Henty also discovered how lucky she was, on two counts. First, a piece of red-hot metal from another, exploded chopper severed a fuel line in her chopper and nothing happened because by now the line was empty. Secondly, the correct way to cushion an autorotation (that’s what chopper people say when they mean the engine’s conked out) landing is exactly to increase the collective pitch just before touching down. If Henty had crashed the chopper through that roof like a falling stone, as she fully intended, the chopper would have exploded and killed her and Petey and Chris. Instead, the chopper just settled gently on the bare rafters, now covered by only a few torn scraps of twisted copper.
“Phew!” Relief exploded Henty’s breath.
Chris looked up to see what they had passed through and then, too stunned and awed to speak, just pointed upwards to where the end of the Catherine-wheel the Air Force flight had started was just falling apart in the sky. Where the sky had been black with choppers and planes, it was now streaked with smoke from explosions but almost clear of aircraft, the few survivors streaking for home as fast as they could. Here and there explosions were still scarring the sky, planes and choppers coming down like the tail-end of a Fourth of July celebration.
“They didn’t come to wish me well,” said Henty, beginning the transformation that would change her life from Texas chicken farmer to national savior.
Then the rafters, weakened by the anti-personnel mines, creaked and gave way and the helicopter slipped through. The rotors caught, then bowed gracefully and, very gently, the chopper slid through the roof to come to rest on the parquet floor of the Governors’ Room of the US Mint.
CHAPTER 75
“One woman flying a chopper for the first time in her life and the US Air Force failed to shoot her down?” The Air Force Chief of Staff could not believe his ears. “Repeat that. Meggs.”
“We did shoot down or otherwise destroy more planes than in all three World Wars,” Meggs said. “But now she’s in the Mint.”
“Moron,” said his boss in Washington.
Aboard the Communicator flying high above San Francisco, Meggs looked at the mike for a moment. Then he asked “Shall I drop the paratroopers on her, sir?” The Chief of Staff looked through the glass wall of the Royal Box at the screens on the far side of the Pit. The Pentagon was still tied in to The Caring Society computer and the crowd scenes in San Francisco were quite incredible.
“And how do you suggest we keep the resulting massacre quiet, Meggs?”
“The only alternative is nuclear sterilization, sir,” Meggs said immediately.
“Hold on.” The Air Force Chief of Staff was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for this period, so he sat in the center swivel chair. He turned from side to side to his colleagues as he spoke. “You heard Meggs. Shall we neutralize her nuclearwise?”
“Well,” said the admiral. “Either way there’ll be a big body count. We’ll never keep it quiet if we drop combat troops. But if we just sterilize all downtown San Francisco, there’ll be no survivors to talk and we just say it was a mistake — pilot error or something — and that’s that. I go for it.”
“I’m not against sterilizing SF nuclearwise,” said the army general. “Never liked the place much. But there’s somebody else we got to consider.”
“Who’s that?” the Chairman asked.
“The President.”
“He told me in person to get that Runner,” the Chairman said.
“Sure. But San Francisco voted almost unanimously for him and you can’t say that for many places. Like SF could make the difference between re-election or not.”
The Chairman picked up another, red phone. “Mr President, that woman Runner is in San Francisco in the Mint and the only way to deal with her is by nuclear sterilization.” He listened, then said. “Yes, Mr President,” and put the red phone down with due reverence.
CHAPTER 76
Henty stepped from the chopper onto the parquet floor and stared first at the little old gentleman with his pruned goatee and steepled fingers and then at the pigeonhole desks spaced equidistantly around the perimeter of the room.
“Welcome to the United States Mint,” the old man greeted her. “What are you looking for?”
“People trying to stop me,” Henty said bluntly.
“Ah, yes. I heard you had a little trouble reaching here.”
“A little,” Henty admitted. “No more than any Texas girl could handle.”
“Hmm. You’re the first Runner ever to make it. You’re quite safe once you’re inside the Mint, you know. Oh, how I've been looking forward to one day handing over the ten million dollars and the Presidential Pardon.”
“Bully for you. Where are they?”
“Right there in the safe.”
He pointed to an old-fashioned iron safe and offered Henty a key from the chain around his small but perfectly round potbelly.
Henty opened the door of the safe.
“Chris, bring Petey please. He'd probably like to see this.”
She waited until the surgeon wheeled Petey’s bed to the lip of the helicopter hatch, then she held up the check already made out in her name and payable at any bank in the United States. “This’ll make you well,” she said to Petey.
The big scroll was the Presidential Pardon and her name was filled in on that as well.
Outside the crowd cheered as they saw Henty reach her reward as relayed on the big vidis on the street. Henty heard them. She walked to the big window overlooking Mission and Fifth Streets, threw the window up and—
“The same key removes the Fist,” the Keeper of the Mint said behind her.
