Page 64 of Dead Fall

“What’s he doing in Boston?”

“Hell if I know. Maybe he’s banging a local porn star.”

The junior agent laughed. “If he is, good for him. The talent in Boston is much better than in D.C.”

That made the senior agent chuckle. “Funny to see him walk out all by himself. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who lunches alone. Politicians crave an audience. It’s like oxygen to them.”

“Let’s keep our eyes peeled,” the junior agent replied. “Who knows? Maybe he’s seeing another married woman and she’s going to slip out on her own.”

Glad for a little excitement in their otherwise boring stakeout, the agents settled back and waited.

A few minutes later, a tall man in his forties with wavy brown hair exited the restaurant. Pretending to be searching for a cab, he looked up and down the block before turning to his right and heading south.

“Doesn’t look like a porn star or a married woman to me,” the junior agent said, peering through his camera.

“Me neither,” the senior agent responded as he nevertheless, once again, clicked away.

CHAPTER 19

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Excuse me?” Jenny Fields said, turning her attention back to her boss. “You tracked down his personal informationhow?”

“Don’t give me any crap,” Carolan said. “You know how I got it.”

“Did a judge give it to you?” she pressed. “Did you receive it courtesy of a legally obtained warrant, tied with a pretty pink bow? Pretty pink bows are awesome. Almost as awesome as legally obtained warrants.”

“For the record, you’re still giving me crap, which I believe I requested you not to.”

“Well, too fucking bad, Chief. What the hell are you doing?”

“You don’t have to be here,” Carolan responded.

“And miss being witness to you losing your job and getting the Bureau sued? Aw, hell no. I’m absolutely here for that.”

“Nobody’s going to get sued.”

Fields laughed out loud. “Says the guywitha fucking law degree.”

“Easy on the language, okay? I know you’re upset, but let’s lay off the cuss words.”

“Out of everything that’s going on here, it’s the F-word that bothers you the most? We need to discuss your priorities.”

“You want to discuss my priorities?” Carolan asked. “Here they are—we nail the Russians. Period.”

Fields looked at him. “Did you ever play Monopoly as a kid?”

“Sure. Why?”

“Because you just skipped overConstitutionAvenue, which has a Supreme Court’s worth of hotels, and you’re going to go straight to jail without collecting two hundred dollars or your FBI pension. You’re breaking the damn law. We don’t do that.Youdon’t do that.”

She was right. “Okay, fine. Yes. I’ve cut a couple of corners,” he admitted. “But—”

Fields held up her hand and stopped him. “There is nobutin our business. We are law enforcement officers. Weenforcethe law.”

“In any other situation, yes, but—”

“Ineverysituation,” she declared. “That’s what sets us apart. That’s what makes the United States that shining city on the hill. We are the world’s last greatest hope, because we do the right thing. And the right thing isalwayshard. If it wasn’t, everyone would do it.”