The Hunter Read Online Free PDF Page A

these scumbags hurt women, children, and helpless people. And his anger had expanded more each day till his own self-control was tested.
    He swallowed it in, accepting a mug of beer from one of the men. He waved it at Dilaver. “Maybe you can buy him off?” he asked, affecting a cynical expression.
    “No, he’s still in the fresh stage…has already refused some tactfully worded bribe offers. No, no, this man—his name is Sun—is going to have to learn the hard way. Besides, with him being interested in that restaurant owner, I can keep an eye on him and his activities. Her information has been good so far.” Dilaver shrugged. “She keeps him happy and me happy. Very smart businesswoman. I think you’ll like this American chick.”
    “But an American woman alone in Velesta? What do you think of that?”
    “Suspicious, I know, but she’s still useful. I’m sure you’ve already found out that everyone around here has hidden motives, Hawk.” Dilaver’s eyes narrowed. His lips curled into a sneer. “She’s been here for four or five years, building her little café restaurant into quite a gathering spot for the UN peacekeepers. I guess, like you, they all want real hamburgers.”
    “What’s her name?” Hawk asked. How odd—to have thought of hamburgers and now his wish was granted.
    “Amber Hutchens. The restaurant’s called The Last Resort.”
     
    The woman on the other end of the line sounded professional and pleasant. “Hallo, dobar dan.”
    “Dobar dan. Jeste li dobili moje pismo?” Hawk asked the question to signal the request to speak to Jed. He had been instructed to dial this number the moment the source established contact. To ask whether the person received his letter was a clue for Jed.
    “Kada ste poslali pismo?”
    “The letter was sent late,” Hawk replied in Serbian. Late. In the dark. Tied to his—
    “Are you positive it’s the right communication?”
    “Oh, quite,” he said, barely keeping the sarcasm out of his voice. The communication was very obvious.
    “Please hold.”
    He knew they were making sure his line was secure before putting Jed through. The man was an enigma—the last time he’d called this number, the woman had spoken Vietnamese. And the time before that, Jed had picked up on the first ring.
    The woman came back on the line. “I’m sorry, but the letter isn’t here. You must have sent it to the wrong address.”
    The line went dead.
     
    “Shit.” Amber immediately turned off her laptop.
    “Got caught, huh?” Her back against the wall, Llallana crossed her arms. “Can they trace back to us?”
    Amber shook her head. “Don’t think so.”
    “How do you think they know about the chip you put in our American boy’s cell phone?”
    “It was a gamble,” Amber admitted. “Jed McNeil has some of the most advanced tech toys on his side. But as tests go, we’re getting plenty of answers.”
    Llallana cocked her head, her eyes thoughtful. “They sure were being very careful. Coded conversation. Tracer satellite signals.”
    “Not to mention an intermediary. That woman who answered him wasn’t just some secretary. She was probably at a different location with her own satellite tracer just in case someone was trying to locate Jed’s current position.” Amber reactivated her laptop. “So even if he’s been compromised, no one would have found him.”
    “But now he knows someone has bugged their man’s phone. Now what?”
    “He’ll know it’s us,” Amber replied dryly. There was very little that escaped Jed.
    “No, everything points to you, my dear,” Llallana retorted. Straightening from the wall, she sauntered to the door. “Can’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re the one who wanted to test the guy.”
    Amber swung her chair around, watching her friend as she headed for the door. Lily was in a strange mood. She had been reluctant about this particular operation since Amber hatched the idea of testing the new man in town. “So you just