The Lazarus Moment Read Online Free PDF Page B

tight
security that travelled with the President. With this trip taking him to
Africa, it was felt a little extra “muscle” was warranted, and with the
Russians making noises about the Ukraine policy shift, anything was possible.
    Though
he’d rather be arranging a meeting with Allah for some fundamentalists, he did
have to admit travelling on Air Force One was a thrill. It wasn’t his first
time, and he was sure it wouldn’t be his last in the airplane, though to call
Air Force One an airplane was almost an insult. It was a flying building with offices,
meeting rooms and three decks of luxury and technology, encased in a reinforced
fuselage designed to withstand an EMP pulse from a nuclear detonation, and
operate as its own satellite in the case of war.
    The
President could quite easily run the entire country from the confines of the
aircraft.
    It was a
technological marvel, built by Boeing, customized to the hilt, and operated by
the proud men and women of the United States Air Force.
    Yet
despite all that, he couldn’t wait for this mission to be over. There was
almost no chance of action, and he was itching to kick some ass.
    He eyed
Niner, debating a sparring session, though even that wasn’t possible, training
discouraged on these missions as a fresh black eye never made a good impression.
The President and his handlers didn’t want the world to know they were along,
it perhaps conveying the wrong message to their hosts.
    We
don’t trust you to keep him safe.
    It was
the truth. After all, they were in the country that had allowed a sign language
interpreter who didn’t know how to sign within feet of the most powerful
leaders of the world during Nelson Mandela’s memorial service.
    Security
clearly wasn’t their strong suit.
    Three
more days, then home, then off to some shithole.
    He
smiled slightly.
    Can’t
wait!
    His
phone vibrated.
    Love
you miss you too!
    His
smile widened.
     
     

 
     
    Sheraton Pretoria Hotel, Pretoria, South Africa
    One day before the Air Force One crash
     
    Senior Airman Cameron Lennox moaned, struggling to open his eyes,
the lids feeling like they had bricks hanging from them. He was in a fog, his
head pounding, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
    He felt
hung over.
    Yet that
wasn’t possible.
    He never
drank on duty, and when Air Force One was deployed, he was always on duty.
    He
forced his eyes open. He was in his hotel room. Or was he? It seemed different
somehow. Someone cleared their throat to his right and his head spun toward the
noise.
    He
immediately regretted it, closing his eyes as his head throbbed in protest.
    Somebody
said something. It sounded Russian.
    Oh
shit!
    He
opened his eyes again. Slowly.
    “Senior
Airman Cameron Lennox?”
    Lennox
nodded, the thick accent clearly Russian or Eastern European. “Who are you?”
    “Who I am is of no importance. Who you are is. You are one of the tech
specialists on Air Force One.”
    His
chest tightened, his headache forgotten.
    This
can’t be good.
    He said
nothing.
    The man
smiled.
    He
looks sick.
    “No
matter, we know exactly who you are, what your assignment is, what your duties
are”—the man paused, swiping his finger across the trackpad of a laptop sitting
beside him on a small round table—“and we know who your family is.”
    An image
of his wife and daughter appeared on the laptop and he felt bile fill his
mouth. He tried to stand but found his hands bound behind his back, the pain in
his shoulders from the unnatural position suddenly explained.
    What
happened to me?
    The last
thing he remembered was sitting down to eat the room service he had ordered.
Cheeseburger and fries with extra ketchup on the side. And a Coke.
    They
must have spiked my drink!
    He glanced
around the room and suddenly realized it wasn’t his. None of his stuff was
anywhere to be seen.
    Which
would explain why his roommate wasn’t there.
    Jerry
should be looking for me. They’ll tear the place apart. Just hold out for