Crossfire

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  Vanessa nodded, shaken by how much she needed him here and at the same time how hard it was to have him close. “I’m going to go freshen up.”

  “Me too,” Seth agreed. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  With a nod, Vanessa disappeared into her new bedroom.

  15

  Kel walked into the SEALs’ temporary control room on board the fishing boat and dropped a file on a small table. “Here’s what we’ve got so far on tracking those planes,” he told the rest of the team. “The first plane never came onto the Truman’s radar, so they think it’s somewhere nearby.”

  “Yeah, but it left before Vanessa and Seth could have gotten on it.”

  “I know,” Kel agreed. “Unfortunately, the other two dropped below the radar long before they landed. We have general regions of where we think they ended up, but no one can be sure they didn’t change direction before they approached land.”

  Quinn and Tristan moved to study the reports with Kel. The crew of the USS Harry S. Truman had managed to track one plane to within about a hundred nautical miles of Nicaraguan airspace. The other had turned southward toward South America before it too had flown under the radar and disappeared from their view. Unfortunately they couldn’t be certain which plane Vanessa and Seth had been on, or where their final destination was.

  “Ramir has half a dozen places where he could be hiding in this region.” Kel shook his head. “My best guess would be his place in Aruba or the fortress in Nicaragua.”

  Tristan tapped a finger on one of the reports. “With this plane heading toward Nicaragua, I’m afraid we may already know the answer.”

  Quinn shifted beside him. “What I want to know is how Akil knew Seth and Vanessa were at the boathouse.”

  “Maybe he had Vanessa followed,” Tristan suggested.

  “I don’t know.” Kel shook his head. He felt like he had an itch in the middle of his back, right in the place he couldn’t reach. They were missing something, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. “Replay the tape again.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t already have it memorized,” Quinn muttered as he hit the play button yet again.

  Halim gave it to me . . . the clasp is too tight . . .

  “Stop it right there.” Kel motioned to Quinn as the talking on the tape stopped, leaving nothing but the silence of the night. “Why didn’t Seth respond?”

  “He must have heard something.”

  “He didn’t hear something. He was listening for something,” Kel corrected. “Whatever piece of jewelry he was talking to Vanessa about must have had a tracking device in it.”

  Quinn sat up a little straighter. “If we can figure out the frequency . . .”

  “We might be able to hone in on the signal,” Kel finished for him. “Run a check on all of the communications frequencies from last night. Let’s see if we can narrow it down.”

  “I’m on it,” Quinn agreed.

  “Tristan, call Amy,” Kel said now. “If we can ferret out this mole, maybe we can figure out where Akil is staying.”

  “And where he’s keeping Seth and Vanessa,” Tristan added.

  * * *

  Seth examined the room he had been offered, uncovering three listening devices in his first sweep, two in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. The fact that Ramir would have the bathroom bugged proved that he was either very thorough or completely paranoid. Seth wasn’t sure he wanted to know which one.

  The bedroom was enormous, with an oversized bed occupying the center of it. A set of French doors opened to a balcony that ran the length of the suite; thankfully, it was furnished with two wicker chairs and a table rather than an armed guard. The armoire and dresser both contained an assortment of clothing that appeared to be his size.

  To his relief, he found no hidden cameras in his bedroom, although he spotted two in the living area. He opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside, his eyes immediately sweeping the area for cameras and listening devices. He found only a single listening device located on the underside of the railing.

  Casually, Seth leaned against the railing and reached down to disable the device. He hoped Akil’s security people would assume that the elements had shorted it out, due to its location. He shifted his attention to what lay beyond the building, staring out over the expanse of lawn. First he studied the terrain leading to the jungle, and then he looked to where the grass gave way to the sandy beach.

  A guard crossed into his view, circling toward the airfield from the west side of the house. Seth watched for a few more minutes, studying the movement of the personnel at the airfield.

  He and the rest of the Saint Squad had been briefed on this hideout three years before when they had originally planned to infiltrate the fortress and take Fahid Ramir into custody. They had spent weeks memorizing surveillance photos and the floor plans that intel had managed to gain access to. Ultimately, the squad had determined that arriving by stealth would be extremely unlikely, and their mission had changed. Instead, they had chosen to apprehend Fahid and his family aboard his yacht in the Mediterranean.

  The fact that his squad knew this place existed gave Seth hope that they would be able to narrow down where he and Vanessa had been taken; however, knowing that Lina Ramir definitely would have stayed at the fortress in the past left a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. Somehow he had to get Vanessa alone so he could brief her on what she needed to know before it was too late.

  Turning his attention to the beach once more, he took a deep breath and decided it was time for him to play the part of Lina Ramir’s fiancé. He only hoped his heart could handle it.

  * * *

  “Everything’s in place,” Tristan told Kel as he stepped on deck of the fishing vessel where Kel and Quinn were discussing their next move. “Fahid Ramir has been moved to a new facility, and the switchboard at the prison has been informed that he was ill and is in a prison hospital and is expected to stay there for several weeks.”

  “You were able to make the adjustments without informing the CIA?”

