Intersection (39 page)

“Carl Fisher?” The president nearly choked on his scotch. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I am,” Alex said.

John Merrow stood and began to pace. “Why would DCIS be involved with Fisher?” He inquired.

“They have a history, common roots, I guess. That’s all I know,” Alex said. The president’s jaw became taut and his eyes narrowed to nearly slits. “John, I have to leave Monday morning….”

“I heard.”

“I figured,” Alex chuckled. “I don’t want Fallon…”

“I’ll see what I can do,” the president offered. “Any leads on the accident?”

“Not really, but right now I am more concerned about Fisher.”

“I understand. I wish I could do more,” he said plainly.

The agent hung her head slightly. “It’s better if you keep a distance. I’m working it.”

The president nodded at his desk. This he already knew. Alex was not going to give him many details. It wasn’t a lack of trust preventing her from being forthcoming and he knew that. She was protecting her Commander in Chief and her friend. “I’ll see what I can…” he began.

“I appreciate that. I’ll be fine.”

“Alex?”

“Yes?”

“I am sorry,” he said sincerely. “For all of you.”

Alex took a deep breath. “I know you are,” she said hanging up the phone and placing it back in its normal home.

John Merrow sat down on the corner of the desk and took another sip of scotch. He slowly sat it down and picked the receiver back up. “Get Claire Brackett here…now.”

Dylan ran into the kitchen and stopped in front of the agent. “Are we going to George’s?”

Alex laughed. “No.”

“Are we going to the movies?”

“No.”

“Where are we going?”

Cassidy leaned in the doorway and watched her son interrogating her lover. “Well, if I tell you it won’t be a surprise. Get your pool cue. That’s your only hint.” His eyes grew as big as saucers and he flew out of the room and back up the stairs.

“Just what are you up to?” The small blonde woman in the door asked.

Alex moved slowly to the woman with a flirtatious smile. “Think of this as YOUR case to solve,” Alex raised her eyebrow and whispered into the teacher’s ear before continuing on into the hallway. Dylan was barreling down the stairs already. “Come on Agent O’Brien,” Alex called back with amusement. Cassidy chuckled to herself. Alex was enjoying this plot she had created and Cassidy was thankful for the agent’s tactics.

Congressman Christopher O’Brien was happy to be home. He was still weak but his anger over the discovery of his ex-wife’s apparent ‘relationship’, as she had called it, was fueling a new found energy. He was taken aback when his girlfriend entered the room with the large, blonde man. “What are you doing here?” O’Brien asked.

“Just checking on a friend,” the man answered as the woman left the room.

“People are asking questions about you,” the congressman said in frustration.

“Are they?” The flip reply came.

“What do you want, Jon?”

“Now, Chris, I told you…I came to check on a friend.”

The congressman gave a sarcastic reply, “yeah, well ‘
friend
’… I am fine.”

Jon Krause leaned back on the large leather sofa in the middle of the room and stretched his arms casually along its back. “What did you tell the nice agent about me?”

The congressman twitched slightly at the coolness in the other man’s voice. “Nothing. Just that we were fraternity brothers.”

“That’s not all, though,” Jonathan Krause led the congressman to continue.

“What do you mean?” O’Brien asked defensively.

“You told them about Cassidy?”

“I told them you were friends.”

“And…”

“And what?” The congressman asked.

“What else did you tell them, Congressman?” Christopher O’Brien’s mind was still hazy on many points. “You told them about France.”

“I suppose.”

Jon Krause was controlled and deliberate in all of his actions. It was impossible to tell from his even tempered nature what he was driving at. That was the mark of the perfect ‘spook’. He was intelligent and charming, disarming, handsome and above all he was controlled. “Chris…Chris, why did you report that pretty agent?”

The congressman wasn’t certain whether to be angry or afraid. “She’s sleeping with my wife.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Your
wife
?” Krause raised his eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“And here I thought that was your girlfriend that just showed me in.” The congressman felt his hand ball into a fist. “You’re making a lot of sloppy mistakes, Congressman.”

Christopher O’Brien began to stumble on his words, “I…”

Krause shook his head again and walked behind the desk in the corner of the room, looking out the large picture window. “I suggest, if you want what is best for Cassidy,” he paused, “and your son….Let this go.”

