In the Grey

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  Ji stepped through the hole. Alex helped Max lay Steve down. Troy and a member of Ji’s team grabbed Steve’s shoulders and dragged him through the hole.

  “The priest is out of the building,” Alex yelled over the machine gun fire from the mine shed. “Cliff?”

  “Here!” Cliff said.

  The Fey Pave Hawk helicopter landed just feet away from the entrance. Troy and Matthew carried Steve’s by his shoulders, Royce and Colin grabbed his hips, and Max and Alex took his feet. Raz helped guide Steve into the helicopter.

  “Ji!” Alex waved him into the helicopter.

  He gave her a slight bow and turned to his team. Colin dropped to the floor and began treating Steve.

  “Go,” Alex yelled to Cliff.

  The helicopter had just started to rise when the mining shed was hit with a heavy artillery shell from the encroaching Korean People’s Army. Fire shot through the building. Ji and his team ran to meet their helicopter. Raz pushed the door closed.

  A blast of frigid wind hit the helicopter. They swung in the wind. Then the rotors caught a heat wave from the exploding building and rocked in the other direction. The team was tossed around the passenger compartment. Alex fell into the seats. Raz grabbed her and dragged her into the seat next to him. Max dropped into the seat beside her.

  She’d just fastened her straps when Colin gave her Steve’s saline IV bag to hold. The helicopter fought the cold wind and the heat waves for a few more minutes before He was able to get the helicopter above the battle. The helicopter hung in the air for a moment before turning east. They flew fast across North Korea toward the Sea of Japan.

  “Do we have satellite in Pakistan?” Alex asked Raz.

  He pointed to his laptop and to her ears. Alex took off her headset and pulled on the helicopter headphones.

  “I have Joseph and the commander of the SSG on the line,” Raz said. Alex smiled at him. He grinned and gave her his handkerchief.

  “We’re on the ground,” Joseph’s voice came over the air. “We’re ready to move into position.”

  “Hold your position,” Alex said. “Let’s get an update from the SSG.”

  “Roger that,” Joseph said.

  She pulled her balaclava off and wiped her forehead. The handkerchief was red with blood. She shot Raz a look of thanks.

  “Connecting to Captain Jan,” Raz said.

  “Hello Lieutenant Colonel.” Captain Jan’s heavily accented English echoed in her ear. Alex smiled. Captain Ahmed Jan was raised in London. Most of the time, he spoke English with a clipped British accent that rivaled her husband’s. Captain Jan used this heavy Arabic accent to disguise his voice.

  “Sir,” Alex said.

  “We have the building surrounded,” Captain Jan said. “Our men inside say your phoenix’s guards have been replaced or dispatched. The guards’ duty appears to have been to get the bird to the hunting range. The phoenix is now surrounded by hunters who wish the poor bird harm.”

  “Good to know,” Alex said.

  “No one will leave or enter the room,” he said. “You realize the risk?”

  Once the potential captors realized they couldn’t get out of the room, they would kill everyone including the secretary of state.

  “Affirmative.”

  “You will, of course, speak with our good friend down south?” he asked.

  “Oh?”

  “That’s correct,” he said. “Out.”

  “What does that mean?” Raz asked.

  “Same shit,” Alex said.

  “Ambivalence for the phoenix’s outcome,” Raz nodded.

  “I’d guess his team has the same reservations,” Alex said.

  Raz raised his eyebrows.

  “Yes,” Alex said. “Our helpers might not be much help. They are allies and friends. And certainly, the US military is just over the border in Afghanistan.”

  “Our Captain Jan is in a tough bind,” Raz said.

  “Yes,” Alex said.

  Alex felt a hand on her leg. She looked down and noticed that Steve Pershing was reaching for her.

  “Alex?” Steve asked.

  “Try not to talk,” Colin said.

  “I can hear you,” Steve said. “Alex?”

  “I’m here, Sensei,” Alex put her hand over his.

  She glanced at Colin. He pointed to his eyes and shook his head. Alex glanced at Steve’s face. His eyelids were blistered and oozing. The skin on his forehead and the bridge of his nose were burned. His eyebrows and eyelashes were gone. Steve had been tortured with one of the twenty ZM-87 lasers created by Norinco. Steve Pershing’s clear blue eyes and his sight were gone forever.

