The Gray Man Ch. 08 - Violet

Dear Reader,

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events and incidents are the products of the author's imagination. The lead female character was submitted by a reader.

Constructive criticism, and feedback is truly appreciated. I would like this to be an interactive journey as much as this medium allows. Please feel free to send suggestions, ideas for future characters etc. I welcome the input.

I hope you enjoy these adventures as much as you enjoyed Sean - no worries, Sean will be back. I just need some time to explore some other areas of my darkness.

Also, if you'd like a character to inquire about Gray's services send me a description and we can work from there.

Keep Soaring,

Pelican

(¬‿¬)

The middle of March brought out the cherry blossoms and with the cherry blossoms came more tourists than usual to the Capital. TJ did what he does and watched as people filed off of tourist buses, moved about the monuments throughout the city, walked along The Mall, toured the museums. The lack of situational awareness troubled the man whose life depended on being aware of his surroundings.

Sitting at his usual table in his usual diner having breakfast Mark Underwood wandered in and sat down, waving to the waitress to bring him some coffee.

TJ folded his Wall Street Journal, "What do I owe the honor of this visit?"

Sharpshooter put up his hands, "What? Can't an old friend simply sit down for a cup of coffee?"

TJ smirked, "You never just pop in to chat. So, what do you need?"

Mark folded his arms and smirked, "I indeed may have need of your special talents."

Gray shook his head slowly, "Shooter, I am out of the game."

TJ's old friend reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. As he slowly unfolded it he said, "Not those talents..." he finished unfolding the paper and laid it on the table. It was the picture of TJ in the rain soaked running clothes that Gretchen had used on her personal ad. "I have need ofTHESE talents."

TJ almost blushed, "Fuck you, Sharpshooter."

Mark winked at his friend, "Nah, I don't swing that way. The government may need your particular, ahem. Tool."

Gray rubbed his temples. "What in the holy hell are you getting at?"

Underwood smirked, "It's a win/win. You get to fuck the holy hell out of a Chinese national, and I get video to use to nudge her into being a helpful little spy slut." Mark slid another picture across the table. The picture was a typical ID badge type of picture of an attractive Chinese Woman, short hair, and glasses. Mark went through the details"Zhi Chen. Trade representative, her dad is a big wig in the party in Beijing."

"How do I get to her?" Gray asked.

Mark smiled, "Out of the game huh? So which is it TJ - the thoughts of fucking the hell out of her, her turning a foreign asset?"

TJ smiled, "Let's just say that both are intriguing."

Underwood nodded, "Multi level introductions. First, remember that company that Kim worked for? Well, let's just say part of our negotiations with them were that we could use them for cover when needed. I can get you a meeting with Ms. Chen and a trade delegation whenever you want to meet. Second, I have an invitation to a dinner at the consulate. Third, she is regularly seen around American University, speaking with other Chinese Nationals in various degree programs."

Gray nodded, "Give me a couple of weeks to clear some things off of my calendar then we will see."

Mark smiled, "So, how the hell did you get started whoring yourself out to the highest bidder?"

TJ laughed, "Late night, economic crash, pandemic, and a lot of bourbon were involved."

Sharpshooter shook his head, "Let me get this straight, women are paying you a few hundred bucks for you to fuck them? You aren't buying drinks, dinners, or a new house?"

TJ smirked, "Try a few thousand. $7500 minimum. It's tough work, but someone has to take one for the team."

Mark chuckled, "I hate you. I truly fucking hate you."

The two friends enjoyed breakfast before heading their separate ways. Underwood headed south to his office and Gray north to the firm. TJ had some digging to do and needed to figure out a way to dig into the firm without anyone at the office knowing he was digging into things there. As a contract investigator he didn't have a key and couldn't just stay in the building after hours. He needed an accomplice and it couldn't be Gretchen. He needed to play the long game.

When Gray walked into the office he started down the hallway to his cousin's office when he bumped into Andi. The poor girl looked exhausted. The hours required of an associate in a large firm were brutal. As TJ had watched the associates for the past few months he wasn't sure if the long hours and demands were honest items that needed work, or just a form of hazing. He had once heard a 'butter bar' fresh out of West Point laughing at some physical discipline being handed out to his platoon say, "If we had to put up with it, so do they." After three tours TJ had no time for 'fobbits', especially Academy Ring Knocker 'fobbits' (FOBBIT - derogatory term used to describe deployed soldiers who never left the safety of the FOB (forward operating base) A similar term would be REMF (Rear Echelon Mother Fucker) - those who never came near the working end of combat.)

