Read Online Sympathy For the Devil by Terrence McCauley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Terrence McCauley
Tags: thriller
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the first thing about me or what I’ve done, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to justify my credentials to you. I’ll release the identities of the men you killed when I’m convinced you’re capable of running this operation according to University protocol. And right now, you haven’t convinced me.”
“Let me try to enlighten your thinking, then. I’ve got a hot investigation that’s getting colder each second I waste sitting here kissing your ass. Who gives a shit? All I care about is finding out why my agent is dead.”
“You were there when he was killed,” Jason said. “You already know why he’s dead. You need to know what caused them to catch on to Colin.”
“And it’s exactly because of that semantic bullshit that I need you to stay out of my way and let me do my job.”
Hicks watched Jason trace the inside of his mouth with his tongue. “And if I don’t, you’ll call the Dean directly, won’t you? Go right over my head.”
“No,” Hicks admitted, “because he probably already knows what you’re doing. You wouldn’t have the balls to hold back those identities without his support. So you’ve got his blessing for now, but how long until I start leaning on him about you?”
Jason looked at the steering wheel; then back out the window. “The Dean not only knows I embargoed your searches, he also knows why I did it. I told him I think you were too close to Colin and have lost all of your objectivity in this case. I think there’s a good chance you missed something in your recent debriefing session and I’m not comfortable with your ability to see things clearly.”
Hicks figured that’s how he saw things. He didn’t agree with it, but it still stung. “You’ve probably been through every report I’ve filed from Colin. I spent half the night going through them myself. Twice. And I know I didn’t miss a damned anything, I know you know it, too.”
“We both know a report is only as thorough as the person who wrote it. I’d think a man with your extensive amount of field experience would know that. I think your objectivity here is clouded by your long friendship and working relationship with Colin. And I’m afraid that lack of objectivity will pose a serious hindrance in your ongoing pursuit of Omar. Revenge has no place in our line of work, James. You’ve said so many times, according to your file.”
“You read it in my file, but do you have any idea what it actually means?” Hicks realized he was grabbing the paper coffee cup tight enough to buckle it and placed it in the beverage holder instead. “When the Dean assigned me here, this office was one step above a glass-to-the-wall operation. Now it’s the best network in the entire University system.”
“No one’s interested in listening to you narrate your own highlight reel, James. That was then. This is now.”
“Then let’s talk about now. Now, I’ve got an office with over a hundred sources and field personnel who turn over solid, actionable intelligence to me every single week. No other office in the System has that kind of output.”
“Not every week,” Jason said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Then let’s talk money. I’ve got a revenue stream that not only keeps the New York Office off the University’s grid, but it keeps the University’s bursar account fat and happy. That same money keeps your candy ass in Ranger Rovers and lattes and Izod shirts. You don’t trust me?” Hicks laughed. “Junior, I don’t give a shit because the Dean knows that if I go, the whole operation goes with me.”
“Pride goes before the fall,” Jason said. “We know more about what you do here than you think.”
“You only know what I share with you. So, either you release the identities of the three men or this thing gets a lot nastier than it has to be.”
Jason slowly lifted his latte out of the cup holder. “I could be forgiven for taking that as a threat.”
“I don’t make threats. I
“Let me try to enlighten your thinking, then. I’ve got a hot investigation that’s getting colder each second I waste sitting here kissing your ass. Who gives a shit? All I care about is finding out why my agent is dead.”
“You were there when he was killed,” Jason said. “You already know why he’s dead. You need to know what caused them to catch on to Colin.”
“And it’s exactly because of that semantic bullshit that I need you to stay out of my way and let me do my job.”
Hicks watched Jason trace the inside of his mouth with his tongue. “And if I don’t, you’ll call the Dean directly, won’t you? Go right over my head.”
“No,” Hicks admitted, “because he probably already knows what you’re doing. You wouldn’t have the balls to hold back those identities without his support. So you’ve got his blessing for now, but how long until I start leaning on him about you?”
Jason looked at the steering wheel; then back out the window. “The Dean not only knows I embargoed your searches, he also knows why I did it. I told him I think you were too close to Colin and have lost all of your objectivity in this case. I think there’s a good chance you missed something in your recent debriefing session and I’m not comfortable with your ability to see things clearly.”
Hicks figured that’s how he saw things. He didn’t agree with it, but it still stung. “You’ve probably been through every report I’ve filed from Colin. I spent half the night going through them myself. Twice. And I know I didn’t miss a damned anything, I know you know it, too.”
“We both know a report is only as thorough as the person who wrote it. I’d think a man with your extensive amount of field experience would know that. I think your objectivity here is clouded by your long friendship and working relationship with Colin. And I’m afraid that lack of objectivity will pose a serious hindrance in your ongoing pursuit of Omar. Revenge has no place in our line of work, James. You’ve said so many times, according to your file.”
“You read it in my file, but do you have any idea what it actually means?” Hicks realized he was grabbing the paper coffee cup tight enough to buckle it and placed it in the beverage holder instead. “When the Dean assigned me here, this office was one step above a glass-to-the-wall operation. Now it’s the best network in the entire University system.”
“No one’s interested in listening to you narrate your own highlight reel, James. That was then. This is now.”
“Then let’s talk about now. Now, I’ve got an office with over a hundred sources and field personnel who turn over solid, actionable intelligence to me every single week. No other office in the System has that kind of output.”
“Not every week,” Jason said. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Then let’s talk money. I’ve got a revenue stream that not only keeps the New York Office off the University’s grid, but it keeps the University’s bursar account fat and happy. That same money keeps your candy ass in Ranger Rovers and lattes and Izod shirts. You don’t trust me?” Hicks laughed. “Junior, I don’t give a shit because the Dean knows that if I go, the whole operation goes with me.”
“Pride goes before the fall,” Jason said. “We know more about what you do here than you think.”
“You only know what I share with you. So, either you release the identities of the three men or this thing gets a lot nastier than it has to be.”
Jason slowly lifted his latte out of the cup holder. “I could be forgiven for taking that as a threat.”
“I don’t make threats. I
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