"Everything is in order, I assure you," the one named Burns said, still not moving a muscle.
"That may be, but I’ll just need to check with security." Megan said as she reached for her desk phone.
Before Megan could dial, Garcia was standing above her and took the phone from her hand as gently as he could and still be forceful.
"Let’s just wait for the senator’s reply, shall we?" he said with a forced smile.
Megan tried to stand but was kept in her seat by his hand on her shoulder.
"Sir, you are making a big mistake." Megan’s voice was deep and clear, as she looked directly into the man’s dark eyes. "Take your hand off me and sit back down." Her face was getting red and her temper was rising.
The man removed his hand and as he slowly turned to take his seat, Megan grabbed her phone and punched the speed dial button for security.
"Thomas!" Megan asked, relieved to get somebody she knew on the phone. "Thomas, why did you authorize an armed Air Force master sergeant up to my office to see the senator?"
For the first time Megan could see the two men squirm just a bit at the question.
"You didn’t? Then would you please send Security to Room 340 to detain these men until we can sort it all out?"
With that, the two men rose from their chairs and started to leave.
"Excuse me, but it will go much better for you if you remain here," Megan said as she gestured toward the conference room. "Security gets pretty annoyed if they have to lock down the building to find you."
Megan had moved around her desk to escort the two into the conference room when her phone went off. She recognized the ring as the senator replying to her text.
"Be there in 20m" it read.
"Sir, why don’t you let me keep that firearm for you?" Megan said so calmly she surprised herself. "Security will be here in a moment and your compliance will work in your best interest. You did still want to meet with the senator, didn’t you? His text said he’d be here in 20 minutes…"
Reluctantly, the man released the buckle and placed the belt and holster in her hand. Megan gave a mental sigh of relief and ushered them into the room and closed the door.
When Thomas arrived, Megan motioned toward the conference room. "They’re in there, but I got his gun, although I don’t know what’s in the briefcase. How did they get past security?"
"I’m not sure, but I’m looking into it, what do you want me to do?"
"They’re here for a meeting with the senator, he’ll be here in 20 minutes… can you go in and check out the briefcase?
"Sure thing, Megan."
Thomas entered the conference room and closed the door behind him. Keeping the table between them, Thomas said "Gentlemen, please slide your passes across the table if you’d be so kind."
"We’d prefer not to, our visit is classified and you are interfering in military business," said Burns.
"That would be the case if I were on your turf, gentlemen, but as you see, this is my fish bowl, and you play by my rules while you're here. Now slide them over."
The two men reluctantly slid their passes across the table, and Thomas sat to begin scrutinizing them. As he checked the front and back, the officers began to fidget, looking at each other trying to determine what to do next.
Thomas found an uncharacteristic lamination on one of the passes and began to peel it off when his cell started to vibrate.
He took the call and listened intently while watching the two officers as they sat uncomfortably across from him at the large conference table.
As he processed what was being said on the call, Thomas slowly moved his right hand to his thigh as if he were scratching an itch. He slid the restraint from his pistol and removed it from its holster, pointing it under the table at the men. As he ended the call, Thomas stood quickly and held his gun on the two men. "Gentlemen, there seems to be a question of just how you gained entrance to the building." "Sir," Thomas said addressing the officer with the case, "remove your chain and slide the briefcase to me… carefully."
"We’d prefer to wait on the senator."
"I’m not going to say it again, slide the case over here, now." Thomas said as fingered the trigger on his weapon.
The officers looked again at each other and nodded, as if they’d decided to cooperate. The officer with the case turned as if to ask his accomplice for the key, and when Thomas’ attention shifted to his attempt to pull the key from his pocket, the man with the briefcase stood and threw the case at his head, barely missing him.
Thomas fired two shots, hitting him center chest, causing him to drop back in his seat, dead. The other man pulled a hidden gun from a leg holster and attempted to fire at Thomas, who fired three shots to the chest, dropping him to the floor, motionless.
At the sound of the shots, Megan dialed Security and gave the code for an emergency. The building was immediately locked down and a shelter in place notice began blaring on the loudspeakers in each office. An armed detail rushed up the stairs, while another detail disabled the elevator just as Max was getting on.
"What’s all the commotion about Jerry?" he asked as he was pushed aside by the detail. "You’ll need to stay down here in the lobby, Senator. Please, seek shelter in an inside office until the all clear," the leader said as he motioned his team into the elevator. "We’ve got a situation on the 3rd floor," probably nothing to worry about."
The capitol police secured the elevator doors, leaving the senator speechless and looking for cover.
