“A Land Rover. We can get to it from the kitchen.”
That’s what Tyler had been hoping to hear. Since the garage was attached to the house, they wouldn’t have to go outside to get in the vehicle.
“We’ll have to risk a getaway,” Tyler said. “Let’s go before we can’t breathe.”
They all scooted down the stairs. Fay grabbed Tyler’s hand. “This way.”
The three of them scuttled to a door in the kitchen. They had to shield themselves from the flying shards of glass as the back windows shattered from the heat. When they entered the dark garage, Fay slapped a set of keys into Tyler’s hand.
“Your reflexes are probably quicker than mine.”
Tyler gave the shotgun to Grant. “See if you can take one of them out when we pass.”
They scrambled into the SUV, Tyler in the driver’s seat, Fay in the passenger seat, and Grant in the back.
“Ready?” Tyler said, the key already in the ignition.
Grant thumbed the window switch. “Ready.”
Fay clicked her seat belt and nodded.
“Okay,” Tyler said, “everyone keep your heads down.”
Tyler started the engine and flicked the transmission into drive. He didn’t bother with the garage door opener. He slammed his foot to the floorboard, and the Land Rover’s nose tore into the aluminum door, wrenching it from its tracks. Flames licked at the truck as they sped out, the garage door still clinging to the hood until a flick of the steering wheel sent it flying.
The gunmen were crouching behind the Toyota, ready for their quarry to pile out in a panic away from the fire at the back of the house. It only took a moment for them to refocus their aim, but it was enough time for Grant to lay down some covering fire. Two quick blasts disintegrated the Toyota’s rear window and pockmarked the quarter panel.
Tyler checked the rearview mirror and saw that one of the men had been hit by a couple of pellets. The slight injury did no more than cause him to curse loudly and return fire, his pistol cracking as bullets plunked into the back of the Land Rover.
In this snow there was no way the two-wheel-drive Toyota sedan would be able to keep up with the four- wheel-drive SUV, so Tyler intended to gain a lead and rendezvous with the police, who should be on their way up the mountain.
It sounded like a great plan until a pistol shot behind them was followed by a loud thump from under the vehicle. A bullet had punctured the right rear tire. The Land Rover’s back end swerved sideways as Tyler struggled to maintain control. Now he not only had to outrun their trigger-happy pursuers, but he would have to fight the SUV’s insistent urge to plunge off the snowy cliff-side road into the river far below.
FOUR
Morgan Bell wasn’t getting much cooperation from Charles Kessler, Lightfall’s project lead. That pissed her off.
“Dr. Kessler, we have full authorization to be here,” she said, pointing at her credentials. It stated that she was a special agent with the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations.
Kessler peered at her ID in mock studiousness. “Never heard of OSI.”
“That doesn’t matter. I know you’ve been contacted by our superiors about our investigation and that you were instructed to give your full cooperation. We need to talk. Now.”
By “we” she meant herself and her partner, Vince Cameron, who stood next to her watching a dozen laboratory technicians carefully packing equipment into shipping crates. Their voices echoed from the Wright- Patterson lab’s high ceiling. Morgan had visited the sprawling Dayton, Ohio Air Force base many times, but she’d never been inside this building.
“Agent Bell, I’m very busy here,” Kessler said, his eyes sweeping the room before locking on a skinny man in glasses and a lab coat who was wrestling a box onto a hand cart. “Collins! Make sure the OC-5 analyzer gets packed in there.”
Collins looked up and nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir.”
Kessler pointed at a guy with long greasy curls and more forearm hair than she’d ever seen before. “Josephson. Help Collins.”
Josephson looked less eager than Collins. “Dr. Kessler, I’m supposed to be packing the calibration equipment.”
“And if you had that done yesterday, maybe I would have sent Collins on the transport flight to accompany the equipment instead of you. Now move.”
Josephson shrugged and moseyed over to Collins.
Kessler turned back to Morgan. “The transport flight is scheduled to take off in three hours, and as you can see we are behind schedule.”
“Sounds like poor planning on your part,” she said.
“Who
“Dr. Kessler,” Vince said, “we’re sorry to bother you at a critical time. We just need a word with you in private. I promise it won’t take more than a few minutes.”
Kessler smoldered and then said, “Fine. My office is over here.” He stalked away, leaving them in the dust.
Vince grinned at Morgan as they followed him. “Have you heard of the phrase, ‘You’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar’?”
Morgan didn’t return the smile. “Yes.”
“Don’t you think that tactic might come in handy once in a while?”
“I use it if I need to.”
“Do you ever need to?”
“No.”
“See?” Vince said. “That’s your problem.”
“It’s not a problem. That’s what I have you for.”
“I knew I had a purpose.”
They entered Kessler’s office and closed the door. Kessler sat down at his desk in a huff. “So what is the OSI anyway?”
“You ever watch the show
“I don’t watch TV.”
“We are the primary law enforcement agency for the Air Force,” Morgan said. “Our mission is to identify and neutralize criminal, terrorist, and intelligence threats to the Air Force, Department of Defense, and US government.”
“Well, I’m pleased to tell you, Agent Bell, that we’re on your side.”
“Are you sure about that? Because we have evidence that there is a leak in Project Lightfall.”
Kessler sat up in his chair. “What do you mean?”
“Does anyone in the program ever use the term, ‘Killswitch’?”
Kessler was aghast. “How do you know that word?”
“That’s the nickname some people on your staff have used to refer to the Lightfall weapon, isn’t it?”
Kessler furiously tapped on his desk with his index finger to punctuate his points as he spoke. “Agent, this is an unacknowledged Special Access Program. Information is strictly on a need-to-know basis. Most members of Congress don’t even know about Lightfall.”
“Well, there are no senators here, so we should be fine.”
“Dr. Kessler,” Vince said, “both Agent Bell and I have top clearances, as I’m sure you were told. And we are on a need-to-know basis in this case. If someone is trying to steal information about Lightfall, our mission is to
