by S. L. Menear
I looked back at the burning helicopter. “The pilot, we’ve got to save him!”
He grabbed my arm. “Forget it. He’s dead. We’re going with Duncan to the hospital.”
I turned to Colin and Suzanne. “I’m sorry.”
“We’re fine. We’ll drive to the hospital and check on Duncan after we deal with the authorities.” Colin hugged me. “Don’t worry, the SAS will rescue your mother.”
We were airborne with Duncan in less than a minute. The paramedics worked on him all the way to the hospital helipad where a surgical team whisked him away to the operating room.
Ross walked to the nurses’ desk, pulled off his helmet, and took out a card. “Nurse, please give this to the doctor who operates on Laird Duncan MacLeod. Ask him to call my base in Dundee with an update on MacLeod’s condition.”
The nurse looked up at his handsome face and smiled. “Of course, sir, happy to do it.”
Ross pulled on his helmet and returned to my side.
I felt sick with worry. “Ross, I don’t think I could bear it if Duncan dies or anything happens to my mother. What are we going to do?”
Ross held me and didn’t seem to care how it looked to the public, two soldiers in combat fatigues and helmets embracing.
“Ready, Captain Sinclair?” a paramedic from the helicopter asked.
“Aye, let’s go.” Ross took my hand and followed the paramedic to the helipad.
I stopped. “Wait, we can’t leave Duncan.”
“There’s nothing more we can do. The Covingtons will be here soon. They’ll see to it Duncan’s properly looked after. My job is to keep you safe. We’re leaving.” Ross pulled me into the helicopter.
We switched to the Lynx at the military base and continued back to Dundee.
Derek was waiting for us when we landed. “We found six dead mercs near MacLeod Castle, no IDs.”
I was shocked. “Were they Germans?”
“No, they looked like typical mercenaries.” Derek opened the door for us.
We entered a large room with flat-screen monitors covering the walls. Ross’s team stood when we entered.
“At ease, gentlemen.” He turned to Derek. “What do we know about the helicopter that took Loren Starr?” Ross pulled off his helmet and reached for a cup of coffee.
Derek stood in front of a map of Great Britain. “The chopper stayed below radar most of the time. It showed up here, here, and here.” He pointed at places on a northerly flight path. “Looks like they might be headed to a remote place in the Highlands.”
A short, young man entered. “Captain Sinclair, there’s a call for you from the DSF. Line one.”
“I’ll take it here, Burnsie.” Ross punched the lit button and put the phone on speaker. Director of Special Forces Brent Barnes spoke in an English accent.
“Captain Sinclair, is Samantha Starr safe?”
“Aye, sir, she’s with me. Her mother was kidnapped at the Covington estate by persons unknown, and Laird Duncan MacLeod was shot in the chest.”
“How’s MacLeod doing?”
“He took a bullet in his left lung. He’s in surgery.”
“Any progress on finding Mrs. Starr?”
“We’re working on it. They may have taken her to the upper Highlands.”
“The Americans offered their help. We’ll get satellites looking for that chopper. Send a team in as soon as we locate them, but keep Samantha under wraps. She’s your top priority.”
“Aye, sir, I’ll keep her safe.” Ross hung up, glanced at me, and focused on the map.
I sat in a chair, closed my eyes, and tried to relax. My mind filled with an image similar to Stonehenge, but it was in the Highlands. The view was as if I were in the center of a hilltop circle of standing stones. I recognized the panoramic view of the surrounding hills.
A tall man with spiked blond hair and cold blue eyes stood close. His intense scrutiny shocked me into opening my eyes.
I gasped, and everyone turned to me.
“I think I know where they took my mother.”
Eighteen
Naples, Italy
Jeff sat at an oval oak table at the outdoor café across the street from the Napoli Hotel with the Petra tour group and Commander Robert Metz.
The commander, dressed in pressed jeans and a polo shirt, tapped his knife against a glass to garner everyone’s attention.
