by Jet MacLeod
There was an office about sixty feet from her. If she could get in there, she could hide. She might even be able to make a phone call to Del. There were places that she could hide between the chair and the office. Now, all she had to do was get loose.
“How long have we been here?” she asked, still surveying the building.
“About three hours, but don’t worry. I have more men coming. If she does manage to figure out where you are, I won’t be alone when she gets here,” he told her.
He is stupid. How the hell did he find her? Who told him where she was? There was no way that Ivan did this all on his own. If Del was walking into a trap, who was the one that was pulling the strings? Ivan couldn’t handle something this complex on his own.
Just then his phone rang. She had to listen carefully, but she realized that it was someone else. They frightened him. She could only wonder who it was, but whoever it was, it was someone that wanted Del dead. She pulled on the ropes that were tying her to the chair. She kept pulling and tugging. She felt them getting slack, but it still wasn’t enough to get her free. She stopped moving as soon as he came back over to her.
“Well it seems we won’t have to wait long. It seems that Delia has figured out that I am in Tahoe with you. I need to make sure that we are ready for her when she gets here. Now, you sit tight, Miss. I wouldn’t want you to miss the show. I know that I won’t. It is too bad that Rudakov won’t be here to see it.”
“Rudakov?” Angie questioned quietly.
“Yes, Miss March, Alexander Rudakov.”
Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Gregor wasn’t the leak. It wasn’t even in the Marshalls that were betraying her. It was the FBI. Rudakov had been the head investigator in many investigations that Angie helped prosecute. Now, he wanted Del’s head. Angie wanted to know why. There had to be an explanation as to why Rudakov was betraying the government he worked for some crazy hell-bent need for revenge.
“Hurry up, Del. This guy is crazy. I need you…”
Chapter 29
“They have guards posted at every possible exit. There are more inside, but I couldn’t get an accurate count. It looks like they are changing shifts every thirty to forty minutes. That doesn’t give us a long enough window to get in and get her out without knowing where she is. The warehouse is huge. I don’t like it,” Sanchez told them.
“Did you find anything online about the building?” Del asked him.
“I found some old schematics but they are at least twenty years old. There is no telling what you would be walking into. I have nothing concrete to give you,” he told her.
“I’ve done raids with a lot less.”
“We all have, but there is something about this situation that reeks. I don’t know what it is, Del. But, whoever has her is prepared for you to come get her.”
“I’ve noticed. But, I guess that is why it is a good thing that I have help. That will surprise the Hell out of ‘em. They won’t know what hit ‘em.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I don’t have a choice, Cole. I have to get her out of there. I have to save her.”
“Okay, then, this is what we’ll do. I take a point here,” he stated, pointing at the map. “This way I can cover the building from the North and the West. Sanchez, you said that there were windows, right?”
“Yeah, on every floor, but I couldn’t see that far in.”
“No matter. Del is going in. We just need to make sure that she can get it undetected and protect her from the outside. You’ll take a position here, covering the South and the East sides of the building,” Cole told them pointing at the blueprints again.
“Sounds good, but where will I go in?”
“Here, it looks like from this old set of prints that this fire escape will bring you in on the third floor. I have no idea where Angie is, so you’ll have to find her once your inside. We don’t know what kind of surveillance they got in there so stick to the shadows and the walls until you figure it out. We’ll stay out here and take out the guards. The less of them on the inside means the more of them on the outside. We’ll draw their fire,” Cole stated.
“Don’t forget to keep moving around, so they can’t lock onto you,” Sanchez replied.
“I know. If you need anything, ask for it. I’ve got you some comm gear, night vision, and thermal imaging. What are you going to take with you?”
“My M4.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m going to put the suppressors on it. They won’t hear or see me. But, I’ll see them. Once I’m inside, I’ll let you know how things are.”
“I’ve managed to hack a satellite. I’ve got thermal on the inside for right now, but I don’t know how long I’m going to be able to keep the satellite aimed on the building. We need to get moving,” Sanchez added as he turned a lap top around for Del to study the feed.
“This is live?”
“Yes.”
“Good, keep it up as long as you can. Take your positions. I’m going in. Tell me if there is a change in anything. If you lose the feed tell me, and we’ll change tactics. Until then, we move like normal. I’m on point. If something happens to me…”
“We got it, Del. We’ll get her out. Don’t worry about that. You worry about bringing yourself out of there. We’ve got your back,” Sanchez replied before Cole could.
“Just remember not to kill everyone, Montgomery. I need someone to interrogate about this incident. I am sure that they will love telling me everything,” Cole told her.
“I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll do my best. Ready? Let’s go.”
Del followed Sanchez out of their place of planning. She watched as he set up behind an air conditioner on a nearby building. She made her way down into the alley across from the warehouse where they were holding Angie. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
She knew that she needed to calm down. She needed to slow her heart rate and maintain some semblance of tranquility in her actions. When she felt the stillness finally take over, she radioed in using her throat comm.
“I’m ready. Everyone in position? Do we still have the feed, Sanchez?”
