Adam needed to react. The only place to go was down to the Clarinbridge River… by steps. A moment later Gabby realized what he was doing.
Adam said, “Hold on.” The tiny car bounded down the steps, jostling them around. When he reached the bottom, Adam turned and looked out his window. “Shit, can they still see us?”
Adam turned right and there was a small boat ramp. “This is going to be close,” he said. He turned left down the boat ramp.
“What are you doing?” Gabby screamed. She eyed the creek bed.
“They can still see us,” he said.
Hitting the creek bed was like hitting a large pot hole. Water splashed and Adam turned left. The car bounced up and down as Adam navigated his way the fifty yards upstream. The creek bed was mostly dry, with an inch or two of water in places.
“If we can get under the bridge,” Adam said, “they’ll pass right over us.”
The car bounced and jolted perilously. They both hoped it would keep moving. Wipers slapped at the splashing water. Adam pulled into the small opening under the bridge, and a moment later, the authorities passed overhead.
Gabby’s screen showed the car pass overhead, then it turned around and passed back in the direction it had come from.
Adam didn’t move.
Gabby said, “Shouldn’t we get out of here?”
“That’s what I’m thinking about,” Adam said. “Let’s think this through. They have a car stationed at the edge of the town in all three directions. They’ll see us leave.”
“So, we hole up here for a while?” she asked.
“We can’t.”
Adam’s tone startled Gabby. She knew he was processing his thoughts, so she just let him think for another few seconds then he asked, “How far out of town are they?”
Gabby looked at the screen and held it so Adam could see. “It looks like less than a mile.”
“See, there, they’re just beyond that road going north east. If I remember right there was another road going northeast just before we pulled into town.”
Gabby moved the map and pointed and said, “There it is. I remember passing it.”
Adam looked at her and said, “It’s time for you to send a text to Mauricio.”
“A text? Won’t they be able to trace it?”
“Absolutely, I’m counting on it.” He looked in her eyes. “Text exactly that we just turned northeast out of Clarinbridge and are heading towards our rendezvous point.”
Gabby got it. “They won’t know which road we took, and they’ll each take one of the roads.”
“Exactly.”
“You sure about this?” Gabby questioned.
“Well, the way I see it, if they believe the car pulling into town could have been us, we have less than two more minutes before they come looking for us. In this town, I don’t see many places to hide.”
Gabby’s eyes got bigger. She didn’t need any further convincing. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the phone. She opened it and sent a text to Mauricio, then she put the phone back.
Gabby watched her screen to see if the cars moved, and few minutes later, the parked vehicles begin to move. They each took a road to the north east.
She smiled and looked at Adam. “It worked.”
They pulled out from beneath the bridge, their wheels spinning. Water splashed again as they bounced out of the dried creek bed. A few people were walking out of the bar. They had watched Adam pull out of the dried creek bed. They laughed and Adam waved and smiled as he passed them. He took a right on the road and was back on course.
“So, do you think we’ll make it to the extraction point before they catch on?” Gabby asked after a few minutes of silence.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Adam said. As soon as he said it, he realized he should have chosen his words more carefully. In his peripheral vision he could see the comment made Gabby flinch. Then he decided he’d better get her ready for what might happen. “I figure that if they believe we were five minutes out of town, then it would take them at least fifteen minutes to catch up to us. Then they’ll probably go another few miles before realizing we may not be in front of them. They’ll be communicating with their command the whole time and, about that time, they’ll decide we may have slipped by them and they’ll most likely send vehicles in this direction.”
Just then Adam saw a road sign coming up. It read, County Clare. “So, what’s the next town?”
“It’s Bealaclugga. It’s only a few miles up ahead.”
Adam slowed his speeding vehicle as they approached the town. He was surprised to see there were no authorities in sight.
Gabby glanced between her screen and the road ahead. “It looks clear.” A moment later she saw the town and, realizing how small it was said, “Maybe they don’t have their own police force here.”
“That could be,” Adam said as he cautiously looked around.
The road was lined with neat stone walls. Gabby looked at the quaint homes. “Nice town.”
Adam said, “Very nice.” Then his tone changed and he pushed the gas pedal to the floor. “Now let’s get out of here.”
Upon exiting town and making it through one more town, Adam asked, “How far to the next town?”
“Lisdoonvarna, it’s about ten minutes up ahead.”
The silence after Gabby’s explanation sent Adam’s senses skyrocketing. “What’s wrong?”
She kept looking and then said, “This one’s a lot bigger. I mean, it’s a real town. This one won’t be as easy.”
Chapter 72
“Any word on Adam?” the president asked as Air Force One reached cruising altitude.
The president was heading back to DC, and he was becoming increasingly concerned. He knew the reason Adam was being hunted by the globalists was because if they could capture him, they could use him as leverage to force the president to return the gold and the money that had been transferred to pay off the national debt. Those bastards had actually stolen over thirty trillion dollars from the US treasury, and the president had even tried to let them keep the rest of it if they walked away. But they were just too greedy. They wanted it all, including control of the whole country. If they captured Adam, George had no doubt they would most likely kill him. Then they’d have fake stories broadcast around the globe about how terrorists had killed the vice president.
