The Gillespie Five (A Political / Conspiracy Novel) - Book 1 (42) (25 page)

Chapter Fifty

Jane licked her lips nervously as she walked to the senator's office.  She just needed to buy some time, she thought.  No big.  This wouldn't be a problem.  Taking a deep breath, she tried to fight off the exhaustion from too many sleepless nights.  She had spent the previous night reading up on and watching videos of the senator and had been somewhat surprised that she was actually beginning to like the man.  He didn't seem at all like someone who would allow American citizens to be railroaded just for the sake of his political career.

"Get a hold of yourself, Jane.  He is a politician after all."

"Excuse me?"

Jane looked up, startled to find that she had walked all the way into the senator's outer office.  People milled about speaking to each other or on phones in busy but hushed voices.  The muted sound reminded her of a beehive.

What must be the secretary, stared at her with confused iciness.  Jane suppressed a small shudder at the woman's expression.  Nothing worse than trying to get past the guard dog set to keep as many people away from her owner as possible.  Not even the soldiers she'd had to deal with compared.

I wonder if she barks on command.

The thought made Jane giggle, which only served to increase the concern on the secretary's face.  As she reached for what appeared to be a security button, Jane blurted out, "I'm here to see Senator Gillespie.  I have a 10:30AM appointment." 

Belatedly, Jane realized she had announced this rather loudly.  As she looked around, she found that many of the people had broken off to stare at her.  Swallowing, she gave them a wan smile and turned back to the gatekeeper/guard dog, who asked, "And you are?"

"Jane.  Doctor Jane Lyndsay."

The woman peered down at her appointment book. A moment later, looking somewhat disappointed, she removed her hand from the button and said, "Yes.  I have you here.  If you'll just take a seat, the senator will be with you shortly."

Jane went back to wondering just how she was going to distract Gillespie long enough to place the device somewhere he wouldn't find it.  Always one to be distracted when she couldn't readily find her answers, she began listening to the conversations that had picked back up around her. 

Jane could hear that many of them were calls from reporters to get more information about the detainees, the current status of the senator's campaign against hackers, updates on the increasing hack protests and questions of legality, as well as the senator's take on a variety of questions leading up to the presidential campaigns.  The answers the senator's staff gave were repeated in a tone that suggested they'd been memorized and said often enough that it looked as if the staff easily managed to multitask as they answered.  No one seemed particularly concerned. 

The more she listened, the more she wondered if the senator really knew what was going on. 

Did she dare tell him? 

Don't be ridiculous, Jane.  He's a politician.  There's a good chance he not only knows but probably suggested or, at least, supported it.

"The senator will see you now."

Jane jumped up, startling the secretary again.  Forcing herself to smooth her dress, Jane nodded at the secretary, who was now holding open the door, and stepped through to the senator's inner office.

"Doctor Lyndsay!  So good to see you."

The senator came around from behind his paper strewn desk, walking toward her to extend a hand.  When she moved to accept the handshake, he covered her hand with his, looked her directly in the eyes and gave her a warm smile.  She found herself easily returning it.

"Thank you for seeing me, Senator Gillespie."

"Of course!  I know what an important role you are playing in helping me bring down the scourge that threatens our great country.  And please, call me Mitchell.  Now, shall we?"

Jane hesitated, trying to think of a way to distract him while she tried to find a suitable hiding place.  Looking around the office, however, proved to make this a little easier than she had thought. 

"Doctor?"

"Oh, my apologies Senator. I mean, Mitchell.  Forgive me, but I was just noticing what interesting pieces you have here."

The senator beamed, looking around at the variety of paintings, pictures, and various items of art and what looked like artifacts scattered on the walls and shelves of his office.

"Thank you!  Items gathered from my many journeys and dealings around the world. Please, take a moment to look around."

"Thank you but I don't want to impose. I-"

"Nonsense.  Most people come in here with an agenda and never take notice.  I rarely get to show them off!"

Wondering if he could hear her racing heart, Jane forced herself to walk slowly around the room, making the occasional comment and only half listening to the stories the senator told about each piece as her eyes darted around nervously for a place to put the keylogger.  She was beginning to lose hope when her eyes fell upon a series of small boxes, stacked one on another in a rather jumbled fashion.  The boxes were made of dark wood and covered in intricate designs.  The presence of dust around the edges let her know they were rarely, if ever moved.

Her heart gave a little leap as she asked, "These are quite beautiful.  Do you mind if I look at them?"

"Ah a good eye.  It has been years since I acquired these.  By all means, take a look.  I brought these back after a safari hunt near the Belgian Congo.  I was following in the great Theodore Roosevelt's footsteps when I came across this small village.  These were gifts given to me by the villagers who were grateful when we brought them meat from our kills."

Reaching up, she carefully took one off the top of the stack. As she had hoped there was a small space behind the boxes.  Trying to remain calm she pretended to study the small box.  On the outside it appeared to have dancing monkeys.  Their somewhat comical expressions made her smile in spite of her nervousness.  Lifting the lid, she found the box empty except for what looked like runes of some kind carved on the bottom.

"What are they?"

He gave a small laugh. 

"That depends on who you ask.  My translator posed the question and several of the villagers chimed in at once.  One said they were boxes designed to hold curses, another insisted it was to ward off evil spirits, while a third claimed it was for catching dreams, to which his twin brother adamantly responded by calling his brother an idiot and stated that the runes were for ensuring your dreams would come true."

