The Last Target Read Online Free Page B

was it the situation that had her feeling flustered, or was it the jolt of electricity that coursed through her at Jack’s touch?
    It didn’t matter. Both were dangerous. She had to hold on to whatever security she had at the moment. She had no control of the terrorists. But she could get away from Jack Sergeant before she lost control of her fluttering heart.

FOUR
    A idan called out for his mother from the next room. Jack watched as Rachel’s face seemed to flush with relief. Maybe this had been too much for her. Maybe he should have waited until she rested some before asking the questions.
    Still, Rachel had a trouper’s attitude. She’d held up amazingly well considering the circumstances. Even the toughest person would crumble under the weight of what she’d just learned.
    “Let me get Aidan.” Rachel rose. “He may be scared not knowing where he is.”
    Jack wasn’t going to leave Rachel alone. Not right now. He planned on staying by her side as much as possible until the people behind the threat on her life were either dead or behind bars.
    Instead, Jack stared at the mess of notes in front of him. A mess of notes, but no answers. Just more ideas. Ideas didn’t seem good enough at the moment. Right now, he wanted answers. And he wanted to keep his promises, including one he’d made four years ago.
    He never thought this day would come, the day that he and Rachel would both become characters on the same stage. But here they were, thrown together in the most harrowing of circumstances. Not only had he been hired to protecther—a task he’d see to personally—but he was also fulfilling a promise he’d whispered to a man on his deathbed.
    That was all Andrew had asked of Jack before life had faded from him. Make sure his wife and baby were okay. He probably would have asked that of any of his comrades who had been there with him on his deathbed. Although Jack and Andrew had been friends, they hadn’t been that kind of friends. But Jack had been the one who was there to hear Andrew’s last desperate plea for his family. It was a shame that Andrew had asked the one person who was never supposed to have known him, though. Jack had been undercover, even used an alias while on assignment. Even worse, Andrew had been the main crux of his mission. The government had feared he’d been selling secrets to the enemy. Andrew had been cleared of those suspicions, but still, an invisible weight pressed on Jack’s shoulders at the thought.
    Jack heard Rachel talking in soothing tones to Aidan in the next room. He knew even before today that Rachel was a good mother. He knew she was patient and loving, yet disciplined and firm. Jack had seen her from his place in the background. Not very often. He hadn’t wanted to scare her by being a shadow in her life. But he kept tabs on her, made sure she was okay. He’d made sure to donate to Rachel’s nonprofit. He’d made sure she had no unmet needs. Everything had been going well, so smoothly…until today.
    He looked at his notes again. George Anderson.
    He remembered George from his time working alongside the SEALs team in Afghanistan. Had George and Rachel ever dated? Why did the thought of it make Jack tense?
    He knew—it was because George was a hothead and a hotshot. He wanted to do things that put the whole SEALs team and everyone else around them in danger.
    But was he a killer? Could he secretly be working for Apaka?
    Jack knew the reasons why someone would be lured into working for a terrorist organization. They would probably pay a hefty dollar for the right information about where the U.S. troops were headed next for battle. The traitor could have provided that information, taken a large sum of money and then gotten out of the military.
    Apaka looked just like anyone else. That’s what made them dangerous. They blended in. Many were homegrown. Their agents could be anyone.
    He glanced toward the other room and saw that Rachel was still occupied with Aidan. He