The Killing Grounds: an explosive and gripping thriller for fans of James Patterson

Woods shook his head. ‘I won’t accept there’s nothing that can be done.’

‘It might be different if we were talking about Homeland issues, but the way things are you haven’t really got anything to give them. Nothing that they want. They’re not going to budge. And the pressure they’re getting from the NRA, along with other pro-gun groups… Well, I’d say that’s the main reason you’re not going to get the votes. You know as well as I do there’s a climate of fear in this country, people want to hold on to what they know and that includes the second amendment… John, I’m sorry but you know these groups spend millions of dollars on campaign contributions, particularly during the election cycle, as well as millions of dollars on lobbying. And every time there’s a shooting tragedy…’

Woods interrupted. Annoyance bouncing on his words. ‘That’s every day, don’t forget that. Every day there’s a shooting tragedy, not just the ones that are in the press, Teddy.’

‘Apologies, Mr. President, I should’ve worded that better. The problem we’ve got is when we call for stricter controls what happens, as you know, are the pro-gun groups rally their members to fight against new restrictions. They spread fear and uncertainty and donations go up. There are a hell of a lot of senators falling out of these groups’ pockets. The gun groups have bankrolled their campaigns. They’ve got a vice-like grip on half of Capitol Hill.’

Frustrated, Woods said, ‘Yeah, I know all that, but Walmsley knew all this and he was okay about it before. What’s changed?’

‘Pressure, John. That’s what’s changed. He’s even got a few anonymous threats. Those senators don’t have the balls when it comes to standing up to special interest groups. They get intimidated and as a consequence our reforms get undermined.’

‘Oh come on, don’t give me that Teddy. You say this every time.’

‘You know how high passions run on gun control. This goes right to the heart of our constitution. As a nation, we want to preserve that.’

‘And what about preserving lives? And the American people tend to agree. What did the last polls come in at? 85 percent backed our reforms?’

‘Oh come on, we haven’t believed what polls have said in a long time. And anyway, even if they were right, you could have a hundred polls saying we got a hundred percent backing. That’s not the problem, Mr. President, and you know that. The problem is the overwhelming sense coming down from Capitol Hill is that you’re trying to overstep your legal authority on these reforms. Plus, the gun control campaign we’ve been running hasn’t helped. Seems like a lot of the Republican senators feel like we’ve demonized them along with the pro-gun groups. It’s a mess. They think the social media campaigns we’ve run have made them look like the criminals. No-one’s going to like that, especially when it looks like it comes from the White House.’

‘I don’t get how the hell they can talk about us and our campaign? Have you seen what the lobbyists are doing? They’re blatantly spreading lies about our reforms. Making out that it’ll be a kind of Big Brother atmosphere for gun owners. You talk about a climate of fear? Jesus, nobody’s trying to take away the second amendment here, we’re just trying to stop our children being killed.’

‘I know, but when it’s time to vote, they’re going to vote against, and they’ll say they’re just protecting the rule of law and the constitution.’

‘Bullshit! I’m trying to protect the American people and they know it, it’s an excuse. This issue totally exemplifies the dysfunctional nature of Congress. Every goddamn time restrictions are proposed, the pro-gun groups tells everyone it’ll make no difference to the number of shootings and massacres and the perpetrator would’ve committed these crimes anyway… But try telling that to the families who’ve lost loved ones. Senator Walmsley needs to get his head out of his ass and see what’s really important.’

Woods stopped to take a deep breath. It took all of his resolve not to put the Smith and Watson Georgian-style chair through one of the eleven foot high oval windows. Though in truth, he knew he might have a tough time trying – bullet resistant glass had a way of stopping things.

His temper and this job, sometimes they just didn’t match. Hell, it didn’t even get close. Damn problem was he cared too much. And it wasn’t lost on him that this was something he told Cooper not to do. He actually thought he’d got his temper on something of an even keel, though whether he’d achieved that was an entirely different matter. The Post certainly didn’t think so. As of late, most of the cartoon captions had some kind of reference to his legendary outbursts. Exaggerated, yes. But not altogether untrue. Though he would rather call it passion.

