“Still no word from the feds?” Rick asked.
“Not even a whisper,” Mark said. “The couple of times I’ve called them they politely told me to mind my own business.”
“Even though Kat’s sister is one of the hostages? I’d think they’d be all over her, holding her hand, waiting to see if she was contacted.”
Dan shook his head. “They know Mari wasn’t the main target, just collateral damage. And Kat wouldn’t have the financial resources to pay any ransom. They’re either hogtied and don’t want anyone to know it, or they have something going and think we’ll mess it up.”
“If they investigated Kat, wouldn’t they’d have discovered her remote viewing ability and ask her to help?”
“Not necessarily” Dan said. “Even though the government continues to do its own experiments with psychic abilities, not everyone is willing to use it. Plus, I’m willing to bet they still don’t have the vaguest idea of who they’re dealing with, that a major cartel is behind this. And they’re trying to figure out how to finesse this if the crime crosses international borders. They don’t want us seeing them chase their tails.”
“We aren’t exactly their favorite people, anyway,” Rick reminded everyone.
“All right.” Dan tapped keys on the laptop, brought up the satellite photos of the specified area that Andy had sent and leaned back in his chair. “Enough. It’s dark at seven after nine. We should be at the airport, locked and loaded and ready for takeoff in the chopper by nine o’clock. We want the cover of full darkness to do this.”
“This is probably the best place for the drop.” Mark pointed to a spot on one of the photos. “Far enough away that unless they’ve got guards out in the marijuana fields we won’t run into trouble in the insertion.”
“But they’ll hear the sound of the bird coming in,” Troy pointed out. “What do we do about that?”
“Hopefully that far away it won’t draw too much attention to us. And Ed, you’ll pull away the minute the last of us drops and wait for us…” His finger hovered over the aerial shot, then landed on a spot. “Here.”
“We’ll all be linked through the comm gear but if we need communication between the helo and us, Mark, we’re going to depend on you and Faith.”
Kat realized they were talking about the ability the Hallorans had to communicate telepathically with each other. Mike had told her it was that special connection between them that had actually allowed them to pinpoint Mark’s location when he was captured by terrorists and effect a successful rescue. She hoped that between them, she and Faith had enough psychic abilities to help make this mission successful too.
“Kat and I need to do a little shopping,” Faith told them. She looked at Kat. “Black jeans and shirts,” she told her. “Nothing light than can be spotted anywhere.” She turned back to her husband. “I spotted a place to shop when Mark and I were out. We won’t be more than a half hour. Meanwhile, you guys can go over this one more time.”
“All right,” Mark said, “but hurry.”
As the women entered the elevator, two men in dark suits exited and headed down the hallway.
“God,” Faith breathed. “I hope that’s not trouble coming.”
* * * * *
Rip was pacing his office, trying to keep himself as calm as possible. The news of the aborted ransom drop had everyone on edge and he knew they’d begin looking harder for a connection to the kidnappers. And trying to force a location from someone. His own personal FBI barnacle was cutting him no slack.
He was tired, irritable, stressed out and wishing this whole disaster would finally come to an end. He desperately needed the cash he’d get from this but his bad feeling about the whole situation was getting worse by the minute. He knew the feds had been checking his personal financial situation, just as they had the other two men but thus far none of his secrets had emerged. Now, with the ransom catastrophe, they’d get out bigger shovels and dig deeper. Everything he’d worked so hard for could come crashing down around him.
Making sure he had the disposable phone in his pocket, he managed to slide into the rest room and lock the door. First he called the other two men and the message from both of them was the same.
“I’m trying to put this to bed as quickly as possible,” he told both of them. “Otherwise we’re all in big trouble. Just keep the feds at bay and we’ll get through this.”
Next, with a finger that shook slightly, he dialed the by now familiar number.
“What?” Nando snapped.
“Are you crazy asking for a bigger ransom?” Rip asked, pitching his voice low.
“We need to teach the gringos a lesson. Don’t mess with us or there will be consequences.”
“They’re pulling in more agents,” he protested. “And looking harder into everyone’s background. They’re determined to find out who the kidnapper is. If our…arrangement comes to light, there might not be any ransom.”
“Then you’d better make sure that doesn’t happen,” Nando told him in a tight voice. “Herrera won’t like it if your stupidity costs him all that money. He needs it quickly.”
“Why? What’s the hurry?”
“You know why. There’s a shipment of arms coming through and the dealer needs to be paid.”
“Damn it, no!” Rip exploded. “You can’t use the same shipping pipeline. There’s too many eyes watching.”
“Again I tell you, take care of it. Herrera gets very testy when his business is interrupted.”
“Then Herrera shouldn’t have kidnapped a high profile hostage,” Pelly blurted out.
“Ah.” Nando’s voice sounded very sly. “Then you should not have gotten yourself in this situation. If we don’t get the money and are forced to kill the hostages, you could disappear right along with them.”
