Page 62 of Protecting Silver
“Where’s that business card from Agent Babcock?” Silver demanded as she pulled her phone, and held out her hand to him. In under thirty seconds, she was dialing, “Agent Babcock?”
“Yes?”
“Hi, this is Silver Roundtree.”
“Oh, hey, is there a problem?”
“Yes and no. Not with my case, I’m still waiting for Eddie’s trial, but we have a situation here.”
“Oh?”
“Douglas Atwal and I are standing in the lobby of your building as we speak. That’s where I’m calling from. We don’t have an appointment, but we’re trying to get in to see your boss, the man you called SSA Atwater.”
“Okay, what seems to be the problem?”
“Every person we ask laughs at us and asks Douglas if he’s lost his way. He’s getting frustrated, and it’s very, very important for us to see him. Lives may be at stake here.”
“I’ll be right down,” Babcock said, and hung up.
Silver hung up her phone and looked at Patch. At first she frowned when she noted his back to the room, but then when several people tried to approach him, calling him by a different name, she understood.
“What did she say?” Patch asked from his position of facing the wall.
“She’s on her way down to take us up.”
“Thank god I saved her card and wrote the name of her boss on the back. The longer I’m here, the more solid my resolve that I’m related to this Atwater becomes.”
“Ms. Roundtree?” came a voice from behind them, and they both turned to see the agent they’d last seen climbing in her car to take Eddie Freedman away from Ronnie’s Meadow Farm back in Montana.
“Agent Babcock,” Silver said, and held out her hand. Patch did the same thing, and after they shook, she held out her hand.
“Put this on, it should be better,” she said as she handed him a ball cap that had FBI written on the front. Patch did as instructed, and made sure the bill was down low. “Come with me,” she said, and they turned and went toward the security gates again. “These guys are with me,” she said, and only grabbed a clipboard and wrote their names down. In seconds they were in an elevator, and they watched as Agent Babcock pressed the button for the top floor.
“Your office is on the top?” Silver asked to break the ice.
“No, I’m taking you directly to Atwater’s office. If security in the lobby is giving you a hard time, I can’t imagine what the other agents on my floor would do. Atwater is a very busy man, and doesn’t make it down to the lower floors very often. If Mr. Atwal showed up there, he would be mauled by people asking him questions.”
They stepped off the elevator and walked down the short hall to a set of double glass doors at the end of the hall. As the agent opened them, Silver and Patch followed her inside. At the reception desk, Babcock and Silver stood in front of Patch, trying to block him from scaring the receptionist with his face.
“Hey, Samantha, I know I don’t have an appointment, but is SSA Atwater in?”
“He is, let me buzz you.” She picked up her phone, glanced at the trio before her and frowned. “Tamara, why are you asking if Daniel is in when he’s standing right there?” She pointed at Patch with a scowl.
“Unfortunately, that’s why we’re here. This is not SSA Atwater.”
“Liar, and I’ll prove it,” Samantha said, and pushed three numbers on her phone. Her face registered shock, “Sir? You’re in your office?” She shook her head as if to clear it, then nodded to whatever was being said. “I have Agent Babcock with two visitors waiting to see you. Yes, Sir.” She hung up and frowned at the people before her. “He’s in his office and said to go right in, but I have to warn you...”
“About?”
“He has another agent in there working on a special project, and Daniel’s been very moody lately. I’m only saying this, because you need to enter at your own risk.”
“Thanks, Samantha.” Babcock nodded, and indicated for Patch and Silver to follow her. After knocking on the door at the end of the hall, Tamara opened it and asked the others to wait in the hall. She opened the door, left it open, and entered. Whatever she said, Silver and Patch were able to hear the conversations inside.”
“SSA Atwater, I’m going to get right to the point, permission to speak freely?”
“Go ahead,” Daniel said, distracted by a report he was reading.
“Sir, I need your undivided attention for this matter.”
