by L. T. Ryan
Chapter 56
Bear went through the clothing and other items Clive had arranged for him and Mandy. The clothes weren’t what Bear would’ve chosen for himself. Mandy’s seemed OK to him, but she complained, too. They were each given a full-size suitcase, a carry-on, and a backpack. At least Clive had hooked them up with some technology in the backpacks. Nice Sony headphones and a MacBook for each of them, with matching iPads and iPhones.
He turned toward the knock on the door and said, “Come in.”
Clive entered the room, a warm smile plastered on his face. “Appreciate what you did for us.”
“Feel like I was a burden.”
“Things happen. You never should’ve been involved. I only wanted you because I figured it would get Noble engaged. This whole thing has been a mess.”
“I can help you untangle it.”
Clive’s smile lessened as he reached out and put his hand on Bear’s shoulder. “The only things you need to untangle now are that girl’s hair. It’s time to head inside, Logan. This job is not for you anymore.”
“How am I supposed to do that? Everywhere I go, goons are gonna be waiting for me.”
“I’ve taken care of that.”
Bear studied the guy for a moment, wondering what his intentions were. “What’s that mean?”
“You don’t exist anymore. Not the way you did, I mean.”
“Not following.”
“I deleted you. Your records. Replaced them all. You’re an entrepreneur now. You and your daughter grew tired of the city and all the traveling and decided to live a peaceful life.”
“What?” He straightened and tipped back a few inches while processing what Clive said. “I’m still me, right? Still Riley Logan?”
Clive nodded while reaching into his pocket. “And she’s Mandy Logan.”
“But none of the things I’ve done matter anymore?” It clicked. “Never a Marine, never in that CIA program. Wasn’t there when Skinner died, or any other number of times crimes were committed. I’m not on any watchlists.”
“You’re getting the hang of it.” Clive handed him an envelope and a keyring.
“What’s this?”
“Title to your car and house. Keys to the same. You’ll find the car in long-term parking at LaGuardia. Parking spot is inside the envelope, as is your new address. There’s a private school there. Mandy is already accepted and enrolled. They understand she may need to catch up a bit, after having traveled the world for the past couple of years as you ran your empire from afar. All the details of that including the amount you sold the business for are in the envelope as well.”
Bear felt a lightness he hadn’t felt since, well, ever. He’d always pushed the envelope, even as a kid. Could’ve went anywhere for college but chose the military. Could’ve retired and done something productive but went into business with Noble.
Noble.
“What happened to Jack?”
Clive looked down; all traces of joy erased from his face. “We’re working on that.”
“I can’t—”
Clive held up a hand. “I will always be able to reach you with this.” He reached into his other pocket and produced a cell phone. Looked like one the military would issue. “Works anywhere in the world. Safe. Secure. All traffic runs through my server. I can contact you directly and no one will know. I’ll also know if you contact anyone from it. That can be helpful, too. But do your best to keep it private.”
Bear nodded as he accepted the phone. “But I gotta know about Jack.”
“The moment I have something, you will know.” Clive stepped back to the door, stopping to whisper something to Mandy, who laughed. “We’ve routed one of your accounts to one you can access in the States with no problems. You’ll find the details in the envelope.” He stopped in the hallway, looked back. “Sadie will be here to escort you soon.”
“Wait.” Bear met him at the doorway. “Are you close to figuring out who was behind this?”
“Maybe.” He bit his bottom lip and stared Bear in the eye for a moment before continuing. “I think there’re secrets that lie with Noble, and once we know those, we can figure out who’s behind this and punish them for what they did to Sasha.”
Bear held up the phone. “You know how to reach me if you need help.”
Clive nodded and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of the elevators. Bear watched him step in, and Sadie step out.
She came into the room a few moments later.
“Kinda crazy, huh?” she said.
“What’s that?” Bear said.
“Leaving the life.”
“All I’ve wanted for a while now.”
“Must be running out of testosterone or something.” She laughed. “Doesn’t sound like the Bear I know.”
“I’m not the Bear I knew anymore.”
Sadie reached out and pulled him closer to her. “Can’t tell you how sorry I am about Sasha.”
Bear choked on his reply before spitting it out. “Thank you. Me, too.” He broke free from her grasp, and the memories of Sasha. “What’s your take on Noble? Hear anything about Clarissa?”
The delay in her response told him what followed was a lie. “We’ve got a few leads. I’ll be chasing them down soon.” She reached out again and smoothed out his shirt. “Nothing you need to worry about anymore. You got that girl to take care of now. You raise her right. Got it? I’ll show up if you don’t.”
