BENNINGTON P.I. “BONITA” (19 page)

Betty Mears glanced back toward her desk and then looked up at me as she placed her right hand on my shoulder. The rain outside was coming down with greater force, the impact of the water against the window vibrating inside of the office.

“Do an Internet search later today Frank, and you’ll see how we hide the truth out in the open.  Once the information is out there, you’re safe.  At least for now.  When you get your next assignment, it’s a matter of you racing to obtain the information and getting it to me before someone tries to prevent you from doing so.  It’s all a game really, but a deadly-serious one.

“Which reminds me, what do you intend to do with Mr. Talbot?”

I felt my jaw clench several times as I considered the question.  It was Talbot who betrayed Walt, a betrayal that led to the death of an already dying man.”

“I’m not sure yet Congresswoman.  Probably won’t know until after I talk to the son-of-a-bitch.  You want me to update you after the fact?”

Betty Mears shook her head as her hand gently pushed me out into the hallway.

“No Frank, it’s not my concern. I’ll simply say this.  Once again, welcome aboard, and be careful.  I’ll be in touch.  Dedra will give you a quick briefing and then escort you back outside.”

The door to the congresswoman’s office closed behind me, leaving me standing alone in the short, narrow hallway of her congressional office.  A moment later, I looked up to see the tall, athletic form of Dedra walking toward me.

“I was informed you’ll be doing more work for us Mr. Bennington.  Please follow me.”

The view from behind Dedra’s form was nothing short of remarkable.  Strong, long legs, one hell of an ass, and a quick, confident walk that hinted of ample abilities between the sheets.

“Stop staring at my ass Mr. Bennington.”

My mouth fell open.

How in the hell did she know that?

“You’re reputation is well known around here Mr. Bennington.”

Dedra opened one of the hallway doors and motioned for me to enter.

“Take a seat inside.  This won’t talk long.”

I stopped halfway through the door.

“How’d you know I was uh, enjoying the view?”

Dedra’s face attempted a smile, the burnt right side barely moving, as her eyes filled with playful mischief.

“As I said, your reputation is already well established Mr. Bennington.  Plus, I really do have a great ass.”

I laughed, finding myself liking Dedra more and more, and wondering what the T3 Group’s policy was on members dating each other. 

“Now sit down Mr. Bennington.”

26.

Dedra’s office would barely qualify as a walk in closet.  There was a small desk placed in the far right corner behind which she sat down, which left an equally small chair on the other side of the desk that she motioned for me to use.  There was no window, no artwork on the walls, no photographs showing a husband or children.

A desk drawer was opened from which Dedra removed a simple, black cell phone and placed it between us.

“If there is an assignment, I will contact you on this phone.  We utilize a secure, third party communications service so as to separate T3 business from official congressional business.  You are expected to respect that separation at all times Mr. Bennington.  You will never receive payment here, but always at a location of my choosing, which will be communicated to you.  If you wish to reach me, use that phone and that phone only.”

I hadn’t forgotten about the payment the congresswoman had already promised me, and decided to make sure Dedra was aware of that promise as well.

“Speaking of payment---“

Dedra put a finger to her lips, indicating I was to be quiet.

“All payments are done away from the Capitol Building Mr. Bennington.  We cannot mix the congresswoman’s official duties of office with her involvement in the T3 Group.  I’ll walk you out, and we can take care of other business then.

Do you have any questions?”

I shook my head.  Seemed simple enough.  They gave me a phone, and I wait for it to ring up the next assignment.  Until then, I go on living my life as I normally would – one damn day at a time.

“No, I just wait for your call.  Unless you wanna grab a bite to eat or something? In an unofficial capacity of course.  Woman’s gotta eat, right?”

Dedra smiled, and I caught a fair amount of appreciation in her eyes at my sincere interest in hitting on her.  I imagine a lot of guys were put off by her disfigurement, and didn’t give her a second look.  That was their loss.  While physical attraction is something I definitely appreciate, a woman’s real beauty is on the inside.  Maybe a man needs time to figure that one out, and I’m sure many of them never do.  Besides, Dedra’s wounds were the result of her service to this country, and any man who can’t find attraction in a woman making that kind of sacrifice, ain’t no man I would ever care to know, and can just kiss my fat old Irish-American ass.

“No on the dinner date Mr. Bennington, but thank you.  So if you have no more questions, let me walk you outside.”

I followed Dedra back to the office reception area, glancing at the wheelchair bound Hispanic man behind the reception desk.  He gave me a brief nod.  Dedra stopped in front of the desk and motioned toward me with her good left hand.

“Alberto, this is Mr. Frank Bennington.  He is joining our organization.  Mr. Bennington, this is Alberto Diaz.  He did three tours in Afghanistan and two in Iraq as an Army Ranger and has been an invaluable member of our staff for the last year.”

