The 4Runner was thrown out into the street, sideswiping the rearmost police car and knocking the cruiser into a parked car on the other side of Q Street, where it blocked the cramped Georgetown street. Daniel heard several gunshots as Parker steadied the SUV, which accelerated down Q Street, structurally undamaged after miraculously sailing through a cramped city corner at over 50 miles per hour. Farrington fired three extended bursts with his assault rifle down the street at the maneuvering police cars, showering the SUV's cab with spent brass.
Petrovich had been tossed around the front seat like a rag doll, but beyond a few additional bruises and the growing pain around his lower ribcage, he was fine. He turned in his seat immediately, aiming his gun toward the rapidly shrinking police cars at the intersection. He knew it would take them time to bypass the disabled police vehicle blocking the road. Farrington remained braced against the center of the second row bench seat, his assault rifle steadied against the middle headrest, aiming back toward the receding blue lights.
Petrovich reached out and slapped him on the shoulder. "Nice shooting," he said, truly impressed with the colonel's performance. "And nice driving," he added, nodding to Parker.
Colonel Farrington glanced back at Daniel with an impassionate face. "The mission failed," he uttered.
"We're fine,” Parker said. “The general said he made an arrangement that far exceeded his expectations for the day. He called your raid a success, and he doesn't say that kind of shit unless he means it." Parker turned right onto 35th Street, heading north.
He kept the SUV on the road for a few seconds, then killed the lights and turned left, departing the road, and driving across a Georgetown University soccer field. He continued straight across the field as police cars turned right at the intersection, following their path, but continued past the soccer field, heading north on 35th Street.
"This should buy us a few minutes," said Parker.
"Let me guess. You're specialty is getaway car driver?" said Daniel.
"Aggressive Mobile Escape and Evasion," replied Parker.
"Things have changed since you graduated from the program. It's a little more sophisticated," said Farrington, still turned toward the back of the vehicle.
"Barely," Petrovich said, and turned forward in his seat, putting on his seatbelt.
The 4Runner reached a small parking lot on the other side of the field, and more police cars raced north on 35th. Parker stopped momentarily, and they listened to the city's emergency services mobilize. Fire truck and police car sirens filled the late evening quiet with a sense of urgency.
"So, now what?" Petrovich asked.
"First priority is finding a new ride,” Parker commented.
"I assume one of you knows how to hotwire a car?" said Petrovich.
"That's why we brought you along," said Parker.
"You're kidding me. Neither of you can jump a car? I'm going to have talk to Sanderson about his curriculum."
"I think he had something like that in mind. Full time," said Parker.
"I bet," said Petrovich.
They stepped out of the battered 4Runner into a humid, but temperate night on the Georgetown campus.
"You might want to take off that ski mask," said Farrington, grinning at him over the hood.
"Right. Probably not the best way to fit in on campus," Daniel replied, tossing the mask back into the truck through the open window.
They sanitized the SUV, taking all communications gear and armament. Farrington hefted a black backpack filled with spare ammunition magazines and explosives over his shoulder, while Parker stuffed Daniel's backpack with the remaining loose radios. Each of them removed their communications rig, detaching their throat microphones and earpieces, and stuffed them in Daniel’s pack. They considered torching the SUV, which was standard operating procedure, but decided against drawing the unnecessary attention. The police wouldn't find anything useful in the vehicle beyond some DNA, which at this point didn't really matter.
Petrovich and Farrington would soon find themselves on the FBI's most wanted list, and Parker would join them in a specialized subcategory of known associates to General Terrence Sanderson. All of them would be permanently out of the country as soon as practical.
"I went to school here. We should cut south, and head toward student housing. We can find a suitable vehicle down there," said Farrington, and they headed down the center of the parking lot toward some of the taller buildings.
"Georgetown? Not bad. Northwestern. What about you Parker?"
"Cornell. Rich, you might want to tuck that M-4 away better."
Farrington did his best to conceal the assault rifle under a short brown jacket. The barrel still protruded a few inches from the bottom, but to the untrained eye, it would likely go unnoticed. Unfortunately, three serious looking men in their mid to late thirties, strolling through an undergraduate college campus at one in the morning would likely result in a 911 call. They would need to find a new vehicle fast.
They walked among the trees between a large two-story gray building and tennis courts, headed toward a sparsely populated parking lot. Daniel did his best to keep up with the two men, despite a throbbing knee and the side splitting pain of two broken ribs. He would need medical attention soon, to make sure he had no internal bleeding from the fractured ribs. Right now, he focused on finding a car.
So far, they hadn't seen anyone on campus. A five-story residence hall loomed over the parking lot, and Daniel began to wonder if the campus might be an unlikely place to find a car this late in the spring. Most of the students would be finished with classes, and the campus should be relatively deserted. He didn't want to head back out onto the streets of Georgetown at the moment. The college campus felt insulated, though it wouldn't take the police long to discover their deception.
"Georgetown and Cornell? I feel like the underachiever. How did three smart guys get mixed up in this kind of shit?"
"Are you always this chatty?" said Farrington.
"Usually."
"Great, and we have a three hour car ride ahead of us."
"Where to?" Daniel asked, and stopped, bringing the rest of his entourage to a halt.
"South. We don't have time to stop and discuss this. We need to keep moving," replied Parker.
"I'll be headed in the opposite direction," said Petrovich, scanning the trees and benches around them.
"Sanderson wants to keep us all in one place, and debrief us together. We still have a long way to go before we're in the clear," said Parker.
Daniel weighed his options, and decided that he'd been through enough today on behalf of General Sanderson. He could join up with Sanderson's crew a little later, after he had time to discuss their predicament with Jessica. He had no idea where the rest of the day might lead them. He and Jessica might decide to follow a path separate from Sanderson. One thing was certain: he needed to get out of Sanderson's gravitational field to think straight. He'd been attached to invisible strings for the past two days, and needed a chance to move around on his own. Mostly, he needed to see Jessica.
"I think this is where we part ways, for now. I need to take care of something a lot more important than Sanderson's timeline. I'll be in touch," he said, and continued down the small hill along a red brick walkway toward the parking lot, keeping his eye on both of the general's operatives.
"Sanderson's orders were specific," Parker said, casting a furtive glance at Farrington.