Page 42 of A More Perfect Union

Blake led her over tothe desk. The roll top was pulled back, and Zoey asked if it had been like thatwhen they arrived.

“Yes. Everything isexactly how we found it. The paperwork I’d like you to look at is there andthere.” She pointed at two desk drawers and then proceeded to tug them openwith her gloved hands. “I’ll hold the paper while you read. Okay?”

Zoey nodded andresisted the urge to hurry her along as Blake slowly opened the drawers andextracted an envelope from each drawer. She meticulously opened them and pulledout a few sheets from each. Zoey recognized the first one immediately as itbore the seal of the Department of Defense, denoting orders. She motioned forBlake to hold it closer and she skimmed the page and then read it again morecarefully. Colonel Mitchell was being reassigned to the base in Kobani, Syria,effective the following day.

“What is it?”

Zoey looked back atRook who was reading over her shoulder. “I’m not sure.” She had a theory, butshe didn’t want to say it in front of the woman. Like a mind reader, Rookjerked her chin at the woman. “I’d trust her with my life. You can speakfreely.”

“Let me think aboutit.” Zoey wasn’t going to be pushed. “Let’s just say this is important and itshould be collected. Let me look at the other one, please.”

The second piece ofpaper didn’t bear an official seal, but was on Colonel Mitchell’s officialletterhead and it shocked her from the very first line. The rest of the wordswere a blurry mess, and she shook her head as if by doing so she could clearthe words on the page like shaking a Magic 8 Ball. It didn’t work.

* * *

“It’s okay.” Rookfocused on keeping her voice gentle and soothing, which was difficultconsidering what she’d managed to glean from a skim of the page. “You don’tneed to read it now. Blake, make sure you pack this one up with the other. I’llmeet you at the office.” She started to steer Zoey away, but she stayed firmlyin place.

“No, I need to knowwhat it says.”

Rook caught sight ofBlake shaking her head, but she knew a simple denial wasn’t going to be enoughfor Zoey. “Let me have it,” she told Blake who handed her a pair of latexgloves and waited for her to put them on before giving her the letter. Rookread the contents, taking her time to digest each word. Mitchell’s message frombeyond was a sucker punch of near revelations. When she finished reading, Rookmoved the paper into Zoey’s sightline. “I don’t understand all of this, butmaybe you will.” Rook held the single sheet of paper steady, reading the wordsalong with her.

Major Granger,

I don’t know ifyou realize the Pandora’s box you’ve opened, but now that it’s done, you willhave to face the consequences. There really isn’t anything I can say to helpexcept to warn you to trust no one. Anyone who professes to be on your side oroffers to be of assistance to you is very possibly an enemy of the state andwill likely view you as a threat once you begin to discover the truth.

I’m telling youall of this because despite your current position as inquisitor and the way Ireacted in your office yesterday, I admired the fact you took a stand and choseto reveal the dishonesty going on in front of you. But know this: the fraudperpetrated behind the scenes is a thousand times worse than anything thepublic sees, and the consequences of standing up to the forces that drive itare dire. I did not have what it takes. Maybe you will, but no matter what, youwill not escape unscathed.

Rangers lead theway,

Colonel NicholasMitchell

Rook watched Zoey’sface for signs she’d finished reading, and when her eyes shuttered, Rook handedthe paper to Blake and mouthed for her to keep searching. The agents were stillconducting their search, and Rook guided Zoey past them until they were at thefront door where Harry stood waiting, his eyebrows arched in question. BehindZoey’s back, Rook shook her head, willing him not to ask any questions. “Major,this is one of my associates, Harry Etheridge. Wait here with him. I’ll beright back.”

Rook strode back toMitchell’s study and pulled Blake aside. “I’m going to go. I need to get astatement prepared and figure out who’s going to give it.” She gestured at thedesk. “You think there’s anything else in there?”

“If there is, we’llfind it.”

“You have access towhatever resources you need. The suits are doing their thing and eventuallythey’re going to want in here, but I don’t want that letter to leave yoursight. Understood?”

“Got it. Are theyNSA?”

Rook flashed back toher conversation with Julia in the car. NSA had picked up chatter about theshooting when Mitchell’s wife placed a call to 911, bawling that she’d come hometo find her husband lying dead in his study. Because Mitchell’s name was on thelist of potential witnesses to be interviewed in the McNair case, whoever wasmonitoring the chatter ran the information up the line, all the way to Juliawho’d sent in the troops, but instructed them Rook’s team would have carteblanche at the scene. She had no idea how they’d circumvented the local copsand she wasn’t sure she wanted to. “Yes, but it doesn’t matter though. We’re incharge. Consider yourself deputized by the president.”

“Deputized is astrong word,” Blake said. “It’s a suicide, not a crime scene.”

“Maybe not, but treatit like it is. Eric’s on his way over to copy all the hard drives. Have himsearch for any reference to Zoey on any of the computers here at theresidence.”

“Zoey?”

Rook silently cursedthe misstep. “Major Granger. She’s a key to whatever’s going on.” She pressedon. “Bonus points if Eric can bust the Pentagon’s firewall and connect toMitchell’s account there. If we assume no one there knows he’s dead yet, weshould have a little time to gather what we can.”

“On it.” She wavedRook toward the door. “Go on, we got this.”

Rook walked backthrough the house toward the front door where Zoey was waiting. She had fullconfidence in her team, but under normal circumstances she would stay here withthem, triaging information as it was gathered. But the circumstances weren’tnormal and one of the key pieces of information was Zoey Granger. Whether sheknew it or not, Zoey held some piece to the puzzle and it was up to Rook tocoax it forward.

Zoey was standingstraight and tall, but her hooded eyelids and mussed hair gave away her worryand exhaustion. Rook took her arm again and guided her out of the house andinto the waiting car. Zoey didn’t protest when she pulled a blanket from behindthe seat and tucked it around her. It wasn’t until Rook told George to takethem back to her place that Zoey came alive.

“I need to go to theoffice,” she said, her eyes wide and darting.

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