Page 89 of A Lethal Betrayal

A jet came out of the hangar and turned away from them. It was heading for the runway. They roared up to the hangar and screamed to a stop. Dane hopped out and ran around the SUV to catch Manu just as he was getting into the car.

“Where are the motherboards?” he yelled.

Manu stared at him before a slow smile lit his face. Then he cleared his features and said, “Dane! What are you guys doing here?”

“We know everything, you little shit. The motherboards. Are they on the plane?”

Manu stared at him, looking perplexed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Dane wanted to hit him so badly his hand itched. “Drop the fucking act. It’s over.”

“I still have no idea.”

Dane turned away. The jet was rolling toward the runway. Cain was on his phone, trying to get the jet stopped. “The tower has issued a hold order, but they’re still going.”

“Shit.” Dane stood there, rage and helplessness roaring through him. “What are we gonna do?”

“We can try and get ahead of them on the runway,” Tac said.

“Too late.” Cain pointed at the jet that had already turned onto the runway.

Dane whirled around and went nose-to-nose with Manu. The kid reared back but was trapped against the car.

“What's wrong? What’s going on?” he demanded, still doing his innocent act.

Dane leaned in. “You know what, kid? You think you’re safe because you’ve killed everyone that had any evidence against you. You think you’re gonna get away with this, but what you haven’t accounted for is National Security. See, we have enough circumstantial evidence to say we suspect you are a threat, a fucking domestic terrorist. Know what that means? No trial. No jail. Just some deep dark hole somewhere until the CIA decides what to do with you. They can keep you there for years. National security threat. No lawyer in the world can get you out of that one.

Manu’s eyes narrowed just before the sound of the jet engines increased to a roar.

“I’m not lying to you, kid. Are the motherboards on that airplane? Yes or no. Your future depends on it.”

Dane didn’t blink. He didn’t flinch. He stared into Manu’s soul and sent his message. This little shit was not getting away with selling out his country on top of killing a lot of people.

Fear crept into Manu’s features. His eyes started darting around. Sweat broke out on his upper lip. The roar of the jet engines hit a new level of brutal.

Manu gave the smallest of nods.

“They’re on the plane,” Dane yelled as he moved away from Manu. He needed distance, or he’d hurt the kid.

Cain yelled, “Bertrand says stop the plane.”

The jet was picking up speed as it taxied away. Sinclair was closest to the SUV. He hopped into the driver’s seat while Dane dove into the passenger side and Koa jumped in the back. They took off across the access road and through the grass before swinging onto the runway.

Sinclair gunned it until they were next to the plane. He hit the horn, trying to get the pilot’s attention. But nothing.

Cain’s voice came through the earbud. “You’re running out of runway. Stop that goddamn plane from taking off.”

Dane brought up his gun. “We have to stop the plane. Koa, take out the tires. I’ll hit the engine.”

Koa snorted as he pulled out his weapon. “We’re so screwed after this. Firing on a US Senator is going to make us cellmates with the kid.”

They put down the windows and opened fire. The tires deflated and then the rubber started to peel off, hurtling through the air like steel-belted missiles. The airplane weaved on the runway, but they kept going. Dane laid down another spray of bullets and the engine caught fire.

Sinclair hit the brakes as the plane veered in their direction. But then the jet swung back toward the middle of the runway. It was slowing down, and Sinclair kept well back. One engine was engulfed in flames. Then there was an explosion and bits of metal went everywhere. The airplane crashed onto the right-side wing and came to an abrupt halt.

Sinclair pulled up about thirty feet away, and they all got out. Dane ran to the door just as it opened. Weston came out first. Then a couple of people in suits. Next were the pilots. “That it?”

The pilot nodded.

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