Henty nodded and—
Stepped out on the balcony just as—
Jimmy Twoshoes saw his opportunity and rushed up to shove her in the back, betting that the twenty foot drop would kill her and save him from Don Guilio’s wrath. As Henty bent to clear the window, his hands found nothing but thin air and he flew through the doubled-up window above her and out onto the street.
One of the crowd shouted up at Henty, “Who’s he?”
Without thinking, she replied, “Syndicate. He was trying to—”
But she got no further for an animal growl emanated from the mob, which saw for themselves what the gangster was trying to do. The mob tore him apart.
“Henty, Henty, Henty,” the crowd shouted. Henty smiled on them. Behind her, the Keeper said, “Take the Fist off now.”
Above her the Air Force turned to head for home: the Watcheyes inside the Mint had broadcast Henty’s triumph to the nation even as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was asking the President’s permission to annihilate San Francisco. The President could not tear his eyes from the multividi broadcast on his wall of the historic event, a Runner making it to the Mint. Why did no one order the broadcast not to take place? the President asked himself. Because no-one knew it was scheduled and anyway nobody thought she'd make it past the US Air Force, the President answered himself. Then he told his Chiefs of Staff to stop staring at the red phone and watch their vidis like good little boys.
“Henty, Henty, Henty!” the crowd roared.
In Washington, glued to his multividi, the President shivered on that warm summer’s day.
In San Francisco, the Keeper of the Mint insisted urgently, “The Fist, take the Fist off now. You no longer need—”
Henty held the Fist high and the crowd went wild. With her other hand she gestured for silence and instantly they were silent and—
In Washington, Alfie sighed and told the broadcast controllers. “No. it’s too late to cut her off now. The damage is done.”
“The Fist!” the Keeper whispered hoarsely behind Henty.
“The President and The Caring Society gave me the Power of the Fist because they thought I was evil,” Henty said—
And the microphones picked up her voice and sent it across the nation and amplified it for the crowds in the street in front of her and in streets everywhere and almost everyone thought of the Stat
ue of Liberty and of Freedom.
“There are many wrongs in our nation,” Henty said firmly, “that I shall use the Power of the Fist to right.”
And, as she committed herself and flexed her fingers, the cast of lead shattered from the Fist and shards flew in all directions. The Fist gleamed black and shining and powerful high above the crowd.
The crowd roared but was instantly silent for Henty’s final words:
“With the Power of the Fist, I will turn Evil into Good.”
Andre Jute
*
“Wild but exciting. A grand job with plenty of irony.”
New York Times
“So bizarre, it’s probably all true.”
London Evening News
This is an important book.”
Sydney Morning Herald
“Keeps up such a pace and such interest that it really satisfies.”
Good Housekeeping
“A masterly story that has pace, humor, tension and excitement with the bonus of truth.”
The Australian
“Jute has clearly conducted a great deal of research into everything he describes, investing the novel with an air of prophecy. His moral and ecological concerns are important.”
Times Literary Supplement
“Andre Jute's Iditarod is the finest piece of fiction that I have read about The Greatest Race on Earth. Packed with adventure at every turn, nail-biting suspense, touches of endearing humor and the fine, subtle thread of romance, this tale speaks to what readers crave.”
Margie Myers-Culver/Librarian’s Quest
Historical Saga
Cold War, Hot Passions
(12 parts, 8 volumes)
Vanguard Elite
Terrors • Bread & Circuses • Black Cabinets
Derring-Do
True History Novelized
AN ELECTION OF PATRIOTS the novel
PIVOT a play for radio
A CRIME OF INFLUENCE a screenplay
Omnibus
The TIME-LIFE Conspiracy Omnibus
André Jute
wins the
FlamingNet Young Adult Book Reviews TOP CHOICE AWARD
for
IDITAROD a novel of The Greatest Race on Earth
Novel
Henty's Fist•1 GAUNTLET RUN birth of a superhero
Economics
IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID a Rhodes Scholar Education in One Hour
Thriller
Eight Days in Washington
Short Stories
TWO SHORTS (High Fidelity & Christmas Oratorio)
THE SURVIVOR A Short Story
Literary Criticism
STIEG LARSSON Man, Myth & Mistress (with Andrew McCoy)
André Jute, • Andrew McCoy
*
Literary Criticism
STIEG LARSSON Man, Myth & Mistress
In Stieg Larsson: Man, Myth & Mistress, Jute (with collaborator Andrew McCoy) turns that analytical intelligence to the recent phenomenon of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy. Stieg Larsson: Man, Myth & Mistress, is a work of criticism, but more, it's a study of how a collision of circumstance can lead to an entertainment industry happening, with books that sell by the million and high-budget movies to follow. While The Larsson Scandal is worth reading for the criticism alone, for me it was the story of the story that made this book required reading.
Keith Brooke
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. It gives one a better appreciation of the books.
