He hadn’t heard from Kane, which meant the man had likely been picked up at the hotel and was being tortured right now. He glanced over at his wife, gently pressing the ice pack to her lips and wincing. He didn’t want to leave her, but right now, he might be the only hope for these poor souls. He fired back a message with a burner phone number, then rejoined his wife.

  “I’m going to have to leave.”

  She stared up at him through the narrow slits of her swollen eyes. “Why?”

  “Kane’s contact, Duan. He and his family are in trouble. I have to go get them. Will you be all right here alone?”

  “I think so. Just get me in the bed. I want to sleep now.”

  He helped her up and then into the bed, covering her with a blanket. He put a bottle of water and Tylenol beside her, and a burner phone. He took a knee beside her, taking her hand in his, gently brushing the hair from her face, his heart breaking. “I’m going to give you the good painkillers.”

  She smiled slightly. “I knew my husband loved me.”

  He pulled the bottle from his pocket, placing two of the pills in her mouth. He held the bottle up to her lips, and she took a drink, swallowing the pills. “You’ll be feeling those soon.” He put the bottle beside her. “Don’t take any more for at least four hours. I should be back long before that, though.”

  She reached up and ran her hand down his cheek, staring into his eyes. “Do you forgive me, Husband?”

  His chest ached. “Forgive you for what?”

  “For being such a difficult woman to live with.”

  He smiled at her and took her hand, kissing it, then pressing it to his chin. “There’s nothing to forgive, my love. Every minute of every day spent with you was perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  She smiled, tears flowing. “I’m going to go to sleep now. You go save those children. I love you, Husband,” she said, her voice fading away as she drifted off.

  He kissed her forehead. “And I love you, too.”

  Her chest collapsed as she exhaled slowly, and his heart pounded. He checked for a pulse but found none. “No!” he screamed, leaning back and staring up at the heavens through clenched eyes. He collapsed atop her, holding her lifeless body tight against him, sobbing uncontrollably. His precious wife was gone, his reason for living extinguished, beaten to death by those they had fought together their entire lives. He climbed into bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him.

  Then reached for the bottle of painkillers, all will to live gone.

  51 |

  Hotel Hilton Beijing Wangfujing Beijing, China

  Kane lathered up his kibbles and bits and surrounding areas for a second time, just to make sure he hadn’t missed any remains from his earlier performance. He had dropped Xu off at his family home, triggering a panic within the household and a verbal assault from his sister.

  “What happened to him?” Xu’s sister, the source of the cheap perfume, had asked.

  “I was jumped outside a nightclub and your brother saved me.” He dropped a massive wad of bills in her hand. “Anything he needs, use that. If you need more, he knows how to reach me.”

  He left the young man with his family, taking the SUV back to the hotel where Xu could collect it later. The young man was roughed up but not in any danger, perhaps half a dozen blows to the face and none to the body. If Xu had recollected his interrogation correctly, he should be fine. Kane had no doubt his driver had stuck to his story, and the fact they had let them both go suggested the Chinese had enough doubt that they didn’t know what to think. A passive scan of his hotel room indicated at least half a dozen new signals, including some high-intensity ones that suggested video surveillance. There was no video in the shower, so he took the opportunity to check his messages.

  He read the plea from Duan and the reply from Chan. He suppressed a curse. Chan had done enough. His place was at Bing’s side. Duan was Kane’s responsibility, the CIA’s responsibility, but with this damn Sierra Protocol in place, there wasn’t much they could do. He sent a message through his encrypted app to be relayed to the burner phone Chan had indicated Duan should contact.

  I’m out and at the hotel. Status?

  He waited but there was no reply, and it had him nervous. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel off the rack. The phone vibrated with a message and he checked it.

  Bing is dead.

  Kane’s heart broke and he bit down on a knuckle as he leaned his forehead against the tile wall opposite the camera hidden behind the mirror. Tears flowed, not only for the woman he had known for years, but for her husband and his friend, now all alone in this world. He feared what his friend would do now that his reason to live was lost. He thought of Casey’s suicide and how her betrayal had cost so much already.

  People were dead, families destroyed, years of work torn asunder.

  And he feared that was only the beginning.

  52 |

  Kane’s Off-the-Books Operations Center Outside Bethesda, Maryland

  Fang activated her comms, foregoing proper communications protocols. It might just confuse Tommy. Their transmissions were encrypted, so any hostiles wouldn’t get anything useful out of it regardless. “Tommy, it’s Fang, report.”

  “Nothing on the cameras yet.”

  “Check the road camera.”

  “Just a second.” Tommy cursed. “There are two SUVs parked on the side of the road.”

  “Anybody in them?”

  “Not that I can see.”

  “Reverse the footage.”

  “Hold on.”

  She could hear him working his station. “Okay, wait, I’ve got it. They arrived together. Four people got out of each of them, so eight in total.”

  “Weapons?”

  “I’m not really good with that stuff, but it looks like they all have machine guns of some type.”

