Gone Bad by J. B. Turner

effect.”
    Meyerstein said nothing as she felt the eyes from the screen bear down on her.
    Sears said, “Martha, there isn’t a cat’s chance in hell that we could defend having Reznick on the team, especially now. If we let him go now, what’s done is done and we can move on.”
    Meyerstein said, “Sir, I’ve had this conversation before. And I take on board both your views. And I welcome the opportunity to discuss this role, or how we can redefine it in the future. But I do feel this is not the best moment.”
    Sears said, “Martha, he’s gotta go. And now. Otherwise …”
    “Otherwise what, sir?”
    Sears cleared his throat. “Otherwise I’ll have to step in and recommend formally to Director O’Donoghue that you should be relieved of your duties.”
    Meyerstein felt as if she had been hit hard in the guts. She felt winded. Knocked off balance.
    “Your call. But it’s got to be the right call. And just for the sake of argument, the right call is for Reznick to be removed from this investigation forthwith.”
    Meyerstein said nothing. She mulled over her response.
    O’Donoghue leaned forward. “Martha, I for one believe Jon Reznick contributed to your previous investigations. But I think this incident has proven that it’s gone too far. We can’t have such an operative working in conjunction on an investigation. The methods are different. The MO is different. Ends don’t justify means in our book. But clearly Jon Reznick has not read that memo.”
    Meyerstein’s mind was racing. She thought of her father. How he would respond. She remembered him saying that expediency is bullshit. Stand on your own feet. And if the powers-that-be don’t like it, fuck ’em. “Director O’Donoghue and Director Sears, I’d like, if I may, to clarify my position.”
    Sears and O’Donoghue shrugged.
    “Whilst the means Reznick used can’t be condoned, and I certainly wouldn’t try to, I’m not going to throw him overboard. Not now. Not ever.”
    Both men looked stunned.
    “You wanna know why?”
    “Sometimes, just sometimes, you need people like Jon Reznick in your corner. He’s in our corner, my corner right now, and I will not have his name trashed by you or anyone.”
    Sears held up his hands as if to pacify her. “Martha, it might be better if …”
    “I don’t want to hear any of it. He’s in, and that’s it. You don’t like it, then you’ll just have to fire me. Okay?”
    O’Donoghue said, “Listen to me …”
    “He stays. I don’t do walking away. Not in the middle of an investigation. That’s not the way I do things. So, if it bothers you so much, you’re going to have to either live with this or fire my ass. Am I making myself clear?”
    Sears said, “Meyerstein, you’ve crossed the line.”
    “Have I? Big deal. You come to me with complaints about process, procedures and illegality. I acknowledge aspects of this investigation aren’t ideal. But we are where we are. And I believe we are further on than we were.”
    O’Donoghue said, “Martha, we’re no further forward. Not an inch.”
    “With respect, sir, that’s not true. We have two AB nuts who had dropped off the radar at the same time as Cain escapes. How do we know this? Simply because we joined up the dots from what Kathleen Burke knew. This has been conceived inside Leavenworth. And we’ve got something to work with.”
    A silence opened up over the videoconference.
    “So, there it is. We move forward. If you don’t want me to move forward with this, you’ll have to fire me. Is that what you want?”
    O’Donoghue and Sears were both silent.
    “Very well. I’ll take that as confirmation that the investigation continues. Good afternoon, gentlemen.”

THIRTEEN
    Reznick was drinking a coffee, discussing the coded letter with gang expert Ed Forlain, when Meyerstein walked into the room. She was carrying a coffee. “Ed’s just giving me a lowdown on this AB prison code.”
    Meyerstein sipped her coffee. “Tell me