Net Force - Tom Clancy [80]
This was not altogether unexpected-she had halfway thought Genaloni might attempt to trace her before now-other clients had tried to get a handle on the Selkie. So far, her safeguards had been sufficient; nobody had ever gotten close.
As of now, the address and identity she had used when shed taken the assignment from Sampson were history. Even if they found the place, there was nothing to tie it to Mora Sullivan, or any of the other aliases she used. But this was a bad sign. Genaloni was a thug, to be sure, but he was a smart thug, and a persistent one. If he was worried that the Selkie might be linked to him, he would do everything he could to remove the link. If that included having her found and killed, well, there it was. In Genalonis jungle, self-preservation ruled. If he saw an aged, crippled lion half a mile away, going in another direction, hed shoot it anyhow-because it might turn around someday. Who knew?
She scratched an itch on her bare left shoulder. She wouldnt be collecting anymore money for the target she had missed, but that was not really important. For her own pride, she would finish that job, payment or not. That was a given. And while she didnt think Genalonis hackers could find her, even the smallest possibility that they might was too much to ignore. She would not spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. She would finish the job on the target in D.C., but she would also have to do something about Genaloni.
And after that? Well, maybe it was time for the Selkie to retire. When the winds of change blew up a line of tornadoes, a smart woman took cover-or moved elsewhere.
Saturday, October 2nd, 1:15 p.m. Washington, D.C.
Tyrone?
Tyrone instantly recognized the Voice of Doom, even though the phones visual was off. Uh, yeah.
This is Bella. Did you lose my number?
Uh, no, I was just about to call you.
Thats good, said the voice of self-preservation, hiding behind its rock. Lie. First a little one, then a big one. Tell her you have a fatal disease and you cant leave the house!
Standout. So, can you come over this afternoon?
No! No! A million quadrillion times no!
Uh, sure. I can do that. Come over. I mean, to your house.
About three okay?
No-no-no-no-nooo! Not good, not okay!
Sure, three.
You have the address?
Yeah.
Okay, scan you then. And Tyrone? Thank you. This means a lot to me, you know?
Um sure. Nopraw.
Discom, she said.
Yeah, nopraw and discom, deadhead! Maybe because it means so much to her, Bonebreaker will make it quick, just snap your neck fast so you wont suffer too much! Asshole! Fool! Moron!
Tyrone stared at the cradled phone. He knew he ought to be terrified, but oddly enough, only a small part of him was. That part hiding inside his head behind its rock. The rest of him was what, exactly? Thrilled? Yeah, that was part of it. That the best-looking girl in school had asked for his help, that he was going to her house, to stand and sit right next to her, to show her something he knew something about
Well, like Jimmy Joe had said. If he was going to die, he might as well get there by a fun route. Besides, RW-speaking, Bonebreaker probably wasnt going to actually kill him. Maybe hammer him into a bloody pulp, but probably hed survive, right?
His mother wandered into the room, carrying a set of blueprints for the birdhouse she was building. Hey, hon. Who was that on the phone?
A person from school. They want me to help them with a computer project. Im going to go over to their house at three, is that okay?
A person? They? Them? Their house? My, arent we getting plural. His mom grinned. Would this person perhaps be of the female persuasion, Ty?
Geez, Mom!
Ah. Thats what I thought. Whats her name?
Belladonna Wright.
Is that Marsha Wrights little girl?
I think so.
Oh. I remember her from the third-grade play. Shes a cute little