Page 11 of Trusting Laurence
That day, she’d mourned not just the loss of her beautiful baby boy she’d gotten to hold for a fleeting moment, but for her marriage and the loss of her dream of a happy ever after.
The afternoon sunbaked down on the concrete yard of Colombia Penitentiary, now devoid of inmates. Free time was over, and everyone was back inside. The deserted yard looked desolate, the concrete cracked. Exactly the way Larry imagined despair looked.
This was the place hopes and dreams came to die. Well, for those who’d had any left when they’d arrived.
He and Finn waited at the heavily fortified gate for it to open. They’d passed the security checkpoint and were now just waiting for access to the facility. Jim Wilder had come through for him, and they were here to see Marcus Forrester. Larry had brought a copy of the records Tahlia had given him, gripping them in his clenched fist.
He wasn’t banking on the former senator giving them a warm reception, but he was hoping the man would be willing to talk to them. Although, he wasn’t holding his breath for that either. Their history was not a good one, barely civil at best, and downright hostile at worst.
It hadn’t started out that way, but when Larry had learned the kind of man Marcus was, he’d soon lost any respect for him. Any man who lifted a hand to a woman didn’t deserve respect, in his opinion.
The buzzing of the security lock drew Larry from his introspection. Finn pushed the it inward, and Larry indicated for the man to precede him. As he closed the gate behind him, he couldn’t prevent the twitch of unease. People like him and Finn were neither safe nor welcome in places like this. But it was part of the job. When you put the badge on, you accepted the risks.
As they stepped into the building, they took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the change in light from the bright sunlight to the dimmer, artificially-lit building. He saw a guard standing by the inner security door, waiting to escort them. At the harsh snick of the electronic lock opening, the the man pushed the door open and showed them through.
Jim Wilder stood on the other side.
“Welcome to my little slice of hell, gentlemen,” he said with a laugh.
Both men shook the warden’s hand in greeting.
“Not gonna lie, Jim. This place always gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t know how you stand working here every day.” Larry said.
The man laughed again. “You know how it is. You do what you gotta do, right? Come on in.” He indicated for them to enter his office, stepping aside for them to walk ahead of him. Gesturing for them to take a seat, he went around the desk and took his own.
“Not sure how much you’re going to get out of our man, Forrester. He doesn’t strike me as the sharing kind. I can’t imagine he’s going to be overly happy to see you.”
“He’s going to be even more unhappy by the time this visit is done. I’ll tell you that much,” Larry replied. “We’ve found some sensitive information I sincerely doubt he wanted to ever land in our possession. So, knowing we now have it is going to piss him right off.”
“Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I reckon that’s going to spoil his day.” The idea seemed to amuse the man. “I’ll have them take him to an interrogation room and then I’ll escort you over there.”
While they waited for Marcus, they sat shooting the breeze, talking of this and that but nothing of consequence. Mentally, Larry prepared himself. With the history he and Marcus shared, he just needed to keep his cool, remember the goal.
A different guard from the one who’d met them appeared at the door.
“They’re ready for you, sir.”
Jim nodded to the guard before turning to Larry. “Well, gentlemen, shall we?”
They followed Jim down the hallways to the door of the room where Marcus waited for them. At the door, Larry took a moment to center himself. His and Marcus’s relationship had never been smooth, and it had steadily deteriorated over the course of his employment.
He didn’t expect this meeting to be an easy one, but he certainly hoped it would be a fruitful one.
With a curt nod, he indicated he was ready to go in.
“Good luck with that one,” Jim said, before turning to leave.
“Yeah, I reckon I’m going to need it,” came Larry’s rejoinder.
The guard opened the door, and Larry stepped into the room, Finn hot on his heels.
For the first time in years, Larry came face to face with his previous employer. And after all the time that had passed, the man’s arrogant smirk still got under his skin.
There was a beat of silence as he watched Marcus give them the once-over.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Deputy Director of the FBI, himself.”
Larry tucked his hands in his pockets. It was safer than the alternative. He clenched them against the urge to smash them into the other man’s face.
