Terror Rising: Book 0 – The Insurgence by Roger Hayden Read Free Book Online

worse.”
    Drake slammed his hand on the desk,
startling Angela. Martinez, however, didn’t flinch. “Let’s get one
thing clear, Captain Martinez. You’re in hot water right now. So
you may just want to back off a little and get your head
together.”
    “We’re being overrun by terrorists!”
Martinez said. “Not all of them are coming over the border. A lot
of them come here on visas. Some on asylum status. They’re here,
and we need to take this shit seriously, starting now.”
    For a moment the room went
silent as the two men stared at each other. Drake leaned back in
his squeaky office chair and tented his hands. “I’ve been doing
this job for some time now, Captain Martinez. And I know what we’re
out there looking for. Terrorism is no exception. We’re entrusted
to protect this border, and we can’t very well do that to the best
of our abilities when the department is ensnared in an internal investigation.” He paused and pointed
at Martinez. “When you’re told to wait for backup, that’s what you
do! We may never know who those men are affiliated with
now.”
    “We got an ID on the intact body, right?”
Martinez asked, cutting in.
    Drake jerked his chair
forward and leaned over his desk. “The FBI are examining his body
right now with the coroner’s. But , if everything else of value was
in that truck and it’s all gone now…”
    “I did nothing wrong,” Martinez said. “We’re
authorized to pursue suspicious acts as we see them.”
    “I hope you’re right,” Drake said. “Despite
what you think, I’m on your side. I take the side of any of my
agents.” He paused to clear his throat and then looked sternly at
both Angela and Martinez. “You’re both dismissed. We’ll pick this
up tomorrow. But you better be ready for it. And please… drop the
martyr act.”
    Martinez rose slowly from his chair with a
deep breath, not saying anything. Angela looked around the room
nervously. She wanted nothing more than to bolt for the exit and go
home. Martinez turned to the door as Angela stood.
    “Have a good night, sir,” she said to the
chief.
    “You too. Get some rest, Agent Gannon,” he
said.
    It was dark outside the office window, and
Angela was stunned to see how much time had passed. She followed
Martinez as he walked out.
    She closed the door behind her and tried to
catch up with Martinez, who was already halfway down the hall. Most
of the cubicles they passed were empty, though a few offices were
occupied along the way.
    “You need to quit leaving me behind,” she
said to Martinez as she caught up.
    “Huh?” he said, walking fast with his eyes
forward.
    “You left me on that hill earlier. By the
time I got out of the car, you were half way down.”
    He swung his head to the side, glaring as
though he was about to rip into her, but instead, his face went
calm with an indication of remorse. “I’m sorry about that.”
    “It’s okay,” she said. “I just want to make
sure we’re looking out for each other.”
    “We are. I’ve got your back, don’t
worry.”
    From the hall, they entered a lobby with two
agents sitting at the desk, both rookies, pulling security. The
agents raised their heads in surprise.
    “You have something you want to say?”
Martinez shot back, defensively.
    “Not at all, sir. Have a good night,” the
younger of the two men said.
    “You too,” Martinez said as they walked past
and pushed open the glass double doors.
    The night air was dry but refreshing, much
cooler than before. Under the parking lot lights, Border Patrol
vehicles were neatly aligned in rows. A line of black SUVs took up
one lane across the way. All were backed in and ready to go.
Angela’s car, a gray four-door 2014 Toyota Camry, was parked in the
employee lot in the corner next to Martinez’s Jeep.
    “Don’t worry about any of this,” he said as
their boots clicked along the pavement in the quiet night. “We’ll
get it all worked out tomorrow.”
    She wanted to believe