Arctic Fire (44 page)

The explosion was felt as far away as Washington, DC.

“I can’t get through to him,” Jack muttered as he looked over at Troy. They were standing on the bridge of the
Arctic Fire
and Jack was using the ship’s phone. “He must be asleep. It’s late on the East Coast.”

“Try him again.”

“You sure Dad’s on our side?”

Jack had explained to Troy about the white van on Broadway, how the thing had almost run him down right after he’d left Bill’s
office that day. How it seemed like too much of a coincidence. But Troy had dismissed any notion that his father would be behind anything like that. He’d explained that Bill was a Red Cell Seven associate, but that he wasn’t so fanatical that he’d try to kill his own stepson.

“You sure he’s going to want to stop this assassination?”

“Dad would do anything to stop the president of the United States from being assassinated,” Troy answered firmly. “He may not agree with Dorn’s politics, or even like the guy, but he’d never want him dead.” Troy hesitated. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, OK, Jack?”

“OK.”

“You don’t know Dad like I do.”

Jack couldn’t argue with that. “Tell me who else to call,” he urged. “We can’t wait any longer.”

“I don’t trust anyone else,” Troy replied. “Who knows how deep the conspiracy goes?”

“Well, we know if we don’t call someone, President Dorn’s going to be shot.” Jack gazed at Troy intently. “What the hell are we supposed to do? You got through to Naval Ops in Norfolk and told them about the
Pegasus
. They listened to you.”

“That’s black and white,” Troy explained. “Norfolk Naval Ops has to put planes in the air as soon as they get a call like that from someone like me. They can’t ignore it. It’s standard procedure. And if there’s an LNG tanker out in the Atlantic where it isn’t supposed to be, they board it or blow it up. It’s as simple as that.” He shook his head. “But if we call the wrong person about President Dorn being assassinated, the message might not get through to people who can do something about it. And by calling without knowing exactly what’s going on, without knowing exactly who we’re talking to, we could give people inside the conspiracy a heads-up that we know about it. And, again, we’ll have people after us we don’t
want to have after us. They might not be as deadly as Maddux, but it still won’t be a situation we want to deal with.”

Jack stared at Troy for a few moments longer. Then he grabbed the bridge phone and dialed Bill’s number again.

Stein’s cell phone began to vibrate just as President Dorn began his speech. The street in front of the stage was mobbed, and people were hanging out of windows and off trees just to get a glimpse of David Dorn. It was just seven o’clock in the morning, but the people of Los Angeles had turned out en masse to see their president.

Stein pulled his phone out of his suit pocket and read the first few words of the urgent text message from Bill Jensen. Just as Dorn’s deep voice began reverberating through the huge speakers on both sides of the wide stage.

Stein didn’t bother finishing the message. He threw the phone down, jumped out of his seat on the left side of the stage, and sprinted for the president.

Ryan O’Hara took a deep breath as he stared through the telescopic sight that was mounted atop his favorite rifle—an Accuracy International L96 he’d owned for a while. He never missed with this weapon.

He exhaled half the breath he’d just taken as he caressed the trigger gently with his finger. President Dorn had just started his speech.

It wouldn’t go on for much longer. O’Hara had a perfect shot at the president’s chest from here, from just under two hundred yards away. The leader of the free world was about to die. This was one of the easiest shots he could have.

As O’Hara squeezed the trigger, he was aware of someone running toward the president in his peripheral vision.

Stein didn’t hear the explosion of the bullet being fired, but he felt it rip through his chest just as he reached the dais and threw himself in front of Dorn. As he lay sprawled on the stage floor, he began to taste blood and a terrible sadness overwhelmed him. He wasn’t sad about his own death. He was sad that David Dorn was lying beside him. The bullet must have passed through him and into the president—or the shooter had fired again. Either way, Dorn had been hit too.

As his eyes shut for the last time, a small smile still tugged at his lips. He hated Dorn, but he’d still tried to save the president’s life. He was a true patriot. They would write good things about him in the history books.

J
ACK AND
Karen sat side by side on a wooden bench outside the Anchorage hospital. It had turned very cold this afternoon, but they were wrapped up in warm down jackets. And they were enjoying the crystal-clear night sky that was full of glittering stars.

“You sure you’re all right?” Jack asked. It had been more than twenty-four hours since he’d rescued her, and they’d snuck out of the hospital a few minutes ago, after visiting hours were over. “I don’t want you to overdo it, OK?”

“My leg’s a little sore. But I’m fine.”

“Yeah, you’re fine. Remember, I get that one.”

“OK, it’s a lot sore.” She slipped her arm into his and rested her head on his shoulder as they sat on the bench. “But I don’t want to go back inside yet. I don’t want you to leave. I’m not over being taken away from you like I was yesterday. I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again.”

Jack turned his head and gazed straight into her eyes as she picked her head up off his shoulder. She was one tough person…and one incredibly beautiful woman. “Look, I don’t know if this is the right time to tell you, but—”

“I know,” she interrupted him. “Troy told me. Charlie’s definitely dead. Shane Maddux made that very clear.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that,” he said gently.

She reached out and touched Jack’s face. “I’ll always love Charlie,” she murmured.

“I know you will.”

“But I’m looking forward to us. I feel like I know you pretty well already, but I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. I think you’re incredible, Jack. I can’t wait to spend lots of time with you.”

He gazed into her eyes for several moments more. Then he leaned forward to kiss her. But just as their lips were about to touch, she pulled back quickly. He frowned at her good-naturedly. “Hey, what the—”

“Look at that,” she said excitedly, pointing up at the vivid greens and yellows that were dancing across the sky above them magnificently in dazzling waves. “It’s the northern lights. It’s arctic fire.”