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“Well, don’t be,” Rapp replied, “I’ve got it under control.”
“It sure the hell doesn’t look like it.” Ridley turned and walked over to O’Brien.
Looking at Nash, Rapp said, “What in the hell is wrong with him?”
“Mitch,” Nash said in a tired voice, “you just don’t get it sometimes.”
Rapp looked slightly taken aback. “Now I’m getting it from you too, junior.”
Nash put his right hand on his hip and looked at the ground. “It doesn’t look good out there.”
“Everything is going exactly the way I thought it would.”
“Does that include you going to jail?”
“I’m not going to jail. I can promise you that.”
“What about us?”
“You don’t see them asking you any questions, do you?”
“Not yet. That’s the problem with these things, Mitch. They have a way of growing. You said it yourself. Before this is over there’ll be another five committees looking into what happened.”
“Let ’em.”
“And you don’t think that’s going to take a toll on us? Both personally and professionally?”
“I’m the one they’re after.”
“There’s no doubt about that,” said Nash dully, “but this isn’t going to be a precision air strike. It never is, with these guys. They’re gonna carpet-bomb us and you can’t guarantee that a few of us won’t go down in the process.”
Rapp sighed, “So that’s what you guys are so glum about?”
“Yeah,” Nash said in hushed voice. “We have families, Mitch. Maggie is scared to death that Feds are going to show up one day and take me away in cuffs. Right in front of the children. Right in the middle of frickin’ dinner. She has the nightmare once a week at least. There’re countries I can’t go to now because that goddamn rendition program got leaked. Italy! We went there on our honeymoon and now we can’t go back. This shit is wearing on our families. You look at Rob over there.” Nash pointed to Ridley. “He’s got three kids he has to put through college. How in the hell do you think he’s going to do that if these asses get him fired and take away his pension? How in the hell do you think he’s going to afford the attorneys he’s going to have to hire to try and keep his ass out of jail?”
Rapp nodded as if he finally understood this for the first time, but he didn’t. This was central to why he was forcing the issue. He turned to O’Brien and Ridley, who were talking in the other corner. “Guys, come here.”
The two men shared a few more words and then joined Rapp and Nash.
“Gentlemen, maybe I haven’t been clear enough with you. Chuck,” Rapp said to O’Brien, “I think you probably understand this more than these two because Irene has been keeping you in the loop.” Rapp grinned and added, “Your kids are all out on their own, an
d being the salty prick that you are, you’ve put in enough time that you can tell every one of those senators to stick it right up their ass if you feel like.”
“That’s right,” O’Brien said without smiling.
“So my comments are more directed at these two, but I think you’ll want to hear them as well.” Rapp looked at Nash and then Ridley and said, “We’ve spent the last six years avoiding this fight. And I mean this shit right here.” Rapp pointed at the ground. “This committee. We’re like an invading army that keeps bypassing cities because we know things are going to get ugly if we go in and try to clean the rat bastards out block by block. We’ve avoided the problem, and now because we didn’t do it right the first time we have this insurgency on our hands. Our supply lines are all fucked up and our confidence is shot. We spend every day looking over our shoulders wondering if our government is going to ambush us.” Nash and Ridley shared a sad knowing exchange and nodded.
Rapp leaned in a few inches and said, “Well, I’m done fucking around. And as two retired Marine combat officers you two should understand this better than most. This fight with the Hill has been coming regardless of whether or not we want it. You know the tactics…if a fight is unavoidable then you might as well pick the time and the place. Take some of the guesswork out of the equation and take the battle to the enemy. As to why I decided to force the issue now…you guys both know the answer to that. This third cell we’ve been worried about…we’ve hit a wall. We don’t know where to even start looking for these guys.”
“So what is all this going to accomplish?” Nash asked. “You trying to put yourself up on the cross? I don’t get it.”
“I’m not into the martyr thing,” Rapp grinned. “You know that. What I’m trying to do is bring this thing to a head.”
“Why?” asked Ridley. “Why now?”
“Because I think we’re going to get hit. And I just told you, I’d rather choose the time and place of the fight. Have you noticed that not a single senator has bothered to ask me why I would take such a gamble running an op like this?”
The other three men shared a look and said, “No.”
