Assassin Read Free

license back and
remains silent for the remainder of their journey. Troy’s exhausted from lack
of sleep the night before, and the stress of being on the run, but he doesn’t
sleep. He doesn’t complain either because he could be spending his time in a
jail cell, waiting for one of the Boss’s cronies to shank him.
    “Are you hungry?” Troy wrinkles his nose at the smell of cow
shit and decides he’d rather eat in Hell.
    “No, I’m not hungry. I had a pretty decent breakfast. Let’s
just get out of here and to Ohio, shall we?” Marty looks at the cab driver, who
is dutifully staring straight ahead at the road, and then glares at his ward.
They’re not supposed to discuss the itinerary for this mission in front of the
citizens.
    “Right, then please take us to the Morgantown Airport.” The cab
driver takes the exit after he plugs that information into the GPS, and Troy’s
mouth waters when he sees the Burger King straight ahead. The parking lot is
only half packed, so it would be a quick stop. Yet Marty seems determined to
get to the airport now that Troy has leaked pertinent information.
    The roads are patched and bumpy, nothing like city streets.
Locals are setting up small vegetable stands with signs that instruct the purchaser
to leave their cash in the box. How can they be so trusting? Troy
wonders as he tries to find a woman in something other than a pair of jeans and
a t-shirt or blouse. A few of the younger ones are wearing shorts, but there is
something about them that screams country. Feeling out of his comfort zone,
Troy stares at the passenger seat in front of him. His stomach is clenching and
roiling as he wonders if his destination is like this place.
    They pass by antique shops, a few local bars and then turn
down a dirt road. Troy hangs on for dear life as the cab driver tries to slow
down enough that the shocks aren’t ruined. The Morgantown Airport is a small
building with glider planes outside, and Troy quirks an eyebrow as he wonders
if they’re going to attempt a flight to Ohio in a glider plane.
    “Don’t look so worried, our flight will arrive in about
fifteen minutes, we’re early.” The scent of food from the Arby’s nearby wafts
across the street in Troy’s direction and he turns as if he’s a zombie on the
hunt. Marty grabs his arm just as the cab driver starts for home. “You’re not
to mingle with the locals. We will wait here for our flight.”
    He’s about to argue, when a small plane starts circling, and
gently touches down on the rough terrain. It stops just before it slams into
the building housing the glider planes, and a young man gives them a two finger
salute. Marty Summers begins walking away without a backwards glance at Troy as
if he expects the hulking man to follow without explanation. And he does.
    The pilot is chatting with one of the employees of the
airport on his radio when they board the plane. Troy sits down and immediately
puts on his seatbelt. This is worse than the Boeing they were on. He leans
forward with his head almost touching his knees and his elbows resting on his
thighs as he tries to suck in air. Mr. Summers doesn’t say a word about his ward’s
inability to handle flight and tells the pilot it’s time to go.
    Now that his chatting session with the airport employees is
over, he commences his takeoff routine. Their flight to the Cleveland-Hopkins
International Airport doesn’t take as long as Troy expects, and he’s barely
drifted off into sleep by the time they land. It was a rather smooth flight
with minimum turbulence, and the pilot seems satisfied with himself.
    “And we’ve arrived at your destination, boys. Have a grand
evening and fine rest of your trip!” He’s all smiles with his bright red hair
and hazel eyes. Troy actually grins back before he hops off the plane and
follows Marty over the tarmac and through the airport. They make it through
security, and out into Cleveland, Ohio.
    “This is where I leave you, Troy Red. I