Chapter 24
Ryker adjusted the rifle scope, sharpening focus on the figure on the park bench. He fiddled with the receiver as well and the elderly gentleman’s voice filled his ear. He was talking to the ducks as he fed them. Riveting stuff.
Ryker snorted. This job had taken some interesting twists and turns, but listening to some old man on a park bench was trying his patience. He refocused and scanned the area. Davis was sitting in his car with Lazlo, apparently waiting for someone who wasn’t the old man on the bench.
“Jesus,”Cash muttered through the earbud.“This is just painful.”
“Nothing wrong with feeding ducks,”Flynn said.“What else do you have to do when you’re old?”
“If this is my life when I’m old, someone put me out of my misery.”
“I volunteer for the job. At least then you’ll know it’s done right,”Rush commented. Cash shot him a dark look but Ryker grinned. Probably shouldn’t joke about being taken out with this crowd. Every single one of them was capable of pulling that particular trigger.
He shifted minutely on the ground. He wasn’t wearing a ghillie suit, but he was hidden by the undergrowth. Through the rifle sight, he studied the area across the pond. He’d cloned Lazlo’s phone so he and the others could follow without any trouble. Then they’d all set up in varying locations around the park. Ryker had been worried they would miss something since they were following Davis and couldn’t get to the meet location beforehand, but Davis was still just sitting in his car.
Ryker went back to studying the elderly man. He had to be in his late seventies or early eighties. The white fringe of hair that circled his head was a little bit long and starting to curl in the back. He wore a red and white-checked button-down shirt with a blue stripe across the chest, and a gray jacket even though it was a warm spring day. So either he had really poor circulation or he was carrying a gun under his jacket. Both were a possibility. Gone were the days of Ryker thinking an old man on a bench feeding the ducks was just a coincidence.
The elderly man shifted slightly revealing he was wearing Darth Vader socks. Probably a present from his grandkids. Of course, it could be a message of some kind but if it was, Ryker wasn’t enough of a Star Wars fan to figure it out. The man appeared mentally alert and agile judging by his conversations with the ducks. He was asking them for answers to the New York Times crossword puzzle, although he did the thing in pen and seemed to have no problem filling it in.
Physically though, the man was in slow decline. Ryker had learned during his time in the military to study people’s movements. Variation could mean all kinds of things including highlighting a physical weakness. The old man’s movements were stiff, and Ryker imagined he got stiffer on rainy days. His left foot seemed to drag a bit. If Ryker had to guess, he thought the old guy didn’t have too many good years left.
Ryker swept the area one more time and started to refocus on the man when there was movement off to his right.“Heads up,”he whispered into his headset. He focused on a black SUV with black-out tinting on the windows entering the parking lot. Not a usual vehicle people took to the park. Usually, he’d find the lot filled with Subarus and Jeeps, along with a smattering of minivans.
“Got it,”Rush said. He was stationed in a stand of trees to the left of the bench.
Cash asked,“Any movement in Davis’s SUV? The new vehicle is blocking my view.”He was stationed in a tree behind the bench on the other side of the parking lot.
“Davis hasn’t gotten out.”Flynn was off to the right of the bench. He was lying on another bench in the sunshine, earbuds in and book in hand. Just another spring afternoon at the park.
The black SUV parked, and a man emerged from the front passenger seat. The large newcomer was dressed in a gray summer-weight suit. By the way he paused by the passenger door and scanned the area, Ryker pegged him as part of a security detail. A clone of him hopped out of the backseat and moved out of the way. Finally, a man in a navy suit got out of the back of the SUV and started towards the path that would take him passed the bench and the old man.
Ryker’s gut knotted.
“Shit,”Rush breathed.“That’s Cal Wallingford.”
“Son of a bitch,”Cash muttered.
This was not who he thought would get out of the SUV. Wallingford was supposed to be one of the good ones. This did not bode well.
Wallingford walked up to the old man on the bench and greeted him warmly.“Bill, good to see you.”
“Cal,”the older man acknowledged.
Davis finally got out of the SUV and joined the other two on the bench.
“Cal,”he said but merely eyed the other man.
Cal’s security detail spread out and kept their head on a swivel, as if watching for any potentially threatening activity. Lazlo joined them. They were good but not the best. They hadn’t even glanced in Ryker’s direction. The woods should’ve been searched before their protectee had gotten out of the SUV. It was only a small copse so it wouldn’t have taken long. It’s what Ryker and all his teammates would’ve done. Of course, he’d never let his person take this meeting, so there was that.
“Nice of you to join me,”the old man said as he threw a bit of bread to the ducks.“I’m Bill Parsons. I don’t expect, Senator, that you’ve heard of me. In fact, I would be quite disappointed if you had.”
Davis merely nodded.“Why are we here? Why aren’t we meeting at the usual spot, Cal?”
“Bill wanted to speak with you. He thought it was important the two of you meet.”
Ryker stared through the scope of the rifle. Davis did not look happy.
