Reign of Fire

by Casi McLean

  A flush of heat warmed Emily’s cheeks. Geez, was it that obvious she had a thing for Ash? Wyatt had always been able to tell when a new high school infatuation sparked Emily’s interest, but that was years ago. Hopefully her emotions had matured since then. She peered quickly at Ash then back to her brother. He said mutual…Wyatt noticed both she and Ash displayed an attraction to each other. The thought of Ash and her as an official couple sent a brigade of ants prickling down her back and she quivered.

  “You okay with this?” Ash whispered, draping an arm around her shoulders.

  Her eyes met his and she nodded.

  “Chill, Wyatt. Situations like this often bring people together.” Harper smiled. “I seem to recall a certain––”

  He held up a splayed hand. “Not another word. Point taken.” He turned and marched toward the river. “I want to get a good look at the crime scene. Emily can help me. Why don’t you and Ash go back inside and give the house one more look? Ash has fresh eyes and may spot something we missed.”

  Harper nodded and walked toward the back porch with Ash.

  Noticing her brother’s deliberate steps, Emily ran to catch up to him then grabbed his arm. “Are you okay tromping over this crap? I know you want to see the crime scene for yourself, but the ground is so rocky here and I––.”

  “Damn it, Emily. I’m not an invalid. I trod over far worse terrain in Afghanistan.” He inched closer to the edge of the cliff then scaled forward, using his hands in an awkward crawl.

  “Sorry. I know you’re perfectly able, and stubborn as hell, but I just lost Alyssa and I can’t––“

  “We just lost Lyssa. Trust me. I’m fully aware of my abilities and limitations.” He glared. “I’m fine, Em. Just a few more steps.” When he reached the edge of a boulder shelf overlooking the water far below, he gazed over the ledge and stared at the jagged rocks protruding beyond the shoreline.

  “Wyatt. You’re making me nervous. Please step away from the edge before you fall.” A knot cinched Emily’s stomach, shooting a surge of adrenaline into her limbs as she envisioned him falling to his death like Alyssa. She held out her hand to grab his. “Here, let me help you.” Grabbing hold of a random branch, she slid down the rocky cliff to the ledge.

  “Did I ever mention you sounded like Mom?” Stretching forward, Wyatt’s foothold slipped, shooting pebbles toppling down to the water.

  “Wyatt…” Emily shrieked at the top of her lungs.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Ash heard her scream, he dropped everything and bolted out the rear door that led to the river. Harper followed close behind. “Emily.” His shriek echoed against the rocky canyon beyond as he darted toward the Potomac. Seeing Wyatt peering downward into the gulch, he let out a guttural moan. “Oh God, noooo.”

  Wyatt spun and glowered at the source of the yelp. “Stop barking. You could cause her to lose her balance.”

  Confused, Ash glanced at Harper then back to Wyatt before edging closer to the ledge. “For God’s sake, Emily. What the hell are you doing down there?” He raked his fingers through his hair. Still shaken, his stomach twisted. If anything hurt her––the image of Alyssa floating face down in the river jolted his thoughts. He drew the target on Emily’s back, but only now, hearing her scream, did the reality of using her for bait sink in, and the vision scared the shit out of him.

  “Help me up.” She stepped on a jutting rock then hoisted her body, her hand reaching to grab Ash’s extended hand.

  He gripped her wrist with a vise-hold and yanked her upward into his arms. Without considering the circumstances, he squeezed her into a thankful embrace. “Damn it. What were you thinking?” Finally releasing his arms, he drew her back and stared.

  A satisfied grin stretched across her face as she reached into her back pocket and drew out a cell phone.

  Ash rolled his eyes. “You climbed down the edge of a cliff because you dropped your damn phone? Are you crazy? You could have fallen and––”

  “Ash, I’m fine. If you stop blathering, I’ll explain.”

  He pinched his brows, glancing first at Harper then to Wyatt, who now wore a grin similar to Emily’s. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Fiddling with the device, she tried to access the screen with no success. “Ugh. Figures. No matter.” Her gaze shifted to Harper and Ash. “I screamed because I saw this.” Again, she displayed the cell, wiggling the phone back and forth in her hand.

