End Days Super Boxset by Roger Hayden Read Free Book Online

intermittently. Craig walked in again, holding his files, and patted Patterson on the back.
    “I'll drive, buddy. Don't worry about a thing. Two and a half hours tops.”
    “Taking the squad car?” Patterson asked.
    “That's okay,” Craig said. “We'll take my car.”
    Patterson gave him a funny look. “Driving around on your own dime?”
    Craig shot past him toward the door. “It’s better that way.”
    Patterson rose from his desk. “If you say so.”
    They walked down to the parking lot and left in Craig's car.
    “What’s the plan?” asked Patterson. “I mean, once we get there?”
    Craig laid out the details of the plan the best he could. They were going to watch the place. Patterson groaned. It was a quarter past one when they passed the Washington Monument, the World War II memorial, and the Reflecting Pool and merged onto the south I-95 ramp exit leading to Virginia. Patterson's head was already bobbing up and down. At some point, Craig knew he was going to have to tell him that nothing about what they were doing had been authorized.
    ***
    An hour later, they stopped for some coffee after making it across the Virginia state line. Patterson seemed attentive and ready as Craig turned down the volume on the light rock playing over the radio.
    “There's something you need to know. Something I haven't had the time to go into detail about,” Craig said.
    “That this job sucks?” Patterson asked, taking a sip of coffee from a steaming Styrofoam cup.
    “Yes and no. You see, I had a little meeting with the assistant deputy director today.”
    “Calderon? What did that ballsack want?”
    “He took us off the case.”
    “What case?”
    Craig paused slightly. “This case.”
    Patterson looked confused. Then it hit him. “I knew it! I told you we couldn’t trust Homeland. So what does that mean? Why are we doing this?”
    Craig’s eyes were steady and locked on the road. “You know as well as I do that we have to pursue this lead. There’s too much at stake.”
    “We could lose our jobs here. Our pensions. Everything. I have a family. You have a family. You're gonna throw all that away over this?”
    “If you want out, that’s fine with me. No hard feelings.”
    Patterson scoffed. “How considerate of you. You should have told me this right after your meeting. We're partners , and we're supposed to look out for each other.”
    “I know, and I'm sorry. That's why I want to give you a chance to walk away.”
    Patterson shifted in his seat uncomfortably and then scratched his head as if trying to come to some decision.
    Craig continued. “Whatever you want to do. It's up to you.”
    “What authority do we even have here? Say we stumble on some organization. What are we going to do, blow them a kiss?”
    “We gather evidence and take it back to the station, convince them that we need to re-open this case.”
    Patterson's fist slammed onto the dashboard. “You really think you can get through to them? Are you that dense?”
    Craig didn't respond as he steered the car through the Virginian landscape.
    Patterson calmed himself. “I guess I'm in too deep now,” he said, shaking his head.
    “You do whatever you think is best,” Craig said. “I’m not stopping. We’re too close.”
    Craig checked his GPS. They were thirty minutes from the address: 20 West Dupont Circle, Apartment 308, Richmond Virginia 23218. Once the city was in range, Patterson objected no more.
    It was half past three in the morning. Skyscrapers towered overhead as they drove through the metropolitan areas, the Richmond port, and then deeper into the urbanized, diminished west side. Craig assured Patterson that their unexpected arrival so early in the morning would work in their favor. After many side streets and turns, they found themselves near a high-rise apartment complex.
    Graffiti covered nearly every wall, alleyway, bridge overpass, and newspaper stand around. Cars were parked on both sides of the street. Taxis passed by