Page 87

CHAPTER 87

M ERCEDES KING STEERED THE CAYENNE slowly down the road and then made the turn onto the property where Pru Jackson had seen the chopper lift off into the darkness bearing two dead bodies courtesy of Travis Devine. Two uniformed sentries held up their hands for her to stop. In addition to the main house, there were several large outbuildings, including a massive barn. Parked behind the barn were rows of military-style vehicles, in addition to a half dozen four-wheelers.

One of the sentries searched the interior while the other ran a wheeled probe under the Porsche’s chassis looking for anything that should not be there.

“All clear, Ms. King,” said the first sentry politely. “As I knew it would be.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Earl.”

She drove off and parked by the barn. She got out and put her keys in her purse.

She used a security badge to access the barn door. It slid open, its hydraulic power making a slight hissing sound.

King walked in and looked around. The main area was set up as office cubicles where dozens of people were working away on computers while several others were conversing in front of smart boards where graphs and maps were displayed. But, interestingly, the large space also held a combat ring, where a half dozen bare-chested men were engaged in training exercises. On the walls were racks of weapons. Boxes of ammo were organized behind padlocked wire mesh doors.

King said hello and nodded to a number of people as she passed by them. She reached a double door and knocked. It was opened by Nick Dawkins wearing a tailored, brown military uniform with stars on the shoulders.

“Mercedes, welcome. I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought you’d still be in Seattle.”

“Thanks for letting me take your jet there. My business is all finished. And I hope you like surprises.”

“When you’re one of them, I do.”

He closed the door behind her, and she settled into a chair while he sat down behind a large desk.

He said, “Now look, I’m actually glad you’re here. We really need to get to Danny Glass. We can’t just hold his niece in perpetuity. You said you were going to be working on that?”

“After the call his niece made to him, I’ll have him hook, line, and sinker shortly.”

“That’s my girl.”

“That’s right,” said King. “I am.” Her hand went to her jacket pocket, where there was a small device inside. She pushed the button.

An explosion from outside rocked the barn as the bomb in the Porsche’s engine compartment detonated.

“What in the hell!” shouted a panicked Dawkins as he jumped up and glanced wildly around.

He looked at King as she slipped a gun from her bag.

“What is going on, Mercedes?” exclaimed a clearly terrified Dawkins.

“It’s called cutting my losses, dear, sweet Nick. And if you wear the uniform, try to walk the walk and not act so fucking scared. It’s a real turnoff.”

She pointed the pistol at him.

He took a step back. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Just call me one of your supporters who don’t want to be made into a follower against their will.”

She shot him in the head and Dawkins fell to the floor dead, with blood running down his face and fouling his uniform.

King opened the door and rushed out into the main room. Amid the chaos, people were hurtling around and screaming as they grabbed guns from off the walls and ammo from behind the mesh doors. In addition to more explosions, small arms fire could be heard just outside.

King used the confusion to her advantage, and snuck out a back door. She slipped off her pumps and replaced them with a pair of ballet flats taken from her coat pocket. From every direction she heard sirens and the roars of powerful engines. She assumed that the full weight of the state of Washington’s constabulary, along with the FBI, was descending on the compound. Luckily she had planned for such an eventuality. And she now intended to execute that plan.

She climbed aboard a four-wheeler and headed down a dirt road at the rear of the property. After about a half mile she turned onto another road, which wound past a small pond. She rode up to a security fence, shot the lock off, and drove through. She stopped and glanced back to see plumes of smoke rising into the air from back at the compound. She heard gunfire and small explosions echoing across the distance.

Total chaos, and she loved it.

King smiled, hit the throttle, and roared away.