  “Yeah.” Tristan nodded. “I called Amy’s friend over at the FBI, and he took care of it for us.”

  “Good.” Kel looked out at the water toward La Playa. “Any luck with the transmitter that was on Vanessa?”

  “Nothing.” Tristan shook his head. “It looks like it was a short-range tracker. We didn’t pick anything up on our sensors, and we were only five miles away.”

  “There is another way we might be able to flush out this mole in the CIA.”

  “How?” Tristan asked.

  “I think we should set up a raid on La Playa using the local field office as intel support.”

  “You think that our mole will try to contact Halim?”

  “Yeah.” Kel nodded. “And with any luck, we’ll be able to trace the call to where Akil is with our people.”

  “Do we want to take the chance of tipping Akil off that we’re on to him?”

  “After that firefight Seth and Brent got caught in in the middle of Curacao, he has to know that someone is on to him,” Kel pointed out. “Besides, he said that the Americans were watching him. That has to be why he didn’t stay at La Playa like Vanessa thought he was going to.”

  Quinn spoke now. “It would be nice to see what they’re storing in those weapons bunkers.”

  Kel nodded and turned to Tristan. “Call Ellison and see if he can help us put this plan in motion.”

  “Do you think he’ll help us?” Tristan asked.

  “His boss may not have a clue what’s going on, but Ellison still believes that Vanessa is right about there being a mole in the Agency somewhere.” Kel nodded. “Tell him to try for tomorrow. I don’t want to leave Seth and Vanessa without backup for long.”

  “You know, if they were on that second plane, we already know where they are.”

  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

  * * *

  “Let’s go take a walk on the beach,” Seth sugge
sted.

  “Do you think my uncle will mind if we go wandering by ourselves?”

  “I don’t know why he would. After all, this was your home long before he took over your father’s business.”

  Vanessa nodded, her stomach clenching at the realization that had Seth not been with her, she very well might have given herself away. She hoped her voice sounded casual when she said, “A walk on the beach sounds great.”

  Seth led the way to the elevator. He didn’t seem surprised when the doors opened and Fernando was inside.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Seth told him. He stepped inside the elevator with Vanessa and pushed the button for the main floor. “Can you tell me if anyone is at the shooting range right now? We want to go walk on the beach, but I don’t want to go over there if anyone is practicing.”

  Surprise crossed Fernando’s face as he shook his head. “Akil moved the range when he renovated.”

  “Really? Where is it now?”

  “On the other side of the airfield.”

  Seth nodded as though he approved of the change. When the elevator doors slid open, he took Vanessa’s hand and led her into the lobby. Then he turned and addressed Fernando once more. “If anyone needs us, we’ll be on the beach. I’ll make sure we stay in sight.”

  Fernando hesitated a moment as though debating whether to let them go. He then nodded his assent. “Very well, sir.”

  Vanessa walked with Seth down the path that led to the beach. She was a bundle of nerves, and she wondered if Seth could feel the way her hand kept trembling. She desperately wanted to stop and look around. She wanted to know if the guards on the upper balconies had their weapons trained on them. She needed to know if Akil Ramir had picked up on the fact that she had never been here before, and she especially worried about whether or not he believed Seth’s story.

  Seth must have picked up on her fears because he gave her hand a squeeze and began talking calmly to her. “A walk out in the fresh air will do us both some good,” he began. “Then we can come back and get something to eat and you can take a nap. You didn’t get nearly enough sleep last night.”

  “You’re right,” Vanessa agreed, trying to relax. “You must be tired too.”

  “I’m okay for now,” Seth insisted. He stepped out onto the sand and headed straight for the water’s edge. Not until the waves were washing up over their feet did he turn and start walking down the beach. “We should be able to talk here.”

  “I have so many questions I don’t know where to start,” Vanessa began. “Like how do you know about this place?”

  “I’m sure you already know that Fahid used this place as his base of operations for his arms deals with his customers in Central and South America,” Seth told her. When Vanessa nodded, he continued. “A couple of years ago my squad was responsible for the capture of Fahid Ramir. We had considered coming here to Nicaragua to capture him, but when we found out he was going to be on his private yacht in the Med, we went after him there instead.”

  “But how do you know so many details about the fortress? You said that Akil remodeled after he took over for Fahid, and you know where the shooting range used to be.”

  “I memorized the floor plans when I was prepping to come here.” Seth’s eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling that I know more about the fortress than you do?”

  “Because you’re very perceptive.” Vanessa shook her head in frustration. “The briefings I was given on the Ramir family focused on locations that belonged to Akil. They only mentioned the fortress in passing as one of the properties Fahid Ramir owned.”

  “Unbelievable,” Seth muttered. Then he looked at her and seemed to sense her unease. He managed a casual shrug as he added, “The good news is that my squad knows this place too.”

  “So would Lina,” Vanessa said, nerves evident in her voice.

  “Intel indicated that she came here regularly before she and her family were arrested.” Seth nodded. “The room you’re in right now is Lina’s old room. That means I’m probably in her brother Anado’s room.”

  “What else can you tell me?” Vanessa asked softly.