He pointed his finger at Adleman. Jaw so tight from stress it damn near felt it’d locked. He rubbed the side of his face. ‘You need to give Congress a goddamn message from me. They need to stop fighting me on these gun reforms and start thinking about the families and their communities. And you can also send Walmsley the photos.’

‘You can’t do that. It’s not going to help. If anything, it’s going to make it worse.’

‘I said, send him the photos… Joan…! Joan! Can you come in here a minute?’

Woods’s secretary hurried in. Calm. Unruffled. Two qualities that explained why he’d hired her. And two qualities, at moments like this, he wished he had. ‘I want you to send Senator Walmsley the pictures of the kids who were killed at Liberbush Elementary. He needs to see what backing out of the reform means.’

The side glance from Joan to Alderman didn’t get missed. Woods chewed on the skin of his thumb nail. ‘You got a problem with that, Joan?’

‘No, sir.’

‘I think you have.’

‘No.’

‘Tell me honestly. You know I value your opinion.’

Joan tucked her almost-too-short dyed black hair behind her ear. She glanced at Teddy Adleman who nodded encouragingly.

‘Okay, well, I think it’s the wrong thing to do, Mr. President. The rationale rests on the supposition that it’s not the gun that kills a person, it’s the person. And I agree with that sentiment and so do a lot of other people. So sending photos to Senator Walmsley of the babies who were shot and killed, however hideous the injuries, won’t serve any purpose apart from alienating yourself more from the Senate.’

‘But I need to show Walmsley and a few other senators exactly what happened on this latest massacre.’

‘Mr. President, with due respect they’re intelligent men and I have no doubt they know exactly what happened and how. Seeing the photos won’t make a difference to getting votes for your reform. The people who are going to vote against are pro-gun, not pro-violence. That’s a big difference right there.’

‘Then how come the rest of the world are looking at America in bewilderment and wondering why the hell we don’t do something about our gun laws and our predilection for guns?’

‘We’re unique in that we have our constitution to uphold.’

‘Bullshit… sorry, Joan, but bullshit.’

‘There are a lot people who are worried your reforms aren’t going to uphold the second amendment.’

‘The second amendment was written in 1791, for God’s sake! People quite rightly were defending their land and their cattle, but they did it with muskets and Kentucky long rifles, not a 516 multicaliber semiautomatic which blows a hole in you the size of a grapefruit. America has to change with the times. Let me give you a couple of figures.’

Joan looked exasperated, but Woods carried on: ‘Over seventeen thousand children and teens are shot each year. Over three thousand of them die. And if you include adults in that figure then we have a goddamn grand total of over one hundred and ten thousand people shot in this country on average each year. And nearly thirty-three thousand of them die. So come on, Joan, tell me about your precious second amendment now.’

Joan, red faced and needing the bathroom, held her ground. ‘I could point out that gun ownership in places like Finland and Switzerland are high but they don’t have a problem with their crime rates. And the states here in America with the strongest gun control laws, like California, are the ones with the highest gun-homicide rates. Then conversely you’ve got places like Utah, who have very few gun control laws, but they also have a very low number of gun crime homicides. So truly, I don’t see these reforms will have any bearing.’

‘I’m not trying to stop people having guns, but there’s got to be more we can do. More reforms on assault and high caliber weapons, more criminal and mental health background checks, and the ability to close the loopholes which allow guns to be sold to the wrong people.’

Joan sniffed. Pulled down the hem of her spotted cardigan. ‘My point still stands, Mr. President. It’s not the gun, it’s the person.’

‘And my point is if we don’t try these restrictions then America won’t know if they work. But I appreciate you telling me your view… Now send him the goddamn photos. And Teddy, you need to find those votes and I don’t care how we do it, just get them.’

18

It had been two days since Cooper had returned from Washington and even though there was a lot to think about, he’d been trying to do anything but. Work was his escape as well as his self-imposed imprisonment. A license to avoid anything other than the job he was doing. A place where the task in hand was a substitute for his reality.

He remembered back to how his Uncle Beau had been just before he’d left the Navy, unable to contemplate anything other than the life he’d built around it. Unable to see any future in the midst of his own fear of leaving everything he’d ever known. Everything he’d relied on after a lifetime of avoiding his own conflicts. His own internal war, which seemed worse than facing any adversary out on the field. But unlike his Uncle, who’d found his peace through God, giving him the courage and strength to think, allowing him just to be, he knew he didn’t have that. He had no God. No peace. And no matter how unafraid of his fellow man he was, how many perilous situations he found himself in, he didn’t have the courage just to be. For that, he envied his Uncle.

