The Sum of All Fears.pdf - Delta Force

loading it on an American-flag timber carrier for the trip across the Pacific,
where the log would be worked with skill and due religious ceremony – by hand,
the GP man was amazed to hear – for its new and special purpose. That it would
never reach Japan was something that none of them knew.
***
The term trouble-shooter was particularly awkward for a law-enforcement
official, Murray thought. Of course, as he leaned back in the leather chair, he
could feel the 10mm Smith & Wesson automatic clipped to his waistband. He ought
to have left it in his desk drawer, but he liked the feel of the beast. A
revolver man for most of his career he'd quickly come to love the compact power
of the Smith. And Bill understood. For the first time in recent memory, the
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was a career cop who'd started
his career on the street, busting bad guys. In fact, Murray and Shaw had started
off in the same field division. Bill was slightly more skilled at the
administrative side, but no one mistook him for a headquarters weenie. Shaw had
first gotten high-level attention by staring down two armed bank robbers before
the cavalry'd had time to arrive. He'd never fired his weapon in anger, of
course – only a tiny percentage of FBI agents ever did – but he'd convinced
those two hoods that he could drop both of them. There was steel under the
gentlemanly velvet, and one hell of a brain. Which was why Dan Murray, a deputy
assistant director, didn't mind working as Shaw's personal problem-solver.
'What the hell do we do with this guy?' Shaw asked, with quiet disgust.
Murray had just finished his report on the Warrior Case. Dan sipped at his
coffee and shrugged.
'Bill, the man is a genius with corruption cases – best we've ever had. He just
doesn't know dick about the muscle end of the business. He got out of his depth
with this one. Luckily enough, no permanent damage was done.' And Murray was
right. The newsies had treated the Bureau surprisingly well for saving the life
of their reporter. What was truly amazing was the fact that the newsies had
never quite understood that the reporter had had no place in that particular
arena. As a result, they were grateful to the local SAC for letting the news
team on the scene, and grateful to the Hostage Rescue Team for saving both of
them when things had taken a dangerous turn. It wasn't the first time the Bureau
had reaped a PR bonanza from a near-catastrophe. The FBI was more jealous of its
public relations than any government agency, and Shaw's problem was simply that
to fire SAC Walt Hoskins would look bad. Murray pressed on. 'He's learned his
lesson. Walt isn't stupid, Bill.'
'And bagging the governor last year was some coup, wasn't it?' Shaw grimaced.
Hoskins was a genius at political corruption cases. A state governor was now
contemplating life in a federal prison because of him. That was how Hoskins had
become a Special-Agent-in-Charge in the first place. 'You have something in
mind, Dan?'
'ASAC Denver,' Murray replied with a mischievous twinkle. 'It's elegant. He goes
from a little field office to head of corruption cases in a major field
division. It's a promotion that takes him out of command and puts him back in
what he's best at – and if the rumbles we're getting out of Denver are right,
he'll have lots of work to do. Like maybe a senator and a congresswoman – maybe