by J. M. LeDuc
As he continuously lunged at her with the blade, he called her a whore and a loser, the same names her father and deceased husband had called her.
Still, she showed no emotion.
With a speed seen only by Brent and Seven, she reached down, slid a knife from her pant leg and in one fluid motion, let it fly. She missed her target high and to the left. Her assailant looked up and laughed at her ineptitude. As he began to lunge in her direction again, a loud snap could be heard in the warehouse. His head turned in the direction of the noise. He watched as a wooden truss, which had been attached by a rope, fell from the ceiling. In that split second, Alana used her other hand, pulled a second blade, let it fly and sliced through his jugular. He was dead before he and the board hit the ground.
Maddie couldn’t help but smile at her ingenuity.
Back in the virtual mission, Alana made her way to the far room in the building and found Brent and Faith both tied up on opposite sides of the room. Each was wrapped in explosives which were attached by way of wire to a bomb placed against the back wall.
Seven, using a voice modulator said, “Well done, agent. Now comes the real challenge. The bomb is set to kill one or both of the people you see before you. To your left, you will find a pair of wire cutters. On the bomb, there is a clock. On my command, it will count down from ten. You only have enough time to save one. Choose.”
Everyone in the room looked back at Seven with surprise. He felt their stares, but kept his attention on the monitor.
Alana surveyed the scene and mumbled, “You bastard.” Picking up the wire cutters, the clock began ticking. Ten, nine, eight . . . . Dropping the wire cutters, she blew them both a kiss, ran towards the bomb and pulled two knives from her uniform. She dove for the bomb and in a final act of defiance, sliced both wires as they exited the explosive, landing on top of the device as it blew.
“I’ll be damned,” Seven spat.
Maddie looked at her husband and saw his mouth agape.
Seven regained his composure and whispered, “I never thought she would make that choice.”
As the dust cleared, the lights inside the simulator turned on. Seven grabbed the mic. “Well done, Sister. Welcome to the Phantom Squad.”
Like Lazarus rising from the dead, she rose from the floor. “I pray to God that none of us ever has that decision to make,” she said. She then looked directly into the camera in the room and called Seven a name in Hebrew.
Seven looked over at Bishop Jessop and asked what she said. The bishop’s face was crimson. “Nothing I’ll ever repeat.” The room erupted in laughter.
“A celebration is in order,” Maddie said into the open mic. “Alana, you have proven yourself beyond measure to be all we could ask of you. Please get cleaned up and change into something nice. Dinner and all expenses are on my husband tonight.”
Alana walked out of the simulation room. “He better bring some serious cash. I’m suddenly hungry for caviar and lobster.”
Again, the room erupted in laughter. Even Seven couldn’t help but smile.
CHAPTER 29
Dinner was held at The Loft with a menu chosen by Alana. She made good on her threat of caviar and lobster. Everyone, including Faith was present. She was the highlight of the night. The conversation soon turned to Brent.
“Has there been any word from him?” Maddie said, knowing the answer before she asked.
“None,” Joan answered. “I haven’t had any luck locking down a location and there is no way to get into the Endowment office to see if he left any information behind.”
Maddie’s eyebrow rose. “Hmm,” she said.
“What about the guy Lieutenant Owens saw him with at the train station?” Seven said. “Have we had any luck identifying him?”
Joan nodded as she finished a bite of salad. “He’s ex-military. His name is Lieutenant Rowtag Achak. He is a highly decorated veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was one of the best snipers in the Armed Forces.”
Seven put down his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Sounds like a career man. Why did he leave the Army?”
Joan leaned forward. “That’s where things get a little foggy. His last mission was on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. A two-man recon mission. They had received word from a camp detainee that there was to be a gathering of terrorists somewhere on the ridge.”
Seven stole a look at Maddie as he listened intently to Joan’s intel. Maddie knew Joan had a Pentagon insider who had been a close friend of her mother’s, but she never felt the need to question her about her sources.
“He and his spotter were somewhere dug deep into the anthills on the outskirts of Waziristan.” Joan paused and looked around the table for dramatic effect. “They heard the terrorists talking about a group known as the Brotherhood.”
Seven slapped the table hard causing silverware and plates to shake when he heard her mention the Brotherhood.
Joan leaned over the table and continued. “Lieutenant Achak overheard a conversation about a vast mission that failed and its connection to the Ark of the Covenant. The intel I received stated that all the members of the Brotherhood were meeting to devise a new strategy. It even mentioned that the mysterious leader of the Brotherhood would be present.”
“What did the lieutenant have to say about the ark?”
Joan shook her head. “He didn’t place any emphasis on it. He was more concerned that hundreds, possibly thousands of terrorists were to meet in one place.” Joan was about to continue when her phone buzzed. She stopped talking long enough to read and answer the text.
Seven leaned across the table. “And . . .”
“And, if you stop interrupting me, I’ll finish.”
He nodded and leaned back in his chair.
Joan continued until her phone buzzed again.