Madison had just received the latest information on Adam. She said, “Sir, he’s heading towards the alternative extraction point. But we believe he’s been spotted.”
“What can we do?”
“We’ve contacted Colonel Krieger and the General, and they’re working with Admiral Halsey.” Madison’s face was grim. “They are doing everything within their power.”
“Balls to the walls Halsey,” The president said. “He’ll get ‘er done.”
Madison added, “My line is open. They’ll keep me informed about any developments.”
George nodded. “Good. Now what about the status of the rest of the mission?”
***
Adam slowed to the speed limit as he entered Lisdoonvarna. “Here we go.”
They drove down the picturesque main street of the town. Shops, taverns and hotels were painted in bright yellows, reds, blues, orange, lavender, purple and green.
Adam scanned every parking lot and side road.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” he said.
“I am,” Gabby said as they passed the Matchmaker Bar. Gabby had noticed the statue of the couple and signs that said the matchmaking festival was Europe’s biggest singles event.
“There’s a lot to look at.”
As they passed by the sign Gabby said, “Nice town. It must be packed during the festival.”
“I guess so,” Adam said. His head swiveled from side to side.
“Look out,” Gabby screamed
suddenly as a box truck came through the narrow alley way between two buildings.
Adam pushed the pedal to the floor, but the small engine wasn’t enough to pull them out of the way fast enough. The truck’s bumper hit the rear quarter panel directly behind Gabby, and the impact sent the small car spinning in a full circle. The rear driver’s side quarter panel hit a rock wall hard and they stopped.
“Get out!” Adam pushed at Gabby’s shoulder as he shouted.
Gabby’s door was jammed. She put her shoulder into it, to no avail.
Adam saw the door of the truck opening. “This way,” he screamed, flinging his door open.
She unbuckled her seat belt, and he reached for her two hands. She clasped tightly to his wrists, and he clasped onto hers, his back arched as he pulled.
She moved her legs as fast as she could and crawled towards his open door.
They both landed on the ground, with the car between them and the truck.
Their small vehicle was suddenly riddled with bullets, and glass and debris flew.
“Over the wall!” Gabby yelled.
They dove over the short rock wall behind them, and suddenly, another box truck clipped Adam and Gabby’s vehicle, and rammed into the box truck that had hit them.
They hadn’t noticed the truck coming in from the north.
There was a car behind it, and men poured out of the front and back of the new truck on the scene, unleashing hell on the box truck so furiously that Adam wrapped his arms and a leg around Gabby. Fragments of rock were flying everywhere.
Then there was a moment of silence before two men approached in full tactical gear.
Adam and Gabby were trapped.
They couldn’t move fast enough to get away. Adam looked up into the barrel of an automatic weapon.
“Mr. Vice President, I presume?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Sergeant Kelly, and this is Ahola. We’re from the Army Ranger Wing of the Irish Special Operations Force.”
Adam and Gabby slowly got up, and climbed back over the rock wall.
A woman dressed in full tactical gear walked briskly up to Kelly and handed him some identification she’d taken off one of the men that had been shooting at Adam and Gabby.
“Who are they?” Gabby asked.
It was then that Kimball walked up, and Gabby’s eyes widened. The two navy SEALs had come back; they’d been in the small car behind the truck.
Kelly extended his arm and handed Kimball the ID.
Kimball looked at it, and then at the vice president. “They’re British SAS, sir. Disguised as locals. The president has information that they were going to assassinate you and set it up as a terrorist attack.”
“Captain, it’s good to see you,” Adam grimaced noticeably as he reached out a hand. He was bleeding.
“Are you hit?” Gabby pulled up Adam’s shirt to see blood coming out of his side. There appeared to be an entrance and exit wound.
Gabby looked at Kimball. “Can you get us out of here now?”
A medic immediately stepped up to look at Adam’s side.
“It’s not that simple ma’am,” Kelly said. “We don’t know who to trust. All of the police and authorities have been directed to report any sight of you. That’ll allow the globalists to send in more thugs like these. We need to get you two off the island as fast as possible.”
The medic who had looked at Adam’s side said, “It’s a fragment sir. Hurts like hell, I’m sure, but you’ll be all right.”
He opened a medical pack and ripped open a bag of blood clot.
“It went right through. This will stop the bleeding,” the medic said. “Take a deep breath, sir.”
Adam took a deep breath.
“He’s been shot? It’s a bullet wound?” Gabby said.
“It appears to be a fragment of a bullet,” the medic explained. “You’ll be alright, sir. About forty stitches, maybe less.”
He poured on the blood clot, and Adam grimaced. The medic repeated the same movements on the back side of the wound, then gingerly began to wrap Adam’s mid-section. It was obvious he was being cautious with the vice president. Gabby reached out and grabbed the wrapping. “Here, let me do that. Don’t worry, he won’t break.”
