Campaign of Desire (CSA Case Files 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

to us,” Ethan said, glancing about to get a round of nodded agreements. “There is nothing anyone could tell us about you that would affect how we feel about you.”
    “We accepted that you’re a squid.” Kevin lifted up his Vikings mug in salute, making reference to the fact that all of them were former Marines with the exception of Taryn. “We even managed to live through your putrid herbal tea habit. Trust me, if we like you after those god awful things…”
    “I know that it’s hard to imagine and even harder to answer, but is it possible that your mother is lying?” Jax asked, squeezing the yellow stress ball that he liked to throw around.
    “I agree with you that she might be withholding the truth,” Taryn replied with a sad smile. Her blue eyes showed appreciation for their support and she knew they would help her any way they could in getting to the bottom of this case that continued to haunt all of them. “I promise I will look at everything objectively.”
    “We don’t doubt that you’ll do what you have to do, Taryn.” Ethan returned a grin of support. “I’m more worried about what Ryland knows and if somehow his being hired to take out Emily didn’t have a connection with you. Did he know that Emily would reach out to Jax? Did he take the contract because he knew it would all lead to you?”
    “All good questions.” Crest leaned forward and laced his fingers together over the papers in front of him. “Which is why Taryn will start at the beginning and Jax will work with her backwards through our case files and contacts. Each have the knowledge that we need, or at least they have access to that data. We’ve been too worried about locating Ryland and not investigating his reasons for targeting CSA, which is what this feels like. The contracts I’ve employed will keep their eyes peeled while we do what we do best.”
    “ Semper Gumby , always flexible.”
    The motto was murmured throughout the room causing Taryn to smile. She was the only person in the room that was selected from the Navy and she never let any of them disparage her background. They all joked with each other but at the end of the day, they all supported their country.
    “Lach, Connor, and Ethan.” Crest stood, effectively dismissing the meeting. Jax, Kevin and Taryn all remained seated and Lach knew they would exchange ideas on how to proceed with the team’s scrutiny of her past. When Kevin gave him a look that Lach couldn’t decipher, it set his radar off. His friend knew something and whatever it was didn’t bode well. Shit. “My office.”
    Ethan was still smiling in his lighthearted manner and it was obvious he had no idea what this side meeting was regarding. Whereas originally Lach was looking forward to getting a new assignment, and one that might even take him out of the country, he had a feeling he was about to get the big green weenie.
    When Crest headed to his office with Ethan and Connor in tow, Lach followed behind and reiterated to himself that he owed his superior a lot. It wasn’t that he hadn’t repaid the man back in spades, but Crest had earned his respect. When the hostage rescue in his previous career had been botched and hit the airwaves, Lach’s name had been withheld from the media. If he had to guess, he suspected that even the team members of CSA didn’t know how he’d been involved in that clusterfuck. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about and they were considerate enough not to ask about his past. It was named that for a reason and that’s where he wanted it to stay. Whatever Crest was about to ask, Lach would carry on as if another stone hadn’t been thrown into his pack.
    “Have a seat.” Crest walked behind his desk, tossing the folders he’d collected off to the side as the two other men sat in the guest chairs. Lach took his usual section of the wall. The manila files sitting in the middle of Crest’s workspace were picked up and handed to them, Connor holding one