Page 111 of Cross Down
“John?” he calls out, holding his pistol in both hands.
“In the den,” John says, sounding tired and stressed. “You alone?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” John says. “Fair warning, I’m pretty jumpy, so I don’t want to see any weapons, all right? You’re a good friend, Ned, but I just want to see you and empty hands.”
Ned holsters his pistol. “I understand, John.”
Mahoney traces the familiar steps toward his den, but nothing seems right; it feels like his home has tilted on its foundation, making everything askew. He walks into his den, his favorite place here at home, and he knows it’ll never, ever be the same.
John Sampson is sitting in one of the two comfortable leather chairs, one hand holding his pistol, which is resting in his lap. His clothes are worn and soiled. His eyes are puffy and haunted, and there’s gray-black stubble on his gaunt face. On the couch is a woman Ned believes is Elizabeth Deacon. She’s stretched out with her shoes off and her feet on a pile of pillows. Her breathing is slow and rasping. Most of her head is covered by gauze bandages. Her eyes are closed.
John says, “Have a seat.”
Mahoney sits and says, “What happened?”
“She was shot in the head while doing her job,” John says.
“John, she needs to be in a hospital!”
He shakes his head. “Sure. Which one? And will she be safe? Alex was in a hospital and he was almost murdered.” He barks out a sharp laugh. “Don’t trust anyone, right? That’s what you told me.”
Mahoney says, “I did. And the Bureau has on-call medical staff for situations like this. Vital and discreet. Can I text them?”
John says, “No. Maybe in a few minutes. Too much is at stake now.”
“You said evidence, John,” Mahoney says. “What is it?”
On the coffee table between them is an open laptop. John slowly rotates it so Mahoney can see the screen.
John reaches around it, pushes a key.
“Here it is,” he says, voice exhausted.
Chapter
135
Ned briefly looksat John’s face as the video begins. It shows General Wayne Grissom sitting in front of two flags, the American flag and the standard of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From John’s dark expression, Ned is sure he’s seen this video several times before.
Grissom is sitting behind a polished desk in what looks like the Oval Office, and he’s wearing his formal army blue service uniform, complete with an impressive display of medals and ribbons.
His voice through the speakers is strong and confident:
“My fellow Americans, I am General Wayne Grissom, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States and the country’s senior military official, tasked to defend this nation and its people against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
“From the time I entered Norwich University and continuing through decades of service, my oath of office has been my constant North Star, a dedication that has never changed, never wavered.
“Until now.
“My fellow Americans, we all know, deep in the marrow of our bones, that our great nation has gone astray these past decades. Wars are entered but never won, resulting in billions of dollars lost, thousands dead, and thousands more wounded for life. Giant corporations pay little or nothing in taxes. Big-city politicians are elected and reelected on promises they never keep; bridges collapse, the streets become unsafe, and students leave school almost as ignorant as when they arrived.
“Our great nation and its Congress are in an unbreakable gridlock, with no chance of improvement on the horizon.
“Since April, a series of terrorist attacks have tormented our great country. Hundreds are dead, thousands are injured, and the trust and bonds that hold us together as a people are fraying and will soon break.
“And how has our system of laws and agencies responded to these attacks?
