Justice Black: The Game Never Ends Page 9

“I hope so,” Justice said.

  “What we do isn’t easy, son. We do what we need to do. People want the job done, but they don’t want to know how we do it or what it costs us. When they do find out, and the knowledge isn’t pleasant, they look to find someone to blame. You do know you’re the center of your team. Without you, it falls apart. Your team is good, but understand it’s you that holds it together.”

  Pen had fought to get Justice this region, and it was a good decision even if it went against the old network. They wanted some young-fart upstart puppet; he needed someone seasoned and who couldn’t be bought. It had to be Justice and his team. He had been at this long enough to know the shooting could have been arranged by those who didn’t want Justice in his position and, had they been successful, were powerful enough to later blow smoke up the public’s ass with a lie.

  “The game never ends for you, does it?”

  “One day it will. Pen, how do you handle an infestation of spiders? You destroy the den. That’s how I see Legion: an infestation whose den needs to be destroyed.”

  “Yeah. You still don’t trust anyone, do you, son?”

  “Not very many here.”

  “One day it will be easier for you. By the way, the drug test on John Paul was negative for drugs. Good call. If Jarrod thinks Legion will retaliate using sarin, you were right in warning the pubic and preparing all the hospitals. If you need extra help, I can get it for you. Justice, I mean it. I don’t want you going at this alone. You have too many good people to help you. Another complaint came in about that strip of land with the water runoff. Too many folks are getting sick in that section of town.”

  “I know. I have Elrod on it.”

  “I’m glad. I figured you did. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

  After Pen hung up, Justice rested his head against the car seat and closed his eyes for a moment of rest. He thought of the dangerous and cancerous things he had to deal with every day because of mankind’s choices. He took peace wherever he could get it for however much time he was allowed. This restaurant fire weighed him down. He thought, because of some human’s sick action, Jamie was so frightened he had hidden during the fire, and John Paul, in a heroic manner, had died protecting him because they couldn’t safely make it to Rodney’s office. Now reports of illness from tainted water in the poorest part of this county piled on his desk.

  The sound of an owl made him open his eyes.

  Well, Justice, the dark voice within said, what the hell are you doing parked here? Get your gear together. You have things to do. There is no rest for Melchizedek. Ecclesiastes 8:6 came to his mind: “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” Justice wondered if his judgment time had come. He’d asked himself that question so many times; he’d done things in his job serving his country that most people would not approve of. He believed in what he was doing and tried to not think hard about it. It did him no good.

  His phone rang again.

  “Boss,” Caldwell said, “the tip was bogus. The woman wanted to get even with her boyfriend for cheating. By the time the interview ended, she’d thumped that man’s head too many times to count. I told her if she did it again, I’d shoot her fingers off.”

  “Caldwell.” Justice knew Caldwell would never do anything like that but he really wished the man would get a better sense of humor.

  “It was tempting. Did I tell you I hate this town?”

  chapter

  TWENTY

  She bought way too much junk; Justice had truly rattled her nerves again. Garland carried the last of the grocery bags and accepted her offer to come later with Barrett for dinner. Although dog tired, Kaitlyn couldn’t deny either hospitality for bringing her home, which in her opinion was a crisis situation created by Wil. Tomorrow she would have a rental car, and she hoped Justice wouldn’t show up at the office until later. There was so much she needed to do, and with him there, she couldn’t concentrate.

  She kicked her shoes off and changed into a pair of shorts and a white rhinestone T-shirt. Before she began anything else, she picked up her saxophone and played a relaxing smooth jazz tune. The saxophone gave her comfort. It separated her from the stress of the day, and playing made it easier to float on a cloud of peace.

  Justice stood at his usual spot in front of the balcony and watched the city’s skyline disappear into a red sunset. The sweet sound of a saxophone drifted through his open patio door.

  “Dr. Joseph is home.” He nodded at the pleasant sound. “Now wouldn’t it be idiotic of me to ask her to turn her music down? ”

  He left his place to do that, but Barrett appeared with Cassie and Calvin locked in her arms, barking and growling. He thought, She should get real dogs.

  “Oh my Lord, Dr. Black, I must apologize for their behavior. They are usually so gentle.”

