Stansfield pulled his headset off his left ear and dialed Nance’s number. After several rings, Nance’s assistant answered.
“Hello.”
“Mike Nance, please.”
“I’m sorry he’s not in right now. May I take a message?”
“No. Tell him Director Stansfield is on the line, and I need to speak with him immediately.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t recognize your voice. Mr. Nance isn’t in right now, but I
will pass a message on to him if you would like.”
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Stansfield stared through the darkness at the house not more than a thousand yards away. “I know he’s there. Go get him now!” The assistant on the other end cleared his throat and said, “Yes, sir.”
O’Rourke had taken the brunt of the most recent electric jolt, but Jarod did not come out of it unscathed. As soon as the electricity had faded from Jarod’s body, the mercenary delivered another gloved chop to the bridge of O’Rourke’s bleeding and broken nose.
Michael, having absorbed most of the electricity, was still incapacitated when the karate chop landed.
The pain that was delivered to O’Rourke’s already broken nose was unlike anything he had ever felt.
Wave after wave of nausea and agony washed over him. O’Rourke began to wonder how much more of this he could take, but the thought of getting half of his brain fried from some truth serum was motivation enough to push on. Michael sat up a little straighter in his chair and eyed Jarod, who looked more than a little uncomfortable himself. O’Rourke attributed his pained expression to the kick in the groin. Michael spit some blood on the floor and looked up at Jarod. “How do your nuts feel?” Jarod took a step forward and raised his fist. Michael kicked his legs in an effort to keep his torturer at bay. Mike Nance yelled, “Enough! He’s only trying to postpone the inevitable.” Nance put a hand on Jarod’s shoulder and told him to relax. “Now, Congressman, let’s get down to business.
What is your association with the people who are trying to blackmail Mr. Garret and myself?”
“Nothing. I got up this morning and a package was on my front step. I don’t know who in the hell is behind any of this. All I know is that you and your sick dead friend had
Senator Olson and Congressman Turnquist killed!” Nance shook his head. “I don’t believe you. I don’t think these assassins just picked you out of the blue. I think you know who they are.” Nance looked at Michael for a response.
“Don’t you?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Fine, I guess we’ll have to use the drugs.” Nance walked over to a steel gun safe in the corner and dialed the combination. “If you aren’t going to cooperate, we’ll have to help you.” Nance pulled down on the lever and opened the heavy door. An array of shotguns and rifles occupied the bottom two-thirds of the safe, and on a shelf near the top was a tray.
Nance pulled the tray out and set it on the bar. Michael could see two clear vials and a syringe. Nance picked up one of the vials and held it out for Michael to see. “You would be amazed what kind of things people will say when you pump just the smallest amount
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of this into them. No secret is safe. The only problem is you never know what it will do to their brain. Some people come out of it a vegetable, some people have massive memory loss, and others go through the rest of their life suffering from severe migraines.
Some doctors claim they can administer the drug without leaving any permanent damage, but I’m not an experienced doctor.” Nance smiled. “Now which is it going to be, Congressman? Would you like to tell me what you know on your own, or would you like me to help you?” Nance picked up the syringe and waved it in the air. Michael was about to tell Nance where to stick the syringe when there was a knock on the door. Nance turned around and asked, “What is it now?” A muffled voice from the other side replied, “Director Stansfield is on the line. He wishes to speak with you.” Nance yelled at the closed door, “I told you I did not want to be interrupted!” The timid voice responded, “He said that he knows you’re here. He wants to speak with you immediately.” Nance angrily stomped to the door and opened it only a foot. “Tell him I’m busy and that I’ll call him back in ten minutes.” With that Nance slammed the door. Nance’s assistant walked across the large foyer, punched a blinking red light, and picked up the handset. “Director
Stansfield, Mr. Nance says he will call you back in ten minutes. Is there a number where he can reach you?” Stansfield looked over the dark countryside at Nance’s house and tightly squeezed the handset of his phone. Instead of replying to the man’s request for a phone number, he simply hung up and pulled his headset over both ears.
Wasting no time, he asked, “Delta Six, are you ready?” The reply came back a positive, and Stansfield turned to look at the leader of the second team. The man gave him a thumbs-up. Stansfield adjusted his mouth mike and said, “Delta Six, commence the operation.” Team Two’s sniper squeezed the butt of his rifle a little tighter and centered his crosshairs on the head of the rottweiler closest to the helicopters.
The two dogs were roaming the area due west of the house about a hundred yards out.
The sniper squeezed the trigger and the rifle recoiled slightly. The bullet hit the dog dead in the ear and sent it to the ground. The second rottweiler snapped its head around to see what the noise was, but before he could investigate, a bullet smashed into its large, block head. Five seconds later the ominous dark helicopter passed over the dead canines and toward the house. All eight members of the tactical team were standing and leaning out the doors of the chopper.
Their grip on the rappelling ropes was the only thing keeping them from falling to the ground. Their weapons were slung in the frontal ready position. Just before reaching the house, the tail of the helicopter dipped like that of a bird coming in for a landing, and the four large rotor blades braked the machine into a midair stop. The helicopter leveled out ten feet away from the house and twenty feet above the roof.
The team leader yelled, “Go! Go! Go!” In unison, all eight men kicked away from their airborne platform and
