Tears of God (The Blackwell Files Book 7)

by Steven F Freeman

  “Yes,” said Mallory. “I saw a guard at the cafeteria who carried one on his hip. If I see him when we go there for dinner, I’ll strike up a conversation. In the meantime, we’ll hope for progress when Mastana and I return to Kevin’s guard post.”

  Just after three o’clock, Mallory and Mastana collected their cellphones and sunglasses and made their way back to the perimeter entrance.

  Kevin’s eyes lit up when they landed on Mastana. “Ready to see some more ‘roos?”

  Mastana smiled. “I am ready to see many beautiful things today.”

  “Uh…right,” said the guard with a nervous swallow. “I saw a big male just a few minutes ago, right when I arrived on shift. If you hurry, he’ll probably still be down there.”

  Mallory shielded her face from the blazing sun. “This heat is getting to me. I think I’ll just wait here with you.” She began to lower herself to the ground.

  “Wait,” said Kevin. “Do you want to wait in the guard shack?”

  “Is it okay?” asked Mallory, straightening back up. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

  “Well, we’re not supposed to have anyone but guards in there. But what harm will it do? No one ever comes through this entrance. Besides, it’s air conditioned in there. You’ll love it.” He stopped to look side to side. “Don’t say anything about it to the other guys, though. Okay?”

  “Thanks,” said Mallory with a smile. “I won’t say a word.” She stepped over the curb and entered the shack stationed between the inbound and outbound lanes. She closed the door and made a show of watching Mastana trudge down the hill.

  Mallory glanced in Kevin’s direction. Sure enough, his eyes were locked onto Mastana’s slender form. She glanced around the guard shack. The controls for operating the steel entry arm sat atop a smooth, metallic instrument panel. A variety of wooden cabinets and drawers provided several dozen potential spots to stow a spare passcode generator.

  Mallory checked several overhead cabinets but found nothing. She reached down to open a floor-level drawer but froze when the shack’s door swung open.

  “What are you doing?” asked Kevin.

  “I thought I heard a refrigerator somewhere,” she lied. “I was hoping I could find a bottle of water.”

  “Yep, it’s right here,” said the guard, reaching across her and opening a wooden door to reveal a mini-fridge. He removed two water bottles and handed one to Mallory. “So, how do you and Sharbat know each other?”

  “She’s my daughter,” said Mallory, using the cover story to which Alpha team had agreed the previous day.

  “Your daughter, huh?” Kevin seemed happy with this news. “Is she…seeing anyone?”

  “No, not at the moment.” Mallory didn’t have the heart to tell him Mastana’s true age. Besides, she needed his attention focused somewhere besides his job. “You seem to have made a good impression.”

  Kevin couldn’t suppress a grin. He looked for Mastana but found his view obstructed by the corner of the guard shack. “I’d better get back outside to keep an eye on her. The ‘roos are used to people being around, but the males can be a bit aggressive if you get too close.” He hurried from the shack and peered down the slope toward Mastana’s retreating form.

  Mallory turned back to the rows of cabinets. The gate controls had a passcode device build in, but surely there had to be a spare handheld unit around here somewhere. On the fifth try, she found a locked cabinet. She skipped it and checked the rest of shack, all the while alternating her attention between Kevin and her search.

  Having found nothing, Mallory returned to the locked compartment. It wasn’t particularly large, but it didn’t need to be. She removed a specially-made bobby pin with sharpened ends, a graduation gift from David Dunlow when she had completed his class on picking locks.

  The lock looked flimsy, more suitable for a high-school locker than a secured compound. Perhaps the outfitter who had chosen it had assumed the cabinet’s location inside the guard shack would ensure its security. If so, he had assumed wrong. Mallory inserted her bobby pin into the keyhole and manipulated the tumblers as David had instructed.

  Within moments, the lock twisted open. Mallory began to pull open the cabinet when her constantly-roving eyes caught sight of Kevin approaching. With only seconds to act, she activated her cellphone and used its dim light to illuminate the cabinet’s deep shelves. The makeshift flashlight reflected off the dull white sheen of a passcode generator held secure with a bracket.

