Another few seconds of silence passed, while everyone held their collective breaths.
The man said, “All right. Anything else?”
“Ben and Ed Priest?” she said.
The man licked his lips nervously and said quickly, “What do you want?”
“They sure as hell better be alive. Or else all of you are going down.”
He hesitated for a moment. “They’re alive.”
“Then I want them back safe and sound and with appropriate compensation for the shit you put them through. And I’ll check on that, so don’t screw with me.”
“Done. So long as they won’t breach any, uh, confidences.”
“You’re also going to owe a lot of money to Oscar Fabrikant’s family. And while you’re at it, throw a ton of cash to the Society for Good. I think we need more, not less, good. And we know about Fred Wormsley. So, his family will be receiving substantial financial support for his patriotic service to his country.”
“All right, anything else?” the man said tightly.
Her features turned somber. “There are three bodies in a cave in the Grand Canyon. Three of your guys.”
“You killed three of our men?” said the man incredulously.
“Well, I didn’t have much choice, considering they were trying to kill me. But I want their bodies retrieved and turned over to their families. And if they were military, I want their families to be taken care of. And their service records will not reflect any of this. They go out clean with full honors.”
“How magnanimous of you,” he said sarcastically.
“They were killed following orders, probably your orders. My beef wasn’t with them. I would have much preferred to have shot you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said testily. “In case you and I run across each other again.”
She looked at him, a smile playing over her lips. “You could have taken me along with the Priest brothers. Or you just could have killed me. But you didn’t.”
“Well, all I can say is, I don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
She studied him. “You wanted me to keep working the investigation.”
Dobbs said, “But, Pine, why would they want that?”
“Because they needed help to find Roth and the bomb.”
“We could have just captured you and made you tell us where Roth was.”
“Later on, you made attempts to do just that at the airport and at the apartment where I was staying but failed. What you did know was that a nuke was in a cave in the Grand Canyon. Only it was no longer in the cave where your people had originally put it. So, you thought you’d enlist me, however unwittingly, to find it for you. You just expected your men to capture me when I got to the bomb. Only they didn’t.”
The man’s face had lost its sneer and he looked at her with grudging admiration. “Maybe I hope our paths don’t cross again.”
She hooked a finger in the direction of the closet. “And you’ll need to take that thing. I don’t think the Bureau has a nuclear weapons rider on its liability insurance.”
“I already had that on my to-do list,” he replied sarcastically. “Anything else?”
“One more thing. Maybe the most important of all.”
“What?”
Pine gathered herself and blurted out, “Stop trusting the freaking Russians. They are not our friend.”
The man looked at her strangely for a moment and then turned to his men, pointed to the closet, and said, “Get that thing and then let’s go.”
The personnel instantly lowered their weapons. Four of them hustled over to the closet and lifted up the bomb. They all filed out of the room.
The suit was the last to leave.
He looked directly at Pine. “You’ve done irreparable damage to this country.”
“No, I think I actually just saved it. Along with a few million lives. My only regret is that you and every other idiot behind this won’t be going to prison for the rest of your lives. Now get out of my office!”
The man stormed out, leaving six FBI agents and one FBI secretary exhaling long, relieved breaths. They all lowered their weapons, their arms collectively shaking from holding their weapons in a firing stance for so long.
A pale-faced Dobbs looked at Pine and barked, “What in the living hell was that, Pine?”
“Basically, Americans behaving really badly, sir.”
Blum stepped over to face Dobbs. “While we’re asking for things, we’ll need the doors replaced. And Agent Pine needs a new chair.”
Dobbs snorted but then looked at Pine. “You weren’t bluffing that asshole, were you? About your office being wired and all?”
Pine opened her desk drawer, revealing a small metal box inside. She hit a button and a tray slid out. She took out the DVD inside the tray and handed it to Dobbs.
“FBI agents don’t bluff, sir. At least not when it really matters.”
He looked down at the DVD and then glanced up at her.
She said, “I would respectfully suggest that you use that to full advantage.”
Dobbs nodded again, pocketed the DVD, and then glanced around the room before looking at Blum.
“Hell, buy all-new stuff for this place, Carol. Your office included. And send me the bill.”
“Thank you, SAIC Dobbs.”
Dobbs and his men left.
Now it was just Pine and Blum.
Pine sat in her rickety chair while Blum perched on the edge of the desk.
“Well, thank God that’s over,” remarked Blum.
“Is it over, Carol?”
“Well, for tonight it is.”
“I’ll take that,” said Pine. “And by the way, you can’t retire. I need you.”
Blum smiled sweetly. “Oh, I’m not retiring, Agent Pine. Unlike you, I was just bluffing.”
CHAPTER
62
How’s the counseling going?”
It was around ten at night and Pine and Kettler were once more sitting in his Jeep in her parking lot drinking beer.
“Not bad, actually,” he said, taking a swig from his bottle. “The place isn’t that far away. And I like the one-on-one sessions. The group ones not so much.”
