Crossfire

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  Tristan leaned on the edge of the table and studied Seth’s diagrams. “How long have you been working on this?”

  “Since I found out Vanessa was coming with us to Arizona.” Seth didn’t give his teammates a chance to react to his admission; instead he pointed at the first diagram. “If we can get the base commander to agree to this live-fire exercise, all of our firepower can be in place before Ramir throws anything at us.”

  Tristan nodded in approval. “And we’ll have the Air Force continue their exercises over at the Goldwater Air Force Range so we’ll have air support ready.”

  “Yeah, but the Air Force range is on the west side of the state. If the strike comes from the east, the intercept time is going to be too high,” Quinn said.

  “We can park a few Apache helicopters here at Fort Huachuca,” Seth suggested. Then his eyes narrowed, and he shifted his papers until he uncovered a map of the border towns. “We have to figure that those Z-10s are going to try to stay under our radar when they approach, right?”

  “Yeah. I think that’s a given,” Tristan agreed. “What are you thinking?”

  “If the missiles on our fighter planes can reasonably take out a target a hundred miles away, Ramir wouldn’t want his helicopters to approach from the west. If they did get picked up by radar, we’d be able to take them out before they did any real damage.” Seth picked up a pencil and drew a line that marked the area of Mexico that was within the hundred-mile radius of the Air Force range.

  The corner of Tristan’s mouth lifted, and he continued for Seth. “And even if we didn’t know about the threat, Ramir couldn’t be sure we wouldn’t have some fighter helicopters sitting at Fort Huachuca. They can take out a target within fifty miles.”

  “Exactly.” Seth nodded. Again he drew a line, this time marking off the area that was within fifty miles of the fort. He then tapped his finger where the two lines intersected. “If I was going to plan an attack, I’d want to put my base right around here. Just out of range, but close enough that I can get my shot off without having to travel very far.”

  The door opened and Brent walked in.

  “Where’s Vanessa?”

  “She’s still on the phone with her buddies at the CIA,” Brent told him. “I talked to Amy a few minutes ago. Still nothing suspicious on any of the names we fed her, but she did talk to Kel’s doctor. He came out of surgery okay.”

  “What’s his prognosis?”

  “Amy said they won’t know for a while yet,” Brent told them.

  Vanessa opened the door and hesitated as she looked around the room at the men’s grim expressions. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah.” Brent nodded. “What have you got for us?”

  “The image analysts are doing everything they can, but there’s too much area to cover. We might get lucky, but at this point, it isn’t looking good.”

  “We think we narrowed it down.” Seth tapped a finger on his map. He then proceeded to explain to Brent and Vanessa their analysis as well as his suggested mission plan.

  “Seth, go meet with the base commander and see what you can do to get your plan implemented.” Brent nodded his approval. “Vanessa, I want you to call CIA and have them narrow their search. I’ll give Amy a call and have her coordinate with the Air Force. She said they’ve already diverted a few more fighters to the base in Phoenix in case Ramir goes after the nuclear power plant, but I’ll feel better if we have a squadron of fighters in the air at any given time over at the Goldwater Range.”

  “What about us?” Tristan asked. “Do you want us to bring the border patrol in on this too?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to have them beef up their patrols, especially along the border near the power plant.” Brent nodded and turned to Quinn. “I want you to go see Bauer and find out if there’s any way they can go operational early. Maybe we can use their new system to help us out.”

  “We’ll need all the help we can get,” Quinn muttered as the squad scattered to go about their assignments.

  32

  Vanessa sat alone in the conference room while the SEALs went about their assignments. She was looking through the latest batch of intel reports, none of which revealed what she needed to know. She flipped over another page, nerves humming through her. She hated this, the analysis and the waiting.

  She had thought that once she was safely away from Akil Ramir and his organization, she would be able to relax. Now she knew how wrong she’d been. With the looming terrorist threat, it was killing her not to know what was happening inside Ramir’s fortress.

  The door opened, and she looked up to see Seth walk inside. His jaw was clenched, his expression serious.

  “What’s wrong?” Vanessa asked as he closed the door behind him.

  Seth walked to the chair at the head of the table and leaned on the back of it. “Let’s just say that the Army doesn’t feel like playing nice with the Navy.”

  “The base commander didn’t approve your plan?”

  Seth shook his head. “He said that the intel we’ve gathered didn’t warrant such a significant use of manpower, especially when it’s almost a hundred degrees outside.”

  “Did he suggest any alternatives?”

  “Nothing that will work effectively. Even my plan leaves more gaps than I’d like, but at least it would have put our people in the right places to intercept.” He shook his head again. “Of course, that doesn’t matter now. Bottom line is that Army generals don’t like being told what to do by Navy lieutenants.”

  “Then maybe it’s time to have one of your admirals have a chat with him,” Vanessa suggested. “If we can’t figure out where the Z-10s are attacking from, the chances of stopping those missiles before they strike are slim at best, and that’s assuming we have all of our resources ready to intercept.”

  “I know.” Seth crossed the room to her. “And I still want you to get out of the line of fire.”

