King and Maxwell (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 6)

Thus, he had chosen to risk his father-in-law’s career and perhaps his life to attain this goal. He would even sacrifice his family’s happiness if it came down to it. Because Grant could not be happy unless the wrong was righted. And he knew of only one way to do it. Nothing could get in the way of that. And if something did it would have to be removed, with force if necessary.

Just like he had done with Jean Shepherd and Milo Pratt. Just like he would have to do with Sam Wingo, and perhaps his son. And Sean King and Michelle Maxwell. He was pretty certain they would have to die before this was all over.

He drew his gaze from the plane overhead as it disappeared down past the trees. In a few seconds its wheels would hit the tarmac and the reverse thrusters and brakes would be applied. Another safe landing, just as happened millions of times a year.

His own landing would probably not be so smooth. But Grant had a chance, a real chance to make it all work, achieve his goal of justice, and then slip back into a normal life. That would be the ideal. With the burden gone he could live again.

Others were not to be so fortunate. More people were going to die before this was all over. And Grant knew exactly who most of them were. It would be a historical event in the eyes of the world.

But for him, it would just be avenging the memory of the man he held most dear.

CHAPTER

55

“YES, SIR, THANK YOU, SIR.”

Sean clicked off the phone and looked up at Michelle.

Keeping on the move, they were in another motel room they had paid for in cash.

Sean had just gotten off the phone with President John Cole.

She said, “Are we good to go with POTUS?”

“I think so. At least with him behind us we can go pretty much anywhere and ask pretty much anything.”

“I noticed you handled the question of Tyler Wingo very smoothly.”

“I’m not looking to derail McKinney’s or Littlefield’s careers. They might prove useful. The president is expecting us to deliver Tyler at some point. We just have to executive-lag that.”

“So where do we go first?”

“Pentagon. We’re meeting with the head of procurement who was involved in the cash-in-Afghanistan program, and Colonel Leon South, who was Sam Wingo’s immediate superior in the field.”

“Let’s roll then.”

An hour later they were being escorted down a long corridor at the Pentagon. In fact, every corridor at the Pentagon was long. It was a labyrinth beyond all labyrinths. Indeed, it was rumored that employees from the 1960s were somewhere in the bowels of the place still looking for an exit.

They reached an outer office and then were escorted into an adjacent conference room. Two men were waiting for them. One was in uniform, the other was not.

Dan Marshall rose and held out his hand. “Mr. King, Ms. Maxwell, welcome to the Pentagon. I’m Dan Marshall, assistant secretary of acquisitions, logistics, and technology. I’m the one who spends a lot of the taxpayers’ dollars around here.”

They shook hands.

Colonel South did not rise to greet them. He merely nodded and said, “Colonel Leon South. I understand you’re here with the president’s blessing.”

Sean, Michelle, and Marshall sat at the table.

Sean said, “That’s right.”

South said, “I’m not sure how private investigators figure into a classified mission, I’m really not. Can you explain that to me?”

Marshall said, “Leon, surely with the president’s authorization we don’t need to get into that.”

Sean said, “I can understand the query. We stumbled into the case mostly by accident. By a series of fortuitous events we ended up becoming close with one of the main players in this little saga. The president deemed that valuable, and that’s why we’re in the loop.”

South nodded slowly but his features remained inscrutable. “So what do you want from us?”