The Whole Truth

CHAPTER 84

IT HAD TAKEN the selling of stocks and bonds, the liquidation of retirement funds, the pilfering of corporate accounts, and the rifling of safety deposit boxes, but Pender had raised the twenty million. He rose early on the second day after he had spoken to Katie James. He would now make arrangements for the wire transfer. He was desperately hoping the bonus from Creel would be closer to eight figures to compensate him for this unforeseen out-of-pocket expense. After that, he prayed he could put this whole ugly business behind him.

Divorced with two children in college and another a high school senior at an elite private school in Washington, Pender lived in a mansion in McLean, Virginia, home of many of the Washington area’s politically famous, or infamous, depending on one’s perspective. He loved his freedom, was immersed in his work, and his only sexual encounters were of the random variety, occasionally involving a young female employee trying to get a leg up in more ways than one. He preferred it that way – no commitments. He had never understood why a man as smart as Nicolas Creel would keep marrying women whose heads contained about as much brain matter as their breasts.

He had the twenty million, it was true, and he would wire it out. But what if James went ahead and wrote the story? Or what if she asked for more money? Or, even worse, what if Creel found out?

It will work. It has to.

He showered, dressed, gulped down a glass of orange juice, grabbed his briefcase, and headed out.

When he reached his garage, Dick Pender’s world suddenly turned black.

He awoke several hours later, on a cot in a small room. The only light came from a bright, shadeless lamp on a table. As he sat up and slowly looked around he could sense someone was in here with him, behind the wash of light from the lamp. He put his hand up to shield his eyes from the glare.

“What the hell is going on?” he said as bravely as he could, which wasn’t brave at all really as his voice cracked, his lips quivered, and he was nearly hyperventilating.

The big, angry-looking man stepped out from behind the light and Pender immediately shrank back against the wall.

A voice came at Pender from somewhere, he wasn’t sure.

“We only brought you here to keep you safe.”

The door opened, the overhead lights came on, and Pender found himself blinking rapidly. His face sagged when he saw who’d entered the room.

“You?” Pender said.

“Me,” Nicolas Creel answered as Caesar stood silently behind him.