Chapter 64 Chapter 64

Puller grabbed a chair with his right hand, turned it around and placed it directly across from Dickie.Puller's knees almost touched the other's as he sat down in the chair. "I'm going to let you know some top secret stuff, Dickie, but in return you're going to tell me something. You're patriotic and you want to help our country, right?" "I'm as patriotic as everyone else. You're right, if they hadn't held on to that, I'd still be in the military." "I know, I heard you. My comrades in arms are straight and gay. As long as they can shoot the enemy and stand up when I need them, I don't care about their stuff."

Dickie feels better. "What do you want to tell me?" "Drake is in danger, Dickie. In fact, the danger is already there. So many people are dead, some of them are your friends." "I get it, I get it, man." "It's not just these people. The federal government thinks there's something bigger going on here, something really big." "At Drake?" Cole couldn't hide her shock at the news. Dickie asked, "What kind of big event?" "It would be easier if I knew, but I don't. If this doesn't get turned around, we're all in big trouble, you see, don't you?"

Dickie nodded. "Yes, I think so." "I know you're smart. Mech guys have to be smart and have to remember tons and tons of things about your weapons. I just need to get used to my guns and my personal gear. You guys drive three Ten-ton armored vehicles going around." "It's true. I drive a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, I've even driven a goddamn Abrams tank. And I'm good at it." "I bet you must be great. It's a loss to the unit that you're gone. 'Don't ask, don't tell' is bullshit policy." "Sure," Dickie agreed.

"Big things are going to happen here. Some people are dead. The truth hasn't been fully revealed yet. The security services have intercepted Drake's suspicious calls again. In addition to the information they collected using technical means, now I hope Through you get some real-life facts about being in a crowd. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" "Of course. You need informants." "On the front line, right here at Drake. You know the place, you know the people, you know who Eric and Molly are connected to, and your father works for the Trent Mining Company."

"Do you think Roger Trent was involved in what's going on here?" asked Dickie sharply. "I don't know who is involved and who isn't, so I need your help. What are you going to do?" "What do you need me to do?" "Keep your ears open. Go around, sit around and chat with the group, and listen to what people say. Don't show it, don't pretend to be a detective. I just want you to do what you normally do, just Do it a little differently. Listen more, pay more attention. When you see something is wrong, just take it to heart and contact me, okay?"

Dicky was already nodding. "Okay, no problem." Puller handed him a business card. "My contact information. I assume you know how to contact Sheriff Cole." Puller stood up. "That's all?" Dicky asked. "Can I go?" "You're not doing me any good by sitting in my hotel room. I need you over there. To give you another chance to serve the country even though it hasn't been fair to you." Dickie stood up, looked at Cole, then held out his hand to Pooler. "Not many people have spoken to me as frankly as you," Dickie said.

"I'm not like most people." "I guess I was wrong about you." "I guess it's the same for you and us," Cole said. "Need a drive?" Puller asked him. "No, I can handle it easily." After Dickie left, Cole said, "Why didn't you tell me something big was going to happen at Drake?" "Because I was told not to. Then I decided not to obey orders." "On what basis do you think something is going to happen?" "The National Security Agency intercepted a call, in Dari, that justice was to be done, that what was going to happen was going to happen very soon."

"Dari? What's that?" "A dialect spoken by Afghans." "Afghanistan? The call they heard was on Drake?" "Apparently so, at least near Drake. Couldn't pinpoint the location more precisely. Their call was using the old KGB code, and it came very shortly after the Reynolds family was killed. This made the DHS Those guys' blood pressure went up pretty high." "What else do you know?" "Not enough is known, that's for sure. You know, there's one thing Dickie doesn't explain." "what is it then?" "How did he get to the Halvorson's that night? Not driving. His car wasn't at the front door. He ran into the woods and just got away. It's a long way from town."

"It's true." "Complicated guy, elusive." "You think there's something else he hasn't told us?" "I think he's in a dilemma. He's involved in something that he doesn't want us to know, but I don't think it's going to have anything to do with that Dari call." "I don't see why you recruited him to help us, though, especially if you think he's involved in something criminal." "The thing that I've spent the most of my adult life doing is people reading, especially watching and getting to know soldiers and people who have been soldiers. My gut tells me that Dickie is willing to help. I think that's why he was going that night. The crime scene, because he doubted something or someone. I felt like he wanted another chance to prove that the military was wrong to discharge him, so I gave him that chance."

"Well, if he's killed because of it, it's going to be too expensive for him to get this second chance." "Second chances are mostly expensive. Yet people tend to think they're worth it," Puller said. "When he went into the old Halvorsons' house, do you think he knew that Trewell and Molly, who were across the street, were also dead in the house?" "I think he may know. He may have called them, but no one answered. He may have been to their house across the street that night, but no one opened the door for him. There was no light in the place, and he probably couldn't separate it. The two bodies were seen through the window, and there was no sign of someone breaking in."

"What the hell is his relationship with Triwell? It's not just a Harley club membership. Dickie looks terrified." "Seven people have been killed. He should be as scared as anyone else."