, cautious to watch their backs. No reason to get made just because the operation was over.
    They met up in the parking lot. They had rented two cars. They’d take them back to JFK, drop them and the job would officially be over.
    “That went well,” Chalk said.
    “It did. And now he’ll tell all his friends. Let’s get to JFK. I want to go home.”
    Chalk’s phone rang. He answered with his usual, “Hoo-rah.” A moment later his face turned white.
    Xander instinctively put his hand on his weapon at his belt, a sweet little SIG Sauer he preferred for close-up work.
    “What is it? What happened?”
    Chalk didn’t answer, just made a helicopter with his finger and about-faced smartly, back toward the private terminal. Xander stepped next to him. A moment later, Chalk hung up.
    “That was Denon. They’re turning the plane around, some sort of mechanical problem. Looks like you and I aren’t done just yet.”
    They were at the entrance now, and there was a lot of activity inside. Xander saw four airport employees running toward the back doors. The private schoolers were gathered together at the southern end of the room, pushing toward the windows, staring, one of their chaperones waving her hands to get them to stay put.
    Xander ignored everyone around him but Chalk, tuned them out, lasered his focus. “What’s the issue, did he say?”
    “No. He’s justifiably concerned.”
    “Think it’s directed at him?”
    “I don’t know, but we better be ready for anything when that plane lands.”
    “If it is, they knew we were on him. They waited until we left to make a move.”
    “That’s pretty fucking sophisticated. I haven’t seen a tail, or anything to indicate we were being observed.”
    Xander nodded. “Me, either. Could his itinerary have leaked?