Flash Point (39 page)

‘And what does that have to do with not evacuating hundreds of people in danger from a nearby explosion?' the general cut in angrily.

Saleda visibly swallowed hard, breathed in one, long, deep breath. ‘I was getting to that,
sir.
In addition to that particular set of extenuating circumstances, the UNSUB at the theatre – who we also believe to have been the leader who orchestrated this series of attacks – has implied that he is able to monitor her onsite here, and that should she balk on their plan by, say, alerting citizens around her to the danger and, thus, lowering the potential impact the attack might have, he has access to remote-detonate the bomb on her with no warning.'

General Ted was silent for a moment, then walked past them a few feet as if thinking.

Yeah, General Brute Force. Don't have an answer for that one, do you?

The general turned back around. ‘And how do we know
she
isn't the mastermind and all this isn't some scheme to ensure she stays within full range of victims until she decides to make her move and blow everyone sky high?'

Brilliant profiling work, genius.

‘Our investigation has already confirmed that the other UNSUB, Flint Lewis, is the leader of this organization. If Ms Haynie were the actual leader, why would she attach a bomb to herself that was on a set timer? Suicide bombers detonate their own vests. Ms Haynie here may have taken part in the acts of Black Shadow, but she definitely did not lead it,' Jenna said.

‘And she now realizes she has been misled by Mr Lewis this whole time in an effort to manipulate her into taking part in this, and while she understands this in no way exonerates her from her culpability, she has agreed to cooperate with us to either disarm both bombs or remove hers in such a way that doesn't bring harm to the other lives attached to it,' Saleda finished.

‘Oh, right! Let's not bring harm to the killer
responsible
for the massacres in the name of their so-called “cause”. That would be simply
dreadful
!' the general said, walking a circle around himself, throwing his arms up.

‘Sir, please keep your voice down,' Saleda said, so strong it was more instruction than request. ‘Lewis claims other attacks are already set to take place even without him, but if he dies, so would the only person with information to prevent them.'

Jenna glanced over at Ashlee on the bench, who was craning her neck in their direction, trying to see what was going on. The general's rant must have caught her attention.

Jenna turned her gaze back to General Ted. ‘Even if Flint Lewis wasn't holding future attacks over our heads, and
even
if it was ethical for law enforcement to choose to blow up one citizen over another without due process, I'd think even you would draw the line at sacrificing a pregnant woman and an innocent thirteen-month-old baby girl. I'm pretty sure little Nell Lewis didn't ask for a bowie knife and a ski mask for her first birthday. So, let's just hang tight, supervise, and enjoy the scenery while we let the bomb techs do their jobs.'

The general looked her square in the eye, giving her a smug, condescending smile. ‘Dr Ramey, our national security is at risk. As difficult as it is to make life or death decisions, I'm charged with protecting our
country
. It's why we don't negotiate with terrorists, Doctor. Because if the life of one or two – even one of an infant – can secure hundreds or thousands, I am charged to make that pragmatic call. Now, I am taking control of this matter so that we can end this horrible day with the hundreds in this park intact, including Ms Haynie.'

‘And how, pray tell, do you plan to do
that
?' Jenna asked, unable to keep the bite out of her voice. She couldn't help it. Regardless of how many wars or medals of honor the general could boast, the terrorists groups he had experience with weren't like Black Shadow. These weren't radicalized religious zealots, or nationalists.

‘Black Shadow isn't your everyday, issue-driven terrorist group,' Jenna said. ‘Most issue-driven groups unite because of an intense passion for a single cause like environmental extremists, fanatical animal rights groups, and even militant pro-life advocates. While Black Shadow
did
join together to fight for a shared cause, the reasons they came to be
passionate
about that cause were
far
more personal. The cause they all ended up supporting was only
very
indirectly related to the individual, intimate, and painful reasons they each came to fight for it.'

‘What are you driving at, Dr Ramey?'

‘Despite their different circumstances, every single member in Black Shadow ultimately ended up believing that the lack of intelligence in the government and in society was to blame for whatever in their past had harmed them in ways they would never forget or forgive. But how do you think they made that jump? To be so incensed by it that they were willing to massacre innocent people to take a stand against it required two things: a grieving victim filled with pain and anger, and someone to manipulate them into believing that mass murder was somehow the answer to that pain and anger.'

General Ted threw his arms up again. ‘Well, they're still killers, Dr Ramey! How does this have
anything
to do with how I handle the matter so that everyone here at the memorial today will go home safe and sound – including our female mass murderer over there?'

‘It matters because, right now, Ashlee is cooperating freely, and we're working to keep everyone safe because of that,' Saleda cut in. ‘But emotions are running high, and there are a lot of feelings in play surrounding this issue. You may feel you have the upper hand, but without knowing her mindset, her pathology, her background – let's just say making the right move here is critical.'

‘She may feel betrayed by Flint, may have decided she wants to live after all. But that doesn't necessarily mean she'll want him dead,' Jenna added, a sinking feeling settling over her that she knew what the general's course of action would be.

The general waved off both their words. ‘I wouldn't expect her to. All we have to do is
tell her
the bomb squad has found a way to defuse the bomb attached to her without causing the explosives attached to Flint and his family to detonate. We neutralize the threat, arrest our UNSUB, and we put this one to bed.'

‘You mean we lie to her,' Saleda said sharply.

‘You mean we kill an innocent woman, her unborn child, and her one-year-old?' Jenna spat.

‘And how do you think that'll go over in the press?' Saleda said. ‘“General decides to play a high-stakes variation of Russian Roulette, ends in murder of toddler and her expecting mother.”'

‘I think it'll be more something like how hundreds at the Jefferson Memorial were heroically saved, and with his plan thwarted, the deranged mastermind of the plot went into a rage, killing his wife and daughter before taking his own life. People don't care about the truth.' General Ted laughed. ‘Most of the time, the public doesn't need the truth …
and
it doesn't want it.'

