Page 148 of Fury
“My watcher is Liv Savage,” Z said after a tense moment. “She works directly for me and vets certain hires.”
“Thank you,” Carrera replied.
“You and Sin both checked out or you wouldn’t be my replacement, but your connection to Luciano is a concern.”
Carrera shot him a relaxed smile. “You have nothing to worry about, Philip.”
Z checked his watch. “Time to go.”
“Where?”
“The White House.”
As they made their way upstairs to the lobby, Carrera texted Sin.
WH
Thanks for the heads up
They exited the building, Z gestured to a waiting sedan. The ten-minute drive was filled with silence. Despite the privacy shield, they would never discuss work in the presence of others.
Carrera needed to give Luciano a heads-up. Neither Carrera, Sin, or Luciano suspected anyone in law enforcement—Z included—knew about Luciano’sotherbusiness.
Running a highly-skilled, highly lethal team of assassins.
If Z had a confidential informant, had that person told anyone besides Z? And if there were eyes on Luciano’s home, would they see that he and Sin were regular visitors?
Well, there’s no crime in stopping by to see my cousin.
But their hitswerecriminal.
Carrera snapped back to the moment as the guard cleared them to enter the gates at the White House West Wing. The driver pulled around the circular driveway. Despite the building’s age, the mansion looked like it had a fresh coat of white paint. The surrounding grounds were pristine. A well-maintained manicured lawn filled with gardens of brightly-colored flowers and perfectly clipped bushes.
When Carrera was a kid, his parents had taken him, his older brother and two sisters to the White House for a public tour. He was more intrigued with the armed guards than with the old furniture. But today’s meeting didn’t include a tour of the public rooms. It was a secure meeting where he had one chance to make a strong first impression.
Once inside, they were brought into a small room where Carrera could store his weapon. Next, they passed through security. Despitenotsetting off the alarm, a guard waved a wand over them and a second one patted them down. Two armed guards escorted them to an office and handed them off to an assistant who showed them into a small sitting area.
“How have you been, Z?” the assistant asked.
“Very good, Betty. You?”
“Fine, thanks.” With a warm smile, Betty introduced herself to Carrera.
“Carrera Santini.”
“This is my replacement,” Z said.
With a gleam in her eyes, she said, “Z, I don’t believe you’re retiring forreal.”
“That’s what it says on paper,” Z replied.
“Welcome to The White House,” Betty said to Carrera. “You’ll go through me to set up any meetings with the President.”
She gave him her direct number and he added it to his phone.
“Can I get either of you a beverage?” she asked.
Both men declined, the assistant returned to her desk, and the men waited on the sofa.
