The Olympus Device: Book Three (7 page)

Mitch nodded, “Complete and utter chaos would break out.”

Sawyer took a deep breath and continued on. “So far, Mr. Weathers has managed to keep the rail gun safe, but no one can count on his luck holding out forever. He may be smart, and the best-armed individual on the planet, but he is only one man. Eventually, some entity will capture him and confiscate the Olympus Device. We want to protect both Mr. Weathers and our nation. That is the government's primary obligation.”

Grace and Mitch fell silent, the doctor studying Sawyer while Grace refocused on the papers.

“When you do make contact with Weathers, please tell him we’re ready to begin good faith negotiations,” instructed Sawyer. “My boss is Noah Rhodes, the White House chief of staff, and the president’s closest advisor. His direct number is noted in those documents. Good day.”

Sawyer pivoted smartly, marching out of the coffee shop without another word.

Mitch peered over at Grace, the shock of the encounter clearly written all over the professor’s face.

“What do you make of that?” he asked, unable to form a more intelligent question.

“Well the documents look legit, and for sure that guy was a fed if I ever saw one.”

“He seemed honest enough,” Mitch speculated. “That, and the fact that he touched on the same concerns we were just speaking of. Dusty can't keep running forever. This could be our one chance to put an end to this.”

Grace returned to the documents. “They want to begin a series of negotiations. They want Dusty’s word that he won’t fire the rail gun anymore, in exchange for the president ordering law enforcement to back down until an agreement has been reached, and the pardon is granted. This seems to be everything we asked for, and more than what I’d ever hoped.”

“Now we just have to find him,” agreed Mitch with a nod.

The two of them sat in silence, digesting the odd encounter with Sawyer. A smile soon formed on Grace’s lips. “Could this finally be over? It almost seems too good to be true.”

“I know what Dusty would say if he were here,” Mitch offered.

“What?”

Mitch tried to lower his voice to imitate Dusty’s earthy drawl. “Watch your back, Grace. You can’t trust anybody with power like this. It corrupts, and that makes men desperate.”

“Dusty would say that, or you?” the lawyer grinned at the relatively accurate impression.

“Both.”

Grace found it difficult to refresh the laptop’s screen, puzzled why her fingers were shaking so badly. Mitch, peeking over her shoulder, noticed her trepidation, but pretended he hadn’t. A brief, momentary grin crossed his face – the only indication of his observation.

A few moments passed, the professor growing more concerned about the woman in front of him. She was a wreck, fidgety and short, clearly on edge.
She’s in love with my brother
, he thought.
She’s worried our contacting him is going to get him killed.

“I promise you we’re not putting Dusty in any danger,” he reassured. “The encryption routine I’m using could foil even the NSA. My brother’s whereabouts are absolutely secure. Even if the president does violate his promise, it won’t do him any good.”

Grace smiled and nodded, having to take the professor’s word for it. She appreciated Mitch trying to make her feel more at ease, but the government going back on its word was the last of her worries. She hadn’t seen Dusty in weeks and was worried about his wellbeing… and his reaction to her.

The computer’s monitor blinked once. Then a small, endless circle of dots appeared in the middle of the display, seeming to rotate for an eternity. “It’s working on the connection,” Mitch informed. “He should be on any second now.”

A few dot-cycles later, Dusty’s face appeared, frowning in concern. “Is this contraption working?” he started to ask, and then he saw Grace’s smile on his end of the connection. “Well, how do, young lady. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

“Dusty,” she managed, unable to unstick the rest of the words she’d practiced since the meeting had been scheduled. “Are… how… I’m so glad to see you,” came the emotional gush.

His smile was genuine, a reassuring twinkle sparking behind his eyes. It was never easy to tell if the Texan was being mischievous or was simply happy. He also looked tired, the dark circles and drawn skin accenting the wrinkles on his face. “It’s good to see you as well, Grace. You have no idea….”

Mitch bent down, his face now in view. “Hey, brother. You look like shit.”

“Thanks, Mitch. It’s good to see you, too.”

It then dawned on Grace and Mitch that Dusty was driving. “Where are you?” the younger Weathers asked.

Grunting a short laugh, Dusty replied, “I’m driving on an interstate in a stolen pickup truck, riding the back bumper of a Greyhound bus. I saw an ad where the buses have free wireless internet. They call it a ‘bolt-bus,’ so I thought I would steal a little free airtime and make it harder for the feds to hunt me down. In for a criminal-penny, in for a felony-pound. Works pretty good I’d say.”

Shaking his head, Mitch had to hand it to his brother. A mobile hotspot would be extremely difficult to trace.

“Dusty, I’d love to sit here and exchange pleasantries all afternoon, but time is of the essence,” Mitch began. “The president’s Blue Ribbon Panel has convinced the White House that they should seriously consider your demands. They want a face to face meeting and will guarantee your safety and freedom during the process.”

The Texan initially frowned, but then the meaning of his brother’s words sank in. “And you trust them, Mitch?”