“I can relate. But it’ll get easier, Sam.”
“You think?”
“It’s what I believe.” She reached out and gripped his hand. “I’m rooting for you. Any guy that can get us out of the Grand Canyon like you did, can do anything.”
“Oh, by the way, Colson and Harry are back at the Grand Canyon.”
“Yeah, I thought that might happen,” said Pine.
“So, how did things turn out with the nuke and stuff?” he asked.
“For now, good. Down the road, who knows?”
They sat for a few moments in silence, staring at the star-filled sky.
“If I get better—” he began.
“When you get better,” she corrected.
“Right. When I get better, can we sit and have some more beers like this?”
“In your Jeep? Damn straight. That night was pretty much in my top three of all time.”
“What were the other times?”
“Our date at Tony’s Pizza.” She paused. “And right now.”
He smiled and then his grin faded. “Thanks, Atlee. For everything.”
“I’m not sure I did all that much.”
“You did more than anyone else ever has.”
She smiled. “That’s nice of you to say, Sam.”
“So, are you doing therapy, too?”
“In a way, I am,” Pine replied. She finished her beer and said, “I better hit the sack. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”
She kissed him on the cheek and started to get out of the Jeep.
He blurted out, “I’m not nuts, Atlee, I swear.”
Pine leaned over and stroked his cheek with her hand. Smiling tenderly at him, she said, “Didn’t you get the memo, Sam? We’re all a little crazy. But there’s strength in numbers.�
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* * *
Pine and Blum flew back to the East Coast and retrieved her Mustang from the long-term parking lot at Reagan National. While there, they visited the Priests in Bethesda.
Ben Priest was also convalescing at his brother’s home.
When they had arrived at the home, Mary Priest answered the door. Though she had been informed of their visit, she looked in astonishment at Carol Blum.
“I know, dear,” said Blum, patting her hand. “I felt awful deceiving you the way I did, but it was necessary to getting your husband back.”
In reply, Mary put her arms around both of them and wept.
As they headed up to see Ben, they had seen the boys, Billy and Michael, coming out of their uncle’s room. Ed was sitting in a chair next to the bed waiting for them.
Both brothers looked like they had been physically abused, but they appeared to be on the mend. Ben seemed to be in worse shape than his brother. He was pale and thin, and his expression was one of complete exhaustion.
Mary closed the door to give them privacy.
Pine sat on the edge of the bed, while Blum stood next to her.
“You saved our lives, Atlee,” said Ed.
“After putting them in danger,” she pointed out.
“But everything’s good then?” said Ed.
“Until the next time the leaders in this country decide to do something stupid,” replied Ben. He turned to look at Pine. “I heard about Simon and Oscar.”
Pine nodded slowly. “I think the guys behind this would call that collateral damage. I would just call it murder. At least Simon’s killer paid the price. The best I could get for Fabrikant was money for his family and dollars for the Society.”
Ben said, “At first, when David Roth came to me, I thought he was nuts. But then I learned that certain parts of our government had gone nuts.”
“And so you helped him do the right thing,” said Pine.
“It was completely fortuitous that I had scheduled that mule ride. But it worked out perfectly.”
“Not so much for poor Sallie Belle,” said Pine. “But for the rest of humanity it worked out okay.”
Ben put out his hand, which Pine took.
He said, “I underestimated you. I thought I was the pro and you were the amateur. Turns out, I got it backward.”
“I will never understand the world you live in, Ben. And I never want to.”
“I’m coming around to that notion myself. How’s David?”
“The last I heard he was off on a long-overdue vacation at a place that only has very flat land.”
“I think he more than earned it.”
She looked at the brothers. “And this gives you some quality time together as a family. Never take that for granted. A lot of people don’t have any family to enjoy.”
Blum gazed keenly at Pine as she said this but remained silent.
* * *
Unlike the last time, Pine and Blum had taken a full week to drive cross-country in the Mustang. They had stopped along the way to take in more of America than either ever had.
Now they sat at a little roadside diner in Arkansas eating barbeque and drinking sweet iced tea at a picnic table while some little kids in T-shirts and shorts ran around playing tag. Pine said, “You know, this really is a beautiful country.”
“It’s actually lots of countries in one, and they each have their own individual beauty, and their own sets of issues.” Blum bit off the end of a pickle after dipping it in hot sauce. “But there’s a core of humanity and, oh, I don’t know, values that we all share. Sort of the glue that holds us together.” She paused and smiled. “It actually reminds me of my six kids.”
“How so?”
“I can’t remember one day while they were growing up that they all got along. Not a single day all those years. Someone was calling someone a name. One was hitting another. Two others were in a screaming match. And the two others were playing together and having a wonderful time. Then the next day they’d be at each other’s throats.”
“What do you take away from that?” asked Pine.
