Free Furious Jones and the Assassin’s Secret by Tim Kehoe Page A

six years trackingdown Salvatore’s top killers. And these weren’t your average street-corner-gang thugs. These guys were pros. They lived in the shadows. They had rock-solid aliases. They were nearly impossible to find. They had families. They looked and acted like everyone else. They could be your butcher or accountant. But the Sicilian was different. He didn’t live in the shadows—he was a shadow. There were days when Kidd wondered if he was even real. Maybe the Sicilian was just a rumor. No one knew for sure.
    Twice Kidd was certain he was close to catching him. But he came up empty-handed both times. But now Kidd would have the upper hand. He knew where the Sicilian was. And once he got a hold of the forty ex-Salvatore scumbags who were now in the witness protection program, he would even know who the Sicilian was going to kill. It felt like a neatly wrapped present had just been handed to him until Kidd remembered that they were talking about a town on US soil. “It would be illegal. The CIA can’t operate inside US borders,” Kidd said reluctantly.
    â€œTechnically this is true,” Douglas agreed.
    â€œBut,” Gibson interjected, “from what little I know, it seems like your team is the only group on the planet that might have the knowledge and skills to find and kill this guy. This Sicilian, as you call him.”
    â€œAnd,” Kidd added, “technically we don’t exist. I don’t exist. How can I break a law when I don’t exist? I’m black ops!”
    â€œExactly,” Douglas agreed.
    â€œThis is really a job for Anton, though,” Kidd said. “I could go in there and kill this guy. Believe me, nothing would make me happier. But people would notice. I’m good at what I do, but I’m not subtle. That’s Anton’s skill set. And that’s how the Sicilian kills. They are both masters at making even the most bizarre deaths look like accidents. Anton thinks like the Sicilian. I think he’d be your best bet for finding this guy and killing him without drawing attention.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree more,” Douglas said. “And that’s why I sent Anton and his family to Galena two weeks ago.”
    â€œWell, there you go,” Kidd said. “Problem solved.”
    â€œTurns out he’s having a hard time finding the Sicilian,” Douglas said. “And the witnesses keep showing up dead. If we don’t find the Sicilian soon, he will have killed all forty witnesses and disappeared back into the shadows forever.”
    Kidd sat down. “What do you mean Anton can’t find him? It’s not that big of a town, right?”
    â€œRight,” Gibson agreed.
    â€œAnd Anton has the list of witnesses, right? I mean, he knows who the Sicilian is going to kill?” Kidd asked.
    Douglas looked concerned.
    â€œOkay,” Kidd said. “I’ll go to Galena. I’ll find and kill the Sicilian. But it ain’t going to be quiet.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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    I just sat and stared at the screen. Not only was my mom Carson Kidd, she was an assassin? A weapons expert? She had never even shot a gun, as far as I knew. And to top it off, I’d traveled with her all over the world while she’d killed bad guys! How do you handle information like that? I took a deep breath and handed Emma her computer.
    â€œThanks,” I said.
    â€œNo problem. Let me know if you need it again. It’s a long trip.” She slipped the computer into her bag.
    I pushed back in my seat and tried to stretch my legs. Buses and planes were brutal for someone my height.
    â€œHave you ever done this before?” I asked. “Ridden the bus?”
    â€œNo. This is my first time. I hate the hour train ride from Westport to Yale to see Andrew. I’m not sure how I’m going to sit for over twenty hours.”
    â€œIs that how long our ride is?”
    â€œSomething like that,” she