Hearing no noise after the shots, Megan pulled the confiscated weapon from its holster and cautiously approached the closed conference room doors just as Thomas rushed out.
Megan jumped. "Geez, Thomas, you scared…"
"Call the EMT’s Megan, they’re both down. And just what in God’s name were you going to do with this?" Thomas said as he grabbed the weapon from her shaking hands.
Megan looked past Thomas and saw only the man with the briefcase, slumped backwards in a conference chair. She grabbed her cell off her desk and called 911, then ran to check on a visibly shaken Thomas.
When the security detail arrived, they were directed into the conference room to secure the location. Thomas followed them in and sat in a chair in the corner.
"I got word from Checkpoint Alpha there was no record of their entry, sir. Their passes were faked. When I confronted them, one attempted to knock me out with his briefcase, the other pulled a gun. I had no choice. Here’s my weapon. I fired five shots in all." Thomas said as he placed his pistol on the conference table for collection.
A check for pulses confirmed they were both dead, and the detail dropped and secured their weapons.
"Notify the coroner, I’ll need to determine CoD as well as their identity ASAP." Said the detail's leader.
As they were still wrapping up the scene, Max arrived and started asking questions.
"Senator!" the team leader interrupted. "For your own safety, I insist you stay away from this area."
"Son, when this crap happens to you, you can decide what you do, but since this is my goddamn conference room, I’m staying right here! And I want some answers!"
Megan moved the senator toward a chair outside the conference room, talking to him in low comforting tones. "It’s just a miracle you weren’t here, Max. No telling what their motive was, and your schedule indicated you would be in the office all morning."
"Yeah, last minute change, I told Conrad I’d attend his hearing for moral support. Any idea what they wanted?"
"No," they didn’t exactly chat the place up… what do you think is in that briefcase?" Megan said straining to see what was going on in the conference room.
Max was already ahead of her and pushed once again into the room. "Look here fellas, I’m instituting my power as a senator to shut this down right here. Thomas, have you retrieved the key to this man’s briefcase? If not do so immediately, I’m taking possession of it in case there are classified documents in there."
"No
w hold on Senator Deason, you have no such power, I’m not going to tell you to leave again…"
Max was getting angry. "Thomas, did the men indicate their visit to see me was classified?"
"Yes sir."
"And did they at any time ever open the briefcase?"
"No sir."
"There you have it Sergeant, continue your investigation as you wish, but the briefcase is classified and is not germane to the happenings here. Now Thomas, are you going to find the key, or do I have to get the goddamn bolt cutters?"
The head of security stood his ground. "Senator Deason, this briefcase could contain a bomb, or anthrax. I insist, for your safety and the safety of those in the building, that I check it out first, if it proves to be harmless, I’ll bring it back personally to you.
Talk of a bomb or chemical agent brought Max to his senses, and he finally relented.
It took over two hours for the coroner to retrieve the bodies and for security to wrap up their investigation. Megan and Max were forced to work out of makeshift quarters on the fourth floor, fielding questions from curious staff and constituents that had heard about the incident. After security ended their investigation and removed the tape from their doors, Megan and Max were finally allowed back in. A steady stream of staffers and even a few senators dropped by or called continuously the rest of the day.
It wasn’t until almost seven that night before Max’s office had quieted down and Max had built up the anger to make a call to Colonel Chastain at Randall AFB.
"Colonel, Senator Deason here. Just what the hell was today all about? You think sending two goons to scare me would somehow improve your situation?"
"What are you talking about Senator, what goons?
"Burns and Garcia, if in fact those are their real names, they got themselves killed by Capitol Security, that’s what! You really screwed the pooch on this Colonel. Dropping by unannounced makes this look like a hit! Is that the way we play this? That’s your pushback, …assassination?"
"I won’t be talked to in this way Senator," said Colonel Chastain in a rising voice.
"Have you forgotten I have your balls in a vice?" said the senator, "I hope you’re better at damage control than you are at improvising solutions because you are about to have a congressional investigation all over your precious base, do you hear me? Now what’s in the case?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know any Burns or Garcia, and I’ve had more than enough of your insinuations, Senator."
"What’s in the goddamn case?" Max bellowed into the phone.
"I told you, I don’t know anything about a briefcase!"
"Well Colonel, let me ask you a question you should be able to answer. Have you taken control of our little problem in the desert?"
"Yes, it’s under our control." Said the colonel, in a frosty voice.
"Have you destroyed the remains?"
"Yes sir, as ordered."
"Cremated?"
"Those were your orders, sir"
"And the vehicles?"
