Chapter Seventeen

They landed to refuel in Panama with the world still in darkness. Faith took advantage of the opportunity for a potty break and a chance to wash her face and hands. She grimaced at her image in the mirror.

Her face was deathly pale, her hair looked like a rat’s nest tied up in a rubber band, and dark bruises lay beneath eyes that had a haunted look. Somehow the men had managed to find camo clothing that didn’t fit too badly, and two pairs of thick socks took care of the space in the boots. She was very conscious of the Glock in the belt around her waist and the four clips in the pouch.

“All set for the cover of Vogue,” she whispered to herself.

Out on the tarmac the men were standing next to the plane, Dan in conversation with the man who’d greeted them on landing.

Rick spotted her as she walked up to them. “All set?”

She nodded, shoving her hands into her pockets to keep them from shaking.

“Okay. We’re on the last leg here.” He handed her what looked like a thin wire loop that he slipped over her head, with an extension he pressed to the hollow of her throat. “This is how you’ll communicate. Don’t say a word unless we tell you to. Every time Dan asks you to check in, tap this,” he touched the piece at her throat, “five times. That’s your number. Got it?”

She nodded.

“Okay. It will be light when we land, unfortunately, so we won’t need the night-vision goggles.” He studied her face. “We’ll pick up the chopper that’s waiting for us and head for the insertion point. Ed will hover when we get there and you’ll have five seconds to jump to the ground. Remember to bend your knees.”

“Okay.” She tried to ignore the flip-flops in her stomach.

“Last thing. We’ve pinpointed the place pretty close to where we think the camp is, but we’ll need you to reach out to Mark and see if he can give us any clues. Can you do that?”

“I can do whatever I have to.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “Good girl. When we land, you stick close to me until I tell you to hide yourself.”

“Let’s go, folks.” Dan motioned to them with his hand.

In less than a minute they were lifting off again, heading away from the rising sun, stars still dotting the fading night sky around them.

I’m almost there, Mark. Please hang on just a little longer.

* * * * *

“I can only stay a few hours,” the Wolf said, lighting a cigarillo. His chopper had landed five minutes ago and was waiting in the clearing off to the side. “I have other business that demands my attention. Either get this taken care of or we’re done.”

Escobedo’s smile was nasty. “I know you, greedy bastard that you are. You won’t walk away from the money you get from us.”

The Wolf’s eyes narrowed. “Listen to me, you piece of shit. No amount of money is worth destroying a business it took me years to build up. I won’t spend the rest of my life running and hiding because suddenly the wrong people know too much about me.”

“Is that a fact?” Escobedo’s voice was flat.

“My success has been my anonymity. No one knows my real identity. This can blow it all to hell, and I’m not willing to absorb that kind of risk.”

“But you’re here,” Escobedo pointed out. “Are you not?”

“I am here to finish it. Or you. Take your choice.”

“Very well. Come. We will have breakfast and then resume the, shall we say, festivities. This time I promise you, we’ll get results.”

Mark had heard the helicopter land, and at first it startled him. Then he remembered the Wolf had left yesterday, saying he’d be back today. Through the narrow slit where the tent flaps didn’t quite meet he could see the chopper some distance away, sitting in the clearing. Last time he’d arrived in the trucks with Escobedo’s men, but today he was on his own.

The men on guard duty would be changing shifts now, he knew. They’d all be having breakfast together, then those on the night duty would head for their cabins to catch some sleep. He marveled that so few men accomplished so much, but he supposed when you trained for nothing else you could do whatever it took.

He knew this was probably the last morning he’d be alive to wake up. The Wolf wanted his answers today. If he didn’t get them, they’d all cut their losses, and that would be the end of Mark Halloran.

He regretted being unable to complete his mission, wiping out this burgeoning band of terrorists and ridding the world of a dangerous arms dealer. But more than that, he regretted never telling Faith how he felt about her. Never letting her know that she was his anchor, his love. How badly he wished they’d had more than that one weekend. More time to enjoy each other, to take this new relationship to the place where he knew it would go—marriage, a future.

What an idiot he’d been. There were plenty of other men doing what he did who had it all. Why had he been such a stiff-necked jerk, thinking he couldn’t split his loyalties?

He had long since passed the point where the pain of his wounds was foremost in his mind. Doctors had said it was possible to cross that threshold where pain was so constant it lost its agonizing edge. But that’s where he was now. His body was hot with fever, and he was sure infection was rampant in his system. He was at the end of his resources.

