AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dressler’s eyes lit up. “That would be cool.”
It was a sound plan. If Tai felt the trust-fund baby’s security system was acceptable, that was good enough for him. “I like it,” he announced. “How about you, Preacher? You okay staying with Randall for a few days while we wrap this up?”
“Two days,” the pastor said firmly. “Two more days. Then I’m going to Vangie.”
“Done.” He wouldn’t need two whole days to satisfy himself that Peckham was the bomber.
If it wasn’t Peckham, he’d persuade the pastor to re-negotiate.
Clearly satisfied, the pastor regained some of his bluster. He shoved his hands on his hips. “I just talked to my wife last night. She’s fine, for now, and she won’t want strangers around. If you can get this done in the next couple days, she won’t need a security detail.”
Bridger relaxed against the back of the booth. “If you’re sure.”
“That’s the way I want it. So what now?”
Tai took that one. “Now we flush out the perp. Make him show himself.”
The other men looked confused. “How do you do that?” Dressler asked.
Tai motioned at Bridger. “Boss?”
Bridger grinned. The plan had just appeared, full-fledged, in his mind. One of those miracles the Lord offered up on occasion. He savored the feeling for a second. “We nudge him.”
The pastor pursed his lips. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You should.” Bridger drummed his fingers against the edge of the table, tapping out the backbeat to his favorite Switchfoot ballad. “It’s our way of taking charge. We give him an irresistible target and a hard deadline. He gets you now, or he loses out.”
The pastor opened his mouth to protest, but Tai cut him off before he could speak. “Don’t worry, Preach. We got this. You’ll be under surveillance the whole time.”
The big man scrunched up his nose as if he’d gotten a whiff of sewer gas. “By the two of you?”
The pulse at the side of Bridger’s neck pounded. Man, this guy was insufferable. “You could do worse.”
Tai laughed. “Seriously. But no. We’ve got friends.” He turned to Bridger. “We still have friends, right?”
“Lots of ‘em.” Bridger rose slowly, crowding the rotund preacher. “They make us look like Girl Scouts.”
“That’s no joke,” Tai added. “We’ve got this covered.
The pastor eyed the hardware store again. “Fine. Two days.”
He stalked out, Dressler on his heels.
Tai made a disgusted sound. “Congrats on not socking him in the face.”
Bridger acknowledged the compliment with a bow of his head.
“We need reinforcements,” Tai pointed out.
Bridger pulled out his phone. “I’m way ahead of you.”
He knew just the woman for this job. Kate wouldn’t be thrilled about flying a boring, civilian-style private jet, but she’d love the challenge he had in mind. The woman had more cojones than most of the men in Special Forces, and twice the skills. Though this time, he didn’t want her for her aeronautical prowess.
He needed another set of eyes on this. And another skilled shooter, if—or more likely when—his sketchy plan went south.
“You gonna fill me in on this brilliant plan of yours?” Tai asked.
He let out a long breath and ran through the details as he saw them. With every word, Tai’s expression grew more grim.
