PRECIPICE by Leland Davis Read Free Book Online

himself to wipe away this last remaining sanctuary of his father’s memory. He would probably only have to spend another fifteen months in here, anyway.
    Ortiz finished typing, dropped the phone into his pocket, and looked up. “Welcome home. You get anything?”
    “Three Sundy mornin’, and two more in the afternoon,” Moore drawled, putting the emphasis on after instead of on noon . “It’s haaard huntin’ with only one gun in the field. Woulda got at least one more if you hadn’t called, though,” he said, looking pointedly at Ortiz.
    “Sorry I interrupted your bird murders, but do you want the money or no?” Ortiz was irritated by his boss’ lackadaisical approach to the lucrative deal he had arranged. This senator had no respect for his own power, and Ortiz was continually frustrated by his squandered opportunities for increased influence. In truth, Ortiz thought Moore was an idiot. But this idiot was his current meal ticket, and he’d come a long way since signing on as his aide. Brought on four years ago in hopes that his insight would bring votes from Alabama’s burgeoning Hispanic population, Ortiz had risen quickly through the ranks. As Chief of Staff he was now essentially performing most of Moore’s duties for him besides voting in the Senate chamber, shaking hands, and kissing babies.
    “All right, all right, I want it. How much are we gettin’?” Moore grumped.
    “I told him we need six million. Héctor says they’re only offering five, but I told him there was no way you would go against your party for less than six.”
    “You think he’ll do it?”
    “Héctor said it wouldn’t be a problem.”
    Moore grunted. “And you get a million bucks of it?”
    “I deserve it. Without me and my cousin, there’s no deal.”
    The senator begrudgingly acquiesced.
    “First you push it through the transportation committee,” Ortiz went on. “It should get through the House, no problem.” Ortiz didn’t tell Moore that the House Transportation Committee Chairman’s campaign fund was also being paid a total of one million dollars in various small donations to make sure the bill cleared.
    “And you’re sure this trucker guy—Cardenas?—is good for the money?” Moore was still having trouble believing that a Mexican transport magnate could shell out that kind of cash.
    “When it clears your committee, he’ll put two million in the offshore account that I set up for you. Once the bill passes, he’ll wire the rest. If the bill doesn’t pass, you keep the two million as long as you get it through the transportation committee. But it’s gonna pass,” Ortiz said reassuringly. He was sick of pandering to this man, but it was almost over. He would pocket his cut of the money and be on to bigger and better things after the senator was gone. And Moore would definitely be gone if he voted against his party on this one. Maybe Ortiz would even run for congress himself. With his connections, he could probably make a lot of money as a legislator. The million he would get from Moore plus the million that Héctor had already arranged for him would be good seed money for a campaign. He had no problem playing both sides on this one, and nobody would be the wiser.
    “OK, as long as yer sure he’s good for it, I’ll vote,” Moore rumbled with an air of finality. “What else is on my list for today?” He was ready to move on, committed to his course of action and trusting that Ortiz would handle it. The less Sheldon had to think about it, the better. He’d kept his nose completely clean the entire time he’d been in the Senate; there were no improprieties, no secret trysts, no stained dresses in his closet. He felt like he deserved to walk out of here with something to show after twenty-four years of faithful service, but he also didn’t want to dwell on his first—and hopefully only—iniquity.
    “You have a Homeland Security meeting at eleven that you really should make an appearance at. And at