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“Good,” he said after the fifth had spoken, “get in the trucks We’re going to finish this”
Chapter 14
Washington, DC
Outside, in the rounds of the old naval observatory, the shots fro from every direction Rick was the first toOles and Dr Evans down to the ground as he ducked behind the hood of the car A spray of plastic was acco electricity as the e hole punched clean through the center Threeout and Rick heard the server bounce around as shots ricocheted off of thethe drives and causing a loud scrape of round to a halt
“Give ain as he slowly shuffled toward the car Rick ducked do and watched Jacob’s feet as he approached, trying to esti to take when circling around With his rifle sitting on the roof of the car, grabbing it would be a large risk, and one that would likely result in hi a bullet or two in the process
“Jacob, please! You don’t have to do this!” Rick glanced over and saw Oles sitting next to hi at his forht now!”
“No I can’t!” Jacob yelled back, continuing his sloalk toward the car
“Jacob, listen towith Jacob “The endgaet a whole lot worse for everyone in the world You can help us stop it, though!”
Jacob stopped, a few feet from the side of the car’s trunk Rick took a quick peek up through the s and saw the Russian standing there, his body swaying back and forth Dried blood matted his hair and flaked off of his neck as he rubbed a hand across it, and Rick briefly felt bad for hi Rick had given hi short of impressive
“I’h…” Jacob choked up, and Rick could see tears starting to run down his face “They have my family, you know He does He took me in, told me that if the Spetsnaz failed or turned, it would be , deep breath and the shakiness went out of Jacob’s voice “I can’t let that happen”
“Neither can I” Rick peeked out again, seeing that Jacob was focused on the rear of the car, and h to reach for the rifle on the top of the car Metal scraped on ot back into cover just as Jacob turned and fired A spray of safety glass blew over the three men, but Rick didn’t hesitate He scuttled around Dr Evans, ot on his knees, slammed his arle, smooth motion
Oneout It bounced off the walls of the buildings at the observatory, traveled down the empty streets and petered out as it disappeared off into the sky Jacob’s for his head on the trunk of the car before falling into a heap The distant returning echoes of the bullet were the only sounds in the observatory grounds for a long moment until Oles finally cried out
“Damn it, Jacob!” He stood and walked over to his for on in a string of Russian that neither Rick nor Dr Evans could understand While the words were unintelligible to theer, raw and pried the them both feel what Oles felt
Dr Evans slowly approached Oles and put his good arm around him “I’m sorry I know you tere friends It sounds like… like this ht not have been entirely under his control”
Oles shook his head vigorously “No He still bears responsibility It doesn’t matter what they threatened him with… but it was his family” He shook his head, unsure what to think