Shattered Lies (Web of Lies #3)(39)

Humphrey grimaced. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“I’m sure. I can’t show him mercy, and right now Jason is the only one who isn’t going to show mercy to my best friend. They may not mean to, but they would subconsciously do it out of fear of upsetting me. And check in with Jason. Let’s see if Sandra is talking yet.”

“Will do.” Humphrey went to stand, but Birch stopped him. He felt the smile tug on his lips.

“So, you think Alex likes this hacker?” He felt as if he and Humphrey were parents talking about their teenage son. The whole group felt that way about Alex.

“Oh yes. His voice changed when talking about her. I asked him and he replied with an embarrassed and shy ‘dude.’” Humphrey smiled.

The door opened, partially shielding Humphrey from view as Gene came in with ice packs and a plate of food. “Dr. Wilson said you needed these.” Gene walked into the room, not seeing Humphrey, and handed the packs to Birch. He set the plate on the nightstand. Large chunks of apple filled the plate. Birch’s stomach rumbled.

“I guess you did want a snack.” Gene held up the plate and Birch took a slice and popped it into his mouth. Gene set the plate down and picked up a pillow Birch had thrown on the floor.

“Don’t worry about that,” Birch said between chews as he reached for another piece of apple. He went to swallow and everything went black as the pillow Gene held was smothered over his face with such force that he couldn’t breathe. His ribs burned with pain as he struggled. He clawed at the pillow suffocating him, but then the pressure was gone.

Birch ripped the pillow from his face, spit out the apples, and dragged in big gulps of air. His vision had been blurry, but it refocused onto Humphrey holding Gene tight in a chokehold. Gene was kicking and fighting, but Humphrey had his face set and a solid hold. His left arm was behind Gene’s head and anchored to his right bicep as he dragged Gene backward. Gene lost his footing and ended up on his ass where Humphrey used his now-heightened advantage to leverage his arm and send Gene into unconsciousness.

“What the hell?” Birch gasped as he stared at Humphrey who wasn’t even breathing hard.

Humphrey dropped his hold and straightened his pink and green striped bowtie. “I think we found our White House mole.”

“Gene was here when I planned our date night. Why? Why would he do this?” Birch had thought of Gene as a friend. Sandra, no. She’d always been hostile toward him. But Gene had always been someone to talk to after a long day. Someone who cared how he was. Birch knew all about his family . . . well, at least he thought he did. Had Gene been lying this whole time?

“Thank you, Humphrey,” Birch said, slowly moving to stand. “You saved my life.”

“I’m glad I was here. In your weakened state . . . Do you want me to call the agents?”

Birch shook his head as he slowly walked toward his closet. “No. Call Jason.” Birch grabbed a handful of ties and belts, and when he made it back into the bedroom, Humphrey was already on the phone with Jason.

“The tunnels. See you then.” Humphrey hung up and grabbed the belts. Gene was already stirring as Humphrey trussed him up and used a tie as a gag as Gene lay on the floor.

Gene groaned as his eyes finally blinked open. Birch watched as realization that he was trapped set in. The man freaked out. He was screaming behind the gag, tears streaming down his face as he fought the ties at his hands and knees.

“Why?” was all Birch asked. Gene looked up at him, his eyes pleading with him. “Go ahead, Humphrey.”

Humphrey helped Gene to sit up and then pushed down the gag far enough for him to talk. “They made me. It was my debt to pay. They would kill my family. And because I failed, my girls—oh God, my girls are dead!”

Humphrey and Birch shared a look over Gene’s head. “Who made you do it?” Birch asked as he held onto one of the bed posters.

“I don’t know!” he cried. “I . . . I . . . I have a weakness. I’m addicted to drugs. I can’t stop. I was arrested right after you were sworn in, and this man shows up at the jail. I knew I would be fired. Decades of working in the White House gone, just like that. And this man, he tells me he can get me out of jail and make the arrest files disappear as if they never existed because they wouldn’t exist if I agreed to his proposal.”

“And you didn’t ask who he was?” Birch asked in disbelief.

“Of course I did. He said he was representing an interested party. He was clean-cut. Maybe forty-five years old. Five feet ten inches. Dark brown hair, stylish glasses, expensive suit. And he was there with cash in his briefcase. He claimed he was my lawyer. I asked what I had to do and he said I just had to keep my ears open and call this number to report what was going on at the White House every day. If something out of the ordinary was happening, like your date or Tate moving in, then I was to call immediately. I would call, leave a message, and that was it. I put two and two together after the bombing.”

Gene began to cry again. His nose turned as red as his bloodshot eyes. “It’s all my fault those people are dead.”

“Yes, Gene, it is,” Birch said quietly. “Then what?”

“They must know I couldn’t handle it. As soon as reports came in that you were alive, I received a phone call. They were with my daughters. Rebecca is twenty-two and Stephanie is twenty. They’re in Mexico for a vacation together. Sisters’ trip, they called it. I got a picture of them lying on the beach. They told me they would kill them if I didn’t kill you.”