had blacked out windows and any other ferry passengers would not be able to tell that the car was three people lighter than it should have been. With only ten minutes until departure, Sam turned the key and accelerated out of the car park just as the small fishing trawler crashed into the outer wall of the harbor. Nobody would later recall the car leaving nor would they be able to confirm who was in it.
With no requirement to buy a ticket for the return journey, Sam drove onto the ferry with only two minutes to spare. Killing the engine, he sat back and with the doors locked, he closed his eyes. Sleep was going to be precious and thanks to his previous training, was something he could do at will and under any circumstance. Ninety minutes later and for the first time in three years, Sam Baker was back on mainland USA. And he was a man on a mission. Search, rescue and destroy. Find his brother, get him to a safe location and then systematically eliminate the enemy. This time, it was personal.
Chapter 12
Senator Baker walked across to the window and looked out across Constitution Avenue to the United States Supreme Court. He was one of the most powerful men in the country, in the heart of the seat of government and had never felt so vulnerable in all his life. He was surrounded by thousands of law enforcement officers sworn to protect him but didn’t know who he could trust. Even trusting the young agent in front of him was a calculated risk and he knew would elicit more than a little flak from Sam, should he live to see him. The thought of Sam flashing through his mind prompted him into action.
“Agent Clark, we need to get going.”
“How? The door and corridor are covered by three men who you think have been sent to kill you!”
“Exactly, so how are we going to get out of here?”
Clark surveyed the small room. The only other exit was the window and it was a two floor drop to the ground below which ruled it out. She turned back to the door, it was their only exit.
“I don’t know.”
The door was banged again. “Agent Clark, I have to ask you to step out of the room!”
“Agent Travis, everything’s fine, just give us a minute,” shouted Senator Baker, quietly locking the door as he spoke.
“Sir, I’m sorry but I must ask you to come out immediately. I believe your life is at risk,” added Travis rattling the door as he tried to open it.
“Agent Clark has informed me of that. Just give us a minute!” shouted back the Senator angrily.
“Sir, please unlock the door, it’s imperative that I speak with you privately,” replied Travis in a more even tone.
“I’ll bet,” said the Senator under his breath, before shouting again. “Agent Travis, will you please just give me a minute! I’m in a locked office with one of your agents and you’re guarding the door. I’m perfectly safe at the moment.”
“That’s the problem, Sir. I’m not sure that you are.”
Senator Baker’s head spun from the door to Clark, his eyes wide with horror. The realization that he had been suckered in by believing the beautiful woman couldn’t be the baddy. The door began to give as the Secret Service agents crashed into it.
Agent Clark had already drawn her weapon and had leveled it at the Senator as he turned to face her.
“Oh fuck!” he said as she pulled the trigger.
Chapter 13
Bethesda MD
Burning Tree Country Club
The Vice President of the United States was in mid swing when the Secret Service Agent’s phone rudely broke his concentration. On the 17th hole and a stroke behind the Chairman of the GOP to whom he had never lost, the VP was furious at the interruption. Phones were as unacceptable on the golf course as women were which, thanks to the Burning Tree Country Club, was never going to happen. Fines had been imposed but the ultra rich members paid them with pleasure. Even the removal of a liquor license had failed and despite their dry club house, the members of the club still enjoyed their male-only haven.
“What the hell are you doing with your phone on?!” shouted the VP to the senior agent in his protective duty.
Tom Sullivan had served the VP for five of his seven years in office as VP and, of course, he knew better than to have his phone with him. “It’s not mine, Sir,” he answered, hiding his irritation. “It’s your hotline phone. It must be an emergency,” he replied calmly and handed the phone to the VP.
In seven years, the only person to have called that number was the President and even then, only once, three years earlier, after the bomb had exploded in Texas.
“Andrew Russell,” answered the VP.
“I’ve got some bad news.”
“Who is this?”
“Director Johnson, CIA.”
“Ah, Allan, what’s up?”
“Can you talk?”
The VP walked away from the small group that had crowded around.
“OK, I can now.”
“We missed him.”
The VP dropped the jovial tone. “Missed who?” he asked menacingly.
“Definitely one and maybe the other.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“I don’t want to use names on this line.”
“Don’t be fucking ridiculous, this is the phone I’d be told the president is dead on, of course you can give me names.”
“We missed the brother.”
“Missed?”
“We think he took out our men. We’ve not been able to get in contact with them.”
“Maybe they’re just out of cell coverage,” suggested the VP nervously.
“I don’t think so. They definitely missed him.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because Sam phoned the Secret Service.”
“What?!”
“Well, he didn’t give his name but just after my guys were supposed to have taken him out, a death threat was issued by Yuri Andriev against Senator Baker.”
The VP almost dropped the phone. He had never agreed with the plan, it had disaster written all over it but he had been overruled.
“Jesus!..And the Senator?”
“That’s the other thing, he’s gone missing.”
“My office. Twenty minutes!” the VP threw the cell phone angrily at Agent Sullivan. “We’re leaving! NOW!”
