Black Flagged Apex

Chapter 50





8:49 PM

Wilkes Barre/Scranton International Airport

Avoca, Pennsylvania



Daniel Petrovich had just turned their Jeep Grand Cherokee onto Terminal Road from Interstate 81 when his phone illuminated the minivan's center console.

"Can you see who that is?" he asked Munoz.

Munoz grabbed the phone and examined the screen. "Sanderson," he said and answered the call.

Daniel listened to the terse exchange.

"Understood. We'll be standing by," Munoz said, ending the call. "Get us back on the highway. We might be compromised."

Daniel scanned the upcoming street signs and saw that they would have the opportunity to turn off Terminal Road directly onto a northbound ramp.

"Compromised by whom?"

"The feds. Sanderson doesn't have all of the details yet, but the rules have changed in a big way. Something happened."

Daniel turned the SUV onto the northbound ramp and accelerated to match the sparse interstate traffic.

"Is this related to Atlanta?" Daniel asked.

"He's not sure. All he knows is that one of our operatives at the Brooklyn Center Hospital transmitted the federal arrest code, and he can't get through to his liaison at the National Counterterrorism Center. The cyber team tapped into NCTC called him at 8:17 to report that they had been dropped from the system. He's trying to reach some of his other contacts within D.C. Nobody's picking up."

"This isn't good. What's our exposure here?" Daniel said.

"Minimal. Fayed and Paracha are ghosts. Everything they arranged is sanitized. This car. The house. The FBI can trace us to this airport, but no further than that."

"I thought Sanderson and this guy Sharpe had agreed on this under the table?" Daniel said.

"They did. Maybe the director discovered the collaboration and pulled the plug on Sharpe. Any of a dozen things could have gone wrong, leaving us exposed."

"We have to assume the FBI knows that we're headed to Honesdale. Sharpe has no reason to keep that a secret if he's been relieved or incarcerated. For all we know, Sharpe f*cked us over and the president is planning a full-scale invasion of the city. All I know is that we're not going anywhere near that airport, and we're sure as shit not setting foot in Honesdale until this is resolved."

"I'm not going to argue with that logic. There's a Walmart right outside of Scranton that should be open twenty-four hours. We can pick up new phones there," Munoz said.

"God bless Walmart."

Daniel's phone illuminated a few minutes into their drive north. He snatched it from Munoz.

"What the f*ck went wrong?"

"One of these True America lunatics somehow gained access to the NCTC Operations Center and detonated a suicide vest," Sanderson said. "Pretty much wiped out the entire task force. A secondary bomb destroyed the servers. The FBI thinks Callie Stewart helped the bomber."

"Who the f*ck is Callie Stewart?"

"She was my liaison to Sharpe's task force. They somehow have it in their heads that she was involved. The director of the FBI is on a rampage. He ordered the arrest of our operatives at the hospital. The very men and women that risked their lives for the task force. We need to be careful. Warrants have been issued for all of us, and we're back on the terrorist watch lists."

"Jesus. How many were killed in the blast?"

"At least twenty, with up to fifty additional casualties," Sanderson said.

"How do you want us to proceed? I don't mean to sound grim, but if the task force is history, then nobody knows we're here. We should be clear to make a move against Mills."

"You never disappoint me, Daniel. Practical to a fault. I concur with your assessment. Take whatever measures are necessary to stop True America. I'll arrange to have your weapons and equipment delivered to a location of your choosing. I'm serious about this, Daniel. Do whatever it takes to drag these psychotic traitors down. No rules of engagement on this one," Sanderson said.

"I've never had much use for rules," Daniel replied.

"That's why I recruited you. Let me know when you've selected a location for the transfer. And get new phones. There's a twenty-four-hour Walmart in Scranton."

"Am I the only a*shole that doesn't know about this Walmart?" Daniel said, throwing the phone in Munoz's lap.

"So, we're still a go?" Munoz asked.

"Yep. We just need to find a secure place to receive the gear."

"Walmart parking lot?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Daniel said.