I looked at Barnaby.
I looked at Mom’s observation room.
I looked at Uncle David:
“Uncle David,” Colonel Elena Mercer whispered softly into the quiet vault:
“Warm up the White Hawk.”
“Tell the grand jury in Washington that the Daughter has returned from Qatar.”
“The husband is in his cage.”
“The mother-in-law is in chains.”
“The mother is defended.”
“The uniform held true.”
“The ledger has been opened.”
“Now…”
She clicked the titanium key against the transponder cylinder with a clean, sharp, definitive *SNAP*:
“…we’re flying to the Supreme Court to audit the Chief Justice.”
CHAPTER 6: THE STRATOSPHERE OVER THE POTOMAC
01:14 AM Eastern Standard Time.
The twin General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshaft engines of the Sikorsky VH-60N White Hawk—cleared directly through Flight Restricted Zone P-56 under the presidential tactical transponder beacon ARCHANGEL-ONE—did not enter the civilian holding pattern over the Shenandoah Valley or request approach vectoring from Andrews Air Force Base.