Alberto reached across his desk with a large and powerful right hand which took my own in a grip that I instantly realized could likely have crushed every bone in my body.  Despite his missing legs, the former Army Ranger’s upper body was a wide-shouldered mass that appeared to be cut from granite.  His dark eyes, though not aggressive, held my own with an intensity that hinted of a former life that had seen much death and mayhem.  They were the eyes of a man who knew all too well the potential cruelties inherent within humanity.

“Nice to meet you Alberto.  And thank you for your service.”

That last part of our introduction is something I think every American should do.  You see someone in the military, or who has served, and you let them know you appreciate it.  If I’m in a bar, doesn’t matter where, and I see a uniform, I buy that man or woman a drink, period - every damn time.  The way I figure, especially for the ones who saw combat, who risked everything, they should never have to buy another drink for the rest of their life.  It’s the least the rest of us can do for them, right?  Instead, it seems most people just turn on the damn TV, or listen to whatever they call music these days, and it’s all just a culture of nothing, pushing more nothing, and we got a generation of empty headed, me-first assholes who can’t be bothered to thank anyone or anything that doesn’t include themselves. 

Alberto gave another brief nod and then I was out the door trying once again to keep up with Dedra’s fast paced walk, making my way with her down all too familiar hallways that were once home to my former life as a D.C. political operative.  Five minutes later and both Dedra and I stood across the street from the Capitol Building where she turned to me and withdrew a simple white envelope and placed it into my hand.

“Fifteen thousand dollars Mr. Bennington, per your agreement with the congresswoman.  Now don’t lose that phone, and keep it with you and on at all times.  My direct contact number is already input into the phone.  I am available 24/7.”

My eyes widened slightly as I smiled back at Dedra, realizing I already hardly noticed the mass of scar tissue that dominated the right side of her face.

“So then, maybe dinner is actually something we can consider?”

Dedra rolled her eyes and gave her half smile.

“You’re persistent aren’t you Mr. Bennington?”

I shrugged after placing the cash filled envelope inside my jacket.

“I learned a long time ago to never accept the first or second no, because in life, there’s always a maybe to be found in all of us.”

Dedra nodded her head sarcastically.

“Oh, you’re persistent and a philosopher.  A man of many layers!”

I smiled back at Dedra and extended my left hand.

“I’m glad to have met you today Ms. Donnigan.  In my former line of work, I had to have the ability to size people up quickly, and I can already tell, you’re good people.  I hope we do get a chance to sit down together over a good meal and some drink, and just…have a talk.”

Dedra gave my hand a light squeeze.  She was genuinely pleased by my words.

“Thank you Mr. Bennington.  We’ll be in touch.”

With that, Dedra turned and made her way across the street and back toward the Capitol Building.  I watched her departure with unfiltered interest.

She was right though – she really did have a remarkable ass.

I was then left alone on the sidewalk waiting for one of the thousands of cabs that inhabit Washington D.C. to take me back to my apartment.  I had cash in my pocket, the investigation against me for Walt’s death had been dropped, the goons who had wanted me dead would no longer be interested in me after knowing I handed over Walt’s file to the congresswoman, and I was now looking at future employment that could be profitable with people I actually respected.  Profit and respect in Washington D.C.?  Who knew?

What started out as one shitty day was turning into something a lot more generous and accommodating.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.

“Excuse me sir, would you be interested in signing this petition to fight global warming now?”

I turned to see a young man of no more than thirty years standing a few feet from me.  He was tall and thin, wearing an oversized, red Harvard sweatshirt and baggy jeans that appeared in danger of falling to his feet at any moment.  His face was partially covered in a scraggly attempt at a red-brown beard, his blue eyes housing the mental vacancy sign so common to people like him. 

I glanced down at the clipboard in the man’s long fingered hands, hands that were overly soft, never having seen a day’s real work. 

“Did I hear you right – you’re asking me to sign some petition to fight global warming, is that it?”

The man’s face took on the earnest arrogance of the imbecilic do-gooder.

“Yes sir, to end global warming NOW.”

I believe I was to be impressed by the emphasis placed on the word
now
, but instead, it did little more than piss me off.  The unusually cold weather was biting through my jacket, and it appeared another bad rain storm was on its way.

“I’m freezing my stones off out here, and you want me to sign some bullshit petition to end global warming?  Like we have any say in what temperature this big bitch of a world decides it wants to be?  How about you march off to commie China and ask them to stop tearing into the earth to get the minerals to make the high priced light bulbs that they sell back to us and are being shipped overseas in tankers belching CO2 by the ton into the atmosphere so mindless assholes like you can buy them up and feel good about thinking they’re making the world a better place?

You people are fucking morons.  Maybe you should take a moment to look into something before you become a part of it, huh?  You ever consider the possibility you’re being played?  You ever think that maybe, just maybe, all this global warming, climate change bullshit is a manufactured crock that was meant to make rich corporations richer, and big government bigger?  That you’re not doing any good carrying around that clipboard in those prissy little Ivy League hands of yours, but instead, only helping to sell the lie?  Take your petition and shove it up your baggy jeaned ass, or I swear to God, I’m gonna do it myself.”