Turn or Burn Read Online Free PDF

happened to look you in the eyes, it was a sign of respect. Something you clearly don’t deserve. Now let’s get past this and go to work.”
    She was floored. Mouth-dropped. Humbled. Saddened. Embarrassed. Like I’d flipped her skirt up on stage. I felt kind of bad about it.
    After a few seconds, she said, “I’m sorry.”
    “It’s all in the past. I’ve already forgotten.”
    Sure, she was good-looking. Any idiot knew that. So are several million other women across the world. Her casual jeans and running shoes weren’t fooling anybody; she had one hell of a body, the kind you can’t create in the gym. Something you’re lucky enough to be born with, end of story. I didn’t care, though. Hadn’t cared about women in a long time. I’m just trying to take care of myself. That’s why her comment set me off.
    “You want to head north?” I asked. “I’ll move down the hill. Meet you on the other side.”
    She nodded, and we parted.
    It is in the element of high alert that I dwell most comfortably. I worked my way down the hill, eyeing every window, every stopped car. The neighborhood was quiet. It was noon on a weekday. A few slow drivers were headed out to do whatever it was they did. Parked cars were on every block, their emergency brakes surely on. I’ve heard that the inhabitants of Magnolia can’t leave when it snows. They’d slide all the way down the hill. It was an expensive, safe neighborhood. We were making sure that we could move the doctor and his family to the armored Suburban without any problem. Once they were inside the vehicle, we were okay.
    I turned back up the hill. Francesca was cutting the corner on the sidewalk. We looked like we lived somewhere around there, out for a leisurely stroll. But I kept looking up. I’ve been doing bodyguard work for years, and the problems generally come from up high. Windows, trees…any place where an enemy can get the advantage.
    About six houses down on the opposite side, I picked up something. Saw a flash or reflection in the window. I didn’t like it. Instead of engaging immediately, I kept moving. Walked casually until I’d passed another house and was out of sight. I spoke into the hidden mic in my shirt. “I don’t like something over here. Want to help me out?”
    Her voice came back through the wired earpiece wedged into my ear. “Are you still going down the hill?”
    “Yep. Meet you at that Stop sign at the bottom.”
    Five minutes later, we were together and focused on what was going on. Focused on saving lives. Absolutely no concern for our previous friction. We were professionals.
    I looked up the hill and said, “The green house on the right. I saw some kind of movement, maybe a reflection—binoculars or something—in the second window from the east. It’s got an unobstructed view of the doctor’s driveway. I think it’s worth looking into.” As I said it, I really hoped I wasn’t crying wolf. My condition had made me slightly paranoid.
    “Let’s do it. Go knock on the door.”
    “Why don’t you do it?”
    She nodded. “Stay behind me.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” She walked up the sidewalk and hung a right into the very short driveway. The driveway was empty. I cut through the neighbor’s yard and settled behind a line of bushes with a good view of the front of the million-dollar house. Two stories, green with white trim. Well-kept. Trimmed bushes. No lights on.
    She knocked on the door.
    As I have touched on already, the best part about not working for the government anymore was that I didn’t have to follow the rules. Of course, as a US civilian, I was subject to the legal system, but if I didn’t get caught, then I wasn’t subject to anything. All of us contractors take advantage of that freedom. That’s why the government hires us; we will break the law if need be.
    Francesca knocked a third time and rang the doorbell. No answer. I came out from behind the bushes and began looking in windows. Nothing out of the