  Relief flushed Ash’s cheeks with a warm burst as he realized Emily purposely scaled down to the ledge. “Okay, I get you wanted to retrieve the phone, but you could have called me to help. Climbing down there like that…you could have slipped and fallen into the river. A fall like that could kill” ––he halted his rant as her explanation broke through his lingering distress––“I’ll be damned.”

  Emily’s eyes sparkled. “Bingo…this iPhone belongs to Alyssa…or did. I bought her this silver bling case last Christmas, and if the phone will take a charge, we might get some answers. Alyssa’s phone could validate––or dispel––Steel’s story. Perhaps he startled her, and she dropped the phone. Or maybe she was already down there trying to retrieve the device…what if he was helping her instead of pushing her…and she slipped then fell against the rocks into the river?”

  Ash rubbed his chin. “I told Quint I didn’t believe the Aqueduct was the murder scene.” He scratched his head. “Wait a minute. Am I having déja vu? I’ve heard this explanation before.”

  “Oh my gosh.” Emily clasped his arm. “You’re right. As we left for the hospital, I made up a possible scenario about Alyssa’s fall in case someone asked.” Her eyes widened. “I bet when Harper interrogates Steel, he’ll reconfirm he didn’t murder Alyssa. Steel’s story rang of panic and desperation, and I’m leaning more toward believing him.”

  Wyatt shook his head. “So, the story you created about Alyssa surprises you why?” He turned to Harper. “Did I mention my sister’s unique psychic gift?”

  “No. But I must say I’m intrigued.”

  “It’s not like that. I mean I do get feelings or envision situations but it’s more like intuition or a sixth sense than a true psychic ability.” Emily shrugged. “But I’ve felt Alyssa’s presence with me since before Wyatt and I learned about her death. I think she projected those thoughts to mingle with mine. Either way, I sense Steel wasn’t lying. He didn’t push Alyssa off the cliff. She must have fallen.”

  Harper raised an eyebrow. “Since Emily admitted to an unusual talent, I think it’s my turn to confess.” Her gaze centered on Ash. “Despite my unprecedented ability to keep an open mind, I know you’re wondering why I so easily accepted your wild idea regarding the existence of The Association. The truth is, I’ve been investigating the premise for a few years now.” She paused as if to let her statement sink in. “My research turned up a great deal of evidence supporting the premise involving the upper administration of the State Department, the Justice Department and some indication the NSA might be involved too. You two confirmed the FBI’s participation as well.”

  “Oh my God, Harper. So, you know the Deep State exists.” Emily gasped and turned toward Wyatt. “Did you know anything about this?”

  “A little. When I was in Afghanistan, Harper and I stumbled upon an agreement involving a shitload of money changing hands between high-ranking US officials and some shady global titans. After my accident she continued the probe alone and it would appear with a good bit of success.” He shifted his weight. “That’s why I was so adamant you and Lyssa believed me about the Deep State. With Alyssa’s unwavering resolve to pursue a career in politics, and you so determined to be an investigative reporter, I just wanted to seed the possibility in hopes of protecting you two…a lot of good that did.”

  Emily grabbed his hand. “Don’t even think that, Wyatt. You couldn’t have expected this in your wildest dreams.” Her gaze lowered before shifting to Harper. “You never suspected the FBI?”

&nb
sp; She shook her head. “I didn’t give the bureau a free pass. So far, every branch of the government I investigated has sleeper cells in place, but Mathis and the FBI never came up on my radar. I’m not surprised, though. Something big is on the horizon. The problem is I trust so few individuals to assist in furthering the investigation and, at this point, key officials cover the trail of bad actors. The media is fed propaganda, validating and praising The Association’s political hacks who initiate and propagate bills to enact the transition of power out of the hands of the American people right under their noses.”

  Ash’s silence at Harper’s admission finally broke. “You mean The Association, i.e. the Deep State, bought and paid for specific individuals within the Judicial Branch of the government and possibly in National Security positions as well?”

