Read Online The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser - Free Book Online Page A

f i c edo wh a te v e r hen ee ds y ou to do. You g ot t h a t , Tu r n e r ?”
    “ Y e s, sir.”T h el i new e ntd ea d.
    Tom thou g ht about the p l a n hewould g o ov e r w i t h J ohnson a nd S tanl e yonthe d r ive b ac k to L a n g l e y .Helooked a t h i s w a tc h , push e d the p e d a l down al i t t l e , a nd dial e d B e t t y ’s home numberon his ce l l phon e . I t r a n gjuston c eb e fo r e B e t t y a ns w e r e d i t .
    “ H e l l o ?”
    “ B e t t y , Tom. I ’m s o r r y t o dis t u r b y ou so soon.”
    “ Th a t’s ok a y .I g ot ho m e , took a sho wer , a nd h a veb ee n w a i t i n g b ythe ph o ne f or y ou to ca l l .”
    “ Ho w ’s R a n d y ? ”
    “ H e’ s down in the b a s e m e nt p la y i n gwith h i s tr a i n s. You n ee d me b eb ac k a t wo r k, boss? A n y th i n gn e w ? ”
    “ Ith i nk P a t t y ’s a l i ve a ndwith Mi t c h e l l .”
    B e t t yshotup a t t hen e w s . “ I ’m c om i n gin.”
    “ Good, l i sten. I ’m g oing in t o ame e t i ng w i t h J ohnson a nd S tanl e yin about a n hou r . I ’m g oi n gto Alaskaton i g ht t o h ea d up the inv e st i g a t i on ofthe pl a ne c r a sh a n d P a t t y L a w r e n c e ’s d e f e c t i on.I n ee d y ou to f ind outhowI ca n g e t t oMitch e l l ’s lod g e b yto m o r r ow a ft e rnoo n . F ind out t hesch e dule f or c o m me rc ial fl i g hts f r om An c hora g eto S e oullateto m o r row a ft e rnoon a nd book a f irst cl a ss t ick e t f or B ob b y .”
    “ How a bout the F AA, y o u know, f orthe c r a sh si t e ? ”
    “ Good ca l l . B utIw a nt o ur g u y sg e t m ea c oup l e C I A p e ople w i t h F A A c o v e rs.”
    “ I ’m on m yw a yin.”
    “ Th a nks, B e t t y .You’ r ethe b e st.”
    At 1:50 Tom pi c k e d up the phonein h i s of f ice a n d dial e d the numb e r to Sh e ri f f B i l l K e l l e r ’ s o f fi ce . H ewouldt r y a nd t a lk wi t h Mitch e ll b y ra dio.Heb e g a n t y p i nga c oupleof e -mails on his laptop a s he spok e .
    Tom e nte re d J ohnson’s o f fi c e a t2:20. J ohnson g e stur e d for W a lkerto s i t i n the c h a ir n e x t to S tanl e y . “ S o r r y I ’m l a t e .”
    “F o r g e t it . I ’m su r e y ou ’r ejustal i t t le bu s ytod a y . W h a t’s y our p lan? F irst t h ing Ith i nk wen ee d to do i s ha v etheCo a stGu a rdinvestig a tethat re s e a r c h ship. Th e y ’r eahund re d m i les f r om t he c r a shsi t eon the c oursethe pl a n ew a s onwh e n itw e nt down.”
    Tom g lan c e d a t t he c lockon the c r e d e n z ab e hind J ohnso n . Hekn e w H a nk s hould be in Tu r n e r ’ s o f f ice b ynow.
    “ Ok a y , but l e t ’ s th i nk th i s throu g h al i t t le f irst.” T ompul l e d the y e l l ow l e g a l pad out of his att ac hé c a s e . “ Eith e rof y ou g ot a n ymoreinfoon w h y L a w r e n c e d ec id e d to de fec t or h o wthe mob w a s involved ?”
    “ No, but b yGod w e ’ll find ou t ,” J ohnson said. “S tanl e y ’ s pe o ple a nd ou r s a re a llov e r th i s. W e ’ll h a vesome g o d d a mn ans we rs b yt h e e n d of thed a y .”
    “ You s a ythe Chin e sed o n ’ t know a n y th i ng a bout t his L e v e l 2 1 , Tom said. “ L a w r e n c e c ould be d ea d o r w i t h theChinese a lr ea d y . B ut s a yth e ylosttr a c k of h e r likeweh a v e . L ook a t i t f r om t h e ir p e rs p ec t i v e . T h e y g ota c rook a nd at r a i t ortell i ngthem th e yh a v eavirus in t h e ir m i ss il e s y stems t h e y ca n ’ t det ec t and on l yth i s one g irl in the w hole w o rld c a n fixi t . F rom w h a t y o u ’ v eto l d me th e y c ou l dn’t h a ve a n yr e a l pro o f a n y o f this i s tru e . H e l l , th e ymustbe p r e t t y susp i c ious, ri g ht ? ”
    “ D a mn, y ou ’ r er i g ht.Ik n e w y ou w e rethe r i g htm a n forth i s. You ’ re g e t t ing out ah ea d of th i s al rea d y .” J ohnson l ea n e d fo r w a r d , e a g e r to h e a r mo re