by Jack Mars
They had drifted apart for many years, to be sure. Don had been off fighting America’s wars, and Bill had been here, doing that cloak-and-dagger thing that these politicians did. Now that Don was in DC, he found himself pulled more and more into their orbit. If the Special Response Team was Don’s baby, and it was, then politics was how he kept that little baby alive.
It was a chilly morning, and people moved quickly to and fro in long coats, on their way to work.
Don glanced at Bill. Bill’s face was healing. There was little evidence of the bruises left from the savage beating he had taken here less than ten days ago. It was clear that he was using makeup to cover up some of the damage, but Bill had already been back to work for the past week. He was a tough customer.
“I wanted to meet you here, Don, in this place. Because I want you to feel what I’m feeling, and know what’s in my heart. These are the two greatest Americans. Both men were in a fight for the soul, for the very existence, of this country.”
Bill’s eyes searched Don’s.
“And so are we.”
That was nice, but Don wasn’t ready for that kind of talk just yet.
“I appreciate that,” he said. “But I have more practical issues in front of me. Miles Richmond is dead. This mission was done as a favor to him, and he made a promise to me before he died, one that he can no longer keep. The mission was a success, but a lot of people died. A good friend of mine died. And now I’m exposed rather badly.”
Bill nodded. “I understand all that. I’m also very sorry for the loss of your friend.”
“Buzz MacDonald was a credit to this country,” Don said.
“I know,” Bill said. “And I want you to know this. You don’t need a promise from Miles Richmond, or anyone else, to continue doing the important work that you’ve been doing. You don’t need another person’s promise to feel protected. That’s because you have me.”
He put his right hand over his heart as they walked. It was sappy, but that was okay. Bill Ryan had a tendency toward making sappy overtures. He’d been making them since the day Don met him when they were eighteen-year-old knobs at the Citadel. What made it okay was he meant every word he said.
“I swear,” Bill said. “With God as my witness, while I’m alive and have any influence in this town, you have nothing to worry about.”
“There are vipers everywhere,” Don said.
He could try to articulate just how offensive it was to him that they had tried to derail this mission to protect a corrupt billionaire. That they were eavesdropping on his agency’s communications. That they had sent assassins, to kill Buzz Mac, to kill Miles Richmond, and even to try to kill Luke Stone. But it would take too long, and be too complicated, to describe the depths of his revulsion.
“It’s a snake pit,” he said simply.
Bill nodded, more emphatically this time. “I know it. Don’t you think I know it? And we’re going to change that. I want you with me, Don. That’s what I’m saying here. You and I are allies in the battle. I brought you here to stand between these two great presidents, so we could renew our love for, and our faith in, this country.”
He stopped. Don did the same. Ahead of them, the massive spire of the Washington Monument pointed into the pale blue sky of morning.
Bill shook his head, as if ashamed. “This town… this government… it reminds me of an open sewer sometimes.”
“I feel that,” Don said.
“There are actual degenerates in positions of power and influence,” Bill said. “This is how someone like Darwin King could thrive for as long as he did. The degenerates would sooner see good men die than lose an ounce of their own privilege. I believe that it’s a disgrace before God. I believe that we can never reach greatness as a people again until these tendencies are hunted down, choked, and stamped out for good.”
Don nodded. “Agreed.”
This little walk was beginning to take on the passion of a church meeting. He imagined that Bill would have preferred to hear him say “Amen.”
“You know,” Bill said, “for years I comforted myself by saying that one day a real rain would fall, a hard rain, and wash these streets clean. But it didn’t happen. And I asked why. Why does the rain never come? And only recently did the answer occur to me. Only recently did I finally understand why I’ve been waiting in vain so long.”
Don looked into Bill’s eyes. Everything in their environment, the early morning, the people hurrying to their offices, faded deep into the background.
“And why’s that?” Don said.
Bill Ryan pointed at Don, then back to himself.
“Because waiting is the wrong answer. We can’t wait for something outside of ourselves. You and I, and men like us… we are the rain.”
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
PRIMARY DUTY
(The Forging of Luke Stone—Book #6)
“One of the best thrillers I have read this year.”
--Books and Movie Reviews (re Any Means Necessary)
In PRIMARY DUTY (The Forging of Luke Stone—Book #6), a ground-breaking action thriller by #1 bestseller Jack Mars, a Supreme Court Justice is taken hostage by a terrorist organization. With a consequential decision before the court, the death of this swing Justice could change the political landscape for decades.
Getting him back, against the backdrop of a massive marvel of engineering, would be mission impossible—a mission that only elite Delta Force veteran Luke Stone, 29, and the FBI’s Special Response Team, may be crazy enough to take on.
In this action-packed military thriller, filled with shocking twists and turns, the stakes as high as can be, Luke and his team may be up for their most challenging mission yet.
PRIMARY DUTY is a standalone, un-putdownable military thriller, a wild action ride that will leave you turning pages late into the night. The precursor to the #1 bestselling LUKE STONE THRILLER SERIES, this series takes us back to how it all began, a riveting series by bestseller Jack Mars, dubbed “one of the best thriller authors” out there.
“Thriller writing at its best.”
--Midwest Book Review (re Any Means Necessary)
Also available is Jack Mars’ #1 bestselling LUKE STONE THRILLER series (7 books), which begins with Any Means Necessary (Book #1), a free download with over 800 five star reviews!
PRIMARY DUTY
(The Forging of Luke Stone—Book #6)
Jack Mars
Jack Mars is the USA Today bestselling author of the LUKE STONE thriller series, which includes seven books. He is also the author of the new FORGING OF LUKE STONE prequel series, comprising six books; and of the AGENT ZERO spy thriller series, comprising twelve books.
ANY MEANS NECESSARY (a Luke Stone Thriller—Book #1) and AGENT ZERO (An Agent Zero Spy Thriller—Book #1) are both available as free downloads on Amazon!
Jack loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.Jackmarsauthor.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!
BOOKS BY JACK MARS
LUKE STONE THRILLER SERIES
ANY MEANS NECESSARY (Book #1)
OATH OF OFFICE (Book #2)
SITUATION ROOM (Book #3)
OPPOSE ANY FOE (Book #4)
PRESIDENT ELECT (Book #5)
OUR SACRED HONOR (Book #6)
HOUSE DIVIDED (Book #7)
FORGING OF LUKE STONE PREQUEL SERIES
PRIMARY TARGET (Book #1)
PRIMARY COMMAND (Book #2)
PRIMARY THREAT (Book #3)
PRIMARY GLORY (Book #4)
PRIMARY VALOR (Book #5)
PRIMARY DUTY (Book #6)
AN AGENT ZERO SPY THRILLER SERIES
AGENT ZERO (Book #1)
TARGET ZERO (Book #2)
HUNTING ZERO (Book #3)
TRAPPING ZERO (Book #4)
FILE ZERO (Book #5)
RECALL ZERO (Book #6)
ASSASSIN ZERO (Book #7)
DECOY
ZERO (Book #8)
CHASING ZERO (Book #9)
VENGEANCE ZERO (Book #10)
ZERO ZERO (Book #11)
ABSOLUTE ZERO (Book #12)