  “No, Ash. I mean the Deep State controls the Judicial Branch, the FBI, and possibly the NSA. They manipulate enough of the Senate and House to sway votes, and they feed the media with spun news who in turn release their knowledge to an unsuspecting public––the Deep State creates whatever they want the masses to believe.”

  “All of this is happening right under our noses. But what I can’t understand is why?” Emily scowled.

  “Money…power…control.” Ash shrugged. “That’s why most crimes are committed.” The notion swarmed like icy thorns prickling down his arms. “So, how can we expose them?”

  “We can’t expose the entire Deep State. The group is enormous, and every cell protects the others…like bees protect their hive.” Emily fiddled with the edge of Alyssa’s phone. “But we can focus on one faction at a time, especially when they don’t know anyone suspects them.”

  “Starting with Benedict Mathis.” Ash flattened his lips. “Don’t forget we have a secret weapon…Gunny Steel.”

  “And Alyssa.” Again, Emily held up her sister’s phone.

  This time at the mention of Alyssa, a sudden cool breeze swept across the group, causing them to glance at each other as if acknowledging an unearthly presence. Ash raised his eyebrows. “And Alyssa.”

  Harper locked a stare with Wyatt. When he nodded, she turned to Emily and Ash. “You two don’t quite understand the gravity of this situation. The cells have been in place for years, building power. What Wyatt and I uncovered is the shadow government endowed by foreign elites has initiated a plan to overthrow America.”

  The color drained from Emily’s face.

  Squinting, Ash shot a look at Harper. “You mean they want to influence the decisions of leaders in our government?”

  She shook her head. “No, Ash. If what we have uncovered so far is accurate, and this shadow government manages to place an operative elected to the office of President of the United States, The Association will become our government.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Gazing at the panorama, Ash reveled in the history etched into the iconic walls Harper now revealed. “I had no idea this place existed.”

  Hidden from the world, a secret compound nestled into a small island off the Virginia shoreline of the Potomac River, once protected the meetings of an elite group of patriots called the Masons. Decades ago, the government dismantled abandoned dwellings and landscaped the island with several trails running around and through a natural panorama, creating a tourist attraction honoring one American president. But during that makeover, a handful of Masons masterminded the creation of a clandestine underground bunker intended as an epicenter for their organization and, unbeknownst to the world, that complex now slept beneath the park known as The Theodore Roosevelt Island Memorial Park.

  Every day, tourists fill the parking lots then traverse the bridge to the island, a fifteen-minute walk connecting Virginia hiking trails to the preserve and memorial statue. No one would suspect the attraction a cover for a secret hold under the park, and even if someone did, the secluded foliage-covered entrance would challenge anyone to find the entry without knowledge of its exact location.

  Accessed by only a select few, Ash felt privileged Harper added their small coalition to a short list of people aware of the compound’s existence. When they passed through the gateway, he noted a lighted stairway leading downward, which opened to a grid of clandestine tunnels, reaching like fingers beneath the surface of the murky Potomac River.

  Only a short walk from the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Rosslyn Metro Station, the bunker now contained high-tech security and impenetrable soundproofing, an ideal setting for a sensitive compartmented information facility known in the industry as a SCIF. Auspiciously for Harper, the clandestine tunnels also provided the perfect hiding place for a certain Marine Gunny whose story just might be a key to take down the kingpin of the Deep State faction. Rarely did a government vehicle park in the tourist lot, but this morning, on her way to the airport, Harper had precious cargo in need of a quick safe house where she could secure the subject under lock and key, while she recruited the core group who would occupy the compound as headquarters for the new democracy. Here stealth investigations could be conducted under the radar by a secret team to take down the factions whose intentions focused on the destruction of democracy in exchange for a corrupt world power.

  With his forefinger, Ash pinched a nail into his palm to confirm he was awake. He strode in awe of the breadth and depth of the ancient passageways. “How did you ever come across these tunnels in the first place?”

  A deep smile washed over Harper’s entire face.

  Ash could almost see a glowing sense of pride radiating.

