BooksBarbecue
Back The Asset
Chapters (86)
  1. Foreword
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. Afterword

“This is your last warning,” the voice said.

The crowd continued to pile onto the gate. Two more men climbed over the top and one dropped to the ground on the other side.

Soldiers rushed forward and grabbed him. He was followed by another, and another, and the soldiers struggled to arrest them.

“Get off the gate,” the loudspeaker said again.

“Get back,” Sofia cried at the people. “Get back. They’re going to shoot us.”

She could see it coming. She’d known it since the moment the soldiers first showed.

A man was climbing the fence next to her and she pulled at his leg.

“Get off the gate,” she cried. “They’re going to open fire.”

He kicked her off and she began pushing herself through the crowd, away from the gate.

“Get back,” she cried. “They’re going to fire.”

And then, the burst of machine gun fire.

The man she’d pulled at fell off the gate like a felled tree and landed on the crowd right above her. Blood splashed onto her face.

Two more men on the gate were shot down.

The crowd completely lost control. Some people turned around to retreat, but enough surged forward that Sofia was forced back toward the gate.

Another burst of gunfire. And another. Bodies fell to the ground as if they were being mowed down by a scythe.

And then Sofia felt it in her back, the sharp bite of a bullet cutting through her flesh.

41

Lance had bought an apartment in the Watergate while working for the group. It was empty most of the time, but had given him a base close to Langley where he could recuperate between missions.

It was there that the bulk of his relationship with Clarice had taken place, and being there now brought his mind back to her. And to what had happened at the end.

The decor was spartan. There were no pictures, no personal effects. The space was cleaned periodically, that was a requirement of the condo agreement, but it hadn’t been lived in for over two years and there was a sterile feel to it, like a hotel room.

The refrigerator was empty. The bookshelves were empty. Lance flicked on the TV and the cable subscription had expired.

In the bedroom the bed was made and there were towels and a few basic toiletries in the bathroom. The wardrobes and drawers had some of his clothes, neatly folded stacks of identical white shirts, a jacket, jeans, nothing fancy.