Free Spy for Hire by Dan Mayland Page A

fast he was going. He braked.
    “Do you want me to drive?” asked Jessica.
    “No.”
    “This friend who called you. I still don’t get it. Why didn’t you just tell him about your dad?”
    After Mark’s call, Decker had told Jessica he needed to pick something up in Bishkek, as a favor to a friend, but he hadn’t been any more specific than that. He could tell she thought he was nuts, but was too polite, or unsettled, to say much about it. They hadn’t known each other for that long, after all.
    “I didn’t have a chance to tell him about my dad. He hung up before I could mention it.”
    Decker looked in his rearview mirror. Mark had mentioned taking surveillance detection measures. Decker had been doing so inadvertently just by hauling ass as fast as he had been, but he told himself he should start checking for tails.
    “He hung up on you?”
    “That’s just how he is.”
    “Some friend.”
    “He’s actually a pretty good guy.”
    “What kind of favor?”
    “I just have to pick something up and hold on to it for a little while.”
    Maybe he could just bring whatever Mark wanted him to hold on to back with him to the States, Decker thought. Hell, that might even be the safest course of action. Get whatever it was out of the area of operations.
    “John, you’ve got bigger things to worry about. Call your friend back.” She put a hand up to Decker’s cheek. “Tell him about your dad.”
    “I can’t, Jess. You just have to trust me on this one. Listen, I gotta try reaching my brother in the States again.”
    Decker flipped on the overhead light and started drifting to the side of the road as he searched for his phone in the compartment under the armrest between the driver and passenger seats. He’d tossed it in there amid the old soda cans and tins of chewing tobacco and random keys and wrappers from his favorite shawarma place in Bishkek.
    “Really, honey, why don’t you let me drive?”
    Decker found his phone. “I got it.” He pulled his Bluetooth earpiece out from under a wet napkin, stuck it in his ear, and dialed while keeping one eye on the road.
    “What’s the latest?” he said, when his brother picked up.
    “I don’t know, man. We haven’t gotten the test results back yet.”
    “What tests?”
    “They’re running this line or something from his arm to his heart.”
    “Is he getting better?”
    “He’s not getting worse. At least his heart is beating OK now.”
    “Thank God.”
    “There was something wrong with the rhythm before.”
    Decker thought his brother sounded seriously stressed.
    “Listen, tell Mom I might not be able to catch a flight till tomorrow morning. I’m working on it now, but things here are abit of a cluster. I’m in the serious boonies, and even when I get out of here, it’ll be a day of travel. I’ll figure it out, but it might take a little longer than I’d hoped.”
    “I’ll tell her.”
    “OK, I’ll check in later. I gotta go now.”
    He’d bought himself a little time, Decker thought, relieved to no end that his father wasn’t getting worse. He’d deal with Mark today. Come tomorrow, he’d have to make a decision, but there was no use worrying about that now. His only concern right now was what to do with Jessica.
    He glanced at her as he tossed his phone back into the armrest compartment. The problem was, she’d moved out of the climber’s hostel a week before and had been crashing with him ever since. He’d feel like a jerk saying “see ya” and just dropping her off on the street. Besides, he liked having her around.
    “So, Jess,” he said. “You remember I said I worked as, like, a high-paid security guard?”
    “You’re a SEAL, honey. I know.”
    “Was a SEAL. But it’s because I was a SEAL that I have the job that I have. Anyway, point being, I have special skills. It’s cool because I get to take off and climb with you and stuff, but sometimes, man, duty calls.”
    “And you’re telling me this is one of those