The Gambit by Allen Longstreet Read Free Book Online

phone struggling to whisper as if I wouldn’t hear. I decided to ignore her. What use would it be trying to stop her? I was wanted, but yet I’d done nothing wrong. This was a fuck up.
    “Ma’am,” I asked the barista as I reached the counter. She flinched as if I was going to jump over the counter and hurt her.
    “Seriously? You were just flirting with me a minute ago.”
    “That was before I knew you were a terrorist…and helped kill all of those innocent people,” she whimpered.
    “You really believe that bullshit? I had nothing to do with that attack. I hope everybody in here hears that too!” I said, raising my voice.
    “What do you want from me?” she asked, with tears filling the corners of her eyes.
    “Just give me a pen, or actually, give me a Sharpie. Do you have one?”
    She tossed the Sharpie on the counter and turned away from me. I grabbed it angrily and turned around to walk out of the shop.
    Amazing how people are so quick to believe the media . I shook my head in distaste and adrenaline began to surge as I realized the situation I was being thrown into. What do I do?
    I pulled out my phone and began writing down phone numbers on the inside of my forearm. Dad, Cole, my office, my ex . As popular of a figure I was in Washington, I had only four numbers worth keeping. Life as a workaholic was a lonely one.
    I had to call someone. God forbid they caught me before I could make a statement. Maybe I should call the press? I wondered if they would believe me, that this was all a false conclusion. Alexei Malchikov was wearing our colors . The pit in my gut began to grow and constrict with tension. Why would a terrorist be wearing our colors? The thought kept resurfacing over and over again.
    I quickly dialed the number to my office.
    Ring…Ring…Ring…Ring…
    A month before the election and they didn’t answer in three rings? They knew better than that.
    “Convergence Party Headquarters, this is Nicolas.”
    “Damn it, Nic, it’s about time you picked up! It’s Owen.”
    “Owen! No shit, have you seen the news? There’s no way anyone in this office believed that’s true. Such bullshit, someone is out to get us. Are you all right?”
    “Well, besides my injury, my second cup of coffee got interrupted by finding out I was a wanted criminal.”
    “Don’t worry, Owen. We are going to find a way to figure out what happened. Cole is still in the ICU, by the way.”
    My heart sank from hearing his condition had not improved.
    “I saw him through the glass, in the hospital this morning. It doesn’t look too good.”
    “Yeah, it’s absolute chaos in here right now. The phones are going off the hook. People are wanting to know about your involvement with the attack.”
    “What is your answer for that?” I pressed.
    “That Owen Marina had nothing to do with the bombs. That this is some mistake.”
    “Good,” I answered. “Stay strong, Nic.”
    “I will, boss.”
    The call disconnected. I suddenly saw three black Tahoes and two police Chargers screech around the corner of the street, maybe a half-mile away.
    “No fucking way…” I murmured.
    My fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. I put on my helmet and sprinted to my bike. I hit the ignition switch and skidded out in front of the shop.
    The sirens grew louder behind me.
    I have to outrun them .
    I turned right onto M Street, then immediately onto 30th St. NW. I glanced in my mirrors, and the Chargers were getting closer.
    Accelerating in second gear, I approached K Street with frightening speed. Please don’t let me get hit . I whipped left onto K Street and an SUV blared their horn—I barely missed being clipped. I pulled the throttle. The torque threw me back into a wheelie and I balanced it all the way up the on-ramp onto Rock Creek Parkway. Glancing back again, I saw them merging on the Parkway.
    Goodbye . I slammed back down on two wheels and shifted into higher gear. My speedometer quickly raced over one hundred, and I didn’t