Grace answered, “No, we don’t trust them at all. That’s why we wanted to talk with you in person, to get your input and feelings on the matter. If you’re holding out okay, and in a relatively safe place, then we can take our time and negotiate from a stronger position. If not, then we need to bring you in as soon as possible.”

Before Dusty could say a single word, Grace knew the answer from his expression. “This isn’t any fun,” came the sad response. “But I can hold out if you two think it’s best.”

It’s killing him
, she realized instantly.
The stress of living on the run has to be a living hell
.   

Mitch saw it, too. “At some point in time we will have to trust them,” the concerned sibling stated. “We’re not going to get that many more concessions by holding out a few weeks longer.”

Dusty’s next words convinced both of his loved ones they were reading him correctly. “A few weeks? I don’t know about a few weeks. Days maybe, but the pressure is starting to wear me down. I’ve been having some pretty rash thoughts lately. I’m getting sick of being on the dodge, and that’s made all the worse by the injustice of it all. I need to leave this decision up to both of you – my thinking hasn’t been real clear as of late. It’s taken a lot of willpower not to tote my little invention to Washington and give them an up-close and personal demonstration of its capabilities.”

“Dusty,” Grace whispered, “please don’t do that. You’re not that kind of man, and we both know it. If you go to the capital, a lot of people will die, and you’ll prove all of these lies they’ve been spreading about you are actually true. Besides, you might be hurt… or worse.”

“A lot of people have already died,” the Texan replied, his low tone a clear indicator of his dark mood. “I can’t help but think about setting things straight… settling the matter once and for all.”

“Okay, brother,” Mitch said, not liking where his sibling was going. “Give us a little bit, and we’ll be in touch the usual way. Stay low and stay cool, and check your traps often.”

“Okay… hurry… please.”

Grace’s breathing stopped for a moment when the screen went dark, her heart not ready to end the conversation. Reality soon overrode her emotions, however, a protective tigress roaring to the surface. “This is preposterous,” she snapped at Mitch. “They’re killing him slowly. This is nothing but torture.”

“I agree. We have to end this soon. I know my brother, and he’s feeling cornered. He’ll come out fighting like a wildcat if he gets pinned down, and the results of that can’t be good. The rail gun is too powerful to be held in unstable, passionate hands – even Dusty’s.”

Grace pulled her cell phone from her purse, looking into Mitch’s eyes as if asking his opinion. The professor nodded.

She pulled up the number from her contacts, double-checking the entry for “WHCOS,” or White House chief of staff.

“Mr. Rhodes’ office,” answered a female voice.

“This is Grace Kennedy, calling in regards to the Durham Weathers matter.”

“Hold on one moment, please. He’s currently in a meeting, but he instructed me to let him know immediately if you called.”

In reality, it was far more than a moment before the president’s chief of staff came on the line. “Miss Kennedy, thank you for calling,” he said smoothly.

“Mr. Rhodes, we’ve been in contact with my client and are prepared to set up a meeting as per the previously discussed terms. There is, however, one additional item we must insist upon. We want the president to declare publicly that the pursuit of Mr. Weathers is to cease and desist immediately. Are we in agreement?”

A slight chuckle sounded across the connection. It gave Grace a chill, the powerful man on the other end apparently thinking Dusty was close to being cornered, or growing weaker. Neither synopsis was positive for their bargaining position. “I’m not authorized to agree to that request, Miss Kennedy,” he finally responded. “I’ll have to take that up with the president, but my read of the man is that he’s not inclined to make a public spectacle of this affair.”

“I’ll wait for your call back then, Mr. Rhodes. Until then, I must inform you that my client is becoming impatient and has even expressed thoughts of visiting Washington to demonstrate his device. I’m sure you’ll agree with me in that such an event would be tragic for all involved.”

Grace knew her statement had the desired effect from the sound of Mr. Rhodes’s nervous swallow. He then cleared his throat before responding, “I’ll be seeing the president in a few minutes. I’ll let you know immediately of his decision.”

“Thank you, sir. But I wouldn’t wait too long. My client is feeling as if he has little to lose and a lot to be gained by visiting the nation’s capital. If there is a delay, I’m not certain even I will be able to reverse his determination to achieve justice… by any means,” Grace warned.

“I understand,” came the clearly worried response. “I’ll be in touch soon,” Rhodes promised as the call was disconnected.

Turning to Mitch, she said, “So, Mr. Professor, how do we hold a meeting and yet protect your brother?”

“I don’t think we need to worry about that,” replied the younger Weathers. “They wouldn’t dare try to arrest Dusty on the spot after the president has given his word publicly. My biggest concern is that they attempt to follow my brother after the event and Shanghai him outside the public eye.”

“And?”

“There’s no sure way to prevent that. We’ll take as many precautions as we can, but they have satellites, military aircraft, and all sorts of assets we probably don’t even know exist. If they want to play dirty, there’s very little we can do to stop them.”