But the very last thing he could do was resist giving them information. Whatever they did to him, he would simply close his eyes and will himself to die.

Mark! I’m so close now. Promise me you’ll hold on a little longer.

His head jerked up. Tidbit?

We’re almost there. Don’t give up now.

He waited, but she was gone. But her sweet, sweet voice and her pleading message were enough. Somehow he’d keep it together until help arrived. Because now he believed it was finally on the way.

* * * * *

“Jesus Christ.” Frank Ryan looked at the information on the computer screen, refusing to believe what he was seeing.

“That’s not possible,” John Gregorio said. “I have a hard time believing this.”

“Yeah, me, too. But there it is.” He turned to the young soldier who’d been doing the work for them. “Thanks, son. I think you’d better leave us alone now. And remember . . .”

“I know,” the young man said. “Zip the lip or it’s Easter Island.”

“Or worse,” Gregorio growled.

“Yes, sir. Sirs.” He saluted and let himself out the door.

The two men couldn’t take their eyes away from what they were reading. Ryan scrolled up and down on the screen, and they switched back and forth between the documents the hacker had found for them. The magnitude of the situation frightened them both.

“We’re lucky we aren’t in World War III because of these men,” Gregorio said at last.

Ryan nodded. “For men in this position to be consorting with the worst arms dealer in the world is worse than treasonous. The damage they could do scares the shit out of me.”

“What made you start him off on this path, anyway?”

“You told me Winslow badgered you into giving Faith Wilding an appointment but ordered you not to give her any information. Certainly we wouldn’t tell her anything classified, but this would have been a great chance to get some favorable publicity about what our mission is. Why did he want you to kill it?”

“Because he sensed she had an agenda that was less literary and more personal, is my guess. He didn’t want anyone digging into what happened to Mark Halloran and his mission.”

Ryan swallowed the last of the cold coffee in his cup, made a face, and threw the empty cup in the trash. “He’d have been a lot better off if he’d tried to work with you on this and figured out how to turn her off.”

“I don’t think anything could have turned that woman off. She was like a dog with a bone. I knew the minute she walked out of here all hell would break loose.”

“And now she’s got Phoenix involved.”

Gregorio smiled. “Oh, they’d have been on it anyway. I knew once Rick got his brother out of the hospital they’d go in for Halloran.”

“I wish them luck.” He cleared his throat.

“Well. We have to do something with this. I’d call McLean myself, but it will be better coming from the head of JSOC. He always swears his people are thoroughly investigated and vetted. And look who handles that. Ray Frost, his chief of staff. This will certainly give him something to think about. Along with a bad case of indigestion.”

“No kidding. Right now the Department of Defense is fielding enough crap as it is.”

“All right, then. I’d better get JSOC on the line. Can you get me a ride out of here? They’ll want to talk to me in person. And we need to find out who’s in the field doing the dirty work.”

The major picked up the phone. “Consider it done.”

* * * * *

The Bell Ranger they’d switched to had made a one-eighty turn, and they’d been flying back into the rising sun for about twenty minutes now.

“All right, folks.” Dan made sure he had the attention of everyone in the cabin. “Five minutes to go. I wish we were doing this at night rather than in daylight, but we take what we can get. Everyone ready?”

They all nodded in turn, checking their gear and their firepower one last time.

“All set, Faith?” Rick leaned close to her. “This is it.”

“I’m ready.”

“Just do what I tell you to, okay? Got your earpiece in?”

She nodded.

“Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Good. We’re dropping close to approximately where we think the camp is. Good thing this looks like just one of the many personal choppers that fly over here. We’ll be able to pinpoint things better as we get closer. And we’ve got top-of-the-line equipment to read heat signatures, so we know where everyone is. Just stay behind me.”

“Got it.”

The five minutes seemed to rush by. Then Rick was urging her onto her feet and toward the door that Mike had opened. The helicopter went into hover mode, and one by one the men dropped to the ground in a crouch.

“Your turn,” Rick told her. “I’m right here with you. Remember to bend your knees.”

They were less than ten feet above the ground, but to Faith it might as well have been five miles. She felt the pressure of Rick’s hand on her shoulder, gathered her courage, and pushed herself out of the doorway. She remembered about her knees, bending down to a deep crouch. Nevertheless she landed with a thud that jarred every bone in her body and shook the fillings in her teeth. Knowing she didn’t have time to worry about aches and pains, she tucked herself and rolled when she hit the ground as she’d seen people do on television and in the movies.

