Blunt stared wide-eyed at his visitor. “Bernard? What are you—”
“Look, J.D., I’m only here because I drew the short straw,” Louisiana Senator Bernard Fontenot said.
“How did you get mixed up in this again? You told me that—”
Fontenot squinted and cocked his head to one side. “Mixed up in what?”
“Oh, come on. You know playing dumb isn’t going to work with me.”
“I don’t know if you understand how much trouble you’re really in, J.D. You’re in deep this time. And in case you’ve forgotten and bumped your head a little too hard, the president is the one who ordered your arrest.”
“Illegally, of course,” Blunt fired back. “He has no authority to arrest me.”
“Why don’t you try telling him that?”
Blunt glared at Fontenot. “Let me out of here, and I will.”
“Sorry, buddy. No can do. You’re stuck in here for the foreseeable future.”
“I want my lawyer, and I want him right now,” Blunt said, stamping his foot for emphasis.
“Your lawyer?”
“Yeah, Rob Fulchum. He’s got offices in Washington and New York, as well as Dallas and Los Angeles.”
“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Rob’s dead.”
Blunt’s face fell. “What? How?”
“He committed suicide two days ago.”
“Bullshit. His wife would’ve called me if that happened two days ago. That family was like my own blood.”
“Well, you’ve been in here three days, J.D. So, you’re right. She may have called you, but you didn’t answer.”
Fontenot held up Blunt’s cell phone before drawing it away from his reach.
“I don’t believe it. I’m not nearly hungry enough to have been in here three days.”
Fontenot chuckled as he glanced at J.D. pooching stomach. “The body can do amazing things when it comes to survival. You could live quite a while off all that barbecue you’ve been eating for the past sixty-five years.”
“This is ridiculous, Bernard. And you know it. Let me out of here right now so I can clear this misunderstanding up with President Young.”
“Sorry, boss,” Fontenot said. “The great Noah Young has issued a decree.”
Fontenot tossed a package of prison clothes into the cell.
“What’s that for?” Blunt asked.
“I need everything that you’re wearing to go in that bag right now, including your glasses.”
“My glasses? What kind of torture is this? You know I can’t see twenty feet without my glasses.”
Fontenot shrugged. “I’m just following orders.”
“Well, I’m defying them. I’m keeping my damn glasses, and if you want them, you’ll have to come here and take them from me.”
“Whatever, J.D. Keep your stupid glasses. It’s not like they’re going to be of much use to you stuck here in the dark.”
“I need some food,” Blunt said as he unbuttoned his shirt.
“And you’ll get some. Three square hots and a cot. We won’t deprive you of that luxury.”
“You know, Bernard, I thought we were friends. I could’ve hung you out to dry with McWilliams, but I didn’t. I gave you the benefit of the doubt that Obsidian forced you to do all the awful things you did. Yet this is how you treat me? Unreal.”
Fontenot sighed and shook his head. “Get off your high horse. This is about self-preservation. And just like your body can adapt, so can my allegiances. This precious America that you care so much will cease to exist very soon. And you can either find a place on board with the new leadership or suffer under the boot of oppression. The choice is yours.”
“Or you can fight,” Blunt said. “I’m not about to take something like this lying down.”
“I’m sorry, J.D., but you won’t be throwing any more punches.”
Blunt finished changing. “There. Happy now? You can take everything away from me, but you won’t take away my dignity.”
Fontenot turned and looked down the hallway. He gave a quick nod to someone. Before Blunt knew what was happening, four men stormed into his cell and grabbed him. The biggest one delivered a vicious punch to Blunt’s head, and everything went dark again.
CHAPTER 18
Copenhagen, Denmark
MIA STARED AT THE gun and then looked into the eyes of Shadow Lancer. The older man’s hands held his weapon steady, his gaze locked with hers. She slowly reached for the flash drive and removed it from the computer.
“Place it on the edge of the table,” he said.
She complied with his order and backed away.
“Now, stand up,” he said. “You’re coming with me.”
She glanced at Lord Override, her eyes begging him to do something. He caught her hint.
“Is this really necessary?” Lord Override asked. “She’s a longtime friend of mine. I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding.”
“There’s no misunderstanding here,” Shadow Lancer said. “I know exactly what she’s trying to do, and I’m not about to let her do it.”
The gears in Mia’s brain whirred as she tried to process what was happening. Then a thought occurred to her.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” she said, pointing a finger at Shadow Lancer. “You’re the one who did this, aren’t you?”
Shadow Lancer shook his head slowly. “You’re so far out of your depth right now.”
“No, I understand exactly what’s going on now,” she said. “You hacked into the CIA database and replaced the pictures of Tahir Nazari with Omar Ebadi, and then switched them back. You’re the reason why an innocent man is dead.”
“I’m not to blame, but if you’re looking to assign blame, maybe you should question the man who took the shot.”
She glanced at his gun. “Are you going to pull that trigger on me?”
“I’d prefer not to, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Lord Override raised his hands in a gesture of protest. “This is not right. Just let her go. You got what you wanted. We’ll both leave and won’t say a word of this to anyone.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that,” Shadow Lancer said. “The girl knows too much now.”
Lord Override scowled. “So, you’re just going to kill her?”
Shadow Lancer shook his head.
