Ricochet

By Don Knighthouse

Part Two of ‘The Shot’ trilogy: Murphy & Co., begin to try and unravel the mystery behind a terrorist conspiracy to topple America through subterfuge, deception, and political intrigue. As if that wasn’t tough enough, both the Federal Government and the terrorists hunt Murphy, his family, and his friends. The plot thickens when the terrorist plot erupts and America teeters on the precipice of destruction. No one is safe and everyone is a suspect as Murphy races against time, terrorists, and his own government to save everything that he holds dear.

Picking up where The Shot left off, Ricochet opens with a BANG and never let’s you go. From one explosive adventure to another, Ricochet will take you coast-to-coast across America’s fruited plains. Breath-taking, provocative, realistic, and inspiring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Don Knighthouse
• Release date: Sep 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370617562

Don Knighthouse

Marine Veteran, Author, Martial Artist, history enthusiast, competitive & recreational shooter.

Book preview

Ricochet

By Don Knighthouse

Published by Don Knighthouse

Copyright 2017 by Don Knighthouse

Smashwords Edition

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite e-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Chapter 62

Chapter 63

Chapter 64

Chapter 65

Chapter 66

Chapter 67

BONUS: Excerpt from Center Mass

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Chapter 1

Murphy chuckled to himself as he carefully negotiated his way through the late night Beltway traffic on I-95. Even at this late hour, there were still plenty of cars out on this August mid-summer’s night. I sure don’t miss all this traffic, he mused as he passed by the Bethesda Naval Hospital exit, continuing on his way southward towards Brandywine, Maryland.

Briefly taking his eyes off the steady streaks of red taillights of the cars ahead of him, he glanced over at Susan, who was sound asleep in the passenger seat. Even in the dim glow of his father’s Ford Expedition’s dashboard lights, her beautiful blonde hair and gentle countenance permeated his very soul. He never could have imagined how wonderful it was being married to Suze, but he now felt complete, like the missing piece of his heart was finally back in place.

Returning his eyes to the river of red lights ahead of him, he smiled as he glanced at the gold wedding band on his left hand. What was it Pastor Wells said? Something about ‘the two becoming one flesh…’ Yeah, that was it…two becoming one. Murphy looked back over at his lovely, radiant bride. Gently he took her hand and brought it up to his lips and kissed it tenderly. He had never felt a love like this before. And he never wanted it to end.

Interrupting his rapturous revelry, his cell phone buzzed. Carefully setting Suzie’s hand back in her lap, he pulled his phone out of the center console’s cup holder and looked at the illuminated screen. There was a simple text that stated:

After you arrive in BW, contact me for a meet.

Looking carefully at the number, he recognized that this message had come from Kelly Ward, one of the very few people in Murphy’s ever-shrinking circle of friends that knew that he was returning to the Metro DC area. This quick-hitter visit was to gather up his and Suzie’s belongings and get it all back to their place in Pennsylvania. Basically, they had to start their new life over from scratch; nonetheless, they still had some essential items at their respective previous domiciles that they needed to gather up.

It was far too risky to come back in broad daylight, so they had to return in Murphy’s father’s vehicle and in the dark of night. Keeping a low profile was paramount for right the moment. Although a month had passed, it was still essential for he and Suzie to stay off the radar until Ward could get some things figured out. And Murphy and Company’s rescue and assault on the Clinton Forge jihad camp kept Ward plenty busy trying to keep the four of them off from the law enforcement’s list of the most wanted criminals. Staying ahead of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies was hard enough, but what concerned Murphy more than that was staying ahead of the terrorist cell that they had undoubtedly caused no little amount of angst and frustration.

