Free Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt Page A

likelihood was that the audience was so close to comatose that they wouldn’t have noticed a hand grenade going off on
     stage.
    As Landon was walking, he opened the phone in his pocket so that the call would go through without cutting to voice mail.
     He knew the caller would be smart enough to hold on and wait for Landon to answer.
    Actually, there was no doubt that Marvin Emerson would hold on. M had called Landon at least thirty times in the last year,
     andLandon had answered every single time. He also always knew that it was M calling even before he said a word, yet M’s phone
     ID was blocked. It could only mean one thing: He was the only one who called on that particular phone.
    When Landon reached an area in the hallway that afforded him some privacy, he took the phone out of his pocket and spoke into
     it. “You have news?”
    “I do,” said M. “The lawyer pulled it off. The dog is going to be released from the shelter.”
    Landon couldn’t help but smile. “Justice triumphs. When will this take place?”
    “I’m told tomorrow.”
    “Where will it be taken?” Landon asked.
    “I don’t have that information yet. But I will. Our people will be there, waiting to follow whoever takes him.”
    “Make sure that you are personally involved in that process. But don’t take any action yet. Just keep track of his whereabouts.”
    “Will do,” M said.
    “Is that all?”
    “No, and the other news is not as good.”
    Landon hated statements like that. He didn’t need anyone to characterize news in advance; he could certainly figure out for
     himself whether it was good or not. Those were wasted words, which amounted to wasted time. “Speak.”
    “The operation in the prison was not successful. And one of our three people was killed.”
    “The other two?”
    “Don’t worry, they can’t implicate anyone. They don’t know where the orders or money came from.”
    “I trust you’ll take other steps to rectify their failure?” Landon asked, though it was more a statement than a question.
    “I will, but it’ll be much harder now.”
    “That’s why I pay you the big bucks,” Landon said before cutting off the call and heading back to his seat on the dais. He
     got there just in time to catch the last five minutes of the speech, and to lead the applause.
    Like everyone else in the room, he was applauding the fact that it was over.

I HAVE NO IDEA IF B ILLY’S OPINION OF THE LATE J ACK E RSKINE IS FAIR OR ACCURATE. But I do know that his opinion can prove extremely damaging to Billy’s chances of ever getting out of prison.
    Major Erskine was stationed in Baghdad, and was in charge of security in that city. It was a uniquely important position,
     especially as the war slowly wound down and police, rather than strictly military, action became dominant.
    Many commanders earn and inspire respect from their rank and file. It doesn’t mean that they are soft on discipline, or that
     they act like one of the guys. All it means is that they have paid their dues, and are tough but fair.
    Jack Erskine had earned no such respect, at least not according to Billy. While Erskine had little contact with anyone other
     than his direct reports, he had been widely disliked by virtually every soldier under his command. They had watched his willingness
     to throw subordinates under the bus and behave in a manner designed to curry personal favor with his bosses and Washington.
    There were also the rumors that Erskine was corrupt, that he and a small coterie of his men used their power within the countryto enrich themselves. Billy had no reason to believe it or doubt it, but with what he had seen in Iraq, nothing would have
     surprised him.
    Not that Erskine really affected Billy’s life one way or the other. Billy enlisted to protect and serve; that was why he became
     a cop, and why he became a soldier. His father had done the same, as had his two uncles. But it didn’t take long for him to
     regret his decision, and