White Hot: A Patrick & Steeves Suspense Read Online Free

you in later.”
    She stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. She saw a tall, lean man in a beige linen suit that was always rumpled. She struggled to puzzle the pieces into place.
    “Right,” her father continued, picking up on the nod from Senator Green. “Jack is alive, although he was badly beaten by two of his thugs - Miguel and Rico - you encountered them on the ranch last week. I went down there, got him cleaned up, and he’s gathering his forces to receive the shipment at the ranch.”
    “You told me you were fishing,” Emily said, wondering how many other lies she’d been fed.
    Her father tilted his head and continued. “Jack has always dealt with the middleman, Geraldo Garcia, but he suspects this will be the last shipment for a while. The warehouse at the ranch is filled to overflowing and he’s sure something major is going to happen soon. He feels this will give us the chance to flush out the guy at the top, who we know only as Mr. Big.”
    “We need you,” Jill interrupted, “in place when the shipment arrives. We’re worried that Jack’s cover has been compromised and we need another team on the ground there in case things go sideways.”
    “Me? And Emily?” Dal asked, putting his coffee cup on the table in front of him. “You want us to go in without backup?”
    Senator Green cleared his throat. “We need you there for reconnaissance, Steeves. You won’t actually be in the middle of anything, we need more information about what is going on down there.”
    “And you will have back up,” Jill rushed on. “Since you worked so well together, we want you to go down, get near the ranch, survey what is going on. When the time is right, we’ll come in by chopper and take the cartel down.”
    Emily took her spot beside Dal and glanced over at him. His jaw was set, but she could also feel a slight tremor as his leg jittered.
    “And this takes place in two days?” Emily asked.
    “The shipment is moving through the border sometime today. We have satellite surveillance on the truck. The border has orders to let it go through without inspection or problem.” Jill looked up at David.
    Emily’s father shrugged. “From there, Jack’s not sure. His intel is not precise. But he does know that the arms will be at the ranch in two days.”
    “Two days from now?” Dal asked, confirming the timeline again.
    “Yes,” Senator Green said, rising. “Forty-eight hours from now. Give or take a few. We suspect they’ll bring the truck in over the secondary road leading to the ranch during the night.”
    “Where will it be in the meantime?” Emily looked at her father.
    “Right now, that’s anyone’s guess. They’ll hole up somewhere south of the border, I expect.” He shrugged out of his jacket and threw it on a chair. Even with the air conditioner on, the room was becoming uncomfortably humid. She’d thought it was just her.
    “So we go back to the ranch, watch what is taking place, communicate with you, and you send in the troops to take down the bad guy.”
    The corner of her father’s lips upturned and he blinked. “Sounds about right.”
    “Dal?” She placed her hand on his thigh and turned to him.
    “I’m game,” he said. “Beats mandatory leave.”
    “Good.” The Senator leaned forward and shook her hand, then Dal’s, sneaking a discreet look at his watch when his sleeve rode up. “I’ll be in touch,” he said to Jill. He picked up his briefcase, shook David’s hand heartily - Emily saw her father fight back a wince - and was gone, leaving the door to swing close behind him.
    “We’re done here for now,” Jill said, standing and smoothing her skirt down over her thighs with her palms. “I think you and your father have a few things to discuss. If you don’t mind, I need a few minutes of Mr. Steeves’s time. You can regroup with him at about sixteen hundred hours.”
    Em’s gaze slid to Dal. He met her eyes, shrugged. It wasn’t yet 7:30 a.m., what did Jill