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"And others."
"Do you know who likely just called Senator Jackson?"
The bartender leaned forward, a smile crawled across her face. "And you want to know, why?"
Addy grinned and shrugged a shoulder. "I think he might be in trouble."
"No shit." She picked up a bar rag and swiped across the top of the bar in front of where the senator and Henry had sat, then looked her way again.
"What does that mean? Is it common knowledge that the senator is in trouble?"
"Let's just say he's been poking a stick at all the bears these days. He's so bitter about losing his senate seat and he's blaming everyone for not helping him. When someone yells too loudly, people do things to shut them up. I've seen it happen time and again."
"As in what kind of things?"
"Their bills are suddenly not pushed through. They lost staff members to other staff members. They don't get reelected. And some of them get un-alived."
"As in who got un-alived?"
The bartender took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll just say, if you look up the murders in this area over the past two years, you'll see a very long list. Granted this town is a shithole of epic proportions. But, have you noticed that most of these murders are nothing more than a quick mention on the evening news and then nothing is spoken of again. The family members quietly move away. No one screams and yells that justice isn't being done here. Nothing. People are just dead and no one is held accountable."
"Why do you stay here?"
She shook her head and looked down at the bar. When she raised her head, her eyes were glistening and her nose had a pinkish color to it. "I barely make enough money here to pay my rent, let alone be able to afford to move. I would if I could. Believe me."
"Shanelle, are you having trouble or telling secrets?"
She looked up to see the red-haired man from the end of the bar had joined them. Addy looked at him, up close he had small blue eyes, and his lashes were nearly invisible. "It's just girl talk."
Shanelle stiffened and wiped the bar in front of her. The red-haired man watched Shanelle for a moment, then walked toward the back door that Henry and the senator had gone through.
Addy pulled a card from her pocket, it was a simple business card they each had with basic information on it. GHOST used a fictitious name on the card, GV Security. Her first name and a phone number that ran through the GHOST computers first and then to her. Every call was recorded and mapped. They only used them sparingly. "If you ever need help, or feel as though you are in trouble, please call me."
Shanelle looked at the card, then into her eyes. "I figured you were more than just a tourist."
Addy winked at her. "Remember, if you need help, call me."
Addy turned to see Myles watching them. She was eager to see if Henry had any luck with the senator. Weaving through the crowd, which had grown a bit since they'd arrived an hour ago, she had to school her features to not grimace as the leaches that hung out here bumped into her. Stepping out the back door she finally took a full breath.
Myles exited behind her. "What a shithole."
"The whole town is."
"Right." Myles stepped to the edge of the property and looked down the alleyway behind the building. "Henry, where are you?"
A tapping sound came over the comm unit before Henry's voice. "I'm in the truck."
"Roger."
She ambled along the alley with Myles alongside. Both of them watched every nook and cranny along the way. It was fairly dark and the entrances to some of the places didn't have a light over the door, making it inky black.
Stepping onto U Street the activity was in direct opposition to the quietness of the alley. People whizzed past on rented scooters and e-bikes. Tourists walked along the sidewalk looking in every direction except where they were going.
Arriving at the truck, she hopped into the passenger seat. Myles climbed in behind her. Henry turned to them, "The senator called a car and took off without saying much. He did manage to mumble that his number is up. And, he said, "’Good thing Wade knows.’"
"Who’s Wade?" She asked.
"I have a call in to Tate to find out if he knows."
