Private Moscow

Chapter 109

As bleak as things looked, I wasn’t prepared to give up.

“Mr. Secretary, you’ve got to stop this!” I yelled. I glanced up at the countdown and saw it pass through one minute. “If my story doesn’t check out, you can restart the countdown.”

Someone pressed my face into the floor.

“Shut the hell up!” a voice commanded.

It would take more than that to make me shut up. “This is our national security we’re talking about. Surely it’s worth checking out.”

“Can we get these people out of here?” a voice shouted. I was pretty sure it was the four-star general who’d been sitting near Kavanagh. “And let’s get this machine online.”

I felt strong hands lift me up, and I was frogmarched toward the blast door. Fuller and the sergeant were pushed ahead of me.

“Hold on there,” Secretary Carver said. “Someone switch this thing off.”

I glanced round and saw him gesture at the countdown.

“The man’s right. One last check won’t hurt. And if he’s wrong, we just start it up again. No harm no foul. It’s not like anyone’s got anywhere more important to be.”

There was a ripple of laughter, and the mood lightened, but I noticed two people who weren’t smiling: Ann Kavanagh and Veles.

“Mr. Secretary—” the four-star general began.

“Indulge me, general. Let’s hear what this Mr. Morgan has to say,” Carver cut him off.

The blast door opened, and Corporal Ryan entered with Hector and Dinara.

“More guests?” Secretary Carver remarked. “Why not? The more the merrier.”

Another ripple of laughter ran through the audience, but it stopped when the first gunshots rang out.

Six members of Ann Kavanagh’s entourage were on their feet, wielding handguns and shooting at the nearest Marine guards and Secret Service agents. Kavanagh ran behind the podium, while Veles leaped onto it, grabbed Carver and took him hostage.

I watched in horror as the Russian assassin disappeared behind the large swirling Stars and Stripes. He followed Kavanagh, dragging the US Secretary of Defense with him.