Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

“Steve,” he said quietly into the phone. “If you come anywhere near this house with her I will kill her and feed her to the crabs. Under no uncertain terms bring that person here. I will not be responsible for my actions to protect my property and family and that includes my team,” and he hung up. The team clapped their hands and a thought went through agent Jones’s head: what will happen now he wondered? Well, I’m just along for the ride and the experience and too low on the ladder to be drug into an interdepartmental squabble.

It was close to midnight when the phone rang on Brad’s private line. The story was told about the phone call to the team at breakfast the next morning after their early morning run. Brad told them that Nancy Longstreet had been raked over the coals and would Brad meet them in a neutral location. Brad agreed only if the governor of California, Oregon and Washington were at the meeting along with the Director of the FBI at his father’s house in Palm Springs in two days’ time. “He will call me before noon today with an answer.”

Two days later Brad and Sujin flew to Palm Springs. His mother was excited her daughter in law was coming. She also knew an important meeting was scheduled and that didn’t faze her at all. Just another in a line of important meetings she thought. Talking about grandkids was vastly more important than an ole meeting between bunches of gray haired old men.

Brad was with his father behind closed doors in the study. Sujin and Brad’s mother sat under an umbrella by the pool drinking fresh fruit juice. Brad’s mother, whose name was Gwen, was saying, “I hate to be blunt my dear, but you know we would really like to have a grandchild. We see little of you and forgive my intrusion upon your private affairs.”

Sujin noticed a kindly look in her mother in law’s eyes and took a deep breath and said, “Well you won’t have to wait much longer Mrs. Pratt, I’m pregnant and we just found out last night after taking a pregnancy test.” Tears ran down Gwen’s cheeks and she held her summer dress tight against her neck like someone would steal her next words.

“Oh Sujin, does your mother know yet? I’m just beside myself with happiness and I can’t wait to tell Phillip. He will be so proud. Of course he would want a boy, but I will take what God gives us,” she said with undying gratitude. She felt her life was complete now and so many thoughts ran through her head. She and Phillip had discussed moving to Florida, but now they would postpone and wait until the baby was born. Palm Springs was much closer than Florida and they would want to be near their grandchildren. The girls sat at the pool for a long time talking about babies and what if it was a girl and what if it was a boy.

Meanwhile tension in the air in the study was so thick it was like the tall rough at the U.S. Open golf tournament. You would have to hack your way through the tension entering the room.

In the room sat Brad, Steve and the governor of California. They were waiting for the others to arrive and he meeting was scheduled for one pm. It was now just before noon and the discussion centered on what Brad thought the killer would do next and the question of what to do with special agent Nancy Longstreet. Brad told them the ‘A’ theory about the cities in Washington, but now that the cat was out of the bag, would the Senior Killer change his plans or would he be brazens enough to go through with his plan right in front of the FBI.

Brad’s father cautioned his son on overreacting and to let the powers to be handling the chain of command to decide what to do. Steve agreed and Brad said he would let it develop for the time being. Then a knock on the door announced lunch was served in the dining room.

Gwen couldn’t help but tell her husband the good news at the lunch table. He took the news in stoic stride and the governor shook Brad’s hand and gave him a hug. Brad’s face was red and Sujin had downcast eyes as were her Asian culture traditional custom. Once the excitement slowly diminished lunch was served. After lunch the men sat at the pool and drank coffee or tea waiting for the others to arrive. At one o’clock the two governors of Oregon and California arrived and just after that, the FBI director and Nancy Longstreet made their appearance.

The meeting took place around the large dining room table. Brad’s father took his usual place at the head and the others sat where they wanted. The Director took the other end of the table with Nancy, eyes on fire, sat next to him. Brad was next to his father with Steve across from him. Steve stood up and was about to say something when the doorbell rang. A minute of silence and a knock on the door produced two men in black suits announcing they were secret service and would it be permitted to check the house as the president of the United States waited in his limo. Everyone looked at one another and just the smallest of a grin on Brad’s face was never seen by anyone.

Phillip and the all the rest of them including Nancy stood up and waited for the president to enter the room. He didn’t wait for the secret service to check the house out and strode in with his usual confident self. He shook hands with everyone except the FBI director and Nancy, but he did acknowledge her presence. He wasted no time as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Phillip and asked that all be seated. Phillip drew his chair off to the side a little ways to give the president the head of the table. The president spoke.

“None of you here, save the Director and Steve have any idea the pressure of the serial killer has put me under. My advisors tell me the press conference the other night damaged our investigation and put one of our agencies under the spotlight. I gave you, Mr. Director specific instructions to work with Brad’s team. You were observed to have spent less than three minutes at the breakfast meeting leaving your special agent and Brad to work out what needed to be discussed. I find this intolerable and a gross dereliction of duty forgetting you direct orders from me and your sworn testimony of the office you hold. Now Mr. Director I expect to have your letter of resignation on my desk by today eight o’clock Eastern Time. You are now excused from this meeting and Ms. Longstreet you will remain here as I’m not through just yet.”

The FBI Director’s mouth was hanging open as was Nancy who finally realized what a gross mistake she and the Director had made. She realized there was no way out and she would be on the street by this time tomorrow. The former Director left as a car waited for him at the curb. In the meantime, the president was talking to Brad off in the corner of the room close to his ear. Only a minute passed and one could see Brad’s head nod a yes to whatever the president was saying. They all sat back down and the president continued his speech.

“You all know and I don’t have to tell you how important this is to the citizens of this country. I will tolerate no more mistakes and from this point on the person in charge of this case are Brad Pratt and his team. Nancy,” and her mouth fell open again and she looked through terrified eyes at the president, “you will go with Brad to a place of his choosing and I will give you twenty seconds to decide that he will be your boss and if you cross the line one more time, you will, as I heard that Brad mentions you would be crab food, I will let him carry out that threat with my approval.” At that he waited for her to respond and it wasn’t long in coming.

“I will agree to your terms and do my best for my country.” The president with his beady eyes stared at her to make sure she realized he was giving her a chance to redeem herself and left the room, but not without shaking hands with the others and surprisingly Nancy’s too.