She yanked hard and began to wrap the wound tightly.
Adam looked at her. He could tell she was concerned. “Did I ever tell you that you’ve got a perfect nose?”
She mocked his comment with a smile. Then she gave an abrupt extra tight pull on the dressing, securing it. He gasped.
She looked up at him and said, “Did I ever tell you to suck it up?” Then she looked up at Kimball. “What’s our next move?”
The captain had just received a report in his ear piece; authorities were closing in. He looked around and saw onlookers beginning to gather. “We better get going. Get in the truck.”
Adam and Gabby hurried to the passenger side of the truck and the Irish Special Operation Sergeant said, “Head out of town, and with any luck, we’ll meet you at the cliffs.”
“Affirmative,” the Captain said, and he got in the truck, then backed up onto the sidewalk and cut the wheel hard left and proceeded south.
“How much further?” Adam asked as he looked out the large side mirror. He didn’t see anyone following them.
“Just a few miles, but we won’t make it.” The Captain abruptly turned down a side street and hid the truck behind a bar.
Kimball said, “Get out.”
Kimball had left the truck running. He got out and ran back towards the rear. He threw open the door, turned to Adam and said, “Look out, sir.”
Adam and Gabby looked up and saw a small car squeezed into the back of the truck. The side mirrors had been folded to get it in. The Captain hurried to slide two ramps out, and latched them in place on the rear of the truck. Then jumped into the rear of the truck and climbed over the trunk of the small car. From the top of the car and squeezed himself in the driver’s window, started up the car, backed it out of the truck and got out. He had left the door open.
The Captain spoke fast. “Sir, they’ve got a description of the truck. There’s no way we’d make it to the extraction point. You go right back to the street and get out of here. Continue north. The extraction point is only a few miles up ahead, but they’re heading this way. There are coats in the back seat, put them on when you get out of the car… and good luck.”
“Doesn’t anyone want to hang around us for all the fun?” Gabby said as she got in.
Adam knew the Captain would probably drive north to draw off the authorities, then if there was time, he’d probably ditch the truck and take off by foot. Adam’s eyes expressed all of that and the Captain understood when Adam held out his hand and said, “Good luck, Captain.”
“You too, sir,” Kimball said.
Adam jumped in and squealed the tires of the small car as he pulled back on to the road.
As they passed over another immaculately maintained stone bridge, they could see the cliffs to their right.
A few minutes later, Adam pulled into the parking lot on the left side of the road. There were a few security officials mulling around talking.
Gabby looked over at them. “They’re not paying attention to us.”
“Let’s hope not,” Adam responded as he looked for a parking space.
After Adam parked the car, Gabby turned around and reached in the back seat. She pulled out the two waxed cotton shell jackets by J. Barbour & Sons of England. They’d fit in perfectly.
“Here, take this, and make sure you look down,” she said as she handed a jacket to Adam.
After getting out, Gabby put her arms through the classic European jacket. She kept her head down, pulled up the collar, and fluffed her hair around it. The jacket concealed her tightly fitted clothing. Someone would have to be
looking directly at her to see her jaw line.
Adam got out of the car and flung his coat over his right shoulder, concealing the side of his face. He closed the car door.
They walked to the back of the car, and looked up.
Gabby positioned herself on Adam’s right, and they began walking towards the path. All they had to do was walk down the sparsely traveled coastal walking trail, which wound its way down the north side of the cliffs. On the shore a small skiff would pick them up and take them out to deep enough water. There, with the help of a pair of Navy SEAL divers, they’d be escorted off the far side of the boat, out of sight from anyone on shore, and safely be taken below water to the submarine which would transport them to the carrier. From there, they’d be flown stateside.
The trail was steep and the path was narrow. Walking was a challenge. Adam and Gabby watched their every step. They paid little attention to the breathtaking views of majestic cliffs, the Aran Islands or Galway Bay.
Hope built in Gabby’s mind as they descended, until she looked down the path and caught a glimpse of a woman walking up. The woman had looked directly at them.
A shiver of fear surged through Gabby’s body like a lightning bolt. It was only a glimpse, but Gabby knew what she saw. She squeezed Adam’s hand.
“I recognize that woman walking up the path,” Gabby said. Then Gabby caught a better look at her, “She’s one of the women agents from the safe house in London.”
The woman’s head was down as she approached.
Now, just a few feet away, Gabby was sure it was the woman from the safe house in London, the woman who had given her the skimpy clothes as a disguise to get out of London. She was one of Francisco Gonzalez’s people.
The female agent was walking up the path with a sense of urgency. When Adam noticed her, she held up her index finger and pressed it against her lips. She was motioning for them not to speak. The woman looked behind Adam and Gabby. Seeing no one, she stepped close. The three huddled.
“They have listening equipment,” she said.
Adam nodded once.
“Change of plan.”
Gabby, rolled her eyes, another one.
“The shores are being patrolled, it’s no good,” the agent whispered. “And the SAS are coming up the path behind me. Turn around and walk quickly.”
Return of Our Country Page 35