Read On The Run for Free Online Page A

sting? No. How is it there?”
    “Shit. But Grace and Frankie are still okay.” He paused. “Kersoff’s boys found her. They work strictly on the bounty, so I figure I have a day or two before someone else comes after her. But they will come. There has to be a leak.”
    “You told me that the Company buried her records.”
    “If there are enough people looking, then the chance of an information buy goes up astronomically.” He paused. “I have to get her out of here. It’s not going to be easy.”
    “I’d think she’d want to get out.”
    “Not with me. Never with me. But I can’t give her a choice if she won’t see reason.”
    “Grace is smart. She’s not going to risk that little girl.”
    “But which way will she choose to save her?” Kilmer stared at the entrance through which Grace had disappeared. “In her eyes, behind every door there’s a tiger. And I’m the tiger who savaged her before. Keep me posted.” He hung up the phone. He should check in and get a few hours’ sleep. Blockman was with her and they should be safe. Blockman impressed him as being efficient, and he clearly cared for Grace and Frankie.
    Screw it. He’d stay here and keep watch. He made a habit of trusting only his own people, and Blockman was a Company man. He could pull in Cam Dillon, the only one of his men he’d brought to town, but he’d planned on sending him to the farm to keep an eye on things there. The Company would probably rush in a crew to clean up things, but, if not, Dillon would take care of it.
    No, he’d stay here himself and make sure Grace and Frankie stayed safe.
    It was about time he stepped up to the plate, he thought grimly.
             
    G race quietly swung the adjoining door almost shut, but left it cracked so that she could hear Frankie if she stirred.
    “Is she asleep?” Robert asked.
    She nodded wearily. “I thought it would take longer. She probably went to sleep because she couldn’t stand being awake. Escape. You were limping. Is your leg all right?”
    He nodded. “I twisted it when I was trying to get Charlie out of the truck.”
    She flinched. “What did you do about him? Did you call the sheriff?”
    “No, I had some of our boys come down from Birmingham to take care of him, along with the bodies you and Kilmer left at the farm. The site’s probably clean as a whistle now. Washington thought it best.”
    “I don’t care what happens to the bodies of those other bastards. Probably one of them killed Charlie. But I do care about Charlie’s remains. Why did they include Charlie in the cleanup? Because they don’t want anyone to know he was murdered? Erase and cover?” Her hands clenched. “Charlie’s not just going to disappear. He lived his whole life in this community. He had friends here. He would have liked to have them say good-bye.”
    “Hold it, he’s not just going to disappear. He’ll be listed as drowned in the river, and the CIA will provide suitable witnesses to state they saw the body—without the bullet wound. After that, we’ll move quickly to obey the instructions in Charlie’s will. He wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the hills on his property. We’ll just do what he asked and then have a memorial service.”
    “How convenient for the CIA. How do you know he wanted to be cremated?”
    “For God’s sake, Grace. I liked that old guy. I wouldn’t lie to you.”
    “How do you know what was in his will?” she asked again.
    “Because I was a witness when he changed it three years ago,” Robert said gruffly. “He trusted me, even if you don’t. Do you want to call his lawyer?”
    Robert was obviously hurt, and for the first time she remembered that Charlie had been Robert’s friend too. She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. But you work for the Company, and they’ve been known to arrange matters to suit themselves.”
    “Not this time. Anyway, he asked me to take care of his arrangements and make it easy for you and