  Mallory slammed the door shut and fumbled with the bobby pin, desperate to lock it once again. As Kevin stepped behind the door to open it, the tumblers fell in place. Mallory pulled her hands into her lap just as Kevin entered the cramped space. She forced herself to smile.

  “Thought I’d let you know,” said Kevin. “Your daughter is coming back up.”

  “Why, thank you. I didn’t even notice. I guess I was too caught up with enjoying the AC.”

  As soon as Mastana reached the guard shack, Mallory made an excuse to Kevin and pulled her companion away. Her heart rate didn’t slow until she and Mastana had traveled halfway back to the security building.

  “That was too close,” Mallory murmured. “I thought I was busted for sure.”

  “But you weren’t,” said Mastana. “And you learned the location of the device we have been seeking.”

  “Yep. Now we need to figure out how to use it to get Bravo team in here.”

  CHAPTER 54

  Alton paced the floor of his hotel room, oblivious to the growing fatigue in his bad leg.

  “Dude, don’t wear yourself out before we’ve even started,” called David as he lounged on the spare bed. “You need to be ready to go when we get the signal from Alpha team.”

  Alton opened his mouth to argue, then reconsidered. “You’re right.” He lowered himself into a chair fronting the small desk. “I wish they’d call.”

  “Me, too. I know it’s tough waiting, but they’ve only been gone since this morning. They may not call for a few more days.”

  “I know. I could handle doing something, anything, helpful, but having to wait is killing me.”

  “You don’t have to tell me. I promised Fahima I’d look after Mastana, and now this…”

  Gilbert’s eyes darted between the two men. “Remind me…how do you know your daughter is with Mallory and Silva?”

  “She sent a delayed e-mail message, set up to deliver at noon. By the time I got it, it was hours too late to stop her.”

  “I didn’t know Mastana even knew how to do something like that,” said Alton.

  David shook his head. “She’s sharp. She’ll need to be, considering where she is right now.”

  Gilbert steepled his hands and looked at David. “I remember being nervous when my daughter went off to college for the first time, so I can only imagine how you must feel. But here’s something to think about—this piece of equipment, the passcode generator, is sure to be closely guarded, right?”

  “Yes. It’d be foolish to build a security wall and leave the key lying around.”

  “So it might take Alpha team a few days to figure out how to get their hands on it, right?”

  “I would think so.”

  “Therefore, a day of silence, maybe a few days of silence, isn’t a bad sign. Better for them to take their time and be careful so they’re not detected.”

  “You’re right. It’s like Alton said, the waiting…”

  Gilbert nodded. “My daughter didn’t call or text her first few days in college. I guess I could have reached out, but I didn’t want to be the typical overprotective dad. Waiting during those first few days sucked.”

  Alton glanced at the desert camouflage ACUs—Army Combat Uniforms—hanging in the hotel room’s tiny closet. Tan combat boots sat in a row beneath them on the floor. “Everything’s ready—gear, rations, supplies. Now to wait for Alpha team to give us the word.”

  CHAPTER 55

  Mallory checked her watch—2300 hours. The su
n had set long ago, and the Goldmine site itself seemed to have entered a sleep cycle. Its sidewalks and plazas remained empty, disturbed only by the occasional employee scurrying on some late-night errand.

  She glanced at Silva, who nodded. As discussed that afternoon, the Latina would try to convince the Bulldog, who once again manned the security building’s front desk, to take her on a late-night tour of the Goldmine’s grounds.

  Silva slipped from her bed and padded down the hall. Mallory leaned over to watch the proceedings in the lobby. Silva leaned onto the counter and smiled. Moments later, laughter echoed down the hallway.

  Mallory had to admit, Silva had proved to be a pleasant surprise in this role. Given the Latina’s repulsion of misogynistic behavior, Mallory hadn’t been convinced her teammate could fool the Bulldog. But Silva had played her part well, convincing the guard of her interest. Of course, the man probably didn’t require an award-winning performance to be duped.