He stood in Granger’s office next to Maddie and Rosedale, impatient to know what was on offer. He had to get out. Feel like he was doing something worthwhile. And maybe it’d be a good thing to put some distance between himself and Maddie. Not that there’d been a problem. They’d been cordial, hell, almost friendly, when he’d dropped Cora off.

He’d had the feeling Maddie had wanted to talk. But that was women! He didn’t have anything to say. Nothing to give her even if he wanted to. He couldn’t feel a goddamn thing. So why make things harder and disappoint her more by talking? It was better for Maddie to think him an uncommunicative jackass than let her know that her husband, estranged or not, felt absolutely nothing at all.

‘There’s a job for you if you want it, Cooper. Came in from one of the international banks.’ Granger unapologetically threw some papers at Cooper, but it was Maddie who bent down to pick them up. After skim reading the details she stared at Granger in disbelief.

‘Are you serious? You can’t send him there.’

Granger leant forward, clearly annoyed but somewhat curious to hear Maddie’s rationale. He swivelled round in his chair letting her talk. ‘Go on.’

‘I thought we’d decided we were going to send that job back to the bank. It’s too dangerous. Let them sign it off.’

‘And why would I do that if I’ve got Cooper here to do it?’

Maddie’s face flushed. A flash of anger crossed her eyes. She chewed on her lip – something she did when she was trying not to show her true feelings. But she didn’t have to say anything. Cooper knew she was worried about him.

He said, ‘Listen, Maddie, it’s cool, okay?’

She stared at Granger. God, she hated that she felt like this. In fact, she hated that she felt anything at all. She wanted to be free of it. But how could she? How do you just turn off loving someone? She’d loved him from the beginning.

But he’d been in love with Ellie. As obsessed with Ellie as Ellie had been with him. So there was nothing to be done apart from try to get on with things. And that had been fine, or rather she’d had to make it fine. But, after the accident, she’d reached out to him. She could see he’d needed someone to help and love him, as his obsession over his search for Ellie had grown, and he’d spiralled. Helter-skeltering into bottles of pills. Getting further and further away from reality. Out of control. Out of his mind.

When things had got really dark, really bleak, she’d almost lost faith. Almost. But then in one session at the veteran’s psychiatric medical facility, promoted by his therapist, he’d asked her to marry him and – maybe foolishly – she’d said yes. Hoping her love for him would help him begin to live again.

Initially there was no glimmer of anything nearing hope. But when Cora had been born, he’d stopped searching. Fought his addiction. Fought his demons. Given up the ghost… literally. And they’d been happy… or so she’d thought.

But now, like a haunting, the ghost had come back. She could see it in his eyes. But now it was different because they had Cora. She couldn’t stay and disappear down the tunnel with him. Drowning alongside. And even though it had hurt to leave. Did hurt. Still hurt. Couldn’t breathe. It was the right thing to do. Happy or not.

Keeping a level voice, she spoke to Granger. ‘If you care about him at all, you wouldn’t let him go. Not there.’

Cooper looked embarrassed by the care Maddie still showed him, even after everything; it made him feel uncomfortable. He decided to take over the conversation. It was the easiest way out.

‘Can someone just tell me what we’re talking about rather than talk around me? If it’s escaped anyone’s notice, I’m a grown man.’

With his slow Texas drawl like a lazy summer’s day, Rosedale winked. ‘The jury’s still out on that one, Thomas.’

Cooper gave him a cold stare, but avoided being drawn in. ‘Granger, what’s this job?’

Granger rubbed the middle of his chest, the eggs over easy his wife had made him for breakfast repeating on him. ‘Guy’s fallen behind on his payments for a plane.’ He stopped to study the paperwork before continuing to talk. ‘Looks like he hasn’t paid for six months. The usual deal. The banks and the like have tried to get in touch with him but he seems to have gone underground, so now of course they’re looking to get the plane back. It’s a nice little number, a Daher-Socata TBM-900, six seater with up to 330 knot cruise speed and a G1000 Avionics Suite. The whole thing is worth in the region of 3 to 4 mill. Less than a year old, so it’s worth the bank pursuing it for a resale. The problem is the place they have to go to get it.’