“Who keeps calling?” Maddie said. “That’s a secure line.”
“The White House wants a video conference tonight. I told them we would make contact as soon as we returned. They acknowledged my message.”
Seven motioned for Joan to continue.
“As I was saying,” Joan said, “the major thought all the terrorists were dead, so he didn’t send out a scout team to make sure. As Lieutenant Achak and his spotter approached camp, Sergeant Delbach, his spotter, was shot and killed. The lieutenant killed the attacker before he could get off his next shot.
“He carried his friend’s body into camp and headed straight for the major’s quarters. He laid the body on the commanding officer’s desk and then punched him square in the jaw. Knocked him out cold.
“He told the Army that if this was the way they treated their men, he wanted no part of the service and resigned his commission. He accompanied the sergeant’s body back to the States and never looked back.”
Seven chewed on his bottom lip. “I wonder how much of this Brent knows?”
“Knowing him, all of it,” Maddie answered.
Seven spit tobacco juice in his cup. “Then we can assume that they are together. Wherever they are?”
The table was silent. It was broken by Benito, the owner of The Loft. “I thought this was a celebration,” he said in a very Italian, animated style. “Why the long faces?” He looked around the table, stopping when he got to Seven. “And why are you spitting in my grandmother’s china?”
Seven’s face reddened. “Sorry.”
Benny shrugged. “Nothing two or three washings in scolding hot water won’t take care of. But just in case, this-a-cup is the one your coffee will come in from now on.”
His remarks broke the tension.
“Benito, we need to get back to HQ. Would you mind boxing up the food?”
He looked at Maddie and smiled. “You know I can never say no to a beautiful lady. Go and I’ll have it delivered.”
CHAPTER 30
Everyone gathered in the c
onference room for the video conference with the White House. When the connection was made, they were all surprised to see the president at the other end.
“Is everything all right, Mr. President?” Maddie asked.
“Everything is fine.” His eyes roamed the table and then brightened at the sight of his daughter. “How’s my angel?”
Scarlet turned the color of her name. “I’m fine, Daddy. Are you sure everything is okay? It’s not like you to call a conference for no reason.”
“I didn’t say it was for no reason, just that everything was fine. Call me later, so we can catch up. I miss you.”
“I will,” Scarlet said. “I miss you, too.”
“Mr. President,” Maddie interjected, “why the call?”
“I wanted to personally let SIA know that I’ve decided to take a trip overseas to visit our troops. Nothing official. No one will know I’m gone.” The president twirled his pen between in fingers, something he did when excited. “This is no media junket, just an informal trip to boost morale. I’ll be headed to Iraq and Afghanistan. I won’t be leaving for forty days, but I wanted your help in securing the bases.”
“I hope I’m not speaking out of place,” Maddie said, “but do you think that’s wise? There has been an increase in the fighting, especially in Afghanistan.”
“I appreciate your concern, but yes, I do think it’s wise. The increased fighting is why I feel the need to go. If the Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces thinks it’s safe to be there, hopefully it will bolster the confidence of our brave men and women in uniform.” He saw the deep concern of those seated around the table at HQ. “Don’t waste your time trying to talk me out of it, my people already tried. I’m firm on this.”
“I would like it on record that we agree with your staff on this,” Maddie said.
“Duly noted,” President Dupree acknowledged.
Maddie nodded. “With that being said, what can we do for you? Would you like members of the directorate to accompany you on your travels?”
“Not you specifically, but I promised my staff I would have your people secure each location and be on site when I get there.”
“Send us a list of coordinates and I’ll have my best agents deployed.”
“I sent it just before the meeting began. Joan will have to decode—”
“Got it, sir,” Joan said. She was typing like she was possessed. “Decoded and read, Mr. President.”
The president smiled and shook his head. “You never cease to amaze me. It took my best people two hours to decode that message and they know the code.”
Joan blushed. “Just doing my job, Mr. President.”
“We’ll make it top priority and let you know when our people are deployed,” Maddie answered.
“I’d like to add one thing, if I could, sir.”
“I never could stop you from speaking your mind, Seven, so speak up.”
“If my people find anything that would put you in direct danger, I’m personally scrubbing this trip.”
President Dupree pursed his lips in determination. “Like I said, I’m firm on this, so I suggest your people find a way to secure the locations.”
The table was quiet as they tried to absorb the information they had received.
Some other small matters were discussed before the president got to the other point of this meeting. “What about Brent? Any word on his whereabouts or what he’s up to?”
“Not yet, but we’re working on locating him. We believe he is traveling with a young officer, a Lieutenant Achak; retired Army.”
“Interesting,” President Dupree said. “I guess it’s good to know he’s not solo. Send me what you have and I’ll have the Pentagon do some digging. Maybe we can help track him down.”
The president didn’t know of Joan’s Pentagon mole, and no one mentioned that they already knew what the government would find.
“That would be a big help,” Maddie said. “Thank you.”
