Read Online The Cyclops Initiative by David Wellington - Free Book Online Page B

at Chapel he was gone, headed back to the elevator that was already waiting for him, its doors open.
    Chapel whirled around, his breath catching in his throat. “You know—­you know what will happen once she’s in custody!”
    Hollingshead just stood there, no expression at all on his face.
    â€œGoddamnit!” Chapel shouted. He grabbed one of the chairs away from its workstation and threw it across the room. In the cavernous space it failed to collide with anything. Instead it just slid across the ugly carpet, its wheels spinning pointlessly in the air.
    FORT MEADE, MD: MARCH 21, 12:27
    â€œThank you,” Hollingshead said to Holman. “You’ve been most helpful.”
    â€œIt’s what we’re here for,” she said. Then a furrow crossed her brow. “Rupert, I am sorry. I didn’t think we would find one of yours behind the hijacking.”
    â€œHow could you have?” the director responded. “One should never be sorry for telling the truth. Now. If you’ll forgive me—­and I hope especially you’ll forgive my rather overwrought agent here—­I think we’ll be going. There’s a great deal I need to do.”
    â€œYes, of course,” Holman said.
    Chapel wanted to scream. He wanted to pick the chair up and start smashing screens. He wanted to do—­something, anything to make this not have happened at all. But in the end, all he could do was take his place behind Hollingshead as they started toward the elevator bank.
    â€œOh, Rupert,” Holman said just before their elevator arrived. “You know I’ll have to contact the secretary of defense about this, right?”
    â€œI’ll call him myself,” Hollingshead told her.
    She started to say something else, but then she seemed to think better of it. Instead she just nodded and watched them go.
    In the elevator neither of them spoke. The silence continued as they made their way through the Visitor Control Center and back out into the parking lot. Wilkes had taken the car, so Hollingshead made a quick call to request transport. While they waited for it to arrive the director fiddled with something in his pocket. Chapel did what he could to contain himself.
    In the end it didn’t work. “She won’t get a trial,” he said, barely whispering.
    â€œI’ll make sure she’s treated fairly,” Hollingshead replied. “It’s out of your hands, son. Let this go.”
    â€œLet it go? Are you kidding me?”
    Hollingshead’s eyes flashed for a moment. “I am not in the habit of doing so.”
    Chapel wouldn’t be warned off. He didn’t even care if the NSA was listening to every word he said. “They’ll take her to Guantánamo. Or someplace worse! They’ll interrogate her, over and over, until she cracks and confesses to something she didn’t do. They’ll make her a scapegoat and no one will care that the real hijacker got away with attacking us, and—­”
    â€œCaptain Chapel,” Hollingshead said, and his voice cracked like thunder. “I’ve given you your orders. Are you questioning my command?”
    Chapel could feel his heart beating in his chest like artillery fire finding its range. Every bit of his training and discipline begged him to shut up, but his head roared with anger. “She’s a hero. She’s saved my life countless times. If you treat her like this—­”
    â€œThat’s enough.” Hollingshead lifted his chin and looked over at a Humvee that was heading toward them—­clearly the transport he’d requested. “Captain, I’m temporarily relieving you from duty.”
    â€œWhat the hell?”
    The director kept his eyes on the approaching vehicle. “Effective immediately. Your behavior today has been inexcusable. Am I understood?”
    Chapel fought for words. “Sir, I’m very sorry about throwing that