by DV Berkom
“All right. Hold on a moment.” A minute later, Director La Pointe opened the door and walked outside. Her hair was mussed, and she had a most unhappy look on her face. She hugged her robe closer. “What is it?”
“I’ve discovered something disturbing that has to do with Assistant Director Hakim.”
“Well?” she said testily.
“Earlier this evening, I followed him and Doctor Dahmani to a remote village in the desert.”
“And?”
“While there, I conducted a brief reconnaissance and witnessed several children sleeping inside a crumbling building that had been destroyed in the war.” He paused, letting her come to her own conclusion about the missing children.
The director narrowed her eyes. “Are you implying that our own assistant director is responsible for the abductions?”
Should he tell her his suspicions? If Omar was wrong, he’d surely be fired for casting doubt on an employee of the camp. But what if he was right?
“I don’t know for certain, but it seems to be the only conclusion. I thought it best to bring this information to you first.”
“I can’t believe Kadeem has anything to do—” She stopped midsentence. “You know, Omar, if you’re right about this and those are the missing children from the camp, then perhaps this nightmare is finally over.”
“I hope so, Director.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
The director’s eyes had an unnerving quality to them—as though Omar was facing down a feral lion.
“In the room next to where the children were sleeping, Doctor Dahmani was tending to another woman who appeared to have been wounded. Ahmed’s brother Yusuf was there, as well. I didn’t recognize the woman, but it appeared that the assistant director knew who she was.”
“What did she look like?”
“Mid- to late thirties and shoulder-length dark hair. She was dressed in western clothing.”
“Ava Yardley,” La Pointe said quietly, as though to herself. “You said the doctor was tending to the woman’s wounds. Was she badly hurt?”
“She was unconscious and receiving a transfusion, so I assume she had lost a lot of blood.”
“Thank you for the information, Omar. I need to make a phone call and then we must go to this camp.”
Omar shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “I was unable to draw any firm conclusions from what I saw. May I suggest questioning Assistant Director Hakim when he returns before going back to explore the village?”
“I value your advice, Omar. But I wonder if you might humor me? I’d like to go there and see for myself that the children are safe before I confront the assistant director.”
“What if Hakim is somehow connected to Izz Al-Din? Although security in the village appeared lax, the camp could be filled with landmines or other traps set by the terrorists. It would be foolish to attempt going back a second time without sufficient weapons and manpower. With your permission, I will contact my employer with this information to allow us to begin planning the operation immediately.”
She glanced at the insignia of the security company he worked for stitched across his pocket, and then at the telltale bulge of the shoulder holster underneath his jacket. “Your company provides different levels of security, does it not?”
“Yes, of course.”
“And protecting the camp director is one such level?”
Omar nodded.
“I’d like to get a sense of what we’re dealing with here. Whether these are, in fact, abductions, or whether there’s some innocent reason behind Kadeem and the doctor going to this village.”
“How do you mean to do this?”
“Much as I appreciate the initiative you showed in following the assistant director, I would like to call on some contacts I know to minimize wasting the organization’s resources.”
A look of surprise flickered across Omar’s face. “I understand, but my firm is experienced in these matters.”
“As are my contacts. I assume you have night vision capability in your bag of tricks?”
Omar nodded.
“As do my contacts. So, conceivably, we could get close enough to wherever this camp is without detection. Barring unforeseen circumstances, of course.”
“Yes, of course,” Omar said. “I did it myself. But it’s risky without proper planning.”
Director La Pointe gave him a sharp look. “I understand your concerns, Omar, and I will do my best to alleviate them. You just need to work with me.”
“This isn’t a good idea, Director.”
“Your objection is noted. But time is critical. If the assistant director has been taking children from this camp, following him now is our best opportunity to rescue them before something bad happens. With any luck, I’ll be able to identify the rest of the missing children while we’re there.”
The intensity in her eyes swayed him. Against his better judgment, he relented. “I’ll get the truck.”
16
AT THE SAFE house, Assistant Director Hakim and Dr. Dahmani readied the children to leave, while Leine scouted the rubble-covered village for a spot large enough for a landing zone. The rescue helicopter was due to arrive in just under an hour, and she wanted to ensure they had good cover and could lift off fast in case the group that tried to kill her earlier with the RPG turned up.
The village square had escaped the war with relatively little damage and turned out to be the perfect landing spot. Not far from the safe house, the area was easily accessible from a side street. She sent the coordinates to Lou, who would in turn relay them to the helicopter pilot. Then she slipped the sat phone into her pocket and started back to rejoin the others.
As she turned onto the main road used to enter the camp, something made her stop. A sound, or a feeling, she wasn’t sure, but she’d been through too many operations not to pay attention to her instincts. She closed her eyes and listened.
All seemed quiet, but Leine couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. She remained motionless a few minutes longer, but nothing came to her.
She continued to walk, pausing every few yards to listen. The moon floated low in the night sky, making the stars look dim by comparison. Following the tracks left by the van and Yusuf’s motorbike, she hiked up the gently sloping hill.
