The Prisoner's Gold (The Hunters 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

snorted some of the hot liquid up his nose. The other customers looked over briefly, but Cobb waved them off as Duggan whipped out his handkerchief and coughed into it.
    Cobb continued. ‘From this point on, you’ll only get paid on successful missions – just like me. But I’ll cover your expenses up until that point, naturally.’
    ‘Dear God,’ Duggan whispered, once he had recovered his ability to speak. ‘That’s bloody generous, mate. You understand that’s far beyond my typical salary, right?’
    ‘I do,’ Cobb said, leaning forward. ‘But I require absolute silence for it. The truth is I don’t need the money. The money I have now will keep me for the rest of my days. What I need is to live long enough to enjoy it. I don’t like being in the dark.’
    ‘No one does.’
    ‘Plus, I need your complete loyalty on this. You wouldn’t be Sarah’s asset anymore. You’d be mine. I’ll need you to drop all your other clients and work for me full time.’
    ‘Understood,’ Duggan said with a nod. ‘My experience with these sorts of things has shown me that you might not like what I uncover …’
    ‘Let me worry about that. The team will be in Florida today or tomorrow. That seems like a good time to start – if you like the cut of
my
jib, that is.’
    ‘I like the cut of every sail on your sloop, Jack.’ Duggan leaned across the table and shook Cobb’s hand. ‘I’ll have my people begin immediately. Just tell me who you’re looking for.’
    ‘Wait. Your people?’ Cobb said, suddenly wary.
    ‘Relax, Jack. This sort of work can’t be done with a single man anymore. I have agents who are highly skilled and loyal to me. In addition to their loyalty, there are
several
layers of protection between us. These days I don’t meet these people in person, but I still keep tabs on them, as any employer should. There’s a reason I’ve managed to reach this age in my profession.’
    ‘That’s fine,’ Cobb said with a nod, ‘as long as there’s no direct connection from them to me. I know you, and I think I can trust you. But I’m not really comfortable trusting other people. So do me a favor and keep those layers intact. Or this relationship will end real quick.’

5
    Monday, March
17
    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
    The concrete stucco and simple tiled roof of the team’s headquarters gave the impression of an industrial compound rather than a lavish house. Built with practicality in mind, not prestige, the building looked more like a bunker than a beach home. The squat architecture, perfect for withstanding the tropical storms and powerful hurricanes that threatened the Florida coast each year, was unassuming in almost every way.
    From the outside, it reeked of modesty, not money.
    But inside was a different story.
    Nicknamed ‘
La Trésorerie
’ – the Treasure House – by Papineau, the four-thousand-square-foot home was adorned by the trappings of wealth. Exotic rugs, valuable paintings, and expensive chandeliers decorated the interior of nearly every room. Although the building was designed to keep them safe and included air filtration and water purification systems, as well as walls that could withstand a missile assault, the Frenchman saw no reason to sacrifice comfort.
    Ironically, the team couldn’t have cared less about such opulence. As long as they had beds to sleep in, couches to sit on, and food in the refrigerator, everything else was unnecessary. They were here to train, not entertain guests.
    Gaudy works of art meant nothing to them.
    Unless they were part of a mission.
    The morning had been relatively quiet at the team’s headquarters when Sarah Ellis burst through the front door like an angry bull. ‘Where is he? I know he’s here somewhere!’
    Sprawled in a wingback chair in the living room, McNutt froze when Sarah stormed into the house. He didn’t think he had done anything to piss her off in the past three months, but he braced for impact just in case. Thankfully, she blew