Fatal Mistake--A Novel by Susan Sleeman (31)

Cal promised to trade Meer at the location where Keeler held Tara, and Keeler went for it. Not that Cal and the team needed the address for the exchange, but Keeler had no idea the Knights were onto him, so Cal had to ask where to bring Meer. Keeler promptly texted his location, confirming he was holding Tara at the Unique India Arts warehouse. By that time, Max had gotten their warrant and the team had gathered the items needed for a successful raid. All that was missing was time to fully plan and run the drill to perfect it.

Cal was faced with another rescue, this one the most important of his life, and he didn’t have time to prepare properly. The consequences of failure? Lost lives.

Father, please, he pleaded as the group gathered around the table to view satellite photos. We can do this together, God. Please be with me—us—so we can bring Tara safely home where she belongs.

The tightness in Cal’s chest loosened. A little, anyway. At least enough so he could get a deep breath. He joined the group.

Max jabbed a finger at the edge of the complex. “We’ll set up our command post here. Then converge on suite C from the south.”

Cal rolled out blueprints of the building. The warehouse was roughly two thousand square feet with a ten-by-ten room in the rear. He pointed at the room. “The picture from Keeler is of an office, and he’s likely holding her back here.”

“Perfect,” Rick said. “It has an exterior wall, so we can detect their exact location.”

When the Knights arrived on site, they would begin recon by sliding a radar detector that looked like a big stud finder along the exterior wall. With a 95 percent probability in detecting the slightest of human movement, as slight as breathing, they could pinpoint Tara and Keeler’s exact location.

“If they’re both still on site,” Shane added. “I wouldn’t put it past Keeler to be long gone and the exchange is a trap.”

“I’ve got that covered,” Cal said. “I told Keeler that before I meet them, I’ll insist on seeing a live video of Tara with him in the shot to prove he’s with her in the same location, or I’ll bail on the exchange.”

“Nice work,” Max said. “It will also give a second confirmation that she’s in the office.”

“This isn’t a typical rescue, and we can’t rush in,” Cal cautioned. “When I draw Keeler away from the office, you all can move in from the loading dock and subdue him before he has a chance to know what hit him and activate the bomb.”

“Just double-checking, but Keeler hasn’t shown signs of being a suicide bomber, right?” Shane asked. “So if he’s in the blast radius, he’s not likely to detonate the bomb.”

“Right,” Cal confirmed. “That will give us extra comfort regarding Tara, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to detonate June’s bomb. Of course, she’s protected right now, but bombs are unpredictable.”

“If I were Keeler, I’d bring Tara to the door with me so you could see her and hope it would distract you,” Kaci said.

“It would fit Keeler’s profile to hide behind a woman,” Shane said.

Rick leaned forward. “But if there’s a motion switch on the bomb, Keeler won’t want her to move.”

Cal nodded. “I’ll try to determine if she has freedom of movement in the video feed. If she does, and it’s possible he could bring her to the door, we’ll have to count on the radar detector to tell us she’s on the move.”

“And we can assume he’ll insist on disarming you,” Rick added.

“That’s a given, but it can’t be helped.”

“I could take him out when he answers the door,” Rick offered.

“The potential trauma for Tara in witnessing what a sniper shot can do to a body would be too great,” Cal said. “I’d like that to be our last resort.”

“Okay,” Max said. “Rick, you’ll take a stand and be ready for Cal to signal if needed. If he gives the go-ahead, don’t wait for my approval. Take the shot.”

“Roger that,” Rick said.

“We’re dealing with unknowns here, and we haven’t drilled it,” Max said. “But it’s a strong plan. Anyone disagree?”

No one spoke up.

“Then I’ll coordinate communications from the command post.” He pointed at the warehouse’s south wall. “Kaci, you and Shane do the prelim surveillance and enter through the rear. Cal will signal when you’re clear for takedown.”

They both nodded their understanding.

“Any questions or additional thoughts?” Max asked.

When no one raised any questions, he began gathering up the items and looked up at Cal. “Give me time to get our stand-in agent updated on the plans, and then you can get on the horn with Keeler and confirm the rendezvous.”

Dulles Airport area

Tara shifted in her chair and dug deep for a smile. When Cal had demanded a live video feed to demonstrate she was alive and in the warehouse, her hope for rescue soared. Oren was no match for the Knights, who she suspected would right now be in their situation room planning to come to her rescue. With their incredible skills, she had no doubt they would succeed.

“Stupid, demanding agent,” Oren mumbled.

Tara opened her mouth to suggest he say that to Cal’s face when he arrived, but she didn’t want to anger Oren. He clicked on his mouse to connect his computer to Cal’s video feed. Tara kept her focus glued to the screen until Cal’s face appeared.

