Firepower, John Cutter [best summer reads .txt] 📗

at the Lincoln Memorial — a hundred twenty domestic terrorists in six trucks.”

“There’s a big Democratic Party event happening there… though Lincoln was a Republican… but then the Republican Party was more like…”

“You still half asleep, Gus?”

“Yeah, and confused. I took a sleeping pill. And how am I supposed to act on this? You’re classed as a criminal; they’ve got you pegged as a lone nut killer or something. That’s what I hear. Something about a lot of dead guys in Georgia.”

“They were Germanic Brethren and they were trying to kill me. Anyway, you don’t have to give me as the source. Maybe the city cops will take the intel seriously if it comes from you. They need to cancel that event. And you need to cancel the other one. The Joint Chiefs. Be ready to take down a lone gunman coming to the site of the meeting…”

“We’ve been getting warnings about attacks all day. One was going to be on the Capitol Building, one was on the White House, one was at Georgetown U. Just a lot of crazy contradictory stuff. I don’t think anyone’s going to listen to you or me.”

“Me, no. Your credibility is still good, though, Gus.”

“Not in a way that gets fast action. This big Democratic Party event at the Lincoln Memorial has been planned for a long time, and the theory is, far-right-nutters are trying to get them to cancel it with a hoax about an attack. No one’s inclined to listen.”

“Did I not once save your life?”

“Yes.”

“Have I always been a guy you could trust, or not?”

“You have been. I believe you, Vince. But—”

“Do what you can. And better drink some coffee. You don’t want to go back to sleep tonight, Gus.”

Vince hung up, and wondered if he should call Homeland Security again…

But it didn’t seem like anyone was going to listen to him. Which left just one option.

*

Dawn in West Virginia. “Will he get there on time?” Buster asked.

Mac nodded. “Oh yeah. If they leave now.”

They were in the garage of the Ostrovsky house, loading weapons into the trunk of Mac’s old Buick LeSabre.

Buster tucked the Uzi, in its canvas bag, in a corner by the AR-15 and the cooler with the food and coffee for the trip. “Adler going to have that vest on when he’s in the car with us?”

“You think I’m crazy? No. It’s in the trunk of the car that dumbass Flesky is driving all by his lonesome. So if it goes off…” He shook his head. “Not with me in the car! I want to die fighting for the cause, not because of some stupid fucking mistake.”

“Flesky on his way there?” Buster asked.

“Yeah, he left an hour ago. He’ll be waiting near the building where they’re having the meeting. We’ll get the vest on the kid, and Flesky will drive him to the precinct. You follow in this car, while I take care of the Joint Chiefs. Then you head to the memorial.”

“Sounds good.” Buster closed the trunk. “You’ve got some balls, taking that Joint Chiefs mission, Mac.”

“Got to. Fucking Bellator was a big disappointment, a fraud just like I said. I warned the General…”

“Bellator lied about everything, yeah. But he’s pretty fucking effective. Killed a lot of good Brethren.”

“He’ll suffer for what he did. We’ll find whoever he cares about and make them all suffer for it. Now let’s get the kid. It’s dawn. We’ve got to hit the road. Three hours to get to D.C.”

“Traffic should be light from here,” Buster said, following Mac out of the garage.

They went through the kitchen to the hall, up the stairs, down another hall to the room where Shaun Adler waited. Mac unlocked the door — and found Shaun standing at the window, staring out. Like he was thinking about getting away, Mac thought.

“Forget it, Adler,” Mac said. “You’re all done deserting. Come on — we’re hitting the road!”

He hooked a thumb toward the door and stepped out of the way. Looking pale and scared, Shaun Adler walked past him and Buster to the hallway. “Go left and down the stairs. We’re going to the garage.”

“Can I talk to the General, first?” Shaun asked at the top of the stairs.

“Nope. No one trusts you after you made that hinky phone call. You just do what you’re told and it’ll all be alright.”

Shaun nodded — then he rushed down the stairs and turned toward the front door.

“He’s trying to rabbit!” Buster said.

“No shit,” Mac muttered, hurrying down the stairs.

He caught up with Shaun at the front door where he was just turning the knob. Mac grabbed him by the belt and the neck, wrenched him away from the door, and slammed him into the wall. The blow smacked Shaun’s forehead into the dark wooden panel — and he went limp, slipping down to sag onto his knees.

Mac examined Shaun as Buster caught up, puffing. “He dead?”

“No, out cold. He’ll be alright. Let’s carry him out to the Buick. When he comes to, you keep your gun on him. Keep it down below the windows, but make sure he doesn’t try to get away again… The General has every element in place and this little fuck is not going to ruin it for us. Our destiny is to see this all the way through.”

Buster nodded. “This is our Schicksal.”

*

Vince was peering at the GPS on his phone, examining, for the tenth time, the terrain and streets around the Lincoln Memorial.

He went over it again in his mind and just didn’t see any other way. Not with so many trucks coming at the Brethren’s target — and coming from six places.

He heard Deirdre moaning in her sleep, and he swiveled the seat to see her twitching, her fingers