“I’m with a friend,” she replied. “How are you doing?”
“Good,” he said. “We made cookies. I saved one for you.”
“That’s awesome,” she said. “Thank you so much. Hey, I love talking to you, and I want to some more, but can you give the phone to Daddy for a second? I need to ask him something super important.”
“OK,” he said. “Daddy?”
There was a rustling, and then Hector answered.
“Yeah?”
“Where are you?”
“On our way to the precinct.”
Haley glared at Bradley.
“Turn around,” she said. “Too dangerous.”
“Hale, that’s about the safest place right now. You kicked up a hornet’s nest big enough for half the city cops to get called in. No one is going to take a shot at us there.”
“And after they work their overtime?” Haley shot back. “How are you going to get out of there?”
“With the Marshals.” Hector’s voice sounded puzzled. “Bradley said you’re going to take a deal.”
“What!” Haley’s eyes shot daggers at Bradley, who seemed unconcerned with her withering glare.
“Umm . . . yes?”
Haley tried, unsuccessfully, to keep her voice level. “One minute.”
She muted the call.
“Is this your attempt at blackmail? To take my family and hold them hostage until I work with you.”
“Once you hear what I have to say, you’ll ask how you can help.”
“But you wanted to sweeten the pot?”
Bradley sighed. “I honestly thought we’d have a chance to talk first. Look, if they want to go, that’s fine. But you’re fate is out of my hands.”
Haley’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
Bradley looked over her shoulder and nodded at someone. Haley twisted as much as the gurney straps would allow.
A man in a suit and tie was striding up to the ambulance. His face had more lines than Bradley’s, and his hair was white. If this had been a movie, Haley would have expected him to be wearing sunglasses and a transparent, curly earpiece.
“Special Agent Thompson,” Bradley said. “Haley Ramos.”
“Forgive me if I don’t shake your hand,” Haley said, once again jingling the chain connecting the handcuffs. “I hear you’re the devil I have to make a deal with.”
“What I’m about to tell you is a matter of national security,” Thompson said.
Haley rolled her eyes. “What is this,” she said, “a B-list movie?”
“Unfortunately, it’s very real,” Bradley said. “Hear him out.”
“Or don’t,” Thompson said. “And you spend the next twenty years in prison. Or help us, and you’ll not only get your freedom, but the best team in the world, an overly-generous salary, and around the clock protection for you and your family.”
“I already have the best team in the world,” Haley said.
“Then why are you handcuffed to an EMT gurney?”
Haley glared at him but had to admit he had a point.
“And if I hear you out and don’t want to help?”
“Then you’ll still go to prison,” Thompson said. “But it’ll be a CIA site instead of a federal facility.”
“Your negotiating skills could use some work,” Haley said.
“Just hear him out,” Bradley said again.
“It would appear that it’s very much in my favor not to,” Haley said.
“You’ll be interested in what he has to say.”
Haley set her jaw. For all the crap he’d pulled, she still trusted Bradley.
“I’ll hear you out,” she said. “If you promise to let my family go free.”
“I promise,” Bradley said.
“You don’t have—” Thompson started.
“They’re going to be free to go,” Bradley said. “You don’t have any evidence that Hector has committed federal crimes.” He softened his tone “And she’ll want to help.”
Thompson frowned but nodded after a moment. “Alright,” he said. “They go free.”
He turned back to Haley. “We have reason to believe that the Russian government is working with the criminal organization known as the Volkags to place multiple agents within the highest realms of the US government. They’re calling it Operation Petusky.”
Thank you for reading Trojan! I hope you enjoyed it and will click here to leave a review.
And be sure to continue the adventure in the explosive conclusion of the Killchain Chronicles:
Zero Day
Chapter Forty-Nine
Also by Brandon Clark
Killchain Books
Script Kiddies (Free to mailing list subscribers)
Ransomware
Trojan
Wings of War
Dragon Fleet Five
Lost Stars
Starfallen
Acknowledgments
As always, I’d be remiss if I didn’t start by thanking Sara for her unending well of patience and encouragement. She’s the world’s best cheerleader, alpha reader, brainstorming partner and so much more. Don’t know what I’d do without you babe!
Thank you Dave, for your help polishing the manuscript to a shine. Your feedback was incredibly helpful, and you definitely saved me from looking like an idiot in several places…
And finally, thank you to you, the reader. Without your support, I’d just be screaming into the void. And while that does have its own appeal at times, its so much more fulfilling and exciting to share the crazy stories with all of you. So thank you and I hope you continue on this amazing adventure with me!
About the Author
Brandon Clark is a Thriller, Science Fiction, and Fantasy author from Denver, Colorado. He left his corporate job is 2018 to write full time and hasn’t looked back. In addition to writing, he also does freelance IT Security work, which also serves as inspiration for his thriller series, The Killchain Chronicles.
When he’s not writing or protecting the world from hackers, you’ll likely find him on a trail with his camera, rooting on his hometown sports teams (He’ll happily respond to a loud “Go Dawgs,” “Unite and Conquer,” “Chop On,” or “Rise Up”), or planning his next adventure in some far away land.
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