He huddled with Tim Meadows and they dug some more, crawling through various hacked databases, an unofficial journey through official files, hoping to find other digital irregularities. Other than Rusch’s altered electronic medical records file — doctored to contain data belonging to Bryce Upshaw — they found nothing. The identity of the CJIS technician, whose digital wizardry played a crucial role, remained a mystery.
Finally, having reached the conclusion he had done everything in his power, Uzi began to relax. He immersed himself in a new case with Hoshi, and that seemed to help.
But now, standing on the West Portico of the United States Capitol building, amidst the ceremony and splash of the official political event being watched the world over, that sense of disquiet crept back under his skin. The mosquito bite rose again.
“This is the part I lived for,” Whitehall said by his ear. “Franklin Roosevelt was a fortunate man, yes sir. Term limits ought to be abolished, I’ve said it many times. I could’ve gone for a third term, you know. Seventy percent approval rating right up to the end.”
Uzi forced a thin grin, his mind once again running through the details of the case. Searching for that one thing he might have missed.
As Uzi mused unproductively, Vance Nunn stood opposite the judge, his right hand held high and his left resting on the good book. “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution….”
Having repeated the oath, Nunn firmly shook the hand of the Chief Justice, then turned to give Doris a kiss and hug.
Uzi sighed heavily and for some reason — perhaps it was Rudnick’s comment about the need to “move on”—his apprehension caught the next gust and blew away, into the angry gray skies. It was over now, the final period at the end of a long chapter. It wasn’t such a bad day after all, he realized. Democracy was being served — which was, of course, the purpose behind the oath he himself had taken: to uphold the laws of the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
A twenty-one-gun salute marked the change of command as the national anthem roared through the high-powered, stadium-style speakers. Vance Nunn appeared to fight back tears, then saluted the crowd. With Doris at his side, he turned regally to the large walnut podium to deliver his inaugural address. As the masses settled down and took their seats, the teleprompter operator queued up the speech. Nunn dug a hand into his overcoat, rooted out a palm-sized object, and glanced down at it. It was a pocket watch.
A sterling silver pocket watch with a gold-inlaid scorpion.
Acknowledgments
Hard Target required input from professionals in a myriad of fields. Because my research spanned many years, some of their titles might presently be different from what I’ve noted below. I’ve made corrections where known, but otherwise left their positions as they were when I worked with them. Thanks to those individuals, named and unnamed, who gave me access to vital places and information:
Brian Mitchell, Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps, at Quantico Marine Base’s HMX-1. Brian patiently answered all of my questions and reviewed pertinent portions of the manuscript for accuracy relative to the operation and maintenance of the United States’s executive detail’s helicopter fleet (“HMX-1”) and the vice president’s transport, Marine Two. Brian has flown these birds, transporting presidents and vice presidents on missions around the world. He’s walked the walk. I couldn’t have written those chapters without his experience and assistance.
Lee Bassett, Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps, for taking me on a tour of Quantico Marine base — particularly HMX-1. Given the stringent security requirements, this was no simple request.
Melissa Thomas, FBI Special Agent, and John Adams, Joint Terrorism Task Force Special Agent at the Bureau’s Washington Field Office, for a behind-the-scenes tour of their facility, and for Agent Adams’s detailed answers to my logistical and procedural questions.
Mark Safarik, FBI Supervisory Special Agent and Senior Profiler (ret.) at the Bureau’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, for his behavioral analysis guidance and bomber profile information. In addition, his FBI and military contacts and thorough review of the manuscript for procedural accuracy proved invaluable.
Cole W. Cordray, Lieutenant, US Army Crisis Response Team (deceased), and Brian Hains, Special Reaction Team Officer, for sharing their expertise relative to knives, assault rifle weaponry, and their in-depth information on the Sikorsky VH-3 and SuperStallion helicopters.
Robert L. Snow, Captain of Detectives, Indianapolis Police Department homicide unit (and author of The Militia Threat: Terrorists Among Us), for his expertise and invaluable insight on militia psychology, structure, and organization.
Lee McDonald, United States Marine Corps veteran and ordnance expert, for his assistance, suggestions, and manuscript edits relative to explosives and bomb detonation scenarios. Mike Fergus at the FAA for his orientation and information on accident scene investigation. Guyllermo Canedo, Major, United States Marine Corps Headquarters Washington, for information regarding the USMC’s procedures involving crash investigations.
Kai Barkhald, Chief Inspector, for his personal instruction on helicopters. Asking for information on how to blow up the vice president’s helicopter met with… some raised eyebrows. Kai handled the questions with integrity and honesty. And without massive paranoia.
Steve Garrett, US Navy Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief (Diver/Free Fall Parachutist/Fleet Marine Force) (ret.), for his thorough review of the manuscript and for correcting my Special Operations Force terminology and procedures (as well as other military, medical, and governmental agency jargon). Details matter — and Steve’s review made a huge difference in my “getting it right.”
Bill Caldwell, armorer and police officer (ret.), for his knowledge and expertise on ballistics and weaponry, and for reviewing numerous excerpts for accuracy. Gabriel Salgado, former First Sergeant with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for background and information relative to his time with the IDF and the Shin Bet security service.
Marc Usatin, MD, for instructing me on the physiology and treatment of burn injuries. Bill Kitzerow, Lieutenant, Fairfax City Police Department, for being my Virginia and Washington, DC, police presence and “eyes on the ground,” and for helping me select an appropriate location for ARM’s compound. Micheal Weinhaus, ICE Special Agent and former Fairfax County Police Officer First Class, for a thorough tour of the Mason District Station.
Matt Nosanchuk, Senior Counselor to the Assistant US Attorney General, former Assistant US Attorney (Washington, DC), and former Litigation Director and Legislative Counsel for the Violence Policy Center in Washington, for helping me frame the issues relative to the fictional National Firearms Alliance.
Paul Ortega, Emerging Technology Executive at AT&T, and Joy E. Lovell, Client Solution Executive of the IBM eBusiness Hosting Services division, for their assistance with server backup technology.
Jack Nargil, head concierge, director Les Clefs D’or, the Hay-Adams Hotel, and Andrew Crosby, President of Crosby-Volmer Communications, for roof and facility access, information, floorplans, and historical background on the Hay-Adams.