Blood Line (A Tom Rollins Thriller Book 1) by Paul Heatley (book recommendations based on other books .txt) 📗

all,” Steve says. “I can die happy, knowing that. He’s gonna kill you all!”

Michael looks at Harry. They’ve gotten all they’re going to get from Steve, and now he sounds like he’s losing his mind. Michael nods. Harry snaps his neck, then lets him fall from the chair.

“Call in whoever we’ve got left,” Michael says. “We’re going to ground. If this guy, Anthony’s brother, if he’s coming for us, we’re gonna be ready for him this time.”

52

Tom returns to Harrow. It’s time to wrap this up. Michael and Harry are all that remain. By now, they’re probably aware of what has happened to Ronald. Tom didn’t want to leave it this long. He wanted to strike them straight away, but he couldn’t. They had to wait. He needed to be sure Ben would be able to carry through on what needed to be done. He couldn’t. Tom did the right thing. Now, the person responsible for leaking the information about his brother is dead.

Worryingly, though, there is probably more than just her involved. It could be anyone within the FBI. It could go further.

He goes by Harry’s house first. There’s no sign of him. He doesn’t see Beth there, either, but he assumes she’s at work. Next, he goes to Michael’s. Watches through his binoculars, but there’s no sign of life. He goes around the back, creeps through the woods. Gets close. The house is silent. It’s empty. There’s no one home. No sign of the wife, either. Tom waits a while, to see if they return, but they don’t.

They know about Ronald. It’s spooked them.

He tries calling Steve. There’s no answer. Tom goes to his house. There’s no answer at the door. Tom goes around the side, to the back. Tom can see him through the window. He’s in his room, at his computer, his back to the glass. Tom knocks. Steve doesn’t turn. Something feels off. Then Tom sees that the computer is not switched on. He checks around the inside of the window, craning his neck. It’s wired. A booby-trap. It’ll go off if he tries to get in through the window. There’s likely one around the door, too. Maybe every window. The whole house is a time bomb, just waiting for someone to try to get inside.

Steve is dead. The Right Arm has killed him and rigged his house. It’s more than likely they tortured him first. Got all the information out of him they could.

They’ll know about Tom, now. They’ll be expecting him, ready for him. Looking for him.

Tom needs to find them.

He goes to the front of the house, leaves a note on the door. This house is booby-trapped. Call the bomb squad. By the time it’s seen, Tom will likely be done with his business in Harrow.

53

A few people, knowing the relationship between Ben and Carly, have asked him where she is. He’s played dumb. All he’s given by way of explanation is to say that she’s been complaining about feeling ill lately. Has worried she’s maybe coming down with the flu. Maybe something she picked up while she was visiting her parents. She hasn’t called in? No one else has heard anything?

In reality, he doesn’t know where she is. He doesn’t know what Tom has done with her body. Taken her away to dispose of her elsewhere? Cut her up into small pieces? Ben chews on his cheek, and he tries not to think about it too hard. It makes his stomach turn.

He has her laptop. It’s in a bag under his desk.

Tom asked him, “Who do you trust?” Ben couldn’t answer. He thought long and hard – he’s still thinking – and there’s no one who springs to mind.

He has to take it to Gerry. He has no choice. It’s a big risk, but it’s one he’s going to have to run. Carly’s laptop could contain the names of everyone involved, everyone within the FBI secretly working against everything they stand for.

Ben makes his move.

He grabs the bag, slings it over his shoulder, tries to look casual as he travels down the hallway to Gerry’s office, nodding at fellow agents, saying hello, wondering all the while how many of them are his enemy.

Gerry looks up as he enters. He raises an eyebrow at the bag Ben carries. “That looks suspiciously like it’s carrying a laptop,” he says. “I’ve told you, Ben, I’ve done all I can already. There was nothing on it.”

Ben puts the bag down in front of him. “This one isn’t mine.”

“No? Whose is it?”

“Agent Carly Hogan’s.”

“And what’s happened to this one? She been hacked, too?”

Ben takes a deep breath. He glances back at the door. He goes to it, locks it. When he turns back, Gerry is alarmed. “She’s the one who got into mine,” Ben says.

Gerry’s jaw drops. “You serious?”

Ben nods.

“What the hell? You’re sure? How do you know?”

“I know.”

“Well, what have you done about it? This is a big fucking deal, Ben. Have you told Jake?”

Ben is pleased by Gerry’s reaction. It looks, it feels, genuine. “I haven’t told anyone,” Ben says. “Only you.”

“Me? What do you expect me to do about it?”

“I expect you to get into her laptop and find out who she’s involved with. It wasn’t just her. There are more.”

Gerry bites his lip. He looks at Ben. “Where is Agent Hogan?”

“She’s elsewhere.” Ben isn’t going to give details. “I can’t bring her in until I know who else is involved. You understand? I don’t know who I can trust.”

Gerry’s eyes narrow. He looks fearful of Ben’s paranoia concerning the rest of the department. “But you trust me?”

“I had no choice,” Ben says. “I need your help. And if I can’t trust you, well, I guess I’m royally screwed.”

Gerry holds eye contact. “Ben, I swear to you, whatever Carly is involved in, I have no part of it. I promise you.”

Ben nods, pushes the bag with the laptop closer. “Can you get inside?”

“I’ll try.” Gerry pulls the laptop from the bag,