BooksBarbecue
Back Point of Contact Save as PDF
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
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  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
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  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
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  44. 41
  45. 42
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  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
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  54. 51
  55. 52
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  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
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  78. 75
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  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. What’s next onyour reading list?

An empty plastic pill bottle cracked as he stepped on it while reaching for the spring-loaded shower curtain rod lying on the floor. He picked up the end of the rod closest to him. The rubber cap was off. He turned the rod around, pulled the other cap off, and reached into it with one of his chubby fingers, struggling to try and reach something. It took several attempts, but he finally pulled out a clump of toilet paper pinched between his finger and the side of the rod and tossed it. He tilted the rod even farther down, and the USB drive Rhodes had given him slid out.

Paul let out a sigh of relief. Lucky for him whichever cop was searching in here was too lazy to check both ends, or maybe that’s when the lieutenant called them all down. Either way, Paul could breathe easier now. Time was running out for him to finish the mission, but it would be immeasurably more difficult, he told himself, if he lost the USB drive altogether. He held the drive in the palm of his hand.

“What’s that?” Jack asked, looking at all of the pill bottles and toiletries scattered over the floor. “And what the hell happened in here?”

Paul glanced up, startled. “This? Nothing. Just a USB drive.”

“That you hid in the shower curtain rod?”

“This? No. It was in my pocket. I was checking out the shower curtain rod to make sure they weren’t trying to plant any drugs on us.”

Jack picked up an empty bottle of Tylenol. All of the little white tablets that used to be in it were scattered all over the floor and on the counter.

“Somebody doesn’t want us around.”

“Yong?” Paul stood with a grunt, using the tub for leverage.

“Or Lian. Or both. Or somebody else. Who knows?”

“I don’t think it’s Lian. She seems . . . smitten.”

“What? No. Trust me.”

Trust you? Paul thought. He glanced at the floor. “This place won’t clean itself up. We better get started.”

Jack surveyed the damage. “Do you want me to help? We can do your room first, then hit mine.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take care of my room on my own. I like things in a certain order.”

“I understand. I think I’m gonna get something to drink first.”

Paul looked around at the disaster that awaited him. “Good idea.”

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