’ re a former Recon Marine. Is that correct?”
“Why are you here?”
Munroe slammed his fist on the table. The sudden break in the man ’ s calm exterior startled Black. Munroe looked away and sighed, his jaw clenched. He looked disgusted, but Black got the feeling that he was more upset with himself.
“I ’ m here because I have a need for two things. A new bodyguard and someone that can help me get through to a man that is pivotal to my current investigation. You, Mr. Black, are in the unique position to fill both of those needs for me. I ’ m here to offer you a job.”
Jonas laughed. “I have a pretty good career going in the prison laundry. They think I have management potential.”
Munroe clenched his fists. “This is no joke. My partner and best friend was recently killed, and I am going to find those responsible.”
The woman next to Munroe stood up and moved toward the door. Black saw tears forming in her eyes. “Annabelle?” Munroe said.
“I can ’ t. I ’ ll be outside,” she said with a shaking voice.
“How long has it been since you lost your friend?” Black said.
“About two days.”
Black felt like a jerk. He supposed that a stint in prison hadn ’ t done much for his manners. “I ’m sorry. But I don’ t know how I could help you with anything. I have at least six months left in here. And that ’ s if I don ’ t get any extra time added on for an incident that I was recently involved in.”
“I ’ ve already spoken to the Warden, the Governor, and the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. Your sentence would be commuted, and you would be released into my custody. Technically, you would be an agent working within DCIS, but your only responsibility would be to aid me in this investigation.”
“ I don’ t buy it. And even if you could get me out, the government doesn ’ t hire felons. Hell, I couldn ’ t even legally carry a firearm.”
“Don ’ t worry about that. Once we have you out, your record will be sealed and marked as classified to the highest level for reasons of national security. Only someone with very high clearance would even know that you ’ re a felon, and they would have no reason to check.”
Black wasn ’ t sure what to say or believe. How could this guy have gotten all that done? And in the space of a couple days? “Who are you?” he said.
“I ’ ve already told you that. But, if you ’ re asking how I could pull off something like this, the answer is that I ’ ve made a lot of influential friends over the years and through the course of my investigations. There are many times when the greater good can be better served by suppressing certain knowledge from public consumption. Many people appreciate me for my discretion. Plus, the chairman of the parole board is an old friend of my father.”
“But why me?”
“Where I ’ m going, I could use a hard man like you.”
“I wouldn ’ t make a very good babysitter.”
“I ’ m not looking for someone to wipe my ass, Mr. Black. I ’ m looking for someone to watch my back. And I believe that you are also perfect for this particular investigation.”
“You mentioned something about getting through to someone.”
“That ’ s right. John Corrigan. I believe that he was your team leader and a close friend.”
“We were close, but I haven ’ t spoken to John in years. I was in here when the incident happened with his family, and I haven ’ t heard from him since all that went down. But John couldn ’ t have done the things they said. When we were deployed, all he ever wanted was to get back to his family.”
“Men that have fought together usually have a special bond that isn ’ t easily broken. I think he ’ ll talk to you.”
“I would never do anything to betray my friend.”
“I ’ m not asking you to betray him,” Munroe said. “I ’ m asking you to help him. Corrigan ’ s execution is scheduled for this weekend. I ’ m starting to suspect that he may be
“Why are you here?”
Munroe slammed his fist on the table. The sudden break in the man ’ s calm exterior startled Black. Munroe looked away and sighed, his jaw clenched. He looked disgusted, but Black got the feeling that he was more upset with himself.
“I ’ m here because I have a need for two things. A new bodyguard and someone that can help me get through to a man that is pivotal to my current investigation. You, Mr. Black, are in the unique position to fill both of those needs for me. I ’ m here to offer you a job.”
Jonas laughed. “I have a pretty good career going in the prison laundry. They think I have management potential.”
Munroe clenched his fists. “This is no joke. My partner and best friend was recently killed, and I am going to find those responsible.”
The woman next to Munroe stood up and moved toward the door. Black saw tears forming in her eyes. “Annabelle?” Munroe said.
“I can ’ t. I ’ ll be outside,” she said with a shaking voice.
“How long has it been since you lost your friend?” Black said.
“About two days.”
Black felt like a jerk. He supposed that a stint in prison hadn ’ t done much for his manners. “I ’m sorry. But I don’ t know how I could help you with anything. I have at least six months left in here. And that ’ s if I don ’ t get any extra time added on for an incident that I was recently involved in.”
“I ’ ve already spoken to the Warden, the Governor, and the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. Your sentence would be commuted, and you would be released into my custody. Technically, you would be an agent working within DCIS, but your only responsibility would be to aid me in this investigation.”
“ I don’ t buy it. And even if you could get me out, the government doesn ’ t hire felons. Hell, I couldn ’ t even legally carry a firearm.”
“Don ’ t worry about that. Once we have you out, your record will be sealed and marked as classified to the highest level for reasons of national security. Only someone with very high clearance would even know that you ’ re a felon, and they would have no reason to check.”
Black wasn ’ t sure what to say or believe. How could this guy have gotten all that done? And in the space of a couple days? “Who are you?” he said.
“I ’ ve already told you that. But, if you ’ re asking how I could pull off something like this, the answer is that I ’ ve made a lot of influential friends over the years and through the course of my investigations. There are many times when the greater good can be better served by suppressing certain knowledge from public consumption. Many people appreciate me for my discretion. Plus, the chairman of the parole board is an old friend of my father.”
“But why me?”
“Where I ’ m going, I could use a hard man like you.”
“I wouldn ’ t make a very good babysitter.”
“I ’ m not looking for someone to wipe my ass, Mr. Black. I ’ m looking for someone to watch my back. And I believe that you are also perfect for this particular investigation.”
“You mentioned something about getting through to someone.”
“That ’ s right. John Corrigan. I believe that he was your team leader and a close friend.”
“We were close, but I haven ’ t spoken to John in years. I was in here when the incident happened with his family, and I haven ’ t heard from him since all that went down. But John couldn ’ t have done the things they said. When we were deployed, all he ever wanted was to get back to his family.”
“Men that have fought together usually have a special bond that isn ’ t easily broken. I think he ’ ll talk to you.”
“I would never do anything to betray my friend.”
“I ’ m not asking you to betray him,” Munroe said. “I ’ m asking you to help him. Corrigan ’ s execution is scheduled for this weekend. I ’ m starting to suspect that he may be
Similar Books