“I wanted to gather the Petra group for lunch with your new captain away from the other flight attendants and passengers in the hotel. I have some disturbing news, and it’s time to bring everyone into the loop because this may affect all of you.”
He glanced around to check if anyone else was seated near the building. The other customers dotted small tables along the sidewalk border.
“What I’m about to tell you must not be repeated outside this group.”
Jeff glanced at Lance and Pete and sucked in his breath. “What’s happened now?”
“Sam’s mother was kidnapped today, and her boyfriend, Laird Duncan MacLeod, was shot in the chest. He survived surgery, but the doctor said it’ll be a while before he recovers. Their helicopter pilot was killed.”
Lance’s jaw dropped. “Commander, what about Sam? Is she safe?”
“Sam’s safe, and please call me Bob.” Bob took a sip of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Caterina Dei.
“Bob, how did they find out where Sam was hiding?” Carlene looked concerned.
“They might not have known she was at Duncan’s castle. Could be they were watching to see if she would come.”
“So how did they get her mother and not her?” Rod asked.
“They snatched Loren when she was visiting an estate in England. She and Duncan flew there in a helicopter.” Bob glanced around the café to check the locations of the security team.
“How does this kidnapping affect the Petra group?” Jeff asked.
“We think they took Sam’s mother to find Sam. They might take members of this group too if they think you know where Sam is, but I doubt they’ll come looking for you in Italy. They must think your flight went to Paris as scheduled.”
The guard leaning against the wall near their table crumpled to the ground with a bullet hole in his forehead. The other guards rushed to the table and went down in a hail of bullets.
“Everybody under the table!” Jeff shouted.
Customers screamed and jumped over the low stone border of the café. Jeff and Bob urged their group to huddle close to the building as they tipped the table over for a shield.
“Grab the weapons!” Bob snatched a pistol from the nearest fallen guard.
Jeff, Jack, Pete, and Lance took weapons from guards who were unconscious or dead. In all the chaos, no one saw Carlene snatch a pistol.
“Surrender to the Black Sun or die!” a man shouted in a German accent from behind a parked vehicle.
Jeff pointed at the picture window behind them. “Check the reflection. I see four shooters.”
In the next instant, a barrage of submachine-gun bullets shattered the window.
“Don’t shoot, we surrender!” Rod screamed, raising his hands above the table.
Inga did the same as sirens blared in the distance.
A large black van screeched to a halt in front of the café. “Toss out your weapons and put your hands on your heads. Now!” one of the Germans yelled.
Jeff and Lance shoved their pistols into the waistband of their jeans at the small of their backs. Bob did the same with his weapon.
Jeff nodded at Pete and Jack. “Toss your weapons over the table.”
They hesitated before tossing the pistols. Carlene crouched low against the table. No one noticed her tiny form. All attention was on the armed Germans as the group slowly stood up.
“Hand over your weapon, Commander! The Black Sun Master wants you alive, but I will do what I must.”
Bob slowly pulled the pistol from his back and tossed it at the leader as the sirens grew louder.
“Everybody in t
he van!” The leader motioned toward the waiting vehicle and glanced up the street.
Carlene popped up from behind the table and shot the leader and one of his men in their foreheads. Jeff and Lance pulled their pistols and opened fire on the remaining two gunmen as the group dove for the ground.
Bullets sprayed from a submachine gun as the German holding it fell dead with his finger on the trigger.
Jack crouched behind the table. “Carlene! Bloody hell, woman!”
“Told you I never miss, sugar.” Carlene held her pistol ready to fire again as the van burned rubber around a corner.
“Help, I’m hit! I knew this would happen. The brother always gets it.” Rod clutched his bloody left shoulder. “I feel faint. This is the end. Tell my mama I love her.” He swooned.
Carlene rushed to his side. “Let me see.” She checked the wound and slapped his face. “It’s just a graze, you big baby! You won’t even need stitches. Stop your whinin’ and sit up.”
