*


"How did you discover her identity?" asked Meredith. They were driving towards Washington. Tyler had a rendezvous with Sarah Randolph in three hours. Meredith sat beside Tyler as he drove. Jess and Kenni slept in the rear seat. Arthur sat between them awaiting Tyler's reply

"I just used my natural charm," Tyler replied. He then told of his discovery and follow-up.

"One thing worries me, Tyler," said Arthur.

"I'm listening."

"That I-phone bothers me. A lot of them contain GPS tracing equipment, so I'd suggest we dump it."

*

Why hadn't her mother called, the morning chat was a daily ritual? She had slept in, had she missed the call. Or was something wrong? She reached for her bag. The phone wasn't there. She remembered the call she'd made while driving home. Her boyfriend was out drinking and he wasn't coming around. She had thrown the phone on the passenger's seat in disgust.

Still in her pyjamas she ran downstairs to her car. It wasn't there. Anger swept over her. Some bastard had stolen it. She'd lost her two most valuable possessions, her car and her phone. Why the car? It was damn near worthless. She had to notify the police. She couldn't, her phone was in the car. She tried to think of the nearest pay phone. Her memory failed. It was so long since she'd needed one.

She lodged the report of the theft around eleven, advising police of the phones GPS's tracing capability. It was tracked to a garbage bin in Washington. The last two phone calls were identified, both around midnight. The first to the Washington Post and the second to Sarah Randolph. The reporter's phone was now switched off. The car was located near to where the phone had been found. It was now in possession of forensic investigators. They would find nothing. It had been professionally cleaned of identifiable features.

*

Long ago Tyler had established his own secured location just outside of Washington. He dropped his companions there while he cycled back into the city for the rendezvous with Sarah Randolph. Again he adopted his 'blind and homeless Afghanistan vet outfit.' People moved aside to allow the cripple room to pass. He saw a woman carrying a laptop. She didn't fit the image he'd envisioned. He then saw the woman beside her; she was wearing a mini-skirt and she focused intently on studying every passer-by. She hadn't even rated the cripple a second glance. Tyler walked to the nearest seat, sat down and pulled a sheet and a thick texta pen from his pocket. He wrote one word. CLEVER. He walked past the court house a second time and paused long enough to attract the attention of the reporter. He nodded his head and walked away. Tyler never once turned back. He sensed she was following. And he was right. He walked into a restroom and emerged a minute later, a cyclist wheeling a bike and wearing lycra.

"Sarah, would you care for a ride?"

"I can't get on that thing wearing this." She attempted to drag the skirt down her thighs. The perils of fashion. He smiled at her discomfort.

"You can if you want the story."

"Don't turn around." Her voice conveyed anger and indignity.

"Well snuggle up tight and no one will see. Didn't I tell you to wear slacks?"

"I thought that advice was to make for an easy ID."

"Sarah, Facebook provided that," Tyler answered. Already he'd decided, he didn't like her. "Give me your computer."

"Why?"

"I'll secure it to ensure it doesn't fall off. You're going to need it before this day is out. Are you always this argumentative?"

"Only when I deal with arseholes," she snapped.

"Mount up, Sarah," he said as he handed her a helmet fitted with headset. On his helmet there was a tiny microphone. "We've got quite a ride and it will get mighty uncomfortable. These seats weren't designed for comfort, or for small bums.

"Before we get into stride however, let's get a few things straight, here and now. First, I'm not forcing your participation, in fact quite the opposite. I must also warn you this conversation is being recorded. Do you understand, Please respond with yes or no." Her tone signified anger.

"I've not only invited you, I'm offering you the greatest opportunity you'll ever receive. Second, now you've agreed to present this story, I'm your protection. The minute you agreed to meet with us, your life became threatened. Your life is indeed in my hands. We're not dealing with ordinary street crims here; we're facing people with power beyond your conception." They were now proceeding along Constitution Ave at good pace, The Ellipse off to their right. Minutes later they crossed the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge.

"So might I suggest you drop the attitude? And the same applies to your dealings with the Director. She is without a doubt the most honourable person I've ever dealt with. Her job calls on her to make decisions very few people would have the courage to make. And your article was grossly offensive and inaccurate in every sense. Your source, whoever he or she was had a hidden agenda, one determined to undermine the integrity and position of Meredith."