And Murphy owed Agent Ward a lot for all of his hard work, too. Ward had to go to bat to take some of the heat off of Robbie and Marti after their little misadventure at Clinton Forge. Both of Murphy’s friends had been written up as UA, or for an ‘Unauthorized Absence,’ for being gone for almost a week without getting leave approval from Captain Horrigan. Both young Marines were looking at getting busted for leaving base without prior approved leave; in fact, their Office Hours was set to begin 48 hours after they returned to Joint Base Andrews. Then, without explanation—POOF!—both Marines were administratively discharged from the Marine Corps. To the casual observer, it appeared that both Robbie and Marti had been drummed right out of the Corps for their UA charges. Except Murphy knew better. He knew that Ward had pulled a few strings at HQMC and got them administratively discharged alright, but contained on their DD-214’s was a little footnote that read …under Honorable Conditions.

The miles clicked away as Murphy recounted the past several months since he had taken ‘the shot’ that had changed everyone’s lives. Many times he had wondered if he had to do it all again, if he would even take the shot at the fleeing Tariq al Zwahiri.

Not realizing how long he’d been reflecting on the recent events he was astonished to see the Route 5 exit coming up, at which he needed to exit to head to his in-law’s house in Brandywine. Slowing, he exited from the Beltway. He pleasantly found that the traffic was much lighter on the state route as he pointed the Expedition southbound.

Not long after exiting he was at the Route 5 and Route 301 interchange where he exited again, this time backtracking slightly to get to Brandywine Road. Suzie’s parents lived only a mile from the interchange and within a baseball throw’s distance of the Brandywine Recreation Center. Their place was located in a housing development that bordered the outdoor wilderness park, with their house’s back yard ending literally in the pine trees of the Park.

He slowed the Ford down as he left Brandywine Road and turned down the narrower street that meandered through the housing development. He turned yet again, down an even narrower drive that led to the cul-de-sac where the Quinn’s home was located. Pulling into their driveway and parking, Susan stirred as he shut off the SUV’s engine.

We’re here, Beautiful. Murphy leaned over grasped her hand again and gave it a squeeze. He kissed her hand once again as she sat up straight in the passenger seat. She smiled sweetly and, he noted, that her lips tasted just as sweet when he leaned into her and kissed her gently.

Hmmmm. I love you, Babe, she cooed.

Murphy broke away, opened the door and ascended the steps leading up to the small roofed porch that covered the front door. At the top of the stairs he pressed the doorbell and then stepped back a few paces on the small porch. While he waited for Mr. Quinn to answer the door Murphy scanned up and down the dark street, even as a few widely dispersed streetlights vainly tried to press away the blackness of the night. Nothing from inside yet, so Murphy pressed the doorbell again. Susan’s parents were expecting them, but they may be downstairs in the basement getting the spare bedroom ready or maybe they had fallen asleep in front of the television. It was, after all, well past midnight…

Movement up the street caught Murphy’s eye. No, not movement…something inside one of the cars up the street… What…what was it? Murphy looked back up the street where several cars were parked along the curb. One of the cars looked like it had someone…no…not one, but two people in the front seat. Trying not to give away that he had spotted them, he turned back toward the door. But now that he had seen it, he focused his attention toward the third car in the string of cars at the curb.

There! He saw it again. It was the dim light from what appeared to be a cell phone pressed up against someone’s head. And the head was moving back and forth, like its owner was talking to a person in the driver’s seat. Sure enough, there were two men sitting in the front seat of a silver four-door sedan. The passenger’s cell phone’s screen light went out and Murphy could no longer see the two men, but he had seen enough to know that something was definitely not right. His gut began to churn…Here we go again…

The front door opened just as Susan ascended the stairs and joined Murphy on the porch. Mr. Quinn held out his hand to him as he urged them to come into the house. As Murphy and Susan came into the sitting room Mrs. Quinn embraced Suze with a great big hug.

Mom, it is so good to see you! exclaimed Susan, now fully awake from her nap.

While the girls chatted away down the hall to the kitchen, Mr. Quinn said, Need me to help you unpack anything, Jake? I know you guys aren’t staying very long but we have the guest…

We aren’t staying, Mr. Quinn, Murphy’s abruptness was startling.

