Die Trying

Webster said.
    “Paraphrasing,” Garber said.
    McGrath nodded.
    “Listen to this,” he said again. “ ‘The history of the present government of the United States is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations all designed to establish an absolute tyranny over the people.’ ”
    “What the hell is this?” Webster said. “1776 all over again?”
    “It gets worse,” McGrath said. “ ‘We therefore are the representatives of the Free States of America, located initially in what was formerly Yorke County in what was formerly Montana, and we solemnly publish and declare that this territory is now a free and independent State, which is absolved of allegiance to the United States, with all political connection totally dissolved, and that as a free and independent State has full power to levy war, conclude peace, defend its land borders and its airspace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other things as all independent States may do.’ ”
    He looked up. Shuffled the three copies into a neat stack and laid them on the table in silence.
    “Why three copies?” Garber asked.
    “Three destinations,” McGrath said. “If we hadn’t intercepted them, they’d be all over the place by now.”
    “Where?” Webster asked.
    “First one is a D.C. number,” McGrath said. “I’m guessing it’s the White House.”
    Johnson’s aide scooted his chair to the computer terminal. McGrath read him the number. He tapped it in, and the screen scrolled down. He nodded.
    “The White House,” he said. “Next?”
    “New York somewhere,” McGrath said. Read out the number from the second sheet.
    “United Nations,” the aide said. “They want witnesses.”
    “Third one, I don’t know,” McGrath said. “Area code is 404.”
    “Atlanta, Georgia,” Garber said.
    “What’s in Atlanta, Georgia?” Webster asked.
    The aide was busy at the keyboard.
    “CNN,” he said. “They want publicity.”
    Johnson nodded.
    “Smart moves,” he said. “They want it all on live TV. Christ, can you imagine? The United Nations as umpires and round-the-clock coverage on the cable news? The whole world watching?”
    “So what do we do?” Webster asked.
    There was a long silence.
    “Why did they say airspace?” Garber asked out loud.
    “They were paraphrasing,” Webster said. “1776, there wasn’t any airspace.”
    “The missiles,” Garber said. “Is it possible they’ve disabled the IFF?”
    There was another long silence. They heard a car pull up. Doors slammed. Brogan and Milosevic rattled up the ladder and stepped into the hush. They carried brown bags and Styrofoam cups with plastic lids.

    THE GIANT SEARCH-AND-RESCUE Chinook made it north from Peterson in Colorado to Malmstrom Air Force Base outside of Great Falls in Montana without incident. It touched down there and fuel bowsers came out to meet it. The crew walked to the mess for coffee. Walked back twenty minutes later. Took off again and swung gently in the morning air before lumbering away northwest.

38
    “WE’RE GETTING NO reaction,” Fowler said. “Makes us wonder why.”
    Reacher shrugged at him. They were in the command hut. Stevie had dragged him through the trees to the Bastion, and then Fowler had dragged him back again with two armed guards. The punishment hut was unavailable. Still occupied by Joseph Ray. They used the command hut instead. They sat Reacher down and Fowler locked his left wrist to the arm of the chair with a handcuff. The guards took up position on either side, rifles sloped, watchful. Then Fowler walked up to join Borken and Stevie for the ceremony on the parade ground. Reacher heard faint shouting and cheering in the distance as the proclamation was read out. Then he heard nothing. Ninety minutes later, Fowler came back to the hut alone. He sat down behind Borken’s desk and lit a cigarette, and the armed guards remained standing.
    “We faxed it an hour ago,” Fowler said. “No reaction.”
    Reacher smelled his smoke and gazed at the banners on the walls. Dark reds and dull whites, vivid crooked symbols in black.
    “Do you know why we’re getting no reaction?” Fowler asked.
    Reacher just shook his head.
    “You know what I think?” Fowler said. “They cut the line. Phone company is colluding with the federal agents. We were told it would happen at seven-thirty. It obviously happened earlier.”
    Reacher shrugged again. Made no reply.
    “We would expect to be informed about a thing like