  After an interval of ten minutes, the Bulldog appeared in the hallway next to Silva, who laughed again and grasped his arm. The man kept his eyes fixed on the beauty by his side, presumably unaccustomed to such attention. The couple sauntered out the main doors, deep in conversation.

  Mallory rolled over in bed, looking through the narrow bathroom and into the next room. She found Mastana studying her. Mallory nodded, and the teen rolled out of her bunk. The two had agreed that, if caught, they would claim to have had trouble sleeping and had decided to go for a late-night stroll to observe the outback at night. They pulled on jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. Needing a place to conceal the passcode generator once acquired, Mallory shouldered her day bag.

  The duo exited their quarters. They slipped through the unguarded main doors of the security building. Streetlamps on each corner of the plaza swathed the concrete expanse in light. Knowing concealment to be impossible, they walked at a leisurely pace so their manner wouldn’t betray their mission. Crossing the plaza, they plunged into the sidewalk’s dark shadows. Away from the plaza lights, a palate of stars appeared. The high-pitched howl of some nighttime creature echoed from outside the perimeter wall.

  They passed no one on their brief walk to the guard shack, which Kevin still occupied. Approaching the position, Mallory breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps for once, this operation would proceed smoothly.

  When he saw them appear outside his window, Kevin gave a start. He stood and poked his head out the door. “What are you two doing here?”

  “You told me many outback animals are nocturnal,” said Mastana, “so I thought it would be fun to come see them. I think we heard a dingo on the way over here.”

  “You probably did. But I wouldn’t recommend walking outside the wall right now. A lot of the reptiles come out at night. They’re hard to spot, and if you step on one in the dark, you could get a nasty bite.”

  Mastana smiled. “I bet you could show me.”

  Kevin underwent some kind of internal struggle. “I can’t. I could get fired for leaving this post. I need this job. My family…”

  Mastana’s eyes took on a kindly quality. “I do not want you to be in trouble. You should stay here. I will be all right.”

  “But—”

  “I will not go all the way to the water. I will just walk a few feet down the hill.”

  Kevin shrugged. He didn’t look happy. “Wait.” He entered the guard shack and returned with a flashlight. “Take this. Make sure you shine it where you’re about to step. Avoid walking in long grass, and make a lot of noise as you walk. That scares off the snakes and lizards.”

  “Thank you, Kevin,” said Mastana. She leaned slightly, as if contemplating a kiss on the cheek, but held back. “I’ll bring this back in a minute.”

  Kevin watched her retreat down the hill a few dozen yards. He turned to Mallory. “If she really wanted to see the animals at night, she’d be better off using a red light. It doesn’t scare them away. But they don’t issue us the red ones.”

  “That’s okay,” said Mallory. “I appreciate your taking care of her like you did.”

  A cry from the hill interrupted their conversation.

  “Sharbat!” yelled Kevin. He raced down the hill towards the flashlight, which now lay in the dirt.

  Modified bobby pin in hand, Mallory moved into the guard shack and jimmied open the lock within seconds. Using a ragged piece of cloth to conceal her fingerprints, she removed the passcode generator from its dual clip and stuffed it down to the bottom of her day bag. She relocked the cabinet and stepped outside.

  Kevin had nearly returned with Mastana. He had slung her arm over his shoulder and was helping her up the incline. Wincing, the teen avoided placing any weight on her right foot.

  They passed through the gate, and Kevin lowered his charge to the ground. He arched his back into a stretch and wiped a bit of sweat from his brow. “She twisted her ankle, I think.”

  A row of flashlights switched on and bathed the trio in stark, white light.

  A tall man stepped forward, his features concealed by the lights behind him. “I am Director Delatam Tahir. What is going on here?”

  CHAPTER 56

  The Director moved forward with a confident stride. The guard shack’s lamppost illuminated his closely-shaved, salt-and-pepper hair. A pair of steel-rimmed glasses complemented narrow features and an olive complexion.

  “Director Tahir!” said Kevin.

  “I asked what is happening. Who are these people?”

