FOUR MONTHS LATER
Logan drove west on Route 40. His AA meeting had lasted a little longer than he’d expected. He’d finished his “ninety in ninety”—the newly recovering alcoholic’s goal of attending ninety meetings in ninety days. Old-timers said it built a foundation of sobriety, and Logan knew it to be true. He just hoped his foundation didn’t crumble to pieces this time around. He didn’t think it would. The hunt for the flag had fundamentally changed him, and he’d begun to fill the void that had slowly gnawed away at his soul. But only time would really tell. Which is why it’s only one day at a time, he thought.
He looked at the dashboard clock. It was almost five o’clock. He was going to be late. Sorry, hon.
He was only twenty minutes from Sarah’s house. He’d stopped calling it his place after he returned from Iraq. Something inside him had finally accepted the fact that their life together could no longer exist in its former state.
His relapse, the events that had transpired, the loss of Daly—all of it had forced them to evaluate their lives through a different lens. Their love was strong but shaken. It would take time to rebuild.
And I’m the one responsible, Logan thought.
He shook his head. Blaming himself didn’t help; it only added to the guilt he still struggled with on a daily basis. What did matter was that there was still a chance. Both he and Sarah were committed to it.
Logan reached for his wireless earpiece and inserted it into his right ear, but before he could dial Sarah’s number, his cell phone rang. He wasn’t expecting any phone calls.
He looked down. It was Mike Benson. What could he want?
He hadn’t talked to Mike in two weeks. They were as close as brothers, but it was common to go as long as a month without speaking to him. Cain’s trial wasn’t scheduled to begin for another two months. So it must be something else.
Logan answered the phone, “Mike, what’s up? I’m on my way to meet Sarah at her place for dinner. Just left a meeting in Laurel.”
“You’re in your car?” There was urgency to his question.
That isn’t good. “Yes. I’m in my car. Like I said, I’m on my way to Sarah’s. What’s going on? I can tell something’s wrong.”
“You have satellite radio in that Land Cruiser, don’t you? Turn on CNN or Fox News. It’s on every channel.”
“What is, Mike?”
“There was an explosion outside the district court in DC less than thirty minutes ago. Looks like some kind of VBIED. Multiple casualties.” Logan heard the anger and sadness in Mike’s voice. “It’s bad, Logan.”
“Jesus . . .”
“But here’s the really bad part. Brace yourself for it. Looks like the target was Cain Frost. He’s dead, Logan. We just confirmed it.”
Logan felt temporarily disoriented. He realized his heart was racing. “Hold on a sec, Mike,” he said as he slowed the SUV and pulled off to the side of the road.
Moments later, the Toyota in park, he said, “We always thought he had outside help, but we couldn’t prove it. We knew he managed to warn Juan Black before we got to the compound.”
“I know, Logan. The FBI and the Secret Service did a full investigation, which resulted in nothing. Only the president’s national security advisor and a few others even knew about it.” Mike paused. “It doesn’t matter right now. Let me tell you what does.”
I don’t like the sound of this.
“The president has ordered a task force to investigate who was behind the assassination of one of our country’s most notorious traitors. He’s furious. Like you, Logan, the president wanted Cain to pay publicly for trying to start a war.”
“Good for him, but what does this have to do with me?” Although I think I already know the answer, God help me.
“Well, as you know, my uncle Jake is now the deputy director of the entire FBI, and I have his old job as the assistant director for counterterrorism. As a result, I’m leading the task force.” Mike had been elevated to senior executive and promoted less than a month earlier.
“But I also get to choose who I want on it.”
“Mike, I told you—”
Mike cut him off. “I know what you told me after we got back. You’d testify and then you wanted nothing else to do with it. But guess what? Someone decided to take care of Cain before our courts could, and you know what that means, don’t you?”
Logan did. “It means something else is still going on, and it’s larger than just Cain and his personal army.” HRI had been disabled as a corporation weeks after Cain’s capture, its holdings seized by the government, pending the trial.
The words hung in the air. Finally, Mike said, “Exactly. And there’s something else I need to tell you.”
“I can hardly wait. What is it?”
“I reached out to John first. I figured you’d be more inclined to say ‘yes’ if I had him on board.”
“Smart bastard. What did he say?”
“What I expected. He’s in if you are, which I assume means you’re in if he is, kind of like a catch-22. So you can’t say ‘no.’ ”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I know, but you still love me. Seriously, Logan, I need you both.” Then he asked for confirmation. “So what do you say? Are you in?”
Logan watched the traffic on Route 40 speed by, jealous of the drivers who led normal lives. It amazed him how quickly events could change the course of a single life. Nothing ever turned out the way it should.
How did I come to this? he pondered.
Yet it didn’t matter. What did was that there’d been a major attack on US soil, innocent lives had been lost, and now one of his closest friends was asking him for his help.
Logan suddenly had a vision of Captain Jack Barnett on top of the Haditha Dam, in tactical overwatch at Logan’s recommendation. It’d been the right move at the time, and he’d been right to suggest it. And here was Mike, asking him to do the same thing, in a sense.
“Overwatch,” Logan said.
“Say again, Logan?” Mike asked, obviously not understanding.
“You’re asking us to go into overwatch, except it’s not tactical, it’s strategic—for the entire country,” Logan replied quietly.
A moment of silence engulfed them as Mike processed the analogy.
“That’s a good way of putting it, brother,” Mike finally said. “More importantly, are you in?”
“What do you think, Mike?” Logan said, finally.
“Good. In that case, call Sarah and reschedule dinner. Tell her I’m sorry and drive down to FBI headquarters. Security will be waiting for you.”
“Sounds good. See you shortly.”
Before Logan could hang up, Mike added, “Logan, one more thing, and I mean it. Thank you. I know how hard this is for you after everything that’s happened.”
Logan heard the appreciation in Mike’s voice and understood the strength behind the words that bound them together as friends.
“Always, Mike. It’s what brothers are for. I’ll see you soon.” And somehow, that said it all.