Chapter 20

On the second day, after I met Agent Stone, I had the Geek’s report on him. I just hadn’t fully processed it when he called. I was just back from my morning, mile and a quarter, walk. I was having a cup of coffee before I took a shower and dressed for the day.

“Rogers, this is Stone,” he said.

“Morning how is the heating and air conditioning business?” I asked.

“Not bad, I thought we would hear from you before now. You do realize how important our service is to your health and well being?” he asked.

“That depends on what you are offering me,” I said.

“Well we should sit down somewhere and work that out,” Stone suggested.

“Find freedom park, I’ll be there at noon. Bring your own iced tea and lunch if you want it,” I demanded.

While I waited for time to pass, I read and reread Gray Stone’s file from the Geek. Stone had been an army ranger. He had done three tours if Afghanistan before he lost his leg. His leg was missing from the knee down.

He obviously worked his ass off in rehab for two years. He earned an accounting degree from an online college. Of course his next move was to join Federal Bureau of Investigation as a field agent. He was tapped as an anti-terrorism task force agent. He had two years field experience, but he was not the agent in charge on his current assignment. He was merely a one legged field agent.

According to the Geek, he was a proficient in hand to hand combat, and killing in several other way that I could only envy. Not only that, but the geek who I had often suspected of being gay, claimed that Gray was handsome as well. If the wounded warrior had a fault it was his propensity to state his opinion before it was requested. That propensity bordered on insubordination at times. I could almost understand that problem.

When time came I showed up at the park on the scooter. I even carried a bag from McDonalds and a thermos of iced tea. I sat on the bleachers and watched a little league baseball team practice. They were badly in need of a batting coach, but I didn’t volunteer.

I saw the black SUV show up in the parking lot. The darkly tanned man and his very white, just slightly overweight partner walked up to me.

“Ed Rogers, this is Milo. He is my AIC,” Gray said.

“Do you guys like baseball?” I asked.

“Sure,” Gray said.

“Milo?” I asked.

“Too slow for me, I’m a soccer fan,” he suggested. I just nodded.

“So what can we do for you,” Milo asked.

I ignored Milo and asked Grey. “Tell me something, does the weather effect your leg?”

“Sometimes, but I can’t go by the weather forecast,” he explained.

“Yeah I have to get into my early morning walk, to decide what my work day will include,” I admitted.

“Multitasking is something I’ve gotten to be a master at. Not to mention routines. Every thing from making a cup of coffee at home, to washing the car has to be done a certain way,” Gray agreed.

I bet running is a bitch. I’m sure it seems that people who don’t even know about the legs seem to be testing you. It’s all about attitude,” I suggested.

“Yeah, so what can we do for you?” Milo asked trying to stay in the conversation.

“First of all I have no idea. See I didn’t ask for your help. So, if you think I need you in order to do what I have planned. Then you need to get back in your car and go on back to DC.” I snapped.

“Hold on Rogers, we can either help, or make your life miserable while you do your thing.” Milo said.

I was too angry to speak, so I stood to leave without a word. I got to the bottom of the bleachers when Gray spoke. “Hold on Ed. Milo is too used to working with criminals and thugs to get it. He doesn’t understand that we need to work together. That means explaining to you what we have in mind, and you explaining what you have in mind. Then trying to work together to make a mission plan that will work together.”

“Why the fuck is that asshole even here?” I asked.

“Because he is my boss, but that doesn’t make him god,” Gray explained.

“Keep his ass out of a firefight. He might be a victim of friendly fire,” I said. “I will tell you this. My first mission is to take down two asshole thugs from Chechnya. They are naturalized citizens now, so you can’t just deport them. They are the brothers Kalashnikov to me, since I can’t pronounce their names. I’m going to take their cell apart. That is mission number one.”

“So you found out who they are. That was the information Milo hoped to trade for your cooperation,” Gray said.

“I figured that. Here my first gift.” I handed him the printouts on the two European Mafia brothers, and I also included the summary on agent Gray Stone’s history. I’ll give you two hours notice before they die.” I explained.

Okay the hip pain made me decide that Thia was right. I needed a car. I had once owned a Geo Metro and I loved that little beast. I knew that it had no resale value since it was small, under powered, and an orphan. What it did have was an engine tough enough for a tank. So I went looking for a Chopped up Geo that I had seen it in the parking lot of a salvage yard for a couple of weeks.

Someone had converted a hatchback, into a mini pickup truck. It wasn’t a very good job, but there was very little rust on it. What there was seemed to all be surface rust. The engine started right up, but there was a puff of smoke which quickly dissipated. I drove the car around the five acre salvage yard’s road. I pulled it onto a rough dirt and gravel road which ran along side the back of the salvage yard. After a couple of minutes, I was able to get the little car up to forty miles an hour. I didn’t hear any noises, except exhaust noise, so it seemed okay. The transmission didn’t slip at all. I was pretty comfortable paying five hundred dollars in cash for the little beast...