Read Online F Paul Wilson - Novel 02 by Implant (v2.1) - Free Book Online

gone. As soon as he spoke her name his face changed,
metamorphosed into the Duncan Lathram she knew.
                 And
then she could speak.
                 '" Duncan . You're the last person I expected to run
into down here." He stared at her for a few heartbeats. When he finally
spoke, his voice was cool, distant.
                 "I
might have said the same about you . . . until yesterday. How long have you
been standing here?"
                She'd arrived early at the Rayburn Building for her meeting and had been told that
Congressman Allard would be slightly delayed because of his television
interview. Rather than sit cooling her heels, Gin had opted to stroll across Independence to catch the interview live.
                 Staying
a discreet distance from the congressman's group she'd noticed a man who
reminded her of Duncan, but she couldn't be sure from the rear, and besides,
what would Duncan be doing down here? She'd edged closer, had been almost on
top of him when he'd turned and they'd come nose to nose.
                 How
long have you been standing here? The answer seemed important to him. Very
important.
                 Long
enough to hear you say something very strange, she thought.
                 "Just
a few seconds. But what on earth are you doing here?"
                "Me?" He looked around. "I
love the Capitol area . . . the Mall . . . the monuments . . . they're
beautiful."
                 "Knowing
how you feel about politicians"
                "Let's just say I consider it
a beautiful mansion that happens to be infested by termites and all sorts of
vermin." His eyes bored into her. "So why are you here?"
                The question she'd been dreading.
"I, uh, have an appointment with Congressman Allard this morning."
                He grimaced. "You want to be
on his staff?"
                "I'll be on anybody's staff. I
want to be on this committee."
                 He
stared at her again. "Yes. Yes, I see you do. Why didn't you mention this
yesterday?"
                "You didn't exactly give me a
chance." He made a soft guttural sound and glanced at the old-fashioned
beeper clutched in his hand, a dinosaur of a beeper, at least six inches long.
                 Odd,
she thought. She hadn't realized Duncan carried a pager. He wasn't on emergency
call, but she guessed there was always the chance of a postsurgical
complication.
                 Suddenly
he seemed in a rush. He spoke quickly.
                 "I
want to discuss something with you, Gin, but I have to make a call and this is
neither the time nor the place. I will see you in my office after lunch this
afternoon. Can you be there? "
                 Something
to discuss with you . . . She didn’t like the sound of that. "I think
so."
                 "Good.
See you then." He turned and headed for one of the doors into the south
wing. Gin watched him for a few seconds, then turned her attention to where
Congressman Allard continued to huddle with his aides. The totaled ages of the
three younger men probably exceeded Allard's by very little, yet they were doing
all the talking. Good haircuts, expensive suits, six-figure incomes or close to
it for many of the more experienced aides, and a smug we're-where-it's-at look.
                 Too
many of the Hill rats she'd met seemed to adopt that attitude after a couple of
years on the job. She promised, swore, that wouldn't happen to her.
                 No
doubt doing some last-minute fine tuning of his remarks before the camera.
                 Finally
he seemed ready. He nodded to his aides, straightened his tie, adjusted his
suit coat, patted his toupee, then started down the steps.
                 Gin
sidled to her right to where she had an unobstructed view of the steps.