Backlash

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  He kept his pace steady, strolling along the sidewalk as though he weren’t in any particular hurry. He turned the corner and spotted the sign in a yard down the street that identified a boxy blue house as a day care center. Past the day care, only two houses were visible before the street curved out of sight right where the main outlet intersected it. The information Jay had been given indicated that the rental in question was four houses away.

  Curious, Jay continued forward. He made the turn and identified the address of the rental property. The rental didn’t have a garage, and no cars were visible in the driveway or on the street. Jay glanced back in the direction he had come, confirming that he could no longer see any sign of the day care center. Confused, he continued on and made his way around the block. After making a complete circle, Jay could only shake his head in confusion. If Marilyn Bennett was being held inside, he had no idea how she would have seen the day care center.

  A bit deflated that he hadn’t found any solid clues, Jay headed back to his car and called Brent.

  “Did you see anything?” Brent asked in lieu of a greeting.

  “Not really,” Jay reported. “The first home had kids playing out in the yard, so I think we can rule that one out.”

  “And the other one?”

  “It didn’t look like anyone was home, but the day care center isn’t visible from the house.”

  “I thought it was only a couple of houses down.”

  “It is, but the road bends, and you can’t see it from the front or back yards.”

  Brent hesitated a moment. “Do you see any seagulls there?”

  “Seagulls?” Jay asked, instinctively looking up. He was inland far enough that he could feel the sticky humidity but not have the relief of the breeze coming off of the water. He also didn’t see any sign of seagulls. “No, why?”

  “There were seagulls in the background when Marilyn called,” Brent told him. “Come on back. Looks like we may have to explore some other options.”

  “Okay.” Jay looked up at the sky once more. Then he climbed into his car and hoped Marilyn Bennett could last until they could uncover enough clues to find her.

  * * *

  Marilyn glanced out at the darkening sky and wondered if this would be her last sunset. She didn’t have a watch on, but she knew time was growing short.

  The man holding her hadn’t appeared since he had told her to call Kel, but she had heard repeated movement in the hallway outside of her room over the past twenty minutes or so, as though someone were pacing there.

  She pulled her knees up to her chin and started yet another prayer. “Heavenly Father, please help me get out of here. Help me be strong and have faith. And please help Kel find me.” She closed her simple prayer as her own words repeated in her mind. Somewhere out there her husband was trying to find her. Somehow he was going to find her, she amended.

  Footsteps sounded in the hallway once more. She held her breath when she heard them stop near the door. Then she heard them sound again, and she prayed Kel would find her before it was too late.

  * * *

  Brent stared down at the papers scattered on Kel’s kitchen counter and shook his head. “We must be missing something.”

  “We’re running out of time,” Kel said, his voice tight. The NCIS team was out somewhere checking on a lead, but everyone knew that they would return soon and insist that Vanessa make the phone call to Marilyn to put their plans in motion.

  Brent nodded and turned to Seth. “Let’s expand the search at the rental companies to include all cash transactions.”

  Kel pointed to Tristan, who was still searching his computer for more clues. “Tristan, get me a list of all rentals near those two day care centers, no matter how they were paid for.”

  “I already have it,” Tristan told him and reached for a paper on the coffee table. “I think NCIS is checking them out right now.”

  “Then we need to concentrate on the other cash rentals,” Kel said, now ignoring the paper Tristan was holding. “We don’t have time to duplicate what NCIS is working on.”

  “I agree,” Brent said.

  “Okay, here’s what we’ve got,” Seth interrupted. “Besides the two places Jay already checked out, there are three more that paid using wire transfers.”

  “We’re going to have to split up to check them out.” Kel stepped away from the counter, and the men quickly divided into three teams.

  “What about me?” Vanessa asked as the men prepared to leave.

  “Stay on top of what NCIS is doing. Call us if they get ready to move,” Kel told her. Then his voice softened. “Please don’t call Marilyn until we’re in position.”