“Okay.”He shifted his weight and seemed to sigh. It was hard to hear. The transmitter wasn’t great. They hadn’t been able to position the equipment as close as they would have liked to the meeting. Flynn put it in place on his way by earlier and he had to avoid being seen by Davis so it was in a tree about fifteen feet away from the bench.
“Your actions are making people nervous,”Bill stated.
Davis snorted.“I’m doing what I said I would do. I’m galvanizing my base and getting ready to lead.”
“Yes, but it’s the way you’re doing it. You are getting ahead at the expense of your family. That doesn’t play well in the mainstream press. The President doesn’t like it.”
Davis grunted and turned to Cal.“You said the President’s opinion didn’t matter. It could be managed.”
“Now, Austin, that’s not exactly what I said. The President still gets a say. You need to remember that. I’ve told you that the whole drive-by shooting at your niece was not well received.”
“So, it’s fine to send someone to take a shot at me but not at my niece, is that what you want to tell me?”
Bill threw a handful of bread to the ducks and there was a flurry of squawking and flapping of wings, so Ryker missed some of what Parsons said.“…tread lightly. Nothing is ever a done deal until it is.”
Davis glared at Cal.“You said we had a deal. Now this guy, whoever he is, says it’s undecided. Which is it?”he demanded.
Cal lifted his hands in a placating gesture.“Austin, be patient and listen to Bill. He and his friends have the power to make this deal or break it. They know what they’re talking about.”
Davis’s face had turned an interested shade of eggplant. He wasn’t pleased. Not at all.
“We hear rumors that you have something…”Ryker lost the rest of Parsons’ sentence to a mother of twin boys. The toddlers ran up to the ducks, yelling and laughing.
Davis said something Ryker missed and then,“…party to announce….”
Cal frowned.“I’m not sure…could be…”
“Can someone move those kids?”Flynn growled.“Can’t hear a thing.”
The mother of the boys handed them each some torn bread. The ducks had swum away from the boys initially but turned and the flock came back toward them, making the boys squeal even louder.
“…family…time…popular.”Cal finished speaking.
Bill’s voice came through loud and clear again as the boys quieted down.“I appreciate the appeal you’re trying to create but I’m not sure this is the way to go about it.”
Davis let out an exasperated sigh.“This is a prime opportunity, and I won’t miss it. It would be stupid to not utilize it to the fullest.”
Bill glanced up at him.“But…long time…never a good idea.”The boys were screaming and running around again.“I’ve heard rumors…bomb…very bad,”Bill continued.
Bomb? Ryker’s heart skipped a beat.“Did he say bomb?”
The others were silent. They all listened.
“I know you want…just not…fit.”
“What do you mean not a good fit?”Davis demanded sharply.
The mother and the two boys stopped and stared at the men.
Cal sent them a smile.“Now, Austin,”he said in a placating voice,“Bill here is the best at what he does. He is the President’s inner circle. What he says goes. Don’t be stupid.”It was said in a conciliatory tone, but Ryker had been around Cal Wallingford enough to know he was deeply angry at the moment. Davis needed to watch himself.
Davis seemed to rein himself in.“Of course.”His accent got thicker, a sure-fire clue that he was lying through his teeth.“I’m overly anxious is all. You tell me what you think is best and we’ll work it out.”
Bill studied Davis for a long moment and then he stood up.“We’ll be in touch, Senator.”He nodded to Cal and then headed off down the path off to the right. A minute later, he was gone from sight.
“Jesus, Cal, what the fuck was that all about?”Davis snarled.
The mother shot a worried look in their direction and then took her boys by the hands and herded them down the walkway, away from the two men.
“Bill is part of a small inner circle that is the power behind the Presidency. Pissing him off is not a smart move, Austin.”
“He’s an old man with old man views. You and I are the new way of doing things.”Davis heaved a sigh,“But I will do my best to follow along and not piss anyone else off. When does the vote happen?”
Wallingford shrugged.“I don’t know. I’m not privy to it. I assume by the night of the party, they’ll let you know if you can announce or not.”
“Fine. What about that other thing?”Davis demanded.
Cal glared at the man and shook his head. He put his hand out, and one of his security guards came over and handed him a large misshapen manilla envelope. Wallingford handed the envelope to Davis.“Please be sure to use this the right way.”
Davis smiled. As he took the envelope, he looked inside. His smile disappeared.“It’s not enough.”
Wallingford’s entire body froze. Any pretense that he was happy with Davis disappeared.“What do you mean it’s not enough?”
“I mean I have to throw a thirtieth birthday party for my niece. I need more. The Jasmine Door is not cheap.”
Annoyance flashed across Wallingford’s face.“Tread carefully, Austin. Your fan club isn’t as big as you seem to think. If you do something stupid or keep pushing, all of this can be undone. This is all you’re getting. Make it work.”
