“Okay guys, listen up,” Harrington said.
Walker listened closely, trying to glean as much information as he could. He knew he could bust from his cable ties, but the two guys opposite would be on him fast. He wouldn’t have time to remove his hood before attacking the man immediately in front, so he would be reliant on how that guy reacted before deciding on a course of action with the second one. Still without seeing, fighting blind. Not a good option.
“Our orders,” Harrington said, “are to hand over these three to another group who have set up security at the computer hub at Ames. In and out. Got that?”
“Why there?” the guy opposite Walker asked.
“That’s above our pay grade,” Harrington replied. “But I assume the General’s got a tech team from Cyber Command holding station there in case the DoD needs to use the computer facilities. It’ll be a safe place for these two—while they work out what to do with Walker.”
“We can’t keep him?” the driver asked. “The son of a bitch killed—”
“For what purpose would we keep him?” Harrington said.
The driver was silent.
“Justice will come,” Harrington said. “The General will know what to do with him.”
“There’s DoD at Ames?” the second guard in the back of the van asked.
“Yes,” Harrington said. He paused, then said, “Team Black is set up there.”
The men in the van fell silent. Walker sensed all kinds of opportunities and dread in that silence.
•
“Damn!” Special Agent Fiona Somerville said. She indicated and started to slow the car, just a few miles out of Dulles where they had a jet waiting to take them back to New York City.
Bill McCorkell looked over his shoulder.
“It’s DC police,” Somerville said. “I’ll flash my badge and we’ll be on our way.”
“You were speeding?”
“A little. Nothing to make any trouble.”
“No, wait,” McCorkell said, looking again out the rear window. It was impossible to make out the markings on the squad car in the dark and with the flashing lights strobing at them, but the uniform he did now see, as the officer started running from his car toward them. “It’s Secret Service, uniform branch.”