  He doubted the two knew what gentleness was and wondered whether Barrett went anywhere without the animals attached to her. “Don’t worry about it Barrett.”

  “You’re so kind. I was on my way down to see Dr. Joseph; she’s the new young lady below you. She’s such a lovely, sweet thing. You should stop by sometime and introduce yourself. It would be an apologetic gesture for that constant noise.”

  “Good idea, Barrett. I think I’ll do that now. Do you mind if I join you? Her name is Dr. Joseph, you said?” Not waiting for an answer, he bounced down the stairs, two steps at a time, ahead of Barrett. He whispered, “It wouldn’t be right to say I knew Dr. Joseph, now would it?”

  “Well, I don’t know if Dr. Joseph will be pleased with extra company.” Barrett hurried after him. “You see, Garland and I were invited to dinner. The idea of a third person would be too presumptuous.”

  “Nonsense,” he assured her. “If Dr. Joseph is so lovely and sweet as you said, surely she won’t mind. I’ll introduce myself and leave—a neighborly thing to do, as you suggested.”

  “This is improper,” she whispered and barely passed him with Cassie and Calvin feverishly barking their disapproval of his intrusiveness. Barrett glanced over her shoulder to see how close Justice was behind her. She hoped Kaitlyn wouldn’t mind too much as she promptly rang the doorbell while Justice waited far in the dark background. “At least he has the courtesy to wait before being announced,” she whispered to Cassie and Calvin. “Proper etiquette forbids bringing uninvited guest to dinner, and we are by no means improper. I love bold men. Such excitement they can give a woman. But I’m not sure how Dr. Joseph will take Dr. Black.”

  “Let’s see smartass get out of this one without the sunglasses,” Justice whispered.

  The music stopped when Barrett rang the doorbell. With saxophone in hand, Kaitlyn opened the door.

  “Come on in, Barrett.” She looked over Barrett’s shoulders. “Isn’t Garland with you?” Cassie and Calvin stopped barking and wagged their tails when she spoke and rubbed their heads.

  Justice stepped into the light, eager to see her reaction. Kaitlyn gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. If she slammed the door shut, she’d have to tell Barrett everything.

  What he saw staggered him. His chest tightened; damn, he wasn’t ready for this. She was royalty, a duchess. He took his time and leisurely noticed how her loosened hair gave her a much softer look, and her eyes were bright and clear. She wore red shorts and a T-shirt that had rhinestones in very strategic places in the shape of a butterly. She had small ankles with nicely shaped legs. Not that he had a fetish, but she had nice feet, and her toenails were painted red.

  “I’m sorry I startled you. I’m your upstairs neighbor, Justice Black, and you are…?”

  “I’m so sorry, dear,” Barrett awkwardly offered. “I told Dr. Black this may not be a good time for you, but he insisted upon being neighborly. I hope you don’t mind. Dr. Adeena Joseph, meet Dr. Justice Black.”

  After this morning, Kaitlyn believed if s
he refused, he’d make a scene. She backed into her apartment, dismayed and speechless. Justice slowly closed the door, his eyes pinned to her as he walked toward her until she could go no farther and was pressed between him and the counter.

  With the biggest grin on his face, Justice said, “I’m sure Dr. Joseph doesn’t mind, do you?” He glanced at the saxophone in her hand. “That was you playing?”

  Barrett stood smiling at the scene and silently whispered, “Now that’s an alpha male. Adeena, this man is interested, and not in that musical instrument.”

  It took Kaitlyn a few seconds to recover from the shock. “Of course not, and yes, it was me.”

  “You’re good. I like saxophone music. Do you dance, Dr. Joseph?” He smiled at the beads of sweat on her nose and listened to her labored breathing. He showed her no pity. As far as he was concerned, she could sweat this one out. He took an infinite step closer, and she pressed the saxophone hard against his stomach. “Careful now, Duchess,” he said. Improper, yes, but he patiently waited for her response.

  “Dr. Black, my name is not Duchess.” She was annoyed but kept her saxophone between them and ignored the mischievous glint in his eyes. She wanted to ignore that he smelled good because still he was presumptuous and a bully.

