Contents ( 84)
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- Acknowledgements
It needed to be. Because the implications were almost unthinkable.
‘So how do we deal with this?’ Kirk finally asked. ‘We’re talking about investigating a sitting US president for mass murder and war crimes. How the hell do we do that, Joe?’
‘The same way as we do everything else. It doesn’t matter who the suspect is; we go back to basics and do this from the ground up. We have to confirm the intelligence. Without that, this whole thing falls down.’
Agreed. So what are you going to do?’ she asked.
‘I need to go to Afghanistan. I need to speak to Quilty’s source. And I need to see Tootkai for myself. To see if there is any truth in any of this. In what Knowles and his unit are said to have done.’
‘And if there is?’
‘If there is, well, we build a case for the International Criminal Court. Same as we would for anyone else.’
‘But this is not anyone else, Joe. This is the president of the United States. Plus his entire SEAL unit and God knows how many members of his administration.’
‘That can’t matter, ma’am. No one can be above the law. No one can be allowed to just do what they want. To kill indiscriminately, in their own interests. Not even the president. If we allow that then we’re no better than them.’
‘If we allow it? You’re assuming we can stop them.’
‘Maybe we can’t. Maybe we would be taking on too much. But we can’t let that stop us, surely? We can’t only pick the fights we know we can win. We have to pick the fights where we’re right. No matter how big the other guy might be.’
Kirk took a moment. When she finally spoke her voice was softer. Uncertain.
‘You know Knowles won’t just let this happen, Joe? He’ll do whatever he has to stop us. You know that, right?’
‘Knowles is already trying to stop us, ma’am.’ Dempsey had no such uncertainty. ‘They’re already cleaning house. Quilty was only the first. That makes you a target. And it sure as hell makes me one. They killed Quilty for what he knew. They’ll have to assume he told me the story, so it’s a dead cert they’re coming after me next.’
‘And that doesn’t scare you?’
‘I’m not a fool, ma’am. Of course it scares me. But it won’t stop me. I’ll get to the bottom of this. I’ll find out what Knowles did and I’ll prove it. And when I’ve proved it, I’ll take the murdering bastard down.’
Kirk shook her head. She was reeling, and Dempsey could understand why. They had moved from a vague theory to a full investigation in the course of a single day. An investigation whose subject was the president of the United States. And an investigation that risked both of their lives.
And the lives of others.
They’re cleaning house already.
The thought leapt again to the front of Dempsey’s mind, but this time it had a different meaning. He climbed back to his feet.