Read Online Blowback by Brad Thor - Free Book Online Page B

A million and one fatwas have been issued against you, and every Muslim country on the planet wants to see you stand trial under Islamic law.”
    “So?”
    “So they’re not the only ones who want your head on a stake.”
    “Who else does?”
    “Senator Carmichael.”
    “ Carmichael?” scoffed Harvath. “I’m not going to have anything to do with that woman.”
    “You don’t get a say in the matter.”
    “The hell I don’t.”
    “Scot, I warned you about your language-”
    “Chuck, give me a fucking break here, would you? We’re talking about my career. If you release my name and face to the public, not only will I never work again, I’ll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. You said it yourself-a million and one fatwas have been issued against me. Every radical Muslim on the planet will be looking to book the perfect corner table in Paradise by taking me out.”
    Anderson leaned forward over his desk and looked at Harvath. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. This isn’t about you or your career. This is about the president, and I’m not about to see him go down in flames trying to cover for you-not with the election around the corner.”
    “So you’re just giving me up?” replied Harvath in disbelief.
    “We’re not giving you up.”
    “What the hell would you call it then? Carmichael has nothing at this point. From what I’ve heard, the Iraqis rolled up that al-Jazeera crew before they could get a shot of my face. All they’ve got is the back of my head. Seems to me that’d be pretty hard for the senator to build a case on.”
    “Do you think we’d be having this conversation if all Carmichael had was the back of your head? She’s got you dead to right as the person doing the takedown.”
    “How? How could she possibly have me?”
    “She’s been talking to a lot of people.”
    Harvath’s temper was starting to get the better of him. “People like who?”
    “Like everybody. She’s on the Intelligence Committee, for Christ’s sake. She has contacts all over the community.”
    “Just because she’s connected doesn’t mean she’s figured out I’m the guy in that footage.”
    “She has.”
    “How do you know?”
    Anderson took a deep breath and tried to calm everything down. “I got a call this morning.”
    “ Carmichael called you?”
    “No, someone else did. It was an old contact of mine-someone who’s in a position to hear things. He told me Carmichael has been asking a lot of questions about you.”
    “What kind of questions?”
    “She wanted to know about your time at the White House, why you left the Secret Service, and what you’ve been doing over at DHS. She even asked what the Apex Project was.”
    This last revelation was too stunning for Harvath to even believe. The Apex Project was the code name for everything he did at the Department of Homeland Security. Only a handful of people even knew of its existence. Its secret budget was buried so deep and drawn from so many places it was supposed to be untraceable. How the hell had Senator Carmichael gotten her hands on it, or on any of this information? Harvath wondered. Somewhere they had a leak-a human leak who needed to be plugged, literally.
    “Don’t you see what she’s trying to do?” continued Anderson. “She wants to burn the president, and she’s going to start the fire by torching you with the biggest flamethrower she can get her hands on.”
    “Maybe she’s just trying to see what she can smoke out.”
    “Come on, Scot. Face facts here. Out of all the people in this town she could possibly name, she names you? You’ve been made.”
    Harvath wasn’t ready to give in so easily. “Chuck, until we’re absolutely certain, I don’t think we should-”
    “We are absolutely certain,” responded the chief of staff, cutting Harvath short. “Your subpoena is going to be ready by three o’clock. She’s already made some vague statements to the press this morning that something big