Georgie didn’t like it, but she also knew that her husband was right. Carl, Ham, and Aiden were very recognizable. Not just because they were former Special Forces. Women seemed to remember their faces wherever they went. It was like traveling with the Rolling Stones.
“Okay,” she nodded. “Then you and Sophia Ann meet with Moore. Ham, Aiden, and I will head to the Pentagon, and you can meet us there when you’re done with Moore. There’s a meeting at 1400 with Staff Sergeant Hunt, the law firm, his Army superiors, and members of the Japanese consulate.”
“Do we think Hunt knows about what’s happening behind the scenes?” asked Ham.
“I’m not sure,” said Georgie, shaking her head. “I know that whatever Wentz did to that communication device is preventing him from proving his innocence. He won’t be happy about that when he finds out.”
When the plane landed, Evie and Autumn stared at the team, nodding toward the windows.
“It’s ugly weather. We won’t fly home until you’re ready. We’re going to park this baby in stealth in a hangar, get a couple of rooms at a hotel, and wait for you guys. If you need something, let us know, and we can do some groundwork for you,” said Evie.
“Appreciate you, Evie,” said Ham. “Don’t risk anything for us. If we get in trouble, you guys get out of here.”
“Honey, look at the weather,” she grinned. “We’re not going anywhere. There’s a nor’easter coming straight at us. Blizzard white-out conditions, winds up to fifty miles per hour, and as much as three feet of snow. We’ll be warm and toasty. You guys need to get to the Pentagon before they make the decision to shut it down due to weather.”
Evie was right about one thing, the weather sucked. Just trying to get the few miles to the Pentagon proved more difficult than they imagined. As they hit the security gate, Ham gave the guard his name and showed their identification.
“Mr. McDonald, we were told to expect you and your team. Captain Morgan will meet you at entrance Delta. I’m notifying her now of your arrival,” he nodded.
“Thank you. Can you tell me if members from the legal team of Copeland, Mansur, and Vaughn have arrived?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. They pulled up just a few minutes ago.”
Ham pulled the SUV into a parking space, and he, Georgie, and Aiden entered the building. They’d changed into their uniforms prior to arriving, knowing that the law firm expected to see only military personnel. They would introduce Georgie as a lawyer for the Pentagon.
“Morgan, nice to see you,” smiled Ham, giving her a friendly hug.
“Great to see you, McDonald. How are Sadie and the kids?”
“Great. The kids are acting like little shit pre-teens, but they’re good,” he grinned. “When are you and Tim gonna pull the trigger and finally get married?”
“Yeah, that won’t happen,” she frowned. “A discussion for another day. Come on. I’ve told them we were waiting on new support personnel, and they stalled a few minutes.”
It felt as though they walked miles of hallways and turns and tiled floors before finally hitting the conference room. The three VG members said nothing, taking their assigned seats and nodding toward the others.
“Gentlemen, thank you for waiting,” said Morgan. “As I mentioned, two members of our team are out on medical leave, and we didn’t want to stall this proceeding any further.”
“This isn’t a court of law, Ms. Morgan,” said one of the men on the legal team for the staff sergeant.
“It’s Captain Morgan,” said Jill, staring at the man. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d use my full title. I’m well aware of the fact that this is not a formal court of law. I graduated from Georgetown Law after achieving valedictorian status at the academy.”
The lawyer said nothing, just looking down at his papers with a flush.
“I’m sorry, but I’m confused,” said the staff sergeant. “Where are we on getting the recordings off of the device? I didn’t touch that woman. I barely spoke to her other than to say, ‘no thank you,’ and the device should show that.”
“Mr. Wentz is still working to achieve that for us,” said one of the attorneys. Ham, Aiden, and Georgie all turned toward the man identified as Wentz. Ham stared through him, watching him squirm in his seat.
“I’m doing what I can, Mr. Mansur,” said Wentz.
Now it was Aiden’s turn to stare through someone. He wanted Mansur to squirm as well, and he did, practically out of his seat.
“Why can’t we get the manufacturer in here to take a look at the device?” asked Hunt. “I mean, I know of them and their work, and we’ve never had issues with their products in the field.”
There was a knock on the door, and Morgan stood, opening it a crack as someone whispered to her. Nodding, she opened the door further, and Sophia Ann walked in with Carl.
“I thought you might ask for that,” said Morgan, lying through her teeth, smirking at Ham. “These people are from G.R.I.P., the manufacturer of the device.”
“Pfft,” laughed Wentz nervously. “You’d need the engineers and designers to know what’s wrong with this piece of shit.” Sophia Ann grinned at him.