Rip tasted the bile rising in his throat. “Just set the next ransom drop quickly and release these people,” he said. “We’ve got to get this thing done. Don’t forget. The people from Phoenix are still out there operating on their own and doing god only knows what. Trust me. You don’t want them on your back.”
“We will take care of them. Your job is to make sure nobody screws with us again.”
Nando disconnected the call and Rip was once again left with dead air. He wanted to call the other two men again but knew nothing would be gained from it. He just had to play the cards that were dealt the best he could.
When he opened the door and walked out of the bathroom, it was to be told the next call had come in on the cell phone he’d left on a table and the email had just arrived.
“Same arrangements as before. Same time, same place. No tricks this time.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Your boys from Phoenix are busy,” Jason Malone said into the telephone to Anthony Delaware, launching into a brief rundown on their activities.
As the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Diego office, he’d been kept in the loop from the beginning but he hadn’t yet been able to be much help. He’d questioned everyone at the airfield where the Wright International plane was still parked and at the restaurant where they’d eaten lunch. Someone had finally remembered the van that took off with the Wright party but no one had any information about it.
He’d put feelers out on the street too, trying to find the identity of the kidnapper. He and Anthony Delaware had finally agreed that it was the work of a drug cartel. Kidnappings by cartels had become so prevalent they were now almost daily occurrences. But pinning down the specific cartel was like chasing a butterfly.
He’d put his feelers out on the street, had the agents in his office work their snitches but there were still no results. People were afraid of the cartel leaders. They’d rather go to jail than face the wrath of any of them, a surefire road to death.
But the Phoenix Agency, that shadowy, mysterious agency that handled the blackest of operation and trained security for the most elite of corporate officers, had definitely been in evidence. By flashing his badge he’d
coerced the manager of the airfield into telling him about the arrival of the Gulfstream, the conversation with the pilots and then—an event that made Malone’s blood chill—the arrival of the brand new Black Hawk helicopter.
“Have you talked to them?” Delaware asked.
“I paid them a visit at the hotel where they’re staying but I might as well have been talking to the wall.” He pulled out a desk drawer and braced his foot on it. “These guys are pros. All former Delta Force, Seals, Rangers. If they weren’t intimidated by some of the people they’ve faced, nothing we say will have any effect on them.”
“Did they tell you anything at all?”
“Nope.” Malone raked his fingers through his hair. “They were very polite, told me they were in town on personal business and wouldn’t be staying long.”
“I’ll bet,” Delaware said, his voice edged with sarcasm. “Can you have someone keep an eye on them?”
“Yeah, sure but it’s just a waste of manpower. They’re better at evasive tactics than we ever thought of being. And if they take off in their brand spankin’ new Black Hawk, it will be impossible to follow them.”
“What about having the FAA track them?” the San Antonio agent asked.
“Good luck with that. Especially if they enter Mexican air space. And you know the Mexican government won’t even talk to us.”
“Not to mention the political firestorm we’ll set off if we tell them we’re accusing one of their citizens—one who undoubtedly gives that government financial support—of a crime.”
“Do what you can,” Delaware sighed. “I think the best thing on your end is to keep digging to see if you can identify which cartel we’re dealing with.”
“I’ll do my best.” Malone disconnected the call, rubbed his eyes and picked up the phone again to call his house. When his wife answered he said, “Hi, honey. I guess you’d better not wait up for me tonight.”
* * * * *
“The bonds will be here at nine in the morning,” Pelley told the FBI agents gathered in his office. He’d just hung up from his latest conversation with the investment banker. “I’ll be ready for the drop.” He looked at Delaware. “Do not do anything to screw it up this time. I don’t care about anything except getting those people back.”
“You know once the bonds reach them, we won’t be able to trace what happens to them. We don’t even have any way to contact these people and find out how and when they’re releasing the hostages. They’ve made damn sure we couldn’t do that.”
Pelley pushed back from the desk, rose and went to pour himself a cup of coffee from the urn he’d had set up on his sideboard. “At this point I don’t care. I just want this over and everyone back safely.”
“And yourself out of the line of fire,” Delaware commented.
“Is that what you think?” Pelley sipped his coffee and looked at the agent over the rim. “That I just want to get the spotlight away from me?”
“I know you’re hiding something. I may not uncover it today or even tomorrow but just getting the hostages back won’t stop me digging. One way or another, I’ll find out your secret. Everyone’s secret. And identify the scum who set this up with the cartel to begin with.”
“Knock yourself out.” Pelley set his cup down. “I’m going to take a shower, then sack out on the couch. You and your people can try to find out where the Wrights are, or just sit around and watch my butt while I sleep.”
“Having a private suite of offices like this is pretty plush,” Delaware commented. “I’ll bet you’d hate to give that up.”
Pelley stopped in midstride. “And why would I have to do that?”
“If it turns out you’re involved in this in any way, even if we can’t charge you with anything I’m willing to bet Eli Wright will kick your ass out of her before you can say ‘Who, me?’”
Pelley said nothing, just gave the agent back stare for stare and walked into the bathroom.
