Page 133 of Tom Clancy Line of Sight

“Thanks. I’m going to need it.”

62

Jack jumped into Emir’s Renault. He set the open laptop on the passenger seat, then took an extra minute and synched his phone with the Renault’s Bluetooth audio so that conversation with Gavin would come through the car’s audio speakers. He then set his smartphone on the dash so he could more easily follow the GPS signal from Aida’s Volkswagen.

Jack punched the gas and headed out of the compound, Emir’s Colt in his lap.

Jack followed the blue GPS arrow on his phone generated by the signal coming from Aida’s Volkswagen. For the most part, he was just following the two-lane E73 north and west as through the contour of the mountains. She was ten minutes ahead of him and making good time, heading higher into the pine-covered hills. They seemed to be the only two vehicles on the road.

“Jack? I found something,” Gavin’s voice said over the car’s audio system. “It’s a video scheduled to go out to social media at ten-sixteen a.m. local—that’s just thirty-five minutes from now. Some guy named Commander Brkic issued a fatwa against all nonbelievers and Crusaders.”

“Is that the guy with the blind eye?”

“Yeah. Says he launched the thermobaric missiles that killed thousands—past tense, because the video hasn’t gone out yet.”

“Thermobarics. Holy shit. What’s the delivery system?”

“Can’t be sure. But there’s footage of masked fighters standing in front of a Soviet-era BM-21 Grad rocket launch system flashing victory signs and waving a black flag. It’s basically a six-by-six truck with a box launcher on back. According to Google, it holds forty 122-millimeter ballistic missiles.”

“You think it’s possible he has one in his arsenal?”

“The BM-21 is the most deployed missile-launch system in the world, and the Bosnian Army has had them since Tito’s days. So yeah, it’s credible. Only thing is, something doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t?”

“That launch system isn’t known for being real accurate. I did a quick check of the stadium measurements. There’s a good chance a lot of those missiles won’t land inside it.”

“But a lot of people will still get hurt.”

“Still not the kind of casualties he’s promising on that video. He obviously thinks his system is more accurate.”

“How?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Maybe he’s bluffing.”

“This guy doesn’t look like a bluffer to me,” Gavin said. “And why brag about it if it didn’t, or doesn’t, happen? Then he looks like an idiot.”

“Good point. Let’s assume he’s telling the truth. We need to figure out how he plans to pull it off.”

“Can I tell Gerry what’s going on now? He’s been breathing down my neck.”

“He’s at the office? At this hour?”

“Just arrived ten minutes ago. He’s been after me to try and reach you.”

“I’ll call him right now.”

“Good luck with that, Jack. You’re not exactly his favorite person at the moment.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.”

—

Jack rang off, then dialed Gerry’s phone. He picked up after the first ring.

“I’ve got a funny feeling you’re not at the airport,” the ex-senator growled.