Cresting the rise, she paused to listen and scan the horizon with the binoculars. Something glinted in the distance and she zoomed in on the spot, but whatever it was had disappeared. She waited, her senses kicking in, feeling the old, familiar wariness return.
Another gleam erupted near the first one before it vanished. This time she was able to pinpoint the spot. There was no mistaking the line of three vehicles heading toward them. All three had their headlights off, suggesting they didn’t want their approach noticed.
Leine sprinted down the rise to the safe house, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm. She strode through the front door and straight to the assistant director.
“What is it?” Alarmed, Kadeem Hakim turned toward the former assassin.
“Someone’s coming. We need to move the children, now.”
“But what about the helicopter?” Hakim asked.
“Let me worry about that. Do you have somewhere safe that you can take them? A place the chopper can land?”
“Yes. I made sure they had another hiding place to go to in case this one was compromised. It’s a cave several kilometers south of here.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and dug through it for a piece of paper. “I have the coordinates.”
“Good. I’ll call Lou and tell him to change course to pick you all up there. I’ll stay back and try to throw them off your trail, and find you when it’s safe.”
“But what if—”
“I don’t deal in what ifs,” Leine said, cutting him short. “I deal in what is. Take the children and go, now.”
Hakim nodded. He recited the coordinates to the cave before he and Dahmani ushered the youngsters out t
he door.
“We’re going for a ride. I need you all to get in the van,” he said to them.
Leine spotted Jinn on the far side of the room, helping another girl pack her meager belongings. She made her way over to them and said to Jinn, “Help me grab what we can from the cupboard.”
“Okay.” Jinn and Leine went into the other room to the small closet, and Jinn started pulling out the weapons and ammunition, setting the items on the floor beside her. Leine slipped the MP5 over her strong shoulder and shoved magazines into the side and back pockets of her cargo pants.
“Bring the rest of the stash to the other room and then join the others in the van. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Jinn did as she was told, while Leine checked the charge on her phone.
The battery icon showed that the satellite phone had a few minutes of juice left. She walked into the other room and stopped Ahmed’s brother, Yusuf, who was in the process of grabbing a flat of bottled water.
“How do I get to the second floor of this building?” she asked. If she had to, she’d scale the outside wall, although she wasn’t looking forward to that little exercise, not with the pain in her arm.
“There’s a stairwell near the back of the house. Here, I will show you.”
Flicking on a small flashlight, Yusuf led Leine to the back of the building and showed her the dark, rubble-filled stairway to the second floor.
“No one is allowed to go up there.”
Leine made a note of the stairs’ location before following him outside to where Hakim and Dahmani were herding the children into the refugee camp van. The two youngest were belted into the front seat, while the older children filled the rest. Yusuf finished loading the cart hooked behind the motorcycle with enough supplies to last a few days, in case there were any problems with the helicopter pickup.
With one last look inside to make sure everyone was accounted for, Hakim climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine. Dahmani joined the two youngest in the front passenger seat. The assistant director put the vehicle into gear as Yusuf fired up the motorbike, and the group started to roll, heading south.
Jinn appeared behind Leine and said, “What do you want me to do?”
Startled, Leine turned. Dammit. She was supposed to go with the others. “I want you to go with them,” she said, her annoyance at the kid’s willful disobedience obvious in her tone. She whistled at the entourage. Brake lights flashed on and the van stopped. Yusuf pulled in behind him. Hakim stuck his head out the window, a questioning look on his face. Leine held up her hand, gesturing for him to wait.
Jinn crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m staying with you.”
“No, you’re not. It’s too dangerous.”
“It is too dangerous—for you to be alone.”
The set of her jaw told Leine she’d be in for a fight, and she didn’t have time to fight.
“For God’s sake, Jinn. I don’t have time to argue with you.”
“Then it’s settled.” Triumph glowed on her face.
“Do you know how to use a gun?”
“No. But I could look through the binoculars and tell you where to shoot.”
Leine had to hand it to the stubborn little shit—she had a point. Working as both spotter and sniper would be difficult with a bum arm. Not that she had a proper sniper rifle, but she’d make do.
“Fine.” With a sigh, she waved Hakim off and the van resumed course, disappearing into the darkness. Leine handed Jinn the binoculars. “You’re on lookout. Run up that hill to see how close the trucks are to camp. Don’t let them see you. Try to get a read on how many people are inside each one and estimate how soon they’ll be here. Then come back down and tell me.”
“On my way.” Jinn raced up the rise, slowing at the crest. She hid behind a mound of sand and waved at Leine to let her know she was fine.
Leine sent Lou the coordinates for the cave, giving him a brief explanation of what was happening before she turned off the phone to save the charge. Then she went back inside to check the stairwell for explosives.
17
BINOCULARS DANGLING FROM her neck, Jinn raced down the hill to where Leine stood near the front door of the safe house.
