A More Perfect Union

by Carsen Taite

  George was waiting at the curb. She waved him off as he started to get out of the car and let herself into the backseat. He looked at her in the rearview mirror. “White House?”

  “Yes. We should be on the list at the gate.”

  Rook took the time in the car to reflect on everything Julia had told her yesterday. What had initially started as a routine investigation of student misconduct at Fort McNair had begun to snowball. The exclusive escort service General Bloomfield’s son and his pals had used to “alleviate stress” was normally very discreet, but because of the vetting Bloomfield was getting, someone, probably NSA, had gained access to their records and found their client list included more than a few flag officers who worked at the Pentagon. If made public, the list could prove embarrassing to the brass as well as the current administration, an unwelcome distraction on the heels of the Nine Tech mess, and especially untimely since the president was negotiating with Congress for funds to mount an offensive in Syria. All of this, on top of the upcoming confirmation hearings for Bloomfield, created a perfect storm, and Julia had tugged hard at the strings of their friendship to get Rook on board to help put the right spin on the investigation.

  “You know I’m not a fan of the military, and what you’ve told me isn’t doing anything to change that. The military bureaucracy is a big ole boys club, playing with people’s lives.” Rook said. “Why not let them implode?”

  “Just pretend for a minute it’s not about them,” Julia said. “It’s about a president that even you respect, trying to get something accomplished to quell the very serious turbulence in the Middle East with a military establishment that makes everything we do like wading through quicksand. The Pentagon has already started their own internal investigation, but you and I both know that’ll go a big fat nowhere, and when word gets out, Congress is going to yank funding from every project we have in the pipeline.”

  “So what exactly do you want me to do?”

  “Oversee the investigation for us. Just work with whoever they assign and make sure they don’t do anything super stupid that makes us all look bad.”

  “Julia, really. I do crisis management, not babysitting. If you want to call when this goes tits up, I’ll consider helping, but right now it sounds like a bureaucratic snooze-fest.”

  “Grow up, Rook. Real people do boring stuff sometimes, because a bunch of boring links make a pretty strong chain. It’s called being an adult. Adults make things, they don’t just fix them.”

  Rook had walked away from the meeting telling Julia she’d think about it. As the hours wore on during her meeting with the Newman family, Julia’s words had stung, partly because they echoed the disapproval of her father who’d never understood how she could throw away her law degree to, as he put it, tilt swords with the likes of the National Enquirer. She liked to think she’d long since stopped caring what Richard Daniels expected of her, but old insecurities died hard.

  Ultimately, her decision to work with the White House wasn’t about her father’s expectations. She’d been intrigued by what Julia had told her and she’d been even more intrigued by what she hadn’t said. There was more to this story and she intended to peel back the layers until she found out what was really going on.

  Thinking of layers brought Major Zoey Granger to mind. Julia had mentioned several times how the Nine Tech scandal was the primary reason this story was likely to garner more attention than it would in a regular news cycle. Zoey had done a great job pacifying the Senate Armed Services Committee with how she’d reported the fraud immediately upon discovery. She presented well, her testimony was articulate and forthright, and she’d risked her career to expose the crime. But the hooker scandal had no central hero, only a cast of dumbasses who put their libidos and egos ahead of duty. If Julia wanted Rook to spin shit into valor, it wasn’t going to be easy.

  The guard at the White House security gate checked their names off his list and directed George to a parking space, but Rook suggested he take off.

  “I’ll wait.”

  “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  “It’s okay.” He pulled into the spot and cut the engine, closing the discussion. “I’ll be here when you come out.”

  Rook shook her head and climbed out of the car, stopping by George’s window before she walked to the portico. “Thanks.”

  He nodded and pulled a copy of the latest Harlan Coben novel out of the console. “I’m pretty anxious to find out what happens, so you’re really doing me a favor.”

  Rook laughed. A few minutes later, she showed her ID again to the Marine officers manning the entrance. She was issued a visitor’s badge and provided an escort in the form of a young male intern who could only be described as super pretty. As he walked her through the halls, he asked if she’d been in the building before.

  “A few times, but mostly in the East Wing for social functions.” She could tell he wanted to ask for details since West Wing interns probably didn’t attend a lot of White House galas, but instead he gave her a rambling narrative of the various rooms they passed.

  He was on his third spiel, “And this is the Roosevelt Room. Most people don’t know it’s named for both Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt,” when Julia appeared in the hall about ten feet in front of them.

  “There you are. The gate said you’d checked in, but I was beginning to think you’d snuck off to the bowling lanes.”

  “Actually, that sounds like a great alternative.” Rook placed a hand on the intern’s shoulder. “Clancy here was giving me the full tour.” She could feel his tension and wanted to keep him out of trouble. “The guy really knows his stuff.”

  “Better him than me. I can recite the Constitution and have the entire Congressional delegation memorized, but I can’t for the life of me tell you which Roosevelt that damn room is named for. Clancy, thanks for your help, I’ve got it from here.”

  Rook watched her guide amble off and wondered if she’d be better off joining him, but she dutifully followed Julia to her office.

  “Saw your guy on Good Morning America,” Julia said.

