Robert Waggoner - John - The Senior Killer

It was then Brad stood up and said, “let me fill you in on our plan and then we will let Nancy fill us all in on current developments, if any.” Brad then told them of the ‘A’ plan, but not the details. He further told them this was only a best guess scenario and it had a forty percent chance of being correct. He went to say, “We have no idea what he will do now that the press conference is over and he has added information from which to either change his plan or maybe he will throw it in our faces.”

For the next thirty minutes discussions were heard around the table and when it came to Nancy, she told them no new developments had occurred in the last few days. At that the meeting was over and the governors departed for their respective agendas. After seeing them out the door, Brad told Nancy to follow him and they went to the side of the pool for some much needed air and refreshments. Brad didn’t realize how tall she was. She was as tall as his six foot plus height. She walked a little awkward due to her height and had a slump to her shoulders from walking slouched over self-conscience of her height when young, he thought.

Sitting down at the pool side he noticed she was visibly shaking. I guess I might be too if the president fired my boss and then gave me only seconds to make a career decision, or most likely be thrown to the wolves for dinner. Let’s see what she is made of, he thought. The maid brought them fresh juice and they sat there quietly for a few minutes as she stared at the juice in her hands. Finally she lifted her head and Brad noticed her eyes still held a contemptible look. It was then he knew she might not make it, but maybe with Wendy’s help and agent Jones she might turn out an asset rather than a liability.

She said, “What will you do with me?”

“I’ll put you to work,” he said as a matter of fact. “You have talent and I want you to do what you do best.”

“It appears I have no choice in the matter,” she said in a low voice almost cracking under the strain.

“Sure you do Nancy, you can quit, but I doubt you are a quitter,” he said with a voice that had compassion in it. “You wanted to see where I lived and now you will get your wish. However, not quite under the same circumstances as you once thought. I’ll give you a week and if you don’t like what we are doing, you are free to return to wherever you came from and no hard feelings.” She nodded her head in agreement and drank her juice wishing it was laced with vodka.

Nancy went to her hotel and Brad and Sujin stayed until the next morning. Then they flew back home with a downtrodden Nancy. Nancy never said a word all the way to North Bend. Mike met them at the airport and drove them home. No conversation occurred until they turned off the Loop Road onto the rutted side road to the Round House. Nancy sucked in a deep breath and said, “You are going to kill me aren’t you?

Sujin spoke up and said, “Not yet, the week is not up.”

Brad said nothing and thought, let the team greet her and lets see how it goes.

Mike said as they pulled into the gravel parking lot where only a slight breeze was blowing this December seventh, “We have a few new developments when you are ready.”

Sujin said, “Let’s have lunch first, I for one need some spicy food and the baby is crying for some Kimchee.” That broke the tension for the time being as they got out and made for the house. Sandy wagged her tail at Rocky and gave him her best side going around in circles. Of course the macho Rocky stuck his head in the air and walked with tail erect in the door where Earie waited.

Wendy was rubber necking the site and surrounding landscape and now that she was here, after all the wondering what the place looked like, she got her wish, but certainly not under these circumstances. She had no power left and not a lot of dignity for that matter. She wasn’t even sure by the end of the day whether she had a job or not. Maybe after sixteen years she would have to hit the pavement looking for work. The last thing she thought about was her lover at home. They talked every night by phone or by e- mail and now she wasn’t sure if she would be allowed to use a phone or a computer. Her cell and side arm had been asked for and now she felt as naked as a new born.

Inside the house all of the team was present and all eyes were on the culprit who went across the line to the enemy. She noticed a tall black man and wondered how he fit into the team. If looks could… She didn’t finish the thought as Sujin introduced the entire team to her. Nancy was shocked to find out Wendy and agent Jones was FBI. How strange, she thought.

By now with all the added team members a like table was needed and with Earie was an old Korean woman helping in the kitchen. Sujin showed Nancy where to sit and after a struggle with her long legs, finally found a position fairly comfortable. As usual lunch was a simple affair of fish soup and vegetables. Nancy waited and watched how everyone ate and then went to work on the soup and side dishes.

Lunch over Brad asked where Billy was and found out Billy had taken a walk on the beach. It was a little unusual for him to walk on the beach, but Brad guessed he had a problem he was working out in his head. At that moment, the high pitch sound along with the lights went on. Nancy, chopsticks in hand looked around like the Japanese had attacked again like on December 7, 1941.

Billy walked through the turned off door and with a smile that made him look like a little kid, took one look at Nancy and gave her a Korean bow saying hello in Korean. Nancy wondered who the hell this guy was. Dressed like a college student with ragged jeans and a sweatshirt with a hood on it could only be a relative or something like that. It was later when she found out what a diamond in the rough this young man was.

The downstairs was starting to get a little crowded so some of the team had to drag out a chair or two from the computer room. Nancy followed Sujin down the stairs like she was headed for the dungeon back in the Middle Ages. Sandy had replaced Rocky and she sat looking at Nancy. Brad was pacing what little floor space that was left after all had landed around the room. Finally he stopped pacing and facing Billy said, “Well what have you got that can’t wait?”

Billy knew he had the floor now and swaggered a little while said, “Boss that forty percent went to eight plus after a run again through the mainframe. We came up empty in Oregon or California so if he remains on target and hasn’t changed his plans, well… I’m just damn glad it is your decision and not mine.”

“On the contrary, my young friend, if you and your weirdoes are wrong you might find out if crabs like hackers.” That loosened the team up and Brad went on to say, “This is how we will play the game.” He told them a team would go to Aberdeen and set up shop as a new laundry dry cleaners store with a van to match the shops name equipped with all the communications gear needed; next in Anacortes a similar shop and over in Arden a Korean owned mini stop was an idea. He asked for feedback and Mike was the first to offer his words.

“I like it and who what when and how is all we need to know.”

“Well, believe it or not, our new addition to the team, Nancy is going to make a detailed plan and we will look at it in forty eight hours.”

Those words hit Nancy like a ton of bricks. This was the test and would she make the grade. Right this minute she didn’t think so, but after a good nights sleep and after a long walk on a clear cold morning on the beach, might renew her confidence. She woke early and after the walk on the beach with a cold wind blowing she never felt so lonely. After returning, with a legal pad began her plan with a map on the wall to help her out she went to work.