They'll Call It Treason (12 page)

Gray grunted through clenched teeth as he was thrown like a rag doll. He refocused his attention on the Charger beside them, catching view of a pistol as the door opened.

“No, no, no, no,” he exclaimed, shoving the accelerator to the floor. The BMW tore away. Metal screeched as the vehicle lurched away, ripping the Charger’s bumper from its bolts and knocking the armed man off his feet.

Gray swung the SUV around and shot forward. The sound of sirens grew as a pair of black and gold city police cruisers careened around the corner. Gray jerked the wheel to the right, scantly avoiding a collision with the second cruiser.

“Dammit! Can’t you guys drive down here?” Gray shouted.

The Charger was gaining on them again. It swerved between the two police cruisers, ramming the rear quarter panel of last cruiser in the pack. The marked car veered out of control, skidding sideways into a fire hydrant. Water shot high into the sky, adding to the drops already falling from the sky.

Gray leaned into the accelerator, summoning every ounce of power the BMW’s engine could muster. He was pressed into the back of his seat as the SUV shot forward. Horns blared as Gray weaved back and forth between his lane and oncoming traffic. The Charger matched him step for step.

The other cruiser caught up with the imposters. Gray smiled in surprise and thanks as the cruiser tried to clip the Charger’s rear bumper.

In response, Townsend leaned out the passenger window and opened fire. Gray watched the cruiser veer left, ramming the back of an old sedan, and careen sideways into a storefront.

Gray sighed. Any fleeting doubt in his mind about their pursuers vanished.

“Did they just… did they?” Kate asked in disbelief.

“Definitely not FBI!” Gray nodded.

He was not willing to be an easy target. Gray floored the accelerator as an opening revealed itself up ahead. He maneuvered the car on top of the yellow line and straddled it, dividing traffic.

Beep! Beep!

Swerving back and forth, he avoided oncoming traffic. Metal squealed and sparked as another SUV scraped the side of Gray's BMW. Gray’s side mirror banged against the window and then clattered to the ground. Kate screamed as she caught sight of an eighteen-wheeler heading straight for them. Gray jerked the wheel to the right, slamming the SUV into the front quarter panel of a brand new white Mustang. He fought to keep control while checking the rear-view mirror.

“Shit!” Gray yelled.

The Charger had not lost an inch; instead, they had gained on them, pressing in between cars, taking advantage of Gray’s wake. Gray pressed harder on the gas. Metal screeched loud as Gray wedged the BMW between an old beat up Ford Taurus and a minivan – a few more dents would not hurt now. Sparks flew as they jerked away from the tight squeeze.

Kate grimaced at the scratching noises. A trickle of blood ran down the side of her face.

Gray jammed the accelerator to the floor, torque revved through the engine and propelled them forward. The enemy was only a few yards behind them. Ahead, Gray spotted an overpass and decided to take it.

“Hold on Kate,” Gray assured her, hoping he was right.

Slowly the Charger closed the gap between them. Gray swerved to the side as they attempted to pull beside them. The Charger veered to the left and managed to get through, tapping Gray’s bumper.

The contact jerked Kate violently. She gasped, fear pulsing down her spine. Gray’s eyes were wide and alert, searching for a way out.

The bridge was getting closer, concrete barriers rising on each side. The road below looked to be deserted. Losing the Charger did not look promising.

Pop! Pop!

The BMW jerked. Gray gripped the wheel, trying to hold her steady. He glimpsed a pistol in his rear-view mirror. They had shot out his back tire. The SUV’s no-flat tires were holding, but handling was a nightmare. He could not keep their speed up for much longer. He refused to let up on the accelerator though. The Charger swerved away and veered back, slamming into Gray's door.

“No!” Kate screamed.

By the time Gray realized what was wrong it was too late. The BMW jammed up onto the concrete barrier. Airbags shot out, slamming Kate back in her seat. Pain seared through her face and back.

The car went airborne. It seemed like an eternity, suspended in air. They flipped sideways off the edge of the bridge. Then the full force of gravity took over as the BMW’s roof slammed into the pavement below. Then everything went dark.