‘I doubt Ashlee would agree …' Jenna's voice trailed as she turned toward the bench where Ashlee had been seated. The bomb techs were several yards away leaned over a large pamphlet unfolded about twelve times until it was flat on the grass, pointing at different sections, deep in discussion.

Jenna turned all the way around, just in case she hadn't gotten far, but there was no sight of her in any direction after a full 360.

‘She's gone!' Saleda shouted next to her. She turned to the bomb techs. ‘The bomb? How long left on the timer?'

The two looked at each other, eyes wide with fear. Then one coughed. ‘Five minutes, ma'am.'

Jenna didn't reply. She started toward the Jefferson Memorial building, where all the protestors stood outside it, championing Ashlee's cause. She yelled over her shoulder but kept moving.

‘That's what I meant about how knowing her background was critical to making the right move. And you've made it all right. Ashlee's brother died in Iraq in a war over WMDs that didn't exist. And if any part of her wondered if the same misinformation, the same backdoor dealing that sent her brother to his death was still going on in the government's leaders now, well … she might not have needed the truth, sir, but by God, you just gave it to her.' Without waiting for the general's reply, she broke into a run.

With only minutes to position herself to take out the maximum number of victims – and thus ensure that after this, plus hearing more attacks were promised, the president would have no choice but to sign the order for martial law – Ashlee would head to where the bulk of the protestors were camped out. The crowd was so thick in all directions, as long as Ashlee stationed herself anywhere in or around the building or the courtyard, her mission would be a success for Black Shadow. Hell, it already was.

Jenna paused for a moment to look around, think. Get her bearings. Every direction she turned, her eyes were met with policemen in full riot gear, faceless masks wielding machine guns made for the sole purpose of war. Everything Black Shadow had wanted – worked for – was in front of Ashlee now. The government was revealing itself as an enemy. Yesterday, people had watched on TV as the Department of Homeland Security shot at innocent bystanders in a mall because of bad intel they had gotten, and today, helicopters overhead were recording segments for their nightly news that would show that these people we had trusted to serve and protect us had now been turned on us to treat us as enemies.

Where are you, Ashlee?

Jenna started meandering through the crowd again, her head whipping back and forth, trying to latch on to something that would give her an idea and fast.
She'd go somewhere significant. All of the choices Black Shadow made
–
their nicknames, the way they passed messages … when presented with a place like this, so steeped in history, Ashlee would go somewhere meaningful for the moment.

Jenna considered the quote inscribed on one of the walls that had given away this location in the first place. The one about Jefferson's belief in the educated. But the light yellow of something feeling off had flashed in, and it felt all wrong. What else had Grey told her was inscribed on the other walls?

The orchid of elitism flashed in as a memory bounded to the forefront of her memory. The southwest wall!

Jenna ran up the steps, pushed through throngs of people with signs and bullhorns, and was rewarded with the chance to squeeze, wind, and shove her way through yet another mob inside the doors. If only she could reach the southwest wall, though, Ashlee would be there. She just knew it. It wasn't because it was one of the most famous, adorned with the iconic passage from the Declaration of Independence beginning, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident …' Ashlee would be there because of what
wasn't
on the wall. The inscription eliminates the right of revolution passage, which allows for the right and even the
duty
of the people of a nation to overthrow a government that is against their interests and well-being. Who'd have thought all those hours of Grey's rambling would pay off?

Suddenly, Jenna stopped cold. Sure enough, there she was. Ashlee, ten feet in front of her, back to her, looking up at the very wall that had brought Jenna straight to her.

Jesus. She had to get Ashlee out of here. Get that bomb either diffused or … somehow make sure that if it went off, it didn't do it where it would take hundreds of people with it.

Jenna veered to the side, hoping she could come from the angle least likely to be noticed by Ashlee until she was within distance to grab her, cuff her. What she'd do with her after that wasn't even on the table yet. One thing at a damned time.

As Jenna crept toward Ashlee, the woman's stillness, her focus on the memorial wall was almost eerie. Just about six more feet …

Ashlee's head turned, eyes flashing. The woman took off out of the nearest doorway, bolting down the steps, shoving people out of her way.

Jenna took the stairs two at a time, giving chase but without drawing her weapon. So many cops on duty here today for the protests. God. Jenna
had
to get to her first. If those cops saw Ashlee, identified her as a threat, and took a shot, that bomb could go off.

As Ashlee dashed across the courtyard, nearing some barricades set up around some of the police car parking set up especially to deal with the protest. If Ashlee hopped those barriers, Jenna might lose her. Too many places to duck or hide. Jenna put on a burst of speed, her lungs searing as she willed her feet to move faster. She waved people out of her way, saying, ‘Please, move, move! Police business!' But it did little to stir the sardines into a frenzy, and the groups of people seemed to get slower as though she were some interesting live show.

Ashlee now straddled one of the cement barricades, almost over. How much time could possibly be left on that bomb's timer? Even though Ashlee was running away, she was still
far
too close. So many would be hurt or killed. And as she ran, Jenna was all too aware she might be one of them. At this point, running toward Ashlee was as much to save others as it was her only chance to save herself. She likely didn't have time to get out of the range of the explosion, so stopping it was the only shot.

I'll never make it to her in time.

As Ashlee went to swing her remaining leg over the barrier into the makeshift parking area, instead of simply hopping down on the other side, something caught her foot on the way over. She stumbled, then, when she thought she'd recovered and tried to take one more step, she yelped, tripping and thudding to the ground.

Jenna scaled the barricade and eased down to the other side, eyes peeled for whatever had tripped Ashlee up.
Ah. Traffic cone. Get you every time.