“It’s good to see you, too,” said Nathan. “I assume everything went all right on base today?”
“Not at all. Not by any stretch of the imagination,” said Quinn. “But we have a way out. Where’s your wife and son?”
“In the draw on the other side,” said Nathan. “Why is Alison here?”
“She’s staying with you until we all leave tomorrow night,” said Quinn, turning off the jeep.
“Nice to meet you again,” said Nathan, reaching his hand inside the jeep to shake her hand.
She took his hand reluctantly, barely squeezing. Quinn’s wife clearly wasn’t thrilled about staying with them. He could understand that. Nathan had turned their life upside down, too. He met Quinn on the other side.
“What happened today?” asked Nathan.
“Long story short? Cerberus had their people all over the base—”
“And you drove right up here?”
“Relax, Nathan,” said Quinn. “I took care of the problem. I had my counterinsurgency platoon sweep the jeep for tracking devices. They found one tracker, which I just left with the last group following me. They’re dead. The rest of the teams were rounded up by base security earlier in the afternoon. It’s been a weird day.”
“Sorry,” said Nathan, relaxing. “It’s been a long day up here, too. This trail is a lot busier than you led us to believe.”
“I didn’t realize First Combat Engineering Battalion was training new drivers this week. Can you manage at this location for one more day?”
“Yeah,” said Nathan. “We’ll move to the other side of the ridgeline. The spurs don’t look wide enough to hold one of those tactical vehicles.”
“Good deal,” said Quinn. “I brought a tent and some clothes for your son. Also a few satphones. I’ll show you how to register them. Keep them for emergency use only. It’s not safe to use them more than once, or for more than a minute.”
“Have you talked to your dad, or my dad?”
“I did,” said Quinn. “Your parents are tucked away in a survivalist compound in Montana. He wasn’t very specific about the location.”
“I’ve heard him mention the place. Somewhere near Missoula.”
“He was planning on driving in this direction, but I told him to stay put and wait for my dad to arrive. They’re in regular contact. Once they link up, we’ll figure out how to head north.”
“How did you talk to them?”
“I acquired an encrypted satphone. Same kind our parents are using,” said Quinn.
“Can I call them?”
“The group hiding your parents will not allow them to use the satphone at the compound. They have to drive out of the camp with their sponsor to make a call. I’ll let him know we spoke,” said Quinn, looking past Nathan. “I think your wife is on her way over.”
“Nathan?” whispered Keira. “What’s going on? Where are we going tomorrow night?”
“She heard that?” asked Quinn.
“She hears everything,” said Nathan.
“We tend to listen better than you guys,” added Alison. “Can we move this along? I’m ready to pass out. It’s been a long day.”
“These two will get along just fine,” said Quinn, heading to the back of the jeep.
Keira joined them. “Seriously. Where are we going?”
Quinn opened the jeep’s rear gate. “I’ve been put in charge of a small convoy headed to the Yuma air station tomorrow night. Probably leave about one in the morning, like the regularly scheduled supply runs. I have room for four extra passengers.”
“That’s good news,” said Nathan.
“Thank God,” muttered Keira.
“You can thank my dad. He somehow convinced First Marine Division’s commanding general that we weren’t crazy. My battalion CO went along with it. We got really lucky with that. Things were deteriorating rapidly for me on base. The provost marshal’s office is out in force looking for me.”
“Because of me,” said Nathan. “Sorry about all of the trouble. Seriously.”
“No trouble,” said Quinn, putting a firm hand on his shoulder. “Seriously. I’m glad I got involved. These people are murderers and thugs. I joined the corps to stomp on dickheads like that. I should be thanking you.”
“I appreciate you saying that, but I still feel bad dragging you into this. We have a long road ahead of us.”
“I’m always up for a road trip,” said Quinn. “Especially when they involve tricked-out, full-ordnance armored vehicles.”
