Vengeance

9 LANHAM, MARYLAND

Seated at a desk in his hotel room a block from the Capital Beltway carving its way through Maryland and Virginia, Lonnie Mixell perused the encrypted employment offers on his laptop computer, deciding which task seemed most interesting. After the agreed-to fee for the assassination of America’s secretary of defense had been deposited into one of his accounts, Mixell’s thoughts had turned to his former best friends Jake Harrison, who had betrayed him, sending him to prison for eight years, and Christine O’Connor, who had sided with Harrison against him.

Harrison was next on Mixell’s personal to-do list, but he had disappeared after his wife’s funeral. Although Mixell was confident that he would eventually locate Harrison, he would need something else to keep him occupied in the meantime.

Mixell was about to respond to an offer when a new encrypted message arrived.

I’m looking for a man who goes by Mitch Larson.

“Who’s asking?”

A friend of Dan Snyder.

Mixell contemplated who had contacted him, and it didn’t take long to reach a conclusion.

It was Dan’s sister, Brenda Verbeck. While surveilling her during his previous assignment, Mixell had wondered if she would be a suitable replacement for Trish, whom Harrison had killed during their confrontation six months ago. He had to admit that Brenda was a tantalizing candidate: beautiful, conniving, and ruthless. And very rich. That she was married hadn’t prevented her from engaging in a recent affair, plus her husband could always be removed from the equation if necessary.

He typed a response. “Hello, Brenda.”

Hello, Mitch. Or whatever name you’re going by now.

“Mitch is fine. How can I help?”

There’s a delicate task I want you to accomplish.

“Which is…?”

Meet me in person. Nothing in writing.

“Fee?”

One hundred million.

Mixell’s hands froze over the laptop keyboard. Although he was occasionally paid eight-figure sums, he had encountered a nine-figure fee only once before.

“I assume the desired task is not only delicate, but difficult?”

Very.

“Where and when do you want to meet?”

When can you make it to Baltimore?

“Tomorrow.”

An address appeared on the laptop screen, plus a time. 6 p.m.?

“I’ll be there.”