It was just after dark when Jennings arrived to pick Keene and Boz up from Bethesda. Keene was none too happy with his boss, either. He launched into Jennings the moment he came into the room.
“A full workup, Kevin? Seriously? I’ve been here for over six hours now, getting poked and prodded like some kind of guinea pig. Who knows what they’ve been doing to Boz. They took him out of here a few minutes ago. For the fourth time.”
His boss just smiled at him. “Good to have you back, Jon.”
Keene shook his head, jumped off the bed, and tugged at the medical gown he was wearing. “And where are my clothes? I’ve been wearing this stupid thing all day.”
“Calm down, Jon. They’re only doing what I told them to do.”
“That’s my point!”
Just then the door reopened and Boz walked in. Fully dressed. “What are you doing still wearing that thing? It’s time to go. Get dressed.”
“Oh, I’d love to,” Keene said sarcastically. “Just as soon as they bring me my stuff,” he yelled, leaning out the door into the hallway.
Both Jennings and Boz laughed.
“I’m glad you two think this is funny.”
Jennings held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m just trying to make sure you’re good. I mean you have been gone for a while now. We just needed to make sure Chin didn’t implant any devices in you, and that you’re completely healthy.”
“I’m fine,” Keene said. “Now can we please go?”
Jennings nodded. “Yes. I checked with the doctors on my way in to make sure everything was good. A nurse is on her way to bring you your things.”
“ ’Bout time.”
Just then one of the nurses that had been in and out of his room all day appeared, carrying a stack of clothes. She handed them to him. “Here you are, Mr. Keene. Thank you for cooperating with us today. You’re free to go.”
Jennings shot a look at Keene. And then back to the nurse. “Did you say he was cooperative?”
“Yes, Director. Mr. Keene was a good patient.”
The nurse turned and left. Jennings looked back to Keene who just shrugged. “What?”
“I know what the tests say, but are you sure you’re all right?”
Keene just sighed. “Jennings, I’ve been in a Chinese prison camp for five months. I knew five minutes after I walked in here what you had planned for me. I figured I’d just deal with it.”
Jennings smiled and looked at Boz. Boz laughed and said, “I think our little boy is all grown up.”
Keene elbowed Boz out of the way and pushed past Jennings. “Ha-ha. Now let’s go.”
Outside, Jennings had a car waiting for them. Keene jumped in first and leaned over the seat to the driver. “Hey, I don’t know where Jennings told you to take us, but I don’t care. We’re going somewhere to eat.”
“That’s exactly where I told him we were going,” Jennings said, piling into the vehicle.
“And you’re buying,” Keene said. “Especially after everything you just put me through in there.”
Jennings just shook his head and told the driver where to take them. Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were sitting at a quiet table in one of the city’s favorite local restaurants.
Keene hadn’t had the time or opportunity to tell Boz—much less Jennings—all that had happened to him from the time of his capture to the Chinese barricade early that morning. The three of them spent the entire dinner with Keene filling them in.
When they left the restaurant, Jennings instructed the driver to take them back to his office. Keene really only wanted to get back to his house and lie down in his own bed. But he knew it would have to wait. Megan and Eli Craig were in Raleigh, Jennings had told him, trying to get a lead on what the Prophet had warned them about. And they had things to talk about.
Jennings waited until they were all settled in his office before he finally started. He told Keene about what the Prophet had told him concerning the threat. He then filled him in on how he had made some calls, which led him to Peterson, which caused him to send Megan and Eli south.
When it was Keene’s turn, he told them about how the Prophet had confirmed pretty much the same thing to him, but that he really didn’t have any details. Except that the Prophet had told him that he was going to be the one to stop it.
“I have no idea what that means,” Keene admitted. He looked to Boz. “What do you think, Chappy?”
Boz shrugged. “I’m not sure, Jon. I don’t know if that means that you’re physically supposed to stop it, or if you have information that will help us, collectively, stop it…or…I don’t know.”
Keene rolled his head around. His neck was getting stiff and he was getting tired. He was about to suggest they call it a night when Jennings spoke.
“I’m not sure if this has anything to do with it or not, but there’s one other thing I found out this morning.”
Keene turned to his boss. Jennings had a concerned look about him. And that concerned Keene.
“Megan and Eli found Nolan Peterson dead this morning.”
Keene listened as Jennings told them how the call from Vargas had led them to the body.
Halfway through the story, Keene could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up. His senses were tingling even before Kevin finished. He knew whatever was coming next was not going to be good.
“So did Vargas ever get a look at who was inside the car?” Keene asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Jennings said. “Vargas said that as he was looking out into the parking lot, he saw a woman getting back into the car.”
There it was. Alarms started going off inside Keene’s head. The kind that said, Whatever you’re about to hear next, Jon, you’re not going to like one bit.
“Vargas said when she turned into the streetlight, he saw her face,” Jennings said.
“Who was it?” Keene asked.
Jennings pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think it was the Russian.”