Read Online The Protector by Dawn Marie Snyder - Free Book Online Page A

she?”
    “Upstairs, hopefully sleeping.” I responded. 
    “Conway isn’t questioning her yet,” he asked in disbelief and with utter annoyance in his voice.
    I nodded my head. “No.” I had let Mike scream and yell, but in the end he knew he wasn’t going to get a hold of the processor on his terms.  “She isn’t any use if she is exhausted. We need as much information as possible.”
    Seth shook his head and followed me into Mrs. Walker’s kitchen.  “You look like hell.”
    “Thanks !” I said handing him a fresh cup of coffee. “You look refreshed!”
    “Slept on the plane. You should get some rest.” 
    Seth was right. I did need sleep.  Mike had left in a tantrum vowing to return later in the morning to question her. Our parting words had not been pleasant.
    I stopped replaying the conversation in my head and looked at Seth sitting at the breakfast bar.  “I can’t figure out why Tom sent her. This wasn’t a new exchange. He did this stuff all the time.” I considered all the options, including the one where Tom knew exactly what he was doing.
    “Chicken shit, I guess.” Seth responded. “You know Hassan is dead.”
    “Yeah.  Funny thing is Hamas isn’t claiming this.  If they had killed a prominent Israeli scientist they would be singing.”
    Seth looked at me and took another sip of his coffee. “It wasn’t Hamas’s MO or the Iranians for that matter. Hell not even the Iraqi’s. Something’s not right with it.”
    I had asked Mike earlier if it was the Israeli Moussad, but he had only nodded his head, no. Seth could see where my thoughts were leading. “No, I don’t think it was Moussad. Hasan was one of their own.  He was too loyal.  Plus he had been dead for a few days when they found him.”
    I sat there and pondered my friend’s words.  Something wasn’t right. This was something that always went smoothly. The only reason we even watched such detail, was exactly for this reason, someone had to be sure what ever was being exchanged didn’t fall into the wrong hands. Steps were taken to ensure this didn’t’ happen.  And protocol stated that if it did, we were to clean up the mess and leave no witnesses. 
    “Sonny switched out the processers. The real one is back in Albuquerque.”
    Seth’s eyes grew wide as I said her name. “Sonny?”
    I realized my mistake as my friend looked at me with a grin on his face. I knew then I had slipped up.  “Alison.” I corrected.
    “No, you just called her Sonny.” Seth’s right eyebrow went up and his grin grew wider.  “What’s going on Jack?”
    “Sonny fits her more than Alison, that’s all.” I tried to cover my slip up but I knew it was useless.
    “Nickname huh?  Wow, less than a day too. It usually takes you at least a few days with someone to come up with a fitting nickname.”
    “You forget I have been watching her for a few days. You’re here I am going to get some sleep. Wake me if something comes up.”
    “Dude. You’re getting too close. I’ll admit she’s attractive in an average way. Not a good thing to fall for her though.  Not to mention aren’t you like ages older than her?”
    I turned and shot my friend a look. “Go to hell Seth! Not everyone has to have a supermodel.” Seth’s taste in women was extraordinary.  He only dated supermodel material and usually those women towered over his small five foot six frame. His comment about Alison being average annoyed me. She had the most incredible green eyes and her brown hair framed those eyes into a perfectly shaped face. She was far from tall, but she had the curves. And frankly I liked a woman with curves. It didn’t matter what her age was or what mine was.   I shook my head to get the thoughts that were rambling in my brain out. Was I getting too close?
      I walked to the stairs and grabbed Alison’s bags.  I knew she would want them once she woke up.  The more and more I thought about Seth’s suggestions I fumed. Sonny fit her