The Finish (The Eliminator Series Book 12), Mike Ryan [summer reading list .txt] 📗

did his wife. She is still the key to this.”

“Well, we know she’s back in school now.”

“But for how long?” Mallette asked. “Is that for good, or was her last appearance just for show? Just to draw us out?”

“We can keep an eye on her.”

“Yes. Do that. No moves on her, though, until I give the word. We just watch for now.”

“She’ll obviously have a guard.”

“Yes. Either Jacobs or the new guy,” Mallette said. “One of them will always be with her.”

“Tail them?”

“As much as possible. They’ll still have their guard up, be looking for us. Loose tails. I don’t want them to notice anyone. I don’t want anyone getting too close to them again yet.”

“What if they lose the tail?”

“Then they lose it,” Mallette replied. “Keep a distance. Even if they shake a tail, they do that enough times, maybe we can detect a pattern, or focus on an area that we think they might be. Our next move has to be smart. Calculated. Effective.”

“I’ll get on it.”

Mallette put his arm up to stop him from leaving. “Not yet. We still have other matters to tend to.”

“What’s that?”

“Ames.”

“What do you wanna do about him?” Reed asked.

“Same thing I always did. Kill him.”

“I thought you said no wars right now?”

“That’s right. So this needs to happen quietly. And I need to do it in a way where I can take his men and add them to my arsenal.”

“That’s gonna be a tall order.”

“But it’s an order that can be filled. And it will be.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Get the word out to Ames,” Mallette said. “Make it known I want to meet with him again.”

“And then what?”

Mallette looked at him, as if it didn’t need to be said. He did anyway, though. “And then we’ll kill him.”

Jacobs and Tiffany walked along the trail, holding hands and Gunner’s leash together. They were on their way to meet Buchanan.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Tiffany asked.

“Yeah. I’m sure.”

Tiffany took a deep breath. “OK.”

“Why are you so nervous? You’ve met him before.”

“Yeah, but that was different. That was… saving my parents. I didn’t really have time to think. I only had the one thing on my mind.”

Jacobs smiled at her. “It’ll be fine. He’s a good guy. And I figured it’d be good for him to meet you personally, us, together. My world is changing. It’s time I start stepping out of the shadows.”

“I’m all for that. I just want to be sure it’s the right time to do that.”

“He’ll help us.”

“OK. I trust you.”

By the time they got to the usual meeting place, Buchanan was already sitting on the bench. He thought he was only meeting Jacobs, so he was a little surprised to see Tiffany and the dog with him. He watched the pair closely as they approached. He let out a little smile, seeing the two of them holding hands. It was the first time since Jacobs had lost his family that it seemed like he was starting to move on. Buchanan wasn’t sure his friend would ever get back to this point, but it made him feel good that it seemed as if Jacobs was on his way.

When Jacobs and Tiffany reached the bench, Buchanan stood up and shook each of their hands. He even pet Gunner on the head.

“Good to see you again,” Buchanan said, looking at Tiffany.

She smiled. “You too.”

Buchanan looked down at their hands, which were still interlocked. “When you said you wanted to meet, you didn’t say you were bringing company.”

“I wanted to…” Jacobs stopped mid-sentence, then looked at Tiffany. “You’ve always been there for me. Whether I saw it or not. Whether I accepted it or not.”

“And I always will be,” the sergeant replied.

“I know that. I guess I just wanted you to see that… I’m trying to get back to who I used to be.”

Buchanan glanced at Tiffany. “With a little help?”

Jacobs looked at her and smiled, squeezing her hand a little tighter. “Yeah.”

“Well, I’m glad. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you.” He looked at Tiffany again “And if you were able to penetrate this brick wall, you must be something pretty special.”

“I don’t know,” Tiffany replied with a shrug.

The three of them sat down. Buchanan assumed this wasn’t just a social visit. “So what else is on your mind? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be upset if you just wanted to introduce your relationship to me formally, but I get the feeling this isn’t all there is. Is it?”

“No, not totally. I mean, I did want to do this, so you could see I’m trying to change.”

“And I’m glad.”

“But it’s also about Mallette.”

“Isn’t it always?” Buchanan asked. “It always comes down to him in one way or another.”

“You know as well as I do that I’ll never be free as long as he’s out there. Ames, too. As long as they’re breathing, they’re gunning for me. And her.”

Buchanan looked at her, somewhat concerned. “Something else happen?”

“Well, not at the moment. But they’ve tried repeatedly.”

“Why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”

“Because we’ve handled it.”

“Brett, you don’t need to be a hero.”

“I don’t wanna be. But we both know that you, and the department, may be unwilling to do certain things that have to be done. And we both know what those things are.”

“What exactly are you asking?”

“That if you hear anything interesting, to let me know.”

“Anything pertaining to… anything specific?”

“Anything that could help me end this.”

“You want me to set him up for you?”

Jacobs shook his head. “No. I would never ask you to do that. If you hear of a possible meeting somewhere, if you hear any rumors of his plans, anything at all. Anything that can help me.”

“Let me ask a question first.”

“OK?”

“What do you plan on doing when this is over? Assuming Mallette and Ames are in the ground.”

Jacob glanced at Tiffany, then back at the sergeant. “Rebuild.”

Buchanan grinned. That was what he wanted to hear. “There won’t be