  “He’s not my guy.”

  “He is now. You own the entire family and the drama that comes with them until someone fesses up to killing that girl.”

  “Any theories?”

  “Don’t try to drag me into your drama. Not unless you want to give me a cut of what I’m sure is the very exorbitant fee you’re collecting from the congressman.”

  “I’d bring you on as a consultant, but you look like you might be a bit busy.” Rook walked into Julia’s office. “Wow, this is huge.”

  “Biggest office in the building. Don’t worry, there’s no coup. The big guy still runs the place from his tiny little oval command center.”

  Rook sank into one of the cushioned chairs across from Julia’s desk. “Okay, so I’m here. Tell me exactly what you want me to do.”

  “So, you’re in?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “I’m still processing that after you shut me down yesterday. Rook, if you take this on, you have to stay with it until it’s done. No matter what bright, shiny new client comes your way.”

  “I get it. I haven’t talked to my team yet, but I’m sure they can pick up any extra slack. I’m not sure this is going to be as complex as you think, but I’m in it for whatever you need. Now, let’s get started.”

  Julia tilted her head, and Rook sat still during the examination. Finally, Julia smiled and said, “Welcome aboard. The first order of business is to introduce you to the liaison from the Joint Staff.”

  Rook followed Julia to a conference room down the hall. When they reached the door, she hung back and let Julia enter first, giving the poor schmuck inside time to get used to the idea he was going to have a handler for the duration of his inquiry. When Julia waved her forward, she stepped into the room and her gaze swept over the personnel sitting at the table. Two people, both uniformed, but one made her stop in her tracks. “Major?” she said,
unable to form any other words.

  Both Zoey and the man beside her looked up and they each said, “Yes?”

  At the exact same moment, Rook had a feeling she was in over her head.

  Chapter Eight

  What was she doing here? Zoey offered a polite smile, but her gut was churning at the sight of Rook standing in front of her looking like she owned the place. She didn’t have time to process her feelings before Major Dixon spoke up.

  “I’m Major Dixon,” he said with his hand stuck out in greeting. “And this is Major Granger.”

  Rook shook his hand, but her eyes were on Zoey the entire time. “Major Granger,” she said, her voice rising in question. “Nice to see you.”

  Zoey nodded, acutely conscious of Dixon’s eyes on both of them, and she wished the floor would rise up and swallow him whole. He’d been annoying since the moment they met, feeling the constant need to explain the inner workings of the Pentagon in a way that was designed to make him look superior. Even Sharp, who’d accompanied them to make introductions, seemed to find his salacious manner a distraction. Zoey had already made a mental note to figure out a way to shake him.

  They’d arrived a half hour earlier, and Zoey had concentrated on acting like it was no big deal to file in past the Marine guard and be escorted into the inner echelons of the West Wing. Funny, a couple of weeks ago, she’d checked into the possibility of a White House tour only to be told she would have to go through a member of Congress which could take several weeks to get approved, and the “tour” was only a self-guided walk-through of the East Wing. Deciding she’d probably seen more on TV than she’d see on the pseudo-tour, she’d abandoned the idea only to wind up here just a few yards from the Oval Office for an initial meeting with the president’s chief of staff, Julia Scott.

  Julia had acknowledged her with a simple “nice to see you again,” and left them alone to go get “someone who would be assisting with the investigation.” Zoey had wanted to use the time to grill Sharp about why he’d assigned her to this job, but Dixon’s constant presence robbed her of the opportunity, and ultimately Sharp had left them to handle the rest of the meeting on their own. Now Julia was back with Rook in tow and Zoey had way more questions than answers.

  “So, here’s how this will work,” Julia said, settling in at the head of the table. “I know you’ve been instructed to conduct a full investigation, but it’s imperative that we be kept in the loop, especially considering the link to General Bloomfield’s son. Ms. Daniels and her team will need complete access to conduct interviews, review documents, whatever she deems necessary. You will consider her an arm of the White House for this internal investigation. Understood?”

  “Yes,” Zoey answered before Dixon could jump in. “Our orders are unequivocal. We’re to cooperate with whoever the president designates.”

  Rook smiled. “Well, that would be me.” Her expression turned serious. “The first thing I want to do is interview everyone in uniform that has any connection to…” She glanced through the folder in front of her. “Lorraine Darcy Inc.” She looked over at Julia. “Who uses their own name to run an escort service?”

  Julia shrugged. “Who knows? Someone who’s really proud of her work, maybe?”

  Zoey watched as they shared a laugh. The joke was funny, but she didn’t dare join in lest she send the wrong message to Dixon. There was plenty of misogyny to go around already.

  “What’s the process here?” Rook asked, her gaze trained on Zoey. “I mean, do your guys all lawyer up or are we free to question them without counsel?”

  Dixon started to answer, but Zoey cut him off. “Everyone under our command will cooperate with you. We’ll want to be present, of course, and anyone you interview will have the right to have a JAG officer present as well.” After Nine Tech, the procedures were etched in her mind.

  “Fair enough. I have a few things to take care of, but I can be at your office this afternoon to get started.”

