Rogue Threat Read Online Free PDF

Hellerman added under his breath as Matt was opening the door.
    Matt stopped and looked over his shoulder at him, catching the sour look on the vice president’s face. What is he talking about?
    “Excuse me, sir?”
    Hellerman looked at Matt. “Just talking to myself. Damn people in this country are so complacent. Take everything for granted. Not even two years removed from Nine-eleven, and we’re back to our old ways—political infighting, stupid debates about the Iraq war—and everyone’s so consumed with themselves. No sacrifice, except the military.” Hellerman stopped a moment and then looked at Matt.
    “You know, the other day I was at Fort Bragg talking to a soldier who told me, ‘Sir, the military’s at war; the country’s at the mall.’ Pretty insightful.”
    Matt shrugged. Privates usually had a pretty good perspective on life, he thought. Rang true. Still, he kept his mouth shut as he watched the smoke clear off the vice president for a moment and then turned toward the Gulfstream.
    “You ever read Rostow?” Hellerman’s question caught Matt off guard.
    “Maybe once,” Matt said, lifting his duffel bag, and looking over his shoulder.
    “Think about the term secular spiritual stagnation . Then we’ll talk.”
    Matt nodded, barely interested, then leaned back into the Suburban and said to Meredith, “Nice to see you. You look good.” It was all he could allow himself.
    He saw a brief flash of the woman he had once known. It was a moment of recognition in her face. He didn’t know if her eyes were wistful . . . or pleading. He knew full well, though, that heady politics had vaulted her into a new circle that, perhaps, she had been gunning for all along. Or maybe she was operating in a realm for which she was unprepared. Either way, she had broken off the engagement four months earlier and had become aloof. Not fully understanding what had happened between them hurt the most. The moment was an awkward one—the vice president between them. Matt felt the pluck of a banjo string in his heart and then did the only thing he could do. He turned and walked up the steps.
    He ducked as he entered the small airplane and nodded to the two Air Force officers who would fly him to Fort Bragg. One was blond with blue eyes and looked like he had just graduated from the academy the day before. He wore lieutenant’s bars. The other was a bit older, more ethnic-looking, and with eyes staring at his cockpit instruments, focused on his preflight routine. He was a captain, and Matt presumed, in charge of the flight. He noticed a cell phone sitting in the pilot’s lap and a Bluetooth headset in his ear like some Star Trek device.
    As Matt turned into the small, eight-seat cabin, he was greeted with another surprise.
    “How’s the arm, slugger?”
    “I’ll live,” Matt said with a shrug, standing next to Peyton’s seat, duffel in hand.
    “The vice president asked me to accompany you. I couldn’t get out of it.”
    Matt surmised that she didn’t seem too disappointed.
    “Well, name’s Matt Garrett,” he said, sticking a large hand out and giving hers a quick shake. “Don’t think I ever formally introduced myself.”
    She looked at him briefly and squeezed his hand. “Peyton O’Hara.”
    “Nice grip,” he said, offering her a polite smile.
    He walked to the back of the small airplane, sat down, put his duffel in the seat next to him, patted the weapon beneath his jacket, leaned back, and shut his eyes.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 3
     
    Matt had fallen asleep during takeoff. He was awakened by what he thought was turbulence but was actually Peyton O’Hara dumping his feet off of the facing leather chair so that she could sit down across from him.
    “While I’ve flown helicopters before, I get bored stiff riding in the back of these things, so let’s talk,” she said.
    “Helicopters?” he asked, motioning to the seat across from his.
    She stared at him as the Air Force