Nobody’s Hero (Ben Koenig #2)

Chapter 113

‘F-35s in the air means everything else gets grounded,’ Koenig said. ‘That includes us.’

‘Smerconish has already done it,’ Draper said, nodding. ‘The entire West Coast is on the ground. It’s so the F-35s have manoeuvrability. He can’t cancel attack runs because some asshole in Vegas is flying his i hate fountains blimp over the Bellagio.’

‘Which is why we can’t land.’

‘Why is that, Ben?’ Carlyle asked. ‘I think the best thing we can do is try to talk sense into whoever is in charge down there.’

‘We can’t land because Tas is exactly where he planned to be, and right now, Smerconish is doing exactly what he wants him to. Grounding flights is an entirely predictable move. Tas has anticipated it. And if he’s anticipated it, it means he wants it. If we bench ourselves, we become irrelevant. Smerconish will never allow us to take off again.’

‘What do you suggest?’ Draper asked.

‘We don’t bench ourselves,’ Koenig said. ‘We stay in the air. Become a variable. Something Tas hasn’t planned for.’

‘We need to land somewhere, though. We can’t keep circling the airport like a fly buzzing a turd.’

‘How long to Lake Mead?’

‘An hour, give or take,’ she said. ‘But there isn’t a runway we could use at Mead. Smerconish has instructed the FAA to close all airfields, not just the major ones. We’re only authorised to land at Harry Reid.’

Koenig looked blankly at her.

‘It’s what McCarran is called now. Flights scheduled to arrive in the next thirty minutes can still land, everything else has been turned around. And it doesn’t matter where we land, we have no way of getting to Lake Mead. Even the Grand Canyon choppers have been grounded. And yes, we can hire a car, but we wouldn’t get within ten miles of the lake. Smerconish is locking it down.’

Koenig’s brow furrowed. Draper was right. It didn’t matter where they landed; Smerconish wasn’t going to let them anywhere near where they needed to be. Maybe the best thing would be to force a landing in San Diego. Find Smerconish. Make him understand the Hoover Dam didn’t work as a target. Explain the whole thing was a game of chess. And Tas wasn’t just controlling the board; he was the only one who knew how the pieces moved. Which reminded Koenig of a famous quote: The best chess move is the one your opponent least wants you to make . And right now, Tas was in the middle of a lake where everyone could see him. Smerconish thought he had him in check. Didn’t realise Tas was ten moves ahead. That he was about to spring an elaborate trap.

And when he did . . . checkmate.

Carlyle was right: convincing Smerconish he was wrong about Tas was the best move. But was it the move Tas least wanted him to play? Koenig didn’t think so. He thought Tas wanted him grounded. Tas didn’t want to worry about Koenig being the spectre at his feast. He didn’t want him out there, somewhere. Still in play. Planning something . . . unorthodox . Something he hadn’t thought of.

But Tas and Margaret had been planning this for years. They’d thought of everything.

Hadn’t they?

It didn’t matter where they landed; Smerconish wasn’t going to let them anywhere near Lake Mead . . . That was the key. Getting to the lake without Smerconish stopping them. If Koenig could get out onto the water, they were in the game. They had a chance.

‘Hey, assholes,’ Nash shouted. ‘Any chance of getting some service over here? I haven’t had my peanuts yet.’

Nash had lost blood. She’d been waterboarded. She had a bullet in her ankle and her fingers were broken. She’d be dehydrated. Koenig bet she was bored too. She wasn’t the centre of attention. Probably wasn’t used to that.

‘I’ll go,’ Koenig said. He got out of his seat and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. He twisted the cap as he approached her.

‘How you doing?’

‘Great,’ she said. ‘I’ve never been on a private plane before.’

‘Want some water?’

She rolled her eyes. ‘No, I want you to throw me out of the window,’ she said. ‘Of course I want a drink.’

Koenig took a seat and put the bottle to her mouth. She slurped at it greedily.

‘It’s not very cold,’ she said.

‘Everyone’s a critic.’

‘I’ll come for you, you know. I’ll come for all of you.’

Petulant.

Koenig smiled. ‘Maybe I should throw you out of the window.’

‘Maybe you should throw yourself out. Save yourself the pain that’s coming.’

Which gave Koenig an idea.

Something Tas wouldn’t expect.

Out of left field.