Die Trying by Lee Child

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