sights aimed right for the center of Coleman’s forehead. “You killed five good men today and sent another two dozen civilians to the hospital. I should
171
put a bullet in your head right now and end this whole thing.” Michael thought he heard a noise, and then without further warning the door to the cabin flew open.
Michael dropped to a knee and wheeled toward the door as Duke started to bark.
Coleman did the same, retrieving his 9mm Glock from underneath his jacket. Seamus
O’Rourke stood in the doorway steadying himself by placing one hand on the frame. He was wearing the same suit he had had on at lunch minus the tie. Seamus looked at the two guns and growled, “Put those damn things away before you two hurt someone.”
Coleman did so on command, but Michael was a little more hesitant.
Seamus admonished him with another look and said in a softer tone, “Michael, put your gun away.” Michael lowered the gun but did not put it away. “You’re supposed to be in the hospital.”
“I am very aware of that, but knowing that this meeting would take place, I decided that my presence was more needed here than in bed.”
Seamus shuffled over and dropped his body into one of the old tattered leather chairs by the fireplace. Rubbing his forehead, he said, “Scott, would you please fix me a glass of
Scotch, and, Michael, for the last time put that damn gun away!” Michael looked down at his grandfather.
“I’m not putting this thing away until he explains what in the hell he was doing today.”
“He wasn’t doing anything today. Someone else killed Erik.”
“What?” asked a disbelieving Michael. “Someone else killed Senator Olson. Scott and his boys had nothing to do with it.” Coleman handed the eldest O’Rourke a glass of
Scotch on the rocks and took a seat on the couch. “How would you know?” asked a confused Michael. Seamus took a big gulp of the drink and sat back in the chair. “I
know, because I helped Scott plan the first four assassinations.” Feeling his legs weaken, Michael decided to sit down while he still had the control. “You what?”
“I helped Scott plan the first four assassinations.” With a look of exasperation
Michael asked, “Why didn’t you say something at the hospital?”
“In front of all the nurses and doctors?” Seamus frowned. “I told you not to do anything until we had a chance to talk.” Seamus shook his head. “I knew with your damn temper you would demand a showdown with Scott. I called your house to check on you, and Liz told me you left to meet someone. When she got all nervous and flustered I knew you had told her.” Seamus shook his head. “Why in the hell did you do that?”
Michael looked at his grandfather for the first time in his life with real anger. “I don’t think you are in any position to criticize me.
172
I’m not the one who has been running around staging a revolution.”
Seamus’s eyes narrowed. “It wasn’t an easy decision. I decided to’ keep you out of this for your own good.”
“I can’t believe you’re involved in this. Does Tim know?”
“No.”
Seamus shook his head. “No one knows about it with the exception of Scott, two of his men, myself, you, and now Liz.” Michael glanced over at Coleman. “I understand why he’s doing this. If half of my men were blown out of the sky because Senator
Fitzgerald shot his mouth off, I would have probably killed him, too и . . but Seamus …
for God sakes I can’t believe you’re involved in this.” Seamus set his drink down.
“You said you understand why Scott is involved with this-because he lost eight men.
By the time I was done island-hopping around the Pacific, five hundred and thirty-six
Marines had died under my command.
Five hundred and thirty-six men who climbed down cargo nets into little tin cups and then flung themselves onto some little sand strip all in the name of democracy and freedom. I didn’t watch all those men die so I could see idiots like Koslowski, Fitzgerald, Downs, and Basset send this country in the tank.” Seamus leaned forward. “Those men sit in their little ivory towers and play their petty games of partisan politics while people like your parents and Scott’s brother are killed.
While our so-called leaders are spending billions of dollars on weapons systems the military doesn’t even want, while they throw billions of dollars into the department of education that doesn’t educate a single child, while they waste their time debating whether or not we should have prayer in school, people are dying. They are dying because these idiots don’t have the common sense to keep violent criminals behind bars.
And to make things worse we have the proverbial eight-hundred-pound gorilla sitting in the corner-a five- trillion-dollar national debt.
These clowns ran up the tab, and they’re gonna stick my grandchildren with the bill.
It’s wrong, it’s immoral, and somebody had to put a stop to it.”
Michael looked at his grandfather, but said nothing. While the two O’Rourkes were locked in an icy stare, Coleman looked on. He cleared his throat and said, “You two can sort this out later. Right now we have a much
