Page 59 of A More Perfect Union

“I’m going to callher in, and you’ll talk to her. She might not have talked to Daniels yet, but Iwant you to find out what she knows, and then we’ll figure out what to do fromthere. Understood?”

Zoey played the wordsover in her mind until they tumbled into place, and she realized Louden wastalking about her. She was the one they wanted to talk to and find out what sheknew, and he was probably headed to his desk to call her. She stepped to theside just as the door opened and assumed what she hoped was a nonchalantexpression, which wasn’t easy considering her insides were frozen with fear.“Lieutenant,” she said with a nod.

A flicker of surprisecrossed his face before it molded into an icy stare. “Major Granger. Have youbeen waiting long?”

“Not too long,” sheanswered. She needed to call someone and let them know what she’d just heard.Not just someone—Rook. She wished she could reach back through the data linesand grab back the text she’d sent this morning and replace it with another. Onethat said she trusted Rook and her judgment, trusted that the woman who’d spentthe night making tender love to her wouldn’t steer her wrong. She’d spent somuch of her life relying on a team in her profession, but only on herself whenit came to personal matters that she no longer knew when to draw a line andwhen to cross it. Determined to remedy that right now, she took a step towardthe door. “It’s not important. I have a meeting. I’ll come back later.”

She made it one morestep before an iron fist clenched her arm. “You do have a meeting, Major. Thegeneral is inside waiting to see you. Please go on in.”

Zoey contemplated heroptions, none of which were good. She could run for the door to the suite, butLouden’s grip on her arm told her she wouldn’t get far, or she could walk intothe general’s office and confront the man who she’d thought was her mentor.Rook was investigating Sharp. At some point, if Rook had hard evidence, she wasgoing to tell someone else what was going on, and if they believed her, theymight send someone to talk to Sharp. A lot of “ifs,” but Zoey decided if shetalked to Sharp now, it might buy Rook some time.

She walked into theoffice and found Sharp sitting behind his desk, but instead of his usual ruddycomplexion and smile, she spotted worry lines crisscrossing his ashen face.“You wanted to see me, General?”

“Yes, Major. Have aseat.” Zoey caught the two of them exchanging eye signals, which she assumedwere meant to warn Sharp that she’d been lurking outside. Louden then abruptlyannounced he had to make a call and shut the door behind them.

“Do you have anythingnew to report?” Sharp asked.

Zoey stared at him,incredulous. Was he really going to pretend like she didn’t know what was goingon? “You’re kidding, right?”

“Watch your tone,soldier.”

She took a breath.She didn’t care about obeying his orders, but she’d be more likely to getinformation out of him if she wasn’t an ass about it. “Sorry, General. I dohave a few questions.” She had more than a few, starting with why a general waskowtowing to a lieutenant, but she started with something more subtle. “What doyou know about Colonel Mitchell’s background?”

Before he couldanswer, Louden burst back into the room and strode over to Sharp’s desk wherethey engaged in a whispered conversation. Zoey eyed the door, but decided tostick with her original plan to stay and gather as much information as shecould. She felt in her pocket for her cell phone and pulled it out far enoughto see the screen. She set it to record and started to slide it back into herpocket, but stopped and opened the text app instead. She typed the words withone thumb, while stealing glances at Sharp and Louden.In Sharps off. U werert.After she hit send, her thumb hovered above the keyboard. Having noidea where things would lead from here, she took a giant leap and she typed anew text—luv u—and hit send.

* * *

Rook shouldered herway to the security window in the Pentagon lobby, ignoring the annoyed looks ofpeople she’d pushed past. Eric had called while she was on the way here to tellher that the NSA had found additional information to implicate Sharp and theywere in the process of “exploring their options,” which probably meant gettinga FISA warrant to pick him up and interrogate him on possible charges ofespionage. Certain that if he was tipped off, he might do something desperate,she’d tried to call Zoey several times from outside the building, but she keptgetting put through to voice mail.

“Major Granger isn’tanswering,” the officer at the window announced. “Are you sure your appointmentwas for today, ma’am?”

Rather than explainshe didn’t actually have an appointment, Rook took a different tack. “Try MajorDixon.” She fumbled through her wallet for his card and handed it to him. Shetapped her foot while the officer dialed the line, and sighed with relief whenshe heard him talking to someone on the other end.

“She says she’ssupposed to meet Major Granger, but we can’t reach her…Okay, I’ll tell her.Hang on.” The officer tapped on the window. “Major Dixon says he doesn’t havean appointment with you either.”

Rook stifled a nastyretort and reached through the opening. “I think there’s been amisunderstanding. Let me talk to him.”

“Can’t do it, butI’ll be happy to pass along a message.”

“Tell him there’sbeen a significant development in the case and I need to brief him. Tell him Ijust came from the White House.” She listened to the officer convey hermessage, certain the message about the White House would pique Dixon’sinterest.

“Strike two. He saidhe’s been reassigned, and you should get in touch with Major Granger.”

Rook shook her headand started to walk away, but the officer’s choice of words gave her an idea.“I get one more strike, right?” She grinned to try and win him over. “Try MajorJack Riley, Intelligence.”

Her third swing was ahit and the officer handed her a badge and told her Major Riley would be downto get her shortly. Now that he was on his way, Rook had to think fast abouthow she was going to explain to Jack that his godfather might be committingtreason.

He showed upquickly—not enough time for her to come up with a plausible cover. “RookDaniels,” he called out with a smile. “Last time I saw you, you were sippingancient Scotch with my sister.”

She managed to returnhis smile. “Pretty sure you were right there with us.”

“What can I do foryou?”

“I need to find MajorZoey Granger and she’s not answering her phone.”

“Maybe she’s nothere?”

“She is.” Rook felt agrowing sense of urgency and she knew her explanation—I know she’s here becausemy ex-CIA operative employee followed her here—wasn’t likely to garner hisassistance. “It’s imperative that I see her. It’s a matter of nationalsecurity,” she said, knowing that last statement was just slightly less crazythan the other explanation.

---