Chapter 13

The Lincoln MKS containing the Secretary of Defense, Henry Rylings, pulls out onto Seventeenth Street, heading south from Pennsylvania Avenue. Mike Grines turns the ignition over and begins to follow the vehicle as it turns onto G Street. He has spent the last few hours waiting for Rylings to leave the White House. He followed the man in earlier this morning from Rylings’ house, expecting and hoping for an attack. Grines knows that one is coming, he just doesn’t know when. With the administration under attack, choosing who will be targeted next would normally be a tough decision. Considering the president’s closest staff falling under attack, it is likely that Rylings will be the next target. Grines continues to follow the Lincoln as it turns onto Virginia Avenue. And when it crosses under the overpass leading to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, a figure drops onto the vehicle.

The impact of the figure startles the driver, causing the car to swerve and nearly collide with several other vehicles in its path. The driver regains control of the car just as the figure unsheathes a sword and stabs it through the roof. Grines can see Rylings moving as far away from the sword as possible through the back window. He has no doubt the figure is the assassin he has been looking for. He speeds up to catch up to the Lincoln. Already the assassin is cutting a circle into the roof. Grines rams the car with his. The assassin is caught off guard and she is forced to lose her footing.

Grines takes the advantage of the driver’s confusion by speeding up and then ramming the Lincoln again. He hopes the driver is experienced enough to control the vehicle as he tries to knock the assassin from the roof. When Grines slams into the car for the third time, the less than experienced driver loses control of it. The Lincoln flips to its side, rolling completely several times before coming to a halt on all four tires on the side of the road. The assassin is skilled enough to have leapt from the car before it rolled.

Grines slams on the brakes and turns the wheel sharply. After his car slides to a halt twenty feet away, he bolts from it. Pulling out two pistols from under his coat, he runs toward the crashed car, ready for an attack from the assassin. But he reaches the Lincoln without incident. Cars fly by the scenes without anyone stopping to ask if they can help. Grines prefers it this way anyway. This is going to be a showdown between him and the assassin. Just because she isn’t in sight, doesn’t mean she is abandoning her mission.

The man casts a look around the area before looking inside the car. The driver is hunched over the wheel. Blood covers the man and the dash. Grines checks the driver’s pulse, even though he knows that it is already too late for the man. Then he looks to the back seat where Rylings is. “Secretary! Can you hear me?” Grines yells at the unconscious man.

“He doesn’t need to,” a voice from behind says.

Grines spins, bringing up both guns to the source.

David McKinsey is walking through the halls of the White House with his advisers discussing the unexpected events of the day. “Has Mike Grines been reached yet?” he openly asks the advisers.

“We haven’t been able to find a way, other than his cell phone,” one of the advisers answers. “We haven’t been able to find anyone else that may know of his whereabouts.”

“Is there any link between Senator Rustlin’s assassination and Director Cornelius?” the president prods.

“None, sir,” the same adviser answers.

At this moment a young Secret Service agent comes running up to the group, interrupting the president’s next question. “Sir, we just received word of an attack on Secretary Rylings.”

“Please tell me you know where,” McKinsey begs.

“GPS places his car on Virginia Avenue, but there isn’t any response to the OnStar® representative,” she replies. “Service agents are on their way as we speak.”

“Christ,” McKinsey says heavily. “All hell is breaking lose and we’re the ones getting too many steps behind. Get Admiral Pellington on the line in my office. It’s time we catch up on those missing steps.”

Victor Lupescu stands on the Ap Lei Chau Bridge, watching the small boat carrying its three passengers into Hong Kong undetected by all except him. Peering through a pair of tactical binoculars, he views each individual before he recognizes the only Black List agent in the boat. Julie Branon. So they decided that it was finally time to come looking. He will get his revenge against the organization that abandons their own. He will make sure they understand the mistake they have made.

“So far, so good,” Samantha comments as they cross under the Ap Lei Chau Bridge.

“So far,” Julie agrees. “Another few minutes and we should see a small dock. We’ll hide the boat there and change.”

They quickly row on until they do indeed find the dock that Julie spoke of. After hiding the boat in a small, hidden entrance, the group begins changing into clothing what will disguise them as tourists.

“Out of curiosity, how did you know where we would be able to hide the boat?” Spencer asks.

“We’re the Black List,” she says. “We have access to technology that many governments keep a secret and we are composed of many different peoples in many different governments and countries.”

“That still doesn’t give us an explanation,” Samantha notes.

“You honestly don’t believe we go around into anything unprepared do you?” Julies asks, looking at the other woman dumbfounded. “That is why it took us so long to make this trip possible. We don’t really have many assets in China at the moment.”

“Then I hope we don’t get caught,” Samantha remarks.

“We won’t. Here take these,” Julie says, handing her and Spencer a set of passports and travel papers. “These are legit should we get stopped and questioned.”

“Where are we headed?” Spencer asks.

“Right now to a safe house,” the Black List agent answers. “In the morning we’ll go to the Lucky Dragon.”

The sword sweeps through both guns so swiftly that Grines doesn’t even see it happen. Without hesitation, he releases his
grip on both guns, letting them drop to the ground. Then dropping down himself, he sweeps his leg out in an attempt to knock Tsyr Ker down. The attack is unsuccessful. Sensing the attack as it happens, Tsyr Ker leaps into the air, easily avoiding his leg sweep. While in the air, the assassin extends her leg out to land a kick into Grines’ face. The unexpected hit casts his head and body backward.

Disoriented for only a moment, Grines rolls tot eh side to avoid the downward attack the assassin makes as she lands. Tsyr Ker shifts, coming down with her sword where Grines should have been. Unexpectedness crosses her face right before the man lands a left handed hook across it. The punch sends her reeling in one direction, her sword in the opposite. “That all you got, bitch?” he yells, wiping blood away from his lip.

Tsyr Ker uses her agility to twists her body, enabling her to land on her feet. She remains silent, standing still and considering her next move. Her attention is taken away from Grines at the sound of a helicopter and sirens in the distance. The assassin is ready for a fight and is not willing to back down or abandon her mission. She casts her attention now to her sword lying just a few feet behind the man. She glances back behind as the helicopter and police cars come into view. Grines makes his move in this moment, taking advantage of her distraction. It is just as she hoped for.