Page 37

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“Okay, quiet down, gentlemen. Listen up, listen up,” Chief Garner said.

The post office staging area was filled with cops now and Garner stood at the front of it.

Shaw, with his big arms folded, stood beside him on the left with his men. Their faces were pure stone.

“Special Agent Thompson,” the chief said with a nod to Shaw.

Now it was Shaw’s turn to speak.

As he stepped up, he stared at the town map and then at all the cops.

To level a shithole Afghani village was one thing, Shaw thought. That he was now being given a small Connecticut town to have his way with was practically making him dizzy.

This is doing wonders for my circulation , he thought.

Better than Viagra.

“Gentlemen,” Shaw said in his booming marine voice. “What I am about to reveal to you doesn’t leave this room. As you may know, this area of Connecticut has many defense companies. These two women we are looking for worked at one of them and are involved in the theft of something that is so vital to our national security I cannot even disclose what it is.”

Shaw looked at the cops, not one set of rolling eyes. They were mesmerized. He had them in the palm of his hand.

Shaw tented his hands together dramatically.

“We have already cut off communication in and out of the area so that the data is contained. Now in a few minutes, an evacuation of this section of town is going to be called. We are going to let it be known to the media that a truck crash of a highly toxic chemical has happened nearby and that everyone must leave.

“At the same time, in order to search for and neutralize our targets, the power will be cut. I and my highly trained team will go in and clear our first primary targets, these three public buildings. And if we do not locate our target there, we will then start doing follow-ons by going door-to-door.

“As we proceed with the mission, no matter what happens, please remember the importance of maintaining secrecy at all times. You cannot disclose what is happening. Not even to your girlfriends or wives.”

Shaw took in the cops’ faces, rapt, serious-as-cancer, utterly and completely suckered.