“Hey, we’re here on business, not to entertain some rich bitch’s kid.” He looked around. “Masters is still nowhere to be found. I want some butts here today, gentlemen. Nothing goes by us. I don’t put up with this shit from anyone, especially not from some snot-nosed egghead. I want—” Just then, he heard a high-pitched whine—the unmistakable sound of heavy jet engines spooling up. “What the hell?” He shouted at Landow, pointing in the direction of the noise. “I thought I ordered no engine starts! What in hell is that?”

At that moment, over the growing roar of jet engines not far away, they heard, “Freeze! Hands in the air! No one move! ” In the blink of an eye, heavily armed security officers with M-16 rifles leveled at them surrounded the FBI agents.

Willison casually reached for his ID inside his jacket. “Put your guns down, boys. We’re FB—”

“I said hands in the fucking air!” Before they knew it, the officers pounced, using their rifles as pugil sticks to knock the agents to the asphalt. They spread-eagled the stunned FBI agents and began patting them down. To their immense shock, Sasha the Doberman was back, her jaws just inches away, snarling and growling louder and meaner than ever.

“What in hell are you doing?” Willison shouted. “We’re FBI, dammit! We just got clearance inside!” The dog snapped its jaws, and Willison felt the gush of its breath on the back of his hand—he thought his bladder was going to let go.

“Don’t move!” The guards secured their hands with nylon handcuffs, then continued pat-searching them.

John Landow strolled over to them a few moments later. “Landow! You tell them who we are, right nowl” Willison shouted.

“I suggest you stay quiet and cooperate, whoever you are,” Landow said. “You’re in serious trouble.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Got one,” one of the guards said.

“I got one too,” another said, who had been searching the younger agent who had picked Kelsey off the floor.

Both guards brought small devices, resembling small ballpoint pens with wires attached to them, over to Landow. Landow examined them, then stooped down beside Willison so he could see what he had in his hands. “Where did you get these, Special Agent?” he asked.

“Get what?” He looked at the objects Landow had in his hand. “I never saw those things before in my life.”

“We’d better read you your rights,” Landow said. “I advise you right now not to say another word.”

“What are you talking about? What are they?”

“Then you agree to waive your right to remain silent?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Landow! I’ll close down this facility so fast it’ll make your head spin! Now, cut these cuffs off and tell those pilots to shut down those engines, and that’s an order!”

“I don’t think you’re in a position to be issuing orders right now, guys,” Landow said. “You’ve just entered a secure government research facility operating under ThreatCon Delta with Kryton nuclear trigger devices in your possession.”