Free BLACK COBRA (Aaron Quinn thriller series, No. 2) by John Avery Page A

course, and it sent a thrill up her leg.
    “I was wondering if you knew this man,” Harness said at last. He handed her a photo that Holt had dug up somewhere. “He and I met back in the States a couple of years ago, and since I’m rarely in the area, I thought I’d look him up.”
    Brandy took a look at the picture and smiled to herself: she had never seen Jason in his Naval Officer’s dress uniform — and he looked amazing .
    “Never seen him before,” she said calmly, wondering how this stranger found out where Jason lived.
    Harness searched Brandy’s eyes. She was hiding something — he was sure of it. He took out a pad and pen and jotted down his number.
    “Sorry to have disturbed you, miss,” he said. “If you happen to see him would you give me a call? It would be great to talk to him again.”
    “I could do that,” Brandy said.
    “We appreciate your time,” Harness said.
    He started to leave, but as a detective he couldn’t resist giving Brandy a little something extra to think about. “Keep an eye out, will you?” he said. “One of the locals thought maybe Jason lived right here in this marina.”
    He gave her a nod that said, Chew on that for a while, bitch, and then he and Holt started back down the gangway.
    ---
    Just then Jason and Aaron came out of the marina office. Jason stopped when he spotted the two men coming up the ramp. He thought he recognized the shorter one from somewhere, but the Hawaiian shirt threw him, and he figured he must be mistaken.
    “ What’s going on? ” Aaron whispered, trying to follow Jason’s gaze.
    Suddenly Jason stepped back a step and took hold of Aaron’s arm. There was no mistake: It was him ... the cop that shot him in the leg that night in Sally’s Diner!
    “Come with me,” he said, and they ducked behind a portable restroom.
    Harness and Holt continued up the ramp and entered the marina office.
    ---
    The marina manager looked at Harness expectantly.
    “He wasn’t there,” Harness said. “Only some woman named Brandy.”
    “He must have stepped out,” the manager said.
    Harness laid a crisp $50 on the counter. “If you see him, there’s more where that came from,” he said.
    He made a mental note to return to the Cayman Jewel later that evening, and then he and Holt turned to leave.
    ---
    “Why did you pay him again?” Holt said as they entered the parking lot. “You know as well as I do he’s a lying sack of shit.”
    Harness unlocked their rented Mustang, ignoring Holt. He knew the man was lying, of course, but he also knew that maintaining a healthy dialogue was worth a little cash.
    ---
    Jason and Aaron watched the men drive away, and then they returned to the Cayman Jewel .
    ---
    Brandy was just finishing her salad. She stood up when Jason and Aaron came on board, anxious to tell Jason about her two visitors.
    “We sail tonight,” Jason said gruffly, walking straight past her. He headed downstairs to the galley.
    “Why tonight?” Brandy asked Aaron, but Aaron only shrugged.
    They followed Jason below.
    Jason opened the fridge and then slammed it closed in frustration. “Isn’t there any food on this tub?” he said. It was a ridiculous question, of course, considering they had just stocked the boat for a long trip.
    “There were two men here, Jason,” Brandy insisted. “They were asking about you. They had a picture of you and they were packing heat.”
    “Was one in his mid-fifties?” Jason asked sarcastically. “The other a handsome black man around six-five? Both dressed like tourists?”
    “You saw them? ” Brandy said, feeling foolish. “Why didn’t you say something?”
    Jason opened the fridge again, grabbed a beer, and slammed the door. Then he went back up on deck.
    Brandy looked at Aaron, but again he only shrugged.

Chapter 24
     
    Sailing just before nightfall, Jason found the going easy. It felt good to be out on the open water again, a warm breeze in his face, away from whoever might be looking for him.