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CHAPTER 7

A MOMENT LATER STONE WAS WATCHING the prior night’s video feed from Lafayette Park They had slowed down the frame speed so that Stone could view every detail closely and unhurriedly As the gunfire commenced, Stone watched as people

started running in all directions Perimeter security took defensive positions and looked for the source of the shots The jogger started to run in the feeble way of a man unaccustoly weakened hops His path carried hih the yellow tape and a few ht’ve ju planted

Now Stone could ly vanishing into thin air It was like a foxhole, thought Stone To get away from the bullets

Then the explosion happened Stone saw hier They both went down The tooth in his head He rubbed the spot

A second later, the cameras went to static The concussive force of the blast ain

Weaver said, “Observations?”

“Run it again,” Stone requested

He watched the feed twice more

Stone thought about what he’d just seen The jogger had tumbled into the open hole around the maple and the explosion had happened seconds later

“So as the source of the detonation? The jogger?”

“Not sure yet Itin that hole”

Stone looked skeptical “In the hole? No gas lines under the park?”

“None”

“Then you knohat you’re suggesting? A bomb planted in Lafayette Park?”

Weaver’s expression grew even darker “The i, but we can’t discount the possibility”

“So you’re saying ets blown up instead by a bomb previously placed there?”

“If so, it’s really bad luck for hiets away from the bullets and still dies”

“Who’s on the scene?”

“ATF and the FBI as we speak”

Stone could understand that The ATF handled all investigations involving explosives until it was determined that the act was one of international terrorism Then the FBI would take over However, Stone assu off across fron terrorist act That meant the Bureau would take the lead It probably already had

Stone asked, “Okay, let’s pass over the explosion for now Do we know the source of the shots? On the video they appeared to be co from the northern end of the park From the direction of H Street or perhaps past that”

“That’s the prelim conclusion at least, yeah”

“So running north-south There were no muzzle flashes on the video,” Stone pointed out “That must mean they were hidden from the camera’s eyes”

“Behind trees,” offered Weaver “Lot of them at the northern end of the park But the surveillance caround-level observation So in any event they ht not have picked up the flashes if the shooters were really high up”

“Well, the shots had to coles,” Stone opined

“How do you figure?” asked Riley in a way that made Stone believe thehi, for now

“If they were fired from behind the trees at street level they most likely would have carried past the park and across Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House”

“How do you know they didn’t?”