Lady Justice and the Candidate Read Online Free PDF

Naturally, we’re hoping for a 'yes,' but if it’s a 'no,' we totally understand.”
        We had driven for blocks before Maggie spoke. “You two could have been brothers.”
        “So you felt that too.”
        “You want to do this, don’t you?”
        “Not if you don’t want me to.”
        “You really liked what he had to say, didn’t you?”
        “Yes, I really did.”
        “Yeah, me too, and I also understood what Helen was trying to tell me.”
        A long silence.
        “I think you should do it!”
        “Really?”
        “What the heck. If you’re going to die, it might as well count for something!”

CHAPTER 4
     
     
        I phoned Mark as soon as we were home.
        He was delighted that we were on board. We scheduled a meeting with the captain for the next morning.
        I drove to the precinct with mixed emotions.
        On the one hand, I was truly excited to have the opportunity to participate in something that could possibly change the course of American history, but on the other hand, I hated leaving Maggie for four months and I dreaded the impact that the news of my death would have on my family and friends.
        The other thing that kept eating away at me was that I had always harbored a serious distrust of politicians.
        Jerry and I were discussing the subject one day and, as usual, he had a line from his comedy club routine that mirrored what we both felt.
        “What’s the difference between a dead cat on the road and a dead politician on the road? The dead cat has skid marks around it!”
        In my three years on the force, I had done a lot of crazy things in the service of Lady Justice. If she needed me to be a politician for a while, I figured that I could do that too.
        Once we were settled in, Mark didn’t waste any time.
        “In order for this to work, your death has to be believable. I think we have come up with a plan that will accomplish that. The captain will give you the details.”
        Captain Short drew a deep breath, “Walt, the department’s drug task force has been planning a strike against the Mexican drug cartel. The cartel has been bringing their product into the city on Missouri River barges.
        “They bury the drugs under tons of sand harvested from the riverbed. Front loaders scoop the sand and drugs into dump trucks and off they go and no one is the wiser.
        “An informant has leaked that the next shipment will be arriving in two days. That’s when the task force will strike.
        “The task force has asked the Midtown Squad to supply a dozen officers to assist in the raid. You and Ox will be part of that dozen.”
        Mark broke in, “We will arrange for barges to be docked on either side of the cartel’s barge. Ox will be assigned to the upstream barge and you to the downstream barge. The main assault will come from the dock side. Ostensibly, you and Ox will be there to make sure no one tries to escape by water, which is highly unlikely given the treacherous current in the river.
        “These cartel guys will be armed to the teeth and when the assault is mounted, all hell will break lose.
        “Once the firefight has started, all you have to do is watch for an opportunity to slip into the river unnoticed.”
        “Hold on just a minute! You just said that the Mexicans would be stupid to jump into the river and now you’re telling me to do that very thing?”
        “Calm down, Walt,” Mark replied. “We’ve got you covered. We will have two Secret Service agents in a boat waiting for you fifty yards downriver. You can swim, can’t you?”
        I nodded.
        “Then all you have to do is keep your head above water and the current will carry you right to the boat. You won’t be in the water five minutes. It’ll be a piece of cake.”
        I hate that expression. Every time someone tells me that, something seems to go terribly