Danger Close by James Sumner (classic novels for teens txt) 📕

surrounding the palace. Well over a hundred men in total. Behind them, a small fleet of armored Jeeps and MPVs were parked haphazardly, blocking the view of the decline that led back to Maville completely. Overhead, three helicopters hovered ominously, full of men—at least another forty in total.

In the middle of it all was a tank, painted in desert camo. A man stood tall, with his upper body visible through the open hatch. His thick, dark mustache dominated a battle-hardened face. He wore his military beret and medals for all to see. His body was rounded by age, but his broad shoulders did well to hide the onset of obesity.

Jericho flicked a discreet nod toward the tank. “General Guerrero?”

Ramirez nodded. “Yes. Christ, he must have a hundred and fifty men with him.”

“At least. Probably closer to two hundred, with those men in the birds overhead.” Jericho turned to the nearest GlobaTech operative and held out his hand. “Pass me your binoculars.”

The man did. Jericho lifted his sunglasses and looked through them, scanning the scene in front of him in more detail. Every man standing by the gate was armed and wearing heavy-duty body armor. The vehicles on either side of the tank were also armored and full of soldiers. He zeroed in on the general’s face. He wore an arrogant smirk. He believed he had already won simply because he showed up.

He lowered the binoculars, confused. “What the…”

“What is it?” asked Ramirez.

Jericho looked through them again, focusing on one of the soldiers nearest the gate. Specifically, his gun. It was state-of-the-art, similar in design to some of the more advanced weapons that GlobaTech manufactured. But these were unlike anything Jericho had seen before. The ergonomic shape of the gun and barrel. The scope that seemed to be built into the accessory rail, just in front of the upper receiver. The two different types of magazine chambered underneath. He squinted through the lenses, trying to make out the name etched onto the stock.

“It can’t be.” He absently held the binoculars out to the side, handing them back to whoever took them. “That’s not possible.”

“What isn’t possible, Mr. Stone?” asked Ramirez.

Jericho turned to him. “Those men out there are armed with weapons made by a company called Tristar.”

The colonel shrugged. “So?”

“So… those guns leave anything GlobaTech makes for dust, which in itself wasn’t thought possible. We have competitors, sure. But our tech is cutting edge. Even the stuff that comes close isn’t actually that close to what we can do.” He pointed out to the men beyond the gate. “Not only are the weapons those men are using far beyond anything your country’s military has any business using, but they’re apparently manufactured by a company that, last I checked, didn’t make weapons. Tristar is nothing more than a piss-ant private security firm. Third-rate mercenaries at best.”

“Surely, it’s a different company? It’s a common name, no?”

Jericho shook his head. “Same company. Same logo. I don’t understand.”

Just then, a loud, high-pitched whine shattered the silence that gripped the tense standoff. General Guerrero placed a megaphone to his mouth.

“Colonel Ramirez, I am ordering you to stand down. You are relieved of your command, effective immediately. You are to be placed under arrest until this situation is resolved.” His voice boomed clearly and with authority, making the soldiers within the palace grounds shift uneasily. “The city of Maville and the surrounding areas are under military control until further notice. My soldiers have orders to use deadly force should anyone resist. This is for their own protection until the rioting has subsided.”

Jericho leaned in toward Ramirez. “This guy’s just admitted to conquering his own country without the paperwork.”

Ramirez nodded, not looking away from the general. “Pretty much.”

The general continued. “We now know it was GlobaTech behind the assassination of our president, a move orchestrated by the U.S. government to prevent true democracy from reaching our shores. Any and all GlobaTech operatives in our country will be arrested. Once I am installed as leader of our nation, I will deal with the United States. You have one hour.”

There was a crackle of static as the megaphone was switched off. No one moved an inch. Grips were adjusted on weapons. Uneasy glances were exchanged on both sides of the gates. Silence blanketed the area, as if suffocating the air around them.

The general’s words hit everyone like a freight train.

Ramirez looked at Jericho. “Well… now what?”

“Someone’s feeding the general bad intel,” said Jericho, already taking out his phone. “If we’re not careful, this is gonna get a lot worse real fast. I gotta make a call.”

“I hope it’s to call in a favor from up high, Mr. Stone. The general is basically in charge of the country right now, and I don’t have enough men to stop him from taking the palace.”

Jericho placed a hand on his shoulder before walking away. He began dialing as he headed back up the steps and inside the palace, relishing the cool exterior. Julie answered.

“I didn’t expect to hear back off you so soon,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

Jericho stopped for a second, then began pacing around the deserted hall. Few government officials were still on site. All the administration staff had left yesterday. All the soldiers stationed here were currently standing outside.

It was eerily quiet.

“No,” he replied. “Julie, we have a big problem. I need you to get a message to Buchanan right now.”

“I’m not sure I can. He’ll be in the hearing. Wait, what’s happened?”

“I imagine it’s already on every news channel. General Guerrero has taken control of the country. His military is out in force. Every civilian is locked down in their homes under threat of violence.”

“Are you kidding me? He can’t do that. That’s a—”

“Coup. Yes, it is. It could also be a violation of human rights and a war crime. Julie, all of our operatives are in danger here. The general believes GlobaTech was behind the assassination, acting on orders from the U.S. government.”

“What? That’s bullshit!”

“I know, but that