For some reason, Nathan felt at ease with his new company commander. Not because he sensed a budding friendship. Nor was it out of respect. Rather, the feeling that he had little to fear from this man began to slowly make its way into Nathan’s conscious mind. While King looked every bit the company commander and spoke the words Nathan had come to imagine a company commander would use, King radiated a sense of uneasiness. Whether it was just this particular situation he found himself in or if the man truly was not comfortable with his position as a company commander was hard to say. Only time would tell if King was as good as Blackwell had made him out to be.

In the meantime, Nathan had other concerns and issues to deal with. There was the task of meeting his platoon, no small thing for a newly minted “butter bar” intent on making the best possible impression on the men he was expected to lead. But first, before all else, Nathan was determined to shed his dress greens and break out a set of BDUs as quickly as possible. Only then, when he had made himself a less conspicuous target, would he be ready to train and maintain in a manner that would be befitting, and expected of, the son of Scott Dixon.

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 10

BOISE, IDAHO •OCTOBER 25

Ted Lahowitz didn’t budge when Ellen French opened the passenger door of the plain white late model Ford. “Are you going to help me or what?” Ellen called through the rolled down window as she struggled to balance the two cups and bag she held.

Ted made no efforts to come to her assistance. Instead, he merely looked over at her. “As I recall,” he replied in a high pitched tone that bordered on being sanctimonious, “there is a Bureau policy that governs this sort of thing. It states, if I remember correctly, that members of different genders are prohibited from doing anything extraordinary or different during the performance of duties simply because the gender of their partner is different. That, it seems, could be construed as sexual harassment.”

“Screw you, Ted,” she snapped as she looked down to see if the coffee in her hands had stopped slopping about after her long walk from the convenience store. When it had, she placed one cup on the roof of the car so she could open her door.

“I hope you realize that’s prohibited by policy, too,” Ted said, without stirring from his slouched position.

“You can be such an asshole when you’re on stakeout,” Ellen muttered in a disgusted voice as she turned to sit while keeping the coffee from spilling.

Feigning surprise, Ted Lahowitz recoiled. “Why, Special Agent French, I am shocked! I am simply trying to protect you from becoming victimized.”