Chapter 21 - Ninety Minutes to Washington
The helicopter lifted from Hawthorne carrying Tessa, Vance, Ruiz, and Evelyn.
Washington lay seventy minutes away.
Keene’s convoy was already closer.
Capitol Police evacuated the hearing room quietly to avoid panic.
But Tessa knew evacuation alone might not stop him.
Keene understood security protocols.
He had helped design some of them.
“He expects evacuation,” she said.
Vance looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because a visible threat draws security away from the real target.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“He used diversion attacks in Afghanistan.”
Ruiz pulled up congressional schedules.
“The hearing includes eleven senators and twelve representatives.”
“Who else?”
“Deputy Defense officials. Contractors. Inspector General staff.”
Tessa scanned the names.
One stood out.
Daniel Mercer.
Acting Deputy Secretary after Crane’s shooting.
“Mercer,” Evelyn whispered.
“You know him?”
“He joined the Circle fifteen years ago.”
“Keene’s faction?”
“Originally.”
“Originally?”
“He tried to leave.”
Tessa understood.
“Keene isn’t targeting Congress.”
“He’s targeting Mercer.”
They contacted Capitol Police.
Mercer was moved into a secure underground location.
Twenty minutes later, Keene’s vehicle was spotted entering Washington.
Then lost.
Tessa’s helicopter landed at Joint Base Anacostia.
An armored convoy carried them toward Capitol Hill.
Traffic had been restricted.
Sirens echoed through the city.
Ruiz stared at her tablet.
“I found the remote trigger network.”
“Can you disable it?”
“Maybe.”
“That is not a comforting word.”
“We need the device first.”
Capitol bomb teams searched the hearing facility.
Nothing.
No explosive.
No suspicious package.
Vance looked frustrated.
“He planted it somewhere else.”
Tessa studied Keene’s operational file again.
Building schematics.
Evacuation routes.
Explosive calculations.
One map showed utility tunnels.
“These tunnels connect the Capitol complex to federal office buildings.”
Ruiz enlarged the map.
“Mercer’s secure evacuation room is directly above one.”
Tessa grabbed her radio.
“Move Mercer now!”
Static.
Communications jammed.
Keene had activated a local interference system.
Tessa ran.
She and Vance entered a service stairwell leading underground.
Evelyn followed despite Tessa’s protests.
The tunnel smelled of concrete and dust.
They reached an intersection.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Gunfire erupted.
Vance shoved Tessa behind a pillar.
The attacker fired again.
Tessa returned two shots.
He fell.
A second attacker ran.
Evelyn fired once.
The man dropped his weapon and surrendered.
“Where’s Keene?” Tessa demanded.
The attacker laughed nervously.
“You’re too late.”
A digital timer on the wall illuminated.
12:00.
Eleven minutes, fifty-nine seconds.
Ruiz examined the device.
“This isn’t the bomb.”
“What is it?”
“A network timer.”
Meaning every explosive connected to Keene’s system would detonate simultaneously.
“Can you stop it?”
“Not from here.”
“Where?”
Ruiz checked the signal.
“Source is moving closer.”
A rumble echoed through the tunnel.
Vehicle engine.
Tessa stared down the darkness.
Headlights appeared.
A black armored SUV stopped fifty yards away.
The driver’s door opened.
Adrian Keene stepped out.
He wore body armor beneath a civilian coat.
His silver hair was immaculate.
He looked almost relieved.
“Tessa.”
She aimed her rifle.
“It’s over.”
Keene smiled.
“No.”
He raised a device.
“In ten minutes, twelve federal buildings lose emergency power. Three communications hubs burn. And Daniel Mercer dies.”
“You built the Circle to protect America.”
“I built it to control chaos.”
“You became the chaos.”
Keene’s smile disappeared.
“You sound exactly like your father.”
“Good.”
Keene lifted the detonator.
Tessa’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Then Evelyn stepped from cover.
“Adrian.”
Keene froze.
For the first time, genuine emotion crossed his face.
“Evelyn.”
She lowered her weapon.
“You wanted me.”
Tessa whispered, “Don’t.”
Evelyn ignored her.
“I’ll give you the archive codes.”
Keene stared.
“In exchange for stopping the timer.”
He laughed.
“You always were sentimental.”
“No.”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“I’m tired of watching you destroy everything we once believed in.”
Keene raised the detonator.
“So am I.”
Then a shot cracked through the tunnel.
The detonator flew from his hand.
General Vance had fired.
Keene dove behind the SUV.
The countdown continued.
Seven minutes.
May you like
Tessa ran toward the armored vehicle.
The final battle had begun.
