The Road to Justice/Sins of the Son combo pack - A John Fowler Novel (John Fowler (Books 1 & 2)) (31 page)

“
Listen to me,
”
said the voice on the other end of the line. 
“
We can use the
s
enator as leverage.  Right now I need every advantage I can get to help her.  We can use the senator to blackmail his son if we need to.  A FBI agent on my side would go a long way toward helping me.  Keep in mind that
Senator Cosby
could
possibly win a Presidential e
lection and that would be bad for me.  This is my chance to help mys
elf and my family.  Remember
, S
on, I have a lot of influence over her and if I decided that you are best for her, she will listen to me.  You would like that wouldn
’
t you?
”

Luke was smiling broadly. 
“
Yes.  Yes
, s
ir, I would.  I
’
ll take care of everything.
”

Luke could hear the chopper beginning to land. 

“
They are on their way now sir.  Is there anything else?
”

“
No.  Take care of this for me, and I won
’
t forget it.
”
 
Luke hung up and smiled.  In a little while
,
he would get what he had always wanted. 

The helicopter landed and John, Trip and
Senator Cosby
disembarked.  Luke ran up to the group. 
Senator Cosby
looked on in dis
d
ain. 

“
senator
, I know we
’
ve had our disagreements, but there is a life at stake.  Someone would like to see you
.  H
e has a few ideas.
”
 
Jeremiah snorted but nodded.

“
Give me and John a minute,
”
Jeremiah said.  Luke nodded and moved away.  Cosby grabbed John
’
s arm.

“
Son, if you get a chance to make her story public, you need to.  You cannot let that girl get away with what she has done.  Do you understand?
”
 
John nodded.  Jeremiah was very insistent. 
“
I blame myself.  If I had run for President
,
I would have beaten that fool, but I didn
’
t want to get into it with Lisa
’
s father.  That man is dangerous son.  Don
’
t forget that.  He probably has fourteen contingency plans.  I
’
m sure that is who wants to see me right now.  Take care of yourself
,
My B
oy.  That woman is not worth you getting killed over.
”
 

Senator Cosby
clapped John on the shoulder and followed Luke.  Secret Service hurried John over to the command post.  Luke and
Senator Cosby
walked over to the far parking lot that was deserted except for the black van.  They walked up beside it, and Luke stopped.  Cosby was beside the van with Luke standing beside him.  The van door slid opened and Cosby was grabbed.  A cloth was pressed against his face.  Cosby struggled for a second and went limp.  Luke looked around to see if any
one was watch
ing.  No one had looked in their direction.  The four men in the van were wearing masks.  One held up a stun gun in one hand and the cloth in the other. 

“
Oh come on,
”
said Luke. 
“
Please give me the cloth!
”
 
The man in the mask shook his head no and hit Luke with the stun gun.  Luke flopped like a fish out of water.  After he was out, the man in the mask drug Luke
behind some shrubbery and left him.  The man climbed back into the van, shut the door, and the van took off away from the grounds. 

The Secre
t Service pulled John into the command p
ost.  They were barking orders at him.  Apparently they had cut the time a little close.  Different agents were screaming at him. 
“
NO HEROICS!!
”
 
“
DO WHAT HE SAYS!!
”
 
“
PROTECT THE FIRST LADY!!
”

John
’
s head was spinning.  He had about had it with all of these orders.  Trip saw the look in John
’
s eye
s
and tried to cross the room quickly to stop him.  John picked up the red phone that connected directly to David George.  Everyone in the room froze.  John smiled.

“
David, this is John Fowler.  Look, I just got here.  I am going to go get a quick lesson in how to use this video camera and I
’
m going to come in there.  Is there any food or anything I can bring you?
”
 
John listened to the voice on the other end. 
“
Well
,
David
,
we can use the camera in there, but are you sure it
’
s not broken
? 
B
ecause I
’
m not.
   I don
’
t know how to fix one if it is, so may I please bring in this camera
?
  It
’
s not a trick
,
David; I
’
m trying to do exactly as you ask.  If I do as you ask, you
’
ll do what you promised, right?
”
 
There was a pause.  Everyone in the room held their breath.  John gave a big smile, and the room exhaled. 
“
I
’
ll see you very soon
,
David
,
and we
’
ll end this.
”

John hung up.  B
efore he could turn around
,
there was someone in his face getting ready to yell.  John beat him to it.