  Zoey felt Dixon twitch beside her. She didn’t want Rook to show up so quickly either, but she wasn’t about to tell her no after they’d just promised her complete access. “Perfect. We’ll have interviews lined up. Is there anything else we can do for you?”

  Rook raised her eyebrows slightly, and Zoey braced for a personal remark, but all Rook said was, “Not at the moment, but I reserve the right to let you know if something else comes up.”

  Rook’s comment was easily interpreted as professional, but Zoey knew it was more complicated than that. “Would you like to discuss anything further right now?”

  Rook looked at Julia before turning back to her. “Actually, no. I’d like to go into the interviews without a lot of preconceptions about what they’re going to say.”

  “Then I suppose we’re done here,” Zoey said, grasping for some control. She stood and Dixon stood alongside her. “We’ll make the arrangements and have an escort meet you at the main entrance at fourteen hundred.” Remembering not everyone spoke military time, she added, “That’s two o’clock in civilian terms.”

  Rook grinned. “Got it. I look forward to seeing you, Major Granger.” She paused for a few beats. “And you too, Major Dixon.”

  Zoey walked to the door feigning confidence she didn’t feel. Nothing about the meeting had given her any sense of control. For a second, she wanted to bolt from her newfound responsibilities, but she dug deep for fortitude and injected a confident and commanding tone into her voice as they followed an intern down one of the long and confusing corridors back to the entrance. “Make sure Ms. Daniels and her team are cleared to enter the building when they arrive this afternoon. Have at least two of the students from McNair ready to be interviewed today, and we’ll get to the others in the next few days. If they’ve been assigned JAG counsel, get them here too because I don’t want to have to toss these interviews because we didn’t follow regs. We’ll need a conference room. See if Lieutenant Louden can arrange something.”

  Dixon’s head bobbed, but Zoey read conflict in his eyes. She got it. They might be the same rank, but she had seniority and Sharp had made it clear she was in charge. Was he jealous of her command and access or was this his usual demeanor? She didn’t have the time or energy to figure it out and she wasn’t sure she cared either way. If she cared more about making friends than doing her duty, she never would have come forward about Nine Tech. Determined to focus on the task ahead instead of worrying about whether she was liked, she picked up her pace, but the sound of a voice calling her name thwarted her plan for a quick getaway.

  * * *

  Rook was beginning to wonder if power walking was a requirement for everyone in uniform, but she finally caught up to Zoey and her surly fellow officer. “Major Granger, could I speak to you for a moment?”

  “Of course.” Zoey’s clipped voice conveyed the exact opposite.

  Rook took a breath and shot a look at Dixon who was looking between them with way too much curiosity. “If you could come with me, please. Major Dixon, we’ll only be a moment.” She spun around without waiting for a response and walked back to Julia’s office.

  As they crossed the threshold, Zoey asked, “Did Ms. Scott need to see me about something else?”

  “Julia’s in the Oval. I’m the one who wanted to see you about something else.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  Rook studied Zoey’s stoic expression and wondered if it was a natural extension of her personality or the result of years of training. Either way, she desperately wanted to pry beneath the stone and find the soft side she’d witnessed at Meridian Park. “We’ll be working together for the foreseeable future, do you really plan to act like you don’t know me the entire time?”

  Zoey’s breath hitched slightly, a tiny fissure, so small it might have gone unnoticed, but Rook caught it before Zoey replied “But I don’t know you. Not really.”

  “Would you like to?”

  “What I like or don’t like doesn’t matter. As you said, we’ll be working together. Ke
y word working.”

  “I’m going to pretend you’d like to know me if you were allowed to.”

  Zoey frowned, and Rook wondered if she’d bristled at the “allowed to.” Why was she so focused on getting a rise out of Zoey? Was she having a childish reaction to Zoey practically ignoring they’d been on a date? A date you abandoned. No wonder Zoey was pissed. A woman like her probably never got stood up.“I’m sorry about our aborted picnic.”

  Zoey smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. “You had to work.”

  “I did.”

  “And work comes first.”

  The characterization stung, but Rook couldn’t deny it was true. “I suppose it’s a hazard of owning my own business.”

  “We all make choices we can live with. And I’m sure you understand how my first allegiance is defined by duty and whatever orders I receive.”

  The message was clear, but Rook stubbornly wanted to hear Zoey say the words. “So, this attraction between us just disappears because the Army put you on this case?”

  “Something like that.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Rook hadn’t pulled Zoey aside for this. All she’d planned to do was apologize in person and clear the air between them, but now that Zoey was singularly focused on ignoring they had ever shared a connection, she was suddenly hell-bent on making her acknowledge its existence.

  “I suppose I’ll have to live with your disbelief.” Zoey looked at the door. “Did you need something else from me?”

  She should make something up. Something provocative to tease back the Zoey she’d met at the airport, at Addison’s party. She hadn’t imagined their connection, but apparently she had no power to reignite it. She’d find another way to burn off the heat that consumed her when Zoey walked into the room. There was no shortage of women in the city who’d gladly fill the role. Ignoring the voice inside that whispered Zoey was different and other women weren’t going to cut it, Rook responded in the only way she could and keep her dignity. “No, Major. I think we’re done.”