When hearing the 2nd Lieutenant's snark TJ stopped his walk, turned towards the young officer and in an ultimate sign of disrespect put his hands in his pockets. "Sir, once you've been outside of the comforts of the Academy or the Benning Hilton then you can speak, until then shut your mouth and know your role."

The young officer went ballistic screaming and cussing at the much more experienced Staff Sergeant, threatening Courts Martial, removing a stripe, with all of the bluster of someone who simply was not aware of how little they actually knew.

Gray had pissed him off even more when he winked at him, "You can come take them, but you need to move fast. I'm on the next C-17 out of here. Catch me if you can." Gray turned and walked off, the 2nd Lieutenant was furious and the young privates were snickering as they were in the front lean and rest position.

As TJ watched the way the young associates were treated, he often thought of that 2nd Lieutenant. As he walked by he smiled at the young Associate, "Good morning, Andi."

The girl looked like she could burst into tears at any moment as she quickly glanced at him, "But, is it?" she asked. TJ then saw why she was so upset as Elliot walked out of the Associate's cubicle space with a look of smug accomplishment on his face. He put his hands on his hips and glared at TJ.

TJ stopped, "You look like you are feeling damn proud of yourself Elliot."

Elliot's smug voice grated on Gray the exact same way a young 2nd Lieutenant's did years earlier. Even the look on his face was condescending, "Well, Mr. Gray, you being former military, should understand better than anyone else here that the world needs good order and there are times when those less than you need to be reminded where they are in the pecking order."

Every fiber in TJ's psyche wanted to smack the living shit out of the smug little man. For everyone's well being he put his hands in his pocket, "Even the Army realizes the difference between discipline and abuse and there is a special wing in Leavenworth for weak minded assholes that don't know the difference. Have the day you deserve Elliot."

TJ walked down the hall to Gretchen's office leaving Elliot's jaw hanging open and the other Associates snickering in their cubicles. When he knocked on the door to his cousin's office, Gray's mind was already evaluating angles and avenues to dig deeper into Elliot's life.

When he shut the door his cousin looked up at him, "Hey," she said, her voice sounded weary to TJ.

He sat down across from her, "Okay, spill it. What's going on?"

Gretchen put down her pen and took off her glasses, "I have a case that I am going to lose. We should settle, but the client refuses and we are going to get our asses handed to us in front of a jury. It should be a simple open and shut case. A simple case of a no compete clause in a contract, the only thing is there is a loophole in the no compete clause that you can drive a truck through. The client is insisting they have been violated, and I agree. The employee broke the spirit of the clause, but because it was written so piss poor we can't win."

TJ looked puzzled, "So, who wrote it?"

Gretchen laid her hair back onto the mahogany leather of her chair and looked at the ceiling of her office, "Their former firm, Kennedy, Adams, and Johnson."

TJ nodded, "That's a firm whose name I've seen around, they seem reputable."

Gretchen looked at her cousin, "That's just it, they are reputable, they are damn good. A mistake like this is not something I would expect from them."

TJ leaned forward, "Dig Gretchen. No offense but you attorney's run in cliques. You have to know someone there who can determine who actually wrote the contract and left a hole that big in it."

The frustration showed on her face, "How exactly does that help me or my client?"

Gray leaned back and smiled, "It's a shot in the dark but what if the person that wrote the policy did so intentionally knowing that people could exploit the flaw. What if that person knew to let the person exploiting know exactly how to exploit it? Then you have an intent to defraud."

Gretchen closed her eyes, "Is everything some conspiracy to you, TJ?"

TJ sighed, "Yeah, pretty much. But still, what business is your client in?"

Gretchen shook her head, "Defense industry."

"A defense industry no compete clause doesn't seem normal. Aren't those in place so that in finance and sales, a person can't take their clients with them to a new employer?"

It was Gretchen's turn to sigh, "It wasn't about taking clients, it was an engineer who took research and data with them."

TJ's brow furrowed, "Fascinating. I won't tell you how to do your job Gretch, but it seems to me that a phone call to Kennedy, Adams, and Johnson wouldn't hurt."