  “And I’m still not going anywhere,” Vanessa told him.

  “Vanessa, please.” Seth sat in the chair beside her and shifted so that he was facing her. His deep brown eyes were filled with concern as he reached for her hand. “My squad will likely be assigned to one of the fighter groups in this area. I don’t want to leave and worry that you won’t be here when I come back.” He glanced up at the clock. “We likely only have about thirty hours left before this strike is going to happen.”

  He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. “Please.”

  Vanessa felt herself softening. She knew she wouldn’t be able to walk away until the project was complete, but she also knew that she was running out of possibilities to explore here in Arizona. “Tell you what. I’ll make arrangements to leave when you do,” Vanessa conceded. “I’m sure I can set up a transport back to Virginia for sometime tomorrow morning.”

  “Fair enough.” Seth nodded. “Just promise you won’t disappear on me again.”

  “I promise.” Vanessa smiled and then leaned forward to kiss him once more.

  The conference room door opened, and Seth immediately drew away and looked up.

  “Whoops.” Tristan looked at him apologetically even as he smothered a grin. He started to back out the door, but Quinn came in behind him and nudged him forward.

  Quinn took one look at Seth and Vanessa and shook his head. “Another one bites the dust.”

  Brent followed them into the room and asked Seth, “What did the base commander say?”

  “No go.” Seth shook his head. He then explained the base commander’s suggestions.

  Brent shook his head, clearly frustrated. “What about the intel reports? Anything useful?”

  “Nothing.” Vanessa motioned to the map that Seth had marked up earlier. “The satellite photos should be coming in within an hour or two for this area. I just pray that the analysts find something soon.”

  Brent nodded in agreement before turning to Quinn and Tristan. “What about you two? What did you find out?”

  Tristan spoke first. “Han
k over at border patrol is sending all of his available people down this way. He said he’ll ask for volunteers to pull some overtime so that he can give us extra support for the next forty-eight hours or so.”

  “Good. What about you?” Brent asked Quinn.

  “Bauer said they might be able to push their schedule up by about twelve hours, but that’s the best he can do. I guess someone from the power plant has to inspect the electrical hookups before they can flip the switch. The inspector is supposed to be arriving any minute.”

  “In that case, we might as well go grab some dinner,” Brent told them. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll join up with some of the Air Force boys and fly cover along the border. I know they’ve got a couple of F-15s for us to use, but I’m hoping we can also get another Apache helicopter.”

  “What about tonight?”

  “Amy arranged for temporary quarters for us,” Brent said and then turned to Vanessa. “As for you, I’ve got a seat on a transport plane that’s leaving for Virginia in an hour.”

  Vanessa looked from Brent to Seth and back again. “Has he been talking to you?”

  A knowing smile crossed Brent’s face, but he shook his head. “This is simple logistics. We need you to be where the intel reports are being generated so that we aren’t waiting on them getting sent. That’s CIA headquarters.”

  “But Amy’s already there.”

  “Yeah, but she doesn’t have complete access to everything. You do,” Brent told her. “There’s nothing left to do here anyway. We’re all going to grab some sack time, and then we’ll be up in the air trying to find those Z-10s. You’ll do us a lot more good tomorrow if you’re already in Virginia when we go up.”

  “Will we have a direct communication link with you while you’re in the air?”

  “I’ll tell Amy to set it up.”

  “All right.” Vanessa looked from Brent to Seth. “You guys win. But you had all better come back safe.”

  “That’s the plan,” Tristan drawled.

  Seth motioned to her. “Come on, Vanessa. I’ll walk you out and we’ll find someone to take you over to the airfield.”

  Vanessa nodded and followed him out into the hall. She fell into step beside him, surprised that he took her hand despite the people mulling about in the hallway. He didn’t say anything until they approached the building lobby. Then he turned to face her.

  “You know, as soon as this is all over, I’ll be coming back to Virginia,” Seth told her. “We still have a lot to talk about.”

  “I love you, Seth,” Vanessa said, her voice lowering to a whisper. She saw the way his eyes widened when she said the words so easily. Then slowly his lips curved into a smile and she added, “Please be careful.”

  “I will.” Seth leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss. “Now, let’s see if we can find a ride for you over to the airfield.”

  He looked up to see a border patrol agent walking toward him. “Excuse me. Can you tell me where I can find Lieutenant Miller?”

  “Yeah, he’s in the conference room.” Seth looked at him curiously. “I’m in his squad. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “I’m Hank Rodriguez. I’m here to give him an update on where I have my men stationed,” Hank told him.

  Seth introduced himself and Vanessa. Then he said, “I’ll show you where Lieutenant Miller is. I just need to find someone to take Vanessa over to the airfield first.”

  “My assistant can drive her over there.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” Hank turned to look at Vanessa. “He’s waiting right out front. You can’t miss him. He’s the one driving the border patrol car.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Vanessa looked over at Seth, wishing for a few minutes alone before she left, but she didn’t know how she could manage it. “Be careful, Seth.”

