Chapter 13 - rourke's last bargain
Jack did not want to see Daniel Rourke.
Elena wanted him to.
That was almost enough reason to refuse.
They met inside a federal detention facility three weeks after Lake Bell.
Rourke entered wearing gray prison clothes.
No suit.
No guards at his shoulders.
No radio.
No men waiting for orders.
Just Daniel.
For the first time, Jack saw him without power decorating the room.
Rourke sat.
"You look domestic."
Jack said nothing.
"How's Tyler?"
"Walking therapy starts Monday."
"Good."
Jack's eyes hardened.
"You don't get to care."
Rourke nodded.
"Fair."
They sat in silence.
Then Rourke said, "The Book isn't complete."
Jack expected a trick.
"Elena knows."
"No, she doesn't."
"Then tell her."
"I'm telling you."
"Why?"
Rourke smiled.
"Because you came."
Jack leaned back.
"What do you want?"
"One thing."
"No."
"You haven't heard it."
"Still no."
Rourke almost laughed.
"I want you to understand why."
"I don't care."
"That's a lie."
Jack stared.
Rourke continued.
"Men like Barnes tell themselves they're greedy because everyone is greedy. Men like Crane tell themselves rules are inefficient. Politicians tell themselves compromise is necessary."
"And you?"
"I believed systems always fail."
Jack waited.
"I saw governments abandon allies. Agencies lie. Commands sacrifice soldiers for headlines. I decided dependence was weakness."
"So you built a private army."
"I built something faster than bureaucracy."
"You built something accountable to nobody."
"Exactly."
Rourke did not sound ashamed.
Jack shook his head.
"That's the problem."
"No. That's why it worked."
"Until it didn't."
Rourke smiled faintly.
"Because of a janitor."
"Because of Mason."
The smile vanished.
Jack continued.
"Mason beat you twenty years ago."
"He died."
"He made sure the truth didn't."
Rourke looked away.
Jack finally understood why Rourke had always spoken about Mason with contempt.
Mason had frightened him.
Not with violence.
With evidence.
Rourke said, "There are three more Books."
Jack's expression changed.
"Where?"
"One in Europe. One in Virginia. One unknown to me."
"Convenient."
"They were controlled by partners."
"Names."
Rourke leaned forward.
"My bargain."
"No."
"You want Blackridge dead?"
"Yes."
"Then listen."
Jack remained silent.
Rourke continued.
"Protect one person."
"Who?"
"My daughter."
Jack stared.
He had never known Rourke had a child.
"Name?"
"Grace Rourke. Twenty-six. Doctoral student in Boston."
"Does she know?"
"Nothing."
"Then why is she in danger?"
"Because Blackridge's remaining directors believe I may have given her access codes."
"Did you?"
"No."
Jack studied him.
"Why should I believe you?"
"You shouldn't."
That answer sounded almost like Cole.
Rourke continued.
"But you can verify she has no connection."
"Federal protection."
"I don't trust them."
"That sounds familiar."
Rourke smiled.
"She doesn't know I'm her father."
Jack stopped.
Rourke looked down at his cuffed hands.
"Her mother left when Grace was an infant. I stayed away."
"For safety?"
"At first."
"And later?"
Rourke did not answer.
Jack understood.
Later it became easier.
Power always had an excuse.
Rourke looked up.
"Blackridge knows she exists."
"How?"
"My mistake."
"What mistake?"
"I checked on her."
Jack almost laughed at the tragedy of it.
The man who called Jack's life small had secretly watched his own daughter from a distance because he could not build the courage to enter it.
Rourke said, "Help Elena protect Grace and I give you everything."
"Give Elena the information now."
"I want your word."
Jack stared at him.
"You murdered my friends."
"Yes."
"You built the network that corrupted my town."
"Yes."
"You threatened Sarah."
"Yes."
"Your operation put my son in a hospital."
Rourke looked down.
"Yes."
"And you want my word?"
Rourke raised his eyes.
"Because yours still means something."
Jack hated the truth in that sentence.
He stood.
"I'll tell Elena."
Rourke's shoulders dropped slightly.
"Thank you."
Jack paused.
"I'm not doing it for you."
"I know."
"And she decides whether she ever learns who you are."
Rourke nodded.
"Fair."
Jack walked toward the door.
Rourke spoke behind him.
"Jack."
He stopped.
"You really are happy?"
Jack turned.
It was not mockery.
Rourke genuinely wanted to know.
Jack thought of Sarah arguing over groceries.
Tyler leaving soldering tools on the dining table.
A leaking kitchen faucet he had promised to repair for two months.
Sunday pancakes.
Hospital fear.
Laughter from the couch.
"Yes."
Rourke looked down.
That answer hurt him more than any punch could have.
Jack left.
Rourke gave Elena the locations of two additional Blackridge ledgers that afternoon.
The third surfaced when an accountant in Virginia saw the arrests on television and surrendered voluntarily.
Federal investigations spread across eleven states.
Blackridge contracts were suspended.
Executives disappeared.
Some were arrested at airports.
Others negotiated.
Daniel Rourke pleaded not guilty.
Rick Barnes eventually pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder, evidence tampering, conspiracy, bribery, and civil-rights violations.
He agreed to testify.
May you like
But Tyler still had to face him in court.
And that proved harder than surviving the bullets.
