found a third copy of the message spooling out of the machine. He
already had two. Now he had three.
Webster was the first into the trailer. Then Johnson, a minute behind.
Then Garber, and finally the general’s aide. They rattled up the
ladder one by one and hurried over to the table. McGrath was absorbed
in reading.
“What, Mack?” Webster asked him.
They’re declaring independence,” McGrath said. “Listen to this.”
He glanced around the four faces. Started reading out loud.
‘”Governments are instituted among men.”” he read ‘”Deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed. It is the right of the people
to alter or abolish them after a long train of abuses and
usurpations.”
They’re quoting from the original,” Webster said.
“Paraphrasing,” Garber said.
McGrath nodded.
“Listen to this,” he said again. “The history of the present
government of the United States is a history of repeated injuries and
usurpations all designed to establish an absolute tyranny over the
people.”
“What the hell is this?” Webster said. 1776 all over again?”
“It gets worse,” McGrath said.” “We therefore are the representatives
of the Free States of America, located initially in what was formerly
Yorke County in what was formerly Montana, and we solemnly publish and
declare that this territory is now a free and independent state, which
is absolved of allegiance to the United States, with all political
connection totally dissolved, and that as a free and independent state
has full power to levy war, conclude peace, defend its land borders and
its airspace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all
other things as all independent states may do.”
He looked up. Shuffled the three copies into a neat stack and laid
them on the table in silence.
“Why three copies?” Garber asked.
Three destinations,” McGrath said. “If we hadn’t intercepted them,
they’d be all over the place by now.”
“Where?” Webster asked.
“First one is a DC number,” McGrath said. “I’m guessing it’s the White
House.”
Johnson’s aide scooted his chair to the computer terminal. McGrath
read him the number. He tapped it in, and the screen scrolled down. He
nodded.
“The White House,” he said. “Next?”
“New York somewhere,” McGrath said. Read out the number from the
second sheet.
“United Nations,” the aide said. “They want witnesses.”
Third one, I don’t know,” McGrath said. “Area code is 404.”
“Atlanta, Georgia,” Garber said.
“What’s in Atlanta, Georgia?” Webster asked.
The aide was busy at the keyboard.
“CNN,” he said. They want publicity.”
Johnson nodded.
“Smart moves,” he said. They want it all on live TV. Christ, can you
imagine? The United Nations as umpires and round-the-clock coverage on
the cable news? The whole world watching?”
“So what do we do?” Webster asked.
There was a long silence.
“Why did they say airspace?” Garber asked out loud.
They were paraphrasing,” Webster said. 1776, there wasn’t any
airspace.”
The missiles,” Garber said. “Is it possible they’ve disabled the
IFF?”
There was another long silence. They heard a car pull up. Doors
slammed. Brogan and Milosevic rattled up the ladder and stepped into
the hush. They carried brown bags and Styrofoam cups with plastic
lids.
The giant search-and-rescue Chinook made it north from Peterson in
Colorado to Malmstrom Air Force Base outside of Great Falls in Montana
without incident. It touched down there and fuel bowsers came out to
meet it. The crew walked to the mess for coffee. Walked back twenty
minutes later. Took off again and swung gently in the morning air
before lumbering away northwest.
THIRTY-EIGHT
WE’RE GETTING NO REACTION,” FOWLER SAID. “MAKES US wonder why.”
Reacher shrugged at him. They were in the command hut. Stevie had
dragged him through the trees to the Bastion, and then Fowler had
dragged him back again with two armed guards. The punishment hut was
unavailable. Still occupied by Joseph Ray. They used the command hut
instead. They sat Reacher down and Fowler locked his left wrist to the
arm of the chair with a handcuff. The guards took up position on
either side, rifles sloped, watchful. Then Fowler walked up to join
Borken and Stevie for the ceremony on the parade ground. Reacher heard
faint shouting and cheering in the distance as the proclamation was