“All you can hope is that if one of them gets sick, or gets hurt, or really needs help, that the others will come to their aid. Other than that, I’m afraid all bets are off. Life is messy, and people are just deluding themselves if they think someone will just wave a wand and everyone will suddenly play nice in the sandbox. It’s just not how we’re wired, apparently.” She paused once more to take a sip of her tea. “But I have to say, even with all that yelling and fighting, when there were good times, they were pretty damn great. Wouldn’t trade ’em for anything.”
They got back into the car, after putting the top down, and drove west.
“I could get used to this,” said Blum. “Maybe we should make it an annual thing.”
“Thelma,” said Pine.
“What?”
“I have to be Thelma. You get to be Louise.”
“Well, you and Geena Davis are about the same height. And I can’t tell you how many people say I resemble Susan Sarandon,” she added with a self-satisfied smile.
“So, we’re good to go?”
“So good to go I could scream.”
And Blum did just that, while waving her hands in the air like she was cheering at some sports competition.
Atlee Pine had never laughed harder in her life.
CHAPTER
63
Pine sat in her newly renovated office, adjusting the controls on her state-of-the-art ergonomic office chair that could do just about anything except fly, although there might be a control for that, too, somewhere. She ran her hand over the mahogany wood of her new desk, looked down at the fresh carpet, and then over at the new solid wood door.
But when she glanced at the wall, the indentations were still there.
Blum had been of the opinion that they should remain as a deterrent. And Pine had heartily agreed.
Pine stared down at the news story on her laptop screen. The country was buzzing about some momentous changes that had taken place within the government. Some very-high-up leaders had suddenly announced their resignations. These included top generals at the Pentagon, the head of Homeland Security, and the attorney general, all with differing explanations, but none involving their participation in a foiled plot to blow North Korea off the map. Others had been reassigned in an unexpected shakeup that had caught many off-guard. And certain key advisors within the White House had also resigned, saying they wanted to spend more time with their loved ones. And the president had, out of the blue, announced that he might not seek reelection. Lastly, the peace talks with North Korea had been restarted, but now with South Korea and Japan in the lead roles.
Even by recent standards, it had been an extraordinary news cycle. Dobbs had evidently used the DVD to full advantage. She expected him to be nominated as deputy director any day now. Hell, she thought, maybe he should run for president.
Her office phone buzzed.
“Yes, Ms. Blum?”
“Special Agent Pine, there’s a gentleman to see you.”
“What about?”
“He’s from Washington, DC, with a request.”
“Okay.”
The door opened, and Blum escorted in a short man who looked to be in his early thirties. He carried himself in a very cocksure manner. His features were sharp and his gaze even sharper. He was dressed in a blue suit, stiff white shirt, and solid tie, with a handkerchief carefully aligned in his breast pocket.
Pine stood. “What can I do for you . . . ?”
The man said, “I’m Walter Tillman. I’m with the federal government.”
“So many say, and yet it doesn’t always turn out to be true. Can I see some ID?”
He took out his wallet and showed her an ID card with his picture on it.
“Okay, what do you want?”
“To formally invite you to DC.”
“Why?”
“To talk with some folks there who want to meet you.�
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“Why?”
He flinched and his look darkened. “They think you’re talented and want to recruit you to work on some matters for them directly.”
“I already have a job.”
He looked around the small office. “Look, no offense, but you’re in a crummy office in the middle of nowhere.”
“No, I’m in my FBI resident agency office in the middle of beautiful Arizona, within spitting distance of the only natural wonder of the world located in this country.”
“Only this position would be far more prestigious, a kick up in the GS level, and a lot more money in your wallet.”
“I didn’t join the FBI to get rich. And I could give a damn about prestige.”
“I’m not sure you understand. They want you in DC. At the highest levels.”
“And I decline.”
Now Tillman dropped all pretense of civility. “You think you’re something, don’t you? Because of what you did,” he added with a snarl.
Pine looked over at the two indentations in the wall and was sorely tempted to add a third. “I tell you what, Walt. The day your guys get their shit together to my satisfaction, I’ll think about it. But I won’t be stupid enough to hold my breath on that. Anything else?”
“No, that’s about it,” he said sullenly.
“Good, because I have someplace to go. Ms. Blum will show you out.”
As though she had been listening against the wood, the door opened and there was Blum.
Pine took her pistols out of her drawer and slipped them into her twin holsters. She grabbed her dark jacket off the chair, and, passing by Tillman without a word, said to Blum, “I’ll be back in a couple of days.”
“Safe travels, Special Agent Pine.”
Pine left the office.
Down in the garage, Pine put on her sunglasses, took the car cover off, and stowed it in the trunk.
She fired up the Mustang and drove out into the sunshine.
She had a long drive ahead of her, and she was looking forward to every mile and minute of it.
The vintage car roared along, its big block V-8 eating up the highway as she went from Arizona on a diagonal through the southeastern corner of Utah, where she followed the flow of the Colorado River for a bit before cutting east and entering the Rocky Mountain state.
Long Road to Mercy Page 35