* * * * *
Mark drove the SUV right up to where the helicopter was parked, turned off the lights and let everyone out. The distant parking lot lights gave them enough illumination to unload everyone, slide open the door to the Black Hawk’s cabin and get everyone in except Ed.
“I’m going to tell the night manager we’re taking the bird out for a little shakedown,” Mike said. “Ed you start the preflight.”
“The rest of us will get our gear together,” Dan told him.
“I’ll be back in a few.” He climbed back into the vehicle and drove off toward the terminal building.
Kat had held her tongue as long as she could. She’d been waiting for someone to make explanations when she and Faith returned from their shopping trip but as soon as they’d changed Dan hustled everyone down the back fire stairs to where he’d parked the SUV. Now her curiosity was about to explode.
“Okay, someone please tell me. Did those men who got off the elevator come to see you?”
The men stopped what they were doing and grinned at each other.
“Yeah, you could say so,” Troy said at last.
She looked at each of them, finding them in the dark of the interior. “Well?” she said at last. “Isn’t anyone going to tell us who they were? What they wanted.”
Dan chuckled. “Nothing we haven’t endured before. The local FBI office sticking its nose in our business.”
Kat’s jaw dropped. “But how did they even know we were all here?”
“My guess is the agent in charge of the San Antonio office is hip deep in this and contacted the San Diego office to follow up here.”
“We’ve had some contact with Anthony Delaware,” Mark reminded her. “He’s shutting us out but I guarantee you he wants to know what we’re planning to do. I think these locals thought they could throw their badges around and get some information from us.”
Now it was Faith’s turn to laugh. “They sure don’t know you very well, do they?”
“No. Not even a little.”
“So how did you leave it with them?” Kat persisted. She was terrified someone would do something to screw this up.
“Very politely,” Dan answered. “And when we left the hotel I made sure they didn’t have eyes on us.”
Kat knew to keep quiet after that, as the men began their preparations. Mike returned, parking the SUV close to the nearby hangar and climbed into the cockpit with Ed. Everyone went about their work silently. She watched as they shrugged into vests made of black webbing and canvas straps, with loops and holders that they started filling with items she couldn’t begin to recognize. The only thing familiar to her were the grenades.
Dan happened to look up at that moment and she knew he saw the unasked question in her eyes.
“Just in case,” he told her. “We like to be prepared for everything and anything.”
They polished wicked-looking knives and slid them into sheaths strapped to their thighs. Formidable guns were wiped down and checked and clicks echoed in the cabin as magazines were slid into place, with extras shoved into appropriate spaces on their vests. From a canvas duffel bag Troy removed strange-looking mask-like items.
“Night-vision goggles,” he told Kat when he saw her watching him. “Gives us the edge no matter how dark it is.”
None of the other items they handed around were familiar to her, either. Then Mark touched her arm and Faith’s and motioned for them to push themselves a little away from the others.
He pulled a handgun from the canvas bag and handed it to Faith, explaining to Kat it was a Ruger. Not that she had all that much knowledge about different manufacturers. Faith took the gun from Mark and Kat noticed she’d handled it with confidence.
“Faith’s shot this one a number of times,” Mark explained, “so she’ll be comfortable with it.”
“Mark made me practice with this one at the range,” she told Kat. “He insisted I get my license to carry concealed.” She winked. “I discovered I really enjoyed it.”
He pulled a clip from the grip, check
ed it and slammed it back into place. “Okay. It’s fully loaded and ready to shoot.”
Did they expect her to handle a gun too?
“Nothing to it,” Mark said, reading her expression. He took a familiar-looking handgun from another bag and handed it to her grip first. “I know this has to be familiar to you, from television if nothing else. It’s the all-purpose, easily recognized Smith & Wesson .38. It’s called a wheel gun, because instead of a clip, like semi-automatics, the chambers for the bullets are in a round setup like a wheel. Like this.” He flipped open the “wheel”, showed her how the bullets were loaded into each chamber, shut the gun and handed it to her, grip first.
She took the gun gingerly but with determination, setting her grip the way Mark showed her.
“Ever fire one before?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I actually have read firearms manuals for a research project I did but I never actually fired a gun.”
“Nothing to it. Hold it like this.” He moved her fingers again to the correct grip, holding the gun with her right hand and bracing that hand with her left. “This is just a precaution. You probably won’t have to use it at all. If there’s trouble Ed will just lift off. But just in case something happens, all you have to do is point and shoot. The gun will do the rest, I promise.”
She swallowed. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. And aim for the crotch. The gun kicks upward, so you’ll be sure to get him in the chest or even the head.” He smiled at her again. “I have faith in you, Kat. You look like someone who could do whatever she had to.”
She nodded. “If it means saving my sister, you bet.”
“All right, ladies,” Mark said. “I need to get the rest of our stuff ready. Remember. Fingers off the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot.”
In another few minutes Mike turned his head and told them liftoff would be in sixty seconds. The engines began to whine, then the rotors overhead turned, slapping at the air in a movement much smoother than Kat would have expected. They lifted off the ground, slid sideways in the air and headed out into the night sky.
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