Jane looked at the senator.  He was smiling and his eyes danced with mischief.  Jane found herself warming to his charm.  It seemed hard to believe he could knowingly charge innocent citizens.  But she kept her mouth shut, returning a polite smile.

"Then they got into a contest of who could suggest the most ludicrous explanation.  Drinks began to flow as the villagers placed their bets on different men and cheered them on.  It took all night and by the morning, none of us remembered who had the best answer!"

His laugh was genuine and hearty and Jane found herself laughing with him.  Then she asked, "Did they really not know what they had made them for?"

"No.  In fact, we finally discovered in the conflicting answers that the villagers had been given these boxes many years ago by previous visitors whose origins they had forgotten.   When we discovered this we tried to give them back but they insisted we keep them as payment for the meat.  So, there you have it.  A mystery wrapped in a beautiful box."

Remembering what she was there for, Jane tried to figure out how to distract Gillespie for a moment.  She went with the first thing that came to mind and began coughing. 

"Are you okay?"

She nodded and then asked for a cup of water in between the coughs.  It was such a lame distraction she was sure he would see right through it.  But it worked like a charm. 

As the senator turned to walk to the small refreshment bar she has seen in the corner, Jane quickly reached into her pocket, pulled out the keylogger and dropped it behind the boxes.  She was just setting the box she had taken back on top of the pile, when the senator turned, carrying a small bottle of water.

She thanked him as she took it, guzzling several swallows as her heart raced, wondering if she would be discovered.  When she saw a look of concern cross his face, she took one last swallow and then said, "Thank you.  I forget how dry it can be in Colorado sometimes."

His face lit with understanding.  "Yes.  Quite.  Although I am sure not as dry as some of the places you have been."

She nodded.  "This is true."

"Tell me, doctor."

"Call me Jane, please."

He smiled. 

"Jane.  If is not too personal, I am curious to know how a woman - and please forgive me if that sounds sexist - but how you came to be in your current field?"

He motioned her to a chair and then took one across from her.

She studied him for a moment, trying to ascertain if he were just being polite or serious.  Finding no insincerity in his face, she told him the story of her cousin, trying to keep it succinct and unemotional.  It wasn’t until he quietly handed her a box of tissues that she realized she had begun to cry.

Heat rose to her face as she accepted, quickly wiping her eyes and apologizing.

"Nonsense, Jane.  I doubt I could tell a story like yours about someone I care for without doing the same.  And I find it quite admirable what you are doing and why, though it must be difficult to get the same understanding from very many people."

"True.  But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Of course.  We do what must be done in order to better the world."

Jane had heard the emphasis he had put on the last sentence.  Despite her reservations, she decided to take a chance.  "Even if what we do is wrong?"

"Pardon?"

His voice had gotten quiet.  Her inner voice screamed that she still had time to back out.  Straightening her shoulders, she looked him directly in the eye and asked, "Would you do anything to bring down these hackers, sir?"

"Well of course!  They have proven to be a nightmare to our country.  They must be stopped."

"Even if it meant that innocent American citizens were being held and charged for crimes they didn't commit?"

Gillespie shot out of his chair, his eyes flashing.  "Exactly what are you getting at?"

Jane stood and tried to meet his now steely gaze.  The change in his demeanor had been so abrupt, it took her a moment to respond. 

"I'm talking about the five people we are holding."

"Are you trying to tell me they are innocent?  We have tons of mounting evidence that says otherwise."

"Evidence that didn't exist until a few weeks ago, sir."

"Is this what you came for, to accuse me of charging and holding innocent people?"

"No, sir!  In fact, I hadn't planned on saying anything to you about this."

"Then what did you come for?"

Jane looked down at her hands.  "I'm not sure.  I-I've been struggling with this for weeks. Trying to figure out what, if anything I could do.  I
know
they are innocent."

"And you know this how?"

"Because I interrogated them.  For weeks!"

"I know about your reputation, doctor.  It is the reason I brought you in when they were finding nothing.  But, interrogations are rarely reliable.  That is why I insisted on Barrett finding hard evidence."

"With all due respect, sir.  My methods are far from unreliable.  I am the person they call in when other means have failed, and the information I've gathered is almost always found to be accurate.  You can look at my record if you doubt me."

The senator studied her for a long while and Jane tried not to squirm under his scrutiny.  Finally he said, "Doctor Lyndsay, I appreciate you bringing me this information.  I will deal with it accordingly.  Now, if you have nothing else, I have another appointment."

"Please, sir.  I know this must be hard for you to accept. I am sure your campaign is a good one and I'm not asking you to drop it.  But these people, they are innocent.  I-"

Jane stopped short at the cold gaze Gillespie gave her. 

"Thank you, doctor.  I really must insist that you leave now."

Jane nodded and turned to leave.  Numbly she walked to her car, started it up and headed for the airport.  She had been so sure that he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.  Now she wondered if she hadn't just made the biggest mistake of her career, and her life. 

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Gillespie stared at the door for several minutes after Jane had left.  He was upset with himself for letting his anger get the better of him. 

How dare she accuse him of charging innocent citizens?
 

He wanted to call her superiors and let them know just exactly what she had done, but he knew that he was not in a good frame of mind to speak just yet.

His mind raced, recalling the story she had told him.  Slowly he began to calm down and let reason take over.  While she seemed nervous, she had not seemed like a liar.  This was a woman with conviction and passion.  It had taken courage for her to come to him, even if she was wrong.  And she
must
be wrong.  Barrett had assured him that they had more than enough hard evidence to convict the detainees.