  “I will.” He then surprised her by stepping closer and kissing her good-bye. The kiss was brief, but it was filled with promise. He then whispered in her ear, “By the way, I love you too.”

  Vanessa couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face. Still smiling, she turned and walked outside, immediately spotting the border patrol car. She moved toward it, glancing over at the electrical junction box on the side of the building where the border patrol agent was talking to someone from the power plant.

  Both men looked up at her, and her smile slowly faded as recognition dawned. Then everything moved in slow motion. Panic flashed in the familiar close-set eyes, and an instant later his gun was drawn. The other man barely had time to register what was happening before he was knocked unconscious with the butt of the previously concealed weapon.

  Vanessa simply gaped at the man moving toward her, the man she had seen periodically at La Playa over the past year.

  “Lina Ramir. Fancy meeting you here.”

  “What are you doing here?” Vanessa asked incredulously as she tried to shift back into the mindset of Lina Ramir. She looked at the power company logo on his shirt and was both stunned and annoyed that she had never considered someone like him to be the insider.

  “I could ask you the same question,” he said quietly, shoving the gun into her ribs as he took her by the arm and pushed her toward the border patrol car. “Or I could ask you who you really are, since no one with the last name Ramir would be in the United States right now unless they were behind bars.”

  “You’re wrong about that since obviously I’m here.” Vanessa tried to sound aloof, but she knew there was fear rippling through her voice. She then added, “There’s no way you’re going to get off of this military base without someone stopping you.”

  “You underestimate me.” He pulled open the passenger side of the patrol car and motioned for her to slide all the way over to the driver’s side. “Now, drive.”

  Vanessa glanced down at the gun and then closed her eyes. With a silent prayer running through her head, she reached for the key that was still in the ignition and started the car.

  33

  What began as a short briefing had turned into a strategy session with the Saint Squad and Hank Rodriguez. Knowing that they weren’t getting the full support of the base commander, Hank had come up with some other ideas that they hoped could help them prepare for whatever Ramir had planned for them.

  Seth glanced at his watch, calculating that Vanessa’s flight should be leaving any minute.

  “I still think we need more resources protecting the power plant down here,” Brent said.

  “I agree, but where are we going to get the added manpower?” Seth asked.

  Brent’s cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. He answered it immediately. Concern filled his voice as he looked over at Seth and responded, “She isn’t there yet?” He paused for a moment and then said, “I’ll get back to you.”

  Brent hung up the phone, and his gaze focused on Seth and Hank. “That was the transport pilot. Vanessa never showed up. Who was supposed to drive her over?”

  “Gordon McAllister,” Hank told Brent. “I don’t understand what would have taken them so long.”

  “Didn’t McAllister know about the new surveillance grid?” Brent asked now.

  “Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?” Hank looked at him confused.

  “We may have just found our leak the hard way,” Brent told him as Seth’s jaw clenched tightly and he pushed out of his seat.

  Before Brent could give the order, Seth darted out of the conference room and sprinted through the hall and out the front door. Seth could hear the footsteps behind him as his team chased after him, but he could only think of Vanessa. Where was she? He didn’t stop until he reached the curb where the patrol car had been. A white utility van was parked nearby, and Seth’s eyes swept the area searching for any clue. Brent stepped beside him and together they started down the sidewalk. That was when they saw the shoe sticking out from behind the van.

  Seth and Brent moved around the back of the van to see the man sprawled out on the ground between the back of
the van and the side of the building. Brent looked past the rest of his team to where Hank was standing. “Is that McAllister?”

  “Yeah.” Hank rushed forward to check his injuries. “Call an ambulance. He’s still alive.”

  “If McAllister doesn’t have Vanessa, who does?” Brent asked, turning to look at Seth.

  Seth’s voice was filled with worry. “I don’t know.”

  * * *

  Vanessa gripped the steering wheel tighter as she approached the base exit. A young private was standing in the guard house watching the cars exit. Another was checking off those that entered. Vanessa slowed the car, her mind racing as nerves danced along her skin.

  “Don’t try anything funny,” the man beside her said quietly. Vanessa remembered him as Tod Zimmerman; he had been a regular at La Playa, but she knew nothing about him except that he had been in Punta Cana several times over the past year, usually for only two to three days at a time.

  Her mind whirled as she tried to remember the last time she had seen him. She felt sick as the memory came back to her with sudden clarity. Not only had she overheard Zimmerman talk to Halim about antiaircraft guns, but he had also been part of the conversation when Halim had discussed potential American casualties.

  The gun Zimmerman held was still pointed in her direction, but his hand rested in his lap so that the guard would have to approach the car and look in the window to see it. Vanessa had little doubt that if the guard saw the gun, it would likely be the last thing he ever saw.

  Her chest tightened as she considered her limited options. If she tried to signal the guard, he would likely die, and she might take a bullet as well. If she played along, she still might end up dead. Her CIA training had included instruction on what to do in hostage situations, but those were usually when someone else was being held hostage.

  Vanessa took a deep breath as she slowed the vehicle further and the guard took another step into the street. Then the man gave a nod to them and stepped into the guard house to raise the gate.