CHAPTER 66
Leeds drove past the entrance to the dirt road for the third time, not wanting to take his vehicle off-road in front of witnesses. A government-plated vehicle turning into one of the base’s training areas wasn’t unusual, but in light of the unusual security measures implemented at the base gates in response to yesterday’s surveillance debacle, he didn’t want to take any chances. He’d turn around at Las Pulgas and make another pass, hoping the stretch of road was empty when he reached the entrance.
The two operatives accompanying him fidgeted anxiously. He could understand why. Exactly 4.3 miles down that same dirt road, at precisely 9:23 p.m., Echo team had inexplicably stopped responding to radio calls. Even more disturbing: Quinn’s tracking signal merged with Echo team’s location at 9:32 p.m. Neither signal had moved since. They had no idea what to expect at the site, though he was fairly certain they’d find bodies. The question was whose bodies.
He had little doubt that Raef and Max had been killed. But Quinn, too? He could only hope, even if it made his job finding the other targets more difficult. Quinn had proven himself resourceful and unpredictable. A bad combination of traits in an adversary. Finding his body would be a welcome sight.
“I think we should pick up a few weapons from the Las Pulgas cache,” said the operative in the backseat.
“Too risky,” said Leeds.
Neither operative said another word until he pulled into the Las Pulgas camp to turn around on Basilone Road.
“Just one rifle,” he heard from the backseat. “I’d feel a lot better going into this with a way to get out.”
“Not in broad daylight,” said Leeds. “All it takes is one alert Marine to shut us down, and from what I’ve seen, they’re all pretty goddamn alert. We do a quick check at the site and get the hell out. If this is too much for you, I can let you off right here. I’ll be glad to pick you up on my way out.”
“It’s fine,” said Howard. “Just a little crazy doing this without weapons.”
“Get used to it,” said Leeds. “We operate in a lot of places like that. This is a risky job in more ways than one.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leeds pulled onto Basilone Road, headed away from the road, slowing after they’d driven close to two miles. He’d keep making passes until the road was clear.
“I have the turn coming up. Looks clear ahead,” said Leeds. “How does it look heading south?”
“Clear,” announced Howard.
Leeds eased the SUV off the road, turning gently onto the dirt path headed into the training area. His stomach tightened as the vehicle plunged between the dry scrub and stunted trees lining the worn jeep trail. They could very well be driving into an ambush. As they rapidly approached the GPS point tracked by the navigation system visible on the vehicle’s windshield HUD, tension inside the cabin intensified.
“Should be right up ahead,” said Leeds. “A few hundred yards past the intersection.”
“This is a bad idea,” said the operative seated next to him.
Leeds slowed the SUV to a crawl, peering into the bushes on the right side of the trail, then caught a glimpse of the dark-blue mini-SUV through the bushes, spotting a broken taillight. “There it is,” he said, pointing diagonally across the windshield. A longer look revealed a bloodstained windshield. He stopped the vehicle.
“Any sign of the jeep?” asked Leeds. “It should be right here.”
“None,” said the passenger, leaning forward in his sea
t. “This is not good.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” said Howard.
“Find Gamussen and Tremont,” said Leeds. “I’ll turn us around.”
“Jesus,” said Howard. “I think we can assume they’re dead.”
Leeds turned in his seat. “The jeep’s gone. Quinn’s gone. Our targets are gone. The area is secure. You’ll probably find Quinn’s tracker sitting on the dashboard, or stuffed in one of their mouths. Get out and find the bodies. I don’t need base security running DNA on these guys.”
The two contract soldiers begrudgingly exited, crossing the trail behind the SUV. Leeds had pulled forward and cut right, preparing to execute a three-point turn, when the passenger-side windows imploded, showering him with safety glass. A deafening crack followed, rocking the SUV. Leeds threw the transmission into park and crawled out of the door, scrambling into the bushes behind his vehicle.