What’s that, son? I thought you were going to at least stay tonight? asked Murphy’s father-in-law, clearly confused.

Murphy walked over to the sitting room’s small bay window and slowly pushed the edge of the curtains aside to where he could look out into the street at the silver sedan. Although he didn’t see any more movement from inside the car he knew that the occupants had already sounded the alarm.

Mr. Quinn…I’m sorry—Dad—have you noticed that silver four-door sedan parked up the street before? Murphy asked as he nodded with his head toward the window.

Mr. Quinn stepped over to the bay window and carefully peered out through the edge of the curtains. As he looked back at Murphy quizzically, Murphy replied, The third car up, the silver one there.

Mr. Quinn looked again and nodded, I’ve seen it here a couple of times. I’ve never really paid that close…

Has there ever been other vehicles parked up the street that don’t belong to the neighbors? Anything out of the ordinary?

Well, now that you mention it, the Lundy’s up the street mentioned something to us at church a couple weeks ago about seeing random cars in the neighborhood…

We have to go, right now! Murphy interrupted. Mr. Quinn, all of us…we are in danger. We’ve probably only got a half an hour, maybe an hour, tops.

Susan’s father’s countenance clearly belied the confusion that was raging inside of him, so Murphy quickly explained to him as they walked down the hall to the kitchen. There are two men in that sedan that are look-outs. They are here to watch your house.

Murphy and Mr. Quinn came into the brightly lit kitchen where Susan and her mother were sitting at the small table, each with a teacup and saucer set before them. A teapot began to whistle on the stove.

Watch the house? Why? asked Mr. Quinn.

Murphy looked first at the women and then at Mr. Quinn, They’re looking for Susan and me! And now that they’ve seen us come in your house, they have no doubt called for back up. So we have to get out of here now! All of us! There’s no time…

Chapter 2

Yaseem sat quietly, fighting the sleep that tugged away at his heavy eyelids. He yawned and shook his head, hoping that he could make it to when his relief team got to them. He glanced over at his partner—Kareem Rauf Muhammad—who was nodding off as well. Kareem was a black jihadist who served with him at the Fairfax camp who normally operated as a liaison with informants and moles that worked at various Congressional staff offices on Capital Hill. Tonight, however, Kareem had volunteered to do some fieldwork and, therefore, was given this assignment from the Fairfax commander, Abdullah Saleem.

The young Yemeni’s eyes started to close again and he could feel himself fading out. He shook his head and squirmed in the passenger seat. Tonight he was letting Kareem drive, even though he normally did all the driving for his mujahideen brothers. He saw his role of taking Kareem out on some fieldwork as a promotion of sorts. Since he was tasked with training the young jihadist, he felt like he was the leader on this mission. And leaders ride, they don’t drive…

Headlights illuminated the Lexus’ interior as a vehicle approached from behind them. The vehicle—a green SUV with Pennsylvania license plates—passed by, applied its brakes, and then pulled into the target—the house that they had been assigned to watch for the last few weeks. For many days and nights they had watched this residence, sometimes using faux contractor vehicles, garbage trucks, and even a Prince George’s County Police Department patrol car. Other than the old couple that lived in the house, they had seen nothing. But tonight…

Yaseem sat up and nudged his partner, who stirred with a subdued snort. Yaseem pointed toward the target house and Kareem sat up, rubbing his sleep-infused eyes. Yaseem saw a single figure emerge from the SUV that had parked in the home’s driveway. The form of a man ran up the steps of the front porch and went to the front door. He noticed another person in the SUV who was moving around in the front seat. Although the streetlights didn’t light up that end of the street too well, he thought he saw the passenger had blonde hair.

It is Murphy and his woman!

Yaseem quickly retrieved his phone and scrolled for Fu’Had’s number. Two swipes with his thumb and then he tapped the number on the screen. It began ringing and there was an answer:

"Hello, my dear muj, what do you have to report?"

He could barely contain his excitement as he squirmed like a child in his seat, Murphy and his woman are here, at the parent’s home in Brandywine!

