Free The Beginning of the End (Book 2): Toward the Brink II by Craig A. McDonough

before a warrant for his arrest would be issued. With the crisis dominating every move of the cabinet, he doubted it would be at the forefront of the president’s mind. It would give him time. He would take his supporters and fly to Wyoming. If he arrived in time, he could convince a National Guard unit to follow his directives, of that he was sure. His mind was occupied with such thoughts when a knock at the door interrupted.
    Who the fuck could that be?
    After he’d fled the White House, he had grabbed a few personal items from his house: keys, documents, cards, and passport—not that any planes were leaving the United States or were permitted to arrive, but you never knew—and moved to his girlfriend’s apartment. He kept their relationship hidden from the prying eyes of other government employees and, of course, from Mrs. Hadlee.
    “One moment, I … err…” he opened the door with some caution, “Holmes! What are you doing here and how did you …”
    Hadlee was so shocked to see Richard Holmes standing in his doorway he stumbled backward a step.
    “Never mind that, Shaun. Are you going to invite me in or do you want to risk being seen?”
    Hadlee asked his visitor inside. He remembered that his unexpected visitor was always security-conscious. Hadlee’s mind was so occupied with how he had been found, he didn’t notice Holmes kept his hands in his pockets the entire time.
    “How were you able to locate me, Richard?”
    “Are we alone?” Holmes ignored the question.
    “Yes, we are … but you already know that, don’t you? Let me fix you a drink.” Hadlee turned his back on his guest and went to the fridge.
    Holmes was grateful for the thick carpet underneath as he shadowed Shaun Hadlee’s every step. He freed his hands from his pockets as he came up behind.

Twenty
    Elliot sat on a fallen tree and looked into the night sky toward Idaho.
    “Hey, Elliot …”
    “Oh shit!” He jumped up and automatically grabbed for the Redhawk on his hip.
    “Easy. It’s me, Chuck!”
    “Jesus, Chuck. You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
    “I wasn’t. I think you were so deep in thought you didn’t hear me.”
    “Well, yeah, you could be right.”
    “Thinking of home?”
    “Yeah, and all that’s happened, and how damn fast it’s happened, and Cindy, of course … I can’t help but think I’m responsible for getting her into this.”
    “Cindy wouldn’t be alive now if it weren’t for you. Don’t you think anything different, either,” the Tall Man said.
    “There’s just so many …” Elliot wiped a hand across his eyes.
    “I know. One question leads to another.”
    “Exactly. I started off thinking about the damn growth hormone,” Elliot concentrated on the moment, “and those french fries, and then the first time we saw those things…. That’s when you came up behind me.”
    “Well, you’re right about the hormone being responsible. I was there, remember?” The Tall Man had, until now, avoided discussing this. As much as he trusted the group and felt a part of it, talking about his involvement with Baer wouldn’t be in his best interests.
    “What did you do at Baer Industries, if you don’t mind me asking?” Elliot had wanted to ask since the Tall Man had joined up and had told them he worked there.
    “Internal security for a man named Langlie. I met Baer himself on just a few occasions. He didn’t impress me at all.” The Tall Man rubbed the three-day-old stubble on his face.
    “Did you have any idea about the growth hormone?”
    The Tall Man gave the young man credit for having the respect and patience to wait until an appropriate time to ask. He deserved an answer, which the Tall Man was about to give when a glow on the horizon caught his attention.
    “What the hell have we got here?”
    Elliot didn’t know what the Tall Man meant, until he stood up.
    “A fire?” Elliot asked when he saw the glow on the horizon.
    “Yeah, a big one. Back toward Missoula.”
    “Foamers,