Rod sat up and pouted. “But I’m bleeding, and I feel dizzy.”
“Suck it up, Rod. Our guards need medical attention. They have real wounds.” Carlene gave first aid to one of the surviving MPs.
Three vehicles filled with carabinieri slid to a stop in front of the café. The police officers surrounded Jeff’s group. Bob showed the lead officer his military ID and explained what happened.
Ambulances joined the scene. Paramedics stabilized the wounded Navy men and shuttled them to a hospital.
Bob made a call, conferred with the Italian policeman in charge, and rejoined the group.
“This changes everything. We’re going back to the Navy base. Pack your bags. The bus will be here in ten minutes. I’ll notify the rest of the passengers and cabin crew.” Bob led them across the street to the hotel with the carabinieri.
Dundee, Scotland
I looked up at Ross and tried not to sound like a crazy person. “I had a vision and saw one of the Germans. I think he has Mom in the center of ancient standing stones on a high hill in the Highlands.”
“What did the surrounding area look like?” Ross seemed excited.
“It was remote, and the nearby hills were a drab brown. Probably not much color there in October. And I didn’t see any houses. The west coast was at least ten miles away.” I hoped my description would jog someone’s memory.
Derek snapped his fingers. “Sounds like the Druid ruins in Northwest Sutherland. My family used to picnic there in the summer when I was a wee lad.”
“That makes sense. Druid sites were built over intersecting ley lines.” I nodded at Derek. “Could be they brought Mom there to use the power of the Vril on her.”
Ross turned to Corporal Burns. “Burnsie, I want both Super Lynx helicopters ready with full armament in five.”
The young corporal snatched up the phone and called the hangar.
Ross stood in front of his team. “Gentlemen, we’ll do whatever it takes to bring Loren Starr back alive.”
I stepped forward. “You have to take me in case they move her before we get there.”
Ross looked at me with a pained expression. Before he could answer, the telephone rang.
Corporal Burns answered it. “Aye, sir, he’s right here.” He passed the phone to Ross. “It’s the DSF for you, Captain. Sounds serious.”
Ross answered the call from Director Barnes, but he didn’t put it on speaker this time. He listened for a few minutes. “Aye, sir, understood. On a brighter note, she’s had a vision of what may be her mother’s location. We were about to leave.”
With Ross still on the phone, Corporal Burns fielded a call from Duncan’s hospital. “We’re happy to hear that. Thanks for the call.”
I saw Ross’s jaw tighten and assumed his commanding officer had issued new orders.
He responded, “Right, basically a modified replay of last summer. It’ll be tricky, but we can do it, sir.” He hung up and took a deep breath. “Burnsie, who just called?”
“MacLeod’s doctor. He said Duncan survived surgery and is expected to recover.”
“That’s good news.” Ross glanced at me and addressed his men. “The DSF has given us a top-secret mission. Every word I say from this moment is classified.”
Ross told us what happened to my crew on the way to Paris and described the attack in Naples. “Things are heating up. The Americans are demanding we hand over Sam for their safekeeping. Translation: They want to make sure they get Poseidon’s Sword.”
He trained his deep-blue eyes on me. “Decision time, Sam, your country or your mother?”
“I love my country, but family comes first. I intend to rescue my mother with or without help.”
“That’s what I was counting on. We have a covert op to rescue your mother and keep you both safe. The tricky part is we can’t communicate with anyone outside our base because our government is telling the Americans you went rogue to look for your mother, and we don’t know where you are. The entire Scottish police force will be searching for you. SAS teams with SEAL observers will join the hunt. Sound familiar?” He removed my watch.
“Burnsie, I need you to deactivate the automatic tracking feature on this watch, but leave the emergency button functional.” Ross handed him my DARPA watch.
I jutted out my chin. “What automatic tracking feature?”
“Sorry, lass, we’re all trying to keep you safe. DARPA installed it.” Ross shrugged.
