Free Deadline by James Anderson

suddenly felt the need to see
Andrew. She needed to talk to him about the e-mail threat from the
Wolfman. Suddenly, she felt the need for reassurance and his loving
arms.
    Normally she would never dream of
going to his office during the workday unless he summoned her. But
this was not a normal day or a normal situation. Cannon first
reached for the phone, but then replaced the receiver.
    No, it was better to just go up there
and drop in. She would take a chance he was there and not
busy.
    She desperately needed to see him
now.

Chapter 23
    Braden Young’s Office 11
AM
    YOUNG FELT a sense of unease as he sat
working behind his desk amid piles of paper and reference
books.
    The casual observer would see only
chaos. To Young, however, it was organized chaos. He knew just
where things were and could easily lay his hands on a document if
needed. He was always a messy worker. Young was suspicious of
people with tidy desks and no clutter. They couldn’t be very
busy.
    Now that the morning story meeting was
out of the way, he had some time to think and all he could think of
was Megan and her problems. Better check on her, he
thought.
    He called home and she picked up the
phone after three rings.
    “ Hi. Princess – how are
you holding up?” His pet name derived from the fact that as a
little girl, Megan had been consumed with all the Princesses and
the Disney fairy tales -- Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White
and Arial, the Little Mermaid. She loved pink and always dressed up
like a princess.
    “ Fine, Daddy. How are
things going at work?”
    “ Oh, same old, same old.
The usual shit -- murders, fires, robberies, political crime and
corruption – all the finer things about humanity.”
    “ Oh, daddy you’re always
so cynical about everything. Most things in life are far better
than you journalists write about. You paint such a dreary picture,
it’s a wonder we all don’t commit suicide.”
    “ I know, Princess. You are
always such an optimist. You view the glass half-full. You see
things through rose-colored glasses. You think life is like a fairy
tale. And they all lived happily ever after!”
    “ Why not? Is it a crime to
wish for a better world and that people would treat others better?
Deep down, I believe most people are good and want to do the right
thing. We’re human though and we all make mistakes. Speaking of
mistakes, Dennis called me this morning to apologize. He’s in
Toronto at the Westin and wants to meet me for lunch.” Megan
sounded hopeful and enthusiastic at the prospect.
    “ Whoa, hold on there kid.
I don’t think you should give that slime ball the time of day just
yet. You only just left him. Don’t let him sweet talk you back. Let
him stew in his juices a while. Likely he has another pair of arms
and bed to get comfort from anyway.”
    Braden frowned at this news from his
daughter. She can be so naïve and trusting. She could be setting
herself up to be hurt all over again.
    “ Well, I’m going to take
the subway and meet him at the hotel,” said Megan. “I want to give
him a chance to explain. Don’t worry, Daddy. I’m not ready to
forgive and forget so soon. But I feel I need to do this so I can
make a decision on my life.”
    “ Fine, sweetie. You know
best. Just be careful. You know I only want what’s best for you. I
have to go now. Things are pretty busy here so probably won’t be
home until after we put the final edition to bed at midnight. But
I’ll come right home.”
    Young put the phone receiver back
after Megan assured him he she would be okay.
    He still felt uneasy.
    Megan was so fragile, like a glass
figurine that could be so easily shattered.
    He feared she was setting herself up
to be seriously hurt.

Chapter 24
    Tribal Areas 9 PM (Pakistan
Standard Time)
    TREVOR TREVANIAN could see
again.
    His kidnappers removed his hood. He
blinked his eyes as they adjusted. Night had fallen.
    He looked through window of the Lada
and saw nothing but dark desolation. It was a