“
BACK OFF!!
”
 
Everyone was silent. 
“
Now I don
’
t know what has been said about me before I got here, so let me hit all the highlights.  Yes, I am a recovering alcoholic.  I have been sober for three years
.  No
,
I do not have a death wish
.  No
,
I
’
m not going to do what you tell me to do.
I
’
ll
handle this my way
.  T
hat is
,
I will w
alk out of there with both the f
irst
l
ady and David George alive.  Any other option is non-negotiable.  Are we all clear?
”
 
Trip smiled a
tight-lipped smile.  There was grumbling
,
but no one disagreed. 
“
Now, where is a new
s
crew so I can learn how to be the world
’
s greatest cameraman in less than five minutes?
”

John walked up to a national news crew.  The reporter there recognized him from John
’
s work years before.  John stuck his hand out.

“
Hi, I
’
m John Fowler.  I
’
m about to make you an offer you can
’
t refuse.  I need to borrow one of your cameras.  I need you to show me how to use it.
”

Sheila
Lane had been covering events like this for years, but
she had never had this happen
before.  She extended her hand and shook John
’
s
.

“
Sheila
Lane.  I talked to you before during the
Mafia
bust.
”
 
John blushed.

“
I
’
m sorry. 
I was probably drunk and said something inappropriate.
”

“
You probably were and you did.  I don
’
t think what you suggested was humanly possible.
”
 
John dropped his head.  He sighed and then raised his
head. 
Sheila
was smiling at him
.

“
Your partner spoke to me at length afterwards.
”
 
John looked confused. 
“
Jessica, I believe was her name.
”
 
John was taken aback
;
how long had Jess been covering for him? 
“
Anyway, she told me about your wife and the whole deal.  I
’
m really sorry.
”

“
Thank you,
”
said John. 
“
Now, I quickly need you to teach me how to use your news camera.
”
 
Sheila
waived over her cameraman and he gave John an extensive lesson.  The last thing he showed John was a switch on the back that activated a red light. 

“
Now make sure to have the switch off,
”
said the cameraman. 
“
If the light is off, it records only to the camera.  If the switch is on and this light is red, it would send us the feed out here in the truck.
”

“
Oh really
?
”
said John.  John turned toward
Sheila
with a mischievous grin on his face. 
“
Sheila
, as a
journalist, what would you do if you were to receive that feed?
”

Sheila
raised an eyebrow. 
“
Well
,
John, as a journalist
,
it would be my duty to send the feed national.  In other words
,
it would be on TV as quick as the signal could hit the relays.
”

“
Huh,
”
said John. 
“
I would have thought that Secret Service would cut it off or something.
”
 

“
If the feed went out during whatever might be happening, there would be a public outcry.  Besides I don
’
t think anyone would mind seeing the
f
irst
l
ady being taken down a peg.
”

John nodded. 
“
Well, I
’
ll just have to make sure that switch doesn
’
t lig
ht up the little red light now w
on
’
t I?
”

Sheila
nodded.  John smiled and started toward the command post.  John called back.

“
Hey
,
Sheila
, do you think you
’
d get an award for that?
”

Sheila
smiled,
“
Oh, yeah.
”
 
John smiled and continued on.

As John headed down the deserted halls of the White House, he had to admit he was a little excited.  He was about to solve an
“
unsolvable case
”
and solve an over twenty-five year old case that hadn
’
t even been opened yet!  Man it was hard being that good!  John chuckled to himself.  He deserved many of those names that Jessica liked to call him. 

He reached the door to the outer office to the Oval Office.  The agent in charge radioed to the command center to let them know John was there.  The command center called in to David George.  John waited patiently to be told to enter.  He didn
’
t want to do a thing to sp
o
ok David.

“
John Fowler!!
”
 
David yelled. 
“
You may come in.  If anyone else follows, or if you are armed, I kill the
f
irst
l
ady and then you!
”