Distant Obsession (26 page)

“That’s right, Lilah. Whatever’s stored in these records, that guy, or someone in his company, was driven to hide from public view by committing murder.”

“So you think Pierce was involved from the start?”

“Seems logical to me. He conveniently provided console that encouraged you not to talk to the press. You said you overheard an argument between your husband and someone else; could have been this guy. I researched his portfolio this morning based on our previous conversation. The man’s had a shaded past.”

“How so?”

“Reported mafia ties, back door funneling of political funds, even alleged involvement with contractual irregularities. The guy’s a shit bird, just like your ex. They both came from the same cesspool out of Chicago and moved to DC ten years ago to start up this company.”

“How come I never heard of this before?”

“When it comes to political corruption and union bribery, not all media outlets provide honest coverage.”

“What in the world do unions have to do with this?”

“It’s been reported that the Senator and Ackland received their seed capital for the company from labor bosses. It’s all one big snake pit. These guys are so deep in a nest of vipers, no wonder they don’t want anyone poking into their backdoor affairs.”

“Okay, so Ben and Pierce were scum, I get that part, but what does it have to do with this thumb drive.”

“Good question. Let’s take a look at what lies beneath their blanket of corruption. Pick any file that tweaks your interest.”

She pointed to the one labeled IOC
R&M Analysis Results.
“What do these abbreviations mean?”

“IOC refers to Initial Operational Capability. For weapons systems, it’s the stage of engineering and developmental maturity that exists for the first units delivered to the government.”

“And R&M?”

“I’d assume it means Reliability and Maintainability. All airborne avionics or general electronic systems are required to undergo a specified number of test cycles to evaluate how durable they are before deployment into the fleet. I guess these are the documents that report the results.”

“Oh.”

Reece opened the file labeled,
Stress test
. “Holy crap.”

“What is it?”

“Look at the threshold level.” He touched the green dotted line across the chart. “This jagged plot represents equipment availability as a function of simulated carrier launches. See how after roughly a hundred and twenty flights, the line dives below the contracted design specification rate.”

“Yes, so?”

“Once you hit that number of catapult flights, it remains in the crap zone.”

“The what?”

“Sweetheart, navy aircraft are exposed to more environmental and operational stress than other military systems. Being shot off the deck causes what engineers refer to as high jerk shock, which places accelerated trauma on all the components, but especially to avionics composed of integrated circuits, boards, and tiny connector joints.”

 “I understand that, Reece, but what does it have to do with this chart?” Her frustration communicated itself to Reece as her tonal pitch elevated.

He scratched his head. “Sorry, my fault. Let’s try it this way. Modern high technology weapons maintain a competitive edge over our enemies because they’re built to be functionally superior and be available to the warrior during combat. However, if the equipment is unreliable, doesn’t matter how damn capable it is. When the pilot needs it, the system won’t operate. This graphic on the screen reveals that clearly a fault exists in the IOC design of the Oghma sensor package. Works fine during the first phase of deployment, but shortly afterward, say four months later, the equipment turns to shit. From this data, the initial construction is flawed and doesn’t withstand carrier launch ops.”

“Fine, then why the big deal? Just fix it before you ship out the units.”

“Angel, you’re thinking like the honest person you are, brimming with morality. You need to think more deviously, say like a politician, more specifically like the Senator and his old partner.”

Lilah lowered her eyebrows and concentrated. “Don’t tell me they get paid again to fix it?”

“Ah, you’re both beautiful and smart as a whip.”

“But why would the government pay them twice?”

“They won’t if the team evaluating the IOC units knew of the issue. Thing is, pre deployment trails would not generally place enough high stress cycles to drive the avionics into this crap range here,” Reece pointed at the
120
mark on the curve. ”Once the initial lot of IOC production systems is accepted, it’s the government’s responsibility, not the company’s. The contractor gets repaid for mod kits to upgrade the units to alleviate the design flaw.”

“That stinks.”

“Yes, it does. These assholes knowingly release subpar equipment, figuring they’d simply get more money, even though it was their mistake, and they knew it.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

“A lot. Avionics is expensive and refurnishing the equipment in the field can cost a ton. The contractor responsible for the design flaw stands to benefit big time, say an additional fifty to eighty million in fraudulent charges.”

“Damn. That’s terrible.”

“Indeed, it is, especially given our warriors are risking their very lives to protect these turds. Now you see why the data on this thumb drive was so critical to Ackland. Question is, how did the Senator get a hold of it?”

Lilah hesitated then offered an answer. “I think I know, Reece.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The woman that was killed in bed with Ben that night this all started; she was Pierce’s secretary. Ashley told me when she came down to visit, the affair had been going on for a while.”

“So?”

