Deception Point Page 85

Rachels body went rigid. She wanted to step back from the railing, further she could not move. She was transfixed by the petrifying vista.Incredible, arent they? Tolland said. His hand was on her get up again, comforting. Theyll tread water in the warm spots for weeks. These cuckoos take for the trump out(p) noses in the sea-enhanced telencephalon olfactory lobes. They can smell blood up to a mile aside. bad looked skeptical. Enhanced telencephalon olfactory lobes?Dont believe me? Tolland began rooting most in an aluminum cabinet adjacent to where they were standing. After a moment, he pulled out a sm completely, dead weight. Perfect. He took a knife from the caller and cut the limp fish in several places. It started to drip blood.Mike, for Gods sake, Corky said. Thats disgusting.Tolland tossed the bloody fish overboard and it fell thirty feet. The instant it hand the water, six or seven sharks darted in a tumbling infuriated brawl, their rows of silvery teeth gnashing wi ldly at the bloody fish. In an instant, the fish was gone.Aghast, Rachel turned and stared at Tolland, who was already holding another fish. same(p) kind. very(prenominal) size.This time, no blood, Tolland said. Without cutting the fish, he threw it in the water. The fish splashed down, hardly nothing happened. The hammerheads waited not to notice. The bait carried a dash on the current, having drawn no interest whatsoever.They attack alone on sense of smell, Tolland said, leading them away from the railing. In fact, you could swim out here in total safety-provided you didnt check any open wounds.Corky pointed to the stitches on his cheek.Tolland frowned. Right. No swimming for you.102Gabrielle Ashes cab was not moving.Sitting at a roadblock near the FDR Memorial, Gabrielle looked out at the emergency vehicles in the distance and felt as if a surrealistic fog bank had check offtled over the city. Radio reports were advent in now that the exploded car might have contained a high-level government official.Pulling out her cellphone, she dialed the senator. He was no interrogation starting to wonder what was taking Gabrielle so long.The line was busy.Gabrielle looked at the taxis clicking sen xce and frowned. Some of the other cars stuck here were pulling up onto the curbs and turning around to find alternative routes.The driver looked over his shoulder. You wanna wait? Your dime.Gabrielle saw much official vehicles arriving now. No. Lets go around.The driver grunted in the affirmative and began maneuvering the unhandy multipoint turn. As they bounced over the curbs, Gabrielle tried Sexton again.Still busy.Several proceeding later, having made a wide loop, the taxi was traveling up C Street. Gabrielle saw the Philip A. Hart Office Building looming. She had intended to go refined to the senators apartment, but with her office this closePull over, she blurted to the driver. Right there. Thanks. She pointed.The cab stopped.Gabrielle compensable the a mount on the meter and added ten dollars. Can you wait ten minutes?The cabbie looked at the money and then at his watch. Not a minute longer.Gabrielle hurried off. Ill be out in five.The deserted marble corridors of the Senate office building felt almost sepulchral at this hour. Gabrielles muscles were reach as she hurried through the gauntlet of austere statues lining the third-floor entryway. Their unsmooth eyes seemed to follow her like silent sentinels.Arriving at the main limen of Senator Sextons five-room office suite, Gabrielle used her key card to enter. The secretarial lobby was indistinctly lit. Crossing through the foyer, she went down a hallway to her office. She entered, flicked on the light lights, and strode directly to her file cabinets.She had an entire file on the budgeting of NASAs Earth observing System, including plenty of information on PODS. Sexton would certainly want all the data he could possibly get on PODS as in brief as she told him about Harper.N ASA lied about PODS.As Gabrielle fingered her way through her files, her cellphone rang.Senator? she answered.No, Gabs. Its Yolanda. Her friends voice had an unusual edge to it. You still at NASA?No. At the office.Find anything at NASA?You have no idea. Gabrielle knew she couldnt herald Yolanda anything until shed talked to Sexton the senator would have very specific ideas about how best to call the information. Ill tell you all about it after I talk to Sexton. point over to his place now.Yolanda paused. Gabs, you know this thing you were saying about Sextons feed finance and the SFF?I told you I was wrong and-I just ensnare out two of our reporters who cover the aerospace industry have been working on a similar story.Gabrielle was surprised. Meaning?I dont know. But these guys are good, and they seem pretty convinced that Sexton is taking kickbacks from the Space Frontier Foundation. I just figured I should call you. I know I told you earlier that the idea was insane. Marjorie Tench as a source seemed spotty, but these guys of ours I dont know, you might want to talk to them before you see the senator.If theyre so convinced, why havent they gone to press? Gabrielle sounded more defensive than she wanted to.They have no solid evidence. The senator apparently is good at covering his tracks. well-nigh politicians are. Theres nothing there, Yolanda. I told you the senator admitted taking SFF donations, but the gifts are all chthonian the cap.I know thats what he told you, Gabs, and Im not claiming to know whats true or false here. I just felt obliged to call because I told you not to trust Marjorie Tench, and now I find out large number other than Tench think the senator may be on the dole. Thats all.Who were these reporters? Gabrielle felt an unexpected anger simmering now.No names. I can set up a meeting. Theyre smart. They understand campaign finance law Yolanda hesitated. You know, these guy actually believe Sexton is hurting for cash-bankrupt even.In the silence of her office, Gabrielle could see to it Tenchs raspy accusations echoing. After Katherine died, the senator squandered the vast majority of her legacy on bad investments, personal comforts, and buying himself what appears to be certain victory in the primaries. As of six months ago, your candidate was broke.Our men would love to talk to you, Yolanda said.I bet they would, Gabrielle thought. Ill call you back.You sound pissed.Never at you, Yolanda. Never at you. Thanks.Gabrielle hung up.Dozing on a chair in the hallway outside Senator Sextons Westbrooke apartment, a security guard awoke with a start at the sound of his cellular phone. Bolting up in his chair, he rubbed his eyes and pulled his phone from his blazer pocket. yeah?Owen, this is Gabrielle.Sextons guard recognized her voice. Oh, hi.I need to talk to the senator. Would you knock on his door for me? His line is busy.Its kind of late.Hes awake. Im sure of it. Gabrielle sounded anxious. Its an emergency.Another one?Same one. Just get him on the phone, Owen. Theres something I really need to occupy him.The guard sighed, standing up. Okay, okay. Ill knock. He stretched and made his way toward Sextons door. But Im only doing it because he was glad I let you in earlier. Reluctantly, he raise his fist to knock.