  Justice ignored the saxophone. He braced each arm on the counter, fencing her in until she was forced to lean back—a bad mistake. He leaned in further. “Do you?” he asked again.

  Kaitlyn, annoyed with Barrett’s amusement hoped Barrett would call the police; Garland wouldn’t stand for this idiotic foolishness at all.

  “Do I what?” Her strength and brains finally resurfaced. The room suddenly became too hot, and her stomach twitched when he whispered again.

  “Do you dance?” There was panic in her eyes. Justice carefully stepped away. It was not his intent to frighten her.

  “Now you back up,” she demanded and managed to reach safer ground to let him know what she thought of his act.

  “You don’t have to kill me with that thing, you know.”

  “I wasn’t sure about that.” She held on to the saxophone in case she needed a ram. “You have some nerve coming in here unannounced and herding me like a cow. Barrett, sic the dogs on him.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Adeena, honey.”

  Calvin furiously growled and bared his teeth. Barrett held him tighter, fearing the worst.

  To Kaitlyn’s joy, Cassie jumped from Barrett’s arms and began a growling tussle with Justice’s pant leg. She laughed. “Finally, a smart dog. Wouldn’t you know it would be the female.”

  Justice barely looked at Cassie. He then bowed to Barrett as Cassie held on to his pant leg. “Good night, Barrett and Dr. Joseph.” He winked. “It was a pleasure to see you.”

  Kaitlyn stepped aside to let him pass with poor Cassie dragging behind him.

  “Let go, Cassie. You may get sick if you bite that.”

  Justice stopped at the bat propped next to several fishing rods. “What’s the bat for?”

  “In case someone needed hell beaten out of them,” she retorted.

  “I see, and you fish too.” Instead of leaving, he came back, leaned toward her ear, and whispered so low she held her breath to hear. “Duchess, you need to be on a dance floor, treated like a precious gem, and held gently in a man’s arms. If I make a woman mine, she’ll be my precious gem. I’ll see you later, Dr. Joseph.” He gently tapped the bead of sweat that sat on the tip of her nose. “You need to watch that temper of yours.” He lightly brushed the top of her shoulders.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I knocked those chips off your shoulders.” What he would do next would most likely get him knocked on his ass. This time he didn’t see panic but a dare in her eyes. He took the dare. Justice leaned in again and gently and very slowly placed a feathery kiss on her cheek. Then he left and quietly closed the door.

  Kaitlyn stood in the middle of the room, dumbfounded and hot as the evening humidity, with unladylike thoughts of the ways she’d fix Dr. Black.

  “I’ll never dance with you, and I’m certainly not your Duchess.” She said it too late. He was gone. She was positive she heard him laugh.

  Barrett leaned against the wall, breathless. “Adeena, my dear, the man is too much to pass up.”

  Kaitlyn clucked her tongue.

  “Barrett, I can’t believe you stood there and let him do that.”

  “Honey, I’d take advantage of all that flirting.”

  Kaitlyn’s heart pounded in her ears. She flopped down on the plush sofa and shook her head. “He is so arrogant. I can’t believe him. Why didn’t you sic Cassie and Calvin on him?”

  “Ah, my dear Adeena, that was exciting. Besides, from what I saw, you weren’t harmed or frightened by him, right?”

  “No,” she admitted and finally confessed the whole story, including the telephone call.

  “Now calling the animal people was not very nice of you, my dear. Anyway, thanks for the entertainment, love, but I think I had better check on Garland. I am surprised I haven’t seen him since this afternoon. If you don’t mind, I think we should have a rain check.”

  “Oh, of course, Barrett.” She smiled. “Here’s my cell number. If you need anything, call me.”

  As soon as Barrett left, Kaitlyn braced against the door, blew out a breath, and slowly slid to the floor. She thought of the self-assured Dr. Black. “Cocky,” she said. She had to be cautious around him, lest he unravel her veneer; she was not allowing that to happen. “What a day.” Still, she thought, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about past garbage? She blew a soft melody on her sax and strolled to her bedroom.

  chapter

  TWENTY-ONE

  “Sir, can we afford to take another risk with the new plan with Justice Black?” Although he hadn’t liked it, Kyle ordered the extra shipment of sarin. “I’m just asking,” he added.