  “I’ll wait for you to tell me when,” Vanessa promised.

  “Thanks.” Kel nodded and headed for the front door.

  Vanessa reached for Seth’s hand and lowered her voice as the others left the room. “You know I’m not staying here, right?”

  “I was afraid you were going to say that.” Seth leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll call you as soon as I have a location.”

  Vanessa nodded, even as her eyes narrowed. “You know that I’m going to be really annoyed at you if you’re lying to me less than a week after our wedding.”

  Seth rolled his eyes. “I promise I will call you.” Then he turned and followed the rest of his squad out the front door.

  * * *

  Tristan drove his battered truck down the street as dusk edged into darkness. He was ready to see this nightmare end for their commander.

  Beside him, Quinn straightened and pointed down the street. “Look at that.”

  Tristan’s gaze shifted, and he saw the object of Quinn’s concern. A day care sign was hanging on the front of the house next door to the rental they had been sent to investigate. “That one wasn’t on our list.”

  “Maybe it’s new,” Quinn said impatiently as he lifted his binoculars.

  “I hope this is the place.” Tristan slowed down as they passed by the house. “Can you see anything?”

  “Not from here.” Quinn pointed to the day care center. “Park over there. I’ll climb up onto the roof and see if I can see in the upstairs windows.”

  Tristan circled around and pulled into the wide driveway of the currently vacant day care center. “Let’s go. We’re running out of time.”

  “Give me a boost,” Quinn told him, lifting one foot up and waiting for Tristan to muscle him up onto the roof. Tristan waited impatiently for a minute, and then Quinn peeked over the edge. “This is it! Marilyn’s on the bed in the corner room.”

  Tristan flipped open his phone. “I’ll call and get everyone over here.”

  Quinn nodded as he eased himself off the roof and dropped to the ground. Then the two men climbed back into the truck and drove around the corner where they could stay out of sight until the rest of their team arrived.

  39

  Kel pushed himself out of Brent’s car as Tristan strode toward him.

  “What have we got?” Kel asked.

  “The rental is two stories with a balcony running along the back of it,” Tristan began. “Quinn was able to see Marilyn in the corner room on the far side of the house.”

  “That’s where we need to go in,” Quinn said confidently. “It’s an easy shot to get onto the balcony, and we can put someone up on the roof or on top of that playground equipment next door to provide cover.”

  “Good work,” Brent said. Then he turned to Kel. “How do you want to handle this?”

  Kel considered for a moment. “I say we keep it simple. You and Tristan can go in through the balcony. Quinn can cover with a sniper’s rifle from next door, and I’ll go in the front. If Seth and Jay get here in time, they can take the back door.”

  “What if Marilyn calls again?” Brent asked. “If your phone rings in there, we’re going to have a major problem.”

  “You want me to stay out here?” Kel asked incredulously.

  “That’s not what I said.” Brent shook his he
ad. “But we do need someone ready to answer in case Marilyn calls.”

  “How long until Jay and Seth get here?”

  “They should be here any minute.”

  “Okay. We wait for Seth and Jay. Then I’ll forward my calls.”

  “Should we call and tell them what’s going on?”

  “We’ll clue them in as soon as Seth gets here,” Kel said as he watched the glow of headlights coming toward them. “I think that’s him.”

  The car parked down the street, and then Seth and Jay climbed out and crossed to them. Seth scanned the houses nearby and then shook his head as he approached Kel.

  “Which one is it?” Seth asked.

  “The white one with the balcony.” Tristan pointed it out.

  “Something doesn’t feel right,” Seth said as he studied the structure. The balcony was visible in the moonlight, and only one light was illuminated inside. “It feels like we’re being set up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “One thing I learned about Halim when I was working with him undercover is that he’s completely paranoid, just like Ramir,” Seth told Kel. “He’s not the type to leave a balcony unguarded.”

