Read Deliver Us from Evil for Free Online

parking lot. No one was injured. The witness wasn’t hit.”
    â€œDid agents arrest the shooter?”
    â€œNo, he got away.”
    Warren crossed his arms over his chest. “What an example of fine federal lawmen we have here in Knoxville. It’s an absolute disgrace.” He shook his head, furrowing his brow. Had the FBI turned into the Keystone Kops? How could this have happened?
    Markinson laid down the folder. “That isn’t the issue, Congressman. The issue is the witness dropped the folder, then went into cardiac failure and lost consciousness. He was rushed to Parkwest Medical Center.”
    â€œYou don’t say?” Warren leaned forward, resting his elbows on the scuffed wooden table. So . . . they did have something to go on.
    â€œThe man suffers from heart disease and has been on the transplant list for months. Getting shot at sent him into failure.”
    â€œWell, surely he’s been stabilized in two weeks.” Why wouldn’t Markinson just spit everything out? What was he hiding?
    The US attorney sighed. “Yes, he was—is—stabilized. However, because of his condition, the doctors determined it would be in his best interest to keep him in a drug-induced coma until a donor heart could be located.”
    â€œAnd the documents can’t be interpreted by anyone else?”
    â€œWe’ve had the FBI, NSA, and CIA looking into it. As of yet they’ve found nothing of use.”
    â€œHow can that be?” Surely all the government entities could decode one set of documents.
    â€œAccording to the NSA decoders, these guys are good. We suspect the accountant, our witness, layered and hid the money well. As I said before, the key to the evidence is in our witness’s head.”
    â€œWho is this man?” Warren’s tone left no room for arguing, tired of having to pull out information that should have been provided.
    â€œJonathan Wilks, a retired IRS agent. We can only assume he has the knowledge and capabilities to back up the documentation.”
    â€œBut what do you know about him?”
    Markinson scanned the file. “After running a check on him and getting a warrant to search his residence of record in Rockford, we discovered he’d recently lost his wife to cancer, had no children of his own, and lived within his means. A stepson called in the wife’s death and requested an autopsy. That’s all we know right now.” He shut the folder. “We’re still investigating. Some reports take more time than others.”
    â€œAh.” Warren nodded, as if granting approval. Time for action. “What’s the game plan, Noah?”
    â€œThe man has a rare blood type, AB negative, but was at the top of the list for a heart transplant. The surgeons said it was only a matter of time before he dropped dead without one.”
    â€œWas?” Warren folded his arms across his chest again, tucked in his chin, and pinned Markinson with his glare. “What’s the status now?”
    â€œAs you’ve heard, we located a heart in North Carolina that matches the witness’s. Of course, Jonathan Wilks is in ICU with armed marshals guarding his room and unable to be transported to the hospital in North Carolina. As we speak, the donated heart is en route to the hospital where the surgeons will perform the transplant. If all goes as the medical staff has led us to believe, after Wilks has the surgery, his prognosis will be good.” Markinson tapped the file.
    â€œLet me get this straight—this witness is dying.” What was he missing?
    â€œNo, not dying. The heart surgeon—and trust me, we have the best available in the state on standby to perform the transplant—assures me the surgery should be successful and the witness will be able to speak and function clearly.”
    â€œAs long as the transplant goes well.”
    Markinson nodded. “The only thing left to chance at this point