  Rusty Logan sat quietly in the back room, listening to the chairman tear into Kyle. His job was security, and that was the way he wanted to keep it. He had no interest in being out front. It was too risky, so he let Kyle get chewed on by the chairman.

  The chairman looked around the room at the many frightened faces and thought, Choosing David as my replacement was a smart decision. David has all the qualities of a leader, insight, decisiveness, charm, and the ability to keep small people in their place. “We need to make cash fast. Our reserve is getting low. In case you hadn’t heard, we lost a bank in Kentucky. Without that bank, we’re cutting the budget. Since the landfill used for dumping the waste from the chemical plant hasn’t been discovered yet, I’m putting a hold on the company using it. That means no revenue. Does that answer your useless question?”

  Dragus agreed. “We need new ventures to rebuild.” Frankly he was tired of the talking; not enough action was taken. These meetings were becoming more whine sessions than anything else.

  “Kyle, since your question has been answered, how’s that buyout coming on that villa?”

  Kyle thumbed through his books, scratching his head. “The villa may be a problem.”

  “Kyle, get it done.” The chairman leaned closer to Dragus and whispered, “I should be more at ease like you, Dragus, but I don’t have the patience for very much stupidity. Justice Black may have a son out there. There was a girlfriend in high school, Clarissa Murphy. Find her. I believe the son’s name is J’miah Murphy. We need another diversion so get that sarin ready to test. Get Jacobson ready. Be sure to reach out to our foreign office and get those hackers on locating the son.”

  “I’ll make the contacts tonight,” Dragus said. “We may be getting somewhere after all.”

  The chairman turned to Rusty Logan. “Logan, what about the local radio shows? Have they selected people to discuss how unsafe they feel under Justice Black’s leadership? I want that town hall meeting to be standing r
oom only with lots of media coverage. Are the hackers ready to go?”

  “Yes,” Rusty answered. “They’re all set, waiting your go-ahead.”

  “Good. Have the meeting the same time as Black’s hearing. He can’t be in two places at once. Let the people see they are not his priority. Take two of our soldiers, and prepare to burn those abandoned houses on the north side of town. Everyone will think the addicts burned them. Those houses are blights. The people in that part of town never tear anything down, no matter how run-down their houses are. Once most of those shacks are destroyed, we’ll make ready to buy the entire section. We need that space.”

  “Now that’s what I call action.” Dragus nodded with a bright gleam in his eyes. “Same time, two a.m.?”

  “I thought you’d agree,” the chairman said. “Yes, two sounds fine.”

  chapter

  TWENTY-TWO

  The encounter with Dr. Joseph was stimulating. Justice admired the little temper. The club and her fighting stance were signs she had definitely battled for the wrong reasons. That bothered him. He’d checked her out. Things had happened so fast with the fire and hearing, it completely slipped his mind that Wil had told him that her new psychologist would be assisting him. Her first name was Kaitlyn, but she’d gone by Adeena for the past ten years. It could be something, or it could be nothing; people sometimes chose to be known by other names. She’d graduated at the top of her class in psychology and worked mostly in the prisons. When she was a young child, her father, a Vietnam veteran, was murdered when he walked in on a store robbery. His murderer was never captured. That alone would scar anyone.

  Jeri grinned. It was good to hear her boss whistling today, and not crumpled but handsomely dressed.

  “I see someone had a good night’s sleep. I hate to tell you but your happiness is short-lived. Brace yourself.” She nodded toward the attractive, tall blond woman sitting in the waiting room and grunted. “Last month she was a redhead—or was it burgundy?”

  Gwen Marcus hosted BrightTown Talk Radio and ran a small newspaper, both owned by her father. She was not the office’s favorite visitor. Staff seriously believed Gwen was in a constant race against her declining biological clock and had decided Justice should fix it. They didn’t like that one bit. Justice had argued Jeri was too sensitive and not to worry; he was well aware of women and their hormones. Jeri had politely responded, “Dr. Black, you men can be so gullible.”