  “Alex?” Steve asked again.

  “Yes, Sensei,” Alex said. “Colin is at your head. He’s serving as your medic for this trip.”

  “Sensei,” Colin put his hand on his shoulder.

  “Ji remained with his team,” Alex said. “Fong is waiting for us in Japan.”

  At the news that his son was safe and his wife waiting for him, Steve’s entire body relaxed against the gurney.

  “You’re on a Fey helicopter,” Alex said. “We’re bound for the USS Carl Vinson for fuel. We’re en route to Yokosuka. My fathers are waiting for you there.”

  “Thank God,” Steve said.

  “I am sorry, sir,” Alex grinned. “It’s a Navy hospital. It’s the best we could do.”

  As she knew they would, his lips turned up at her joke. The helicopter buffeted in the wind.

  “The Jakker?” Steve asked.

  “The kid,” Alex looked around the passenger compartment. She said to her team, “Roll Call.”

  “Matthew Mac Clenaghan, Captain, US Army. Welcome home, sir.”

  “Troy Olivas, Captain, US Army, sir.”

  “Royce Tubman, Chief Petty Officer, US Navy, sir.”

  “Arthur Rasmussen, Senior Agent, Homeland Security, sir.”

  “Colin Hargreaves, Captain, US Army, Senior Agent, Homeland Security, sir.”

  “Maxwell Hargreaves, sir.”

  “Thank God,” Steve said. “Maxie. They said . . . you . . . Wyatt . . . and . . . were dead. And Trece?”

  “He’s in good hands,” Alex said.

  “Oh my God,” Steve’s words came with a great exhale of breath. He coughed. Colin helped roll him onto his side so that he could cough. When he lay down, tears seeped from the edges of his eyes.

  “Sir, I’d like to put you out,” Colin asked. “Is there anything we can do before you rest?”

  Alex smiled. In the last year, she’d taught him exactly what hostages needed to hear the moment they were rescued. He’d clearly listened.

  “Just . . . ,” Steve cleared his throat. “Thanks.”

  “It’s what we do,” Alex said.

  “You rescued me when I was stuck at the hospital by myself,” Max said. “I had to tag along.”

  Steve laughed, and Colin injected the anesthesia into his IV. Steve’s head rocked to the side. Max squeezed Alex’s hand. For a moment, the team looked at each other. Alex gave a nod before turning her attention to the action in Pakistan.

  “Ok. Joseph?”

  “Was that the priest?” Joseph asked.

  “Yes,” Alex said. “He’s in bad shape, met a ZM-87.”

  “God,” Joseph said.

  “We’re in position.”

  “Do we have satellite?” Alex asked Raz.

  Raz nodded and pointed to his computer screen.

  “I’m looking at a video feed from inside the event,” Joseph said.

  “On it,” Max said.

  “We’re unable to wear our helmets for the video feed, but the admin MacGivered a solution,” Joseph said. “Can you pick it up?”

  Raz hit a few keys on her laptop to connect her to the Fey Team secure server. A video image came up. He set the computer in her lap. The camera appeared to be placed in a bouquet pinned to Leena’s dress at her cleavage. She turned in place to show the team in their dress clothing. Vince and Joseph wor
e black tuxes with white shirts and bow ties. MJ and Dusty were dressed in their black gear – black tights, jackets, gloves, and balaclavas. Margaret wore the loose pants and long over-tunic of a shalwar kameez. Leena took the video camera out so that Alex could see her gorgeous, deep-blue velvet dress.

  “Isn’t it pretty?” Leena asked.

  “Gorgeous,” Alex said. “You look perfect. Each of you. Well done.”

  “Thanks,” Joseph said.

  “Who’s that?” Alex pointed to a tall, large man standing next to Leena.

  “Those tanning lotions actually work,” Joseph said.

  They had decided that White Boy was too well known in Pakistan to participate in this action. He was so disappointed that he’d have to stay on base that Margaret dyed his hair brown. Leena convinced him to use the tanning solutions and Joseph took out the brown contact lenses they’d bought for him. White Boy turned in place to show off his hair, skin, and shalwar kameez.

