299 Days: The Restoration

Chapter 327 Reconciliation Starts… Tomorrow

Grant was in Olympia for a few days between speaking engagements for the ReconComm. He still hadn’t heard from Lisa. He had written her off and had other things on his mind.

Grant needed to visit someone. The Team was enjoying some R&R in Olympia, so he arranged for a State Patrol EPU detail to take him where he needed to go.

“Sorry to trouble you guys,” he said to the EPU agents, “but I gotta have a political discussion. It’s all hush-hush.”

“No problem at all, Commissioner Matson,” the senior agent said. “It’s an honor to be on your detail.”

The younger agent, who was driving, asked, “Where to, sir?”

“Meconni’s,” Grant said, “You know, the sandwich shop.”

“You got it, sir,” the younger agent said.

When they got to the Meconni’s parking lot, Grant said, “Hey, guys, I’m trying to lay low in town here. Do you mind if I have someone in the car. It’s sensitive and we don’t want to be seen in the restaurant.”

“We’ll be outside the vehicle, sir,” the senior agent said. Maybe Commissioner Matson was meeting a girlfriend. He didn’t seem like that kind of guy, but maybe.

“Thanks, guys,” Grant said, “I appreciate it.” He added, “I’m very well armed so I can handle anything, unless of course, I can’t and that’s when you guys jump on in.”

“Roger that, sir,” the senior agent said as he and the younger agent took up positions in the Meconni’s parking lot.

Grant got into the driver’s seat and put the keys in the ignition. At exactly 2:00 p.m., a man came walking up to the parking lot. Grant rolled down the window to the unmarked State Patrol car.

“Hey, Jason, need a date?”

The man looked stunned and then recognized that it was Grant.

“Get in,” Grant said as he unlocked the passenger door.

The man got in.

“Okay,” Jason Wallace said, “to what do I owe the pleasure of this unusual rendezvous?”

“I need a favor, warden.”

Grant proceeded to make his request.

“I dunno,” Jason said after hearing it. “This is super illegal.”

“Oh,” Grant said. “I know. Not only is it illegal, but it destroys my credibility and the Governor’s — if I get caught.”

“You won’t get caught,” Jason said as he sat up straight, “I have total control over everything that happens at the old Olympia High School prison.” He was proud of that fact and he was going to prove it by doing Grant that favor. That hugely illegal and politically destructive favor. Because it was something Jason had wanted to do for a long time.

“Thanks, Jason,” Grant said. “I owe you, man.”

“No, you don’t,” Jason said, “Pardoning my cousin repaid me in full.”

“I would have recommended his pardon anyway, Jason.”

“I know,” Jason said, “but it makes it easier for me to justify what I’m about to do.”

Grant smiled.

He remembered the speech he gave at the Delphi Road overpass when they caught that teenage kid texting their position to the Limas. Instead of shooting the little bastard, like they were perfectly entitled to do, Grant told the 17th and the Delphi guards, “Reconciliation starts today,” and then he proceeded to merely hammer and tag the kid.

Well, Grant admitted to himself, given what he did today, reconciliation starts tomorrow. He was taking this day off from reconciliation and letting revenge have just one day. He owed it to all those poor souls under the Clover Park football field.