Page 58 of Filthy Liar

He crushes his mouth to mine. “I love you, you filthy liar. I love you when I don’t even know who you are. I love you when you hate me. I love you when I hate myself. I have to—I have to try to fix this—but I want you to be safe and sound when I get back.”

My mouth falls open as he darts into the hallway, yelling for Wilson. They all come running. No no no, I need time to stop while Jason explains to me what the hell he means by saying all ofthatand then turning on his heel and leaving.

“I don’t have time to explain everything. Who can come with me to the White House? Tag? You think Kendra can join us? We just need to get to someone on the National Security Council.”

“On it.” Tag pulls out his phone.

“Wilson, Ellie can explain why, but just know, I do believe her. I trust her. We need to pull Mack’s chain. Shut down whatever you can.”

“Mack? Your brother?” Wilson doesn’t blink. “Got it.”

“Cole…” Jason grabs his best friend and points at me. “Sit on her.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I protest.

“That is exactly what you would say right before you tried to duck out and save the world all on your lonesome. Stay where he can see you.”

21

Jason

Kendra Browning doesn’t aska single question about why I’m asking her for this introduction. She’s waiting outside the White House with a female Lieutenant-Colonel who seems to immediately recognize Tag and understand the complicated relationship between the divorced couple.

“Kendra says I can trust you,” the Air Force officer says as we take a walk, Kendra and Tag falling in behind us. “I don’t have a lot of time. I need to be back for a briefing in an hour.”

“Any chance you’ll be doing that in a room that’s not quite round?”

“No comment.”

“I’ll cut right to the point, then. I know about the schism in the Five Eyes Alliance. I learned about it from a reporter, who got it from another country. You don’t have an internal leak. But you do have an internal fight about whether to take this to the Commander-in-Chief, and I’m here to help you get it on his agenda.”

“Even if we could get it past his Chief of Staff, POTUS doesn’t like the international community saying anything about American businesses.”

“Lieutenant-Colonel, do you believe you have a full understanding of the global reach of PRISM?”

“Yes, I believe I do.”

“You’re wrong. And I say that with full respect for your experience and your rank and your uniform. I have reason to believe that Mack Evans is about to join the PRISM high council, and fundamentally change our democracy in the process. And most people won’t realize until it’s too late.”

“Mr. Evans…your brother is not on any intelligence reports as a candidate…”

“Is there any intelligence reports that he was a close associate of Gerome Lively?”

She stops walking. “No.”

“Then please believe me when I tell you, there is much that you don’t know about PRISM. But if we can go inside, I’ll show you what I know.”

In the short span of time it took for Tag and I to get over to the White House, Ellie and Wilson were able to find me enough proof. It’s hardly comprehensive, but it’s a start.

“I’m not sure if I can get you on the visitor’s list…”

Wilson’s taken care of that. “I think it’ll be fine.”

An hour later,I’ve done my best—officially. The NSC staff heard me out and took a detailed report. Then someone from the Chief of Staff’s office came in, some weasel-looking shithead who probably graduated straight from a Vegas casino to the West Wing, because that’s how Victor Best rolls, and told them the intelligence briefing would be paper-only today.

Victor Best doesn’t read anything longer than a room service menu.

It’s a brick wall.

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