January 29 at 2:45
p.m.
EST

Norfolk, VA

Blue lights flickered on the server panels around Austin. The cramped room was filled with over-sized military grade server stacks. One small piece of the Bureau’s vast computer network.

He cursed as he had to retype another command. His fingers failed to glide over the keyboard with their usual ease. He tried harder to focus on his task, but questions kept getting in the way. Something just felt wrong. How could Ethan have done what they claim? Yet, how could they make the claim unless it was true? 

On top of his preoccupation with the troubling contradictions, he was growing increasingly nervous. He was to report for a polygraph test in under an hour. Whether he liked it or not, Austin was now part of the Bureau’s internal investigation into Ethan — his past, his motives… and his friends.

Austin was not worried about the polygraph itself. What did he have to lie about? He knew nothing about what had happened beyond the fact that Ethan and Jason traveled down to Atlanta on a lead. That was it.
It was the questioning he dreaded: the dubious connections that the Bureau would inevitably concoct, the insinuations of association, and most of all, the possibility they may be right.

Yet, in his gut, Austin still could not swallow a conception of Ethan as a terrorist, a cold calculating murderer. It just did not fit with the Ethan he knew.

No, the Ethan he had grown to admire over the past four years was a likable guy. He cared about his friends and his country. It had always just been evident to Austin that Ethan would protect both at nearly any cost to himself. Austin could think of nothing that had ever indicated Ethan was capable of this. Nothing.

He tapped Enter on the keyboard one last time and snapped the laptop screen shut, sliding it back into its slot on the server stack. He leaned against the cool black boxes for a moment, careful not to hit any buttons.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement at the room's entrance. On the opposite side of the glass door stood Dante, waving his hand.

Austin nodded with a raised eyebrow, leaving his perch on the server. What was Dante doing here? At the end of the room he pushed the bullet-proof glass door open.

“Dante?” Austin said, emphasizing his surprise to see the gentle giant.

Dante took a quick glance behind him before speaking. “You know Gray left, right?”

“Left?” Austin asked, confused. “What do you mean he left?”

“A few hours ago. He got a call from Kate.” Again Dante glanced behind himself warily. “She said Ethan called her.”

“What? He called Kate?” Austin almost yelled before catching himself, now understanding Dante’s paranoia. “What did he say?”

“He claims the reports are false,” Dante said. Austin tried to gauge whether Dante believed it. Austin sure as hell wanted to, but disagreeing with the Bureau's assessment of the situation seemed inadvisable.

“And?” Austin pushed.

“He told Kate to call Gray, have him meet her and take her to the safe house.” Dante explained.

Austin threw up a hand, stopping Dante, “Safe house? What do you mean safe house?”

“A few years ago Ethan convinced me and Gray to go in with him on a cabin down in Blowing Rock, in North Carolina. A nice little getaway. But he always referred to it as the safe house.” Dante groaned, waving his hand dismissively. “It’s a long story. The point is that Ethan plans to meet them there. Gray is meeting Kate in Greensboro, but he plans to have her come back and cooperate with the investigation, let the Bureau weed it all out.”

Austin nodded. Quickly he realized Dante was not done as he glanced over his shoulder yet again. “Is there something else, Dante?”

“Well,” Dante said more carefully. “I just don’t think I’m convinced Ethan did it. I mean, are you? He couldn’t have, right?”

Austin paused. It was the same inward battle he was going through. “No… It’s hard to disagree with the official story, but something doesn’t feel right. But I don't know.”

“Can you get into the records for the case? Maybe get a hold of some surveillance feeds? See exactly what happened?” Dante asked.

“Dammit Dante. You would ask me do to this
right before
my polygraph,” Austin complained, realizing how much harder it would be now.

Dante’s bright blue eyes lit up and his lips pursed, “Ah. Sorry. I thought you already had yours. I finished mine thirty minutes ago.”

“No, not exactly.”

“Well, can you by chance still check those feeds?” Dante asked again.

“Why not?” The thought had entered Austin’s mind earlier, but he had been quick to squash the idea. It had seemed too risky. “It’s not like I don’t have enough to hide already.”

“You’ll do fine,” Dante assured him with a not-so-gentle slap on the back.

