“I think it meets with Bowie’s approval,” said Don.
“I’m sure it does,” he said, walking around and lowering the tailgate. “But we have a standing agreement that dogs ride in the back when a pretty woman is in the truck.” He met Bowie’s stare and held it. “Don’t we, Bowie?”
Bowie lowered his head, reluctantly hopped down, and walked around to the rear of the truck. He looked up at Mason as if asking him to reconsider.
Mason leaned down and kissed him on the head.
“You like the feel of the wind on your face anyway. Come on, boy, up you go.”
Bowie leaped up and immediately moved to the front of the truck bed to poke his head in through the sliding rear window. Rules or no rules, he wasn’t going to be left out.
Mason came back around and helped Leila to her feet. With his and Don’s assistance, she hopped the final few feet and slid into the passenger seat.
“Comfortable?” asked Mason.
She nodded. “Very, but I do have one question for you.”
“What’s that?”
She reached around and scrubbed under Bowie’s chin.
“Exactly how many women have you had in these trucks of yours?”
Don laughed and patted Mason on the shoulder.
“Marshal, you opened that one all by yourself.”
Chapter 24
Tanner heard the truck a full ten seconds before it appeared at the end of the dirt driveway. It was only a couple of hours past dawn, and the morning still had a sticky wetness to it. He had been hoping to pull in a few fish before the day got too hot, but unexpected visitors could change those plans.
He set the fishing poles down on the porch and picked up his sawed-off shotgun from beside one of the rocking chairs.
Samantha popped her head out through the front door.
“Who is it?”
“Don’t know yet.”
She stepped out to stand beside him with her rifle in hand.
“Should we take cover?”
“Not just yet.”
They watched as a white Ford F-150 slowly wound its way up the drive. It came to a stop in the small gravel lot alongside their motorcycle and the red Hummer. An enormous dog hopped down from the bed of the truck and came around to stand by the driver’s door. The door swung open, and a man stepped out of the cab, wearing jeans and a sport coat. He had thick brown hair and a confident stride. A semi-automatic pistol hung at his side.
Tanner said nothing, but a smile slowly crept over his face.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” said Samantha. “It’s your son, Mason.”
“Yeah,” he said, grinning. “It’s my boy.”
They watched as Mason stepped around and opened the passenger-side door. An attractive dark-haired woman slowly climbed out, leaning on him for support. One pant leg had been cut off at the knee, and her calf was wrapped in a thick white bandage.
Tanner walked slowly down the steps, and Samantha followed. Mason had one arm helping to support the woman, but as they got closer, he reached out with the other hand and patted Tanner on the shoulder.
“I heard you’ve been out causing trouble,” he said with a warm smile.
Tanner immediately stepped forward and hugged them both. The woman started to object, but in the end only sighed, accepting that she was part of an awkward group hug.
After a long moment, Tanner finally let them go.
“Who’s the pretty lady?” he asked, surprised to see that it wasn’t the doctor who had taken the tracker out of Samantha’s arm. From what he had understood, she and Mason had been something of an item.
“I’m Leila,” she said with a smile.
Bowie yawned loudly.
“And that’s my dog, Bowie,” said Mason.
Tanner leaned over and gave the dog a quick pat.
“You know me,” he said. “I’ve always loved dogs.”
“You what?” said Samantha.
“Hush, child,” he said, quickly pulling her forward. “Everyone, this is Samantha.”
She reached out and offered her hand to Mason.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Marshal Raines.”
He shook her hand and smiled.
“Nice to meet you, Samantha.”
She eyed his pistol. “Tanner says you might be the fastest gunfighter in the entire world.”
Mason glanced over at Tanner, who gave only a quick nod.
“I see he’s still carrying elephant guns.”
She furrowed her brow. “That’s a Remington 1100 shotgun, cut off to sixteen inches. It definitely wouldn’t kill an elephant. At least not the one we ran into.”
Mason smiled and shook his head.
“And I also see that he’s started on your education.”
She shrugged. “We teach each other.”
Leila shifted a little, trying to balance on one foot.
“What do you say we get inside?” said Mason. “She shouldn’t be standing any more than necessary.”
“I’ve got an easy fix for that,” said Tanner. Before anyone could object, he stepped forward and scooped her up into his arms. As he turned and started for the cabin, he said, “How’d you get yourself hurt, darlin’?”
“Uh—shot,” was all she could manage.
“Yep, that happens.”
Leila looked back at Mason and made a concerned face.
He smiled and shook his head. She might as well learn right away that there was no one quite like Tanner Raines.
Tanner, Mason, Leila, and Samantha sat in the cabin’s small kitchen, enjoying a dinner of fresh trout and rehydrated vegetables. They talked mostly about their families, sharing stories of happy times and harmless adventures. Having already eaten his fill, Bowie lay beside Mason’s chair, resting his chin on his paws. His eyes slowly closed, only to reopen with each fresh round of laughter.
