Search and Destroy by JT Sawyer (mobi reader TXT) 📕

Trotting to the left, he rounded the corner of the house. He retrieved a palm-sized stone from the walkway, thrusting it into his pocket, then crept to the side door, removing his lock-picking tools. Despite bringing a bump key matched to this particular style of deadbolt, bypassing a door lock was a two-handed operation.

He tucked his Glock under his arm, inserting the key then giving the back of the key a light tap with the rock. He heard the comforting sound of the key overriding the pins in the internal mechanism of the deadbolt, then he turned the lock, pausing to open the door as he glanced down at his watch.

Five, four, three, two, one…

Shepard heard a brief thud in the shrubs behind him as the designated circuit breaker for the panic room and the security alarms on the doors and windows detonated.

He had to move fast now, as the henchman upstairs would be checking in with the men on the ground if he noticed that the security switchboard inside was no longer illuminated.

Shepard opened the door, his Glock extended out, sweeping the spacious kitchen in each direction then flicking off the lights so he wasn’t backlit when he entered the dining room. He did a visual sweep of the billiards room and solarium to the right then cautiously approached the winding staircase, hugging the wall as he made his way up.

He heard a man speaking in Spanish as the last guard muttered into his walkie-talkie to the dead thugs by the pool. Shepard set his suppressed Glock on a small table beside him then did a partial chamber check on the Beretta before pointing it upstairs. He heard the henchman shouting followed by his footsteps as he rushed out of the room.

Three nine-millimeter rounds in the chest put a stop to the lumbering figure as he bolted from the upstairs lounge, the man collapsing and rolling down the steps.

Shepard stepped over the body, pausing to put another round in the head, then he retrieved his Glock and bounded up the steps. He heard the sound of the lock being engaged on the rear bedroom suite to the right, knowing Landis was probably rushing to the panic room door in the back closet.

Shepard did a visual check of the two other rooms he passed, then removed the last shape charge from his pack, placing it on the gold faceplate of the steel door of the master bedroom. He depressed the five-second timer, jumping back around the corner as it blew open the door.

He waited for the coming volley of rounds from Landis’ revolver, the five bullets punching through the drywall around the doorframe.

Once Shepard heard the weapon’s hammer click repeatedly, he rushed from his position, darting inside the room.

Aiming low, he squeezed off two rounds from his Glock into the half-naked figure crouched in the closet doorway. The bullets tore through the man’s right leg, striking the femur and hip joint and sending Landis to the ground howling.

Shepard moved to the closet, kicking the revolver out of the way then dragging Landis by his arm into the bedroom. He pressed his shoe down on Landis’ wound, causing the man to shriek again as the ivory tiles turned crimson.

“I can give you something for the pain if you tell me what I want to know… Who paid you to put the hit out on Burke and his people?”

Landis waved his hands, his cheeks quivering as he gasped in a breath. “Please, I didn’t know they would all die. I only did what I was told.”

“By who?” He put more of his weight down on the man’s leg.

“Roth…I work for Vincent Roth.”

Shepard narrowed his eyes, vaguely recalling the name. “The Texas billionaire?”

Landis gave a weak nod in between whimpers.

“Why…why would he possibly want Burke out of the way?” He canted his head slightly, hearing the sound of sirens in the distance.

“The election…the election is too…too critical…”

Landis nodded, his eyes starting to roll back as his face became ashen. “Please help me.”

“What election? Here?”

Shepard grabbed the man’s hair, shaking his head. “What fucking election?”

The pool of blood beneath Landis’ body had doubled in size, and he knew the man would probably bleed out before the medics arrived. Landis’ head went limp as he began slumping into unconsciousness.

Shepard stood up, scanning the room before settling on a desk in the corner. He walked over, grabbing the flash drives next to the laptop then pausing to stare at a photo that showed Landis in between two men, one of whom Shepard was sure was Roth. He shoved the photo in his cargo pocket then turned, pausing before Landis, who was moaning and reaching his hand up towards Shepard.

“Help me.”

“I promised something for the pain.” Shepard leaned forward, resting the end of the suppressor on his forehead then squeezing the trigger. He stepped towards the vanity, setting his pack down and removing the four bricks of cellophane-wrapped cocaine, neatly stacking them on the counter.

He retraced his steps out of the bedroom, moving towards the dead henchman lying near the top of the steps. He removed the weathered Tokarev pistol from the man’s bear-like hands, replacing it with the suppressed Glock, then Shepard retreated down the steps to the back entrance.

He opened the basement door, heading below and locating the security system master board. Shepard pried open the panel, removing the memory cards for the interior of the house, then exited the way he came.

Just to be safe.

Crouching beside the first thug he’d killed, Shepard inserted the man’s Beretta into his curled fingers.

He bounded along the south end of the property, climbing over the fence and trotting across the street to the nature preserve. Moving up the hill through the oak scrub, he squatted down, removing his iPhone and recalling the drone to his location.

He saw the flutter of red and blue lights along the winding road that led up to the cluster of homes on the