War Bringer Read Online Free Page A

convo.” He met the kid’s eyes. “You gotta problem with that?”
    “You gonna kill him?” Feral asked.
    “Not yet.”
    “What’s goin’ on, Mad Dog?”
    “A war, Feral.”
    Feral rubbed his nose, shuffling his weight from one foot to the next. “Whatever. A war.” He shrugged.  
    Max looked at him and wondered if he’d ever known a world not at war. There’d been very little peace in the kid’s life—living with the WKB was like being in a constant war zone of sorts.  
    “You know I’m on your side,” Feral said.
    “You don’t even know what my side is.”
    “I know you’re solid. S’all I need to know.”
    Max met his look then nodded. Pete wasn’t getting any lighter. He dumped him in the back of the truck. “Don’t worry about Pete. I’ll leave him the truck so he can drive back.”
    Feral nodded, sniffled, then shoved his hands in his jeans pockets.
    Max drove Pete to the overlook where he and Hope had shared a beer. Val had parked one of the team’s SUVs a little farther down the road. The big blond helped Max get Pete strung up on the large outcropping overlooking the ravine. The cool air and cold granite helped Pete begin to rouse from his nightly blackout.  
    Max nodded at Val, giving him the signal to wait out of sight. Max cracked open a plastic bottle and dribbled water over Pete’s face. Took half the bottle, but Pete finally gasped. When he opened his eyes and looked around, his hands scrabbled for a hold on the rough surface of the rock.
    “Relax, Pete. You’re not going to fall.” He paused then added, “As long as you don’t move too much.”
    Pete sent a fast look around them. “How did I get here?”
    “I brought you here. Wanted to have an uninterrupted chat with you.”
    “Couldn’t we have talked at the apartment?”
    “Not my favorite place.”
    “And this is?”
    Max looked down at the ravine. “It’s one of them.”
    “What are we talking about?”
    “About my friend’s girlfriend who was kidnapped a few hours ago.”
    “How would I know anything about that?”
    Max shrugged. “You’re more plugged in than I am.”
    “I’ll ask around. Come see me tomorrow. Who’s your friend?”
    “He’s one of the Feds down the street.” Actually, they were private defense contractors, but that was one and the same to the WKB.
    “Why would I care what happens to a Fed? You forget who I am?”
    Max smiled and shook his head. “I haven’t forgotten our agreement either.” Max had promised to give Pete fair warning when the government was coming for him—time enough to OD so he wouldn’t have to face prison. “I need info.”  
    He settled near Pete on the big boulder. “My friend loves his girl like you love your smack. It’s killing him not having her.” He looked out into the black ravine. “Our women and kids are not part of the mix. You know no man fucks with the other’s family. Whoever did this broke the code. Tell me what you know.”
    “I know Senator Whiddon bit the dust.”
    “Yeah. Tell me something I don’t know.”
    “You guys do it?”
    Max shook his head. “No.”
    “I hear his suicide note was full of interesting info.”
    “It was.”
    “Am I in it?”
    “No.”
    Pete leaned his head back against the hard stone behind them. “Jafaar’s been odd lately. Said he was doing a special project for King. Thought it meant he was working with one of the Mexican gangs to move his heroin. Maybe he had something to do with what happened to your friend’s girl.”
    “Maybe. One thing’s for sure. I’m going to find who’s involved. And when I do, they’ll be wearing their tongue for a tie. What’s the word from Lion?”
    “Haven’t heard a thing about him or from him. King keeps things compartmentalized.”
    “Who’s guarding the tunnels?”
    “Couple of our officers. They got ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ orders.”
    “I hope King doesn’t mind empty vaults.”
    “What’re you sayin’?”
    “If I wanted