Game of Shadows by R. J. Patterson

Author:R. J. Patterson [Patterson, R. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller, espionage
Publisher: Green E-Books
Published: 2019-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

TWO DAYS LATER, Blunt stumbled out of bed and headed straight for his study. He spent most of the night imagining how he was going to handle the subsequent fallout of Wilson Wellington being destroyed politically and what the cagey veteran of Capitol Hill might do to exact revenge. And while Blunt wanted to see the story appear almost instantaneously on websites across the country, he knew Allison Carter needed more time to reach out to different sources before publishing the story and the supporting documents.

Political Armageddon wasn’t Blunt’s preferred method to resolve issues. He tried to squelch Allan Elliott’s hearing through more diplomatic means, giving Wellington a chance to respond in kind, but the olive branch had been met with an iron fist. Blunt was just thankful this wasn’t the early nineteenth century, or else he would’ve likely been challenged to a duel.

After turning on his laptop, Blunt started a pot of coffee in the kitchen before returning to his desk. He navigated to his favorite news site and opened up the front page.

Nothing.

At least nothing Blunt hoped to see. The lead article was about oil leeching into a West Virginia river and sickening hundreds downstream from the incident. The next two stories detailed a struggling economy and how President Michaels intended to fix it as well as a primer on Elliott’s scheduled hearing.

Blunt let out a string of expletives before stomping back to the kitchen. He snarled as he poured his coffee, grousing aloud about how Allison Carter’s lack of expediency cost his credibility, at least in the eyes of Wilson Wellington. No longer could Blunt’s threats be considered serious. He’d be perceived as a feckless has-been, still trying to maintain relevance in the nation’s capital. Or as his father used to say, “Son, don’t be all bark and no bite. Even if someone gets away, take a hunk of flesh from them.”

His father’s words weren’t literal instructions, but they made Blunt smile, a moment of levity in an otherwise tense situation. He could still hear his father’s baritone voice doling out the words of wisdom. But the meaning was clear: You may not take someone down, but let them remember you. Blunt figured that if he wanted to make a permanent mark on Wellington, one that wouldn’t easily be scrubbed from the public’s collective memory, he’d have to do some damage.

Blunt finished his coffee before dialing The Carter Connection host’s number.

“This is Allison Carter,” she said, her voice light and polished.

“I was afraid I might wake you up,” Blunt said.

“Mister Blunt, what a pleasure it is to speak to you this morning. As you might know, this town likes to get a jump on the rest of the country. I can’t just sit around all morning. There’s plenty of work to be done.”

“Speaking of which, I—”

“Stop right there, Mr. Blunt. I know why you’re calling. The truth of the matter is I’m not ready to publish anything from the information you gave me.”

“Was there a problem?”

“Well, I haven’t finished all my research.

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