Operation Date With Destiny Read Online Free PDF Page B

, falling into step alongside her as they walked from the new groundskeeper ’ s hut to the schoolhouse across the playground.
    “ Pon, w e don ’ t have a choice, ” she said , using the shorter, less formal name she usually called him when they were alone.
    “ I don ’ t like the way he looks at you. ”
    Destiny turned a glance on her old friend and sent him a weary smile. “ I can handle Johnny Tupperoni. ”
    “ I told you I could do this for you. My men are trained fighters. We don ’ t need the American. ”
    Destiny stopped walking and turned to the man who had been her childhood friend. “ I know you and your men can fight—I know you would do this for me—but he has the experience—he knows this place. I can ’ t take the risk of not using him for this. I mean no disrespect to you, my friend. You have helped me more than you know already—without you I wouldn ’ t have been able to get even this far. Please. Trust me that I know what I am doing. ”
    “ I do trust you, Destiny. It ’ s him I don ’ t trust. How can we even be sure he ’ ll help us? What ’ s stopping him from abandoning us once we get into the jungle? ”
    “ Believe it or not, beneath all that talk—Johnny Tupperoni is a good man. He ’ ll stay. He ’ s the only other person I know , who hates Samuel Tre ’ ago more than I do. ”

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Tupper made the arrangements he needed. Not happily by any means, but he made them.
    He was given photos of the compound and it was just as he remembered it. They didn ’ t have aerial shots which would have made it easier to see how far in relation to landmarks things were so he could calculate a little more accurately, but at least he had a fresh image in his head now to correlate his plans.
    Contacts he hadn ’ t had to call on in a long time had to be used—but thank God they were reliable.
    “ Pete, I need your services. I ’ m doing a solo job for a client. Yeah, ” he replied to Pete ’ s surprised question. “ You know me—can ’ t resist playin ’ the hero, ” he said and heard Pete ’ s skeptical bark of laughter. When Pete wanted to do it for cost price, Tupper turned him down. “ No. Charge full price Pete—and add a bit extra on top. ” That, he thought smugly , was for hitting me over the head with the rifle.
    He was able to make the phone calls he needed to make under the watchful eye of Destiny ’ s second in command— Pongfu or whatever the hell his name was. There was a mutual dislike between the two men and Tupper had a feeling it came from a lot more than just a vague distrust of strangers.
    The guy was jealous. He ’ d watched them leave the hut the previous night after dinner and saw the way he ’ d watched Destiny when he thought she wasn ’ t looking. Tupper might not be the most in touch with his emotions kinda guy on the planet—but he knew unrequited love when he saw it. And Pongo had it bad. Can ’ t say he could blame the guy—she was hot.
    She ’ d blown his mind in that red dress . He gave a silent snort—even dressed in drab old camo gear, the woman still managed to look hot. His thought went back to the set of angel wings on her back. It had been that damn tattoo that had sealed his fate. It was a pity she ’ d had it covered up ever since that night.
    He gave Pete the lat and longitudes to a pick up point and told him when they ’ d need him. On the other end of the phone, Pete went unusually silent. “ Are you sure that ’ s the correct coordinates, Tup? ”
    “ That ’ s an affirmative, Pete. Make arrangements for an y extra equipment you might need to find for the job, and I ’ ll radio you when we need an evac. ”
    “ Solid copy. Roger that, over, ” Pete replied and Tupper was relieved when he got the straightforward reply. In his friends tone, he heard that he understood what Tupper wanted done and not for the first time in his life, was glad for the almost telepathic connection he had with the men