CHAPTER070 CHAPTER070 JULIANSPOV Youfinallybackfromyourtrip?Ronniesvoicecrackledthroughthephone,ahintofplayfulaccusationinhistone..
Yes,Ron.Icamebackawhileago,Ireplied,leaningbackagainstthewall Andyou didntlettheboysknow?HaveyoufinallygoneallCEOonus?heteased.
Iletoutasmalllaugh,shakingmyheadeventhoughhecouldntseeme.Youknowthatsnotforme,Isaidwithasmirk.Thatlifesneverbeenmy style.Ipausedforamoment,gatheringmythoughts.
Anyway,likeImentionedearlier,Ineedafavorfromyou.
Eventhoughyouneglectedmeandtheboysthesepastfewmonths,westillgotyourback,man.Whatsthefavor?Ronnieasked,histonemoreseriousnow, theplayfuledgefading.
Areyouguysstillworking?Iasked, Ofcourse,herepliedwithouthesitation.
Doyoucurrentlyhaveacontract?Ipressedfurther,alreadyknowingtheanswerbutneedingconfirmation.
Nah,thingshavebeenmovingslowlylately.Noactivecontractsatthemoment,Ronnieadmitted.Icouldalmostpicturehimshruggingontheotherendoftheline.
Alrightthen,Isaid,myvoicefirmingwithpurpose.Idliketohireyouguys.TheressomeoneIwantyoutobringin.
Isthatso?Hechuckled.Iknewyoualwayssecretlywantedustoworkunderyou.Finallyadmittingit,huh?Butyouknowwedontcomecheap.
Yes,Iknow,Ireplied,allowingasmallgrintotugatmylips.Thatsnotaproblem.Ilpaywhateverittakes.Youand theteamshould comedowntomyplacesoIcanexplaineverythingproperly.

Rogerthat,wellbethereinafewminutes,hesaid,andwiththat,thelinewentdead.
Iloweredmyphoneandsetitonthetablebesideme,mymindalreadyracingwithplans.Theseguyswerethebestatwhattheydid.Ihadknownthemforyearsandtrustedthemmorethananyoneelseinthisruthlessgame.Ifanyonecouldgetthisjobdonecleanly andefficiently,itwasRonnieandhisteam.
Asexpected,itdidnttake longbeforeIheardtherumbleoftheirenginespullingupoutsidemyplace.Theunmistakablesoundoftheircarswasenoughtostirasenseofanticipationinme.
Aknockechoedfromthefrontdoor,sharpandsure.Mymaid,everprompt,rushedtowardit,butIinterceptedherjustintime.
174 CHAPTER070 Illgetit,Isaidfirmly,givingheranod tostepback.She obeyedwithoutquestion,retreatingintothehallway.
IpulledthedooropentofindRonnieandtherestofthecrewstandingthere,alldressedintheirusualrugged,nononsensegear.Theylookedthesameasalways-battlehardenedandreadyforanything.
Julian,Ronniegreetedwithagrin,steppinginsideasifheownedtheplace.Theothersfollowed,theireyesbrieflyscanningthesurroundingsbeforesettlingonme.
Goodtoseeyouinperson.Didyouaddweight?Ronniejokedashesteppedinside.
I couldnthelpbutletoutasmalllaugh.Ronniealwayshadajokeready,nomatterthesituation.Thatwasjustwhohewas.Butwhenitcamedowntobusiness,hewaseasilythemostseriousandfocusedpersonI knew.Hisabilitytoswitchbetweenthetwowaspartofwhatmadehimsogoodatwhathedid.
Veryfunny,Ron.Please,comein,Isaid,steppingasideandgesturingforthemto enter.
Astheyfiledintotheroom,Jack,oneofthemercenariesandanoldacquaintance,chimedin,WhenRontoldmeyoucalled,Icouldntbelieveit.
Dontyouguysthinkthegunsmightbeabittoomuch?Iasked,raisinganeyebrowattheweaponsslungovertheirshoulders.