  She paused and leaned against the cold, stone wall. “My great-grandfather’s grandfather was a Mason. For more than a century, this eighty-eight-acre key was called Mason’s Island. It overlooked the colonial port of Georgetown just across the river. Did you know twenty-one signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons?”

  “Historically they focused on freedom, free enterprise, and limited government.” Emily added. “So, referring to the Deep State as Masonic is inaccurate.”

  Harper nodded. “Yes. Masons influenced America’s Revolutionary War, believing in a government of, by, and for the people over monarchy or governmental control.” She drew in a long breath and glanced around. “I used to get chills every time I came down here, envisioning our forefathers walking these tunnels. I find it somehow satisfying that this be our home base to defend America’s democracy. Don’t you?”

  “The place reeks of history all right.” Wyatt touched the wall then shifted his gaze to the iron doors beyond. “I assume you locked Steel in one of these strongholds. Did he give up any pertinent information during your drive here?”

  “A little.” Harper hooked a thumb toward the first door on the right and motioned for them to follow her. “He’s definitely desperate. He told me an unidentifiable operative had him by the nads. If he didn’t play ball with The Association, they’d kill his family. I ran a check on his wife and child. No one has seen them in days.”

  “How about Alyssa?” Emily dropped her hair from a ponytail, allowing swirls of chocolate locks to caress her shoulders then stretched the band around her wrist. “Did he say what The Association thought my sister stole?”

  Halting, Harper leaned against the wall and faced them. “Not exactly. They gave him the basics he needed to enact a tail, where Alyssa worked and lived, and said as an Intern, she held a low-profile position, and as such they thought she came across their property by accident. For several nights Steel followed her, taking the Silver Line to McLean. Once he established her routine, he left a car in the subway parking lot so he could tail her to her home the following evening. He confirmed the extortionist’s theory. Alyssa likely had no idea she possessed their property.” Harper pushed off the wall. “He’ll talk. With his family at risk, he has no choice.”

  They strode in silence down a long, dimly lit corridor until they reached a rusted iron door. Harper unlatched the lock and the heavy barrier creaked open.

  Cold, steel walls, devoid of color, encircled an a
lmost empty room. A metal table pushed into a corner and one chair with an iron loop affixed to the stone floor comprised the cell now holding Gunnery Sergeant Logan Steel.

  “Thank God. I thought you left me here to rot in my own hell.” Steel sat on a metal chair in the center of the room, his hands cuffed behind his back and tied to the metal loop protruding from the floor. “Please, if I don’t communicate with him by 2:00 p.m. my wife and kid die. You’ve got to help me. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

  Acknowledging desperation might have led Steel to Alyssa’s home, Ash still wasn’t convinced of the man’s innocence. The facts didn’t lie. Seeing Steel holding a loaded syringe over Emily in the dark of night still lingered in Ash’s mind. Until he could piece together the odd puzzle fragments, he’d remain skeptical. He watched Steel’s body language and the tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Why should we believe a word you say?”

  “Detective, I don’t remember my accident or any details of the night. Please, humor me. Let Logan talk. Maybe he’ll jolt my memory.”

  Emily’s tone would have completely convinced him had Ash not recognized her good cop––bad cop set up. His own questions made compliance easy to implement. “Fine. You heard the lady, Steel.”

  “Like I told the Director, Ms. Rose went home…after a few minutes, phone in hand, she wandered outside behind the house to the river’s edge and stared across the water like something bothered her. I moved closer so I could hear her conversation if she made a call. Maybe she heard my foot crunch on the pine straw as I approached cuz she spun then lost her balance. Her phone flew from her hand, and she lunged forward to catch the device. That’s when she slipped. I ran to help…held out my hand and tried to grab her wrist. I swear I didn’t think twice about that.” His gaze darted between Emily and Ash. “She reached up…even jumped a few times. Then, she tried to climb up to grasp my hand. But it was no use…I told her I had rope in my car, and I’d be right back to help her climb out.” He stared at Emily. “You’ve got to remember that. I wanted to help you.” Steel lowered his gaze. “But when I returned…I’ll never forget the site of your body floating down the river, flopping against the rocks like a ragdoll.”