Free Assassin (The Billionaire Series) by Murray McDonald Page A

away.
    He dialled the number and the phone answered.
    “Jones speaking,” answered the man.
    “Hi, it’s me, I’ve got a job for you.”
    “What?”
    Beaumont explained what needed to be done.
    “Not a problem, we can be there in less than four hours.”
    “Good, call me when it’s done.”
    They ended the call. Jones was Beaumont’s man in the
Committee’s army and he and his team had carried out the majority of the
assassinations over the previous year. The Committee’s army had four
Commanders, Smith, Jones, Johnson and Williams. Whoever had attributed their
pseudonyms had not spent long, they were the four most common names in America.
    Smith was the most senior of the four Commanders and normally
reported directly to The Chairman of the Committee. He made Beaumont nervous.
Although Beaumont had appreciated The Chairman seconding his best team to him,
he felt he could never fully trust Smith. In addition, Smith was perhaps a
little too honourable and Beaumont was unsure as to whether he would have
accepted the mission to assassinate General Powers.
    Jones, on the other hand, was just happy to be busy. He was
disappointed not to have been involved in the Equatorial Guinea mission.
However, Beaumont had pacified him by explaining that he needed him available
to handle other missions. As back up to Smith, Beaumont had stationed Jones in
nearby Congo with a team of men. It seemed that his prudence was about to pay
off. The only man with the power to ask too many questions would be dead before
the week-end was over.

 
 
 
    Chapter 18

 
 
 
 
 
    Tom looked at Lela warily.
    “What the hell do you mean practice ?”
    Lela didn’t answer, she just stood up and walked towards Yuri.
Tom didn’t know what to do, should he follow? He couldn’t just let Lela walk
over to them alone. But then what could he do? He’d probably get in
her way. But then he didn’t want to look like a coward, so he got up and
followed her anyway.
    “What are you doing?” he whispered in her ear as he caught up
with her.
    “Don’t worry, I’m just going to have some fun.”
    The twinkle in her eye had turned rather wicked.
    “Oh God,” said Tom, he knew that look.
    “Just stay behind me, out of my way, OK,” said Lela. Her fun
tone disappeared as she saw Yuri push a new first year to the ground because he
had dared to be in front of him in the queue.
    Tom dropped back a step and then fell back another step for
good measure as he noticed Lela’s demeanour change again.
    Lela approached Yuri who was still blissfully unaware of her
presence. Lela stopped when she reached the First Year student on the floor
behind Yuri and helped him up. Tom could not help but notice how small Lela
looked in comparison to the first year let alone Yuri who towered over them
both. Lela was very small or as his mother said, petite.
    Lela checked round to see where Tom was. He knew what was
coming and took a third step back.
    Lela was right behind Yuri who was too busy piling his plate
with food to notice her. She took a step to her left, tipped her right shoulder
down and barged into Yuri, her shoulder crashing into his back as she stepped
forward. Yuri’s plate fell, emptying its contents down his front and an audible
wince could be heard as he stifled a scream.
    Silence fell across the restaurant. Yuri had not moved, baked
beans were dripping from his hoody, some had even managed to get into his
pocket. His trousers were soaking wet.
    “Oh, sorry about that,” said Lela.
    On hearing her voice, a disorientated Yuri realised what had
happened to him. He spun around.
    “WHAT THE HELL…” He dropped his gaze to see who had done this
to him and saw two huge brown eyes staring up at him. He knew those eyes very
well.
    “Oh hi Yuri, I didn’t see you there, sorreee, ”
she said, changing her tone from cute to very ugly.
    The last time they had met, Lela had got the better of him but
things were going to be very different this