  “Fabulous,” Alex said.

  Alex looked up to see if Matthew was watching. He nodded.

  “Let’s do this thing,” Matthew said to start the action in Pakistan

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Their helicopter lost altitude as it fought against the storm’s pitch. Alex’s eye never left the video feed coming from Leena’s camera. Colin took Steve’s IV bag from her.

  “Raz, can you get the heat readings for the banquet hall?” Alex asked. Raz started working on his laptop. “Just in case we missed something.”

  An SSG officer appeared in front of Leena. He gave her a nod and used a key to open a side door. She and Vince went into the hallway. Leena moved through the hallway and took a quick left into the women’s bathroom. She opened the double-hung window in the last stall. She scooted out of the room.

  “Got it,” Max said.

  He pointed to the closed-circuit security feed on his computer. Leena left the bathroom and met Vince in the hallway. Vince smiled and held out his arm. They entered the banquet as a lovely American couple attending an awards ceremony. They stopped for a moment at the edge of the banquet floor to gain their bearings. There were hundreds of round tables draped with pristine white table clothes on the floor. Vince whispered in Leena’s ear, and she gave him a blushing smile. They made their way toward the front where the secretary of state was sitting.

  Max switched the closed circuit camera feed, and they watched White Boy, Margaret, and Joseph enter the women’s bathroom through the window Leena had opened. The men left the bathroom and went into the hall. Margaret waited a few minutes, before following them.

  “Sergeant Dusty?” Raz asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Dusty said.

  “I see what looks like three, maybe four, people moving toward the building from the west,” Raz said.

  There was a pat-pat report of a machine gun.

  “That is not them,” Raz said. “They are nearing the building from the west.”

  “On it,” MJ said.

  “Captain Jan?” Alex asked Raz. He clicked her headset over to Captain Jan’s audio feed and nodded. “Sir, we have what looks like five or six people moving toward the hall on your west side.”

  “We are taking gun fire from our north,” Captain Jan said in his London accent.

  “Northeast, top of building,” Raz said. “One person. He’s switching to a sniper rifle.”

  The SSG leader gave two of his men orders in Arabic.

  “MJ?” Alex asked.

  “Ugly,” MJ said. “Looks like we have a few more party crashers from the south.”

  “Did you hear that?” Alex asked Captain Jan.

  “On it,” Captain Jan said.

  “You’d better see this,” Max said.

  Alex turned to look at the closed circuit feed on Max’s computer. Inside the event, Leena and Vince neared the secretary of state’s table. Leena made a show of realizing the secretary was there. She tugged Vince toward the table.

  “Leena?” the secretary of state stood to greet her. They heard her voice over Leena’s video connection. “What are you doing here?”

  “We were in the area and wanted to see you receive your award,” Leena said.

  Vince rested his hand on the back of the captor-bodyguard seated on the secretary of state’s left. The man slumped forward. Vince tucked the small autoinjector into his pants pocket. Joseph joined them.

  “This has been the strangest night,” the secretary of state said in a low tone to Leena. The secretary of state nodded to Joseph.

  “Did you see Vince?” Leena asked. “He’s wearing a tux!”

  “Captain Hutchins!” the secretary of state turned to greet him. “How is your baby girl?”

  “My girls are well,” Vince smiled. He put his hand on the secretary’s forearm. “Would you like to see some photos?”

  “Of course!” the secretary of state took a step toward them.

  Her remaining captor-bodyguard got up from his seat. Joseph stuck two acupuncture needles just under the back of his scalp. The man weaved and Joseph helped him into his seat.

  The secretary looked at the man, and then at Joseph.

  “Captain Walters, it’s always a pleasure,” She plastered on a well-practiced smile.

  “Pleasure is always mine,” Joseph said.

  “Did you bring those photos on your phone?” the secretary asked Vince. She took out her Blackberry. “My phone hasn’t been working.”

  She held the phone out to Leena. The words “husband” and “daughter” were typed on her screen.

  “I love that picture,” Leena smiled. “It reminds me of when I visited my boss’s parents’ home in Washington.”

