Page 128 of Hidden Tide
“I’ve worked with him twice. He’s careful and annoyingly devoted to procedure.”
“Then he should understand why the door isn’t opening.”
Price’s voice comes through again.
“Agent Marquez, open the door so we can discuss this.”
“We can discuss it with the door closed.”
“I have six federal agents standing in a Coast Guard corridor. This is already becoming difficult.”
“You brought six armed agents to collect evidence in the middle of the night without notifying the commander of this facility.”
“I assumed Kessler notified him.”
“He didn’t.”
Another silence.
The footsteps outside shift.
I picture the agents looking at one another as they begin to realize they may have been sent into something much larger than a routine evidence transfer.
Price speaks again.
“I’m calling my office.”
“I recommend calling someone other than Deputy Director Kessler.”
Keating motions toward a Coast Guard officer at the back of the room.
“Find out how that team entered the facility.”
The officer speaks quietly into his radio.
Mom gathers my sisters closer to her.
Nathan and Thomas stand near them. Ward remains beside Storm, his uninjured arm around her waist.
No one panics.
No one tries to run.
We have armed officers protecting us, federal agents questioning the order and a building designed to be secured.
This is what should have happened thirteen years ago.
Dad shouldn’t have needed to hide film inside his daughter’s jacket because he didn’t know which authorities he could trust.
Ben’s thumb moves over the back of my hand.
“You’re quiet.”
“I’m thinking about my Dad.”
“So am I.”
“He tried to do everything alone.”