Gretchen was tired, "It's all I've got." She picked up her phone, "Melissa, would you please see if you can get David Chaddock on the phone for me at Kennedy, Adams, and Johnson, please."

TJ stood as Gretchen put her phone back in the cradle. She looked up at her cousin, "Violet was wondering if we were free for dinner tonight to plan the escapade. Are you available?"

With his hand on the doorknob he looked over his shoulder, "Gretchen, this is one I am perfectly fine saying NO to. I don't want you to suffer just to prove a point or get a score evened out after 20 years."

Gretchen looked at him, her eyes conflicted. She couldn't tell him that watching him fuck others did cause her to suffer and that this time would only be a little bit worse than Nadia or Rebecca. "It will be fine Teej, you know what they say, 'Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.' So, tonight at 7:00?"

TJ nodded, "Sure cuz, just text me where to meet." He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. TJ was walking down the hallway when William Kight, the senior of the three partners, walked out of his office and asked Gray to join him.

TJ walked in where he was ushered to a plush leather sofa. It was just a little after ten but William walked to the wet bar in the corner of his office and poured a pair of two finger pours of bourbon into glasses. "Ice?" he asked over his shoulder.

Gray chuckled, "Is it so bad it needs ice?"

For the first time in the short time he had known him TJ saw William Knight laugh, not a smirk or a chuckle but a full blown laugh, "Damn, I need to remember that line. I assure you that Midleton Very Rare Irish Whisky does not need ice.

TJ loved whiskey/whisky/bourbon. He took the glass from Mr. Knight and swirled it in the glass for a minute, watching the amber liquid as it slowly rolled around the glass. "I've never had Midleton, but I've heard it's amazing. Aged in old bourbon barrels for at least twelve years." He took a sip, allowing the liquid to warm his mouth. As he swallowed he lifted his glass towards his host, "Mr. Knight, this is really good."

The older man sat in a large leather chair, "In here, when it's just the two of us, call me Bill. Just don't let anyone else hear it or I'll have to scream at you."

TJ laughed, "Fair enough." He watched as the older gentleman sipped his whiskey, then looked over his glasses at him before he started to speak.

"Mr. Gray, I am a good judge of character, an invaluable gift in this profession. I know that you and Mr.Saban don't see eye to eye and in truth he and I don't see eye to eye on many things. We disagree on politics, on how to run a legal firm, hell he's an Orioles fan while I am a Nationals fan. Even flying, he is a BWI and I'm a Dulles guy. He was brought into this firm because he is good at what he does, and probably he was brought in to provide balance to me."

TJ watched without saying anything. Gray was able to do one thing that very few other people in the world could, that is absorb the silence. Most people get very uncomfortable when a conversation goes silent. TJ actually encouraged it as it allowed a person to gather their thoughts which he correctly presumed Bill Knight was doing.

William Knight took a deep breath, "What I am trying to say is that he's an asshole. He's boorish, brooding, and has shitty taste in everything from women to political parties to sports teams. However, he is not a bad person."

TJ nodded, "I understand. When I was growing up I used to say that I was being an asshole and Gretchen would remind me that I was an asshole in my natural habitat and that only through her or my mothers protection did that not get shown to the world."

Again William laughed, "Your cousin is an amazing attorney and an incredible woman. If I were 30 years younger I'd do everything in my power to be more than a mentor and partner."

TJ smiled, "She is. I'm incredibly proud of her."

Mr Knight looked wistfully at the library of books behind TJ, "You should see her in a courtroom. The first time I opposed her I was awestruck at her abilities. Hell, I probably should have objected more often but her ability to command a room was almost hypnotizing. She had the jury in the palm of her hand, something that not many young attorneys can do. If I had objected more I would have looked like a typical angry old white guy."

TJ nodded, "Did you win?"

William shook his head, "Hell no, she wiped the floor with me which was why I had to bring her on, first as my junior partner, then when we had an opening to senior partner." William took a deep breath. "I'm going to open the door a little bit onto the dynamics of this firm." When Gretchen was my associate Louis' wife was killed in an auto accident along with our third partner at the time, Gregory."

TJ's eyes opened a little wider as William continued, "I know what you are thinking. What would Louis' wife be in a car with her husband's law partner? I'll just say they were coming from a hotel room around Fort Belvoir. I guess it goes without saying that the scandal rocked our little firm. The wife of one of the partners having a sordid affair with another partner. Louis was grief stricken and humiliated. Greg's wife was very aware of the affair and even encouraged it."