The president’s brow creased in concern. “You know how much I owe Colonel Venturi. Anything I can do, I will.” The president’s eyes moved from the camera to somewhere behind it. “I’m being called into a budget meeting. Stay in touch.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the feed was killed, Maddie saw that Joan looked concerned. “What is it you’re not saying, Joan?”
“This list contains the camp Lieutenant Achak was stationed at. I don’t like that.”
Maddie tapped her pen on her pearly white porcelain crowns. “Me either.” She turned her attention to the other end of the table. “Scarlet, when you speak to your father later, try to dissuade him from making this trip. If nothing else, get him to eliminate Alpha Camp from his list.”
Scarlet swallowed hard. “When he gets his mind on something, it’s almost impossible to change it, but I’ll do all I can, Madame Director. I’ll even throw a hissy fit if I think it will help.”
CHAPTER 31
Brent and Tag followed Brother Gregory and the other monks through a maze of tunnels, traveling deeper underground. They came to a halt when they entered a small room which consisted of a kneeler for praying against the far wall. On the wall were three candles. All of which were lit.
“This was the cell that Grigor was kept in during his imprisonment,” Gregory said.
Brent walked the perimeter. He felt the cool, damp, flat stones that made up the walls. “Not much room. No obvious means of escape. He must have been strong in resolve and spirit to have survived.”
“One does not need much room to pray, Ambassador,” Brother Gregory replied. He motioned around the room with his hands and asked his visitors, “Besides the obvious, what else can you tell me about this chamber?”
“May I move about the room?” Tag asked.
“By all means, young man.”
Tag circled the room, feeling the walls with a soft hand, with a touch his grandfather taught him. His fingertips barely grazed the stone.
“And you, Ambassador? Do you wish to check out the room?”
“I’ll wait until Tag has finished. I, too, want to see what he finds.”
Tag finally came to rest where he started.
“Well?” the brother said.
“The walls are smooth as if they had been polished. There is no way anyone could have climbed them, so if there is a way out, it has to be a hidden exit.”
He walked over to where there was a small notch in the wall, probably made to be a shelf of some kind. He placed his hand inside the opening and felt a small depression in the stone, one just big enough to place his finger. With youthful confidence, he stuck his finger in the hole and felt a lever.
He forced his finger deeper into the hole and pushed on the lever expecting a portion of the wall to give way. Instead, his finger became trapped, as if it were clamped into a pair of Chinese handcuffs. When he tried to pull it out, it was squeezed harder. Tag tried not to show pain, but relented and asked the monk for help.
Gregory laughed and walked to him. “Relax all the muscles in your arm. Start with your neck and shoulder and work your way down.” He reached forward and placed his hand on the young man’s bicep. “Feel the muscles relax as you visualize the same.”
Tag closed his eyes and using his sniper training, began to relax the muscles in his arm. As his visualization reached his finger, he could feel the pain start to subside.
“Don’t try to move your finger, just continue to feel the entire arm relax. Visualize a dead weight,” Gregory said. He moved his own hand down near Tag’s wrist. “It must be totally weightless in order for the wall to let go.”
Tag kept his eyes shut.
Brent could see the lieutenant’s breathing become slow and shallow. He knew the monk could feel his friend’s pulse start to become thready and weak.
Five minutes later, Tag’s arm fell by his si
de.
“I’m impressed,” Gregory said. “The fastest any of the brothers have been able to negotiate their way out of there was two hours.” He looked at Brent. “And you. Do you wish to hazard a guess?”
“I don’t ever guess,” Brent said.
He again walked the perimeter of the cell block, taking in all the nuances of his surroundings. Brent stopped, dead center in the room, and slowly dropped into a deep squat. He closed his eyes and remembered his training.
“Every trap, no matter how well designed has a way out,” Seven said. “You just have to be able to sense it. Sometimes the most obvious will lead to safety, but sometimes . . .” He spit out the door onto a red ant hill. The ants gathered by the hundreds ready to defend what was theirs. “It leads to death. How well you decide your path will depend on how quiet and still you can be in times of trouble. Listen to what your environment is telling you. Sometimes they can be hard to find, but the clues will always be there.”
Seven walked around the airplane hangar. All that could be heard were his boots on the cement floor. “Your senses will be your greatest ally in the field. But,” he said in a loud voice. The word reverberated off the block walls. “Don’t rely on sight. It’s the last of your five senses you want to use.”
His recruits heard everything he was saying, but he wasn’t sure they were listening. He opened an equipment box and pulled out four hoods.
“Put one of these over your heads. We’re gonna play a little game I like to call, ‘the winner gets to eat dinner.’ ” The men’s laughter was short lived when they realized he was serious.
They could hear Seven walk behind them and the sound of the light switch.
“The first one to meet me in the mess tent wins.”
The last thing they heard was Seven shutting the door to the hangar. What they didn’t know was that he had shut himself in the hangar with them.
“Now what are we supposed to do?” Sergeant Jefferson said.
“We could take the hoods off and find our way out of here,” Private Jensen said.