Clumps of dirt and loose gravel pelted Leeds from above, intensifying the confusion created by the thick cloud of dust that had swallowed the road. He lay still, trying to make sense of what had happened. Over the ringing in his ears, he heard one of the men groaning. No gunfire yet. There wouldn’t be any gunfire, if his guess was correct.
After several seconds, Leeds crouched and moved cautiously through the thinning dust toward the dying sounds. The explosion had cleared most of the vegetation around Echo team’s vehicle, which stood intact on four flattened tires. He quickly glanced at his own SUV’s tires, finding them miraculously undamaged. The same couldn’t be said about the rest of the vehicle.
The passenger side was peppered with small holes, from front to back. A few jagged pieces of glass hung stubbornly from the windows. The driver’s-side and rear windows hadn’t fared much better. Only the windshield remained intact, showing a few cracks. Quinn had left them a shrapnel-laced gift, probably triggered by a trip wire hidden several feet behind Echo team’s car. He needed to get out of here immediately.
“Leeds,” croaked a familiar voice, “I need help.”
A lump crawled slowly toward the road.
“I need a medic right away,” said Howard, pulling himself partway onto the trail. “I’m bleeding out.”
Leeds reached along his right ankle, freeing a short two-edged knife from a hidden sheath. He walked up to the dying operative, who struggled to extend a hand for help. In an instant, Leeds dropped a knee between the man’s shoulders, pushing his face into the road and sinking the blade into the top of his neck. The man’s arm instantly fell slack, his spinal cord severed above the C1 vertebrae. Howard hadn’t felt a thing, which was the only mercy Leeds could offer in the situation.
Leeds stood and took in the scene. No way he could load up four bodies, or whatever was left of them. He’d need every second possible to get off base safely, if that was even possible at this point.
CHAPTER 67
Mason Flagg sat in the backseat of an armored SUV, waiting at a stoplight. His phone buzzed in his suit pocket; the digital screen built into the back of the seat in front of him indicated it was Nick Leeds. He debated whether to answer. He wasn’t sure he could stomach another setback. Not today. Reluctantly, he pressed the screen, accepting the call.
“Please tell me you found Quinn dead.”
“I wish I could.”
“How the hell does an infantry Marine outsmart and outgun tier-one special operators at every fucking turn?” asked Flagg, pounding the armrest.
“Somehow, we grossly underestimated him,” said Leeds. “The first night wasn’t luck. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“And he had help doing it! I have people digging into his background, and they can’t seem to make a connection to any organization outside of the Marine Corps. If I didn’t want to kill him so badly, I’d offer him a job.”
“You might want to consider making that offer sooner than later,” said Leeds. “I have more bad news to report.”
Flagg closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to imagine how it could get worse. One of the operatives is missing? That would certainly take it to the next level. Leeds was losing control of this. Yesterday was bad enough, and even though this wasn’t really Leeds’s fault, Flagg had to hold him accountable. Quinn was the kind of wild card that popped up from time to time, but Leeds had always effectively handled those situations. Maybe the operation needed a fresh leadership perspective.
“What happened?” asked Flagg.
“Quinn rigged the site with some kind of IED. The two new operatives with me were killed in the blast.”
“Did you recover their bodies?”
“I didn’t have time,” said Leeds. “The blast shredded the SUV. I barely managed to swap it for one of the cache vehicles.”
“Should I be worried about you trying to get off base?” asked Flagg. “San Diego County PD has set up checkpoints outside of each gate. They’re conducting random searches for now, to put pressure on the base commander.”
“I saw them setting up this morning. I’m going to park at the museum just inside the San Luis Rey gate and take a cab to Oceanside. I’ll arrange a pickup from there,” said Leeds. “I honestly don’t know what to say. This is a first for me.”
“Likewise,” said Flagg. “I was starting to seriously question your handling of this, but you’ve run a textbook operation. With Quinn in the way, we have to come up with an entirely different approach. I’ll press headquarters to authorize the next level of surveillance. This cat-and-mouse approach isn’t working. Assemble every operative available in California. I’m through fucking around.”
