Decency (50 page)

“My friend, trust me now, hear? If that’s you and the Pierces in three cars near their house, stop. Honk you’ horn. Flash you’ lights. Just do stop right in the road!”

The State Patrol Swat Team vans pulled into the intersection without their lights on, just ahead of Harlan getting there, spun gravel and accelerated down the road in front of the house.

Finding no screwdriver right away, Fitzgerald took an assortment of knives with him back to the living room.

The HRT trucks pulled into the driveway, killed their engines and glided to a stop. The members from the first trucks spread in a circle around the house on the side from which Fitzgerald approached. The members from the second circled around opposite. The members from the third split into two groups. One with Sandoval in the lead went to the back door. The other went to the front door.

Fitzgerald was so intent on the jack plate he paid no heed to the sound of cars passing in front.

“What, Senator?”

“You be honkin’, flashin,’ and stoppin’ my friend?”

“No…I mean, all right.”

The Senator and the Situation Room heard the honking through his phone. The action team barely made out the brightening and dimming lights on the satellite display.

Fitzgerald heard it too.

…lunatic local beer swillers…

Harlan had seen the vehicles pass in front of him at the intersection and slowed involuntarily, wary of the haywire goings on with five trucks and vans zipping around with their lights off and the crazy thump music clumping throughout the country side.

Captain Schneider’s lead van sailed past the driveway, on to the intersection of the road where Fitzgerald’s car sat with its lights ablaze, slowed and turned toward it.

The second van slowed at the driveway. The rear door opened, one man stepped out and stationed himself in the driveway, just feet away from the road. The door shut, the van proceeded on to the intersection, slowed, and turned.

The first van arrived at the car and angled to a stop blocking an escape to the rear. The door opened and four members spilled out and spread down the road, then crossed the ditch and advanced toward the house.

The driver of the first van opened the door, jumped out and punctured the tires on the passenger side only with a knife, to force it into the ditch if driven, then crossed the road and took a station at the fence just north of the tree line, where Fitzgerald had minutes before crossed over.

“Okay, Senator I’m stopping them. They’ve slowed down enough for me to pass.”

The honking irritated Fitzgerald.

…so close to getting the jack plate off…