“I’m set,” Cole told them.
“Yup, I’ve got good range from here. I’m ready when you are, Del. The feed is still live. Whatcha need to know?” Sanchez asked her, as he got behind his scope.
“How many on the third floor?”
“Looks like five.”
“See if you can figure out with the thermal where Angie is, I’m heading in,” she told them.
She crept across the alley way. She jumped up and grabbed the fire escape. She carefully slid the ladder down and then climbed it up to the platform. Once she was on the platform, she pulled up the ladder so no one would know that she had been there.
“Stand still, Del,” Sanchez told her.
She leaned back against the building, further into the shadows. She watched as two men carrying guns walked underneath the platform. She tried to figure out if she could tell if they worked for Ivan or some other outfit.
“Clear,” he said a few minutes later.
“Sanchez, I can’t tell who they are working for. Are you sure this is the place? I don’t want to be busting up into something we shouldn’t,” she radioed back.
“There is nothing else here, Lieutenant. This building has been abandoned for years. Earlier today it sprang to life. Even the local establishments noticed it, but they are waiting to see what happens. This has got to be the place.”
“But, what if this is a trap?”
“Are you willing to risk her life for that?” he asked her.
“No.”
Nothing else needed to be said. Del knew what he was saying. He had been on the ground longer than she. He was good at gathering her the intel she needed to take the shot in situations like this. It also helped that he was a good eye with long range shots. He best outdid hers by a thousand yards. She’d take his eye behind a scope any day. He had h
er back and he knew that.
She knew that right now, Sanchez had that eye and scope on her. She gave him a thumbs up and started up the fire escape. She went as slow as she dared to maintain some stillness and quiet. It was painstaking but necessary. She tested the door. It wasn’t locked.
“Anything?”
“Still clear, Del.”
“I’m heading in.”
“What do you want us to do, Montgomery?”
“Don’t shoot until we lose the feed. I don’t want to start a panic until we have to do it. Just keep an eye out. If things go south quickly, take them all down. I’m not worried about who did this or why. If that happens, the only important thing is Angie. Copy?” Del asked them.
“Roger that, Lewey,” Cole answered.
“Roger that, Boss. Two men to the left of the corridor you just got in. Go right and down the hall. There is an office there. Stay there and see what you can find out.”
“Copy that, Sanchez. Keep it up. But, remember to let me know as soon as you lose the feed. I’ll keep calling in my position so you can reference the blue prints.”
“Yes, sir.”
Montgomery waited a few seconds and then opened the door a little more fully. She took a deep breath and then moved into the hallway. She stuck close to the wall and made sure to stay in the shadows. She turned right and headed down that corridor until she found the door for the office. She tried the door.
“It isn’t open.”
“Okay, give me a second.”
“I don’t have a second, Sanchez. Those guards will be here any minute. I can hear them coming. I need somewhere to go.”
“Hurry it up, Sanchez. The guards are changing. We don’t want to start a war. Find something. And, be quick about it,” Cole commanded.
“I’m on it, Sarge. Give me … go left about fifty feet. There is a bathroom. Go in there.”
Montgomery shook her head and went around the corner into the bathroom. She quickly went into in the handicapped stall and shut the door. She was dismayed when she heard the door open and someone come in. She was even more dismayed when they went into the stall beside her. She pulled up her feet and took a position using the support bars to hold herself up off the floor. She turned her rifle to the partition. She pulled out a thermal scope and put it to her rifle. She put the scope up to her eye and aimed on the unsuspecting person in the next stall.
“I’ve got company,” she whispered into her throat comm.
“How many?”
“One.”
“Do you need the shot?”
“I don’t know, Sanchez.”
“Do you need the shot?”
She hesitated. She could take it and no one would hear it. The poor sap wouldn’t know what happened as he lay dying in stall. She didn’t want to kill anyone she didn’t have to, but this guy just put himself in a bad situation. She wasn’t sure she wouldn’t have to kill him.
“Montgomery, do you need the shot?” Cole asked when she still hadn’t answered.
“YURI!!!” she suddenly heard on a walkie-talkie.
“Wait one,” she told them.
“What?” the man in the stall beside her called back into his radio.
“Where are you?”
“I’m using the bathroom, Sergei,” he replied.
“Go to channel three.”
Montgomery relaxed a little bit. She waited, but she heard the man change his radio channel. She heard the tell-tell click. She leaned back and took another look through the scope. She repositioned herself with the shot.
“What is so damn important? I don’t know why Ivan is so worried. That FBI bitch isn’t going to find us. Rudakov is taking care of it. We all know that Ivan isn’t the brains behind this. Why do you think we aren’t on an open channel anymore talking?”
“Yuri, it doesn’t matter why. We both know that Ivan isn’t really in charge, but we have to make him keep thinking that he was. The girl is just the bait. Ivan wants Delia dead. The girl is just the bait. Rudakov needs Delia out of the way.”
“What is he doing?”
“I don’t know, but it has something to do with whatever Yulia was part of. He has eyes set on taking over the business. He needs to make sure that there aren’t any obstacles in his way.”