William shook his head, "It was once said that Lady Bird Johnson looked at a secretary that LBJ called back to the suite on Air Force One and said, 'Go, take care of jumbo, I'm exhausted.' Well, that was how Greg's wife was with him. She knew that he had other women and she was almost relieved that he had them to give her body a rest. He was hung, and from stories shared over a few cocktails over the years, a demanding, aggressive, and brutal lover. Greg was large and aggressive at everything he did, he never laid up at golf, everything was aggressive. He was everything Louis isn't."

Bill took a deep breath, "The reality broke Louis. At depositions opposing counsel would refer to him as Little Luey or cuckboy. He took some time off, when he came back I thought he was doing better until he hired Elliot."

TJ stopped him, "He hired Elliot, not the firm or the partners?"

Mr Knight smiled, "Each of the partners is allowed a junior partner who works exclusively with them, almost like a law clerk. They share cases, they research together, even go to court together with the hopes that the senior can help guide and educate the junior. That's how we got your cousin. After she whipped my ass I used my free pass to hire her. Anyway, after he stole Elliot from Kennedy, Adams, and Johnson he became a complete asshole to everyone and anyone other than Elliot."

TJ filed that away in his memory. He did not believe in coincidence. Everything had a cause, you just had to pull on the string long enough until you found it. Grief, betrayed, humiliated. Then along comes someone that you can mentor, that protects you, makes you feel appreciated. TJ had a suspicion that when Gretchen found out who wrote the loophole at KAandJ that it would point to Elliot. Which would be the second time that someone with sensitive material that had dealings with Elliot had absconded with that material for nefarious reasons. TJ needed to learn more about this man and he knew just the person to gather that information.

When Knight and TJ shook hands and TJ was heading to lunch he ran into Andi in the parking lot. Andi was beyond pretty, she was stunning. She had been a cheerleader at The University of Alabama during one of their National Championship seasons. She was tiny, dark hair, inquisitive eyes, and usually full of energy. She had been top of her class at Bama, top of her class in law school at Duke where she had specialized in Constitutional Law and had clerked for a judge in the 4th Circuit. She was good, but nothing seemed good enough for Elliot.

TJ saw her looking defeated, "Andi," he called out, "Come on, let's go grab lunch. My treat." She looked at the door of the law offices then back and Gray, "Come on, when Elliot asks I will tell him I need to consult with you on some work for Gretchen. He can be pissed at me because I can kick his ass."

Andi smiled, "I'm starving. Thank you," she said as she climbed into the Cadillac.

TJ started to drive out of the parking lot, "Where to?"

She smiled, "Do you mind heading over to Arlington? I've been craving Ruthie's barbecue?"

Gray's face lit up, "You know Ruthie's?"

Her southern lilt was strong when she tilted her head and the one dimple flashed, "Mr. Gray, I am from Alabama, I will not survive in this city without barbecue at least once a month."

It was warm enough to drive with the windows down as long as the heated seats were on, which is what they did. A silent drive meandering through DC traffic, past the Pentagon to Ruthie's.

Gray was shocked that someone Andi's size ate as much barbecue as she did. Skillet Cornbread, a Smoked Brisket sandwich with fries, and sweet tea. Andi was in Alabama heaven. TJ found out that she was a runner, and needed the calories to sustain her times over distance. She was registered to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

As they were talking Andi paused and asked him, "So, what drives you?"

TJ stopped mid bite. He swallowed and wiped his mouth, "I have not been asked that question since I interviewed for Recon. I have to think about that for a minute because what drove me as a 21 year old isn't what drives me now."

She smiled as she sipped her tea, "Take your time." Gray watched as Andi's dark eyes looked into his soul. This put him off a bit as he was more accustomed to being the one whose gaze made people uncomfortable.

He tilted his head, "The world is a bad place, a much worse place than most people need to know. The world is full of really bad people who take pleasure in hurting others, who make it their priority to hurt other people. I swore an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic. I take that personally. I'm not smart enough to be a fancy politician to prevent bad stuff, I'm not gifted enough to help pick up the pieces after the bad stuff happens - so I do what I do and work my ass off to stop the bad guys before they can do the bad stuff."