The Tribe: Black Force Shorts Book Three
Page 10
‘I know. But actually experiencing it in the flesh… that’s something else. I lost all hope. I couldn’t imagine myself in that situation again. I came out of that prison a broken man.’
‘So go fix yourself. And if you ever feel like coming back, we’ll be here.’
‘You sure?’
‘You don’t need to keep asking that,’ King said. ‘If I say something, I mean it. Go enjoy your freedom. You had to come to terms with the fact that you were going to spend the rest of your life in that mountain prison. That’s not something you can move on from in a hurry.’
‘I… guess I was never expecting anyone to understand.’
‘I understand. I wouldn’t do anything other than this career — at least, not yet — but I understand. Get out there, kid. You were rushed into this job.’
‘There’ll be hell to pay if I leave like this.’
‘I’m promising you there won’t be.’
‘Then I’ll take your word for it. I owe you my life anyway.’
King grinned and leapt off the bed. ‘No you don’t. On that note, I’m heading back. You enjoy your life, Rollins.’
Rollins noted the combat boots already laced on King’s feet, the long-sleeved athletic shirt already tucked into his waistband, and then his gaze rolled over to the thick black duffel bag propped up in the doorway.
Already packed.
‘You knew you were leaving,’ Rollins said.
‘I knew what your decision was before you made it.’
‘I made it when I stepped foot out of that cell on the mountain. I knew this would be my last job.’
‘Then job well done, soldier. Glad neither of us are under any illusions. You did what you had to, and now you can relax.’
‘The money…?’
King smirked. ‘How much have they paid you?’
‘A shade over a million. I’ve only been with Black Force for four months.’
‘All stashed in an offshore account?’
‘Yeah. I assume that was standard protocol.’
‘It is. Enjoy that money. You earned it. I’ll make sure they don’t strip it away from you. Be smart with it, though. Invest it right and those funds could last you the rest of your life. Then you won’t have to come crawling back any earlier than you want to.’
‘What makes you think I’ll come back?’
‘I knew you were going to leave, didn’t I?’
Rollins nodded.
‘So I know you’ll come back. Eventually. You won’t be out forever.’
‘We’ll see.’
‘No need to drag this out any longer than it needs to be,’ King said. ‘You have all you need.’
‘One question,’ Rollins said.
‘Shoot.’
‘You keep calling me kid. How old are you?’
King grinned. ‘Twenty-six. Two years younger than you. But age doesn’t mean a goddamn thing in this business. I’ve got years to go.’
He strode to the other side of the room, hefted the duffel bag over one shoulder and secured it to his frame with the help of the chest strap. He placed a hand on either side of the doorway, nodded once to Rollins, and then disappeared into the central Peruvian town.
Gone, just like that.
Rollins sat rigid on the bed and mulled over the oddity that was Jason King. The man had stormed into his life like a freight train, taken care of business, and then vanished off the face of the earth. Rollins doubted he would ever see King again.
And that suited him just fine.
He believed every word King had told him. It would take some time to come to the realisation that he was out — Rollins had spent a decade in the employ of the United States military, in a number of capacities. The perks of an off-the-books shadow organisation were the lack of protocol around entering and exiting. Rollins didn’t doubt that King’s word carried great weight, and if King instructed Black Force to leave Rollins alone, they would oblige.
So… where to now?
He’d been expecting more of a battle. He’d anticipated having to fight tooth and nail to claw his way out of the organisation, and now he’d been deposited in Central Peru as a free man, open to a world of possibilities.
Rollins figured he would decide what to do with his life after he recovered. The satisfaction of dealing with Bradley Frisson had put him at ease — even though he’d wanted nothing to do with government operations after escaping the mountain prison, he’d followed through with the mission he’d been tasked with.
He was a man of his word.
But his obligations had been fulfilled, and he had all the time in the world to process what had happened.
Rollins closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. There would be doctors arriving soon, no doubt. They would patch him up for a fee and send him on his way — King would have organised that during Rollins’ bout of unconsciousness.
He spent the last few moments before he fell asleep thinking of Jason King.
Something told him there would never be another operative quite like him.
MORE BLACK FORCE SHORTS COMING VERY SOON…
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Books by Matt Rogers
THE JASON KING SERIES
Isolated (Book 1)
Imprisoned (Book 2)
Reloaded (Book 3)
Betrayed (Book 4)
Corrupted (Book 5)
Hunted (Book 6)
THE JASON KING FILES
Cartel (Book 1)
Warrior (Book 2)
Savages (Book 3)
THE WILL SLATER SERIES
Wolf (Book 1)
Lion (Book 2)
BLACK FORCE SHORTS
The Victor (Book 1)
The Chimera (Book 2)
The Tribe (Book 3)
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About the Author
Matt Rogers grew up in Melbourne, Australia as a voracious reader, relentlessly devouring thrillers and mysteries in his spare time. Now, he writes full-time. His novels are action-packed and fast-paced. Dive into the Jason King Series to get started with his collection.
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