A loud beeping suddenly sounded from the upstairs loft.
“What’s that?” Samantha said, pushing her chair away from the table.
“Shortwave radio. There must be an important broadcast.”
Mason stood first, and the rest followed as he hurried up to the loft. The emergency tone was followed by a short pause and then a broadcast. The voice was female, but it sounded computer synthesized.
Greetings fellow Americans. Nearly one month ago, it was reported that I, President Rosalyn Glass, was assassinated. I am broadcasting this short announcement to declare that such reports were untrue. An assassination attempt was indeed made on my life by Ms. Yumi Tanaka. However, thanks to the quick response of General Kent Carr, I survived the attack. I did, however, suffer several injuries, including one to my throat. For that reason, I would kindly ask that you overlook the sound of my voice, and instead, focus on the truth of my message.
It is my belief that Lincoln Pike, the man currently serving as President of the United States, was behind the assassination attempt. Furthermore, I have evidence that shows that he and General William Hood were behind the murder of hundreds of US Marshals at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. I am prepared to present this evidence to what remains of our judicial body for their review.
The last few months have been a time of unimaginable suffering for all of us, but if we are to have any hope of rebuilding this nation, we must trust in our lawfully elected leaders. I am that leader. I would ask that this message be shared all across the country so that this foul chapter in our government’s history can be put behind us. I am currently recovering at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. In three days, I will return to resume my post as President of the United States. I cannot predict how Lincoln Pike or General Hood will react to my return. Likely, they will resort to violence or subterfuge. I can only hope that the bravest among you will stand beside me in demanding that order and honesty be restored. God bless our nation. God bless you all.
The emergency tone sounded again, and then the message started to repeat. Mason turned the radio down and looked ar
ound the room. Everyone stood quietly in shock.
“Do you think that was really President Glass?” Leila asked, her face a bit ashen.
“No,” Samantha said quickly. “That wasn’t her. My mom’s dead.” She looked to Tanner. “You told me so.”
“That’s what I’d heard, but—”
“It’s not her,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s a trick. I’m sure of it.”
“That’s certainly possible,” said Mason. “Anyone could have uncovered evidence of their crimes.”
“But if they have evidence, why wouldn’t they just come out with it?” asked Leila.
“I don’t know. Maybe they’re trying to goad Pike into doing something rash, hoping that others will see him for the maniac that he is.”
“Like what? The only thing this might lead to is an assault on Greenbrier.”
He shrugged. “Maybe that’s their end game.”
Leila remained unconvinced. “Couldn’t he simply ignore the message and call their bluff? In three days, President Glass wouldn’t reappear, and it would all be chalked up to a hoax.”
“I suppose he could, but I don’t think Pike would be willing to take that chance. Remember, he knows that what they’re saying about him is true. The part he doesn’t know is whether they have evidence to prove it.” He shook his head. “No, I think he’s going to have to do something about this.”
“Okay,” she said, “let’s assume you’re right. He’ll just send another missile to take care of them, and that’ll be that.”
Tanner spoke up. “It won’t be that easy.”
She turned to him. “Why not?”
“They’ll be in the bunker.”
“What bunker?”
“Greenbrier has an enormous underground bunker built seven hundred feet into the side of a mountain,” explained Mason.
“You’ve been there?”
He looked over at Tanner.
“When I was a teenager.”
Tanner nodded. “Every kid needs to go down into a bunker at least once.”
“Hey,” said Samantha. “You haven’t taken me into a bunker.”
“We went down into the tunnels under D.C., didn’t we?”
“Well, yeah.”
“That’s kind of like a bunker.”
She thought about it a moment.
“Okay, I guess that counts.”
Mason continued. “The Greenbrier bunker can withstand anything short of a direct nuclear blast, and Pike’s not about to authorize something that blatant.” He rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “I think he’ll try to handle this discreetly.”
“The way he did with Lenny,” said Leila.
“Exactly.”
“But whoever broadcasted this must know he’ll send someone after them.”
“Unless they’re fools, they do.”
She nodded but said nothing more.
After the room fell silent, Tanner turned and started back down the winding staircase.
“I’m going down to finish dinner.” He looked back at Samantha. “You coming?”
“Yeah,” she said, stopping at the top of the stairs. “I’m just waiting until you get to the bottom.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure they were built to handle your weight.”
He shook his head, feigning exasperation, and continued trudging down the stairs. She quickly followed, making no effort to cover a mischievous grin.
After they had left, Leila turned to Mason and spoke in a hushed voice.
“What if President Glass really is alive?”
“Unless she has an army protecting her, she won’t be for long.”
“Exactly. Shouldn’t you go and offer your services?”
“What good would that do? I’m only one man.”
“You have your dog, and me, a trained Mossad operative.”
