Chapter 39
CHAPTER
THE NEXT MORNING WHEN HE arrived back in town Nash went straight from the airport to the office. He had phoned home and spoken to his wife, who sounded like she was coming down with a cold. When he asked about Maggie, Judith said that she was in her room working away, probably on the new proposal.
“I love you,” Judith had said before clicking off.
Nash sat at his desk working on his day job.
He had given the FBI a great deal of information, and he had decided to let them toil away on it before he started sifting for more incriminating material.
He also knew that he would soon have to sit down and have a talk with his family about what he was engaged in.
But then the warnings the FBI had given him about indiscretions leading to the deaths of Cho, Singer, and possibly Lombard came back to him.
He closed his eyes and thought about what his father would do. He suddenly wished he could pick up the phone and ask for advice from the former soldier.
But maybe I can do the next best thing.
He took the card from his pocket and made the call.
“Walter?” said Shock. “You all right?”
“I’m calling in the request my dad made to you to help me if I needed it. See, I’m in a bit of a mess and I need your advice. And it’s better to do it in person. And maybe not in town, if you can manage it.”
To his credit Shock asked no questions, but simply gave Nash precise instructions on where to meet him in two hours.
Nash left his office and took an Uber to the train station. There he hopped on a commuter rail to the next town over. From there he took not the first or second available taxi, but the third.
Shock was driving it.
“How’d you manage the taxi?” asked Nash.
“Buddy of mine owns the company. I actually have my chauffeur’s license. Long story not worth telling.”
As they left the station, Shock looked in the mirror and said, “So talk to me.”
Forty-five minutes later, Nash finished.
During the whole of that time Shock had driven in an ever-widening circle around the area, and had asked no questions.
He simply listened to Nash’s extraordinary recap of all that had transpired from the moment the FBI had walked into his life on the night of his father’s funeral right up until the events in New York the previous evening with Agents Morris and Braxton.
“Damn, Walter. I thought it was some stupid business shit you were involved in. I have to say, in a way—a significant way, in fact—that I’m proud of you. And Ty would be, too. Your country needed you and you stepped up to the plate.”
“But what do I do, Shock? This is not my world.”
“From how you’ve already helped the FBI, I’d say it’s very much your world.”
“The business stuff I can handle. It’s everything else. The violence. My family…”
Nash could not help himself. He started to weep. His heart was suddenly pulsing so fast he thought he might be having a heart attack.
Shock slowed the car’s speed, observed this, and said, “Okay, four in, hold for four, four out, hold for four, Walter. Like I know your daddy taught you. Panic attack, nothin’ else. I know it, you know it. Take back control. Your heart does what your brain tells it to. Do it, son. Now.”
One minute later Nash’s pulse was normal and he was no longer crying.
He wiped his eyes and face clear and looked at Shock’s reflection in the mirror.
“If I don’t tell my family what’s going on, well, it will be a huge and disruptive event when the truth does come out.
But if I do tell them, it might endanger all of us. ”
“What I would do if I were you, is get all the stuff the Bureau needs. Then, if you’re still livin’, you lay it all out for Judith and Maggie.
Everythin’. Then you guys disappear with a shitload of money and start a new life somewhere else.
Why worry them now if you don’t have to? And maybe have somethin’ leak?”
“I… I suppose you’re right.”
“It don’t matter a damn if I think it’s right, Walter. You have to believe that the decision you make is the right one. You got one helluva logical mind, so use it.”
More miles passed in silence and Nash finally nodded. “Once I’ve fulfilled my mission for the government, I’ll tell them. Right before we get on a private flight to a destination unknown. And with the money we’ll be fine. Far better than most people. I shouldn’t complain.”
“The hell you shouldn’t. Them boys are messin’ up your life big-time. Now, the government gonna do right by you with the money? After Nam and Agent Orange I don’t trust them muthers one lick.”
“They’ve already paid some of it. It’s only ten percent so far, but it was actually more than I thought they were going to give me in total.” He looked out the window. “We can head on back now.”
As they returned to the train station Nash said, “Have you ever heard of Victoria Steers?”
Shock glanced at him in the mirror. “Shit, she’s involved?”
“So you know of her?”
“I’ve only heard her name once, Walter. It was in connection with a client of mine. He had business in the Far East, maybe not so legit if you know what I mean. Shady kind ’a guy tryin’ to play legit. He crossed her path. He told me a little about her before he headed back there.”
“What happened with her and him?”
“Don’t know. Man never made it back to tell me.”
Nash slowly nodded. “Look, just to face facts and using my logical mind, it’s doubtful that I will survive this, Shock. But the government has agreed to protect Judith and Maggie for as long as needed.”
“You think they gonna keep their word?”
“I hope so. I have no real way to force them.”
“I can look after them, Walter.”
“I’ve endangered you just by this meeting. I… I simply wanted some advice from a person I could trust. And with my parents gone, well, you were the only one I could think of.”
“I appreciate that. But just so you know, my whole life has basically been one long shitstorm after another. And I’m still standin’.”
They reached the station and Nash opened the car door to get out.
Before he did, Shock reached over and put a big hand on his shoulder.
“You’re not alone, Walter. Remember that, all right? Sure, you got the FBI. And you got your family. But now you got me, too.”
“Thank you. That really… means a lot.”
Shock watched him all the way into the station before driving off.