Blood Vengeance

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Drake sat back as Vice President Dolan appeared on videophone, linked to a large monitor. They had been cooling their heels and recuperating for a while whilst the Americans got their communications running smoothly alongside their current chain of command. Drake and Dahl had confirmed that all living members and families of the SPEAR team were safe, for now, but that Kovalenko’s Blood Vendetta was still up and running on all of them. Hayden was slightly more comfortable in hospital.

Alicia had contacted Drake some time ago, almost speechless and seething with anger. She had told him she was about to jump on a plane bound for DC, and Drake had known it would be pointless to argue with her. Instead, he had offered all he could at the time. “See you soon.”

Still reeling from the deaths of Ben and his parents, from Sam and Jo, still stunned by the murder of Mano’s mother and Gates and Romero, and now most of the biker gang, he was finding it hard to string together a full sentence let alone more words of consolation. What he needed — what they all needed — was to string Kovalenko from the highest building.

Vice President Dolan interrupted his despondent ruminations. “Gentlemen, give me scenarios and probable outcomes.”

The strategists spoke up. The men of action followed. The Secretary of the Army, Navy and Air Force all had their say, along with their seconds. The Director of the FBI was present in Conference Room 1B. The Joint Chiefs and cabinet members were available on monitors. As Drake listened and constantly scanned his surroundings, he soon realized that this innocuous little room inside this hotel was actually one of the many secret crisis centers the United States government had set up throughout the country after the events of 9/11; a secure environment where all local or visiting VIPs could be taken to liaise with other VIPs anywhere in the country in times of emergency.

The overriding consensus was that something had to be done and done soon, through an offensive against the Hotel Dillion. The same blueprints that had previously been handed out were revealed again, signaling the start of a tactical discussion.

“Kovalenko may have the capability to upload anything to the public, at any time,” one of the cabinet members pointed out. “We can’t let the President go out that way. The eyes of the world,” he said. “Are watching.”

“Can’t we kill the area’s immediate broadcast capabilities?” Someone asked from the assembled agents.

“We can,” was the answer. “But it’s risky. We’d have a potential blowback against ourselves and we can’t be sure he hasn’t already gotten something out.”

The Commandant of the Marine Corps agreed, “And folks, don’t forget the eyes of our enemies are also watching. We simply cannot look inadequate here today.”

“A man who escapes a secret prison, kills the Secretary of Defense and then abducts the President, in my opinion, has a long-term plan,” the Vice President said. “Which we must bear in mind.”

“The city is as secure as it’s ever going to be,” the FBI Director said. “More forces are being drafted in.”

Drake held up his hand and, when noticed, was acknowledged by the VP. “Yes?”

“Matt Drake, of SPEAR, sir,” he said, for the benefit of those who didn’t know. “Dmitry Kovalenko is obsessed with what he calls his Blood Vendetta,” he pointed out. “It’s something we can use to catch the man, if we can just get a step ahead.”

“Good. Work on that. Your team is still active?”

Drake had no time to wonder if Dolan’s meaning was twofold. “Yes, sir.”

Dolan switched to another question. Drake sat back down and leaned toward Dahl. “What did that mean?”

Dahl stared ahead. “I don’t think he liked you.”

“With Gates gone,” Drake ignored the glib comment, “We have no leader. To paraphrase Jonathan, ‘the sharks will already be circling’.”

Dahl nodded. “I know. Have you noticed that General Stone — Jonathan’s harshest critic — is conspicuously absent? So we’ll make sure we stay useful and join the strike team,” he said. “Truthfully, it’s where we should be. In the front line.”

Drake sipped from his bottle. “I hate to say it, but you’re right. I’d much rather be helping Hayden and the others right now—”

“They’re safe. In the military hospital, right?”

“Aye. That they are, we hope. And Kovalenko’s right here, across the street.”

Dahl cast his eye across the rows. “See if you can figure out who’s in charge.” His tone, whilst laced with a little prep-school sarcasm, was genuinely uncertain.

Drake stood up. “In the corner. See that door? Some guys are already mobilizing in there.”

Dahl smiled. “Time for your just desserts, Kovalenko.”