Chapter 78

I went down the corridor to the steps, with Jubal following closely behind me. I explained where we were going and how the wall opened on a metal track so that the door, which was also fireproof, could open but from the office you couldn't tell the difference between it and the paneling on the wall. When we got there, I climbed up the metal steps to the door. Before I opened it I reached up and flipped a switch to activate the small video camera which was mounted in the ceiling. When it came on, I saw my boss and another man in a suit talking. I motioned Jubal to climb up beside me. When he got next to me although it was a little tight, the steps were wide enough for both of us to stand on the small platform in front of the door. I motioned to the camera and reached up and flipped another switch which would let us hear as well as automatically record their conversation. I had installed this after Tiny finished the remodeling of my office a few days back. The recording and the camera were on separate devices so I knew everything I saw and heard would be recorded. Sid, my boss was speaking when the sound came on for us to listen.

Sid: I told you not to pull your men back, Glen. You knew the President's orders as well as I did. If something's happened to Morgan or any of his family, your head's gonna roll on this one.

Glen: Don't you think I know that, dammit? I have eight men with serious wounds and four that will take at least a month to heal. Where the hell did these people get their training? They were hell on wheels, even the two women. We didn't have any idea that any of their hit squads were in the US, let alone after Morgan.

Sid: Dammit, Glen, didn't you hear what that one said before she died? She clearly said they were after the chosen one and the kid. Dammit, the shit's gonna hit the fan when this gets back to the President. Glen, she had dual citizenship, just like her kid. They are both under the protection of France as well as us. We, or I should say you, dropped the ball on this one. What I want to know is where in the hell they all disappeared to. The security guard says they were all in the house when Morgan shot the one at the gate to save him. According to him, Morgan came out of nowhere just when he was getting ready to shoot the guard in the head.

Glen: Yeah, I had a quick look at Morgan's jacket on the way out here. He seems to be a little trigger happy, Sid. He has been in too many shoot outs for my taste since he became a Marshal.

Sid: Glen, there's a lot you don't know about Morgan. I have to remind you that every shooting he has been in has been righteous. They were fully investigated by your department and he was cleared every time. Glen, we have been friends for a lot of years, so let me offer you a little advice, don't mess with Jon Morgan. He is not your ordinary Marshal nor is he what he appears to be on the jacket you have. Between you and me, he has more experience and smarts in battle as well as experience than you or I and half of our departments.

Before he could say anything else there was a knock at the office door and a suit came in and reported to Glen.

"Sir, we have all the wounded transported and the coroner is loading the dead. We searched the house and there is no trace of the occupants. It's like they disappeared into thin air. We did find several automatic weapons though, do you want us to confiscate them?"

This time it was Sid who spoke and he went off.

"Not only no, but hell no! He is licensed to own them, and who the hell gave you permission to search his house? If I remember correctly, you were to look for survivors only, not tear the house up. If you did you're in deep shit, agent. Tell your men that house better be spotless and put those damned weapons back where you found them. We will be out in a little bit and then we will continue the search for the family."

"Yes sir!" He almost ran back out the door, slamming it in his haste to leave. Sid turned to Glen with a thoughtful look on his face.

I turned to look at Jubal and he was grinning and trying to suppress his laughter. I glared at him and he almost dropped the 47 he was holding to put his hand over his mouth. The voice of Sid caught my attention again and I looked back at the little monitor in front of us.

Sid: Glen, because we are friends, I am going to clue you in on a few things, but it doesn't go beyond this room. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Glen: I got it, but why are you telling me? I think you should be covering your ass, just like I am going to do, Sid.

I watched as Sid almost went off, but to my surprise, he took a deep breath and spoke like he was talking to a child in a classroom.

Sid: Glen, if we weren't friends I would tell you to go to hell for that remark. It's your job and reputation on the line, not mine. You were the one who volunteered to keep him and his family safe. Glen, Jon Morgan is an Interpol agent as well as a Marshal. He also is an assistant director for Interpol. Glen, he spent seven years plus in the French Foreign Legion as a Sergeant and has fought all over Africa and Algiers. He holds France's highest medal which is equivalent to our Medal of Honor. Glen, he is considered one of the best France ever had, and the Presidents, theirs and ours, have nothing but the highest regard for him. No, Glen, if something has happened to his family or friends, it's you who will be hung out to dry, not me. This was your detail and you failed. I suggest you think about what you're going to say to the President when he calls wanting to know who screwed the pooch.

I watched Glen's face as what Sid said sunk in, and it was all I could do to keep from laughing at the different expressions that crossed his face. This time it was me who put my hand across my mouth and Jubal was almost red, he was fighting back the laughter so hard. Jubal whispered to me and I had to bite my arm to keep the laughter in.

"Jon, this is almost as much fun as I used to have watching Farley and some of his drunk girlfriends when I was a kid. I used to win bets with myself, wondering who was gonna pass out first, Farley in the middle of a kiss or the woman with her top half off."

I kicked him in the shin and had to bite my arm harder. I could taste the copper taste of blood as I turned back to the monitor to get myself under control. It was hard with Jubal snickering quietly beside me. I got turned just in time to see Glen take a deep breath before he spoke to Sid again.

Glen: Shit, shit, shit, I worked for almost twenty years, day and night to get my own department, and now because some asshole in the government decides to keep secrets, I have thrown my career away. Damn, Sid, if I had only known, I would have assigned more men to his home and family. Why wasn't I told all of this from the get go?

Sid: If it's any consolation, Glen, I just found out most of it last month when he sent in all that information he found on those tapes from the church. The President about had a heart attack when he found out how many of his staff were on the church's payroll. Glen, the other two men that were here with him are both Ex-Navy Seals and have been working with Interpol undercover for the last month. From all I could find out, they are two mean sons a bitches who don't know when to quit. I think if there hadn't been kids and women here they could have handled those hitters all by themselves. Hell, it took our demo man almost an hour to disarm those explosives in that little cottage out back, not counting the other ones in the trees and other places. No, Glen, I think they were capable of killing all of them if they hadn't had the women and kids here. I just can't understand where the hell they disappeared to. We better get back out there and make sure none of our men tear anything else up that we will have to explain to our bosses later.