That evening Kathy and Jack were enjoying coffee and watching the news after an excellent chicken curry dinner. They both leaned forward when the anchor said the FBI and New York Police had arrested a major terrorist group in New York City. Two of the terrorists had been killed in a gun battle, one is in custody and the fourth is at large. The Director of the FBI stated this group had planned several major bombing acts in New York City. Explosives and detonators, as well as several weapons and a large sum of money, were discovered in a small warehouse rented by the terrorists. Their names are being withheld as usual in the case of an ongoing investigation. Details describing the fourth bomber will be released to the public shortly, and the NYPD asked anyone with information about this person to please call a hotline number.

Kathy said, “It’s a slam dunk the escapee was Yuri’s New York cell leader, the one he calls Primus.”

Jack said, “Damnit! I wish they hadn’t missed him. If he’s fanatic enough, he may still go through with part of the bombing plan.

“You can bet this killer has a backup plan and a hole to run to. If this guy is the professional of the group, the cops and the FBI aren’t going to find him in time. By now he has changed his appearance and identity. We need to get involved.”

Kathy thought for a moment and said, “I’ll check over everything we have in Yuri’s records. Maybe we can set him up.”

Jack said, “We need to head north soon. If al-Qaeda has my father’s name, they can locate this house. I’ll put it on the market and get the Minhs out of here. They have earned their retirement.”

Kathy said, “Anita can travel tomorrow as long as she can stretch out her leg. Her doctor said she should watch for a late blooming infection. Anyway, he wanted her out of the hospital. It’s too easy to pick up an infection there. We need a bigger car. How about a Cadillac SRX? I always check the car ads. A big GM Cadillac dealer is in Jacksonville. I’m sure they will give us a decent trade-in. What do you think?”

“Go for it, as long as you do the dealing. I’ll give you a blank signed check. Make sure the car has a good place for Shadow.”

The Minhs were charged with closing up the house. Jack emptied his father’s secret closet and used long screws to seal the bookcase door to the empty arms closet. He boxed up the weapons with some office equipment and sent them with the moving van. The small amount of C4 remaining was burned. The furniture Jack wanted was marked for the moving company to put in storage in McLean. Everything else was left for the Minhs to use or sell.

The next morning Kathy went to Jacksonville to buy a Cadillac and to pick up Anita at the hospital, while Jack helped the Minhs pack up the house. It was almost noon when Kathy and Anita pulled up in a black Cadillac SRX. Jack was ready to go.

Anita moved pretty well on her new crutches. She gave Jack a hug and told him now she really hated snakes. Jack loaded Shadow and Anita into what Anita called the walking wounded wagon. Kathy slipped in behind the wheel for the 12-hour drive north up Route 95.

***

Buy “Justice Beyond Law” on Amazon, as well as the rest of the Jack Brandon series and other books by Barry Kelly, a former CIA agent and adviser to President Reagan.