  “Understood. Contact Chris. Let him know there are eight hostiles with assault rifles.”

  “On it. Are you going to be okay? Maybe it’s better if you get in here with us.”

  She headed toward the rear of the storage yard. “How many minutes ago did they arrive?”

  “Four.”

  “Good, then they’re still positioning themselves at the rear.” She sprinted down the side of a container, coming to a halt at the end, checking to make sure she was still clear. “And Tommy?”

  “Yes?”

  “If I don’t make it, tell Dylan—”

  “You’re going to make it.”

  “I know, I know, but just in case, tell him that I love him, and that he gave me a life better than I could have ever imagined. You tell him that, all right?”

  Tommy’s reply was subdued. “I will.”

  “Good. Now keep your eyes out for any movement and report it to me by direction from where you are with numbers. The road is south. Don’t be surprised if I don’t reply, I might be keeping radio silence. Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. Going silent.” She sprinted across to the next container, heading for the trees at the back of the compound. If she were running the op, she’d have sent one team to the back, through the trees surrounding the lot, since she wouldn’t know where the cameras were placed. It meant she had a brief window of opportunity where their attackers would assume they had the element of surprise as they rushed into position so they didn’t delay the first team.

  She reached the final container, the fence line only feet away, thick trees on the other side. She cupped a hand around her ear and listened. Twigs snapped and branches swayed to her immediate left as at least one person barged through the underbrush. She slung her MP5 and drew her Glock, twisting a suppressor in place. Something moved just to her left and a figure emerged, grabbing the fence. There was more movement in the trees and a second figure appeared. The first was already halfway up the fence. She put two rounds in his chest, then two more in his friend, both dropping. Gunfire rang out to her right and she rolled back behind the container, sprinting down the side, falling back two rows before cutting over.

  “Are you all right? We’re hearing gunfire.”

  “Two down. They spotted me. Anything on camera?”

  “Not yet. Wait a minute. Rear fence line, two guys climbing over. And two are now at your car.”

  “Understood. Keep an eye out for the other two. I don’t want them sneaking up on me. Going silent.” She sprinted across from west to east toward where her car was parked. The two at the rear fence line would be checking on their friends, which meant they’d be heading in the opposite direction. It bought her perhaps two minutes, since they would be careful about it. If she could take out the two at her car, it would halve the number she was facing. It would also halve the number from each team, which would mean the four remaining wouldn’t be accustomed to working together. It would weaken their effectiveness, though only slightly. These would be highly trained professionals, though out of practice, sleeper teams like this rarely seeing action once assigned.

  She, on the other hand, had been Special Forces in regular rotation, seeing action all across the globe, and probably had more experience than the average team combined. Her concern at the moment was the two missing hostiles. The terrain didn’t offer a high point for an overseer position, though snipers could be put on top of one of the containers, or perhaps even in the trees.

  She skidded to a halt, checking to make sure she was still clear. “Watch for movement on top of the containers. And if you have any view of the trees, check for a sniper up in them.”

  “Copy that,” replied Tommy. “We’re not seeing anything yet. The two guys at the back are checking on the two you took out. The other two are just leaving your car now, heading toward us.”

  “Copy that. Going silent.” Her car was just ahead. This could be her last chance for an easy kill.

  “I see you,” said Tommy in her ear. “The two guys from the parking lot are coming up along the side of the container just ahead of you to your right.”

  She gave a thumbs-up signal and raced across, taking up position at the corner of another container that would give her a wider angle. She took a knee, her weapon extended in front of her.

  “First one is about to come around the corner, second one is right behind him.”

  She spotted the first and held her fire. She needed both of them. The second one emerged. She squeezed the trigger, hitting him twice, taking the second target out so he couldn’t duck back behind cover, then fired two more at the first one as he spun toward her. He collapsed and she rushed forward, tapping both in the head before ducking behind the nearest container.

  She pressed against the side, steadying her breathing, listening for any sign of the missing two hostiles. A shot rang out and something slammed into her back, dropping her to the ground, and as she struggled to remain conscious, she opened her mouth to apologize to Tommy and Mai for failing them.

  But no words came.

  “Oh my God!” cried Mai as she leaped from her seat and rushed forward, squinting at the screen. “Is she all right?”

  Tommy’s chest was tight as his heart slammed. He had heard the shot, even through the insulated walls of the container. It was some sort of high-powered weapon. He zoomed in on Fang’s prone figure, searching for any signs of life, but saw nothing. Something moving out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he stared at the surface of his coffee as it rippled. He placed his palm flat on the desktop. Vibrations.

  “What is it?” asked Mai.

  “I can feel vibrations.”

  “What do you think it is?”

  He reached forward and flicked a switch, turning on the external audio. And smiled. “It’s a helicopter! It must be Echo Team!”

  Tanner fired and smiled as the Chinese sniper dropped from his perch in the tree, the infrared scanners having easily picked him out as they approached. “Control, Echo-One. I’ve taken out one target. Do we have an update from the friendlies, over?”

  “Stand by, patching you through.”