“Ash also stated the woman was bragging to her girlfriends about going to work in my husband’s office at the senate. I bet she gave that drive to Ben as payment for a lucrative government job. Somehow, Pierce found out, and that’s why they were both murdered.”

“Makes sense. Probably that phone call you overheard the night you flew to Chicago for the art show was the Senator trying to blackmail Ackland. Given his background, I’d say that was a big mistake on your husband’s part.”

“But the two of them worked together, why would he do that to a friend?”

Reece snickered. “Lilah, these piss pots have no friends. They’ll screw you just to make another buck. The greenback beast is their lord and master. No, your husband got caught at his own game.” He removed the thumb drive and shook it in the air like a magic wand. “And this, my love, is the bullet that will take down Ackland, and likely others in the company.”

“Good.” Her enthusiasm was almost contagious. “How do we do it?”

“Oh, I do adore a feisty woman, but in this case, Angel, we’ll just place the ammunition in the gun. Someone else will pull the trigger.”

“Who?”

“My friend, Charlie, at the Defense Contracting and Auditing Agency. He’s got the connections into the Justice Department. When I fly up there next week, I’ll give him the drive and ask that he keep us apprised of the case. They’ll probably run a sting operation to catch the bastard red handed.”

“What do you mean?”

“This data unit simply provides motivation for the crime; as of yet it doesn’t implicate Ackland to the deed. Don’t worry; the investigation units are clever. They’ll bait the asshole and lure him in like a pigfish.”

“Why the smile?”

“I love when a mystery comes together.”

She grinned back. “Maybe you should have been a private detective.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Lilah worked her fingers alone the inside of his leg. “I know how to make that smile turn broader, if you’re up to it.”

He took her by the hand. “Always with you, my love. Now where’s that damn bedroom?”

Lilah stood and tugged him into the hallway. “Maybe we should just do it here on the floor; give the neighbors a real thrill.”

He canvassed the large bay window exposing their every move to the entire cove. “Nope, more likely they’d have us arrested.” He slapped her playfully on the butt, and she pranced down the hallway with her lover close behind.

Epilogue

Perched atop her deck, Lilah reached out with all her senses and sampled the wonder of her new life tucked within the Cherokee Valley. Everything was different, because of one central element; Reece. No longer would she exist in a hollow shell, walk among the frigid spirits of a corrupt city, with its crowded friendless streets. The nights in a cold bed, with no lover to provide warmth and pleasure, words to sooth her sorrows, or praise the simple things; those painful memories were gone.

Like the mist rising above the lake beyond Lunar cove, burned off by the brilliant rays of sunlight cresting the ridgeline; Reece had vanquished the vapors haunting her thoughts. Through the bay window, inside what once was a self-induced cave of solitude, her white knight poured two mugs of coffee. His handsome bold features, fearless attitude, and unwavering support had driven the beasts from her nightmares.

Because of you my love, because of you.

A masculine arm descended from above, deposited her beverage on the table, then graced her shoulder with a powerful, yet gentle, carcass of five strong fingers. “Here you go. Added a cinnamon stick to your cup.” Reece chuckled. “Sweets for the sweet.”

“You’re such a card.” Lilah sipped from the steaming brew. “Hmmm. You can make my coffee anytime.”

Reece removed his sweatshirt and draped it across her back, as if he’d read her mind. Lilah absorbed the residual heat from the man she adored and grasped the hand massaging her neck. “God that feels good. Careful, don’t want to spoil your new wife.” The last word floated between them, and without further exchange, they shared a lover’s gaze, until Reece recanted their vows at the altar last week. “Always and forever; body, mind, spirit and soul.”

Like the first moment her new husband sited his commitment; the perfect phrase from the perfect man dipped down into her psyche, touched her essence, strengthened her resolve, and assured their eternal bond.

“I love you so damn much, my husband.”

Reece chuckled. “Good to know. Wait till tonight. You’ll love me even more.”

She pinched his thigh playfully. “That’s not possible.”

“Okay, then you’ll appreciate me more as your stud master. I’ve got something in mind that’s going to… Well, let’s not spoil the suspense.”

A spark fired through her lower torso and Lilah recalled the nights of physical wonder since their first coupling. “God in heaven, how do you do it?”

“What?”

With four fingernails, Lilah caressed his distinguished profile; his temple, his cheek, his lips. “Every moment we’re together, every touch of our flesh, you push me higher. I’ve never felt so content, so…complete.”

Reece stroked the lobe of her ear. “Then why the hint of concern at the edge of your smile?”

Lilah redirected her focus to the
Jenny May
parked along her dock.

He answered for her. “It’s Ashley, isn’t it?”

Lilah resisted the cloud trying to quench her spirit, but his stare would not cease. “Yes.”