by Mark Lemke
CHAPTER 58
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Rob reacted to the PA announcement about the security intrusion with dread.? Something was terribly wrong.? By the look on Jansen's face, he could tell he was just as taken aback by it.
"Who the hell is assaulting the plant perimeter and why?? Is this your doing?" Rob asked, knowing immediately that it was a stupid question to be asking the terrorist sitting across from him.?
Jansen didn't answer, so Rob continued, as if saying it aloud would somehow make it all make sense.
"It's not the FBI.? They surely wouldn't come in like this.? And it can't be your men.? You told me you lost touch with your team.? Is this some stupid backup plan you had if you lost contact with them?? Or did they decide to act on their own for some reason?"
Jansen still didn't answer and just sat there, stone-faced.?
Rob was staring at his phone, willing it to ring so he could find out what was going on.? It wasn't ringing.? He knew calling CAS was the wrong thing to do.? He'd trained the CAS operators not to answer calls during situations like this.? At least, not in drills.? But he needed information.? Only one way to get it now.?
"Fuck it!? I'm going over to CAS and get some answers," Rob said impatiently.? As he got up, he looked one last time at Jansen, as if expecting something . . . anything.? Jansen said nothing to him.? Rob was furious at the man and his apparent laze' faire attitude.? He left him sitting there and hurried out of the room.
Jansen watched him leave, glad to be rid of him, though starting to wonder just what was going on.? He realized his plan was unraveling.? First he loses contact with his men.? Now this.? It might still be possible to get away with this, but it'd take some improvising now.? If everyone didn't panic, this still might work.? The FBI and local law enforcement would be showing up soon-sooner than expected.? They'll still want to evacuate the site and turn it into a crime scene.? They'll most likely evacuate everyone to an off-site location, with the help of some armed responders from the site, and want to question everyone there.? That would be his opportunity to slip away, along with his team members who would be acting as the armed responders helping get people off site.?
He decided it was best to wait right there for the time being.? Nobody will think the security manager's office was harboring the leader of the assault force.? His guys were supposed to rendezvous with him there when their jobs were done, anyway.? Given what was going on right now, they may opt to stop and regroup with him to decide what to do.? In a few minutes, he'd have a small army around him.