Second Chances(42)

They road the rest of the way in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Nathan paid the driver and then he took Paige's hand and hurried her inside. Night was approaching and he wanted to get her stuff and get out as soon as possible. He knew he was likely being paranoid, but he had a feeling that paranoid was exactly what he needed to be right now.





CHAPTER THIRTY



"We need to move on this right away," Kassar said.

On the computer screen in his little box, Jimmy sat quietly, nodding his head and waiting to see if there were any more instructions for him. The view of Linda was quite different. He could see she was trembling with a hand pressed against the right side of her head.

"I need to get this fiasco cleaned up immediately," Kassar said with a dismissive wave at the screen. "Jimmy, continue what you are doing, I'll get back to you as soon as I have more for you to follow up on. And of course, if you happen to get a lucky hit notify me immediately."

Jimmy nodded and then a moment later his box on Kassar's computer screen disappeared and Linda's box enlarged to fill the void left behind. Kassar could now see the sweat and perhaps tears running down her face. If he wasn't so furious he'd have taken time to enjoy the sight.

"As for you Linda," he said slowly, watching what little color was left in her face drain away. He reached for his mouse and maneuvered the cursor arrow over the the X that would close their connection. "Aloha."

With the connection severed, he yanked on the mouse, ripping it from the computer and hurled it across the room.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten before calmly reaching for his phone. He tapped in a number and waited. The call was answered before the first ring had completed.

"Identify."

"Kassar, Cameron A."

"Authorization code?"

"Omega three three seven nine."

Kassar could hear the keys being hit over the phone.

"Confirmed. Request?"

"I need a cleaning detail, ASAP. San Diego..."

"Negative, ple.."

"What did you say?"

"Please hold."

"Now you listen to me you..."

Before Kassar could finish his threat, the line clicked off and was replaced with a ringing. He was being forwarded. His grip on the phone tightened and with each ring it tightened a little more. After the fourth ring it was answered.

"Cameron," a soft male voice on the other end of the phone purred.

"Dillinger, what is the meaning of this?"

"What is the meaning of this? Yes. Yes. What exactly is the meaning of this? I see you are trying to procure the services of a cleaning detail, hmmm."

"Dillinger I do not have time to..."

"No, no you never seem to have the time. That has always been your problem, hasn't it? That is, if I am not mistaken, how you came to your current assignment. I must say that when I arranged for that all those years ago I figured one of two things would happen."

Kassar almost ripped the phone from the wall. He knew it. He'd always suspected that Dillinger had had a hand in his reassignment, but had never been able to prove it. Now the man was freely admitting it. And that could not be good news.

"One. You would take time to contemplate the errors of your ways. To take the time to understand that there is value in a chain of command and that while fortune may sometimes favor the bold, patience is indeed a virtue. And for very good reason. Sadly as I expected, but did not hope for, you went with number two. You doubled down. You took this project and perverted it. You bent and twisted it to your will. You re-imagined the concept behind the entire thing. I must admit to being more then a little impressed. Horrified but impressed. "

Kassar's hand was aching from the force he was exerting and he wished he had his hands on Dillinger's throat instead of around the phone.

"I've been very disappointed, for numerous reasons, on how you'd twisted this project. I can actually see the value. However, it is quite obvious things were not ready. You rushed things time and again and things went wrong. Or perhaps, knowing you, they went right."

Kassar looked around his office. He could almost feel the man's eyes on him. How did he know?

"Look, Dillinger, you don't underst..."

"Oh but I do. It is you who does not understand. I gave you a very clear warning after the last time. How you chose to take that warning, well your actions have clearly given me your answer. There shall be no further assistance coming."

"But the risk for exposure."

"Rests solely on you. I've seen to that. Your project is and always has been, as far as anyone will ever be able to tell, entirely a creation of you and your department. Exposure begins and ends with you."