it’s a secret federal law that all babies born in the hospital get a
microchip implanted just under their skin? When they take them away,
they’re not weighing them and cleaning them up. They’re implanting a
microchip. Pretty soon the whole population is going to be visible to
secret satellites. You think the space shuttle gets used for science
experiments? You think the world government would authorize
expenditure for stuff like that? You got to be kidding. The space
shuttle is there to launch surveillance satellites.”
“You’re joking, right?” Reacher said.
Ray shook his head.
“No way,” he said. “Beau’s got the documents. There’s another secret
law, guy in Detroit sent Beau the stuff. Every car built in America
since 1985 has a secret radio transmitter box in it, so the satellites
can see where it’s going. You buy a car, the radar screens in the UN
Building know where you are, every minute of the day and night. They’ve
got foreign forces training in America, right now, ready for the
official takeover. You know why we-send so much money to Israel? Not
because we care what happens to the Israelis. Why should we care? We
send the money because that’s where the UN is training the secret world
army. It’s like an experimental place. Why do you think the UN never
stops the Israelis from invading people? Because the UN has told them
what to do in the first place. Training them for the world takeover.
There are three thousand helicopters right now, at air bases round the
US, all ready for them to use. Helicopters, painted flat black, no
markings.”
“You sure?” Reacher said again. He was keeping his voice somewhere
between worried and skeptical. “I never heard about any of this
stuff.”
That proves it, right?” Ray said.
“Why?” Reacher asked.
“Obvious, right?” Ray said. “You think the world government is going
to allow media access to that stuff? World government controls the
media, right? They own it. So it’s logical that whatever doesn’t
appear in the media is what is really happening, right? They tell you
the safe stuff, and they keep the secrets away from you. It’s all
true, believe me. I told you, Beau’s got the documents. Did you know
every US highway sign has a secret mark on the back? You drive out and
take a look. A secret sign, to direct the world troops around the
country. They’re getting ready to take over. That’s why we need a
place of our own.”
“You think they’re going to attack you?” Reacher asked.
“No doubt about it,” Ray said. “They’re going to come right after
us.”
“And you figure you can defend yourselves?” Reacher said. “A few guys
in some little town in Montana?”
Joe Ray shook his head.
“Not a few guys,” he said. There are a hundred of us.”
“A hundred guys?” Reacher said. “Against the world government?”
Ray shook his head again.
“We can defend ourselves,” he said. “Beau’s a smart leader. This
territory is good. We’re in a valley here. Sixty miles north to
south, sixty miles east to west. Canadian border along the northern
edge.”
He swept his hand through the air, above eye level, left to right like
a karate chop, to demonstrate the geography. Reacher nodded. He was
familiar with the Canadian border. Ray used his other hand, up and
down the left edge of his invisible map.
“Rapid River,” he said. That’s our western border. It’s a big river,
completely wild. No way to cross it.”
He moved the Canadian border hand across and rubbed a small circle in
the air, like he was cleaning a pane of glass.
“National forest,” he said. “You seen it? Fifty miles, east to west.
Thick virgin forest, no way through. You want an eastern border, that
forest is as good as you’re going to get.”
“What about the south?” Reacher asked.
Ray chopped his hand sideways at chest level.
“Ravine,” he said. “Natural-born tank trap. Believe me, I know tanks.
No way through, except one road and one track. Wooden bridge takes the
track over the ravine.”
Reacher nodded. He remembered the white truck pattering over a wooden
structure.
That bridge gets blown,” Ray said. “No way through.”