Chapter 28

After the attack on the White House, the National Guard secured the compound. Guards are stationed at key points along the fence and throughout the White House. The secret service are doing check on every person entering and leaving the temporary office where the president is now located.

“What’s going on?” McKinsey asks.

“I’m sorry to keep you in the dark, sir,” Agent Newl says. “We have just received word on the situation. The snipe has been shot and killed. The NSA agent...” He pauses to look at his notes. “ ... Agent Strandon is responsible for stopping him.”

“Who was the sniper?” the president questions.

“An ex-special forces soldier, Lieutenant Vincent Mathsen,” Newl discloses.

“I see,” McKinsey says. “Any news about my daughter’s abductors?”

“Not much yet, sir,” the agent says. “Director Cornelius has given an update. The TDF are still conducting a raid on the terrorist’s location.”

“Keep me posted if you would,” the president says.

“That was Sam slumped over the passenger seat!” Spencer says in surprise. Bullets tear through the boxes in front of him. Wiltkins is opposite him, returning fire.

“Go! We’ll cover you!” he shouts.

Figuring that since the place is already falling down Wiltkins pulls a grenade and lobs it at the entrenched terrorists. The explosion rocks the foundation of the building. The ceiling caves in over terrorists it while threatening to continue falling everywhere else. Realizing that their time here is up, Wiltkins sounds the retreat. Any terrorists that survive will be rounded up quickly enough. And if none survive, it doesn’t matter to him.

Spencer makes it outside the building and looks for suitable transportation. He needs something fast and convenient. The police have already arrived and are keeping the crowd that has gathered at a distance. He spots a police motorcycle at the entrance of the gated fence. He runs up to the officer beside the bike. Flashing his credentials, he jumps on it and takes off.

“Hey!” the office yells, but Spencer is already too far away to worry about the man.

He speeds down the street in the direction that the semi went. He taps the earpiece that is connected straight to Roger. “I need a bird in the air.”

“What are we looking for, Reeds?” Roger says quickly as if already waiting for the call.

“It’s a red and black semi,” Spencer replies. “Last known is heading southbound on 53rd from the abandoned factory.”

There is a brief delay on Rogers end before he responds. “Bird is in the air already, you should see it in about a minute.”

“I see it,” the man says, glimpsing up at the skyline where in the distance he can see the helicopter.

“Fill me in,” Roger follows up.

“We recovered Sara’s body,” Spencer begins, the feeling of failure coming over him. He shakes it off. “The whole building started coming down when I left. They took Sam, but I’m going to get her back.”

Sam starts to come around slowly. Her vision is a bit blurry and she is a little disoriented. Rudolph notices her beginning to stir and quickly sticks his gun in her face. “Don’t even think of trying anything,’ he snarls. “I won’t hesitate to blow off your fucking head.”

Sam doesn’t doubt the man. So she sits still, waiting for the opportune moment to fight back.

“Once we get to the place, I might think of keeping you alive,” she says laughing. “At least until I get bored with you.”

“Where are the children?” she asks, ignoring his threats.

“Children?” he asks surprised to hear something different than what he expected. “Don’t worry about them. They’re someplace safe.” The sound of a helicopter suddenly echoes from outside. Rudolph sticks his head out the window and sees one flying overhead.

“Looks like your plans have gone to shit,” Sam says with a smirk plastered across her face.

The terrorist lieutenant’s face reddens. He hits Sam in the side of the head with the butt of the gun. “Shut the fuck up, bitch!” He then sticks the gun out the window and begins firing up at the helicopter.

“Taking fire,” the pilot says into his microphone.

“Agent Reeds?” the copilot says.

“I copy,” Spencer answers.

“Semi is still southbound on 54th, crossing over Government,” the copilot continues.

“Copy that,” Spencer confirms. “Thanks.”

He gets onto 54th and the truck comes into view. He speeds up, closing the distance at a remarkable pace. When Spencer gets close to the truck, the doors of the trailer swing open. Two men with automatic rifles open fire at him. The bullets soar past him, hitting asphalt and newsstands and other cars. He jinks left and right to avoid being hit. Then pulling his gun Spencer returns fires on the two men. Instantly he hits one, causing the man to lunge forward and fall onto the street. He cannot avoid the fallen man and the impact nearly jars him from the bike.

The other soldier ducks back behind a few crates and resumes firing at the agent. Spencer cannot risk civilians getting injured so he has to do something and do it fast. The bridge leading to the harbor looms ahead. He speeds up, coming up on the left side of the semi. He takes aim at the rear tires, blowing them out. Rudolph fires out the window at him in response, trying to use the mirror to see. The shots go wide, never coming close to Spencer. And the agent fires right back before dropping back behind the truck.

In this moment, Sam takes the opportunity of Rudolph being distracted and grabs ahold of the wheel. The two fight for control of the truck as it starts over the bridge. The semi sashes into cars on both side, pushing them to the side. The soldier in the back drops his gun and tries to grab onto something to stabilize himself. Unsuccessful, he tumbles out of the trailer. Spencer looks back and when the man rises, he takes careful aim and pulls the trigger. The man drops a split second later when his brains fly out the back of his head.

The semi swerves ahead to avoid a barrier set up for the construction being done on the bridge. The trailer tips over crashing into the barrier and slides into the suspension wires causing several of the wires to snap off. The truck then comes to a skidding halt as the bridge shudders from the off balance. As Spencer screeches to a halt, Rudolph is exiting the cab with a gun to Sam’s head.

“Don’t make a move closer or the bitch is dead!”

Roger enters Geoffrey’s holding cell, anger seeping out like sweat form his pores. He rushes straight to the former agent as he rises and pins the man to the wall by the throat. “You had better start giving up something or so help me you’ll never leave here alive.” Roger’s voice is laced with venom, his eyes burn like the fires of hell.

“You won’t get anything from me,” Geoffrey answers defiantly.

“Then you better hope they don’t hang you for being an accessory to Sara McKinsey’s murder,” Roger threatens.

Geoffrey’s expression changes instantly. All defiance leaves his face and lets in complete submission. “He lied,” the man mumbles.

“What was that?” Roger asks.

Faintly and in defeat, Geoffrey says, “Follow loser and you’ll find Ghost.”

“What’s Kloser’s link to them?” the man asks, releasing his grip from around Geoffrey’s throat.

The former agent sinks down to sit and stare at the floor. He remains silent and motionless for a long minute. Everything he did. All those years of waiting for his revenge has just shattered into a million pieces to fall away lost. What happens to him now doesn’t matter anymore. And when Roger sees that he isn’t going to get anything more out of him, he turns to the agent he entered the room with and nods. It is time to find where Kloser has gone to.

“Are the children secured in the basement?” loser asks Hanson.

They both sit in chairs opposite of one another in front of a roaring fire.

“Of course, I’ve already taken care of it,” Hanson says, taking a long drag on his cigar.

“Then we are set to begin the summoning,” Kloser says.

“And once Stanos takes office, we’ll be in control of the world’s biggest superpower,” Hanson remarks, thinking of his own agenda and betrayal.

“Have you not heard?” Kloser says, looking animated despite his injury. “Stanos was assassinated this afternoon.” The words roll off his tongue like honey from the comb. “It seems the snipe you hired shot the wrong person.”

Hanson’s jaw almost drops. First Bowling was killed, now Stanos? He knows that Kloser is behind it, but he doesn’t know what all the man knows. It could just be a petty game so he plays it cool and asks, “What are we going to do now?”