The moment the words left Director Quinn's mouth, Franklin Foster felt his stomach drop straight through the soles of his shoes.
Was the man out of his mind? Secretary Bell had personally issued a directive. And the man who had taken Maxwell Crawford down was not some faceless underling but Ambrose Ward, that razor-edged, unreadable young upstart whose every move seemed to carry the weight of unseen patrons behind him. How exactly was Franklin Foster supposed to pry a prisoner out of Chief Ward's hands? With what? A polite smile and a pat on the shoulder?
And what was that line about overcoming every obstacle? If it was so easy, why didn't Director Quinn roll up his own sleeves and overcome a few himself? Why dump it on the one man in the Park Sub-commission who had no leverage to spend?
