Hard Target: Elite Ops - Book One Read Free Page B

was lying about everything, and Hank Preston refused to accept that he was being played. Not one illegal substance was found in the CPA’s house. Preston’s snitch was Juan Santos. Remember that bastard?”
    Gavin made unhappy sounds on the other end of the phone.
    “Santos was paid over thirty grand for a fabrication and has since disappeared. It’d be comical if it wasn’t so damn tragic.” Leland could still hear the Colton babies screaming if he let himself focus on that night. He didn’t even have to close his eyes anymore before prickles of sweat would break out on his upper lip.
    “What happened during the raid?” asked Gavin.
    “Ellis Colton had a gun and a permit to carry it. Something Preston would have known if he’d bothered to actually manage the case and order a background check. When SWAT broke down the front door, Colton thought someone was breaking into his house to rob him and fired back.”
    “How did you get shot?”
    “A freshman SWAT member got caught up in contagious shooting. Bullets that got me and one of the babies were both from his gun. Guy was torn up about the kid. Not sure he’ll ever come back from administrative leave.” Leland wouldn’t have been able to.
    “And your career at DEA?” Gavin was forever the pragmatist, no matter how passionate the point of view.
    “Toast. From the moment Preston ordered me to go on the raid. I should have gone up the chain of command and found someone who would listen to the facts. I didn’t.”
    That was the piece giving him trouble. He hadn’t been able to reach Ford Johnson. If he’d only done it differently . . . insisted on talking with Hank’s boss, no matter what kind of high-level meetings the man was in or the shit storm it would have caused going over Preston’s head.
    “What are your plans?” asked Gavin.
    “I just signed my DEA resignation letter.”
    “So, I’ll finally be able to hire you away from my former employers. When do you want to come to work?”
    Leland shook his head even though Gavin wasn’t there to see it. “I don’t know, man. I’ve got to take some time. Get this figured out. The boot comes off in three weeks.”
    Below him, the sliding glass door opened again and music roared, but only for a second before it was turned down.
    “This place sucks, Mom. Why can’t we stay at the Hilton? They don’t have a pool here and there’s only Disney and news on cable. I don’t have my video games or my phone . . . I still don’t understand why you didn’t grab my stuff when you were packing. This completely blows.” The voice was unmistakably that of a teenage male. It had cracked several times during the diatribe, so he guessed the boy to be no more than thirteen or fourteen.
    Jesus. Leland had given his own momma hell at that age. But she’d given it right back, usually with scathing words or sometimes the back of her hand. He braced for what he feared might be coming.
    “I’ve been telling you for three years, you could have a job with AEGIS whenever you wanted.” Gavin’s voice was in his ear, pulling him out of the teen drama downstairs.
    Was working for an elite executive protection and risk management company what he really wanted? He stared at the almost empty glass. He was too young to retire and too old to go back to school. Still, he’d actually felt a weight lifting from his shoulders when he’d signed those official resignation papers earlier.
    A woman’s voice drifted up over his balcony. “Zach, I’m sorry you don’t like the hotel. I know this is hard to understand, and I’m more sorry than I can say that your father’s and my problems are spilling over onto you. We won’t be here long. I’ll try to figure out something about your gaming system. Just give me a little time.”
    God, didn’t we all need that.
    Leland let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. So she was one of those. A “Nice Mom.” Leland had prayed for one as a young child. By the time