Evidence of Passion (Shadow Agents 7)

William blinked. His face was already ashen.

“Tell me who did this to you.” Because he didn’t have much time left to talk. He was their main lead right then. They needed William to hang on.

His throat worked, but no words came from his mouth.

“We know you hired him to kill Patterson. But he turned on you, didn’t he?” She’d seen the safe. Its door still hung open. “What if he decides to turn on your son, too? Do you want Chris to die?” It was the only card she had to play.

William’s lips moved.

She put her ear next to his mouth, struggling to hear what he said.

“J...Jack...”

Her stomach tightened. “I want his real name. Do you know it? Can you tell me?”

“P-played me...” The words broke on a gasp.

I’m losing him.

“Please!” Her head lifted just a few inches. She wanted to stare into his eyes, but his eyes were shut. “Help me to find him! He shot you...”

“My...own...g-gun... Almost...g-got h-him...”

So he’d been planning to kill Jack?

One double cross for another.

In the distance, she heard the scream of a siren. “The ambulance is so close,” she told him. “Just fight. Hang on.”

His breath slid out. “Not...en-enough...”

No, the ambulance wasn’t close enough.

“Taught him...t-taught Jack...all...”

He didn’t say more. His chest wasn’t rising any longer.

“William? William?” Her knees shifted as she edged closer to him, and that was when she saw the playing card that had been under his right arm.

A bloody Jack of Hearts.

* * *

DYLAN FOLLOWED JACK, keeping his eyes on the baseball cap as the man weaved and dodged through the city.

The killer had dropped some cash in his frantic run. Dylan hadn’t stopped to pick it up. He didn’t care about the money. Only Jack.

The baseball cap vanished as the guy rounded a corner.

With a burst of speed, Dylan rounded that same corner and found himself in an alley.

There was no sign of Jack. He has to be here, though. Dylan’s gaze scanned the perimeter. There was no way that Jack had just vanished.

He advanced slowly. The alley stank of rotten food. There was a big garbage container to the right. And the back entrance to a restaurant was just a few steps away from that bin.

Did you think you could escape in there?

Dylan hurried forward. He yanked open that back door. Saw no one. Dylan advanced. When he burst into the kitchen with his gun drawn, a chorus of shouts and screams met his arrival.