“What will you tell the board tonight?” asked Leeds.
“Hopefully, I’ll be able to report that this security risk has been contained. Everything is moving along nicely outside of Camp Pendleton.”
“I’m worried about the fallout from the base. Enough has gone down to raise some serious questions.”
“Let them sniff the rotten air. It adds to the confusion. Give me enough time and I’ll pin the surveillance stunt and the explosion on the CLM,” said Flagg. “Time is running out for Quinn and Fisher. Rumor has it that the police plans to issue a one hundred percent vehicle-search order at three p.m. for Camp Pendleton. We’ll pinpoint their location and deploy the stealth helicopters.”
“I’d love to see that happen,” said Leeds.
“Don’t worry,” said Flagg. “You’ll have front-row seats.”
CHAPTER 68
Alison Quinn walked by their tent with a roll of toilet paper as she headed downhill. Keira lay still in the tent, watching her through the screen. She’s up to something, she thought. When Alison had disappeared into the draw, she elbowed Nathan.
“What?” he whispered.
“She’s at it again,” she said quietly.
“Who? Alison?”
“Yes,” she said. “She’s going to the bathroom again.”
“So what?” asked Nathan. “They brought extra toilet paper, and nobody is bothering us on this side.”
“That’s too many times.”
“You’re not exactly one to talk.”
“Even for me, that’s not normal,” said Keira. “She’s not drinking enough water to be going to the bathroom every forty minutes or so.”
“Maybe she’s drinking a lot of water in her tent?”
“She’s not,” said Keira. “I’ve been watching her.”
Nathan sat up. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just think it’s odd.”
He shrugged and gave her that look.
“Trust me, she’s up to something. I know it. I can tell.”
“Then do something about it.”
She sat up next to him, peering through the screen. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Follow her. Pretend you have to go to the bathroom, too,” he said, retrieving a large Ziploc bag with two flattened toilet paper rolls from the corner of the tent. He opened the bag and handed her a roll. “You’ll drive yoursel
f crazy all day if you don’t.”
She stared at him for a few seconds before snatching the roll from her hands. “I’m telling you,” said Keira. “I may not catch her, but I’m telling you.”
“Fine,” he said, smiling. “Let me know what you find.”
“What are you going to do?” she asked, kneeling in front of the screen.
“Stay here with Owen and wait for you to come back. It would look even weirder if we both showed up with toilet paper rolls.”
“That’s not what I meant. What if she’s up to something like drugs or worse?”
“What could be worse?”
“I don’t know,” said Keira.
“You should get going,” said Nathan. “She’ll finish up by the time you get there. Unless she’s doing some serious business out there. Don’t blame me if you see something you can’t unsee.”
“She didn’t bring a shovel.”
“Some soldiers don’t bury their dead.”
“That’s disgusting,” she said.
“Just preparing you for the worst.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right back,” said Keira, unzipping the tent and stepping into the cool, dry air.
She walked heel-to-toe over the hard ground, trying her best to avoid placing the thick soles of her hiking boots on anything that might snap. Ducking under larger tree branches and pressing between the thick brush, Keira managed to get close enough to watch Alison, before a dead branch betrayed her presence.
Alison had been sitting on the ground, mostly concealed by a thick brownish-green bush. Keira could see the top of her shoulders and head. She was hunched over, facing down. For a moment, Keira flushed with embarrassment—it truly looked like Alison was engaged in private business. But then the branch snapped and Alison quickly stood up, fumbling with the toilet paper roll grasped between her hands. Keira’s eyes darted to the toilet paper, convinced she saw something stuffed inside the cardboard roll.
“Sorry,” said Keira, meeting her eyes. “I didn’t hear you walk past the tent. Sort of spaced out walking down here. I’ll go back. Sorry about that.”
Fractured State (Fractured State Series Book 1) Page 28
