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

Cambodia… we don’t know what that was. Perhaps your new friend can shed some light on it?”

Julie rolled her eyes. “He made it quite clear last time I spoke to him that we’re not friends. Besides, he’s gone to ground after New York, and we’re too busy to find him right now.”

“Fair enough. But let’s run with this for a moment. Tell me how Paluga fits in.”

Collins frowned. “Jerry said the general’s men have Tristar weaponry, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did we not know those bastards made guns?”

Buchanan flicked an eyebrow. “Good question.”

“Jesus!” shouted Julie.

“What?”

“Tristar! What if they made the goddamn bullet?”

Buchanan stared out at Collins. Both men were visibly perturbed they hadn’t realized that themselves sooner.

Julie moved to the edge of her seat and placed a hand on her forehead. “Just give me a minute. Let me… okay—Tristar has armed the general’s military to help them take control of the country. Why would Tristar care about a civil war in a South American island nation half the world hasn’t heard of?”

“They wouldn’t,” said Collins. “Right?”

“Right. So, why do it unless it was on Orion’s instructions?”

Buchanan shook his head. “Same question. Why would Orion care?”

Julie looked at the screen. “Because Orion knew this whole situation could be used to destroy GlobaTech.”

“Talk to me, Fisher…”

She took a breath. “Paluga is in chaos. It has been for a couple of months, right? A divided military, an angry populace, and a president fearing a coup. It’s the perfect melting pot. If you were Herrera, dealing with all of that, what would you do?”

Collins shrugged. “I’d probably do exactly what he did. I’d call us. Or, at the very least, ask the U.N. for help, who would’ve sent us anyway.”

“Exactly!” Julie looked at the screen. “Boss, you said yourself that Orion orchestrating our cancellation on the world stage in three days is impressive. What if it’s not as impressive as you think? What if they didn’t do this in three days?”

Buchanan leaned forward. “You think they somehow manufactured the Palugan crisis knowing it would lead to GlobaTech’s eventual involvement?”

“Why not? You said it yourself. The media’s influence nowadays is frightening. They would’ve known the political climate in the country weeks ago, just as everyone else did. It’s an isolated country thirty miles offshore. Easy to have a full news embargo if you have the reach and power they do.”

“Christ on a bike…” said Collins. “Jerry and our boys were lured to that island like lambs to the slaughter.”

Julie nodded. “We sent… what? Two thousand operatives? I know it’s less than one percent of our security force, but like you said, Boss—it’s proof they can get to us. We’ve been set up to lose a lot of people and look bad doing it. This is a goddamn liver shot.”

Buchanan sighed. “Okay. If we’re going with this, we need to start filling in the blanks. Tell me what we don’t know.”

“We don’t know for sure Tristar made that sci-fi bullet,” said Collins.

“We also don’t have proof Tristar was behind the assassination,” added Julie.

“Nor do we have any proof that Tristar is actually involved at all,” said Buchanan. “Selling arms isn’t an admission of guilt. We do it all the time. Doesn’t mean they knew what their weapons would be used for.”

“True,” sighed Julie. “But the fact they were able to design and manufacture cutting edge tech that leaves ours for dust without anyone knowing…”

“Is definitely cause for concern. I agree. What else?”

“We don’t have any proof Orion is actually involved at all?” said Collins. “They might just be really good reporters.”

“We know that’s not how it is,” said Julie.

“I know, but that’s how it looks, which is all that matters, right?”

“Okay, here’s what we know,” said Buchanan. He held his hand up to count on his fingers as he went through his list. “We know who the shooter is. We know Tristar weapons are being used by General Guerrero. We know Orion has a vendetta against us, and they’ve manipulated the media to destroy GlobaTech’s reputation beyond repair. The best way for us to help Jericho right now is to link those three things together. Once we land, that’s our only job. Questions?”

Both Julie and Collins shook their heads.

Buchanan nodded. “I suggest you use the remainder of your flight to get some rest. There won’t be any more until this is over.”

The screen clicked off. Julie and Collins looked at each other, both feeling overwhelmed by what they now knew and what awaited them on the ground.

25

In the last fifteen minutes, the general’s men had forced their way into the palace and taken over much of the first floor. There were casualties on both sides, but despite suffering heavy losses initially, the general’s forces still outnumbered those of Jericho and the colonel by almost three to one.

Jericho had taken a small squad of men, consisting of both GlobaTech operatives and the colonel’s soldiers, to secure the east balcony. It gave them a strong vantage point of the courtyard below, cover, and a side view of the general’s tank, which still dominated the palace grounds.

A burst of automatic fire peppered the balcony just to the right of him. Jericho fired a couple of rounds in retaliation. As he glanced down to take his shot, he caught a glimpse of the battlefield below. It was littered with bodies from both sides, yet the number of enemies never seemed to decrease.

The deafening noise of the skirmish momentarily fell away. The back and forth of gunfire suddenly seemed distant. His gaze locked on the body of a GlobaTech operative who lay awkwardly on the blood-soaked ground. He realized he didn’t even know that man’s name. He was just an anonymous sacrifice in a war they shouldn’t even be fighting.

Distracted and lost in a moment of sadness for someone he never knew, he lowered his weapon. Jericho had seen countless battles. He had been on numerous missions into hostile territory. He had killed more people than he could remember in the name of