Raven on the Wing Read Online Free PDF Page B

restlessly lit another cigarette. “I don’t care what it costs. Just find out.”
    “Right.” Zach rose soundlessly from his chair and left the room, prepared to do anything on the right side of legal to get the information.Josh Long was perhaps the only truly honest man Zach had ever known. Left to himself, Zach would probably have crossed into the gray area that was the despair of judges and courtrooms, but he knew his employer too well.
    And because of Josh’s somewhat unusual background, it wasn’t necessary. In every major law enforcement agency the country could boast, Josh Long merely had to ask to be granted instant and complete cooperation.
    Los Angeles was no exception.
    Still, it took hours. Zach decided not to call in the team of investigators and security men he had built over the years to handle some of the more complex aspects of Josh Long’s empire. Instead, he requested of hotel management—and was instantly granted—a small office off the lobby, complete with computer and phone linkup, and went to work.
    Computers were one of Zach’s many areas of expertise, and he carried in his mind access codes the federal government tended to be possessive about. He hardly expected to find anythingearth-shattering … but what he found was quite definitely interesting.
    Just before midnight, Zach returned to the sunken den of the suite, carrying a computer printout of some length. He found Josh seated at his desk, having obviously just hung up the phone, a frown on his face.
    “Well?” Josh never snapped, but that came close to it.
    Zach came forward to place the printout before his boss. He was understandably pleased with himself, since he had spent hours not only gathering information from several data centers, but also confirming every fact. “I wouldn’t recommend reading this before bedtime,” he said in his soft, pleasant voice. “Give you nightmares.”
    Josh sent him a sharp look, then bent his dark head to study the printout.
    Zachary Steele, in the opinion of all who knew him, was afraid of nothing that walked on earth. But as he watched Josh reading, he began to feel very edgy. He knew his employer andfriend well, but he had never seen anything like the utter stillness slowly gripping that lean face. He quite unconsciously braced himself, powerful muscles growing taut, and had sudden visions of heads lopped off and flying across hotel rooms. One head, at least. His own. He was abruptly glad he had made up his will years before.
    Josh looked up. “What the hell is this?” he asked softly.
    It took all the strength Zach could command not to blink at the fixed, intense rage in those normally cool and calm blue eyes. But he had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Background on Raven Anderson. I verified every fact.”
    “Then you’ve got the wrong woman.” Josh’s voice was flat and hard.
    Zach hesitated, then reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and unfolded a sheet of stiff paper. “I called and requested a wire photo. Picked it up a little while ago.” He placed the sheet on the desk faceup.
    Josh could scarcely bear to look. Through hismind swam the madness of what he had read. A long list of aliases going back ten years. Indictments—but no convictions—for grand theft, forgery, fraud, solicitation for the purposes of prostitution … The FBI listed her as a possible subversive, linking her with a terrorist group but claiming no proof. And the CIA believed that now she was representing “international interests” in the area of white slavery.
    Madness …
    “Her present address,” Zach said woodenly, feeling skewered by those eyes and wondering why Josh hadn’t looked at the photo, “is a penthouse in a very exclusive high-rise here in L.A. The lease is held by Leon Travers.”
    Slowly, every inch a stabbing agony, Josh looked down at the picture. It was grainy, but clear for all of that. A young woman with icy eyes holding a numbered card in front of her. And