Read The Mercenary for Free Online Page A

Olivia.”
    “Thank you.”
    Burati hung up the phone and sat there in the parking lot grieving for his brother. He was almost positive that Thomas had been killed today. He called his cousin Barack because he wanted backup when he went in to get Olivia. If word got back to Mr. Ray that he had taken Ms. Olivia to a safe house, Burati knew he’d be in big trouble. He needed someone who could provide backup in case things went wrong.
    Barack waited for him in the departure lounge. “I’m not sure where she is, so we’ll have to search all the departure gates. I’m going to see if she’s purchased a ticket first.”
    Barack nodded and was happy to follow orders. Burati didn’t think about anything except finding Olivia. He didn’t dwell on the fact that his brother was dead and he was now going to be a rich man.
     
    Kirk didn’t like airports. He didn’t mind flying, but airport terminals were something altogether different. Public airports were the worst. Everyone was in a hurry and not bothering to get the hell out of the way like they should. Because they were flying with weapons, he and Laz had to go through a special line at security when they arrived in Johannesburg. Laz, being the more heavily loaded down of the two of them, was going to bear the brunt of any questions.
    “Stop looking like you want to shoot someone,” Laz said.
    Kirk snorted. He didn’t want to shoot anyone. He just wanted to be out of the airport and the crowd. This many people made him cranky. And something that Savage had said on the phone a few minutes ago was making the back of his neck itch.
    Regardless of whether they had wanted to do this extraction, it was their mission, and the Savage Seven never failed. And until they got to the girl, the situation wasn’t in his control. He didn’t like that.
    “The line isn’t going to move any faster no matter how much you glare.”
    “It might. I want the girl with us so we can relax.”
    Laz snorted. “You don’t know the meaning of relaxation.”
    “That might be true, but I do know the meaning of a locked door in a secure room. That’s what I want.”
    “Should be a piece of cake,” Laz said.
    Kirk nodded. Laz was fine, but Kirk needed to process the job he’d just done and find his center. Jack would laugh his ass off if he knew that Kirk did that after each kill, but it was the only way he could move on and stay sane. He had a ritual and this was messing with it. He was edgy and ready for a fight. Not the best way to be when he had to protect a friend of Anna’s.
    They edged forward in the line. “What the fuck is taking so long?”
    “Who knows?”
    Kirk took a deep breath. “I’ll get the girl while you get the car. We’ll meet you out front.”
    “Fine. We can’t test our earpieces until we clear customs,” Laz said.
    “What do you think of everything she saw?” Laz asked. “I know that the fiancé threatened her with a gun, but…”
    Kirk shrugged. “That doesn’t have anything to do with our job here.”
    “Yeah, I know. But that had to throw her. My sister’s husband turned out to be a pedophile. Maureen freaked out.”
    Kirk shook his head. “I’m sorry, Laz. That had to be rough. Does she have to see the bastard?”
    “Not anymore. I took care of that problem for her.”
    Kirk didn’t ask any other questions. He knew what Laz meant and that was enough for him. He would’ve done the same if he’d had a sister. Despite the fact that he was a loner, he did take care of his own.
    Of course the only family he had were the men of the Savage Seven. The line inched forward a few more feet. And Kirk couldn’t take another second. The walls were closing in around him. He needed fresh air.
    “You okay?” Laz asked.
    He nodded. “Yeah, great.”
    They were waved up to the customs agent. Kirk pushed past Laz to go first, knowing his friend wouldn’t care. He handed the form he had and the weapons permit to the man.
    “What’s the purpose of your