“Going to? I think it already has.” Packard retorted, pouring two fingers of amber whiskey into a water glass and tossing both of them down his throat. “You killed seventeen Americans. And don’t even fucking tell me you were just following orders.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do when the President’s security is threatened and she issues an order? Ignore it and let your SEALs walk in and take her away?” Despite his words, Carey’s tone didn’t change. Didn’t become belligerent. Packard took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.
“Sam, do you really support what she’s doing? Crawling into bed with the Russians after what they’ve done to us? To the whole world?”
“I don’t like it, but goddamn it Admiral we took an oath. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“It means everything to me, including the part about defending what’s left of this country against all enemies. And right now, with a President conspiring with Russia instead of standing up and defending us, I’m choosing to follow my oath. And so should you. That bitch is going to hand everything that’s left over without firing a shot, and what does she get in return?
“You saw the same radio intercept I did of her conversation with Barinov. She has a fucking mansion waiting for her in Russia. All she has to do is get us to stand down so the infected and Russian troops can finish off the last of us.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” General Carey’s voice rose for the first time. “I’ve not seen any intercept.”
“Son of a bitch!” Packard exploded. “Something’s rotten somewhere. I ordered you copied on that a couple of days ago! I’ll call you back.”
The Admiral slammed the handset back onto the phone, picking it up a moment later and ordering the CO of the Washington, Captain James to report to his cabin. It was time to find out whom he could trust, and who else was responsible for the deaths of his sailors.
29
Katie looked over her situation for the third time, frustrated that she couldn’t come up with any way to escape. Roach had forced her down the stairs from the roof and left her in the VIP lounge while he explored the massive casino. Her hands were bound behind her back and her ankles were once again restrained with plastic ties that securely held her to the furniture. The paracord noose around her neck was stretched up to the ceiling and tied off to a light fixture. There was just enough slack in the line for her to sit on a red velvet couch as long as she remained sitting up very straight.
She had thought about trying to pull the light out of the ceiling, but if she exerted any pressure on the rope it would tighten around her already bruised throat. Without her hands she would die quickly as once tightened, the cord wouldn’t loosen by itself.
Katie had tested her bonds until her wrists were raw and bleeding, but she didn’t think even John would be able to break out of the restraints. There was a bar with rows of gleaming glasses on the far side of the room. If she could reach it and break one of them she could cut herself free, but Roach had effectively ensured that she wasn’t moving off the damn sofa.
With nothing but time to think, Katie wondered if John was really alive or had Roach lied to get her to willingly come with him? She still didn’t know what he wanted, for sure, but every time she thought about it there was only one logical answer. He wanted her. She would let her thoughts get that far before shutting them down, refusing to think what her immediate future held.
Katie had no illusions about her looks and the behavior of men. She wasn’t narcissistic like many beautiful women are, just realistic. Unwanted advances from men was something she had dealt with since she was a teenager. She’d dealt with college professors who made thinly veiled proposals of how she could receive easy As.
Then co-workers at the predominantly male CIA. On one occasion she’d drawn the attention of a department head whose behavior qualified as stalking, his training helping him go so far as planting cameras in her home and listening in on her personal phone calls. She had confronted him, but he had effectively covered his tracks and she had no evidence. After their very public confrontation in