someone in the CIA deciding I needed to die.
His last sentence stated:
I have never failed to fulfill my oath to protect the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I never will. There is no expiration date on that oath. On this day, for the first time, I violate my nondisclosure oath only because I must, as it is in conflict with my higher oath to protect the Constitution and the American people. They can lie about Carla and I; they can hunt us down and kill us, but they can never deter us from our duty to protect the American people. This isn’t over and it won’t be as long as we live.
Carla read his words with sober interest. There was no laughter or glee in her eyes. She looked up, her face solemn. “This will cause fireworks from the White House to the streets of Cairo.” She sat down at the laptop. “I think I’ll add to my list. I should have at least included the Colombia Massacre.”
Raylan had only a vague idea what she was talking about; he didn’t work that part of the world. He opened his money belt and pulled out some cash in preparation to go shopping. “Washington and Langley both are overflowing toilets that need to be flushed. That’s just what I could put down fast. If I had the time, I’d write a thousand pages and send it to every news agency around the world.”
She swallowed grimly. “Now that would be hilarious.”
He pulled a chair from the table to the middle of the tiny dining area. “I need you to do your thing, so I can go buy a few dozen flash drives and some other supplies.”
She headed for the bedroom. “I’ll get my kit.”
Forty-five minutes later, she was finished. “Check it out.”
He went into the bathroom to look in the mirror.
She stood behind him. “What do you think?”
He had a graying beard, crowfeet around his eyes, longer, grayer, hair, and appeared to be around sixty. “Beautiful,” he said.
He left her in the trailer and told her to try and get more sleep while he was gone, because he would need her to drive when they headed north. “I want to be near Langley ASAP.”
She seemed to have something on her mind but just nodded. “Play it safe and get back here in one piece. You wouldn’t want to miss the fun once the fireworks start.”
Chapter 4
Raylan parked in a small parking lot in front of a hardware store, backing into the parking space, so checking the tag number would require a cop to get out of his patrol car. Most cops were not going to do that, considering the chances of this particular Crown Vic being the one they were looking for – if they were looking for it yet – were slim. He had a little walking to do, but it was worth it to avoid parking in front of the discount store he planned to clean out of flash drives. He would probably have to go to another store to buy more, since they seldom had more than a dozen on display.
Forty minutes later, most of it spent walking, he slid behind the wheel and headed for another place to buy more flash drives. That went okay.
The nearest large discount store that would likely have more than a few flash drives on display – he didn’t want to ask an employee if they had more in the back and give cause to be remembered or his disguise closely scrutinized – was on a dangerous side of town, where gangs often shot it out. He had no idea of the crime problem, but it was obviously not the most affluent part of this small community. He found a place to park. It was a fast food restaurant.
He would have to walk several miles, but it was a major artery with plenty of traffic and witnesses to discourage any muggings, at least in open daylight. Several small groups of young thugs loitered on street corners, wearing different colored shirts to signify their particular gang and to warn other gangs away, all sporting baggy pants that hung down six or more inches lower than modesty would dictate. They eyed him and glared with hatred in their eyes,
His last sentence stated:
I have never failed to fulfill my oath to protect the Constitution of the United States of America from all enemies, foreign and domestic, and I never will. There is no expiration date on that oath. On this day, for the first time, I violate my nondisclosure oath only because I must, as it is in conflict with my higher oath to protect the Constitution and the American people. They can lie about Carla and I; they can hunt us down and kill us, but they can never deter us from our duty to protect the American people. This isn’t over and it won’t be as long as we live.
Carla read his words with sober interest. There was no laughter or glee in her eyes. She looked up, her face solemn. “This will cause fireworks from the White House to the streets of Cairo.” She sat down at the laptop. “I think I’ll add to my list. I should have at least included the Colombia Massacre.”
Raylan had only a vague idea what she was talking about; he didn’t work that part of the world. He opened his money belt and pulled out some cash in preparation to go shopping. “Washington and Langley both are overflowing toilets that need to be flushed. That’s just what I could put down fast. If I had the time, I’d write a thousand pages and send it to every news agency around the world.”
She swallowed grimly. “Now that would be hilarious.”
He pulled a chair from the table to the middle of the tiny dining area. “I need you to do your thing, so I can go buy a few dozen flash drives and some other supplies.”
She headed for the bedroom. “I’ll get my kit.”
Forty-five minutes later, she was finished. “Check it out.”
He went into the bathroom to look in the mirror.
She stood behind him. “What do you think?”
He had a graying beard, crowfeet around his eyes, longer, grayer, hair, and appeared to be around sixty. “Beautiful,” he said.
He left her in the trailer and told her to try and get more sleep while he was gone, because he would need her to drive when they headed north. “I want to be near Langley ASAP.”
She seemed to have something on her mind but just nodded. “Play it safe and get back here in one piece. You wouldn’t want to miss the fun once the fireworks start.”
Chapter 4
Raylan parked in a small parking lot in front of a hardware store, backing into the parking space, so checking the tag number would require a cop to get out of his patrol car. Most cops were not going to do that, considering the chances of this particular Crown Vic being the one they were looking for – if they were looking for it yet – were slim. He had a little walking to do, but it was worth it to avoid parking in front of the discount store he planned to clean out of flash drives. He would probably have to go to another store to buy more, since they seldom had more than a dozen on display.
Forty minutes later, most of it spent walking, he slid behind the wheel and headed for another place to buy more flash drives. That went okay.
The nearest large discount store that would likely have more than a few flash drives on display – he didn’t want to ask an employee if they had more in the back and give cause to be remembered or his disguise closely scrutinized – was on a dangerous side of town, where gangs often shot it out. He had no idea of the crime problem, but it was obviously not the most affluent part of this small community. He found a place to park. It was a fast food restaurant.
He would have to walk several miles, but it was a major artery with plenty of traffic and witnesses to discourage any muggings, at least in open daylight. Several small groups of young thugs loitered on street corners, wearing different colored shirts to signify their particular gang and to warn other gangs away, all sporting baggy pants that hung down six or more inches lower than modesty would dictate. They eyed him and glared with hatred in their eyes,
Similar Books
