Read Online The Silent Places by James Patrick Hunt - Free Book Online
Authors: James Patrick Hunt
Ads: Link
alerting the FBI to this. He wants to keep this … local, so to speak.”
“But if there’s been a threat on his life—”
“There’s not been a recent direct threat. Not one that’s been confirmed anyway. It’s just that he’s frightened. For himself and his family. If he alerts the FBI, the whole thing can become public. And the senator has made it very clear that he doesn’t want that.”
“But why?”
“Why has he asked to keep this discreet?”
“Not so much that. I mean, why use metropolitan police officers when you’ve got federal agents at your disposal. Probably better trained for this sort of thing than we are.”
Captain Anthony sighed. “Again, this is not for publication. But the chief implied that Preston may run for president. He doesn’t want national media attention focused on this.”
“Or attention from Washington?”
“Yeah, maybe that, too.” Anthony frowned at Hastings. A suggestion, perhaps, not to push it too far.
Hastings thought about asking what sort of federal appointment Chief Grassino hoped to land in an Alan Preston administration, but he didn’t.
Instead, Hastings said, “So he’s asked the chief for a favor?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
Hastings shook his head.
“You disapprove?” Anthony said.
“No, sir, I don’t disapprove. I just find it unusual, that’s all.”
“Perhaps it is unorthodox. I agree. But the senator has asked this of the chief and the chief’s given it to me to handle.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, was it your idea to assign me?”
“No. You were recommended by Wulf.”
Wulf, Hastings thought. Was he trying to help or hurt? Probably help. … Well, what difference does it make now?
Hastings said, “Do you have a file on John Reese?”
“Yes. But it’s not much. They didn’t give us the criminal file, only a summary of it. Interesting reading, though, for what it is. He was an army Ranger and then he became one of their top sharpshooters. A sniper. Sometime in the eighties, the CIA recruited him. The record gets murky after that. He may or may not have been in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Central Europe, the Balkans, China, and Russia. Sometime in the nineties, he retired from the CIA and started his own arms business. He got rich. They say he sold weapons all over Africa and Europe and the Middle East.”
“Ronnie said he sold arms to the Syrians. That’s what they arrested him for.”
“Yes, that’s right. Thank God he was caught. They set up a sting operation, I think, and caught him in Belgium. Flew him back here in chains to stand trial. Here.”
Captain Anthony slid a photograph across the desk to Hastings.
Hastings looked at it and said, “This is dated.”
“Yeah. He’d be about fifty now.”
Hastings said, “A Cold Warrior.”
“Yeah,” Anthony said, “but the Cold War is over. And this guy lost his bearings. Those weapons he sold the Syrians could have been used on our allies or our soldiers. For all we know, they were.”
Hastings said, “Preston prosecuted him?”
“Yeah. He was an assistant U.S. attorney.”
“When did Reese threaten to kill him?”
“Supposedly, in Washington, while he was on trial, he told someone in jail that he knew mercenaries all over the world and that if he wanted, he could have Preston killed.”
“He said this while the trial was ongoing?”
“That’s what I’m told.”
“Was it discussed at trial? I mean, anytime a threat like that is made against one of our witnesses or prosecutors, we always bring it to the court’s attention.”
“I don’t know if it was.”
“It would seem like a dumb thing to do. For a spy anyway.”
“Well, it was a long time ago,” Anthony said. “The guy’s a traitor, George. And like most of his kind, he did it for money.”
“Okay,” Hastings said. “We have no idea where he is now?”
“None.”
TWELVE
The speck on the horizon grew as it approached and then there was the sound of a helicopter
“But if there’s been a threat on his life—”
“There’s not been a recent direct threat. Not one that’s been confirmed anyway. It’s just that he’s frightened. For himself and his family. If he alerts the FBI, the whole thing can become public. And the senator has made it very clear that he doesn’t want that.”
“But why?”
“Why has he asked to keep this discreet?”
“Not so much that. I mean, why use metropolitan police officers when you’ve got federal agents at your disposal. Probably better trained for this sort of thing than we are.”
Captain Anthony sighed. “Again, this is not for publication. But the chief implied that Preston may run for president. He doesn’t want national media attention focused on this.”
“Or attention from Washington?”
“Yeah, maybe that, too.” Anthony frowned at Hastings. A suggestion, perhaps, not to push it too far.
Hastings thought about asking what sort of federal appointment Chief Grassino hoped to land in an Alan Preston administration, but he didn’t.
Instead, Hastings said, “So he’s asked the chief for a favor?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.”
Hastings shook his head.
“You disapprove?” Anthony said.
“No, sir, I don’t disapprove. I just find it unusual, that’s all.”
“Perhaps it is unorthodox. I agree. But the senator has asked this of the chief and the chief’s given it to me to handle.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, was it your idea to assign me?”
“No. You were recommended by Wulf.”
Wulf, Hastings thought. Was he trying to help or hurt? Probably help. … Well, what difference does it make now?
Hastings said, “Do you have a file on John Reese?”
“Yes. But it’s not much. They didn’t give us the criminal file, only a summary of it. Interesting reading, though, for what it is. He was an army Ranger and then he became one of their top sharpshooters. A sniper. Sometime in the eighties, the CIA recruited him. The record gets murky after that. He may or may not have been in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Central Europe, the Balkans, China, and Russia. Sometime in the nineties, he retired from the CIA and started his own arms business. He got rich. They say he sold weapons all over Africa and Europe and the Middle East.”
“Ronnie said he sold arms to the Syrians. That’s what they arrested him for.”
“Yes, that’s right. Thank God he was caught. They set up a sting operation, I think, and caught him in Belgium. Flew him back here in chains to stand trial. Here.”
Captain Anthony slid a photograph across the desk to Hastings.
Hastings looked at it and said, “This is dated.”
“Yeah. He’d be about fifty now.”
Hastings said, “A Cold Warrior.”
“Yeah,” Anthony said, “but the Cold War is over. And this guy lost his bearings. Those weapons he sold the Syrians could have been used on our allies or our soldiers. For all we know, they were.”
Hastings said, “Preston prosecuted him?”
“Yeah. He was an assistant U.S. attorney.”
“When did Reese threaten to kill him?”
“Supposedly, in Washington, while he was on trial, he told someone in jail that he knew mercenaries all over the world and that if he wanted, he could have Preston killed.”
“He said this while the trial was ongoing?”
“That’s what I’m told.”
“Was it discussed at trial? I mean, anytime a threat like that is made against one of our witnesses or prosecutors, we always bring it to the court’s attention.”
“I don’t know if it was.”
“It would seem like a dumb thing to do. For a spy anyway.”
“Well, it was a long time ago,” Anthony said. “The guy’s a traitor, George. And like most of his kind, he did it for money.”
“Okay,” Hastings said. “We have no idea where he is now?”
“None.”
TWELVE
The speck on the horizon grew as it approached and then there was the sound of a helicopter
Similar Books
