William sighed and said, “I didn’t come out here for humor.”
“You’re right; it’s probably not the best time, considering the weather.” The man shifted his weight and looked around. “Let’s walk; standing here makes me nervous. Moving targets are harder to hit.”
They strolled east toward Sheridan Drive. William interrupted the man’s nervous glances and said, “So, did I come all the way out here for a walk, or did you have a reason?”
“Look, you’ve gotten me in pretty deep. The least you can give me is some patience.”
William did not respond.
“Fine,” the man said, “as I’ve said before, our secondary objective is procured. We’ve more than enough for wherever you choose.”
“This is all old news; tell me about the primary.”
“Right, the primary…” the man paused for a moment before continuing, “Well, our contacts have pulled out. No deal.”
William stopped dead in his tracks; the fury was obvious in his expression.
“But wait,” the man interjected, “there is some other news. I’m just not sure if it is good or bad though.”
“Not sure if it’s good or bad?”
“I just don’t know what to make of it yet.”
“Get to the point.”
“Alright, alright. So, the night the negotiations fell through, I got a call from someone. He said he knew you, and he knew I was working for you.” The man stopped, turned to William and said, “I thought no one was aware of our arrangement.”
William replied defensively “No one does.” He thought for a moment before adding, “Well… some people do.”
“ Who all knows?”
“Just a handful - maybe four or five, but they had to know though. They’re high up; it’s in confidence, I promise. This wasn’t leaked through me.”
“What’s wrong with you? This is my life we’re talking about! You know you can’t trust a politician!”
“I didn’t say they were politicians.”
The man cursed aloud and flung his arms skyward. The volume of his own outburst startled the man. He nervously darted his head back and forth, scrutinizing the shadows.
William placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and tried to calm him, “Look, we’re fine – you’re fine. I need you to relax. Tell me what else was said.”
The man took a deep breath and continued, “He said he’d heard our talks had fallen through. He said he could help us with what we want, but he has his own terms.”
“What did you say?”
“I told him he was making me more than a little paranoid and he should contact you. He said you would just send him back to me, and he didn’t have time for that. He said his ‘window of opportunity’ was narrow.”
“Well he was right about what I would’ve done. Everybody in this town deals in third parties for the sake of plausible deniability and I play along for their peace of mind. What’re his terms?”
“His people retain possession at all times, and he chooses the destination. He wants our help with logistical and ground support. His people aren’t familiar with the city and he knows we have contacts everywhere. I got the impression his ‘people’ are foreign.”
“What city?” William asked.
“Houston.”
“ Houston? Absolutely not!”
The man stopped and turned to William, “He promised me this, if we help him with Houston, the next time it’s all us. He’ll deliver us whatever we want: low grade, chemical, biological, you name it. Oh, he wants us to meet with an associate of his real soon.”
“When?”
“I’m not sure yet, all I know is soon. He said he’d be in touch. If we agreed with the terms, he’d set up the meeting.”
William considered the proposal for several moments before he replied, “It’s a risk.”
“It’s a huge risk.”
“I don’t want to make the decision here, in the rain, surrounded by a bunch of dead men; that seems like too much of a bad omen. I’ll call you later tonight. Did you pick up a new phone?”
“Of course.”
“Alright, give me the number. Oh, by the way, you’re doing great work.”
***
William climbed on his bike and eased through the cemetery. The ride back would be miserable, but at least it would be short. After several minutes he was on the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The bridge was empty so he straddled the center line aimed for D.C.
He gazed up the Potomac towards the Teddy Roosevelt, but it was obscured by the heavy rain. He still had not gotten used to the emptiness of the city. Before, all of the bridges would have been aglow by the light of the lamps and cars, but not anymore.
After crossing the river, he slowed down for the checkpoint. He flashed his license to the soldier and was allowed back into the city proper. If the nation was at war, D.C. was the green zone. It was an island of stability in a sea of chaos. Of all cities, it was determined to continue on. The checkpoint soldiers were well known for their intolerance of the woes of the rest of the world. And if they were not a strong enough deterrence, then the tanks that loomed behind them certainly were. The security was so iron-fisted that he no longer held protests within the city for fear that even his connections would not be enough to protect him.
He veered north around the Lincoln Memorial and the menacing tanks that flanked it. William took 23rd north to George Washington University and cut through the campus. He turned back south until he reached Quigley’s Pharmacy at the corner of G Street and 21st. He parked in the back and walked around the corner to Tonic.
After changing into some dry clothes in the bathroom and stuffing the riding suit into his backpack, he found an empty seat at the bar. He a ordered a Guinness draft before scanning the candlelit establishment and taking in the scene. The elegant bar was filled with staffers, aides and lobbyists, mingling after just another long day at the office. In many ways, not much had changed in the city. As long as you were in the green zone, life was good, all things considered.
As he was enjoying the rich, draft brew, a young walked up and sat down beside him. She took a sip of her cabernet sauvignon and then nudged him with her elbow.
“Well, look who’s here,” she said.
“Careful, what will all of your friends say when they see you over here with me?”
She laughed, “Absolutely nothing, you know they’re terrified of you.”
William turned and stared into her eyes. “But what about you? Do I frighten you?”
She laughed again, louder this time, “Oh yeah, sure, I’m shaking in my Jimmy Choos.” She feigned distress for a moment, and then continued, “Come on, you know who my boss is, we’re practically on the same team.”
“He’s a rather unique senator, isn’t he?”
“I guess that’s one way to put it.” She paused and sipped her drink. “So what brings you here? I know you only come around when you want my sage advice.”
“You know me so well.” He sarcastically rolled his eyes as he lifted the Guinness to his lips again.
“Knowing people is my job, it’s why I am paid so very well. Now, tell me about the dilemma that’s brought you to my bar.”
“Well, I’ve got this project. It’s a very important project and I knew the all parties very well. It was a very comfortable scenario-“
She interrupted his vague ramblings and said, “But?”
“Yes, ‘but,’ things changed. We couldn’t come to an agreement on how to proceed. They had a lot of reservations about dealing with me, so they backed out.”