Midnight Sun (119 page)

“
That
makes
no
sense
.
”
Mike
shook
his
head,
a
look
of
disbelief
on
his
face.
“
Speak
slower?
Are
you
serious?
That's
like
shouting
so
a
deaf
person
can
hear
you.
”

“
Yeah,
I
know,
but
there's
nothing
I
can
do.
The
p
resident's
personal
security
chief
insists
we
keep
the
jammer
on
.
By
the
way,
the
city
is
giving
away
free
breakfast
burritos
over
by
the
rose
garden
. A
nyone
hungry?
”

“
Damn
right
I
’
m
hungry,
”
Tonia
said
.
“
Let
’
s
go
,
big
guy.
”

“
You
guys?
”
Tony
motioned
to
Mike
and
Hilde.

“
You
two
go
ahead,
”
Hilde
said,
then
mumbled,
“
W
e
’
ll
grab
something
later.
”

The
couple
moved
toward
the
food
stand
on
the
far
end
of
the
park.
Tonia
stopped
even
trying
to
look
like
the
hard
S
ecret
S
ervice
agent
and
morphed
into
a
thirty
-
five
-
year
-
old
love
-
struck
teenager
as
she
walked
beside
Tomer.

“
This
is
insanity,
”
Mike
said.
“
What
if
this doesn’t involve
a
bomb
or
radio
waves?
”

“
I'm
a
technology
person,
”
Hilde
replied,
“
and
I
hate
it
when
people
rely
on
technology
to
do
the
detailed
work.
”

Mike
pointed
across
the
field
to
the
corner
of
9th
and
L.
 
Marcus
moved
past
a
group
of
police
officers.
Hilde
had
gotten
security
badges
for
both
him
and
Lonnie
so
they
could
move
freely
prior
to
the
crowd
’
s
arrival.
 
Mike
waved
his
arm
,
and
Marcus
jogged
the
distance
toward
them.

“
Morning,
”
Mike
said
.
“
H
ow
’
s
Lonnie?
”

“
Grumpy,
”
Marcus
replied.
“
She
didn
’
t
want
to
stay
behind.
She
was
coming
this
way
,
but
her
back
was
hurting
so
bad
,
I
convinced
her
to
take
a
spot
in
the
hotel
across
the
street.
”

Marcus
pointed
to
the
Hawthorne
Suites
Hotel
across
9th.

“
There
’
s
a
sitting
room
in
the
second
story
on
the
corner
looking
over
the
park
and
the
mountains.
She
’
s
my
overwatch.
If
she
sees
anything
,
she
’ll
call
my
cell
phone
’
s
two
-
way
radio.
”

“
Good.
I
’
d
hate
for
her
to
be
down
here
if
a
mess
starts,
”
Hilde
said,
“
but
her
cell
phone
may
not
work.
They're
running
a
jammer
that
covers
all
but
the
area
around
the
stage.
”

“
Do
your
radios
at
least
work?
”
Marcus
asked.