The Zero Game

11

“Nice to see you, Barb,” I say, plowing through the lobby of Pasternak & Associates and throwing an air kiss to the security guard.

She grabs the kiss and tosses it aside. Always the same joke. “How’s Stevens?” she asks.

“Old and rich. How’s… how’s your hubby?”

“You forgot his name, didn’t you?”

“Sorry,” I stutter. “Just one of those afternoons.”

“Everybody has ’em, sweets.” It doesn’t make me feel any better. “You here to see Barry?”

I nod as the elevator dings. Barry’s on the third floor. Pasternak’s on the fourth. Stepping inside, I hit the button marked 4. The moment the doors close, I slump against the back wall. My smile’s gone; my shoulders sag. In my pocket, I fiddle with the page’s nametag. The elevator rattles upward. All the way to the top.

With a ping, the doors slide open on the fourth floor, and I squeeze outside into the modern hallway with its recessed lighting. There’s a receptionist on my right. I go left. Pasternak’s assistant’ll never buzz me through. There’s no choice but to go around. The hallway ends at a frosted-glass door with a numeric keypad. I’ve seen Barry enter it a hundred times. I punch in the code, the lock clicks, and I shove my way inside. Just another lobbyist making the rounds.

Decorated like a law firm but with a bit more attitude, the halls of Pasternak & Associates are covered with stylish black-and-white photos of the American flag waving over the Capitol, the White House, and every other monument in the city — anything to show patriotism. The message to potential clients is clear: Pasternak lobbyists embrace the system — and work within it. The ultimate inside job.

Wasting no time, I avoid all offices and make a sharp right toward the back, past the kitchenette. If I’m lucky, Pasternak will still be in the conference room, away from his-

“Harris?” a voice calls out behind me.

I spin back and paint on a fake grin. To my surprise, I don’t recognize the face.

“Harris Sandler, right?” he asks again, clearly surprised. His voice creaks like a loose floorboard, and his green hangdog eyes have a silent darkness to them. They lock on to me like a bear trap. Still, the only thing I’m concerned with is the blue and yellow FBI windbreaker he’s wearing.

“Can I talk to you a moment?” the man asks as he points me back toward the conference room. “I promise… it’ll only take a second.”