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A big jet.
One of the biggest in the world, a four-engine C-17 Globemaster III transport, made by Boeing, and—
The damn thing is landing here!
The landing gear lowers and Liam takes another good, hard look at the place.
The runway is less than a mile long from what he can tell, which is plenty of room for the C-17. It lands gracefully, the engines throttling back, and it slows down and then maneuvers its way to the large hangar sitting apart from the others.
Liam goes to the Audi, takes out a black duffel bag, starts running to the Globemaster. All Air Force aircraft have serial numbers and squadron lettering on them, but not this one. The only identification mark is a small, dark Air Force roundel on the fuselage.
The aircraft lurches to a halt. A wide door slides up at the hangar and a set of stairways is pushed out by two men wearing plain, dark-green jumpsuits. It gets to the forward door of the aircraft, which swings open. Within seconds a line of men and women come off the aircraft, while others emerge from the warehouse and go in.
He gets to the stairway.
A woman with her blond hair tied up in a bun and a sun-worn face looks him up and down. She’s wearing a standard green zippered Air Force jumpsuit, with no insignia, rank, or name tag.
“You Grey?”
“I am,” he says.
“Then get in,” she says.
“But …”
“But what?”
He thinks,I’m supposed to be in South Africa in less than two hours. This can’t be right.
“Thanks,” Liam says, and climbs up the several steps and into the dark interior of the aircraft.
CHAPTER 88
NOA HIMEL IS waiting in the living room of Director Abrams’s home when the director comes out of her office, face drawn, accompanied by her security officer Ralph and says, “Liam’s made it. Bruce, I’m not so sure.”
“What happened?” Noa asks.
Hannah says, “There was a shooting at a service station off the George Washington. Liam escaped, but Bruce got shot in the arm. Lost a lot of blood before the EMTs arrived on scene. He’s en route now to a hospital in Tysons Corner.”
Ralph looks like he’s carved from some mobile type of granite, but Noa sees his dark-blue eyes and looks away. Death is in those eyes, and she quickly feels a bit of sympathy for whoever shot his fellow officer Bruce.Ralph is coming for you,she thinks,whoever you are, and whoever ordered you to do this.
Noa says, “I’m ready, Director, if you think it’s a good time to head out.”
Hannah sits down on the near couch. “Nothing right now is a good time, but we’ll have to make do. Ralph, when you get a moment, make a call. I want increased protection for me, Deputy Director Jean Swantish, and this house.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Also get a firearm for Miss Himel here.”
“Thank you,” Noa says.
A tired smile from the director. “Better to have it and not need it, than the reverse, correct?”
Noa says, “I’m going to need transportation to get to Kay Darcy.”
A shake of the director’s head. “With my personal Audi gone, I’ll have Ralph drive you out in my Agency Suburban. But you be careful out there, Noa. You milk Kay as much as you can and you promise her the world and the universe. We need to know what she knows about President Barrett. But make it quick. There’s already been one death and today, an attempted murder. Forces are in play.”
“Where are you going, Director?”