Follow new episodes on the CrushnovelS.Com

Comeon,Julian,youknowwealwayscomewithourguns.Itspartofthegear, anothermercenaryrepliedcasuallyashesettledintooneofthechairs,clearlyatease.
Partofthegear?Ithoughttomyself,suppressinganamusedsigh.ItsnotlikeImsendingthemintoabattlefield.Thisjobwasntmeanttobeawarzoneoperationitwasjustaboutbringinginafewpeopleforquestioning.Thetargetswerentexactlyhighriskthreats,norweretheylikelytobecarryingfirearms.
Okay,sure,Isaid,decidingnottoarguethepointfurther.So,Ron,likeItoldyouonthephone,Iwanttohireyouguysforasmalljob.Ipausedforamoment,making sureIhadtheirfullattention.TherearesomepeopleIneedyoutobringinforme.TheyrenotassassinsormurdererstheyrejustindividualsIdliketoinvestigatealittlecloser.Dotheyliveinsecurelocations?Anyprivatesecurityweshouldknowabout?oneofthemasked,hisvoicesharpandprofessionalnow.
No,Ireplied,shakingmyhead.TheyrewhatyoudcallyouraverageJoe.No.firearms,no privateguards,nohighwallsormotionsensors.Theyreregularpeople.noticedthemexchangeglances,asilentconversationpassingbetweenthem.Therealizationseemedtodawnonthematoncemaybe,justmaybe,bringingtherifleshadbeenabitoverthetopfor thiskindofassignment.
Followme,Isaid,turningonmyheelandleadingthemdownthehallwaytowardthebasement.
Theirfootstepsechoedbehindmeaswedescendedthestairs.Whenwereachedthe CHAPTER070 bottom,Iflickedonthelights,illuminatingthespace.Thebasementwasntjust astorageroomitwasmypersonaloperationscenter.Clean,andorganized,withfilesneatlystackedandmonitorsliningthefarwall,displayingsurveillancefeedsanddata.
Theylookedaround,visiblyimpressed.Eventheseguys,whodseentheirfairshareofhighlevelsetups,seemedtoappreciatethethoroughnessofmypreparation.
ThisisNickDibeny,Ibegan,pullingupafileonthecentraltableandslidingit towardthem.Aphotoofamaninhismidthirtiesstaredbackatusfromthedossier.Hesthirtyfiveyearsold.Worksasadriverfora cooperatefirm.Onthesurface,nothingunusual.ButIhavereasonstobelievehesconnectedtosomethingbigger,somethingthatsbeenkeptcarefullyunderwraps.
Ronniepickedupthefile,flippingthroughitwithapracticedeye.Sowhydoyouwant.tobringhimon?heasked,histonegrowingmoreserious.
Ineedhisconfessionoversomethingveryimportant,Irepliedfirmly.Ijustneedyoutobringhimin,noroughstuff.Iwanttohaveaconversationwithhimmyself.
Jackleanedin,studyingthephotomoreclosely.Noproblem.Ifhesjustanaverageguy,thiswillbeeasywork.HepausedImeanlookat.thisguy,doesheevenknow owtorun?hesaid surehes atleastover400pounds.Anothersaid.
onwalkedcloserbeforesaying.Nowthatweknowourtarget,letstalkabout payment.

Irolledmyeyes,nowhewasgettingserious?..
Ok,thenwhatsyourpriceforhim,Iasked.
30thousanddollars,Ronsaid.
Illpayyouupfront,forhimandtheremainingtwopeople,Isaidbringingoutmyphonetomakethetransfer.
IalreadyhadhisaccountnumbersoIjustmadethetransferdirectlytoRon.
Allalright received,boysletsroll,Ron saidasheturnedonhisheel,butIhadntaskedthemtogoyet.
Notyet,amcomingtoo,Isaid.
Well,itsnotanythingdangeroussosure,Ron said.
WithoutwastingtimeIwentuptomyroomtochangeoutofmyshortsandintosomethingbetter.
Aswewereleavingtheyhandedmesometacticalgeartoputon, andIwasready.
Letsgogetthisguy.