  Kel considered his words for a minute, trying to fight the impulse to charge in right then to take his wife back. “You think he’s expecting us to come in that way?”

  “Yeah.” Seth nodded. “I think the reason there’s only one light on in the whole house is to lure us up there.”

  “What do you suggest?”

  “I say we go after Halim the same way we got Ramir,” Seth told him. “Right through the front door. If there’s going to be a weak spot, I think that’s where it’ll be.”

  Kel let out a sigh and gave a nod of approval. Then he noticed another car pull up. “That had better not be Steinert.”

  “It isn’t,” Seth said as he watched Vanessa step out of the car and start toward them.

  “What’s she doing here?”

  “Halim is expecting us,” Seth told him and then nodded at Vanessa. “Not her.”

  “It’s too dangerous to have her here,” Kel insisted. It was bad enough that his own wife was in harm’s way, but putting Seth’s new wife at risk was more than he had bargained for.

  “Kel, she lived undercover in Ramir’s organization for over a year,” Seth reminded him. “She may be the extra edge we need to get Marilyn safely out of there. Besides, I have an idea of how we might be able to use Halim’s feelings for her to our advantage.”

  “I don’t like it,” Kel said.

  “You don’t have to like it. Neither do I,” Seth told him. “But you need to trust me, and we both need to trust Vanessa.”

  As soon as Vanessa joined them on the sidewalk, Brent stepped in. “Okay, everyone gear up.” Then he added, “And let’s try not to scare the neighbors.”

  * * *

  Halim paced down the hall for the fortieth time, a cell phone in his hand. He hated waiting, but it would be over soon, he assured himself.

  He wasn’t sure he would get what he wanted this time around, but if he didn’t, he had a backup plan. He always had a backup plan. He hoped that the commander’s injury would play in his favor and that he would simply cooperate and deliver Lina and Seth to the airport as demanded. So far, this operation had been pathetically simple, and Halim’s confidence rose another notch as he considered how clever he had been in planning everything out.

  After seeing the tenacity of the commander’s men at his house and the precautions he took to keep his wife safe, he knew that he had to be prepared for a rescue attempt. Glancing down at his watch, he wondered if the US military was even capable of planning a rescue in such a short period of time, especially since they would have to track him down first. He already knew that the cell phone call hadn’t been long enough to trace with any accuracy, and the commander’s wife still didn’t have a clue where she was.

  Besides, the pretty little Marilyn Bennett was still chained up inside her room. Except for letting her go to the bathroom once, she hadn’t moved from the bed since he had carried her inside while she was still unconscious.

  He had prepared the house for intruders days ago, long before he’d identified where the Bennetts were living. Both the front door and the door that led to the patio were wired with small explosives charges. Expecting the Navy SEALs to work as a team, he had wired the two explosives together. The minute one door opened, both blasts would go off. Neither explosion would cause significant structural damage to the house, but the nails embedded within the explosives would ensure that anyone near the doors wouldn’t survive—and neither would Marilyn Bennett.

  The way he figured it, if the commander was willing to deal, Lina would call and would likely tell him that the Americans had to talk to Marilyn Bennett before they released her. If a deal wasn’t in the works, then, eventually, a rescue attempt would be made, one that would result in as much media coverage as a successful terrorist attack. After all, if he could kill a group of Navy SEALs, surely the Americans would realize that he could strike anywhere, anytime.

  Glancing at his watch once more, he decided he could wait a few more minutes. Then he would have his guest make another call and issue an ultimatum.

  * * *

  Kel watched Brent and Tristan make their climb onto the dark balcony using the decking and drainpipes to aid their upward progress. Taking Seth’s concerns into account, they had adapted their mission plan. Now, instead of having the two men enter through the balcony door like they had originally planned, they were heading for the windows in the darkest part of the house.

  Quinn was already in place, lying on the roof of the day care center where he had a clear shot at the east side of the house. Jay had taken position on the side of the house where he could watch the door leading to the carport. Nearby Vanessa had concealed herself behind a line of azalea bushes.

