by L. D Beyer
Watson nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“This needs to be on the top of the agenda.”
Watson nodded again and the president turned to Monahan.
“And Joe? I assume he’s aware of this.”
“He is, sir. He’s increased his security. The Secret Service has also put protective details on his wife and kids.”
“Good.” The president nodded as he stood. “Keep us informed on this one, Pat.” He shook hands with both men. “And Pat? Tell Matthew I said, ‘Good job.’”
____
Matthew Richter glanced at his watch, checking his speed. A six-twenty pace. Not bad at four miles, he thought. He turned the corner, glancing briefly at the hill before him; a steep slope almost two-tenths of a mile long. It had been a couple of months since he’d last run this route, and he wondered for a moment whether he would be able to hold the pace. When he reached the top of the hill ninety seconds later, his breathing was strained, but he recovered quickly. He checked his watch again. Only lost a few seconds.
It was two more miles back to his home, a condo nestled in the woods of central New Jersey. After a year in an apartment, he had finally purchased the condo. While he could justify the price—he had paid half of what it had sold for three years earlier—the condo wasn’t a commitment by any means. Still unsure of where his life was heading, he had nonetheless exchanged a six-month apartment lease for something a little more—not permanent, he thought, but what? Was there something in the middle?
As he picked up his pace, he thought back to the raid. The fact was, other than the mistake Agent Reardon had made in assuming that the wounded Russian was no longer a threat, the raid had gone smoothly. No one had died. No innocent people had been hurt. Other than Reardon’s bruised ego, no one on his team had been hurt either.
He hit the five-mile mark and glanced at his watch, happy to see that his pace was still strong. Even though the uncertainty nagged at him, he enjoyed his job as the SWAT team commander for the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The JTTF was an FBI-led partnership with the New York City Police Department as well as the departments from surrounding states. The taskforce included representatives from various federal agencies—Homeland Security, ATF, DEA, Immigration and Customs, as well as his former colleagues from the Secret Service. They investigated leads related to potential terrorist activity and, since September 11th, the role of the task force had grown. Intelligence gathering capabilities were significantly enhanced through the use of paid informants as well as surveillance and infiltration of the radical groups and terrorist cells operating in the U.S. At the same time, the task force worked to identify the funding sources of these operations and to cut off the stream of cash from sympathizers.
While his investigative partners walked the fine line between civil liberties and keeping America safe, Richter’s SWAT team focused on enforcement. The team was often called on to execute search warrants in high-risk situations and, occasionally, to engage and arrest heavily armed and violent criminals before they could carry out their plans.
Unlike his old job, where his days could range from the boredom of standing watch to the adrenaline surge and occasional flashes of panic whenever the president ventured out of the White House, working for the SWAT team was different. When they weren’t on a call-out, they were either training or briefing. He found he could lose himself in his work.
After five years in the Secret Service, including eighteen months on Presidential Protective Detail, he had been on the cusp of leaving law enforcement altogether. FBI Director Patrick Monahan, newly named to the job, had made an aggressive pitch to join the Bureau. More as a courtesy, he had listened as Monahan discussed a variety of opportunities, all based in Washington.
“You’re a good cop, Matthew, and I could really use you here.”
At the time, Richter had nodded but said nothing.
“The Bureau has slipped in recent years and, more and more, we have begun to look and operate like we did during the Hoover era.” Monahan shook his head. “I don’t need to tell you that that’s something we can’t afford to do. The president has asked me to reorganize the FBI, to reform it.”
Richter had waited, certain what was coming next.
“I am creating a new role: Special Assistant to the Director. I want you to help me.” Monahan paused. “Then, within the next year, I’m sure a number of positions will open up. While I can’t make any guarantees, I’ll give you a lot of latitude to choose what you want. So”—Monahan sat back—“what do you want? What would you like to do?”
Richter shook his head. “Right now, what I want is to get away from Washington for a while.”
Monahan had been persistent, and several months later Richter had finally agreed to join the Bureau but with an agreement that his role—whatever it turned out to be—would not be in Washington. After completing the training course in Quantico, he had requested to train with the elite Hostage Rescue Team. He excelled thanks to the two years spent with the Army Rangers before college. Four months later, when the job as the SWAT team leader for the New York City JTTF opened up, Richter had expressed an interest. He was surprised when, two days later, Monahan told him that the job was his.
