that one’s features made a difference. Yet the truth was they did,
particularly when one dealt with an overwhelmingly male audience, as
she had for her entire career.
The broad smiles she received when entering a senator’s office were not
so much due to her gray matter, she knew, as to the above-the-knee
skirts she favored. Sometimes it was as simple as dangling a shoe. She
was talking about children dying, families living in sewers in far-off
lands, and these men were fixated on toe cleavage. God, testosterone
was a man’s greatest weakness and a woman’s most powerful advantage.
At least it helped to level a playing field that had always been tilted
in favor of the males.
“It’s nice to be so well loved,” said Faith. “But picking me up in an
alley. Coming out here in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night.
That’s a little much, don’t you think?”
“Your walking into the Washington Field Office just wasn’t an option.
You’re the star witness in what could be a very important
investigation. This place is safe.”
“You mean it’s perfect for an ambush. How do you know we haven’t been
followed?”
“We’ve been followed, all right. By our people. If anyone else had
been around, believe me, our people would’ve noticed it before sending
us on. We had a tail car until we turned off the highway. There’s
nobody back there.”
“So your people are infallible. I wish I had that kind of people
working for me. Where do you find them?”
“Look, we know what were doing, okay? Relax.” Even as he said this,
though, he checked the mirror again.
He glanced at the cell phone lying on the front seat, and Faith could
easily read his thoughts. “Suddenly wanting backup?” Newman glanced
sharply at her but said nothing. “Okay, so let’s get to the principal
terms,” she said. “What do I really get out of all this? We’ve never
quite nailed it down.” When Newman still didn’t respond, she studied
his profile for a minute, sizing up his nerve. She reached over and
touched his arm.
“I took a lot of risk to do what I’m doing,” she said. She felt him
tense through his suit jacket where her fingers rested. She kept her
fingers there, applied slightly more pressure. Her fingertips could
now distinguish the material of his jacket from that of his shirt. As
he turned slightly toward her, Faith was able to see the bulletproof
vest he was wearing. The saliva in her mouth suddenly evaporated,
along with her composure.
Newman glanced at her. “I’ll give it to you straight. What exactly
your deal will be, that’s not up to me. So far, you haven’t really
given us anything. But play by the rules and everything will be okay.
You’ll cut your deal, you’ll give us what we need and pretty soon
you’ll have a new identity selling seashells on Fiji, while your
partner and his playmates become long-term guests of the government.
Don’t revel in it, don’t think too much about it, just try to survive
it. Remember, were on your side here. We’re the only friends you
have.”
Faith sat back, finally drawing her gaze from the body armor. She
decided it was time to drop her bombshell. She may as well try it out
on Newman instead of Reynolds. In some ways, Reynolds and she had hit
it off. Two women in a sea of men. In many subtle ways, the female
agent had understood things a man never would have. In other ways,
however, they had been like two alley cats circling around fish
bones.
“I want to bring in Buchanan. I know I can get him to do it. If we
work together, your case will be much stronger.” She said all of this
quickly, vastly relieved to have it finally out.
Newman’s face betrayed his astonishment. “Faith, were pretty flexible,
but were not cutting a deal with the guy who, according to you,
masterminded this whole thing.”
“You don’t understand all the facts. Why he did it. He’s not the bad
person in all this. He’s a good guy.”
“He broke the law. According to you, he corrupted government