Troublemaker Read Online Free PDF Page A

whiskers even though he had a vague memory of one of the nurses shaving him at one time or another . . . maybe. Then he stared in shock at his own hand, at how thin and almost translucent it was, not like his hand at all though he knew it was because it was attached to the end of his arm . . . which also looked freakishly thin. For a minute he fought a sense of disconnection, fought to bring his thoughts back on track. What had they been talking about? Right—the Russians.
    â€œThey didn’t. Rykov was attached to the mob, but this looks like an independent hit. Someone outside hired it done.”
    In that case, the possibilities were legion because he still couldn’t think why anyone would want him dead, which theoretically left the world’s entire population in play.
    â€œWalk me through everything that happened after you reached stateside,” Axel said, leaning back and crossing his arms.
    â€œI debriefed”—he figured that was already known, given that Axel would have all the paperwork—“grabbed a bite to eat at a McDonald’s, went home, took a shower, and went to sleep. Slept a full twenty-four. Then I worked on my gear, took a run in the dark, came home, went back to sleep.” The simple statements were punctuated by pauses to catch his breath.
    â€œAnything happen at the McDonald’s? Or during your run? Who did you talk to?”
    â€œNo, no, and no one, other than the cashier who handed my order out the drive-through window.”
    â€œDid you recognize the cashier?”
    â€œNo. It was some kid.”
    â€œDid you see anything inside the restaurant?”
    â€œNo.” He was sure of that because he remembered being a little uneasy by his restricted line of sight. After a mission, it always took a while to decompress and ease out of combat mode.
    â€œThen what?”
    Morgan blew out a breath, tried to whip up his rapidly flagging energy—not that he’d had much to begin with. He was so weak he didn’t recognize his own body, which made him feel even more disconnected than maybe was accounted for by the drugs. “When I woke up, I wanted to go fishing. I called Kodak but he was otherwise occupied, so I went alone.”
    Axel nodded. Morgan figured he already knew that, just as he’d known about the debriefing. “Did you talk to anyone?”
    â€œCongresswoman Kingsley and her husband. They were on the river.”
    â€œAnyone with them?”
    â€œNo, they were by themselves.”
    â€œAnyone else?”
    â€œNot to talk to.” A memory niggled at him. “Brawley—the marina manager—said hello.”
    Axel was a master at reading nuances of expression. “And . . . ?”
    Until he heard the “and,” Morgan hadn’t been aware there was an “and.” He took a deep breath, cut it short when the pain in his chest cut into him. “Could be coincidence, but he made a call after talking to me.”
    â€œHow soon after?”
    â€œImmediately.”
    â€œCell phone?” If Brawley had used a cell, Axel could use the time and the cell towers to get a bead on the possible call recipients.
    â€œNo.” Very clearly, Morgan saw in his mind the old-fashioned corded phone Brawley had used. “Corded landline.”
    â€œShit.” Frustration was clear in the word. Getting the info wasn’t impossible, but it would require a warrant. Technology would let them bypass that little detail if the call had been made on a cell.
    But, regardless of the phone call, Morgan couldn’t think of any way Brawley would know where he lived or, more importantly, why he would need to set up a hit.
    The effort to sit up and answer questions was wearing on him hard. He didn’t have much more juice left in him. “No reason,” he muttered, letting his head drop back. His eyes closed automatically, and he fought them open again.
    â€œWhat?” Axel demanded.
    Morgan