BooksBarbecue
Back Point of Contact
Chapters (83)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY TOM CLANCY
  3. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

Lian hit her turn signal and merged into the next lane. “I have a good contact in the SPF. I’ll run all three IDs through her first thing tomorrow.”

“Any ideas?”

Lian shook her head. “I’d say they were just three punks looking for trouble.”

“I guess they found it.” Jack wasn’t so sure. Lian caught the tone in his voice.

“You think we were being set up?”

“Did you see the man’s tattoo? On his forearm?”

“Yes. It looked familiar.”

I bet it did, Jack said to himself. Especially if you’re the one that hired him. He checked the side-view mirror again. “Special Air Service Regiment. Australian Special Forces. Some seriously badass operators.”

“What would an Australian operator be doing here?”

“Oh, I dunno. An operation?”

Lian’s face masked with confusion. “You’re kidding, right?”

A few drops of rain hit the windshield. The automatic wipers turned on.

“Just have your friend look into it. Maybe they can get access to his service records, if he has any.” Jack knew that if the man really was black ops, his identity would be hidden from the prying eyes of a metropolitan police inquiry.

“You know, not every ex-serviceman is a hero. Sometimes bad apples fall into the barrel. I’d bet you another mai tai that if he is ex-service, he has a criminal record.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Jack dropped the subject for now. If Lian or her brother were behind this, she’d cover it up.

He stole another quick glance at her. The shadows of the raindrops on the windshield marred her otherwise perfect face.

24

Jack dashed in the front door of their guesthouse, caught in a sudden downpour. He shook himself off just as Paul approached in his slippers and pajamas with a bowl of cereal in his hand. He wiped away a drop of milk perched on his lower lip.

“Have fun?”

“Fun? Yeah. I guess so.”

Paul frowned when he saw Jack’s red, swollen knuckles. “Anything I need to know about?”

“No.”

“Seriously. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Jack pushed past him. “I just need a shower. And a drink.”

Paul wondered what the hell Jack was up to. And why was he being such an ass? He crammed another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Must have had a bad night.

If he had to guess, Paul thought it looked like Jack had been in a fight. But Jack was a financial analyst, not a street brawler. If he’d been in a fight, why wouldn’t he just tell him that?

Paul stood chewing his cereal in the foyer, thinking. He wiped away another drop of milk dribbling down his chin, running through the possibilities.

Booze? Drugs? Brain chemistry?

Maybe.

Or maybe Jack wasn’t the man Paul thought he was, after all.

—

Paul was nervous. He wanted a drink. Needed one, in fact. But he needed his mind clear more.