The toilet flushed. She heard the stall open next to her. She shifted again, lining up her shot once more, as he washed his hands.
“Good thing we aren’t in the Ukraine. I don’t do cold very well. I hope they realize that Delia isn’t coming for the girl.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” Del said under her breath.
She heard the door open and close. She slowly dropped down from her position and sat down on the toilet. She reached up and touched her throat comm.
“Threat gone for the moment. It sounds like we won’t need to take anyone alive, Sarge. Looks like it’s Rudakov pulling the strings back at the FBI. He’s planning something. Seems he wants to pick up where Yulia left off. He is using Ivan as a puppet.”
“Shoot to kill?” Sanchez asked.
“Not yet. I want to see what Ivan is up to, first. I going to do some more recon on this and try to find Angie at the same time. Sanchez, how is our feed?”
“Strong and live.”
“How?”
“I may have commandeered a civilian satellite,” he answered.
“Smart thinking, but won’t they notice.”
“They might, but who are they going to tell. By the time that some government agency gets wind of what we have done and what we have been looking at, they won’t have any proof that we were even here. Besides they don’t know I have it. They are getting a feed. It just isn’t the one that we are using. I’ve rerouted a feed from another satellite to theirs. So, they are actually getting old data right now. When I unlock, they will get data from here, but we will be gone and they won’t know why the satellite is stuck in this position watching this point.”
“Remind me to never tell you where I am going ever again.”
She heard him laugh. She gave a silent chuckle as she unlocked the stall. She moved through the bathroom and to the door.
“How the corridor?”
“Clear,” Sanchez told her.
“Good, once I find Angie, we’re getting out of here.”
“Want a clear path?” Cole asked.
“Yes, I no longer care about their lives. They are all traitors. Angie is the objective. They are all secondary. Those that don’t die, we’ll call for the FBI to come get them. I’m going to need proof. Where do I need to go?”
“That office, I assuming,” Sanchez told her.
“I’ll try it again.”
She moved back down the hallway to the office. This time the door opened and she went inside. It was a typical office. When she heard footsteps, she moved to the far side of the room and behind a filing cabinet.
“I’ll be calling Gregor and filling him in,” Cole told them.
“Good, but tell him not to move on anything until we tell him.”
“I know that, Lewey. Be careful. The stakes just went up on her life.”
“I know that,” she replied as the door knob shook.
Chapter 30
Her back was against the wall. She was facing the door. She could feel the tremble in her trigger finger. She didn’t want to start the fight this early. She wanted more time, but that damn knob was still giggling. She pushed herself as far into the corner as she possibly could and still see the door. She didn’t want any surprises. She’d gotten too many in the past few weeks.
“Lewey?”
“Not now, Cole,” she whispered into her throat comm.
The door didn’t open and the knob stopped moving. She let out a breath that she didn’t realize that she had been holding. She took a second for herself and collected her thoughts. She needed to find more information against Rudakov and find Angie. She was running out of time. Ivan wasn’t known for his patience, but Rudakov wasn’t a fool. She could only
hope that a kill order would only come down from Rudakov. She sighed again.
“Go ahead, Cole.”
“Four new vehicles on the outside.”
“Can you make them?”
“Unmarked, three to four men each, one is idling.”
“Can you get a closer look without compromising yourself’?”
“I’ll see what I can do. Hurry yourself up. I don’t like the way things are starting to look.”
“He’s prepping for me, little do they know I’m already inside.”
“I know that, Montgomery. Get the package and get out. The less we have to fire, the less we have to explain to Gregor. Get your information. Get Angie. Get out,” Cole told her.
“I’m working on it. Just get what I need, Cole. How’s my feed, Sanchez?”
“Clear and present. I see the vehicles. I’m trying to run recognition software on the license plates and faces. No hits, yet, I’ll keep you informed.”
“How’s the hallway?”
“Clear, third floor seems to be deserted. You can leave that office. If you’d like.”
“Give me a minute and keep watching the body heat signatures. Don’t lose track of anyone. I need to know where they are as I move,” she told him.
“Gotcha, Lewey,” Sanchez answered.
She came out from behind the filing cabinet in the corner. She checked the desk. It wasn’t locked. There was no computer. She knew that it was an older warehouse, but she was surprised to see that they had left documentation of any kind in the desk. She pulled out her small camera and took some pictures of the paperwork. She immediately sent it to Sanchez. She closed the drawer because the paperwork didn’t tell her anything. They would have to wait on more intel. She moved away from the desk and towards the door.
“Still clear?”
“Still clear, Montgomery,” Sanchez replied, knowing she was talking to him.
“Get the photos?”
“Processing everything right now. Nothing is coming up as a hit. The only thing that I can find on the warehouse is that it had some offices in the top floors and that production was on the first and second floors. I am still trying to find out what they were manufacturing so I can try to figure out where Angie is more exactly for you. The heat signatures aren’t giving me a good enough reading to pin point her,” he replied.