“That a promise? ‘Cause I can turn her into a hell raiser.”
“Already am,” Mandy said, not breaking her gaze from whatever game she was playing on the iPad.
Bear and Sadie shared a laugh that lingered for a few moments longer than he expected. Might’ve been the happiest he’d felt in a while.
“Come on, let’s get you to the airport.”
They talked about nothing in particular during the drive to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Bear took in the sights, unsure that he’d ever be able to leave the U.S. again. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever board a plane again after today’s flight.
Sadie dropped them at the curb. Their goodbyes were quick with minimal eye contact. The trip through check-in and security was a blur. Bear and Mandy waited at their gate until their group was called to board. During that time, he realized the opportunity ahead of him. A new life waited at the end of this flight. He and Mandy, living together as a family, with nobody and nothing to tear them apart.
And as Bear boarded the Air France Airbus A380 and climbed the stairs to the upper-level business section with Mandy next to him, he felt calm, perhaps for the first time in his life, on an airplane.
“What happens when we land?” Mandy asked after they were settled in their two-seat pod.
“We clear customs, then pick up a car, and drive to upstate New York, kinda near Buffalo.”
“That sounds dreadful.”
“Yeah, it does, but also wonderful.”
“Whatever, man.”
“You spent too much time with Jack.”
Mandy turned toward him, grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ll end up like my dad.”
“What do you know about him?”
She bit down, narrowed her eyes. “Quite a bit, but I guess I’m gonna learn a whole lot more in upstate New York, kinda near Buffalo.”
Chapter 57
Three months had passed since Jack woke up in a hotel room with Clive and Sadie standing over him. The police found him at the end of a pier in Genoa, unconscious and wounded. There had been several shots fired that night. Somehow none had penetrated him. When Jack asked how they had located him, Clive declined to answer. When he asked if Clarissa had surfaced, dead or alive, they looked away and said nothing.
Clive arranged for Noble to leave on a private jet with a clean passport and identity. Like he’d done for Bear, Clive scrubbed much of Jack’s past. Not everything, of course. There were some records that couldn’t be erased. But all identifying information, all official records with his face, everyth
ing he could as it pertained to Skinner’s death, had been removed. Worst case, temporarily. Enough to buy Jack some time to disappear for a while as Clive and his team regrouped to find who was behind the sabotage. Jack would be called up, Clive promised, to avenge Sasha’s death and put an end to this once and for all.
The plane took him to Belize first, where, with help from Clive again, he located his brother, Sean. The reunion was short but fruitful. Jack turned over custody of one of his accounts so Sean could continue to remain away until it had been deemed safe for him to return to the country. Jack told him it might take a year, maybe even longer, but it would happen.
Mia warmed up to him after a few hours, and the next day, they got back on the jet and went to the Keys.
A rented bungalow had served as their home for the past twelve weeks. They got up early in the morning, talked, fished, swam, learned to paddle board, and sailed around the islands in the little Lido 14 Jack had purchased. Figured he had a dock behind the house, might as well have a boat, too.
Jack had slipped into the kind of life he never imagined possible but yearned for longer than he could remember. Something was missing, of course. Not a thing, rather a person.
The last image of her, looking back at him, telling him she’d find him with her finger gesture, haunted his dreams. She plunged into the sea and was never seen again. No body was found. He wished he’d have fought harder to dive in after her, but with Beck’s team closing in, he tripped and cracked his skull. He remembered it all fading to black, then he woke up in the small room with Clive and Sadie staring at him.
“What’re you doing, Jack?” Mia wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and hung there, her ten-year-old body pulling him away from the table. He threaded a few fingers between her arm to give himself some breathing room.
“Thinking about what we should do today.”
“What about that market we saw from the boat? Can we go there?”
Jack lifted the lid of his Asus laptop and typed a search query into Google. “Looks like you’re in luck, sweetie. Let me finish this coffee, and we’ll head over.”
They set off for the twenty-minute boat ride. The sea spray enhanced the humidity but the breeze kept them feeling dry. They docked near the market, tied off, made the short walk.
Mia’s hair lifted in the gusts coming off the water, shining gold in the sunlight. He thought of what their time together would be like as she grew. The past three months had shown him this was the life he needed. And it had become the life he wanted.