  The secretary put her hand to her heart and Leena gave her a carefree smile. When they’d learned the secretary of state was in danger, they’d invited her family and a team of Marines to join Rebecca Hargreaves at her home outside of Washington DC.

  “You know, I was just about to find a restroom when we noticed you here,” Leena said.

  “I could use a break,” the secretary said.

  “Honey, do you mind if I help Madam Secretary?” Leena turned to Vince.

  “I’ll walk you,” Vince smiled. He held out his elbow and the secretary took it.

  “How old is your girl now?” the secretary asked.

  They walked past Margaret and she detained the man who was following them. A US Marine dressed as a server stepped in behind the secretary.

  “Amelia?” Vince smiled. “She’s sixteen, can you believe it?”

  “I saw her with her granddad Gerry in Las Vegas for her sweet sixteen,” the secretary said.

  Leena’s video recorder picked up a grunt coming from behind them. The secretary looked worried. The closed-circuit cameras showed White Boy easily dispatch a man who had moved to stop them.

  “I didn’t realize you were there,” Vince said.

  “I dropped in late,” the secretary said. “I had to meet the French boyfriend with the storied parentage.”

  Vince shook his head.

  “They grow up fast,” the secretary said. “I’ve seen photos of baby Zoe. How is Emily holding up?”

  “Emmy?” Vince smiled. “She’s as beautiful as she was the day I met her.”

  The secretary smiled.

  “And don’t think I’ve forgotten you, Leena,” the secretary said. “How is your lovely girl?”

  “Fabulous,” Leena pushed open the bathroom door. “We had such a nice time with your family in Vail. Thank you for inviting us.”

  “Of course,” the secretary said.

  “I’ll leave you here,” Vince said.

  The secretary squeezed his arm and followed Leena into the bathroom.

  “Leena!” Alex screamed as a man jumped out from a stall.

  Leena pushed the secretary behind her and crouched to fight. From the position of her video camera, they could only see the man swing and react to Leena. He swung wide, and then weaved in response to Leena’s flurry of punches. He hit the wall
and Leena landed a beautiful kick. When he fell to the ground, Leena grabbed the secretary’s hand. They ran to the last stall. Sergeant Dusty helped them through the window.

  “Awaiting orders, sir,” Leena said.

  Alex looked across the helicopter at Matthew. He was giving the order for the rest of the team to evacuate. MJ entered Leena’s video feed from around the corner. He tossed a handgun at Leena. She caught the weapon mid-air and chambered a round.

  “Can you turn the phoenix over to the SSG?” Alex asked.

  “Negative, sir,” MJ said. “Party crashers are taking most of the SSG’s time.”

  Alex glanced at Raz.

  “It looks intentional,” Raz said. “A distraction.”

  “You’ve just solved the problem of how to get the secretary out of Pakistan,” Max said.

  “On guard,” Alex said. “You’re going to have to fight your way out of there.”

  “Yes, sir,” Leena, MJ, and Dusty said.

  “Zack?” Alex turned to Raz. “Can he hear me?”

  “Yes, my Fey,” Zack said.

  “Get them out of there,” Alex said.

  “Your wish is my . . . ,” Zack said. “Holy crap!”

  “Should we call in the grunts?” Raz asked whether they should call in a unit of Marines, who were waiting for their command across the border in Afghanistan.

  “Wait,” Alex said. “Feed, Zack?”

  Alex’s laptop flickered and a small box opened with the video feed from the helicopter. From Zack’s position above and to the south of the hall, they could see a battle erupt around the awards hall. The SSG were actively engaged in a firefight on the west side of the building. Two open bed trucks filled with angry young men carrying machine guns squealed into the banquet hall’s parking lot near the Fey Team.

  White Boy joined Leena, MJ, and Sergeant Dusty. He took a machine gun from under his jacket. He shot out the tires of the trucks. The trucks skid to a halt about a hundred feet from the hall. The men fired from the bed of the truck. Two men took cover behind the truck doors and fired through the open windows. Four US Marines dressed as servers joined the firefight. Leena and Sergeant Dusty kept the secretary of state pressed against the building while White Boy fired on the men in the truck.