A cautious young voice on the other end replied, Hold on, let me get him for you.

There was fumbling and rustling, and then voices that Yaseem couldn’t quite hear, but it sounded like someone was waking Fu’Had up from his rest. Yaseem turned to look at the driver and smiled. He would be the warrior for Allah responsible for catching this elusive and dangerous Murphy! Yaseem’s grin grew bigger as he nodded his head to Kareem, who was still trying to blink away his drowsiness.

Fu’Had here, what is it? came a tired voice.

Yaseem blurted out, Murphy is here! He is at the woman’s…

Are you sure, Yaseem? We must be absolutely certain, Fu’Had questioned. We cannot activate the brothers on a whim.

Yes, it is he and his wife. They are here and from what I can tell, it looks like they are going into the house, Yaseem bobbed his head back and forth, trying to get a better view of what was transpiring on the porch.

Yes! They are going into the house. And…I see lights coming on inside. It appears that they are going to be here for a while.

There was a moment of silence as Fu’Had contemplated his next move. Finally, he spoke to his young Yemeni apprentice: Very well. I will get the grab team from our Maryland group moving now. It will take twenty minutes for them to get there. Keep Murphy under surveillance and do not approach him. Do you understand?

"I understand, Zaeim. I will observe only, replied Yaseem. We will wait for the brothers to arrive and assist them once they go into action."

Fu’Had seemed pleased as he bade his farewell and hung up. Yaseem beamed from ear-to-ear as he became flush with pride and accomplishment.

He was going to capture the infidel, Sergeant Murphy.

Chapter 3

By now the panic was spreading…

Murphy felt a wave of sorrow and pity rush over him as he watched the Quinn’s scurrying back and forth from their bedroom to the bathroom to the den, gathering up changes of clothes, hygiene essentials, important documents. Mrs. Quinn was choking back tears and with her voice seemingly getting higher pitched with every, What is going on? What are we going to do? that she uttered. Even his father-in-law seemed dazed, moving slower and slower, trapped in an orbit of denial and unbelief.

"Susan, please get them going. We have to get out of here, most Ricky tick!" urged Murphy as he took another glance out of the sitting room’s curtained bay window.

Suze brushed past him, trying to gather up her things as well because, after all, that is why they came here in the first place.

I’m t-t-trying, Jacob! she said through tears as she whisked down the hall towards her old bedroom.

Sensing her pain, confusion, and anger Murphy followed after her. She was rifling through her dresser drawers trying to gather up some articles of clothing that she could stuff into a bag. Tears were running down her face as a sob slipped out.

Hey, Baby. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… Murphy said gently as he spun her by the arm into his strong, comforting embrace. He held her tightly as she broke down into a weeping sob, her tears moistening his shirt where she rested her head.

Oh Jake! My parents are in danger now. J-j-just because I wanted to come back to see them…to…to g-g-get my t-t-things. I should’ve listened to you and not come… sobbed Susan.

No, Baby. No, it’s not your fault at all. It is just how it has to be for a while. Don’t worry, my Darling. We’ll figure it out. It’ll be alright.

Murphy was trying his best to console her but, in reality, he wasn’t really sure if their lives would ever be ‘normal’ again. Ward, the guys, and me…we’ll take care of all of you. We just have to get going and find a safe place for your folks. At least for a couple of days.

Murphy released her enough to take a quick look at his watch. It had been 15 minutes since they had arrived. They didn’t have much time. If the recon team up the street had in fact called for back up, then he figured that they’d be coming from the District which would mean it’d be about a half hour if they had a team ready to roll. Unless, of course, the guys in the car were cops, then the place would’ve been crawling with additional units by now. So, they must be hajjis then…

Murphy let her go and stepped for the exit to the hall. Keep ‘em moving, Suze. I’m going to try and buy us a little time. And think of a safe place they can stay for a little while. I’ll be right back. And with that he was down the hall and rushing down the stairs to the basement, where there was a sliding glass door that opened out into the back of the house’s walk-out basement’s concrete patio.