“It’s too late,” the congressman said with a surprising amount of resolve in his voice. He was furious with Cassidy and he did not like to be questioned. “I can’t change it now,” he said flatly.

“Well,” Krause began, “we all make mistakes.”

The congressman watched as the larger man circled the desk and then sat on its surface. “I would think you would be happy to have her out of the way,” the congressman asserted.

“Would you?” Jon Krause laughed. “I was speaking to a friend this morning,” he said. “Alex Toles is not the average agent, Congressman. Not at all. You just took a bloodhound and turned it into a pit bull.”

“She can’t do anything. She’ll be lucky if she has a job…. and Cassidy…whatever this…”

Krause shrugged and laughed a bit as he considered his own time with Cassidy O’Brien. “You don’t really know your ex-wife very well, do you?”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Jon Krause offered the politician a sly smile, changing the subject. “I suggest you
rest
as best you can….you need time to…..
Recover
.”

“I’m fine,” the congressman said with disdain.

The blonde man considered the politician before him. He walked deliberately and calmly to the congressman in the chair, “terrible about your accident.” The congressman looked up at him as he continued. “I think Cassidy is capable of her own decisions, don’t you?” The congressman felt his heart begin to quicken its pace as the man in front of him stared coldly into his eyes. Krause stood erect again and tipped his head to the side. “Some things are out of our control, Congressman O’Brien. Some things….some things are not. I suggest you learn the difference.” The man began to exit the room and stopped. “I’m glad to see you are feeling better. When you do speak with Cassidy, extend my best wishes. I hear Agent Toles is quite the catch.”

The congressman sat stunned but also keenly aware of the veiled warning. The accident, perhaps it was no accident. He placed his face in his hands wondering what he should do and feeling out of control. Why was Krause so concerned about the agent? Did Krause just threaten his family? He took a deep breath. His mind was still fuzzy on so many points. He needed to clear his thoughts and make a decision. Who could he reach out to now? Was there anyone?

***

“When the hell did you meet with Carl Fisher?” He yelled.

“What’s the problem? Fisher knows what he’s doing, even if he is a drunk,” Brackett snickered.

“This is not a game, Claire.”

“Really?” She smirked.

The president’s anger was mounting. “Where is Fisher now?”

“No idea,” she answered. “He got what I asked for. He took care of the letters. That’s it.”

“What did you ask for?”

Brackett leaned back in her chair leisurely and smiled with satisfaction. “Proof.”

“I see.” He sat down across from the redhead. “You have no idea what you have just put into motion with all of this, Claire…no idea.”

She shrugged. “What? Toles will be suspended and out of the way. You’ll be able to persuade the congressman, I am sure to stop that bill…he’ll be terrified of his
reputation
… And, the goods will be moved where they need to go. The congressman will never say a word. He’ll be too preoccupied with damage control. Everyone gets what they need…problems…SOLVED.”

“For a woman with an IQ over 140, you certainly are stupid.”

“Excuse me?” Brackett seethed.

John Merrow shook his head. “You think this is about one deal? One move? One operation? You think congressmen have
accidents
over some small trade of information or a few missiles or some basic money laundering? Jesus Christ, Brackett…Find Fisher.”

“He’s probably long gone.”

“Yeah. Claire, find him, and do it quickly before this blows into something that can’t be contained.”

“You’re overreacting,” the woman shook her head.

“Congressmen aren’t the only ones who have
accidents
, Claire.” He moved his face within inches of hers. Calmly he finished, “find him.”

s it taken care of?” The tall blonde man asked picking up his cell phone.

“It’s done,” a hoarse voice answered on the other end.

“Where are you?” There was no response. “Fisher? Where are you?”

“Waiting…”

“Where?” The voice became impatient. “Don’t do anything yet.” Fisher’s breath became ragged with anticipation. “I don’t like this,” Krause offered.

A deep sigh preceded the answer. “We both get what we want.”

The voice on the other end of the phone cracked slightly. “Don’t be so sure. Just wait.” He hung up.

Reaching across the seat of the car Fisher sighed and his lips curled into the hint of a smile. He watched as the car turned the corner. “Soon….”