Scion by Murray McDonald Page A

it was not a difficult decision.
    “Lock in,” he announced to his assistant rubbing his hands in anticipation.
    ***
    Clark directed the driver to Reagan International. They needed a van. At the second counter, he got what he wanted, a Ford Freestar minivan, blacked out windows and a sliding side door. It had been over forty minutes since he’d called in with Rosie’s number and he would have hoped to have heard back by now. He was beginning to worry; the last thing he wanted was to have to intercept Rosie at Dulles airport.
    “Where to?” asked the driver as he turned the key in the ignition.
    “ Head towards Dulles but don’t rush,” replied Clark willing his phone to ring.
    Five minutes later his wish came true . His phone rang.
    “ Clark,” he answered.
    “Hi, I’ve got the location for you, I’m sending it to your PDA now.”
    “Excellent .” Clark hung up the phone and removed his PDA from his belt. A message pinged into his inbox and as he clicked the link, the screen changed to a map of the area. A red dot designated the location of the target. Clark zoomed in on the location and checked his watch.
    “Tyson’s Galleria and quick, it must be shutting soon ,” he barked.
    He looked at his watch again , it was 7.02 p.m. and it was Sunday. He was no great shopper but he knew shops didn’t stay open after 7 on a Sunday.
    ***
    As Doug rang the purchases through the till, he passed them to Ashley who was carefully packing them in her new Gucci roll-on. One outfit however was kept aside, that was for the airplane. She couldn’t possibly do first class in BR she thought. As Doug ran her credit card through the machine she disappeared into a changing room and donned the new outfit, jeans boots and the most fantastic jacket. Doug really was a star she thought, it all fitted perfectly. As she stepped out of the changing room, she casually glanced at the time.
    “Oh my God! It’s 8 o’clock! I need to get to the airport.”
    She grabbed her bag and began to run for the exit .
    “Wait a minute , I need to let you out,” shouted Doug running after her.
    He ran with her to the main doors where thank God she could see her taxi still waiting for her. She was sure he’d have gone but obviously he was a trusting type. As they walked to the taxi, Doug suddenly threw his hand to his mouth.
    “Oh my God I’ve left your credit card,” he began to turn his head. “Back th…”
    Before he could finish his sentence, his head simply ceased to exist. A second shot thumped through the taxi’s windscreen before lodging itself in the cabby’s forehead. Ashley didn’t even have a chance to scream before the impact on her neck stopped her.
    ***
    “There she is!” shouted Clark.
    The van ’s side door slid back as the marksman took aim with his H&K PSG1A1 sniper rifle, the newest in the line and still the most expensive factory rifle available. One thing that never failed to amaze Unit members were the weapons they had access to. It was almost as though they were a testing ground for new weapons. Almost daily, new toys would be delivered and it seemed nothing was out of their reach.
    T he driver kept the speed steady, knowing exactly how his colleague worked. They had been a team since the day they joined the army, twenty years earlier. One was the spotter and the other the shooter and they still held the Green Beret record for recorded kills.
    As they drew closer , Clark withdrew his gun and took aim at Rosie. As the sniper dealt with the collateral, Clark took care of Rosie.
    “Leave them , just take her!” he shouted as they screeched to a stop next to the taxi.
    With Rosie dumped in the boot, Clark ordered the driver to get them to the helipad. Ten minutes later and with one additional passenger, the minivan was speeding towards Dulles International Airport. It was going to be close.
    ***
    It had been a long day for purser Brian O’Toole. He was supposed to have another day off but had received a call two