“Agents Rogers and Hammerton will be occupied for the next few minutes,” the CIA agent replied.“They’re not going to be harmed.They’re just distracted by an altercation involving a pair of very attractive women.”
David stared incredulously at the agent.“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”The agent smiled.“Men, unfortunately, are very easy.They have a powerful instinct to protect those weaker than themselves.As for Faith, she’s perfectly fine.She’s in the middle of a very high-profile murder investigation, and all signs point to a swift and satisfactory end to that case.”He gave David a frank look and lowered his voice.“If I wanted to kill you, doctor, I wouldn’t do it here, and I damned sure wouldn’t show my face.”
David’s lips thinned.He stood where he was for a moment longer, then shuffled into the room and closed the door.
The agent’s smile broadened.He removed his coat and laid it over the guest chair, then turned to David and raised his arms.“See?No hideaway weapon.”
“Why are you here?”David asked.
“To thank you.”
David blinked.“I’m sorry, what?”
“To thank you.It appears that you’ve moved on from your previous curiosity.”
David stared blankly at the agent.It hit him with the force of a hurricane that this man didn’t know about his continued investigation into the 93rd.He didn’t know that David knew about Green Glen or the CIA’s involvement, and he didn’t know that David was collaborating with someone on the inside.
The agent misunderstood David’s blank look.His smile widened again, and he nodded slightly in satisfaction.“We haven’t been properly introduced,” he said.“I’m Josiah Pharaoh.I’m one of the program administrators.”
He extended his hand, and David made himself take it.Josiah’s grip was firm but pleasant and gave the impression of immense strength easily contained.David realized with a visceral lurch that this man didn’t need a weapon of any kind to kill him.
“You’re a Marine?”David asked.
“I’m working with the Marines, yes,” the agent replied.“And we want to thank you for not pursuing your investigation.”
David didn’t reply.Josiah seemed amused rather than offended.“We don’t want trouble, Dr.Friedman.Not with you and not with your wife.”
“Is that why you tried to kill me?”David said.
He was trying to control his anger, but his fear was strengthening that emotion.And this guy was obviously trying to intimidate him.Like he was some mafioso warning David to pay his damned protection money.
Josiah chuckled politely.“Certain individuals in the chain of command overreacted.That’s’ why I’m here.To make sure we don’t have any more overreactions.From anyone.”
He clapped David on the shoulder.“That’s why we’re happy to see that you’ve let this obsession of yours go.It’s in everyone’s best interests that you’ve moved on and are, if you’ll pardon the pun, letting sleeping dogs lie.”
He paused, and David realized he was waiting for a response.He swallowed and offered a terse, “You’re welcome.”
The agent bowed slightly.“That was all.We just wanted to express our appreciation.”He grabbed his jacket and carefully put it on again.He smiled at David, and this time, his eyes were hard as glass.“One good turn deserves another, as they say.”
“Is that why you ran me off the road?”
David spoke the words before he could stop himself.Fear nearly knocked his knees together, but Josiah only chuckled benignly.“I heard about that incident.That was unfortunate.You can rest assured that with your focus returned to your own life, no such incidents will occur again.”
The subtext was clear.If your focusdoesn’treturn to your own life, then such incidentswilloccur again.
And not just to David.The agent said he didn’t want trouble.Not with David and not with David’s wife.Once more, the subtext was clear.If trouble occurs again, Faith will be involved.
And the inverse:Make sure Faith stays away too, or we’ll come for her.
There was no mistake.This was a warning.
David’s eyes wanted to stray to his computer where megabytes of collected evidence was stored behind a firewall that he now feared was far too flimsy to keep the CIA out.He struggled mightily to keep his eyes on Josiah.
Josiah’s eyes hardened.His smile disappeared.“I’m telling you the truth, Dr.Friedman.We wanted you to stop interfering and harassing us.You’ve done that.There’s no need to read into anything I’m saying.”
The smile returned.He clapped David on the shoulder, chuckling when David flinched.“Have a wonderful day, doctor.”
