The Archimedes Effect

39

Net Force HQ

Thorn nodded. “Looks pretty good, Jay.”

They were in his office—Thorn, Jay, and Abe Kent. “What do you think, Abe?”

“I’ve looked at the aerials. There’s a shiny new OwlSat footprinting the place. Couple feet of snow on the ground, but it is approachable. Small team, a quad, that would work. We could mount up, be there this afternoon, hit it after dark.”

“ ‘We?’ ”

“I’m a lousy desk jockey,” Kent said. “This is what I do.”

Thorn smiled.

Jay said, “I want to go, too.”

Thorn regarded him. “I thought you didn’t want to risk field operations.”

“This one I do.” He paused. “This is personal, Boss. She suckered me. I want to see her face when she realizes she’s caught.”

Thorn nodded again. “Okay.”

“I need to mention there are some legal issues,” Kent said.

“Posse Comitatus,” Thorn said.

“Yes, sir.”

Jay blinked. “Posse who?”

“In the earlier days of the Republic, the civilians got worried that some sleazy politician might get himself elected and use the military to kick ass and take names,” Thorn said. “So Congress passed a law that forbade the use of the federal military, save the National Guard, from police activities here at home. The Posse Comitatus Act. General Kent is a Marine, as are his troops. They aren’t supposed to be traipsing about in the woods hunting people for civilian crimes.”

“Lewis isn’t a civilian, though. You pointed that out yourself earlier.”

“Even so. The FBI has jurisdiction, or the local police, not the Army. Certainly not the Marines.”

“So, does that mean we can’t go?”

Thorn grinned. “Oh, no. That just means we have to be very careful. We’re going.”

Kent nodded.

“You could get fired,” Jay said.

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Thorn said. “I think the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs would make a whole lot of things disappear if we deliver Captain Lewis to him. As long as there isn’t a big, smoking crater in the ground out there when you get done, I don’t think there will be any record that General Kent and his Marines ever set foot in Montana, except to do a little fly-fishing.”

Kent grinned at that.

Thorn stood, as did Jay and Kent. Thorn extended his hand to Kent. “Good luck, General.”

“Thank you, sir.” He turned to Jay. “Let’s go. We’ve got places to go and terrorists to catch.”

After they left, Thorn considered his course of action. He had places to go, too. He took a deep breath and let it escape slowly. Should he call Marissa?

No. He’d made his mind up. He had to do what he had to do. She’d understand that.