January 29 at 3:50
p.m.
EST

Greensboro, NC

Joy surged through Kate as Ethan knelt in front of her in the cold night air. He held a diamond ring up high, his sea-green eyes locked with hers.

She held his gaze as he slid the ring over her finger and stood up and embraced her. Kate relished the warmth of his body. She longed for his lips as he moved closer.

Abruptly a sting shot through her head. Cold enveloped her body. Scared, she pulled away from Ethan as he vanished into nothing. She screamed, opening her eyes to the cold reality of a dream. She winced as the pain came rushing down her spine.

“Ugh…” Kate groaned.
The crash.

Everything was a blur at first. Slowly her vision cleared. Her head throbbed intensely. She must have hit the side window, or the dash, when the car had hit the ground. She was unsure which.

Confused and disoriented, Kate felt gravity weigh her down head first. She hung upside down, suspended in air by her safety belt. Instinctively, she squirmed, her breathing quickened. The need to escape her bindings became overpowering.

It was useless.

Seconds passed and she became more aware of the safety belt digging into her skin. A burning pain crossed her chest, and the fire in her head grew more intense. She was close to passing out again.

Calm down, Kate. Just breathe.

She stopped moving, closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly. Outside, the whirring of distant cars and the faint pitter patter of rain reached her. She considered screaming for help, but something made her stop.  There was something she needed to remember.

Gray?

She looked next to her, remembering why she was here.

“Gray!” she croaked as she caught sight of him hanging limply. His head laid precariously against the ceiling. The SUV's roof had caved in on impact, shards of broken glass littered the ceiling next to Gray. Blood trickled from his cheek and brow. A pale red puddle of rainwater had formed at the back of his head.

“Gray…” she whispered, barely able to get the breath to speak. He gave no response. The pressure of the belt against her chest was becoming unbearable.

She pressed her hand against the ceiling below and pushed up just enough to take in a gulp of air.

“Gray!” Louder this time, but still no response. “Grayson!” Her voice trembled, tears welled up and poured to the ceiling. She could not lose Gray, not like this.

Kate reached out and touched his cheek. He was cold

Is he breathing?

She winced, trying to push herself up with her hands again. She reached up and groped with her hands, trying to find the unseen release latch. Nothing.

It hurt to move. Kate had to rest from the exertion. She searched again, and this time found it. It was stuck. She pressed it over and over again, but nothing happened. Panic set in as she jerked and pulled, her breathing quick and shallow.

Suddenly she heard the rhythmic revving of an engine. The noise grew steadily then stopped with the screech of tires. A door creaked opened. There were footsteps.

They were coming closer.

Please be EMS, please.

She knew it was not; the steps were too slow and deliberate. She watched out the window, awaiting the inevitable.

A pair of feet came into view. Black oxford style shoes, black slacks. A yank, accompanied by a dull thump. Again. The SUV shook suddenly. A metal screech echoed from the door. Whoever it was, they were trying to get in, but the door was jammed. Kate fought between the desire to get out and the need to escape the man outside.

The car rocked back and forth. Metal screeched and with a loud crack the door swung awkwardly open. Drops of rain splashed on her face. Kate closed her eyes as a drop hit, then looked up at the man standing outside the door. It was Townsend.

“She’s still alive! I’ve got her,” he yelled, not an ounce of emotion in his voice as he shook his head at her.

Townsend reached into his pocket and pulled out a large pocket knife; Kate’s heart sank.

“No! Please!” Kate screamed.

Townsend swooped down and placed a hand over her mouth to silence her and shoved his knife toward her stomach. She braced.

Without warning the tension around her chest released as the safety belt split. The man stepped back and let Kate drop hard to the ceiling. Her head slammed the ground as her arm bent backward unnaturally. She moaned in pain. Her eyes went fuzzy for a moment.

Kate glared up at Townsend with all the fury she could muster, but words would not escape her mouth.

In one swift motion, he lowered his hand and covered her mouth again. She felt a wet cloth touch her lips and nose. She tried to scream again, to fight back. Rapidly her vision began to blur, her limbs became limp, and then once again all was dark.