Read Online Noble Intentions: Season Three by L.T. Ryan - Free Book Online

But he hadn’t, and he didn’t. And now he
was in London to do what should have been done over six months ago.
    He figured his image was burned
into Thornton’s memory. But would the guy notice him in bright daylight? The
casino bar had been dimly lit. The docks where they’d had their confrontation
were dark, with only an orange overhead light or two. Maybe Thornton held a
distorted image of Jack Noble, one that barely resembled reality.
    The thought gave Jack the courage
to enter the building and finish the job right then and there. But he didn’t.
He knew that he couldn’t take that kind of chance so soon. There were too many
potentially innocent people inside, for one. And there was the possibility that
Thornton knew exactly who Jack was and, given the advent of security cameras
and systems, Thornton would know Jack was in the building the moment he stepped
foot on the property.
    And so Jack’s mind wandered. He
began to think about the implications of doing the job, which led to him once
again questioning why him. He knew that Dottie trusted him. Always had. They’d
worked together in the past on both sanctioned and unsanctioned jobs. He’d
never let her down, and she’d never let him down. But in nearly all those
instances, Jack had the element of surprise working in his favor. His target
didn’t know his face. Except for two hits when he was contracted to take out
rogue agents. But those were sanctioned, and he had the freedom to do whatever
he deemed necessary without fear of the government or police or anybody, except
the rogue agents themselves, of course.
    Now here he was, outside the
offices of his target. A target that knew his face and knew his name. Hell,
Thornton might even know Jack was outside.
    What if Dottie had set him up? What
if she was working with someone like Frank and together they had arranged for
Jack’s life to end? He had thought it odd that the call from whom he presumed
had been Leon had come shortly after he told Frank that he was done with the
agency and the business. All he wanted was his freedom, to retire. Perhaps
Frank had a different idea.
    Suddenly, every face he saw became
a threat. Not a possible threat, but a real bona fide threat. Every man, every
woman. Young, old, in between. Because in the world of espionage, it’s not the
one you expect to kill you who does. It happens when you let your guard down
around the innocent looking person who seems incapable of taking a life.
    Jack slapped his cheeks, open-handed
then backhanded. Left, then right. He shook his head and dispelled the
paralyzing thoughts contained within. This was not the time to allow himself to
be overcome with fear and panicked thoughts. If Dottie had set him up then he’d
treat it like every other time he’d been set up.
    Self-preservation, first and
foremost.
    Then revenge.
    So the only thing for Jack to do
was wait and watch. Watch the elderly couple pass by his car. Wait while the
funeral procession of someone not very well liked passed by in a matter of
seconds. He waited and watched as half the building emptied onto the sidewalks
at lunchtime. And again when they returned. Through it all, there was no sign
of Thornton Walloway.
    So Jack waited even longer.
    He paid particular attention to the
people who entered and exited the building at irregular times. He’d make a
quick assessment, then if he felt they fit his profile, he’d snap a picture
with the cell phone Dottie had left in the car. There were only a few who
deserved such attention. But he considered the fact that he didn’t know
Thornton’s criminal partners, and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to have the
pictures.
    Through the scanning and profiling,
one thing filtered through Jack’s head without being properly processed. A car
had been parked behind him the entire day. Not too close. Not too far away. It
had arrived shortly after he did. He never saw anyone get out. That didn’t mean
nobody had. But if they had, he’d missed it.