Read Online Exo: A Novel (Jumper) by Steven Gould - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steven Gould
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it.
“Just tell me why you emptied the gun. Did they tell you to or was it your own idea?”
Hunt blinked and looked embarrassed . “I didn’t like the idea of pointing my weapon at a bedridden old lady who probably couldn’t lift a weapon even if she was armed. And I needed my finger on the trigger, so your wife would believe me.”
“Ah. And since it was a Glock, the safety projects from the trigger. You didn’t want to risk a discharge.”
“Yes. They specifically told me not to point my gun at you or your wife.”
“But they were okay with you pointing it at a helpless old lady?”
Hunt looked away.
“So it was your idea to empty the weapon.”
“I had spare clips!”
Davy shook his head. “What else is in my file?” Maybe I should be spending my time trying to get CIA records instead of watching that building in LA.
Hunt pursed his lips. “There’s a lot from when you worked for the NSA and later, when you went missing. The stuff after that is peripheral, investigating known associates. That led to the Daarkon Group stuff, some surveillance of your wife’s family, of your father until his death.” Hunt licked his lips.
Davy wondered what was in the file that Hunt wasn’t talking about.
“Then there was a new section dating from the recapture of Hyacinth Pope in New Prospect. That was eighteen months ago.”
“Why this attempt on Millie?”
“Standing order, I’m told, but I wasn’t assigned until your mother-in-law’s health deteriorated and the likelihood of a contact increased.”
Davy took a step back. “Why are you being so forthcoming?”
“ My assignment is to get you working for U.S. interests again. I didn’t come up with the snatch attempt on your wife and, in fact, deleted it from the early mission planning since it was more likely to turn you against us. But my supervisors put it back in and gave it priority one.
“I think I have a better chance of achieving my mission goals by being open with you.”
Forget the unarmed combat training—this guy is dangerous in lots of ways.
Davy jumped back to the Yukon and uncapped the hypodermic. Returning to the rim above the pit, he marked Hunt’s exact posture and position, and jumped.
“Shit, that stings!”
Davy was already twenty feet away but he’d left the hypodermic standing upright in Hunt’s thigh, the plunger fully depressed. Hunt carefully pulled it out and stared at it, frowning.
“What was it?” Davy asked, hoping he hadn’t poisoned the man.
Hunt didn’t say anything.
“You should tell me in case I have to get you to an ER. You know: allergic reactions; overdose.”
Hunt’s head nodded or maybe it was wobbling. Reluctantly he said, “Haloperidol.” His next words were slurred. “They were gonna use loraze … ze … ze … pam but it can depress resp–ration and they—” Hunt fell back onto the sand with a thud.
Davy didn’t think he was faking but he tapped Hunt’s injured ankle with the toe of his shoe just to be sure. There was no reaction. Hunt’s pulse and respiration were slow but regular.
Davy carefully capped the hypodermic, then took a full-face picture of Hunt with his cell before returning to the cabin. When he came back to the pit he put Hunt’s cell phone, battery, and wallet in the man’s jacket pockets.
He left Hunt lying on the grass in front of a six-foot-high concrete bust of Einstein in Plaza Einstein, a tiny park on the Via Agentina in Panama City, Republic of Panama.
* * *
When Davy returned to the cabin, Millie was leaning over the kitchen table looking at the gun, Taser, hypodermic, and handcuffs. He breathed out, his shoulders dropping.
“S’okay?”
Millie nodded, then gestured at the weapons. “We can’t leave her there. As soon as her physicians pull the surgical staples, we’re bringing her home.”
They’d already discussed it. They’d fought about it.
Davy wanted to move Samantha to a different nursing facility, under an assumed
“Just tell me why you emptied the gun. Did they tell you to or was it your own idea?”
Hunt blinked and looked embarrassed . “I didn’t like the idea of pointing my weapon at a bedridden old lady who probably couldn’t lift a weapon even if she was armed. And I needed my finger on the trigger, so your wife would believe me.”
“Ah. And since it was a Glock, the safety projects from the trigger. You didn’t want to risk a discharge.”
“Yes. They specifically told me not to point my gun at you or your wife.”
“But they were okay with you pointing it at a helpless old lady?”
Hunt looked away.
“So it was your idea to empty the weapon.”
“I had spare clips!”
Davy shook his head. “What else is in my file?” Maybe I should be spending my time trying to get CIA records instead of watching that building in LA.
Hunt pursed his lips. “There’s a lot from when you worked for the NSA and later, when you went missing. The stuff after that is peripheral, investigating known associates. That led to the Daarkon Group stuff, some surveillance of your wife’s family, of your father until his death.” Hunt licked his lips.
Davy wondered what was in the file that Hunt wasn’t talking about.
“Then there was a new section dating from the recapture of Hyacinth Pope in New Prospect. That was eighteen months ago.”
“Why this attempt on Millie?”
“Standing order, I’m told, but I wasn’t assigned until your mother-in-law’s health deteriorated and the likelihood of a contact increased.”
Davy took a step back. “Why are you being so forthcoming?”
“ My assignment is to get you working for U.S. interests again. I didn’t come up with the snatch attempt on your wife and, in fact, deleted it from the early mission planning since it was more likely to turn you against us. But my supervisors put it back in and gave it priority one.
“I think I have a better chance of achieving my mission goals by being open with you.”
Forget the unarmed combat training—this guy is dangerous in lots of ways.
Davy jumped back to the Yukon and uncapped the hypodermic. Returning to the rim above the pit, he marked Hunt’s exact posture and position, and jumped.
“Shit, that stings!”
Davy was already twenty feet away but he’d left the hypodermic standing upright in Hunt’s thigh, the plunger fully depressed. Hunt carefully pulled it out and stared at it, frowning.
“What was it?” Davy asked, hoping he hadn’t poisoned the man.
Hunt didn’t say anything.
“You should tell me in case I have to get you to an ER. You know: allergic reactions; overdose.”
Hunt’s head nodded or maybe it was wobbling. Reluctantly he said, “Haloperidol.” His next words were slurred. “They were gonna use loraze … ze … ze … pam but it can depress resp–ration and they—” Hunt fell back onto the sand with a thud.
Davy didn’t think he was faking but he tapped Hunt’s injured ankle with the toe of his shoe just to be sure. There was no reaction. Hunt’s pulse and respiration were slow but regular.
Davy carefully capped the hypodermic, then took a full-face picture of Hunt with his cell before returning to the cabin. When he came back to the pit he put Hunt’s cell phone, battery, and wallet in the man’s jacket pockets.
He left Hunt lying on the grass in front of a six-foot-high concrete bust of Einstein in Plaza Einstein, a tiny park on the Via Agentina in Panama City, Republic of Panama.
* * *
When Davy returned to the cabin, Millie was leaning over the kitchen table looking at the gun, Taser, hypodermic, and handcuffs. He breathed out, his shoulders dropping.
“S’okay?”
Millie nodded, then gestured at the weapons. “We can’t leave her there. As soon as her physicians pull the surgical staples, we’re bringing her home.”
They’d already discussed it. They’d fought about it.
Davy wanted to move Samantha to a different nursing facility, under an assumed
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