In the lobby of Jordan Technologies, Inc., the secretary had the deer-in-the-headlights look. Joshua had warned her that it could happen. But she still hadn’t been prepared to come face-to-face with a U.S. marshal holding a subpoena in his hand.
“Madam, do you hear me? I’m a United States marshal. This is a legal document. I have to deliver it to Mr. Joshua Jordan. Immediately.”
She glanced down at it. She caught the caption at the top of the document:
BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE OF THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO: MR. JOSHUA JORDAN
YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED TO APPEAR…
The secretary raised her eyes to the marshal and said, “He’s not here, sir.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
“When is he coming back?”
“I don’t know.”
“Young lady, you are coming very close to obstructing a federal marshal in the course of his official duties. Do you realize that?”
She swallowed hard before she answered.
“Look, like I said, Mr. Jordan had an emergency, had me cancel his appointments, and left. I don’t know what else to tell you.”
The U.S. marshal dropped his card on the desk.
“Here’s my number. Call me the moment he gets in.”
The minute the marshal left the office, she called Joshua. He was in his limo heading down the Boulevard of the Americas in Manhattan.
Joshua was on the line with Harry Smythe when the call came in.
He put Harry on hold.
“Mr. Jordan,” the secretary said breathlessly, “a U.S. marshal just came in with those papers.”
“And?”
“I said exactly what you told me to say. Every bit.”
“Very good.”
“I was a little nervous though.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure you did just fine.”
Joshua said good-bye and then clicked back to Harry.
“Well, just like you predicted, Harry, they were over at my office trying to serve me with the subpoena.”
“I think we need to just face up to this, Josh. Admit service. I’ll accept service of the subpoena on your behalf at my office. Then I’ll see what can be done legally.”
“Harry, I want Abby’s input on this.”
“Is she there with you?”
“No. She’s up in Pennsylvania. She’s helping out a family friend of ours. They had a personal tragedy.”
“Same old Abby.”
Joshua asked Harry to standby while he conferenced her in.
When Abigail’s Allfone rang, she was doing the dishes in the French house, while newly widowed Peg French was resting in her bedroom. Rocky Bridger was quietly playing with her and Roger’s daughter.
“Abby, honey, it’s me,” Joshua said. “How are things going?”
“Peg’s finally resting. Josh, this is so terrible.”
“Have they got any more details?”
“Not much. They just said they have several theories. The police are being very secretive for some reason. But they did say one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“That he wasn’t just murdered. He was tortured before he was killed.”
“Tortured?”
“Yes.”
“Who would have wanted to do that to Roger French? I can’t think he would have been mixed up in anything sordid—he was a solid guy.”
“No one can figure that out.”
“And Rocky?
“He’s putting up a brave front. You know him. He’s focusing on Violet, Peg’s daughter.”
“Look, I’m sorry to throw this at you. But I’ve got Harry Smythe on the other line. I want to conference you in. Just as he thought, Senator Straworth is going to the mat on the RTS issue. They’ve issued a subpoena. A U.S. marshal was trying to serve it at my office. But I was out.”
“Fine. Patch me in,” Abigail said. She wiped her hands off with a dishtowel and then found a corner of the dining room where she couldn’t be heard.
After Joshua looped all three of them in, he spelled out the issue. “Abby, Harry says we should let them serve the subpoena, then try to fight it out in court.”
Abigail jumped in immediately. “Harry, I assume you’re going into D.C. federal court with a motion to quash the subpoena?”
“That’s the strategy. I just don’t want my position weakened by any delay in Josh accepting service of the subpoena from the marshals.”
Abigail was silent on the other end. Joshua knew she was digesting it. Then she spoke her mind. “Harry, once Josh is served with the subpoena, the clock starts ticking. You then have to rush into court. What if you get the wrong judge and your motion is thrown out?”
“Well,” Harry said, “then the game’s almost over. Josh either turns over all his RTS documents or he goes to jail. Those have pretty much been the two options all along.”
“You know Josh,” Abigail chimed in. “He won’t turn over those documents to Congress. He believes that our national security is too compromised on Capitol Hill right now. And if he goes to jail, his reputation, all that he’s accomplished will be tarnished and destroyed.”
“The whole thing stinks,” Harry said. “I know that. But I don’t make the rules.”
“Then maybe it’s time,” Abigail said, “to change the game.”
“What are you thinking, baby?” Joshua asked.
Abigail shot back, “Stall this thing. Stretch it out. We only need a few days.”
“Days for what?” Harry said. “Josh, when it comes to political battles like this with Senator Straworth, you’re in my world now. I know something about that. Most of my practice has been representing senators, congressman, even a stint in the White House Counsel’s Office, as you know. Look, I respect you, Abby. You did some great legal work on the Hill when you were practicing law. Cases before the Federal Communications Commission. Other federal agencies. But Josh, you’ve got to listen to me on this. There are some people up there in Congress who want to destroy you. And they will, believe me, if you start playing games like avoiding a subpoena.”
“Harry, you’re talking about enemies who want to destroy me. That sounds like war, and when it comes to military logistics, you’re in my world. I don’t intend to let a bunch of politicians destroy me.”
“Which is why,” Abigail said, “we strike first. We hit back first.”
“With what?” Harry said, his voice now rising with a tinge of professional arrogance. “The only hope is my motion to quash this subpoena—”
“That’s just one strategy,” Abigail said. “And frankly, Harry, I think you’ll lose that motion. The backup strategy, Josh, is that we buy time. Just long enough to make sure that Phil Rankowitz has got the AmeriNews launched.”
“What are you talking about?” Harry said.
“A media project I’m working on,” Joshua said. “Something you can’t have any involvement in. But Abby’s right. That’s our offensive.”
Abby said, “If we keep the marshals from serving that subpoena on you, then we keep you out of jail just long enough for the American people to read the first issue of AmeriNews. Once they find out the truth, I’m betting they’ll vent some outrage to their senators. When that happens, I’m betting that Senator Straworth and his buddies will start thinking about withdrawing that subpoena.”
“Josh, really,” Harry blurted out. “I mean talk about a long shot—”
But Joshua cut him off.
“Harry, I’ve made my decision. Here’s the drill. I’m going to avoid being served with that subpoena. Go into hiding if I have to. Harry, can you still try to get a judge to throw it out?”
“By not accepting service you’re putting me in a very uncomfortable position with the court.”
“I’m not asking about your comfort. I’m asking if you can still try that legal maneuver if I’m not served the subpoena.”
After a moment’s pause, Harry Smythe replied, “Yes, I suppose I can.”
“Good. Meanwhile, Abby, you and I need to make sure that AmeriNews gets launched ASAP. We need to get to the American public. That’s our best hope.”
Harry Smythe wasn’t going down without a fight.
“So you’re simply rejecting my approach? My recommendation then?” Harry said coolly.
“What I am doing,” Joshua said, “is going with Abby’s plan instead.”
And then he added something else.
“When it comes to her advice, I’m willing to bank my life on it.”
“You may have to,” Harry punted back in his lawyerly pessimism. “You’ve got the federal government coming after your scalp.”