CHAPTER ELEVEN
12:10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Joint Base Andrews
Prince George’s County, Maryland
The small blue jet with the US Department of State logo on the side moved slowly onto the taxiway and made a sharp right turn. Already cleared for takeoff, it quickly accelerated down the runway, left the ground, and climbed steeply into the clouds. Within another moment, it angled sharply left toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Inside the plane, Luke and his team easily fell back into old habits—they used the front four passenger seats as their meeting area. They stowed their luggage and their gear in the seats at the back.
They were leaving later than he had intended. The holdup was because Luke had gone to see Gunner at school. He had promised his son that he would never leave without telli
