Brothers in Arms by Kendall McKenna Page B

are targeted,” Giammona concluded, “no one protests throwing taxpayer money at the problem.”
    “That about what you thought was going on, Kellan?” Keef asked.
    Kellan nodded. “That’s about it. The only link you’re missing is how the components get from the outlying suppliers, like the old man in the hamlet, to actually be placed in IED devices, with the specific intent of injuring Americans.”
    Jonah was enveloped by a rage so cold it burned. Fuck those faceless cowards who would kill fellow Americans for profit. Maybe they’d appreciate a surprise late visit from Jonah and his Ka-Bar. He’d really like to shove them all into a Humvee and let them roll through Iraq wondering where the next IED was going to be.
    “I suspect that last piece of the puzzle will be found in the apartment building Grizzly visited.”
    “Can I conclude then, ladies and gentlemen, said building is our destination tomorrow morning?” Jonah asked, needing to end the meeting and get some air. He needed time to think this through, to come to terms with what he’d just learned.
    “You can indeed, Gunnery Sergeant,” Keef sighed. “You can indeed.”
    “Excellent. We’re done here, then.” Jonah crossed the room and managed not to take the door off its hinges. He headed right for the front door of the manor house.
    Anger seared Jonah’s insides. He wanted to run the perimeter of the firm base, but he knew it wasn’t safe. His fury nipped at his heels, driving him away from the manor house and toward—he didn’t know what. Jonah needed to pace, to use up the energy of his rage. He kept running into cammie nets, Humvees, ammo cans, and trash. He balled his fist to punch something, and then stopped himself. He was right-handed and he needed that hand to pull the trigger. Jonah’s wrath tangled with frustration and he kicked viciously at rocks in the dirt.
    “I thought I’d find you here.” Kellan’s words carried to Jonah, even before he stepped around a Humvee and into view.
    Jonah’s temper dissipated slightly at the sound of Kellan’s voice, as desire edged up his spine and settled in his belly. He damn well needed to get that reaction under control. The rapid ricochet of Jonah’s emotions threw him off and fucked with his equilibrium. He jammed his curled fists onto his hips. “You knew this was going to happen, Kellan?” Jonah winced at the accusation in his own voice.
    Kellan drew a deep breath and seemed to weigh his words carefully. “I wrote an opinion for my consulting firm that dealt with the Big Three getting so many no-bid government contracts,” he said as he slowly approached Jonah. “I concluded they have strategically placed allies in the government to ensure they continue to make billions of dollars off of America’s armed conflicts.”
    “You wrote the synopsis for a Tom Clancy novel, and the President decided to send you to Iraq?” Jonah wanted Kellan to tell him he was right and it was all fiction.
    Kellan came to stand directly in front of Jonah. He chuffed a laugh. “The President was dubious too when he read it. Still, he thought my arguments were sound enough to warrant a cursory investigation.”
    Jonah took in Kellan’s familiar features: his lashes, the small mole beneath his left eye, and finally his mouth. “Obviously, the investigation turned up something.”
    Kellan wet his bottom lip before he spoke. “The Attorney General has built a fairly strong case for corruption. She just can’t go before Congress and the President and say she thinks American weapons and munitions are being provided to the enemy for use against our own military personnel. So, she reached out to the State Department to find evidence of the supply chain here in Iraq.”
    “They sent Grizzly?”
    “Correct. And when they did, I issued another opinion that postulated he would be killed, using American-supplied weapons, in order to halt the investigation.”
    “Hell.” Jonah sighed, tilting his head back