Gone Bad Read Free

okay?”
    Meyerstein sat down and shifted in her seat. She couldn’t abide small talk about how people look, especially her. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
    O’Donoghue sighed and steepled his fingers. “Martha, I’m sorry I have to raise this again, but we have a problem.”
    “I’m well aware of that, sir. Joint terrorism team already assembled.”
    “I mean Jon Reznick.”
    Meyerstein said nothing.
    “What is it with you and him?”
    Meyerstein felt herself flush. “I beg your pardon, sir?”
    “This will be the fourth time you’ve included him in a major investigation. And, yes, while the results speak for themselves, there are murmurings.”
    “What kind of murmurings?”
    “They say he’s getting into the heart of the FBI, and they don’t know anything about him. They feel uneasy. Is he linked to the CIA? That’s all they want to know.”
    “And who exactly is they , sir?”
    O’Donoghue picked up a piece of paper from his desk. He paused with it in his hand for a few moments before he handed it to her. “Read.”
    Meyerstein saw the Department of Homeland Security seal. A personal letter from the director, dated six weeks earlier, outlining his “continuing concerns” over the legality and ethics of deploying Reznick in an “unspecified role” within “highly sensitive FBI investigations.” Her stomach tightened. He wanted Reznick out and Meyerstein “relieved of her duties.” She felt her heart rate quicken. “And you’ve been sitting on this for six weeks?”
    O’Donoghue said nothing.
    Meyerstein took a few moments to compose herself. She thought of her senior position within the FBI. And how she’d worked herself to the bone for years, pursuing investigations. She knew her health was suffering. She wondered, yet again, if it was all worth it. “Sir, do you think I do a good job?”
    O’Donoghue sighed. “I think you do a great job.”
    “So?”
    “So … Look, Martha, sometimes it all comes down to politics.”
    “Sir, I don’t give a damn about politics, internal struggles within an organization, all that bullshit. I’m committed to my family, like we all are. But I’m focussed on the work. Keeping our country safe. I won’t let anything get in the way of that.”
    “Martha, doing nothing is not an option. Homeland Security needs this issue addressed.”
    “And what exactly do you propose?”
    “I want you to do your job, but without Reznick on the team.”
    “Listen to me, sir. On this particular case, more than ever, I believe Jon Reznick is the perfect fit for my team. He knows Hunter Cain.”
    “How?”
    “Delta.”
    O’Donoghue sighed long and hard. He looked at Meyerstein with a withering gaze.
    “What?”
    “Martha, there are murmurings within the FBI about Reznick’s role. It’s bothering people. There’s talk about your relationship with him.”
    “What the hell does that mean?”
    “Hang on – people think you and him might be an item. Heart ruling head. They say it’s unprofessional.”
    “Now listen here, my relationship with Jon Reznick is strictly professional. Strictly.”
    “Your personal life, family, all that, of course it’s your private concern. But when it crosses over into work, no one likes it.”
    “Do you think I’m having some sort of relationship with him?”
    O’Donoghue shifted in his seat.
    “Is that it?” She raised her eyebrows.
    “I don’t know.”
    “It’s true he’s been part of my most pivotal investigations, but each and every time he’s been inscrutable. His instincts, his critical thinking … phenomenal.”
    “Do you like him?”
    “What does that mean?”
    “Do you like him?”
    “Yes, I like him. A lot. But I also admire him.”
    “I believe he lost his wife in 9/11.”
    Meyerstein felt her throat tighten. “Yes, that’s right.”
    “Have you ever seen the CIA file on Reznick?”
    “No.”
    “Makes interesting reading.”
    “How so?”
    “Martha, this guy is … he’s out there.”
    “You want