“You want to go and protect a US president? Why?”
She shrugged. “I told you. My government sent me here to get to the bottom of what happened. This is where the path leads. I’m obligated to follow. As I suspect, are you.”
Mason thought about what she was proposing. Pike would almost certainly send the Black Dogs, but this time, there would be more of them, and they would come geared for war. Far more than a few improvised booby traps would be needed to win the day.
“Let me think about it while we finish dinner.”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“Okay, but after dinner, I want to thank you properly for my rescue.” The look in her eyes left no doubt about what she had in mind.
He grinned. “I do like a good thank you.”
Chapter 25
President Pike felt like someone was holding a pillow over his face. He struggled to pull in enough air as he slumped back against his chair. Yumi was in an even worse state. She sat on the floor with her back pressed against the wall, cupping her face with both hands and weeping softly. Over the past twenty-four hours, she had become less and less corporeal, her skin turning a translucent gray. Pike could now see her internal workings, as if she was part of the macabre Body Worlds art exhibit. Veins, bone, and muscle all shined through with perfect clarity, and he was having trouble seeing her as human anymore.
General Hood stood in front of Pike’s desk, holding a portable digital recorder. He clicked it off, making no attempt to hide his concern.
“How?” Pike choked on the words.
“Sir, we don’t know that she’s alive. This could be the work—”
President Pike raised his hands.
“General, please. She’s alive. Let’s not waste time pretending otherwise.”
General Hood nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“She said that General Carr had saved her life. How’s that possible?”
Hood took a deep breath.
“I can only assume that he worked with the president’s personal physician, Dr. Tran, to fake her death.”
“And the doctor? Where is he now?”
“He retired shortly after her ‘death.’ No one has seen him since.”
Pike sighed. “He’s the one who nursed her back to health.”
“It would seem so.”
“But why would they fake her death?”
General Hood shrugged lightly. “The only logical explanation is that they feared you might take the opportunity to have her killed.”
The words seemed to strike deep into Pike’s heart.
“What do they think I am? A monster?”
General Hood said nothing.
“Is her return to office even lawful?”
“It is if she can demonstrate being fit of mind and body.”
“So, that’s it? She can simply step back into office without any consideration of how it harms the country?”
“It is within her legal rights to do so.”
Pike leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
“You know what bothers me most, General?”
“No, sir.”
“It’s the unfairness of it all.”
“Sir?”
Pike opened his eyes and sat forward.
“We worked so hard to get where we are. It doesn’t seem right that someone so weak should take that from us.”
“I agree, but the law—”
“To hell with the law!” he said, slapping his desk.
General Hood stiffened, and even Yumi looked up.
Pike brought his voice back under control.
“What do you think is going to happen when she rides in on her white horse?”
General Hood didn’t hesitate. “We will both lose our positions, our freedom, and perhaps even our lives.”
President Pike took a deep breath.
“And that’s why we’re going to stop her.”
“If we kill her now, people will naturally assume the worst. It’s why she came out publicly the way she did.”
“Would they?” President Pike looked up at Hood with a smug “you don
’t get it” smile.
“Sir, Rosalyn Glass just announced her impending return. At the same time, she called us both out as murderers. It’s a certainty that people will take her death as a confirmation of our guilt. We would never survive the fallout.”
“I think you’re looking at this wrong, General.”
“How so?”
“Have you actually seen Rosalyn Glass?”
“Of course not, but—”
“Who’s to say that she’s actually alive? The voice certainly didn’t sound like hers.”
“But the broadcast explained that the voice was due to her injuries.”
“How very convenient, don’t you think?”
General Hood considered his words.
“You’re suggesting that if she fails to reappear, the whole thing will be discounted as a farce.”
“Wouldn’t it?”
He thought about how it might all play out.
“If no evidence could ever be found of her existence, you might be right. What else could people believe? That the former president has come back from the dead?”
“That’s preposterous. We all know that the dead stay dead.” Pike looked over at Yumi, and for the first time in quite a while, she was looking back at him with a little hope in her eyes.
“We would need to get to her quickly.”
“And quietly.”
General Hood nodded, considering options.
“Would you use the Black Dogs again?” asked Pike.
“They’re well suited for this type of mission.”
“Meaning they would have no qualms about killing her.”
“They would have no qualms about killing anyone.”
“After the men you lost in Lexington, how many of the Black Dogs remain?”
“Forty.”
Pike’s eyes darted from side to side as if running a set of internal calculations.
“Is that enough for what needs to be done?”
“If handled correctly, yes.”
“You have something in mind. What is it?”
“Do you have any more of the Mk-116s?”
“The chemical bombs? Why?”
“The Greenbrier bunker is well fortified. If she has any kind of defense force in place, the fighting would be difficult, not to mention risk drawing the attention of others.”
Battle Lines (The Survivalist Book 5) Page 26