The heavy, humid summer night’s air made him sweat as he cleared the patio and headed for the edge of the woods. Once there, he turned right and double-timed his way along the woods’ edge and the neighboring lawns. After getting to the top of the rise that marked the beginning of the street that the Quinn’s home was on, he slowly and carefully made his way up one of the residential house’s chain link fenced back yard. In a semi-crouch he continued along the side of the residence, pausing to stop beside a hedge bush.

He sprinted out from behind the bush across the front yard of the home and ducked in behind the car parked at the front curb. He was now in the same row of cars parked along the cul-de-sac’s drive that held the sketchy observers that were watching the Quinn’s home. He quick-peeked up through the car’s windows to see if the occupants of the silver sedan had seen him. Quick-peeking again it looked like the guys in the sedan were motionless, probably transfixed on watching the Quinn’s home.

Murphy bounded from one car to the next, until he was only two cars away from the silver sedan. Pulling out his pocketknife that was clipped in his jeans pocket, he flipped open the spring-assisted blade easily. From his position he needed to be careful so as not to spook the occupants in the sedan. He would need to go low and slow…

He dropped down to his belly and low crawled down the pavement alongside the cars that separated him from the surreptitious sedan. Once he came to the silver car, he belly crawled in behind it and slowly wedged himself carefully under the car’s trunk compartment. Taking his knife he pushed the tanto-pointed blade of his knife through the sidewall of the car’s back tire. Carefully sawing the blade back and forth, he developed the thin slice into a gash. First the driver’s side rear tire, and then the passenger’s side rear tire were punctured and, within moments, he could hear air beginning to rush out of the slashed tires.

Again, being very careful not to move too quickly, he back-crawled his way out from under the car. Slowly he low-crawled his way back up the column of parked vehicles. Once he had gone back several cars he scurried back up to the house that he had initially used as cover. Re-tracing his steps along the side of the house, he made his way back to the edge of the woods and then back to the Quinn’s residence.

Sliding the cellar patio door open, he made his way through the darkened basement and back upstairs. He found the Quinn’s still frantically darting about, trying to pack for their impromptu departure. Going back down the hall to Suzie’s old bedroom he entered to see Susan just finishing stuffing the last of her clothes into a large duffel bag.

Where have you been? quizzed his flustered wife.

I went out to give our snoopy guests a little present, Murphy said with a sly smile.

Susan zipped up the duffel and looked at Murphy, What? What are you talking about, Babe?

Murphy pulled out his knife and flicked open the blade and said, Let’s just say, I’ve bought us some breathing room.

Jacob! You didn’t… gasped Susan.

No, Darling, the only thing I slashed was their tires. Murphy smiled at her and gave her a wink as he said, This time. Murphy worked the lock on the knife and then folded the blade back into the handle and clipped the knife back into the top of his jeans’ front pocket.

He looked at his watch. He reckoned it had been almost five minutes since he punctured the silver car’s tires and, he figured, that they should be sufficiently depleted by now.

Do your parents have somewhere I can take you until the heat dies down? asked Murphy.

Yes, my Dad thinks that we can stay in the time-share condo that they have in Ocean City. Susan stuffed the last of her important jewelry items into the side pocket of the duffel bag and zipped it closed.

Let’s go, Suze. We have to get out of here now, he said urgently, switching back to all business. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn, he called out of the open bedroom door, projecting his voice commandingly. We have to move!

Back down the hall Murphy grabbed up several of the Quinn’s bags and suitcases. Opening the front door, he burst through and bolted down the stairs to the Expedition. Quickly stowing the parcels in the back, he ran back up the stairs just as the Quinn’s came out carrying yet more bags and duffels. Hurry, just toss them in the back with the rest. We have to go!

