by Mark Lemke
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? The sniper/observer team identified Jansen and watched him get back into his car.? But before they could do anything about it, he'd moved off.?
"Sniper to Red One," I heard in my earpiece.
"This is Red One. Go."
"Jansen just spotted in the upper parking lot.? Something spooked him and he just moved out."
"Copy that.? Red Two, this is Red One.? Prepare to breach."
"Copy that.? Red Two out."
I turned to the Old Man and told him what had just happened. "Where do you think he's going next?" I asked.
"It depends on why he's leaving.? If it's part of his plan, that's one thing.? But if he feels compromised as your man suspects, maybe he knows his team is missing.? So where's the next safest place around here for him?? You did the security analysis.? Where would you go?"
I thought about it for a moment.? So far, Jansen was doing about what I'd expected him to do.? That was the good news.? It meant that Jansen was predictable and that we were one step ahead of him.? But if I were he, I'd know that I didn't control everything.? There were still a lot of variables.? The trick was to minimize those variables.? Based on my research and evaluation of the station's vulnerabilities to attack, I'd already determined that the secure spot was now inside the plant where Jansen and Rob probably had additional assets of one sort or another.?
"If it were me, I'd go into the plant where I had the security manager on my side.? So far, he doesn't know that we know about him or Rob.? So he probably feels he has a back door out of here.? If he leaves the site now, he won't be able to control the outcome and then he'll have lost this encounter-and, no doubt, his paycheck.? No, he's committed now.? He needs a win.? The only way left to him now is to come inside and make it happen himself."
The Old Man nodded his head in agreement.? "I think you're right.? It really doesn't matter, though.? If you're wrong and he leaves the site, then this whole thing will unravel for him and all we have to do is pick up the pieces.? But if you're right and he comes inside, then we have our work cut out for us.? I don't see that we have a choice.? We need to assume he's coming in."
"We've got to get to Hector.? Conditions have changed.?We can't stay here any longer," I said.? "If Marti hasn't gotten to him by now, we'll have to go find him."