The Soldier's Mission by Lenora Worth

didn’t recognize him.”
    He gave her a level look. “I’m pretty sure he disguised himself.”
    â€œWhat’s going on?” she asked, pushing at her hair. “Is every patient I’ve ever failed coming after me now?”
    â€œLooks that way on the surface,” he replied. “Here’s what we know for now—they both had emotional issues of some sort and they both came to your clinic for help. We’re pretty sure Rutherford was the first shooter. When he failed the first time, he high-jacked the delivery truck. The driver was found unconscious on the road. He can’t remember much about his attacker, but he described Rutherford. Rutherford’s record fits the mode but his aim was a bit off today. And you probably didn’t recognize him because his hair was longer and almost completely gray. He’d lost weight, too.”
    â€œI should have realized—”
    â€œLaura, somebody out there doesn’t want you to realize anything. They’re playing mind games with you. I checked the two cards and rubbed a pencil over the indentions we thought we saw—links to Bible passages in Revelations.”
    â€œRevelations? But why?”
    â€œWho knows? The person or people behind this aren’t exactly rational. The first one is from chapter one, verse eighteen: ‘I have the keys of Hades and Death.’”
    â€œThat’s the Lord talking through John.”
    â€œNot in this case. Some madman is using the Lord’s words to taunt us.”
    â€œWhat kind of keys?”
    â€œWe don’t know. It might not mean anything.”
    â€œWhat about the second one?”
    â€œFrom the second chapter, verse two: ‘And you havetested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars….’”
    Laura’s stomach roiled with each word. “Do you think this person is talking about me?”
    Paco sat with his hands on his knees. “Again, we don’t know. But we do know that these two men recently became employed by Lawrence Henner. You said he’s a wealthy businessman? Well, we found out he owns his own security company—listed under some sort of corporation—a shell company. I think you mentioned something about that, too.”
    She let out a gasp. “No, I mentioned that Alex Whitmyer worked for a security company. What if it’s Henner’s company?”
    â€œThat could be bad. Very bad. Just one more connection though.” He tapped into his phone. “I’ll put Kissie on it.” After explaining a possible connection between Henner and Whitmyer to Kissie, he hung up. “If they’re working together, we can stop them.”
    â€œCould Alex be in this thing with Henner? That would mean they’re both more unstable than I realized. Henner could be fueling Alex’s obsession with me so he can come after me for my part in his son’s death.”
    Paco looked grim. “According to data we’ve found underneath all the corporate logos, Henner does things in a much different way from CHAIM.”
    Laura could believe that. “He struck me as being demanding and unyielding, and honestly, I think that’s why his son killed himself.” She couldn’t say anymore. Or maybe she should. “Paco, he verbally abused his son. And now he blames me for Adam’s death. I never could prove that he was the one at fault because his sonnever told me the complete truth. But I believe that in my heart.”
    â€œSo he’s coming after you for justification?”
    â€œOr to ease his own guilt?”
    â€œThen why the card tricks?”
    Laura shook her head, fatigue and alarm warring inside her mind. “He could be sending assassins, thinking we’d never trace it back to him. The first one didn’t kill me, so he sent another one. Maybe the cards are his way of telling me what I’ve done wrong. Or his way of sending a