He waited for Susan and grabbed her bags from her arms. He hustled down the stairs and stuffed her belongings in the now-tightly packed rear stowage area of the SUV. She quickly climbed in the passenger seat and belted up. As Murphy was cramming the last bag in the back he looked up the street at the silver car. Sure enough, he saw that the passenger’s face dimly lit by a cell phone’s screen. Slamming the rear hatch of the Ford shut, he saw Mr. Quinn had returned to the front door to lock up the house.

Let’s go, Dad! he called out as he jumped into the driver’s seat and thrust the keys into the ignition. He had the Ford’s engine fired up and in reverse by the time Mr. Quinn pulled himself into the back seat. The older man barely had his door shut when Murphy gunned it, squealing the tires as he cut the steering wheel hard to make the turn and begin heading up the street. He had the SUV’s motor screaming as he sped past the silver sedan, still in reverse. He steered the vehicle backwards up to the intersection of the drive with the main street and then cut the wheel hard again, causing the vehicle to slew into the intersection with tires screeching all the way. Slamming the brakes with both feet, he quickly thrust the gearshift lever into ‘drive.’ Pounding the accelerator to the floor, Murphy caused the tires to once again let out a shrieking squeal as the tires created a spinning, churning cloud of gray smoke.

Glancing in his rear view mirror he saw headlights behind him, which meant that the spies were attempting to follow him. As he approached Brandywine Road he cried out, Hang on everyone! Barely letting off the accelerator Murphy made a wild right turn onto the main road, the rear tires of the SUV spinning and the big, top-heavy SUV fish-tailing and swerving crazily as he straightened the Ford out in the westbound lane. The Ford’s big V-8 motor roared loudly, but not enough to quell the sound of Susan and her mother screaming with every violent maneuver Murphy performed.

He looked in the rear view mirror again and saw the silver car come up to the intersection with Brandywine Road. As the front-wheel drive sedan tried to turn at a very high rate of speed at the intersection, the flattened rear wheels of the car peeled off the rims, sending the car into an out-of-control skid. The high rate of speed and the sudden loss of the rear tires made the car spin in one 360-degree skid after another, until it finally hit the opposite shoulder of the eastbound lane. In a huge plume of dust and smoke, the car skidded off the graveled shoulder and smacked into an electric power pole. The electric pole’s wires bucked wildly as the pole shivered from the force of the collision.

Murphy had no time to relish in his handiwork as he slowed to make his merge onto Route 301 where they could make their way to Ocean City, Maryland. As he made his turn he noticed two white panel vans pass by them, continuing down Brandywine Road, unaware that they had just missed their quarry.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he headed northward up 301 to take Susan and her parents to the relative safety of Maryland’s eastern shore.

Chapter 4

Agent Ward had just turned out the small light on his nightstand to try and get a few hours of shut-eye before Murphy contacted him. It seemed to him that sleep was an ever-elusive target that he never could quite make contact with. Just as he began to doze off, his burn phone buzzed and vibrated. Murphy…

Reaching over and swiping the screen with his finger, then keying in his password, he was finally able to view Murphy’s private message:

Hajjis at in law’s…taking them somewhere safe…call me in the morning.

Ward sighed. Murph’s message meant that Islamic spies were camped out at the Quinn’s residence in Brandywine. It further meant that they were waiting for just this sort of opportunity to try and catch Murphy and his wife out in the open. I knew letting them come back here was too risky…at least this soon.

What troubled him even more was that this organization of terrorists was huge, far-reaching, and seemed to have limitless capabilities. Since the discovery of all of the secret intel from the deceased Agent Griffin, Ward had spent every spare minute sifting through it, trying to garner any and every useful bit of information. There were literally mountains of information to go through, too much for one man with a day job. And that day job was piling up on him like an avalanche. Therefore, he needed to get some of this intel into Murphy’s hands ASAP.

Ward set the phone back down on the nightstand and rolled over, pulling the blankets back up over him. The central air system kept his Fairfax, Virginia condominium plenty cool in the summer and he slept better when the thermometer was turned down really low. As he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep his mind began spinning back up,