Read Online Lazar's Intrigue (The Jack Lazar Series) by Kevin Sterling - Free Book Online Page A

three shots were meant for him, and he fell
to the floor as the deep pain in his chest robbed his strength. He rolled to
his side in a fetal position, and he strained to look up toward the stillness
of Sarina’s body, his vision fading to black. This time he had surely failed
her.
     
    The
Ludlum novel almost flew across the room as Jack shot up in bed to a seated
position. His breathing was fast and short, and he felt like his heart was
going to beat out of his chest. He looked around the placid room, realizing he
was safe, and gradually he began to relax.
    “Oh,
thank God,” he whispered to himself as he closed his eyes and wiped his hand
down his face. He sighed in deep relief, wondering why his mind would conjure
up such a dream. Then it hit him.
    “It
was the goddamn file!” he blurted. That’s where he had seen Antonucci’s name
before. He had inadvertently taken the file from the records room just two
weeks before Gerald Hesterling blackmailed him into leaving the company. The man
had busted into Jack’s office during a closed-door meeting and demanded the
file. Considering Hesterling’s frequent outbursts, Jack hadn’t thought much
about it since, but now it was perfectly clear.
    Jack
knew Hesterling would never have been so protective of the file if he weren’t
somehow involved in Antonucci’s underworld dealings, and he felt a swelling of
anger within him mixed with an unfamiliar feeling of vindictiveness. His
thoughts turned to Harry Benson’s teenage son, Sean, who had died from an
overdose of crack cocaine about a year ago. The promising young man’s death
came as a huge shock since no one believed Sean was the addictive type. Yet
despite the family’s insistence of foul play, the police found no reason to
conduct an investigation.
    “It’s
always the ones you don’t suspect,” they said.
    Jack
had grown close to everyone in the Benson family since moving to Los Angeles ten
years ago, and he had come to spend numerous holidays with them over that time.
The Bensons were like his second family, so much that Harry took Jack under his
wing both professionally and personally, just as if he were a second son.
    But
Sean’s death was a tragic catharsis that changed their lives forever. Jack
remained at the Bensons’ house after the funeral, doing everything possible to
make things more manageable for the family, but nothing could soften that kind
of blow. And after two days of terrible stress, Harry politely asked Jack to go
home. They parted with a fraternal embrace, but Jack knew things between them
would never be the same. And he was right.
    Since
that day, Jack had not returned to the Benson estate, and he began to sense
through a handful of conversations at the office that Harry felt personally
responsible for his son’s death. Harry apparently believed his lack of guidance
or attention had steered Sean down a wrong path, and continuing to devote fatherly
attention to Jack meant he was being dishonorable to Sean.
    So,
out of sympathy, Jack respected his mentor’s wishes and remained in the
shadows. He knew Harry had to welcome him back into the family by his own
choice with open arms, or it wouldn’t mean anything.
    It
was hard to know how deeply Hesterling was involved with Antonucci’s drug
network. But even if he was just raising money or brokering transactions, he had
to know what Antonucci was up to, and taking drug money in any form was
unacceptable in Jack’s mind. Moreover, if word of the affiliation made its way
to Harry Benson, Hesterling would be on the street in a heartbeat, and Jack
couldn’t wait to see it happen.
    The
most ironic part was Hesterling’s vehicle to blackmail Jack into leaving the
firm, which was a threat to tell Harry about Jack’s short affair with his
daughter, Lisa. Jack knew it wouldn’t be the end of the world if Harry found
out, but if Jack could prevent it and avoid the additional strain on the family
in the lingering wake of Sean’s death, he would.