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Back The Neighborhood Save as PDF
Chapters (59)
  1. Part I Reconnaissance
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Part II Incursion
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Part III Under Siege
  14. Chapter Eleven
  15. Chapter Twelve
  16. Chapter Thirteen
  17. Part IV Course Correction
  18. Chapter Fourteen
  19. Part V Balance of Power
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-One
  27. Chapter Twenty-Two
  28. Chapter Twenty-Three
  29. Chapter Twenty-Four
  30. Chapter Twenty-Five
  31. Chapter Twenty-Six
  32. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  33. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  34. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  35. Part VI Spy versus Spy
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Part VII Winds of War and Flame
  41. Chapter Thirty-Four
  42. Chapter Thirty-Five
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Part VIII Strong to the Finish
  50. Chapter Forty-Two
  51. Chapter Forty-Three
  52. Part IX Spy Games
  53. Chapter Forty-Four
  54. Chapter Forty-Five
  55. Chapter Forty-Six
  56. Part X What Goes Around
  57. Chapter Forty-Seven
  58. Chapter Forty-Eight
  59. About the Author

“Absolutely. The frequency for the radios is below the jamming frequency for the cell phones and satcom. We’ll be fine. The repeater on the roof of this school and the ones on the vehicles will ensure we have continuous comms the entire time.”

Griffin felt more comfortable by the minute. This was going to work.

Michael looked at the six-man search team that would be responsible for locating the package once the neighborhood was clear. Each member of the team held a specially designed device that looked like a pistol grip with a yellow solid trigger. A smartphone was mounted on top of the device, and in front of the trigger was a black rectangle that was the device’s omnidirectional antenna. “Just remember, those modified RFID readers will pick up the tag under ideal conditions at one hundred and ninety-six feet. But these aren’t ideal conditions. I really don’t know how much interference the structures, wireless signals, and God knows what else will cause. That’s why you have to enter every house. The closer you are, the better your chances of finding it.”

This was another aspect of the mission that Griffin didn’t like. Too many unknown variables. “I’m trusting this to you,” he said to Barrett, who stood next to him in the middle of the cafeteria.

Barrett was smaller than Griffin, lean and wiry, with a sense of humor that bordered on the sadistic. He maintained his black hair in a neat, classic taper that allowed him to blend into almost any situation, corporate or military. Blue eyes that were neither too pale nor too deep added to the impression that he was a clean-cut executive, just one of the countless hundreds of thousands in DC.

“I got this. If it’s there, we’ll find it. No doubt about it,” the Irish operator said.

“The buyer says it’s in the neighborhood, and I trust the validity of his information.” This was the first time in all of their jobs together that Griffin had kept the identity of the buyer a secret even from Barrett. It was too sensitive—even for his closest ally and right-hand man.

“Well, then, there won’t be any problems, will there?” Barrett said to the assembled team.

Six searchers. Six police officer impersonators in six Ford Explorer police SUVs with communications equipment. One angry Irishman. And a target package worth $100 million to Griffin and his company. What could possibly go wrong?

“Roger that,” Griffin said. “Men, check your gear one last time and then get some sleep. And remember—no shots fired unless you have no choice. The last thing we want is a dead suburbanite. It’s not good for business,” which for Griffin, was always the bottom line.

Part II Incursion

Part II
Incursion

Chapter Four

Chapter
FOUR

12:15 a.m.