“So we’re back to the fun and games of last August with our favorite elusive American? Are her twin brothers joining in again?” Derek nodded at me.
“The DSF didn’t say anything about Sam’s brothers.” Ross faced his team. “We need to go dark and rescue Loren fast. Gear up.”
I blocked Ross. “What about me?” Oh boy, his tough alpha-male look again.
“You’ll come dressed like us, and you’ll do exactly what I tell you. Put on your helmet.”
“Soldiers carry weapons. If you want me to blend in, I should be armed.”
Ross crossed his arms and looked down at me. “What do you have in mind?”
“A combat knife, pistol, and submachine gun will do nicely.”
“I’ll give you a knife and a pistol with extra mags. Let’s go.” He held the door for me.
I didn’t argue. The submachine gun was the bargaining chip that got me what I really wanted. I strapped on the thigh holster with the pistol and the sheath with the combat knife, and shoved extra magazines in the cargo pockets of my jacket.
The insulated jacket, Kevlar vest, and other layers of combat attire shaped me like a five-foot-nine-inch fire plug. With the helmet hiding my hair and face, there was no danger of being recognized as female.
Ross inspected me. “I want you glued to my left hip unless I say otherwise.”
Corporal Burns handed my watch to Ross. “All set, she’s good to go.”
Ross gave me the watch, and I strapped it on.
I climbed into the Lynx and sat beside him. “How long will it take to get there?”
“I’m not sure because we have to fly an indirect course below radar. Try to relax.” He draped his arm around me after the helicopter lifted off.
“If Mom’s in the open at the Druid ruins, how will we take them by surprise?”
“Long-distance sniper shots. If that isn’t possible, we’ll fly in fast from opposite directions and take them out before they have time to mount a defense.” Ross squeezed my shoulder.
“I don’t like it. What if your men hit my mother?”
“Not bloody likely.”
Derek winked at me with the thumbs-up sign. I tried to relax. These men are the best of the best.
Nearing the target, the two Lynx helicopters took opposite courses—ours west toward the ocean and the other inland to the east. We eased north until we were five miles west of the ancient site. The other Lynx hovered five miles east of the target.
My heart rate accelerated as I watched snipers train their high-powered scopes on the Druid ruins. When we f
lew closer, I focused my binoculars on the standing stones.
Deserted.
When we hovered ten feet above the center stone, I spotted something glistening in the sunlight. My binoculars zeroed in. Fresh blood!
Naples, Italy
Inside the Navy base’s conference room, Jeff watched a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III land and taxi to the ramp.
He faced the three actors who had endured the Black Sun attack earlier that day. “Transport home has arrived for the non-Petra members of your entourage. It won’t be what your people are used to, but at least it’ll be a non-stop flight.”
Jack clutched Inga’s hand and gave her a peck on the cheek. “What about Inga? Is she leaving now?”
“FAA regulations require one flight attendant for every fifty seats on a commercial airliner, even if most of the seats are empty. That means we need Inga and one more flight attendant when our 767 is repaired. Landon and Arial volunteered, so we decided we may as well keep the crew together. Bob wants the passengers from the Petra group to stick together.” Jeff turned and watched the other passengers enter the C-17.
Lance stood and stretched. “According to Bob, the mechanics and parts for our airplane were on that transport. They’ll have us ready to go tomorrow.”
Bob walked in, still in civilian clothes. “I wanted to make sure everyone, except the Petra group and crew, got on that C-17.”
Carlene turned from the window. “What do you have planned for us, Bob?”
“What happened at the café proved it’s not safe to send you home until we neutralize the threat. The Black Sun may continue to target your group until they find Sam.”
“Are you saying we have to hide at this Navy base?” Rod looked ready to bolt.
“You could have been killed today. The only way to keep you safe is move you to a secure military facility that the Black Sun doesn’t know about.”
Jack crossed his arms. “I’m not going to an American black site. I’ll fly back to England where the British military can protect me.”
Rod looked confused. “I don’t want to go to no black site.”