Read Online Exit Wounds by Aaron Fisher - Free Book Online

Besides, we’re just chatting after all.”
    Zeddemore gave a smile that made Colgan’s back stiffen in his chair. He’d been bollocked about this case repeatedly for the last eight months. Nobody was happy that this had gone on for as long as it had. The papers were looking for someone to blame and the bureaucrats were always looking for people to point at.
    The District Director was attempting to seem casual. He was never casual. In many ways his ruthless efficiency reminded Colgan of Tony Horton. Hell, there was even a fairly recognisable physical resemblance. Zeddemore was an older, dark-haired Horton, just as ambitious and just as blunt.
    “You said this morning that you had a lead on a possible suspect? How’s that panning out?”
    There was an uneasy silence in the room. Zeddemore was playing with him. He knew it. Colgan knew it. He hadn’t said anything to his superior about any new leads this morning or any morning for the past month. This was Zeddemore showing him that he could keep no secrets. Zeddemore always knew everything.
    Almost everything.
    “I’ve assigned an officer to investigate.”
    “No clues to the leak then?” Zeddemore asked. He was referring to the person who had given classified information to the media, but it just as easily could have been about whoever had blabbed to Zeddemore.
    Colgan shook his head, “Somebody’s talking.”
    “And somebody’s going to pay for it.”
    Colgan nodded, absently.
    Zeddemore’s warning was clear. Find out who was leaking information to the media. Now. Someone has to take the fall. Either they are punished, or you are. “Who did you pick?” he asked eventually.
    It took Colgan a moment to realise that they had switched back topics. “Tony Horton.”
    Zeddemore nodded, “Horton, I remember him. Driven, calculated, ambitious.”
    Are you describing Horton or yourself?
    “Can he be trusted?”
    Colgan shrugged, “Well if he can’t, we’re about to find out.”
    An Abandoned Warehouse, Cardiff Bay
     
    After all the trouble Dean had gone to make sure they weren’t followed, the lack of guards posted outside their room was suspicious. It was an oversight made by people that so far didn’t seem like the mistake-making kind and it made Paul nervous. For all he knew there weren’t guards outside the room because Giacometti wanted to see if Richard and he would try to leave or look around. They could be watching him right now.
    Fuck it , Paul said to himself as he quietly made his way along the suspended walkway. If they were watching him, he’d soon know about it when they came running with their Kalashnikovs. He’d decide what to do if and when it happened.
    There were a few other offices on the upper floor. Paul thought about checking them but then changed his mind. It was unlikely he would find anything of interest in them, and besides the two he had been in previously had no windows that looked outside the confines of the congregated steel. No escape route there, just another dead end.
    The clean storehouse was far too crowded on ground level for Paul to venture down unseen. It was a labyrinth and looking down over the edge he could see no obvious path of exit.
    Paul decided he was better off heading back into the first depot they had entered. He walked slowly but casually back along the metal catwalk.
    Don’t draw any unnecessary attention. Act like you own the place, and people generally tend to think you do.
    Even after seeing both sides, the stark contrast between the two storehouses lost no impact. The door hadn’t been locked when Giacometti had led them through but for some reason Paul had half expected it to be sealed shut this time. Maybe he was just being paranoid.
    As people busied themselves underneath him Paul didn’t break one stride to stop and watch. He kept moving, only flicking his eyes down occasionally to see between the metal beams if anyone had reacted to his presence. Everyone was too busy doing something. Crates and