  With a prayer in his heart, Kel adjusted his night-vision goggles and signaled to Seth that it was time. The two men moved silently forward until they reached the front door.

  Their timing was crucial, their goal simple: neutralize Halim and safely rescue Marilyn.

  Kel looked down at his watch and then over at the bushes where he could barely make out the silhouette of Vanessa. He could see her with her cell phone to her ear and knew that she was making the call to the local authorities. Even though they were trained to be silent, they all knew that there was a good chance a neighbor would spot one of them and call 911. If Vanessa was successful, she would ensure that the cops wouldn’t come in with their sirens blaring. She was also planning on letting them coordinate with NCIS.

  They figured the locals wouldn’t try to interfere, knowing what was at stake. NCIS was another story. They hoped they would have at least five minutes to get Marilyn out of the rental house before Steinert and his team showed up and decided to negotiate with a man that they all knew was beyond reason.

  Kel shifted his attention back to the front entrance. Seth edged forward until he was right next to the door, but then he froze for several long seconds. He took a step back and signaled for Kel to do the same. Even though everything in him wanted to continue forward, Kel stepped back beside Seth.

  Before Kel could ask Seth why he had backed off, Seth spoke quietly into his lip mike. “We’ve got a problem here. The front door shows signs of tampering.”

  Kel was the first to ask the obvious question. “What kind of tampering?”

  “The explosive kind,” Seth told him. “Kel, this guy is expecting us.”

  “You guys stand down,” Kel ordered. “I’ll take my chances going in through one of the windows.”

  Brent’s voice came over the communications headset now. “Kel, you can’t go in alone.”

  “I’m not going to risk the rest of you,” Kel said firmly. “It’s my wife in there. You can cover me from out here.”

  “Negative,” Tristan’s drawl sounded quietly. “I’m already in.”

  “Great,” Kel muttered as he p
ressed against the side of the house and considered his options. “Everyone make sure you check for booby traps. And Jay, you stay outside.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jay said obediently, making Kel wonder briefly what he had done to make the rest of the squad feel they could ignore his orders.

  “The balcony door is set with an explosive charge, too,” Brent informed them. “But the windows are clear.”

  “Copy that,” Kel responded.

  Kel saw Seth go to work on a main level window. Vanessa moved forward to squat beside her husband. Moments later, Seth slipped inside, followed by Kel and Vanessa. They all looked past the typical furnishings, Vanessa staying with Seth as he and Kel split up to check out the main level. When they were satisfied there wasn’t anyone on the first floor, Kel ignored the stiffness in his knee and headed up the stairs. That’s when he heard the footsteps.

  He signaled Seth and gripped the weapon in his hand. Then the footsteps stopped, followed by the sound of a doorknob turning.

  Seth edged beside him as a man’s voice carried toward them. “It’s time for you to call your husband again to make sure he hasn’t forgotten about you.”

  Marilyn’s voice sounded surprisingly calm. “Why are you doing this?”

  Kel started forward only to have Seth grab his arm to hold him in place. Kel looked back to see Seth speak softly into his lip mike. It took him a minute to register the words that he was hearing through his earpiece, to readjust the plan in his mind.

  Quietly, Kel took off the night-vision goggles, pushing them onto the top of his head. Then he crept forward, quickly closing the distance between the top of the stairs and the open door. He stopped just outside the door, first worried that he no longer heard voices and then surprised that he didn’t see Halim still standing near the doorway. Vanessa moved beside him, pressing her back against the wall as Seth stepped beside her.

  Then he heard a cell phone ring, followed by Halim’s voice. “Put it on speaker.”

  Marilyn’s voice sounded now as she answered the cell phone, “Kel?”

  The words that came next were words Kel would have said, but it was Jay’s voice that sounded in the room. “Marilyn, are you okay?”