Richter hit the button on his watch as he reached the entrance to his condo and slowed his pace to a walk. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The summer sun was hot and he could feel the sweat running down his chest, below his shirt. He glanced at his watch. Not bad, he thought—a six-twenty-one pace overall. He was considering running the New York City Marathon in November and would have to decide soon. Although he had no doubt he could complete it, the training was a large commitment—three months or more—and he was concerned about his job. He was on call twenty-four hours a day and there was no telling when his phone would ring next.
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Copyright © 2015 by L.D. Beyer
Acknowledgements
I began this journey in the early 1990’s, but it wasn’t until 2010 when the many twists and turns in my life left me with an opportunity to complete this book—a book that had been patiently waiting for such a time when I might be able to finally grant it my full attention. Along the way there have been so many people who have offered their time, their expertise, their encouragement and their support that I can’t possibly mention them all here. You know who you are and you have my eternal thanks.
For Jeff Lewis and Peter Cake, for telling me to follow my dreams. For Jennifer Stolarz, who offered not only her editing skills but her on-going encouragement as well. For Kevin, Lori, Allison and Jeff—Beyers all—for support and encouragement above and beyond the call of duty and for enthusiastically reading my early drafts. For Amani Jensen, who helped me see the trees in the forest. For Pat Galizio and Andy Yin, who willingly jumped on board in the beginning and whose advice, edits, suggestions have been too many to count. For Kevin Hoffman, who, with tape measure and shotgun, proved that, yes, it could happen that way.
For Lt. Raymond “Blaster Tad” Godsil USN (Ret.) for educating me on military flight. For Captain David Leahy, 767 pilot extraordinaire, and for Chuck Mullins, pilot, retired FAA Inspector and former hockey buddy, both of whom helped me get the lingo and technicalities right. For Pat Heder, a Beyer in all but name, for answering various technical questions about one random thing or another.
For Suzanne Berube Rorhus and Carlos Fontana, fellow authors, and for Steve Hyde for advice on the business side of writing.
For understanding how an Air Force Combat Search and Rescue operation functions, I relied on such well written accounts as Heart of the Storm by Col. Edward Flemming.
For an understanding of the elaborate process and the many challenges in protecting a president, I relied on Confessions of an Ex-Secret Service Agent; The Outrageous True Story of a Renegade Agent b
y George Rush, The Secret Service Story by Michael Dorman, as well as numerous documentaries on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.
For an inside look at the Presidency and the White House, I turned to Inside the White House by Ronald Kessler, My Life by Bill Clinton, The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan, Decision Points by George Bush, An American Life by Ronald Reagan, and Unlimited Access – An FBI Agent inside the Clinton White House by Gary Aldrich.
The technical guidance I have received has been top notch. But it was up to me to translate what I learned into the story that unfolds. Any errors are mine and mine alone.
For Faith Black Ross, my editor and for Lindsey Andrews, who designed the cover, my thanks for your invaluable help in taking my ramblings and ideas and helping to turn them into a real book.
Finally, for Kaitlyn, Kyle and Matthew, great children all, who each contributed immeasurably with their edits, thoughts and suggestions, and for my wife, Mona, who personally read and edited more drafts than I can count—none of this would have been possible without your belief in me.
L.D. Beyer is the author of two novels, both part of the Matthew Richter Thriller Series. His first book, In Sheep’s Clothing, was published in 2015 and reached the #4 spot on the bestseller list for Political Thrillers on Amazon Kindle.
Beyer spent over twenty-five years in the corporate world, climbing the proverbial corporate ladder. In 2011, after years of extensive travel, too many missed family events, a half dozen relocations—including a three-year stint in Mexico—he realized it was time for a change. He chose to chase his dream of being a writer and to spend more time with his family.
He is an avid reader and, although he primarily reads thrillers, his reading list is somewhat eclectic. You’re more likely to find him with his nose in a good book instead of sitting in front of the TV.
Beyer lives in Michigan with his wife and three children. In addition to writing and reading, he enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, working out, and the occasional glass of wine.
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