Lee Wright
André Jute • Dakota Franklin • Andrew McCoy
*
Novel
Henty's Fist•1 GAUNTLET RUN birth of a superhero
What these three elite authors provide in the playful romp that is Gauntlet Run is a fascinating combination of The Running Man, Hunger Games — and intelligence.
Matt Posner
Dakota Franklin
*
A wonderful story full of action and remarkable detail. Dakota Franklin has used her extensive sports car and engineering experience to spin a really engaging story that I found difficult to put down. I can honestly say that there's one more fan on the Dakota Franklin mailing list.
Boyd S Drew
The pacing was great, constantly making me want to find out more. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime novels.
Diana Sakioti
Troubleshooter is as good a crime thriller as any I've read as well as being a pretty good racing novel.I can't wait to read the next novel in this series.
abrwrite
What a ride! If you're a fan of racing, any type, you will love this book and the series! Even if not, the story will give you enough technical knowledge to understand races and keep you on the edge of your seat just the same.
Diane Fisher-Monroe
Trouble Maker or Trouble Shooter... Very well done, some very sexy bits, lots of behind the scenes look at how things work in the automotive world, and of course lots of dangerous things happening. I look forward to reading it again very soon.
John Tami
I thought the characters were great. I was swept along.
Joo
A very hard-to-put-down book once I started reading it. I give it five stars.
Willow
Dakota really took me for a ride in this book with a big surprise from the start!
John Tami
Race out and buy this novel!
Sharon Tillotson
All in all, it was a very well-told story.
Christopher Wuestefeld
An excellent read - gripping, knowledgeable, and well written. I can't wait for another book in the series.
M. Weiss
Racer story for the racers at heart. As a current member of the auto racing community I know a fair amount about the ins and outs of the sport. This author knows her stuff and was able to weave an exciting tale that involved the technical side in addition to the personal side of racing drivers, the teams and the rivalries that are ever-present in motor sports.
Katherine Sterling
Great racing novel. Excellent exciting read. Action every page. Learned a lot about behind the scenes high stakes racing.
Stanley G. Wiedmeyer
Franklin really knows her autos and auto racing which makes reading her so much more enjoyable than other authors dabbling with car fiction. She never loses you with a silly technical mistake. I love these books from Dakota Franklin.
John E. Entwistle
The fast lane just got faster!
Dr Benjamin Pitman
Thrilling both on and off the track. No matter how you feel about racing, if you're looking for a fresh thriller, you should definitely check out this book
Good Book Alert (J. A. Beard)
Fantastic! The book would appeal to males and females alike and if, like me, you have no interest in racing itself, you will love it if you are looking for a good mystery. By the time you get to the revelation of the guilty party, you will be hooked.
Sarah Dixon
Action-filled and entertaining.
abrwrite
A very well written book, fast paced, enough twists & turns to keep me reading until I finished it. I only put it down once because my tablet ran out of juice before I was done reading it.
Crazy_Bunny_Lady
A really fun read, mixing mystery with car racing in Europe.
D Bower
Requiem at Monza will continue to hold the reader in its grip of intrigue.
Sara Edens
Dakota Franklin
*
Dakota Franklin
wins the
eFestival of Words Best of the Independents eBook Award
RUTHLESS TO WIN series
LE MANS a novel
REQUIEM AT MONZA
TROUBLESHOOTER
NASCAR FIRST
QUEEN OF INDY
RACING JUSTICE
Novel
Henty's
Fist•1 GAUNTLET RUN birth of a superhero
RUTHLESS TO WIN series
TROUBLESHOOTER
LE MANS a novel
RACING JUSTICE
RUTHLESS TO WIN series
REQUIEM AT MONZA
NASCAR FIRST
QUEEN OF INDY
Andrew McCoy
*
"Mr McCoy gets on with the job of telling us exactly what it is like in the Heart of Darkness. He has the soldier's eye for terrain and the soldier's eye for character. This has the ring of truth."
John Braine/Sunday Telegraph
"Very rough, exciting, filmic, and redolent of a nostalgie de boue d'Afrique. Full of the rapport and affection for blacks experienced only by the genuine old Africa hand."
Alastair Phillips/Glasgow Herald
"Like the unblinking eye of a cobra, it is fascinating and hard to look away from, powerful and unique."
Edwin Corley/Good Books
"I found this work excellent. I recommend it as a book to read on several planes, whether of politics, history or just as thriller -- every episode is firmly etched on my memory. It is certainly a most impressive work of fiction."
"H.P."/BBC External Service
"Like a steam hammer on full bore."
Jack Adrian/Literary Review
"Something else again. The author has plenty of first-hand experience of the conditions he describes so vividly."
Marese Murphy/Irish Times
"Totally convincing fiction."
Colonel Jonathan Alford, Director, Institute for Strategic Studies/BBC World at One
"The reader is in good hands."