  “My daughter and I are tourists,” interjected Mallory. “Our rental broke down on State Route two this morning. One of your delivery drivers picked up us and gave us a ride here so we could call my husband to come pick us up.”

  “And why is your husband not here?”

  “He’s coming from Melbourne. He may make it here tomorrow, if he’s lucky.” She shook her head. “Not exactly how I wanted to spend my vacation.”

  The Director’s eyes bored into her.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” said Mallory. “We’re grateful to you for giving us a place to stay until then.”

  “Where is that, exactly? Surely not this guard enclosure.”

  The Director’s men moved closer.

  “No, we’re staying in two of the spare rooms in your security building,” said Mallory.

  “And why are you not there now?”

  “We couldn’t sleep. Still have jet lag, I guess. Anyway, your guard Kevin here had told us earlier in the day about the outback’s nocturnal animals, so we thought we’d check them out.”

  The Director eyed Mastana. “It seems you had a mishap.”

  “Yes,” said Mallory, trying to conceal her attempts to commit the man’s current features to memory. “My daughter wanted Kevin to go with her down the hill, but he refused. Said he couldn’t leave his post. She ended up going down by herself and twisted her ankle. I must say, you’ve trained your guards well. Kevin is so by-the-book.”

  The Director turned to the guard. “Nice work, Mr.…?” He raised his eyebrows.

  “Lutana. Kevin Lutana.”

  “I’m glad to hear you appreciate the importance of security in our work, Mr. Lutana. Our competitors would stop at nothing to get their hands on details of the Razor project. We can’t afford to let our guard down for a single moment.”

  “Yes, sir.” Kevin’s eyes darted to the ground, then back to his top manager.

  The Director turned back to Mallory. “Didn’t I see you coming out of the guard enclosure just before I arrived?”

  Mallory suppressed a moment of panic. “Yes. Kevin went to help my daughter up the last few steps of the hill. I thought I’d look in the guard shack for a phone to call for help. I couldn’t find one, so I came back outside.”

  “I see.” His gaze lingered on her. Was it one of suspicion or lust? “Perhaps you should head back to your quarters.”

  Mallory looked at Mastana with mock desperation. “I agree, but I’m not sure—”

  “Director,” cut in Kevin. “I go off s
hift in fifteen minutes. Once I’m relieved, I’d be happy to take them back to the security office.”

  “Very good, Lutana,” said the Director. His eyes darted between the two Americans. “I’ve worked late enough tonight as it is without dealing with this. Take a pickup. See that they make it inside.”

  CHAPTER 57

  On the short drive back to the security building, an inscrutable mix of emotions played across Kevin’s face.

  “I hope we didn’t get you in trouble,” said Mallory.

  “No, it’s okay,” he replied. “I think.”

  “You think?” asked Mastana.

  “The Director…he’s a tough one to read. Never shows what he’s thinking.” He nodded, more to himself than to the others. “But I think I’m all right. I do appreciate you putting in a word for me, missus…Bloody hell, I don’t know your name!”

  Mallory laughed. “Erica. But you can think of me as Sharbat’s mom.”

  Kevin drove the extended-cab pickup onto the plaza and pulled to a stop directly in front of the security building. He turned to Mastana and smiled. “Now let’s get you inside.” He grasped her arm and eased her to the ground.

  As Kevin pulled Mastana’s arm around his broad shoulder and walked her inside, the teen looked back at Mallory and grinned.

  Mallory rolled her eyes and trailed the couple. A spark of real affection was the last thing this mission needed, but perhaps it could be put to good use. The front desk remained unoccupied, a testament to Silva’s ability to prioritize mission success above personal inclinations.

  Back in the Americans’ temporary quarters, Kevin lowered Mastana onto her bunk. He turned to leave.

  “You are going already?” asked Mastana.

  Kevin looked both pleased and embarrassed. “I could stay for a bit if you like.” At Mastana’s urging, he took a seat on the bunk next to her. “How’s the ankle?”

  “Still quite sore. I think it’s swollen.”

  “Let me get you some ibuprofen. It’ll be up at the sergeant’s desk.”