"Buried on base, sir."
"Okay, so why the ham handed visit today?"
"I’ll only say this one more time Senator, I did not send anyone to meet with you. If you want answers to that, I suggest you take that up with your friend Mr. Downs. This sounds more like his style."
"How do you know Mr. Downs?" Max demanded.
"I’ve found it is always helpful to learn the motivation behind those extorting favors of me, especially murder. From what I have seen, Mr. Downs keeps those doing his bidding on a short leash. And, judging by your brush with death this afternoon, I’d say your leash just turned into a noose! Oh, and while we’re on the subject Senator, you need to know you’ve exhausted the leverage you had where I’m concerned. Your complicity in this matter equalizes the damage we can do to one another, and as such we are at a stalemate. Don’t expect any more favors from me, do I make myself clear? I’ll leave it to you to tamp down the speculation on your new mess."
"We’re through when I say we’re through Colonel, and not a moment before! Do you understand? I’ve got to hold a press briefing on this whole matter and you’d better be available to provide some backup."
"Well then, …and I mean no disrespect when I say this Senator, you had better come up with one hell of a story for your press conference, because it will all point to your actions of late, not those of the Air Force. It will be easy to determine the men were not military personnel, taking us off the hook immediately. If I were you, I’d be thinking who would gain from your demise. Owing to the determination displayed by your two visitors today, I’d say somebody would gain quite a lot.
"And as to your hollow threat to implicate the Air Force in this sorry situation, I'd think twice about going public on that. You would find yourself in a psych ward before anyone would believe such a fantastic story. Of course as I see it, you do still have a huge decision still to make."
"What do you mean by that, Colonel?"
"I mean with this latest development your head is on the chopping block, not mine. The truth will come out. Your only decision is how it does so. In fact let me put in terms you can understand, Senator. To which would you rather provide evidence: an inquiry or an autopsy?"
Max slammed down the phone and was startled to see Thomas standing in the doorway.
"Geez son, you scared the bejesus out of me… what is it?"
"Oh, sorry Senator, I was about to leave for the day and wanted to see if you needed anything before I left."
"No son, I’ll only be a few minutes more myself. Get some rest, okay?’
Thomas turned to leave then stopped and turned back toward the Senator. "Sir, I couldn’t help overhearing part of your conversation… you were speaking pretty loudly. Did I understand from your comments you may know who is responsible for the security breach today?"
Max didn’t miss a beat. "I had a hunch son, but it didn’t pan out. But don’t worry, I’m no hero, I’ll bring you any lead I find and let you run it down. These guys got my attention; I don’t want anything to do with their friends."
Thomas nodded, turned and left as the senator got up to close and lock the door. He removed a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cell phone that was taped to the inside top of the desk, then dialed a number from its history.
"Mr. Caswell’s office" said the pleasant female voice with a British accent.
"Um, Hank Caswell please."
"May I ask who is calling?"
"No. Is he in?"
"I’m terribly sorry to have to tell you this, but Mr. Caswell is deceased."
"What? When, how?"
"And who again is calling?" Brenda asked as pleasantly as possible.
Max ended the call and his mind started racing. "If somebody got to Hank," he thought….
Max sat for a long time weighing his options and turning the phone in his hand over and over. Finally he scrolled through the numbers and dialed.
"Yes," said the male voice.
"I thought you said I’d be kept out of this!"
"And you have been," the voice replied.
"You said I needn’t get my hands dirty on this one! Just one more thing you were startlingly wrong about! And now you send two goons to take me out in my own office? Are you insane?"
"What are you talking about? I did no such thing"
"My God, how could I be so naive? I swear, I’m not going down alone do you hear? You’ve done much worse than I have and that will be my bargaining chip to a country club sentence…
"Senator, you need to think before…"
"Nobody pulls a stunt like this without paying a big price, do you hear me?" Max said with a crack in his voice. "I swear, you’re going down with me, goddammit!"
"Nobody is going down, Max. You need to get a grip."
"Oh yeah, tell that to Hank Caswell’s widow! More of your handiwork I presume."
"Hank became a liability, but he got stupid… something I’m sure you will avoid at all
costs."
"Then why send the goons today William?" Max shouted into the phone, shaking.
"Again, I did no such thing."
"Liar!" Max yelled as he threw the phone across his office.
Max sat for a long while at his desk. He was furious, shaking with rage, turning the morning’s events over in his head and trying to work through all the possibilities and options available to him. Fear began to overtake his thoughts. Someone was lying to him, but who?
The Premise Page 29