‘Which is?’ asked Cooper.

Maddie butted in. ‘Which is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Go figure.’

Granger spoke dryly to her. ‘I think I can manage this conversation on my own, Maddison. But she’s right, that’s where it is, and it’s also why they asked us… No job is too big or too much trouble.’

‘Seriously, Granger,’ said Cooper, ‘you need to change that tag line.’

Rosedale, flicking the flame of his silver lighter on and off, grinned. ‘Hell, Thomas, if you’d rather go home and drink your milk, I’m sure we can handle it. Me and Miss Maddison here. I’d rather take my chances on her.’

Maddie, who also seemed to want to ignore Rosedale, seethed, her cheeks turning even redder than before.

Cooper was glad she refused to rise to the obvious bait. The man was a schmuck. Maddie had confided in him that Rosedale had annoyed her from the very first day they’d met, and she and Levi had apparently had various discussions as to why Granger had employed him. She’d thought his employment was strange, mainly because Granger was usually so transparent in his business and staffing policies.

He knew Maddie had picked up an air of secrecy over the hiring of Rosedale, and he also knew, women being women, she’d wanted to get to the bottom of it. She’d asked him what he thought, but he hadn’t said anything. Just shrugged as she’d carried on surmising, with her concluding that although she didn’t care for Rosedale, and she was sure Granger was hiding something, she could understand why he’d asked him to join the firm; he was probably one of the best. But being one of the best didn’t mean she was ever going to like him.

‘You can’t do this, Granger.’

Granger, already irritated by the invasion of his office, snapped. ‘Maddison, you’re part of the team which means you’re part of the family. I appreciate what you’re saying, but don’t tell me what I should do.’

Maddie bristled but kept her composure. Despair colored her voice. ‘This is crazy guys. Granger, he’s just come back from Africa. I don’t know why he went but you do, and you’re willing to send him again? Tell me what’s going on.’

‘That’s down to Cooper to tell you, not me. And anyway, him going to Africa got me thinking. If I can’t beat them, join them.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘What it’s supposed to mean Maddison, is that Cooper here seems insistent, no matter what I say, on turning into the next Livingstone. And as that’s the case I might as well use it to my advantage. Give him the jobs nobody else wants. Earn some money from the bug up his ass.’

‘Don’t do this, Granger. Tom, you’re not really going to go. Why don’t you take some time out? Even back at the ranch for a couple of weeks? I’ll come across at the weekend and drop off Cora. You can go riding with her. Fishing. She’d love that. What do you say?’

Rosedale winked. ‘Should do as the little lady says.’

Cooper gave Maddie a small smile, but his mind was elsewhere. Taking the job in the Congo would mean he needn’t stay. He could get away from all the questions and the probing and the issues and the problems.

‘I’ll take one of the helicopters to go and get my things from the ranch. I left some of my equipment there. I could take Cora for the ride. What do you think, Maddie?’

Maddie shook her head. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to do this. Please, Tom. It’s crazy. Granger, please.’

‘This is getting good! There’s nothing like the Midwest for melodrama.’

Cooper snarled. Thought about punching Rosedale. Would leave it for another time. ‘Put a sock in it, Rosedale… Listen, Maddie, I really…’

‘You know what Tom, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear you telling me you’ve got to do it, because we both know that’s not true. If you take this job there’s nothing I can do… other than what Granger just said… If I can’t beat them, join them. So that’s what I’m going to do! Get on with it, and join you.’

Cooper had no doubt he looked shocked. ‘What?’

‘You heard me. If you go, I’m going too. We’ve always worked together as a team. So what’s the problem? You were the one who said being separated wouldn’t be an issue when it came to working together. I quote, it’ll be cool, business as usual. And us working together on an investigation, well that’s normal, wouldn’t you say?’

Cooper spun round to Granger. ‘No way. No way is she coming.’

‘For God’s sake if she says she wants to go, then she can go. We’re not in fifth grade.’

‘She can’t!’

‘What d’ya mean she can’t? She’s a better shot than you. Keeps her head. And knows her way around a plane and a boat as well as the two of you do. I’m not in the business of employing people who aren’t up to the job. So there should be no problem. Should there?’

