Headhunters Read Online Free

with this.
My plan had been sketched in pencil before, but now it was becoming crystal
clear what I was going to have to do.
    “Have Kendrick meet me. Tonight at nine. Tell him to meet me
at the park bench where we do lunch. Got it?”
    “Got it,” grunted the driver.
    I released his tie and he took a gasping breath. I dropped
my cell back into my pocket before he could see that I was bluffing. I started
to walk away, thought twice, leaned back into the car and grabbed the gear
shift on the steering column. I cranked back hard on it, felt the metal bend,
then break under the pressure.
    “And stop following me.”
    I threw the severed gear shift down in the street and
disappeared into traffic. I ran across the street, jumped on a city bus going
in the opposite direction and got off half a mile later. I walked down an
alley, emerged from the other side and hailed a cab. We circled the park twice
until I was certain that no one was following me, then directed the driver to
drop me at my house. He let me out half a mile away and I walked the remainder
home, watching for cars, anyone on foot, anything that looked suspicious.
Seeing nothing, I approached my door, opened it and slipped inside.
    The kids were waiting, having a snack at the dinner table. I
tried not to think about Alaina driving the car, but on the other hand, was
happy to have them home. We’d play games, Scrabble, checkers, whatever they
wanted, then off to bed. I still had one last appointment to keep for the day.
     
    ***
     
    David had gone to sleep easily. He
was always a good soldier. He followed his routine. A kiss goodnight, a hug, brush
his teeth, a book in bed, a little prayer and he was sound asleep before I
walked out of his room. He was a good boy.
    Melissa was… well, Melissa. She was very much like her
mother had been. Full of questions, full of thoughts. Some worries, some speculations.
But everything needed to be addressed before her mind would quiet and she could
finally rest. Today was worse than usual, and I expected that. I expected them
to both pile into my bed sometime during the night as they tended to do. And
that would be fine. But for right now, I needed an hour to myself. Melissa
finally relented and closed her eyes and went to sleep.
    I closed her door ever so quietly and turned to go down the
hallway when I saw Alaina waiting for me. She was a fulltime, in-house nanny.
She had her own quarters. I appreciated her for what she did. But I needed time
now to be away.
    “Hi, what’s up?” I asked. I tried not to let the exhaustion
in my voice sound like impatience.
    Alaina shuffled nervously, glanced at me, then away, then
back. I expected this was coming and she was right to wait until the kids were
in bed.
    “Simon?” Alaina rarely called me by my first name. I didn’t
care, but we maintained a professional distance. There was something on her
mind. “What happened out there today? With that car? And those men? I mean, you
don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m just… curious.”
    I smiled at her and looked down at my hands and realized I
was fidgeting with my keys. I’d never needed to explain what I did before. Work
had never followed me home before. I left it at the office, or if it was a
business trip, I left it behind before I got back. Now, it was different. Now
the job had reached out and destroyed part of my life and was ready to stay
with me for as long as I’d let it. I couldn’t let that happen.
    “I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately… with Claire…” I
didn’t finish the sentence but I didn’t have to. Alaina was nodding, ready to
believe what I told her. “Those men today… work for my boss. He wants to make
sure that I’m okay. Safe. Well looked after. I just didn’t want them near us.
Not today. Know what I mean?”
    “Sure, of course,” Alaina said, and she seemed genuine.
    “My family comes first. And you’re a part of that. Thank you
for watching after my kids.” She