Page 63 of Bulletproof Jack: Hunting Lee Child's Jack Reacher

Lucas was the normal one. The one most likely to make a good father to a passel of young Stuarts. It wasn’t too late for Lucas.

Lucas was only thirty-eight. He had plenty of time.

Liam, on the other hand, was already forty-two. And after the final Stiletto 100 test, he’d be busier than ever. By the time he could think about settling down with a family, he’d be an old man. Which was just fine with him anyway.

Wives required care and handling. He rubbed his arms through his sleeves. Just thinking about kids made him itchy.

He had no desire for wives or kids. He rarely spent time with his own brother. Which was exactly the way he preferred things.

A booming clap of thunder directly overhead blasted Liam from semi-consciousness. He scowled.

Storms had been forecast. He hadn’t expected any sort of follow through from Mother Nature. Millions were spent on state-of-the-art equipment. Sparkling television personalities were paid to deliver weather reports with bright smiles and certainty. Yet meteorology lacked the very accuracy and precision that any sort of science demanded.

Liam never trusted weather to perform as predicted.

A flash of too-close-for-comfort lightning briefly illuminated the cabin, followed by more way-too-close thunder.

A moment later, the rain started. Howling wind picked up speed. Within three minutes of the first thunderclap, his warren in the woods was engulfed in a full-on storm.

Which reflected his mood perfectly. As if a Greek chorus had been added to a movie to enhance his annoyance.

Liam had nowhere to go for a good long while. He closed his eyes again and listened to Mother Nature’s outrage mirroring his own.

The force of the storm was comforting, somehow.

Maybe like trying to sleep in a foxhole, mortar shells landing close by, the screams of soldiers providing a soulless soundtrack.

The storm was also infuriating. Anger rose in his gut with every thunderclap, which made him want to lash out like an avenging god.

Because he’d been waiting for the right conditions to run two more field tests on the Stiletto 100 prototype before the FQT. Tests he definitely could not do in a raging storm.

The one image he’d tried to erase from his memory stormed his defenses like a band of invading marauders. Again.

Ira Krause, his mentor, colleague, and the only real friend he’d ever had, flashed into his mind. The specter of Krause simply would not leave Liam alone.

When the choice was initially announced, Liam had instantly made up his mind.

He could not betray Krause so viciously. He would not do it. Consequences be damned. Simple as that.

Which was when Liam took the Stiletto 100 and disappeared. He was sure Morin and the entire team were experiencing a full-on freak-out. Too bad.

They wanted the Stiletto 100 and they’d only get it on Liam’s terms.

Liam had called Krause earlier. They’d planned to meet here, at the cabin. Liam promised to show Krause the Stiletto 100. Offered him a private demonstration.

Krause had been curious, despite their recent estrangement. Liam heard the excitement in his old friend’s tone even as he’d tried to conceal it. Krause had agreed to come at first light.

Krause had no idea what Liam planned to do at the parade in Ottawa. Which was one condition of the FQT, of course. An obvious point. Conditions on the ground must reflect actual conditions of use.

If Krause had known what was coming, he’d have avoided the parade and the test would fail.

And too many had worked too hard for too long. The parade must happen as planned and the test must succeed. Failure was not an option.

Only the target would change. Whether Morin liked it or not.

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Chapter 26

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