King and Maxwell (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 6)

“Curtis drew the line there and wouldn’t tell me. And he might not even know. Okay, he’s a two-star but there are lots of two-stars and they seem to have built a wall around this, at least the most important elements.”

“And Sam Wingo?”

“Can’t be located.”

“Do they suspect that he might have pulled off some sort of a double cross?” asked Michelle.

“Curtis seemed to think he was a good man. But since he hasn’t come in, things aren’t looking too positive for him.” She looked at Sean. “What do you know about it?”

Sean and Michelle exchanged glances.

He said, “Since you’ve been frank with us, I’ll be frank with you. Tyler thinks his dad is alive.”

“Well, according to Curtis it seems the Pentagon thinks he is too. The KIA stuff might have just been made up to cover the situation.”

“While they look for Wingo?” noted Michelle.

She nodded. “And with the DoD after him I doubt the man can remain at large much longer.” She glanced sharply at Sean. “But why does Tyler think his dad is still alive? He certainly isn’t privy to the inner workings at the DoD.”

Sean hesitated. “If I tell you, will you tell your husband?”

“Realistically I can’t tell Curtis anything without revealing all of this. And I’m afraid doing so would wreck my marriage. So, no, your secret is safe with me.”

“Sam Wingo sent Tyler an email. Apparently after he was supposed to have died.”

“What did it say?”

“ ‘Please forgive me. I am sorry.’ ”

“Was that a confession of wrongdoing?”

Michelle said, “Or an apology for the military telling his son he was KIA.”

“I guess if I had a child and that had happened, I would feel the need to apologize too,” Dana said. She tapped the Formica tabletop with her fingernails. “What will you do now?”

Sean said, “What you’ve told us certainly helps answer some questions we’ve had. But it doesn’t get us any closer to Wingo and the actual truth.”

“I suppose you were right telling me to be afraid,” said Dana. “This all sounds highly clandestine and not for the average citizen to know about.”

“It is,” said Michelle. She glanced to the left and stiffened just a fraction. Her Secret Service training had just aided her once more.

She picked up her cup of coffee and said in a low voice, “Three bogies, six nine and twelve, armed and with comm packs. And while they look legit, something is telling me they’re not.”

Sean didn’t look in that direction. He simply stared over at Dana.

He said, “Dana, I want you to listen to me very carefully and then do exactly as I say.”

His tone startled her, but she quickly regained her composure.

“I’m listening,” she said a little breathlessly.

“There is a mall police substation right down that hall and to the left. Two policemen are stationed there. I want you to get up and go there. Don’t hurry. Don’t look around. Just walk normally. When you get there, tell them that you saw three men with guns in the food court and you were scared. They will call in backup and will go to investigate. You will proceed to your car by the shortest route possible and drive straight to the Pentagon. Is Curtis there?”

She slowly nodded.

“Okay, you will call him on the way and tell him that something has you concerned. You need to speak to him.”

Dana frowned. “And what about you?”