Read Online A New World: Conspiracy by John O'Brien - Free Book Online

states.
    With a quick plan set up, Drescoll boards
the two Humvees with his and part of Horace’s team. They need to do
this quickly yet with caution. He doesn’t know if the shooter has a
team for security or not, so they’ll need to proceed cautiously
once they are on foot.
    The idling vehicles are barely heard as
Drescoll folds the map and prepares to move out. The sun’s rays
shining down provide no warmth, its brightness in direct contrast
to how he feels. Tension mounts with the upcoming operation and his
stomach is churning, again wondering if Allie is okay. Drescoll
isn’t really sure if not knowing is a good or bad thing. On one
hand, not knowing gives him hope that she is okay, but on the
other, it leads his mind down a very dark path. He has never been
very good with not knowing things; they weigh heavier on his mind.
His thoughts always tend to wander down the darkest path available.
Climbing into one of the Humvee passenger seats, he looks at the
clouds gathering on the horizon. That is more of how he feels –
that there are dark clouds gathering.
    Taking a long route around the area,
Drescoll is antsy and has a difficult time not telling the driver
to accelerate. Every fiber is pulled tight and he almost orders the
group to the hospital so he can find out about Allie…to protect
her. Of course, if she is with Jack and alive, she will be pissed
beyond belief. He tried to be protective of her once and regretted
that for the next several days. A memory enters of her smiling up
at him, fueling his anxiety.
    The two Humvees travel along a road adjacent
to Capital Lake. The once pristine park surrounding it is now
overgrown. The water is barely visible through the tall weeds as
they make their way along its side and turn. Climbing a steep hill,
they make another turn and begin heading toward the area where Red
Team, Lynn, and the sniper are located.
    Entering the edge of town and a shopping
area, Drescoll has the driver slow to minimize the sound of their
presence. Strip malls line both sides of the street which
eventually lead to the large grounds that encompass the Capital
Mall. Each shop emits a presence of being uninhabited for a long
period of time. Where the glass isn’t outright broken,
grime-covered windows stare mutely at the passage of the small
convoy.
    Drescoll directs them into a Taco Time
parking lot where they disembark. The teams quietly gather their
gear and check each other over. From here, they’ll proceed on foot,
circumventing the building to the south, and begin setting up a
perimeter on the far side. He would normally call, informing the
others of his progress, but decides to maintain radio silence in
case they are being monitored.
    They set their intervals and, with a nod
from Drescoll, they begin. The large team proceeds cautiously up
one of the streets leading around the building circled on the map.
With each step, a feeling of dread comes over Drescoll. He has to
keep himself in check mentally lest he drive the team at a hasty
pace. He gives his head a minute shake to clear it from the
negative thoughts crowding it.
    Not a sound accompanies their trek through
the wide streets as they pass several apartment complexes. Debris
is piled up against the curbs with a fine grit of dirt covering the
roadways and sidewalks. Warmth streams from the sunlit sky and
several birds leave nearby branches at their approach, crossing the
street to perch on other limbs. The very air itself feels
oppressive, but that is only the tension emanating from the team as
they zero in on their prey.
    Drescoll plans their route to ensure they
won’t be spotted from the sniper’s perch, passing several blocks
away from the building itself. He begins leaving teams of two at
some of the cross streets, making sure they are well-covered before
moving on. He has no doubt the shooter will flee at the approach of
the Stryker and plans to set a cordon around the area to catch the
person. Alive if possible, but he briefed