Chapter 2
Xavier honked the horn. The traffic in front of him had snarled. Traffic lights blinked in the far distance while streetlights illuminated the way. Because of construction the lanes had constricted to one lane eastbound. Xavier tired of seeing brake lights come on every millisecond.
Fuck! Why’d I take Constitution Avenue?
He passed the National Archives on his left and looked for Seventh Street Northwest. He exhaled long, inhaled deeply, then repeated. He did this a few times to calm down. To reassure himself, he spoke out loud.
“Okay, take it easy. He said he was fine. Not to worry.” He shook his head and gripped the steering wheel. He replayed what Jake told him—how he told him. Jake’s voice sounded normal, but he detected a slight quiver when the phone conversation initial
