First Strike by Jack Higgins Page A

There was a whirl of arms and the gun went flying. The rebel landed on his back, and lay still.
    â€œI think he’ll be fine, Jade,” said Rich as Yoshi ran back towards them.
    Yoshi stopped in front of them, and bowed. Rich andJade quickly bowed back. Chance reached out and shook Yoshi’s hand. Then he turned to Mr Chang and said something to him. But Jade didn’t hear above the gunfire and the helicopter.
    A man had jumped down from the helicopter and was waving for them to hurry up. It was Dex Halford—a colleague of their father’s that Jade and Rich knew well. They’d been in some pretty tight situations together. Despite being invalided out of the SAS when he lost a leg below the knee, Halford was still a tough professional.
    â€œCome on!” Chance shouted. “Let’s not keep the taxi waiting.”
    They ran for the helicopter, ducking low to avoid the whirling rotor blades. Halford helped them inside.
    â€œGood to see you.”
    Chance leaned over to say something to Halford, speaking close to his ear. Halford shook his head.
    â€œWhat is it?” Rich asked.
    The helicopter was beginning to lift. Jade waved to Mr Chang and Yoshi through the open door.
    â€œWhy are they waiting there?” she wondered. “Why don’t they get under cover like everyone else?”
    Halford was still talking urgently to Chance, hand on his shoulder. Now it was Chance’s turn to shake his head.Then he turned to Rich and Jade. “Enjoy the White House!” he yelled above the growing noise of the engines. “If I’m not back in time, Dex can take you!”
    â€œWhat?!” Jade shouted back.
    â€œUnfinished business.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Rich demanded. “You’re coming with us.”
    The helicopter was three metres off the ground and rising.
    John Chance smiled at his children. He nodded at Dex Halford, and leaped from the open door down to the ground receding below. He rolled like a paratrooper and was back on his feet. He turned to wave just once, then he was running for cover with Yoshi and Mr Chang as the rebel soldiers burst out of the woodland, guns blazing.
    The helicopter search light went off, and it turned in the darkness. Keeping low to avoid being detected by radar, it headed for the nearest border.
    â€œSometimes,” Jade told Rich, “I could kill him.”
    He nodded. “Let’s hope no one beats us to it.”
    The Davison Hotel in Washington DC was a stark contrast to the accommodation in Wiengwei. Rich and Jade each had their own suite of rooms, with a connectingdoor between them. Halford had another suite across the corridor.
    Although he’d managed to get some sleep on the flight, Rich was tired. He had a shower, then collapsed into bed. When he was woken by the sound of his bedside phone, he was surprised to see he’d been asleep for several hours. They had arrived in the early morning, and it was now past lunch time.
    He grabbed the phone, expecting it to be the hotel manager welcoming him and telling him how good the place was. Instead Rich heard a voice he recognised.
    â€œHi there, sleepyhead. Your sister and Mr Halford are wondering if you’re up to a quick tour of the sights.”
    Chuck White was waiting with Halford and Jade in the hotel lobby. He was a big, broad-shouldered man and Rich knew he was in the Secret Service team that protected the US President. Rich didn’t think he’d ever seen Chuck White out of a suit or uniform. Now he was wearing jeans and a casual jacket.
    â€œGot today off,” he told Rich, shaking his hand warmly. “Thought I’d offer to be your tour guide, if you’re up to it. Been to Washington before?”
    Despite living in the USA for years with their mum, Rich and Jade had only been to Washington DC oncebefore, and that was years ago. They gratefully accepted the offer of a tour.
    â€œIs Kate Hunter joining us?” Jade