Chapter 1
The phone ringing woke him in the night. Thirty-five-year-old Garrett Finnigan rolled to his side and picked up the receiver, listening. It was three-fifteen in the morning. On the other side of the line a man said, “Colorado is a river.” Garrett knew who it was immediately. “Yes, sir.” “My office. Nine.” Then, the line disconnected. Garrett put the phone back into its cradle on the nightstand and set his alarm clock for seven a.m. then went back to sleep.
Tuesday morning, wearing a suit and tie, his shoulder holster concealed by his jacket, Sergeant Major Garrett Finnegan showed his ID quickly to a guard. He was given a nod. Walking down a long sterile white corridor, Garrett bypassed more security men wearing black suits, radio earpieces, and concealed weapons. “The director will see you now.” Garrett stood outside a closed door. Leaning to listen through it, he then tapped it with his knuckle. “Come in.” Opening the door, Garrett entered a government office, one with the Washington DC state seal in a frame on the wall behind a desk. State, government, and the country’s banners hung limply on poles near a window overlooking the Washington Monument. Garrett approached the man with white hair and piercing blue eyes sitting at his desk. He gestured for Garrett to sit. Unbuttoning his suit jacket, Garrett took a seat in a chair opposite the desk. His clothing felt tight on his muscular build. “We lost a good man last night.” Garrett listened carefully. “One of our best operators. AJ Henderson was found dead in a back alley of Baltimore.” Garrett registered every detail. “He was scheduled to meet a contact from the state department here in Washington yesterday and when he didn’t arrive, I sent scouts to find him.” Garrett studied the director’s movements, his eye contact, and the way he shuffled the paperwork on his desk. “I have no idea who may be responsible. I want you to look into his death. The man he was supposed to meet with seems to have vanished. So, he’s a possible suspect.” “Yes, sir.” The director, David Young, handed him a file. “This is what I have on him. Read it. The local police were notified and are on the scene.” Garrett took the folder. “I want you to find the man that killed him. I want him brought here to me. Or neutralized. This man may a threat to National security. He has murdered a top operator.” “Yes, sir.” “If you have any questions, contact my office.” “Yes, sir.” Garrett stood and held the file. He looked back at the director first, studying him carefully, then took the file with him and left.
