The Gamma Sequence by Dan Alatorre

Author:Dan Alatorre [Alatorre, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Great Oak Publishing
Published: 2019-11-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Camilla’s assistant was cordial but firm. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Madison requests your presence in the conference room.”

“Okay.” DeShear sat on the edge of the desk, rubbing his chin. “We’ll be there in a second.”

“She’d like you to report now.” A smile tugged at the young lady’s lips. “I believe her exact words were, ‘If he resists, I’ll have the federal marshals shoot him and drag him to my meeting.’”

“Okay, let’s go.” DeShear stood. “That crew cut guy would probably do it.”

Most of the meeting went faster than DeShear expected. The Vice President was on and off in less than five minutes, asking to be kept up on the situation as things unfolded. The FBI and CIA asked very few questions, as did the federal marshal service. The Director of the IRS seemed to take it all in stride, as though this sort of thing happened every day.

The one person sweating bullets was Camilla—or she would have, if she were the type to sweat. Her poker face was par excellence, but keeping her hands under the table while she capped and uncapped her pen, that had been her “tell” going back more than two dozen years.

DeShear was glad he still knew her well enough to catch it. No doubt his pre-meeting antics had caused some of that stress, but it was now a lose-lose proposition to say anything about Lanaya’s arsonist activities to anyone.

He studied his client.

Do I believe her?

He was still tossing around his options when the person next to him stood and pushed in her chair. Others did the same. The wall screen went dark, and people filed out of the conference room. Cammy stood and gathered her notes.

Only Lanaya and DeShear remained seated, each staring silently across the table at the other. Her gaze appeared hopeful. His, he knew, did not.

“Seems like you two have some unfinished business,” Camilla said as she headed toward the door. “You can have the room for a few minutes, but we’ll be moving quickly now. Be ready to get in one of our vehicles and head to the airport on my signal.”

“Gotcha.” DeShear kept his eyes on his client. “I’ll be ready.”

Lanaya thanked Camilla for the clothing and the hospitality, then turned back to DeShear. She said nothing. The door clicked closed behind Camilla.

DeShear cleared his throat. “I’m not sure what happened at my place . . .”

“You know,” Lanaya said. “When I said I had a friend who looked similar enough to me that I could travel using her ID, you didn’t question it. Is it not much more likely that the people who are chasing us—who were only chasing me until I came to Tampa—that they found a similar-looking woman to be seen lurking around your apartment?”

“Why not kill me when I was inside, asleep?”

“You weren’t the target then,” Lanaya said. “I was. But they could definitely send a message once you agreed to meet me. To scare you away from the case. As it happens, you’re the type who doesn’t back down in the face of a bully.

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