She drank in the sight him, and when she caught a good look at the worry on his face, tears burned in her eyes. She wished he wasn’t so concerned about her, but she was happy to see him in any state, and she forced back her tears so she didn’t increase his distress.

Oren poked her in the back. “Move, Tara. Show Secret Agent Man that you’re alive and well.”

She could raise a hand or a finger, but she wanted Cal to see that Oren hadn’t put the motion sensor in this bomb so when the Knights arrived, they’d know she could move about freely.

She bent forward and to the side, mimicking a stretch. She heard Cal gasp as if he’d expected the bomb to explode.

She smiled at the camera, making sure the realization of her newfound feelings for him carried through. “I’m fine, Cal, and I’m so glad to see you.”

“What’s the date and time?” he asked.

She rattled it off, then added, “I miss you.”

Surprise lit his eyes, his concern momentarily vanishing, but as he opened his mouth to respond, Oren pushed her out of the way.

“Such a touching display of affection that we don’t have time for.” Oren held his phone to the camera, and Tara saw a clock counting down on the screen. “The timer is set. Sixty minutes. No more. Have Nabijah here by that time, or June will go boom. If another sixty minutes passes”—he paused and a sick grin slid across his mouth—“then Tara will go boom, too.”

Thirty minutes had raced by since Keeler’s clock had begun. An imaginary timer ticked down in Cal’s head as the team finished dressing out in tactical gear at the command post. Thankfully, they’d expected Keeler to set a time limit, and they’d had a chopper standing by to wing them to Dulles. From there it had been only a five-minute drive to the industrial park.

Cal helped Kaci with her combat vest, and the desire to dress out and burst inside the warehouse with guns blazing hit him hard. Of course, he wouldn’t risk Tara’s life to ease the pain in his gut, but the satisfaction of taking Keeler down? That was something he hoped to experience once she was safe.

Max clapped his hands to gain the team’s attention. “Okay, people, let’s move out.”

They stepped forward, heading in different directions, but their movements were in sync in a way that years of working and training together had brought. They reminded Cal of synchronized swimmers who moved in perfect harmony. They’d start with the exterior surveillance, noting any security cameras, trigger wires, or other oddities, and when they reached the back of the building, they’d confirm Tara and Keeler’s location.

Cal waited to hear the first update on the undercover comms unit that had a hidden mic and a minuscule earbud. He’d never been on this end of an op, standing and waiting while it went down without him, and unease ate at him, even though they could easily do the recon without him. If anything went south, he trusted his teammates to lay down their lives if necessary.

The clean, crisp air blew over his face as he looked up at the stars peeking through gaps in the clouds. Tara’s comment at the safe house in Oregon about him being a romantic made him smile despite the active op.

“Tango One and Two in office,” Shane announced.

“Roger that,” Max responded.

“Security cameras at both entrances,” Kaci reported. “Once Tango One heads to the door, I’ll disable the rear, but we should leave the front camera in case Tango One is watching and expects to see the package arrive.”

“Affirmative,” Max replied. “Let us know when Tango One is on the move.”

“Sniper in position?” Max asked.

“Roger that.” Rick’s voice came over loud and clear.

“You’re a go,” Max said to Cal, and then into his mic he added, “Phase two under way.”

Cal jogged to the car where Agent Vera Brevard waited. She clipped on her seat belt, and he noticed her shaking hands. Not an odd reaction. She might be an agent, but still, an op with a bomb would make most law enforcement officers nervous.

“Relax,” he said. “You won’t have to do anything but sit in the car.”

She nodded but didn’t speak while Cal started up the car and put the vehicle into gear. He drove the short distance to the warehouse and parked far enough from the door to allow Keeler to see Vera but not make out her true identity.

“Remember to keep your arm down as if I’ve handcuffed it to the door,” Cal said. “Listen to the chatter on the comms. If Max tells you to bail, the keys are in the ignition, and you hightail it out of here.”

“But you…the others.”

He smiled at her. “This isn’t our first rodeo, and we can take care of ourselves.”

He climbed out, and keeping his head on a swivel, he strode to the door and pounded hard. He peered straight into the security camera so Keeler could get a good look at his face.

“Both Tangos on the move.” Kaci’s voice came over Cal’s earbud. “Disarming rear camera now.”

Cal ignored the agitation in his gut that said he could die, that they all could die in the next few minutes. He’d felt the same flutter many times before, and today would be no different.

He’d give his life in a heartbeat to save others, and it wouldn’t take even the length of a heartbeat for him to offer his life for Tara.