named spook groups-NSA, DOJ, CIA. You name it. Do you know who might have used these?”
“Not FBI?”
Ray’s face tensed. “You tell me, Malloy. How’d you know the senator was in trouble before anyone else- unless you’re listening to the wiretap?”
Beck ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I told you. An informant called it in. Swear on a stack of Bibles, I did not know the senator’s house was bugged. I cannot reveal my source at this time. He is not involved with Summers’s death. That’s all I can tell you.”
“You mean that is all you’re willing to tell me.”
Beck let the barbed comment go unanswered.
Ray glanced toward the house. “Anyway, we found a bunch of these throughout the house. And one more interesting fact.”
Beck looked at the agent, waiting.
“There doesn’t seem to be forced entry into the house. But the front door was thrown open with such force that the inner doorknob slammed into the wall. Like someone opened the door with a key, then got mad and kicked it open. Fresh damage.”
Several agents hurried past the two men on their way to the outer perimeter. One of the men turned toward Ray. “Sir, the SAC’s on his way. I think he is going to handle the media from here.”
Ray groaned. “Oh, great. This investigation is going into the toilet fast.” He turned back to Beck. “You’d better get out of here while you still have the chance. Once the Special Agent in Charge and his entourage get here, watch out. Everyone better hold their butts with both hands.”
Beck reached over and shook Ray’s hand. “Thanks for the information. Let me know if anything important comes up. You got my number. I can be reached 24/7.”
Ray nodded. “Oh, one other thing. It looks like the senator may have had a visitor just before he got whacked. We found two glasses near his body. Running prints on both of the glasses.”
“Thanks. Stay in touch.” Beck turned and began walking to his car. As he climbed in, Ray was still watching. Beck gave him a thumbs-up as he drove away. As he reached the corner and began to make the turn, three unmarks with lights and sirens swept past. Beck knew one of them carried the SAC.
The investigative nightmare just got worse.
As he watched them pull away in his rearview, he thought of the information Joe O’Rourke passed his way. Beck eyed the taillights as they grew smaller and wondered who he could trust. For all he knew, one of Richard’s men could be sitting in those cars that just passed. In fact, even the SAC could be one of Richard’s men.
Beck stepped on the gas to put distance between him and the investigation. When did everything begin to change, when there were no longer clear lines between the bad guys and the good guys? When others-because of wealth, power, and position-were no longer bound by the same laws everyone else lived by? Had it always been that way?
A world of two countries, two governments, two classes. On one side, all the law-abiding, hardworking, taxpaying people who loved this country. And on the other, all the Richards of this world, viewing themselves as unaccountable to no one but themselves.
It seemed futile at times as he struggled to make things right, working with the corrupted system to hold people like Richard to the same standard as everyone else. Beck thought of the cost paid by Joe O’Rourke and his people. Always running, always hiding, always waiting for the executioner’s ax to drop. And now, Gerrit had been thrust into that same world.
Beck had been watching over Gerrit ever since he came to know Joe. Now, Richard knew Gerrit was alive. That Gerrit was out there with information and skills that might expose Richard and his people. Unfortunately, Gerrit would now become Richard’s primary target, with all the forces that man could bring down. The odds seemed staggering.
A helicopter rushed overhead, its rotors beating the air like a giant hummingbird on steroids. The craft headed toward the crime scene. He pulled out onto Capital Beltway, heading toward D.C.
Last summer, he’d visited New York’s Metropolitan Museum where he saw the famous painting of Washington and his bedraggled troops crossing the Delaware to attack British troops. Badly outnumbered, badly in need of supplies, Washington and his Continental Army surprised the enemy and scored a resounding victory with all the odds against them. Just like Joe, Gerrit, and the others.
As Beck sped toward the capital, he vowed he’d do everything in his power to even the score. Until they came for him.
Chapter 37
Richard Kane peered out the window as the helicopter made one more sweep over the senator’s residence. Red, blue, and white lights still flashed below, and men the size of black ants crawled around the crime scene. A block away, a parade of media vans blocked the residential street below like one huge parking lot.
Twenty minutes later, Kane directed the pilot to set down at a landing site where a limousine waited. After telling the others to wait in the helicopter, he exited the aircraft and strode toward the car.
He climbed into the vehicle, made sure he was alone, then opened up his laptop, waiting until the video- conferencing software kicked in. An Anthony Hopkins look-alike came on the screen, only he spoke with an Eastern European accent, his suit worth almost as much as the helicopter carrying Richard. “Where are we, Richard?”
He straightened. “Senator Summers just passed on and a major investigation is underway.”
“Were you able-?”
“Cops too quick. Somebody tipped them off before the cleanup crew did their thing.”
“Is there anything left behind that should concern us?”
Richard shook his head. “Some damage to the front door and…the equipment we left behind. Stuart, I’m sure they’ll know it was not a suicide when everything is collected.”
“Who alerted the authorities?”
Richard tightened his jaw. “They got to the senator. And Summers shared enough information that we have a situation.”
“About Megiddo?”
“Not specifically, although he used the name. He gave up Albuquerque and the capabilities we’ve developed so we can kick off the project.”
A heavy sigh came across the computer as Stuart breathed out. “Do we need to activate the protocol?”
“No. No,” Richard said, shooting out the words like bullets. “I’ll get this under control. Minimize the damage.”
“How do you propose to do that?” Stuart steepled his fingers, tapping impatiently. “It seems you’ve made several mistakes already. Who did Summers reveal all this information to?”
Richard hesitated, not wanting to bring up the subject but knowing it must be answered. He shuddered to think of the consequences if Stuart found other sources. “We know for sure Gerrit survived the blast.”
“How do we know?”
“Gerrit confronted the senator in his home. Our spike mikes and video cams picked up his voice and image. Summers spilled this information to Gerrit after the man broke inside the senator’s house and waited for him to get home. We can only assume he was wired and transmitted everything that Summers revealed.”
Another heavy sigh. “So we can assume this recording is in the hands of whom-FBI, Justice, DIA?”
Richard hunched forward. “My guess is Joe O’Rourke is behind this. He has close ties with someone in the FBI, someone who’s been helping them elude my search teams.”
“Do we know who this person might be?”
“Not yet, but I have my suspicions. We’re working on that. If we can identify this FBI agent, we can use him to lead us back to Joe, Gerrit, and the others. This agent and Joe must have some way of communicating that our systems aren’t picking up.”
Stuart leaned toward the camera. “Get on this, Kane, and sanitize…everything. Fast. We’re days away from springing Megiddo on the world. You have that long to make this good. Or else.”