  “You lucked out when you asked if Akil was using this place as a hotel or a home,” Seth told her. “Fahid did both. There were times that he had numerous people staying here to plot and plan. Sometimes it was terrorists, sometimes drug cartel members. This was a one-stop shop to get weapons and hire mercenaries.”

  “I can’t believe I almost blew it. I should have known this was where we were.” Vanessa let out a shaky breath. “I’m sure Lina knew some of the staff here. I don’t know how long I can go before someone realizes I’m not who I say I am.”

  “Don’t focus on that now. So far Akil seems to be buying our story,” Seth assured her. “No one is going to suspect you’re an impostor, but you probably need to keep some distance between you and the staff just in case.”

  “How?”

  Seth gave her a wry smile. “I guess you’ll have to focus all of your attention on your new fiancé.”

  Vanessa managed a smile now. “I might be able to do that.”

  Seth stared down at her, a myriad of emotions in his eyes. Then he shook his head slightly and said, “How have you managed to live this lie for so long?”

  “I guess you could say I’ve been trained.” Vanessa lifted one shoulder. “Haven’t you ever worked undercover?”

  “Not like this.” Seth shook his head. “I’ve gone through the training, but my kind of undercover is usually the type that involves hiding in bushes, not lying about who I am.” He studied her for a moment and then asked, “Isn’t it hard knowing that you’re deceiving people? I mean, you’re the most honest person I’ve ever known.”

  “It isn’t always easy. I guess it’s kind of like a soldier who has to kill in war. I have to think the Lord understands the incredible evil we’re facing,” Vanessa said softly, understanding in her eyes as she stared up at him. “Besides, I try to use the truth as much as possible. People can tell if you’re lying, so you learn to leave holes in the truth when you need to. So far it’s worked.” She glanced up at the balcony where one of the guards was watching them. “I hope it keeps working.”

  Seth followed her gaze before looking back at her. “You know, we are going to have to make it look like we’re really engaged.”

  “I know.” Vanessa’s voice dropped to a whisper. She looked up at him and lifted her hand to touch his cheek. “I really am sorry about what happened before.”

  “It’s in the past,” Seth said, but not very convincingly. He stared for a moment before leaning down to kiss her.

  Vanessa reminded herself that he was just playing a part, but the moment his lips touched hers she could feel her world tilt. The past and present fused, and the loneliness faded for that brief moment as Seth consumed her thoughts. I missed you, she thought to herself. Or maybe she whispered it between kisses.

  When Seth pulled away, his dark eyes met hers once more. He stared at her for a long moment before he finally spoke. “I should tell you what else I know about this place,” he said as Vanessa struggled to regain her composure. “I hope that my squad was able to track us, but we may have to get out of here on our own when the time comes.”

  Vanessa slowly nodded. “Just don’t leave me behind, okay?”

  Something sparked in his eyes as he lowered his voice and kissed her once more. “I’m not leaving you.”

  16

  Vanessa woke up disoriented and confused, sunlight streaming in through the thin white curtains in her room. She sat up and looked around, running a hand over the silk sheets she had slept on. Slowly the facts sorted out in her head—of chief importance the reality that she was in Nicaragua with Seth and dozens of men who were currently putting some terrorist plot into motion.

  With Seth’s help, she had made a brief tour of her current home, beginning with breakfast in one of the dining rooms on the second floor. Seth had then casually suggested that they take a look around and s
ee what other changes her uncle had made since taking over the fortress. So far none of the hired help seemed to know that she wasn’t the real Lina Ramir.

  Vanessa already knew from her extensive briefings at CIA headquarters that Lina was not the type to mingle with the hired help. She realized what a great advantage Lina’s elitism gave her now since Vanessa couldn’t be sure who might have worked here when Fahid was still the man living in the penthouse.

  Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Vanessa took a good look at her surroundings. The room had several strategically placed listening devices, but like Seth, she hadn’t found any surveillance cameras in her bedroom. She wondered briefly how Lina Ramir might have felt about her room being bugged, or if she had even known that it was.

  She imagined that the real Lina would have been quite indignant about the whole thing and would have demanded the listening devices be removed; however, it was doubtful that she had the technical training that Vanessa did to be able to spot the bugs. Vanessa wondered for a moment if the cameras and listening devices were the reason Akil didn’t find it necessary for her and Seth to have a chaperone.

  The idea of a chaperone was incredibly old fashioned, but she couldn’t be sure how removed the Ramir family really was from their Muslim origins. Clearly they had deviated greatly since none of the women she had come in contact with at La Playa wore the traditional garb, but she had seen the lingering chauvinism in the way women were typically kept out of the business dealings. That was one thing she hoped to rectify.

  The shock of finding herself in a new place without any backup was beginning to wear off, and her determination to uncover Akil’s plans was resurfacing. She hoped that the real Lina would refuse to be left in the dark. Now that she was living in the same place as Akil, she was intent on working her way into his confidence.

  She quickly changed out of the clothes she had slept in, opting for a light cotton skirt and button-up shirt. When she swung her bedroom door open, she was a bit surprised to see Seth sitting in the living area flipping through a magazine. Her heart ached as she thought of the way he had kissed her on the beach earlier.