The market was lively with several stands selling fruits and veggies, vintage clothing and items, and plenty of touristy crap. Of course, that’s what Mia was most interested in. They wandered the twisting aisles. Every so often, Jack would get a feeling, the one that had kept him alive so long, telling him someone was watching.
He remained semi-alert to a threat, but the tranquility of the location, the hum of the people, the crashing of the waves, kept him relaxed.
Mia used her chore money to buy a few cheap items, then they found a stand selling conch fritters. He got Mia a lemonade, and a cocktail for himself. They found a table with an umbrella and sat facing the water.
The edge had faded. He no longer felt watched. And they enjoyed the time together.
As they left, two men with a young boy asked Jack to take their picture. He obliged, handing Mia his drink to hold. No one minded.
He stepped back to get the young family in frame.
Mia gasped.
He turned and saw that someone had grabbed her.
Noble tossed the phone back to the guys and sprinted after. The man ducked into a tent fifty feet away. Jack reached behind his back and wrapped his hand around the Glock holstered there. He reached the tent, stopped on a dime, ready to whip the pistol around and kill the man.
But the guy wasn’t there.
Mia was.
And she was laughing.
Laughing with Clarissa.
“Heya, Jack,” Clarissa said.
“What the hell is going on?” Jack choked on the thick, humid air. “What are you doing here?”
“Good job, Mia.” Clarissa handed the girl some cash. “You got him to me like you said you could. Go ahead and buy something.”
The girl walked past Jack, bumping him with her hip and giggling. The two men appeared and escorted her.
“Who are they?”
“Don’t worry, they’re good guys. On our team.”
“Our team?”
Beck stepped out from behind a rack of clothes. “Sorry about Genoa. They were closing in on all of us, but it’s Clarissa they really want.”
Jack pressed his palms into his eyes; dragged his hands down his face. “Someone needs to fill me in because I’m lost.”
“All of this has been about me, Jack.” Clarissa stepped up to him, grabbed his hands in hers. “The reporter who was killed, the hospital massacre, Sasha, these guys are going after anyone who was tied to me.”
He looked at Beck, who nodded. “We need your help, Noble.”
“What about Mia?” He felt his heart splitting in two.
“Those guys will take care of her. They can get her back to your brother, too, and they’ll protect him and his family.”
“Are you in?” Beck said.
“They’ll kill you?” Jack said to Clarissa.
“Eventually, yeah.”
“I’m in.” There was no internal debate.
“Great, let’s talk about how two hundred million dollars disappears, and how that’s not the most valuable thing they took.”
Jack’s story continues in NOBLE LEGEND (Jack Noble 14). Pre-order your copy now:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094RBQWCK
There’s more! A new BEAR & MANDY LOGAN series debuts this fall! Pre-order here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094RDPH5V
Also by L.T. Ryan
Click on a series name or title for more information
The Jack Noble Series
The Recruit (free)
The First Deception (Prequel 1)
Noble Beginnings
A Deadly Distance
Ripple Effect (Bear Logan)
Thin Line
Noble Intentions
When Dead in Greece
Noble Retribution
Noble Betrayal
Never Go Home
Beyond Betrayal (Clarissa Abbot)
Noble Judgment
Never Cry Mercy
Deadline
End Game
Noble Ultimatum
Noble Legend (Early 2022)
Bear Logan Series
Ripple Effect
Blowback
Take Down
Deep State
Rachel Hatch Series
Drift
Downburst
Fever Burn
Smoke Signal
Firewalk
Whitewater - March 2021
Mitch Tanner Series
The Depth of Darkness
Into The Darkness
Deliver Us From Darkness (Summer 2021)
Cassie Quinn Series
Path of Bones
Whisper of Bones (February 2021)
Untitled (May 2021)
Blake Brier Series
Unmasked
Unleashed (January 2021)
Untitled (April 2021)
Affliction Z Series
Affliction Z: Patient Zero
Affliction Z: Abandoned Hope
Affliction Z: Descended in Blood
Affliction Z : Fractured Part 1
Affliction Z: Fractured Part 2 (Fall 2021)
About the Author
L.T. Ryan is a USA Today and international bestselling author. The new age of publishing offered L.T. the opportunity to blend his passions for creating, marketing, and technology to reach audiences with his popular Jack Noble series.
Living in central Virginia with his wife, the youngest of his three daughters, and their three d
ogs, L.T. enjoys staring out his window at the trees and mountains while he should be writing, as well as reading, hiking, running, and playing with gadgets. See what he’s up to at http://ltryan.com.
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