Read Online Long Gone by Marliss Melton, Janie Hawkins - Free Book Online Page B

for the life he was forced to leave behind. His fat, discontented wife could go to hell for all he cared. He would miss his dog and his fishing boat and the almost limitless power he’d enjoyed as the notorious Culprit.
    He placed his carry-on luggage onto the conveyer belt. But, hell, he had enough money in his Swiss bank account, padded by desperate Centurions, to buy himself a pack of dogs and a fleet of ships, so why waste time being sentimental?  
    Fixing his eyes on the body scanner ahead of him, he shuffled forward in his socks. 
    He asked himself if he was leaving the country prematurely. Surely Donovan, despite his suspicions, had little by the way of evidence to indict him, except that Ashton Jameson, who was being held without bond, was copping a plea and spilling everything he knew about the Culprit—not enough to name Milton outright, but enough to root a kernel of uneasiness in his mind.
    Yes, it was best just to leave now, while the leaving was good.
    Edging closer to the woman in front of him, Bill impelled her toward the full-body scanner before the TSA agent even waved her over.
    Then he’d be next. Once through security, he’d be on his way to France and then to Switzerland, free to live out his days like a king.
    A whispered conversation of two TSA workers was his first inkling that his plan was about to backfire. The larger of the two men raked the line of passengers with a narrow-eyed look while consulting a photo in his hand. Bill’s skin shrank. His sixth sense told him they were looking for him.
    Sensing a commotion behind him, Bill turned to see his nemesis, Connor Donovan, in the company of his son and a gaggle of rookies, all casing the line of passengers. His pulse spiked. What were they doing here? How could they have known that he was leaving town, when his wife was the only one he’d told.
    Averting his gaze, he assumed a placid expression while counting on his disguise to get him through security.
    “Next,” called a TSA agent, and Bill looked up to see himself being waved into the X-ray machine.
    “Put your feet on the shoe marks and hold your hands over your head,” said the agent.
    Bill suddenly remembered that his doctor had warned him to avoid all imaging technology in case the magnetic fields interfered with the proper functioning of his pacemaker. Should he say something? Right now, he couldn’t afford to draw attention to himself.
    With sweat beading on his brow, he stepped into the scanner, put his arms over his head and held his breath. His heart pumped unnaturally fast. Was it the imaging causing that to happen, or was it the fact that both Donovans were coming closer?
    The TSA agent touched a hand to the radio on his ear as if listening to what the X-ray tech was telling him. “Sir, do you have an implant in your body?” 
    The question confirmed Bill’s guess. “Pacemaker,” he said shortly. 
    Out the corner of his eye, he saw the younger Donovan’s head whip in his direction. “That’s him!” the young man cried, pointing.
    Bill’s heart galloped. The younger Donovan, with his tendre for Skyler Dulay had made him such an easy target for manipulation, but perhaps he had underestimated the kid’s instincts.
    “ Er , I’d prefer to be patted down,” Bill informed the agent quickly. He tried stepping prematurely out of the machine. 
    “Not so fast,” the TSA agent growled, blocking his path. 
    “FBI. Everyone step back!” In one slick move, the younger Donovan produced a pistol. The crowd shrieked and ducked as all six special agents descended on the full body scanner. The TSA agent locked a hand around Bill’s elbow.
    Connor Donovan stepped up to him, his green eyes mocking. “Director Milton, you’re under arrest for the deliberate concealment of evidence pertaining to the crimes of the Centurion mob, for conspiracy to commit murder, and for extortion” he announced. “We’re taking you into custody.”
    Bill feigned bafflement. “Who’s