Walker (Bowen Boys, #1)(36)
A sleeper. Someone who would go in to do a job and disappear without a print, someone who could walk right by you, shoot you dead, and not be seen. They usually worked at night when their victims were asleep and were never on any books as far as he could tell. While he knew that sometimes they were a necessary force, Warren didn’t care for them.
He tossed the picture of McCray and a man who had his back to the camera back on the desk. “I can’t bring her in. I don’t know what she’s planning. I have no idea who the men are she’s with other than their names. And I don’t know if whatever is going on will be the end of either of us.” He looked at Marshall when he laughed.
“You don’t really think that she’d tell you the answer to any of those if she was standing right here, do you? Hell, she probably wouldn’t tell you if I put a gun to her head. But I can tell you that if I was in a situation like we’re in right now, I’d want her just where she is. Because you know as well as I do that whatever happens, she’s going to get to the bottom of it.”
Warren nodded and stood up and paced around the room. He hated that chair. When Marshall spoke again, he nearly missed a step and fell. He turned to look at him as he continued.
“The people she’s with are known to be straight shooters around town. They live on about seven hundred acres of prime wooded land that may or may not be taken from them in a couple of months. The city council is trying to have them give it over for reasons they’re not disclosing. But they hint at wanting it for a park, a big one to bring capital to the area. The Bowens aren’t going down without a fight, it seems.” Marshall grinned. “I’ve already put some feelers out and had it…delayed until you had a chance to tell me to stop it. There’s something else you should know.”
Warren sat down. He wasn’t going to like this and when Marshall leaned up in his chair and looked him in the eye, he was positive about it. He leaned toward him as well. They could speak low enough that not even the microphones could pick it up.
“They’re panthers.”
Warren leaned back, then got up to pace again.
“I only just found out about an hour ago. They’re not with any other group, but keep to themselves. There are six men, ranging from age twenty-eight to nearly thirty-six. Parents are still around. Walker, the second oldest, is the one that McCray is staying with. From all accounts about him, he’s a good man and a great doctor. Has privileges at most of the hospitals in the state. The rest…all have some connection to the area. Two are computer geeks, one is a financial wizard, the oldest is a business owner, and the other works for the local cops. He’s said to be too good for the town, but very well-liked. All the women have nothing but great things to say about them as well.”
He wouldn’t doubt that. Warren looked back at his friend. “Does McCray know what they are?”
“Don’t know. If she’s living with the doc, and it’s a pretty clear bet she is, then I would say yes. But with her, it probably doesn’t matter.” He gave a smile that Warren had come to know as the “you’re f*cking stupid” smile. “It wouldn’t have mattered to her if you had told her a long time ago like I suggested either.”
“Yeah, well, hindsight and all that, you know.” Warren walked around to the business side of the desk and picked a file he rarely brought out now days. “She’s gonna be pissed when she finds out what we know.”
“Yes, she is. What do you want to do about what may be going down in that little town? If you ask me…” Warren looked at Marshall so that he would finish the statement. “If you were to ask me, I’d say wait. See if she can handle what’s going on and see how she comes out on top. You said yourself that you should have put her in charge of the CIA years ago. Now is the perfect opportunity for her to show her stuff and become a national hero at the same time.”
“And if she fails? Then what do we show her?” He sat down on the couch again and looked out at the gardens behind the office. “Do we let her fix this, finish this, or do we step in with guns blazing and fix it ourselves?”
“Or,” he said softly again. “We could make a trip to the little town and help her out. There’s nothing to say that a trip to Ohio would be remiss. Of course, we could get you out of here and no one would be the wiser. We could put you in the hospital for your yearly physical. Might catch a bit of the flu while you’re there.”
Warren liked the idea. Something was going to go down soon, very soon if what she had told him yesterday was any indication, and he would love to go somewhere and run. He looked out the doors again and thought about running with a pack of cats again. Moving through the woods and…
“Fix it. I think a week should do it. Then another week with the flu.” He glanced at the desk. “And while we’re there, I want you to help me convince her that she is the perfect man for the job.”
The rest of the conversation was said in a normal tone of voice. Neither man mentioned the fact that they were both on their cells making arrangements that would bring Congress down on their heads, not to mention if anyone found out what he really was, maybe even some lab boys. Warren closed his phone an hour later and smiled. He was going to get to do what he’d been dreaming about since he’d taken office three years ago. Run with someone who would not care what he was.