The Sixth Man by David Baldacci Read Free Book Online

by two shooters.”
    “I guess they really don’t want to take any chances.”
    “It’s overkill, at least to my mind.”
    “What’d you expect? Our federal tax dollars at work.”
    She noted a large array of solar panels off to one side, angled just right to take in the maximum amount of sunlight.
    “Well, at least they’re going green,” she said, pointing them out to Sean.
    They passed three more gates and three more checkpoints, and endured three more electronic scans and body searches, until Michelle assumed the guards collectively knew every contour of her person better than she did. At the entrance to the building massive portals resembling blast doors on a nukeproof bunker swung back on air-powered hydraulics. Michelle said in an impressed voice, “Okay, I’m thinking this place is escape-proof.”
    “Let’s hope.”
    “Do you think they know Bergin’s been murdered?” she asked.
    “I wouldn’t bet against it.”
    “So they might not let us in.”
    “They let us come this far,” replied Sean.
    “Yeah, and now I’m wondering why they have.”
    “Little slow this morning?”
    “What?”
    He said nervously, “I’ve been wondering that ever since they cleared us through the first gate.”

CHAPTER

6
    T HERE WAS ONE more checkpoint inside the facility. A magnetometer for any stray weapons the other searches didn’t reveal, another probe of their persons, an X-ray for Michelle’s small bag, an ID and document check, a cross-reference on the visitor’s list, an oral interview that would have done Mossad proud, and a few phone calls. After that they were told to wait in an anteroom off the reception area, if one could call it that. The windows were at least three inches thick and presumably bullet-, fist-, and footproof.
    Sean tapped on one. “Feels like the windows in the Beast.”
    Michelle was examining the interior wall construction. She rubbed her hand up and down one section. “Don’t think this is run-of-the-mill drywall. Feels like a composite. A composite made of titanium. I doubt a round from my .45 could pierce it.”
    “Called a buddy of mine who knew about this place,” said Sean. “It’s set on a rocker platform like they do the skyscrapers.”
    “You mean in case there’s an earthquake.”
    “Right. Must have cost a pretty penny.”
    “Like you said, it’s only taxpayer money. But I wonder if its floodproof? We’re pretty close to the ocean here.”
    “Retractable seawall. They can raise it in twenty minutes.”
    “You’re kidding.”
    Sean shook his head. “What my buddy told me.”
    Michelle looked around the small, Spartan space. “I wonder how many visitors there are here? They don’t even have any magazines. And I doubt you could find a vending machine.”
    “Would you want to come and visit someone here? Even if the person was family? I mean, it’s a facility for the criminally insane.”
    “They don’t call it that anymore, do they?”
    “I guess not, but it is what it is. They are criminal and they are insane.”
    “Now look who’s being judgmental. Roy hasn’t even been tried.”
    “Okay, you got me there.”
    “But he’s still probably a psycho,” added Michelle, drawing a raised eyebrow from her partner. She said, “How many inmates—sorry, patients—here, do you reckon?”
    “That’s classified, apparently.”
    “Classified? How can that be? This isn’t part of the CIA or the Pentagon.”
    “All I can tell you is I tried to find that out and ran right into a stone wall. I do know that Roy is probably the most high-profile inmate they have right now.”
    “Until he’s supplanted by an even crazier psycho.”
    “Excuse me?”
    They turned to find a young man in a blue smock standing at the doorway. He held a small electronic pad. “Sean King and Michelle Maxwell?”
    They rose together, towering over the shorter man. “That’s right,” said Sean.
    “Here to see Edgar Roy?”
    Sean was prepared to have a fight on his hands