Luke didnt say a word.

You can still call this off, Don said. Come back to headquarters. Ill meet you there. If you say you didnt kill him, I believe you. Ill do whatever I can to protect you. Well get a psychiatrist in. Hell say you had a PTSD episode. A psychotic break. Your combat record will support that. You might have to do a few days in-patient stay, but you will get out of this.

Luke couldnt believe the things he was hearing.

I have to keep this line clear, he said.

Youre all the way out there now, Luke. If you go much further, youre going to be by yourself.

A call was coming through.

Don, I have to run.

Luke! Dont you dare hang up this phone.

Ahead was the gate to the White House. Ed turned off the bubble light and the siren. Luke slowed the SUV. He held his phone out so he could see the screen. The person trying to call through was Swann.

Luke toggled the call in. Swann. Did you get us the Secret Service clearance?

Swann was hesitant. I think so.

You think so?

You both have murder warrants, Luke. Give me a break. Yeah, it looks like you have Yankee White clearance, Category One. Youre cleared to work directly with the President and Vice President. But its fake. In thirty seconds, the Secret Service database could cross-reference the crime database and kick you out again. Someone could double-check it and find that the clearance was approved in the past five minutes. I cant guarantee anything. Id say its fifty-fifty at best. How soon will you be there?

Were there now. Were pulling into the driveway.

Well, all right then. I guess were about to see how good I am.

Luke hung up. He toggled back to Don.

Don?

The line was dead.

The guardhouse was up ahead. It was protected by concrete barriers. There was both a STOP sign and a DO NOT ENTER sign. Four men in suits loitered by the entrance. NOTICE, another sign read. RESTRICTED AREA. 100% ID CHECK.

Luke turned to Ed. Eds face was slick and shiny with sweat.

Ready? Luke said.

Ready for anything.

Luke felt a trickle of sweat inside his shirt. They were about to bluff their way into the White House. They would get as far as they could on fake security clearances, then bull through the rest of the way. They were going to try to override the entire Secret Service security apparatus and evacuate the President on their own orders, two men from a different agency, and who had been suspended from duty hours ago. And all of this was on the say-so of a dead career criminal who may or may not have been lying.

For a brief moment, Luke could almost see Dons point. From the outside, this must seem like a crazy idea.