Sudden Deception (A Jill Oliver Thriller) Read Online Free

eye of a brief she had read. The name Rashid jumped out at her. Then a sharp insight hit her hard and fast. She snatched the folder from the seat and snapped it open to a brief on LaLani. The speed of her movement caught Tom’s attention and he approached her.
    “It’s Ali Bin Amr Rashid,” Jill said, handing him the thick folder. “I think we have our man. He is the one piece that connects these three men to Yemen, but he is not Nadar Keah LaLani. “Take a look at page three.”
    Tom reviewed the document. “See the picture of Rashid? Now go back to the first page. See the picture of Lalani? It’s the same person, Tom. LaLani is not who he says he is.”

Chapter Three
     
    05:02 Zulu Time—LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

    The sky was a bright blue. Puffy cumulus clouds swirled around the morning sun as she disembarked from the plane. The captain had PA’d the time at 9:02 a.m. Once on the ground, Jill had the same uneasy feeling she’d had when she boarded the plane in Tucson. She glanced around and scanned the area.
    Three o’clock. A man in a blue jumpsuit bent over, outlining the front and back wheels of the jet with black chalk blocks. His head was bent, and he wore orange sound mufflers clamped tightly on his ears.
    Nine o’clock. A black 4x4, standard FBI edition, with someone behind the wheel. From his angle the driver could not see her.
    What is it that feels so … wrong? Jill wondered. Menacing…
    “Is everything alright, Jill?” Concern emanated from Eric Wallace as he walked toward her from the black SUV. Eric had been her boss before she had left the FBI over three years ago. His department was now part of the arm that worked with NSU and the CIA on matters of homeland security. Jill still enjoyed working with Eric; after all, their mission was the same.
    The rising sun behind him made Jill squint, but not enough to stop her from taking in his appearance. The fact that he wore a suit signaled the importance of the imminent meeting. The furrow etched in his forehead had aged him since they last met, and he had more gray hair than brown now, but he was still handsome in a distinguished sort of way. His amber eyes were kind as he reached over to touch her shoulder, squeezing it ever so slightly. Jill recognized the look in his eyes. She had seen it before—a mix of concern and pity. It was the same look he’d had when he and the team had finally rescued her from McGregor.
    He knew her well. They had developed a bond during his wife’s illness and eventual death. Eric had loved his wife intensely—the kind of love for which Jill had always yearned, but had not had until she met David.
    Jill smiled slightly. “I’m good, Eric, but I’ll be even better when we close this friggin’ case. It’s dragging on way too long.” Jill’s right eye began to twitch, a sure signal that things were about to get more stressful. It was her body’s red flag, and it almost never failed her.
    Tom was already making his way toward the SUV, but Eric asked, “Jill, come on now. I know when something is bothering you. What is it?”
    She stood silent for a mere second. That was all the time she needed to be reminded of their friendship, his trustworthiness. She told him about the phone call from David’s editor. When she finished, she pulled her windbreaker down past her waist, straightening herself out before she asked Eric hesitantly, “What do you think?”
    They began to walk in Tom's direction and before Eric answered, Jill added, “David’s got a mind of his own. I don’t think anything serious has happened to him. Do you?”
    “You know, Jill, I’ve only met David once, at your wedding, but from what I know about your life, he seems pretty together. He’s an extensive traveler and has been ‘round the bend a few times.” Eric paused. “Has he been out of touch with you for long periods of time before?” He looked at her solemnly.
    Jill shivered. She frowned, trying to recall. “Never this long.”
    They