“They’re coming,” she said, leaning over to catch her breath.
“Are all three trucks heading this way?”
She nodded.
“How many people were inside the trucks?”
Jinn held up two fingers.
“For a total of six?”
Jinn nodded again and straightened.
“How long before they’re here?”
“Not long. They were close enough to see how many were inside, but I could not see their faces.”
“Come with me.” Leine led Jinn back inside the safe house to the stairs. “Step only where I step,” she cautioned. Jinn nodded and did as she was told. Leine hadn’t found any IEDs in the rubble on the steps and had done a quick recon of the second floor. So far, there didn’t appear to be anything for concern.
As soon as they reached the upper level, Leine set up the MP5 near an opening in the wall with a clear view of the main road, resting the barrel of the submachine gun on a notch in the brick. The gun’s range wasn’t nearly what a rifle would be, so she’d have to wait for the target to get close enough. She screwed on the suppressor, mentally calculating how much that would reduce her distance, and made sure the extra mags were handy. Jinn scoured the area for anything useful but found only broken concrete and rubbish.
The faint sound of engines grew closer, then ceased somewhere near the rise. Would they surveil the village before an attack? Leine assumed so but couldn’t be sure. She peered through the scope and waited. Like a ghost, Jinn appeared at her side and silently set up watch with the binoculars. The gold necklace with the amulet was visible outside of her shirt.
“You might want to tuck that inside,” Leine said, nodding at the necklace. Jinn quickly did as she was told.
A glow on the horizon signaled that dawn was imminent. The increased light meant a different approach for their attack. The people in the trucks would need to act quickly if they wanted to use the element of surprise.
Something moved in the shadows of a nearby building—Jinn sucked in a breath.
Leine watched through the night scope as they crept toward the safe house. One of them split off from the other and moved around the structure. She tracked their movements, calculating her odds of taking them down without alerting the others. Dressed in black, both wore night vision goggles and tactical vests.
Some kind of paramilitary group? Leine waited as the first one crossed her line of sight before she squeezed the trigger, dropping him where he stood. Jinn pointed at the second assailant, coming toward them from the other direction.
The second gunman stopped behind what was left of a partial wall and raised his hand to his ear.
He’s wearing a mic. He wasn’t in position to see the first gunman, so Leine waited as he made his report. It would buy her time before the others became concerned and sent backup.
The second gunman lowered his arm and crept toward the building. Leine tracked him with the scope, while Jinn did the same with the binoculars. He paused several yards from where the dead gunman lay, and instead of continuing into Leine’s crosshairs, changed direction and headed around the opposite side of the building.
Leine withdrew the MP5 and silently crossed to the other side of the room where she could keep him in view. Jinn followed, careful not to make any noise.
Her back to the crumbling façade, Leine waited until she heard him approach. She stole a quick glance through the glassless pane of a nearby window, catching a glimpse of the gunman as he walked inside.
Leine put her finger to her lips, and moved silently across the floor toward the stairs. Jinn nodded in acknowledgement and stayed where she was.
The intermittent sound of gravel crunching on the floor below her indicated he was moving through the larger of the room
s on the lower level. Leine circled the landing, waiting for him to discover the stairs.
“The building is deserted.” The gunman’s voice echoed up the stairwell. He spoke Arabic. There was a pause before he answered, “Copy.” The sound of his breathing drifted up the stairs, signaling that he was close. Leine stepped back, out of his line of sight. A partial arm came into view and Leine adjusted, waiting for him to move into range. Something rolled across the floor behind her and there was an audible intake of breath.
Jinn.
The gunman’s arm disappeared. Leine glanced at Jinn. Clearly alarmed, the whites of her eyes were visible as she stood, frozen to the spot. Leine nodded at her to come closer, but the girl shook her head. Exasperated, she cocked her head at the stairwell. Clarity lit Jinn’s features and she nodded.
“Is someone there?” Jinn called out in a tentative voice.
There was movement below and the gunman answered, “Yes.” He paused a moment before he added, “I’ve been sent to help you. Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“Then why don’t you come down and join me? I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“I’m afraid.”
Keeping his gun out of view he peered up the stairwell, smiling. He barely registered Leine and the submachine gun before a round carved a hole in his forehead. He sagged to the floor.
Leine was down the stairs in an instant, relieving him of his AK-47, NVGs, and bullet-proof vest. She donned the vest before she slipped his earpiece over her ear and muted the mic, then grabbed the radio off his belt and slipped it into her pocket. Jinn climbed down to join her. The other gunman’s vest would be big on the ten-year-old, but she’d make it work.
“What now?” Jinn whispered.
“Now we take the fight to them.”
ARMS CROSSED, BLANCHE La Pointe paced anxiously in front of the security guard’s pickup. As soon as they’d reached the village, she had Omar point out the building where he’d seen the children and reporter. She’d then sent two of her men to scout the village. One had just reported back that the building appeared abandoned. She muted her mic and turned on Omar.