‘What if something happened to her?’

Granger rubbed his head, drawing his hand down his face in weary exasperation. ‘I don’t know what to tell you, Coop.’

Cooper turned to Maddie. ‘Listen, it’s not happening. Maddie, I’m sorry there’s no way you’re going.’

‘Excuse me? I’m not quite sure if I heard right. I thought for a moment you were trying to tell me what I could or couldn’t do.’

Cooper glared back at her. ‘And what about Cora? Who’s going to look after her? You need to be at home with her.’

‘Oh my God, tell me you just didn’t say that.’

‘Listen to me…’

‘No, stop! Don’t go there. Cora will be fine as she always is when we go on a job. She’ll stay with my parents as usual. She’ll love it as usual. The only person who doesn’t seem to be able to do usual is you. Now if suddenly you’ve got a problem with the child care arrangements why don’t you stay and look after Cora, and Rosedale and I will go.’

Rosedale tipped his hat and winked at Maddie. He grinned. ‘There’s a word in Texas for strong women like you.’

‘Shut up, Rosedale, I don’t want to hear it.’

Wanting to defuse the situation, Cooper tried to sound deliberately casual. ‘Maddie, look. It’s no big deal for me to go to the DRC. But for you? Come on, it’s crazy.’

Maddie raised her voice. Her suppressed emotions twisting and transferring, channelling her feelings into hurt, hostile words.

‘Don’t you dare, Tom! Don’t try to manipulate this situation and make out you’re worried about me. You just want, for whatever reason, to go out there on your own. Next thing we know you’ll have disappeared, like so many times before. Admit it. You know I’m right.’

Cooper clenched his jaw. Tightened his fist. Unclenched his jaw. Untightened his fist. He said. ‘You’re not right. It’s just work.’

‘Then if this is purely professional, if it’s not really a big deal to go to the DRC, then hell, I’ve got bills to pay as well. In fact, why don’t we make this a party? Why don’t we all go…? Levi, you coming?’

Levi, who’d walked into Granger’s office just moments before, stared at Maddie wide eyed. ‘You lost your mind, Maddie? No. No way. You can count me out of this one.’

Maddie, continuing her emotional outburst, leant across Granger’s desk. ‘Then how about you, Granger? What do you say? You want to join us? Seeing as going to the Congo isn’t a big deal… Come on, how about it? Being as you’re so keen to send Tom. What do you say?’

Granger turned three shades of red. Stood up. Surpassed himself by slamming both fists down. ‘I say you need to go and calm down, Maddison. Go and drink some camomile tea or whatever it is that you women do at this time of the month.’

‘Are you freaking kidding me? What cave have you just stepped out of? And if anybody should go there it’s me. I know that place better than anybody here. It’s part of who I am.’

‘Maddie,’ said Cooper, ‘you were born here. It’s only your daddy who comes from there and he left when he was twenty. And as for your Mom, she’s an all American girl from Wyoming.’

‘It’s still a place I know well. I visited my grandma a lot when I was a little girl, until…’ She trailed off. A flicker of pain crossing her face. ‘Anyway, enough… I’ve got things to do. But I’ll be ready to go with Cooper and Rosedale. I’ll call you later for the details.’

‘Maddie!’ Cooper called after her as she slammed out of Granger’s office.

Rosedale, who at this point was polishing his cowboy boots with the edge of the drapes, broke the silence.

‘Looks like someone’s upset. Hands up if y’all reckon the worst decision this great country ever made was to give women their rights and let them out of the kitchen and into the workforce?’ He gazed round at the solemn faces of the other three then grinned. ‘Or is that just me?’

Cooper didn’t bite. Wasn’t going to give him that. Instead, he turned to Granger.

‘How soon can we leave?’

‘If admin can sort out the paperwork, we can have you all ready to roll by Wednesday. And Cooper, just find the plane this time and fly it back to the international BLC office in Nairobi. We’ll go over details later. Keep your mind on the job. No distractions, otherwise someone may get hurt. You understand what I’m saying?’

Cooper regarded Granger. Like with Rosedale, he wasn’t going to get into anything with him. ‘Who’s the plane registered to?’