The Carolina Coup: Another Rwandan Genocide? (The Jeannine Ryan Series Book 4) by James E. Mosimann
Authors: James E. Mosimann
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lot in front of the Food Lion Super Market before calling his partner.
“Jack, I’m at Ryan’s car. It’s still at the Food Lion. She must be in the store.”
At the sound of a motor he turned.
“Wait a minute, Jack. Someone’s stopping. I’ll call back.”
A man emerged from the car. Stew started.
“Hugh Byrd, what are you doing here?”
“The same as you, looking for Ryan. This is her Subaru.”
Byrd smiled. Stew frowned.
“Where is your man Holder?”
“Where is yours? Where’s Marino?”
“He’s on the way. Now where is Holder?”
“He had an accident. He was reassigned.”
“Come clean, Hugh. Why are you here?”
“OK. Like you, I heard about a ‘John Doe’ at the hospital in Jacksonville. I was there when you came out empty-handed, so I figured it wasn’t Hamm. I followed you here hoping you had a lead. Seems I was right.”
Hugh had left his door open. Stew noted an object on the passenger-side floor.
“Hugh, is that an M16 magazine on the floor?”
Hugh slammed the door shut.
“So what if it is?”
Stew recalled the M16 cartridges on the deck of Johnson’s beach house.
“Do you know Wayne Johnson?
“Johnson? Never heard of him.”
“He has a beach house on Topsail Island. There was a fire fight at that house yesterday. One of the attackers was bloodied.”
“What do you mean ‘fire fight?’ This isn’t Afghanistan.”
“I mean a bloody mess. And an M16 was involved.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Hugh, was Holder shot? Was that the accident?”
But Hugh Byrd was done answering questions. He strode to his car.
“Sorry Stew, that’s classified.”
Stew stared after him, but there was no time to evaluate Hugh Byrd’s behavior.
A man was approaching Jeannine’s Subaru.
***
The man opened the door of the Subaru and put his groceries on the front seat. Stew Marks stepped forward and held out his badge.
“FBI, Sir. I’m Agent Marks. May I know your name?
“Johnson, Wayne Johnson. Is this about my beach house?”
“First, tell me where Dr. Ryan is. This is her car.”
“I don’t know. She’s afraid for her life. You should be protecting her.”
“Mr. Johnson, she’s on the run. We can’t protect her if we can’t find her. Why do you have her car?”
“She needed mine. My tank was full, hers was near empty.”
“Needed yours? And you think you’re helping her! Mr. Johnson what kind of car do you drive. I need the Make, Model, Year and License Plate. Now!”
Wayne complied. Stew called Jack Marino and gave him the information about Wayne’s Buick. He turned back to Wayne.
“Sir, If you really wanted to help Ms. Ryan you should have called us from the hospital. How long is it since you saw her?”
“Maybe four hours.”
“And this guy Hamm is with her?”
“I assume so. Yes.”
“He’s a fugitive. Damn it, you both are aiding a fugitive!”
“But Jeannine’s in danger. They tried to kill her.”
“And you suppose she’s not in danger now! What the hell were you thinking?”
A chastened Wayne mumbled.
“Maybe I need a lawyer.”
At the word “Lawyer,” Stew exploded.
“Damn right you do. Put your hands behind your back.”
Stew cuffed Wayne.
“Sir, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to consult an attorney and to have an attorney with you when questioned. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you at no cost. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law.”
Stew paused.
“Do you understand these rights?”
At Wayne’s affirmative nod, Stew continued.
“Knowing and understanding your rights as I just explained, are you willing to answer my questions now, while no attorney is with you?”
The barrage of legalese had left Wayne in shock. He shook his head.
“No!”
At this point Jack Marino arrived. Stew turned to
“Jack, I’m at Ryan’s car. It’s still at the Food Lion. She must be in the store.”
At the sound of a motor he turned.
“Wait a minute, Jack. Someone’s stopping. I’ll call back.”
A man emerged from the car. Stew started.
“Hugh Byrd, what are you doing here?”
“The same as you, looking for Ryan. This is her Subaru.”
Byrd smiled. Stew frowned.
“Where is your man Holder?”
“Where is yours? Where’s Marino?”
“He’s on the way. Now where is Holder?”
“He had an accident. He was reassigned.”
“Come clean, Hugh. Why are you here?”
“OK. Like you, I heard about a ‘John Doe’ at the hospital in Jacksonville. I was there when you came out empty-handed, so I figured it wasn’t Hamm. I followed you here hoping you had a lead. Seems I was right.”
Hugh had left his door open. Stew noted an object on the passenger-side floor.
“Hugh, is that an M16 magazine on the floor?”
Hugh slammed the door shut.
“So what if it is?”
Stew recalled the M16 cartridges on the deck of Johnson’s beach house.
“Do you know Wayne Johnson?
“Johnson? Never heard of him.”
“He has a beach house on Topsail Island. There was a fire fight at that house yesterday. One of the attackers was bloodied.”
“What do you mean ‘fire fight?’ This isn’t Afghanistan.”
“I mean a bloody mess. And an M16 was involved.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Hugh, was Holder shot? Was that the accident?”
But Hugh Byrd was done answering questions. He strode to his car.
“Sorry Stew, that’s classified.”
Stew stared after him, but there was no time to evaluate Hugh Byrd’s behavior.
A man was approaching Jeannine’s Subaru.
***
The man opened the door of the Subaru and put his groceries on the front seat. Stew Marks stepped forward and held out his badge.
“FBI, Sir. I’m Agent Marks. May I know your name?
“Johnson, Wayne Johnson. Is this about my beach house?”
“First, tell me where Dr. Ryan is. This is her car.”
“I don’t know. She’s afraid for her life. You should be protecting her.”
“Mr. Johnson, she’s on the run. We can’t protect her if we can’t find her. Why do you have her car?”
“She needed mine. My tank was full, hers was near empty.”
“Needed yours? And you think you’re helping her! Mr. Johnson what kind of car do you drive. I need the Make, Model, Year and License Plate. Now!”
Wayne complied. Stew called Jack Marino and gave him the information about Wayne’s Buick. He turned back to Wayne.
“Sir, If you really wanted to help Ms. Ryan you should have called us from the hospital. How long is it since you saw her?”
“Maybe four hours.”
“And this guy Hamm is with her?”
“I assume so. Yes.”
“He’s a fugitive. Damn it, you both are aiding a fugitive!”
“But Jeannine’s in danger. They tried to kill her.”
“And you suppose she’s not in danger now! What the hell were you thinking?”
A chastened Wayne mumbled.
“Maybe I need a lawyer.”
At the word “Lawyer,” Stew exploded.
“Damn right you do. Put your hands behind your back.”
Stew cuffed Wayne.
“Sir, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to consult an attorney and to have an attorney with you when questioned. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you at no cost. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law.”
Stew paused.
“Do you understand these rights?”
At Wayne’s affirmative nod, Stew continued.
“Knowing and understanding your rights as I just explained, are you willing to answer my questions now, while no attorney is with you?”
The barrage of legalese had left Wayne in shock. He shook his head.
“No!”
At this point Jack Marino arrived. Stew turned to
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