BooksBarbecue
Back Game of Snipers
Chapters (74)
  1. Cover
  2. TITLES BY STEPHEN HUNTER
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. PART 1
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. PART 2
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. PART 3
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. PART 4
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. 58
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. PART 5
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. Acknowledgments
  73. About the Author
  74. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Stillness,” said Nick. “Anybody?”

“Eating?” said Neill.

“Inside a restaurant. Not likely.”

“No joke: going to bathroom?” Bob said.

“Again inside, not available to a long shot from far away across a river.”

“Reviewing stand?” said Neill. “Parade ground. The theater? A movie? I can’t—”

Then Mrs. McDowell said, “My father was one of those go-getters. Never still—anywhere, anytime, any way. Except one place in his life where his stillness used to drive people crazy. I know. I caddied for him. He was putting.”

1445

Allah, Thy servant beseeches Thee again. O Lord of all, it is in Your favor I commit myself and give myself, for life, for death, for fate, for destiny. I smite Thy enemies. I drive them to destruction. I ensure our triumph. I ensure Your mastery over all. I enable their submission and the power of Your will as it becomes not regional but global, as it destroys the Satan that is America, as it ruins this land of decadence and corruption and evil. I evoke in Your name all of those who have died to put me at this spot and make me Your instrument, and, consecrated in their blood, I perform my act. I am humble and contrite before You, knowing that now You shall reach down and infuse Your servant with power, serenity, vision, and brilliance.

It was almost time. He gently shoved the bolt forward, feeling it take one of the cartridges off the stack in the magazine, engaged it, and slid it gently, smoothly, forward into the chamber. He locked the bolt down and, with his finger, touched the safety switch on the right side of the receiver, checking that it was off.

1455

On one of the screens they could see the crowd gathering in New York, the dais beginning to fill. The other showed men in calm control in the Command Center downstairs, as they orchestrated the pieces for the checkmate that nobody watching now believed would never happen.

Nick was on the phone.

“Get me Secret Service, their Command Center. Yes, ASAP, this could be Code Red.”

He waited.

“Jackson, Command” came on the voice at the other end.

“Bill, Nick Memphis over at Hoover, I’m going to put you on speaker for my people, okay?”

“Yeah. But, Nick, shouldn’t you be engaged in the New York op? Aren’t you up there, and—”

“Long story. Politics.”

“In this town? What a surprise!”

“Something just come up. Assuming our bad guy is going to go today, I have to ask, do you have any protectees on a golf course?”

“On a golf course?”

“Yeah, I—”

“That’s mucho classified, bud.”

“Secure line, emergency procedure, maybe go to Code Red on this one. Come on, Bill, give it to me, this is real important.”

“I don’t know how you found out. Nobody’s supposed to know this shit.”

1458