Davis scoffed.“They need me. They won’t undo anything.”He snapped his fingers and Lazlo came over with the satchel. Davis tucked the large envelope of money inside.“I’m going. Let me know if there’s any change. Otherwise, I will proceed full speed ahead with my plan.”
Wallingford just nodded.
Davis stomped back to his SUV.
Wallingford watched him go and then made a call.“It’s me,”he said.“Not so good. Davis is heavy-handed. Parsons does not seem to be a fan, and I agree.”There was silence and then Wallingford said,“We’ll have to see how it goes, but if he does run, then we’re going to be stuck with him for a while. Let’s just be sure we can all live with that first.”There was more silence and then Wallingford hung up and headed back to his vehicle with his security team. Two minutes later, the park was empty once more.
“Is anyone else confused as hell?”Cash asked.“What the fuck just went down?”
“That’s a good question.”Ryker was as mystified as his teammate.
* * *
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Ryker sent Rush and the others to brief Archer and then Ryker went back to ferrying Davis around. He just couldn’t get his head clear. Archer had no explanation as to why Cal Wallingford would support Davis either. The whole thing was mind-blowing, and it was making Ryker’s head spin.
He finally left the senator’s house a little after eleven. He needed some time to unwind, and he desperately needed sleep. He got in his Porsche and headed out. Twenty minutes later he found himself in front of Vic’s apartment. He didn’t question it. He just parked his car and went up to her place.
As he knocked on her door, part of him hoped she wouldn’t be there. He knew this was a bad idea and he should go home but when the door swung open, the burst of joy that filled his chest at the sight of her drove any thoughts of leaving from his head.
“What are you doing here?”she asked as she stepped back to let him in.
“I…wanted to see how today went. I heard you spent it with Marilee planning the party. How did that go?”
She frowned at him as she flopped down on the couch and dragged a throw blanket over her legs.“Honestly, I feel bad for her. She has her heart set on being the Second Lady. I don’t think it even matters to her that my uncle hasn’t proposed yet or anything. I think she thinks it’s a foregone conclusion.”
Ryker sat down on the other end of the couch.“With any luck, it won’t happen at all so it’s a moot point.”
Vic rubbed her face.“I know that’s what you want but that’s not what she wants. And honestly, if my uncle does become VP, he’s not going to ask her anyway. She’ll serve as a de facto Second Lady but get none of the benefits because my uncle is just that much of an SOB.”
“Sorry, Vic. I know it must have been hard sitting there listening to her.”The edge of her blanket was soft where he twisted his fingers into it.
Vic shrugged.“It just brought it all home to me. This is real. My uncle wants to be VP. It’s scary as hell.”
“Yes, it is.”He knew that wasn’t helpful to hear but it was the truth. It was too late now to start pulling punches with Vic. She deserved the truth.
Vic looked as tired as he felt. He should go. They both needed rest.
Instead, he said,“I followed Davis today to his meeting. He’s getting money from Cal Wallingford. Wallingford is part of the group that is trying to put your uncle in the VP slot.”
Vic stared at him.“But… That makes no sense. He helped you get into my uncle’s circle. He has to know you’re spying on him.”
Ryker shook his head.“I can’t figure it out either. None of us can. They are on opposites of the ideology spectrum. It…defies logic.”He inched his hand higher on the blanket, just nudging her knee.
She didn’t draw away, nor did she stop frowning.“Obviously there’s something we’re missing. I wish this was all over. I just want to be done with Washington. There’s nothing here for me. Not one thing I like about it. It’s time to get the hell out of Dodge.”
Ryker’s heart lurched at her cold words. Not one thing she liked about it…Shit. It was time to go. Time to get out before it was too late. He pulled his hand back to his own knee. Who was he kidding, it was already too late. He had feelings for Vic. A lot of them and she obviously did not feel the same. Time to step back and regain his equilibrium.
He stood.“I’ll let you get some sleep. Don’t take public transport. I’ll have one of the guys pick you up.”
Vic hopped up,“Wait, Ryker, I didn’t mean…that is I was referring to?—”
“It’s okay Vic. I got the message. Loud and clear. I’ll leave you be.”He headed to the door.
Vic threw the blanket aside, then leaped off the couch, flew across the room, and grabbed his arm.
“Don’t go, Ryker. I feel better when you’re here. I don’t want you to go. I want…”she bit her lip.
Ryker waited. He needed her to say it. She’d already stated her thought about what was here for her in D.C., and it wasn’t him. He wasn’t going to make the first move this time.
She stayed silent, watching him.
He reached for the door.
“You,”she blurted out.“I want you.”
He turned back to her.“Are you sure about that? It seemed to take you a while to make up your mind.”
“Yes, I’m sure,”she said as she moved closer. She put her hands on his chest.“Stay with me, Ryker. Stay the night.”
He stared into her big hazel eyes and knew the right thing to do was to walk out the door but he also knew if he only had her for another couple of weeks, then he was going to enjoy every minute of it. He swung her around and put her back against the door, then claimed her mouth in a fierce kiss.