Read Online Black Pawn (Michael Cailen Book 1) by Mel LeBrun - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mel LeBrun
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trying to find out what happened in China and
why the CIA was after me. I was so consumed with getting to the bottom of it,
I nearly drove myself insane. I got careless. Made mistakes. It almost got
me killed.”
“What happened?”
“I contacted someone I had worked with in the CIA. Charlie
Stevens. He said he would look into it and get back to me. A few days later
he called me. Gave me a name and told me to meet him so he could give me what
he had found.”
Michael drifted back to that day as he told the story.
Charlie didn't want to talk over the phone, but Michael persuaded him to at
least give him a name. They arranged to meet in a parking garage downtown. He
arrived early and watched the garage from a distance waiting for Charlie to
drive in. The meet time came and went and he started to get nervous. He was
focused on the garage entrance. He didn't know why but he looked to his right,
just in time to catch movement behind him out of the corner of his eye. The
movement was quick and he reacted instinctively, ducking just as he heard the
dull tap of a silenced gun. A window across the street shattered as he pulled
his gun from his waistband and aimed in the direction of the shooter. He fired
two shots into the man's chest as he hit the ground. He rolled and saw two men
running quickly down the sidewalk. They were focused on him and he knew he
needed to get out of there. It was a trap.
He was halfway down a nearby alley when the two men chasing
him rounded the corner. Exposed with nowhere to hide, he was saved when a door
opened and someone threw a bag of trash in a trash can. He grabbed the door
before it closed and ducked in the building as shots rang out. One flew so
close he felt a gush of warm air on the back of his neck. He ran through a
maze of hallways in the building until he finally found the front door. He
burst through quickly spotting a man getting into his Mercedes. Michael pushed
the man away from his car while ripping the keys from his hand. The man tried
to fight back, but a swift elbow to the face removed any resistance.
As he peeled out, the two men chasing him emerged from the
building. Spotting him in the car, they started shooting. Glass shattered all
around him, but he kept driving.
He turned down a few streets and noticed a black SUV gaining
on him. He stepped on the gas and flew through a red light. He made it
through, but the SUV wasn't so lucky. It got slammed by another car. He
ditched the car a few blocks away and continued on foot. Police were bound to
be all over the place.
“So your friend set you up?” Jessica asked.
“No. He was killed in a mugging on his way to meet me.”
“A mugging?”
“Well, that's what they said in the newspaper.” He looked
at her. “But you've seen how reliable the news is.” Sadness washed over him
and he made no attempt to hide it. “Charlie is dead because of me. And I
almost got myself killed. If I die, Shaun can never come back, never see his
parents again. He'll have to remain in hiding forever ... And now you.” He
looked in her eyes. “I can't afford to be careless. In the years I've spent
on the run, I've learned you have to still live. You need to take time to
relax, do things you enjoy. Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad. You stop
thinking clearly.”
“Are you trying to warn me that I may be on the run a long
time?”
“Yeah, I am,” he said solemnly.
Unsure how to handle what he just told her, she was trying
to come to grips with this being a long-term situation. Michael had been on
the run over three years. Would it be another three years? Four?
Michael was watching her reaction. She looked distressed.
He didn't know what to say to comfort her. It was a bad situation and nothing
he said would change that.
“I picked up a couple movies.” His voice cut through the
quiet tension. “An action and a
why the CIA was after me. I was so consumed with getting to the bottom of it,
I nearly drove myself insane. I got careless. Made mistakes. It almost got
me killed.”
“What happened?”
“I contacted someone I had worked with in the CIA. Charlie
Stevens. He said he would look into it and get back to me. A few days later
he called me. Gave me a name and told me to meet him so he could give me what
he had found.”
Michael drifted back to that day as he told the story.
Charlie didn't want to talk over the phone, but Michael persuaded him to at
least give him a name. They arranged to meet in a parking garage downtown. He
arrived early and watched the garage from a distance waiting for Charlie to
drive in. The meet time came and went and he started to get nervous. He was
focused on the garage entrance. He didn't know why but he looked to his right,
just in time to catch movement behind him out of the corner of his eye. The
movement was quick and he reacted instinctively, ducking just as he heard the
dull tap of a silenced gun. A window across the street shattered as he pulled
his gun from his waistband and aimed in the direction of the shooter. He fired
two shots into the man's chest as he hit the ground. He rolled and saw two men
running quickly down the sidewalk. They were focused on him and he knew he
needed to get out of there. It was a trap.
He was halfway down a nearby alley when the two men chasing
him rounded the corner. Exposed with nowhere to hide, he was saved when a door
opened and someone threw a bag of trash in a trash can. He grabbed the door
before it closed and ducked in the building as shots rang out. One flew so
close he felt a gush of warm air on the back of his neck. He ran through a
maze of hallways in the building until he finally found the front door. He
burst through quickly spotting a man getting into his Mercedes. Michael pushed
the man away from his car while ripping the keys from his hand. The man tried
to fight back, but a swift elbow to the face removed any resistance.
As he peeled out, the two men chasing him emerged from the
building. Spotting him in the car, they started shooting. Glass shattered all
around him, but he kept driving.
He turned down a few streets and noticed a black SUV gaining
on him. He stepped on the gas and flew through a red light. He made it
through, but the SUV wasn't so lucky. It got slammed by another car. He
ditched the car a few blocks away and continued on foot. Police were bound to
be all over the place.
“So your friend set you up?” Jessica asked.
“No. He was killed in a mugging on his way to meet me.”
“A mugging?”
“Well, that's what they said in the newspaper.” He looked
at her. “But you've seen how reliable the news is.” Sadness washed over him
and he made no attempt to hide it. “Charlie is dead because of me. And I
almost got myself killed. If I die, Shaun can never come back, never see his
parents again. He'll have to remain in hiding forever ... And now you.” He
looked in her eyes. “I can't afford to be careless. In the years I've spent
on the run, I've learned you have to still live. You need to take time to
relax, do things you enjoy. Otherwise you'll drive yourself mad. You stop
thinking clearly.”
“Are you trying to warn me that I may be on the run a long
time?”
“Yeah, I am,” he said solemnly.
Unsure how to handle what he just told her, she was trying
to come to grips with this being a long-term situation. Michael had been on
the run over three years. Would it be another three years? Four?
Michael was watching her reaction. She looked distressed.
He didn't know what to say to comfort her. It was a bad situation and nothing
he said would change that.
“I picked up a couple movies.” His voice cut through the
quiet tension. “An action and a
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