THE 13: STAND BOOK TWO by ROBBIE CHEUVRONT AND ERIK REED WITH SHAWN ALLEN Read Free Book Online Page A

side with you.”
    “Right now, he and he alone is in control of our military,” Pemberton said. “This thing is going to go sideways quick. Walker isn’t much of a president. But if push comes to shove, he
will
instruct Sykes to use any means necessary to squash any kind of uprising from within.”
    Irving pursed his lips. “And if Sykes is on your side…”
    “Our side,”
Hayes corrected. “You know this is the right thing to do, Jake.”
    “You can’t just remove a sitting president, Milton,” Irving said condescendingly. “We don’t do that in this country!”
    “This
country
isn’t
this
country, anymore!” Pemberton slammed his fist down on the little table. “It stopped being
this country
the day Walker went on TV and made that speech. Something’s got to be done!”
    Irving pushed back from the table and stood up. Pemberton was afraid they were losing him. “Jake, we need—”
    Irving put his hand out to stop him. “Just—hold on. I need to think.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started walking around the room.
    Hayes looked nervously to Pemberton. If Irving said no, they weren’t done, but it wouldn’t be easy. Pemberton gave him a reassuring nod. Finally, Irving stopped and leaned forward, placing his hands on the table in front of them.
    “You’re going to need someone the people love to replace him.”
    Pemberton could see the grin on Hayes’s face out of the corner of his eye. Irving was in!
    “We already have him,” Pemberton said.
    “Who?” Irving asked.
    Pemberton reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a cigar. He bit the tip off and lit it. He took a long, slow pull and then blew the smoke out in short wisps. “Your son-in-law.”

CHAPTER 8
Washington, DC
    M egan saw Boz and Eli round the corner to Jennings’s office as she was kicking the vending machine in the hall. It was the third time this week it had stolen her money and refused to give up its goods. She gave it one final, hard, front kick and watched the teetering power bar slip out of the metal spiral and fall to the bottom of the machine. She retrieved her prize and hurried down the hall to meet her friends.
    “Did you kill it?” Eli asked as she took a seat next to him.
    “I’m going to shoot the glass next time and just reach in and take one. That stupid thing owes me like a month’s worth of stuff.” She ripped the top of the wrapper off and took a big bite.
    “If you two are done,” Jennings said dryly.
    Everyone sat up straight and gave the CIA director their attention.
    “This morning I got a call from the Prophet. He has Jon.” Jennings held up his hands to stop Boz and Eli from the same barrage of questions Megan had already hit him with. “Let me finish and then you can ask questions.”
    Boz and Eli nodded and Jennings continued, uninterrupted. When he was finished, he leaned back against his desk and shrugged his shoulders.
    “That’s it. Now you know what I know.”
    “So we’re supposed to do…what?” Boz asked.
    “I’ve put a few calls out this morning, trying to see if anyone has heard anything.”
    “And?” It was Boz.
    “And it seems that there are some people who aren’t exactly happy with how President Walker is handling our situation right now.”
    “There’s a lot of people not happy with that,” Boz said.
    “Yes, but apparently whoever this is, is willing to do something about it.”
    “What does that mean?” Eli asked.
    “I don’t know yet,” Jennings said. “I only started digging a couple hours ago. After Quinn called. But I can tell you this. It’s not coming from Washington. I got a guy—Peterson—lives down in Newport News. He’s a former Company guy. Says he heard some things coming out of Raleigh.”
    “What kind of things?” Megan jumped in.
    “Don’t know yet. Says he’s going to get back to me in a little while. But I can tell you this. Peterson may be retired, but he never left.” Then to Boz and Eli, “Know what I