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Tommy?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m Tanner, Echo Team leader. We’re arriving by chopper. Report.”

  “Fang’s just been shot.”

  Curses erupted from the team.

  “Understood. I need a report on the hostiles. How many did you take out?”

  “Four. There are two at the rear that are heading toward our position now and two we can’t see.”

  “Understood. We’re inserting now. Stay inside until you hear from me, and keep your eyes open on those cameras. I took out one in the trees. Probably one of your missing two, but there are still others out there.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The chopper touched down on the roadway and Tanner hopped out with the rest of her team. Sprinting into the storage yard, she sent them off in twos as she scanned from left to right, searching for any movement.

  A shot rang out and Carlos Sanchez grunted, dropping to the ground beside her. She cursed and dropped to her knee, noting Sanchez had taken a round to his left shoulder and dropped straight, giving her a line on the source. “We’ve got a shooter near the road at the west end of the lot!” She grabbed Sanchez by the collar and hauled him to his feet. He groaned in agony as they stumbled for cover. Gunfire erupted to her left, several MP5s opening up. She reached the nearest container and pushed Sanchez against it, helping him to a seated position.

  “Holy shit, that hurts.”

  “It’s supposed to, idiot. That’s why most of us avoid getting shot.”

  “I thought I was doing a good job by making sure you were taking point.”

  She yanked his med kit off his belt and pulled out the tourniquet.

  “Why the hell did he shoot me and not you? You were in the lead.”

  Tanner shrugged as she tied the tourniquet above the wound, stemming the flow of blood. “I make a smaller target. Maybe he’s not a very good shot and didn’t want to take the chance.” She yanked on the knot and Sanchez gasped.

  “I think you got it tight enough.”

  “You better hope so.” She activated her comms. “Control, Echo-One. Sanchez took a round to the shoulder. Have medevac standing by, over.”

  “Copy that, Echo-One. Notifying local emergency responders. We’ll instruct them to hold back until you give the all-clear.”

  “Copy that, Control.” She shoved Sanchez’s weapon back in his hands. “You good to fight?”

  “I’m good. Don’t you worry about me.”

  “I never do.” Tanner shot to her feet and rushed to the end of the container, gunfire still rattling from the west end of the compound. “Echo Team, report.”

  “We’re pinned down, southwest corner,” replied Lyons.

  What sounded like HKs had joined into the fray, her team now engaged by at least two, if not three hostiles. “Tommy, this is Tanner. Tell me where the bad guys are.”

  “Judging from where your guys are firing, I think one is in the trees at the west end of the compound near the road. The other two are on either side of the container near the west end. If you continue forward past the next row of containers, you should have a clear shot all the way across the lot and you should be able to take them by surprise.”

  “Good thinking, kid. You tell me if they move.” She sprinted across the gap between the two rows of containers then continued to the next. She checked to make sure there were no surprises, then raced as fast as she could as some of the guns fell silent.

  “Hostile in the trees taken out,” reported Lyons. “Two more still have us pinned down, over.”

  “Copy that, Echo-Two. I’m coming to save your asses yet again.”

  Lyons chuckled. “Well, can you hurry it up, please? I’ve got dinner plans.”

  The rattle from the Chinese position continued to grow louder and she eased up, not wanting to risk her footfalls being overheard should someone stop firing to reload. She readied her weapon as she came to the corner of the container. She peered around, spotting the hostile. She fired two rounds into his back and he collapsed to his knees. She put one in his head to make sure he was finished.

  His partner continued to fire on the opposite side of the container. He let up for a brief moment, no doubt listening for what had happened to his friend. She couldn’t give him time to think. She darted across the back of the last container between her and the enemy, and came around the corner, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire. Someone grabbed the barrel of her weapon, yanking it forward, her along with it. As she was swung by her assailant, she reached up with her left hand and grabbed him by the vest, dragging him down with her. She yanked her knife off her belt with her right hand as they hit the ground with him on his back and her straddling. Her hand darted forward, shoving the six-inch blade under his vest and into his ribcage, piercing his heart. His eyes shot wide as she twisted, a gush of warm blood soaking her hand as the entire area fell silent.

  She pulled her knife free and stood over her kill, staring down at the light fading from the man’s eyes. This one she would remember. She activated her comms. “Consider your asses saved. Do a complete sweep of the area. Make sure there aren’t any others, over.”

  “Copy that, Echo-One,” replied Lyons. She cleaned her knife on the man’s pant leg then sheathed it before wiping her hand off as well as best she could.

  “Tommy, this is Tanner. We believe we’ve eliminated all the hostiles. Can you confirm that you don’t see anything?”

  “No, just your people. You have to check on Fang.”

  “Where is she?”

  “From your position, one row closer to the road, then down about half a dozen containers on your right. You can’t miss her. I’m coming out.”

  “No, stay where you are. Wait until we secure the area.” Tanner jogged down the row of containers. “Sanchez, you still with us?”

  “Of course I am. You know my social life. I’ve got nowhere better to be.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22