“Good girl.” Mike was pulling her to her feet and checking her over for broken bones.

Then Rick was beside her, waving off Ed and the chopper. “Okay, Faith. Time to do your thing with Mark. Can you make it work?”

“I’ll try.”

They had landed in a tiny area of waving grasses surrounded by tall trees with wide trunks and plants so thick it was impossible to see where one ended and the other began. The scent of the river drifted in the air.

“The Amazon,” Rick explained. “We’re five or six miles from it, but the scent still carries on the wind. Do you need me to do anything?”

“No. Just . . . If I can be by myself at that tree over there?”

“Go ahead. We’ll keep watch.”

She leaned against the rough bark of the tree, brushing at the insects crawling up and down the trunk. She used an old trick to center herself, pulling down a mental window shade to blot out everything else. Then she called up the image of Mark’s face, the one she’d used building her shields.

Mark!

Silence for a moment, then the heavy pressure she’d felt last night—was it only that short a time ago? The creeping miasma of evil began to wrap itself around her.

He is dead. You are done.

No! She wouldn’t believe it.

Dead, the voice repeated.

Aunt Vivi, she called out. I need you now. As if they were standing right next to her, she felt the invisible energy shield from the women thousands of miles away. The air vibrated with it. Almost shimmered with it. Then she brought up the image of the circle, the parabolic reflectors, the stone wall, and the tiny opening where only Mark could get through.

Again she felt the evil pressing in on her, nearly suffocating her, but she concentrated as hard as she could on the circle of protection, drawing on the energy of the women. Little by little the battle of wills turned in her favor, and the pressure eased.

Mark! she tried again.

More silence.

At last, very faintly Tidbit . . . same weekend, too.

Oh, God, you’re alive! She felt tears running down her cheeks and swiped at them impatiently. We’re here. Right near you. Not far away.

Here?

In the jungle. Phoenix is with me. We’re coming to get you.

She waited out what seemed another interminable silence.

How . . . find me?

Later, when we have more time. I need your help.

Funny . . . me . . . help . . .

No. Listen. We’re about five miles away. Can you give me any clue about your location? Anything we can spot?

This time the pause was longer and she was afraid she’d lost him.

Chopper . . . outside tent . . . landed here . . .

She tried to keep the exhilaration out of her voice and remain calm for him. Okay, okay. That’s good. I’ll tell them. Keep listening for me, my darling.

She motioned to Rick.

“Something?” His own eyes held a flicker of excitement.

“A helicopter. He said one landed in the camp. Outside a tent. Maybe the one where they’re keeping him.”

Rick unclipped the remote microphone from his belt. “Ed? We need you to do a circumference search for a helicopter,” he whispered. “It should be in a clearing where the camp is.” He raised his eyes at Faith and she nodded. “Yeah. Where the camp is.”

Faith had a hard time controlling her impatience while they waited for Ed to contact them. She didn’t know how the men could stand so calmly, but she guessed it was years of training. She forced herself to be just as quiet, but her heart was racing.

She held her breath as Rick lifted the comm unit to his mouth again.

“Okay. Got it. Thanks.” He unclipped his tiny GPS unit and punched in some numbers. “Come on.”

He took Faith’s arm and moved toward the other three men. “Apparently a bird landed in their camp just recently. Ed spotted it from the air and gave me the coordinates. We’re three miles away. Let’s go.”

The trek through the jungle was nerve-racking. The men moved like silent ghosts, barely rustling the foliage. Faith tried her best to do the same while still keeping up the pace. Periodically they would stop, listen, then move out again. Three miles had never seemed so long to her.

At the exact moment she was sure she’d drop if she had to take another step, they halted. No one spoke. Dan gestured to the others with hand signals. Rick put his mouth close to her ear. “We’re close. Go with Dan. I need to take up my position.”

Faith looked at Dan as Rick moved away at an angle. He motioned for her to stand beside him. “We’re going closer. I’m going to put you out of the line of fire. Stay there. If I ask for your signal, you know what to do.”

She nodded.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

And then they were within sight of the camp. Mike pulled out a small pair of binoculars and swept them from left to right.

“Four cabins,” he whispered. “Campsite in the center. Helicopter off to the left next to a tent.”

“Must be where Mark is,” Dan whispered back. He pulled out the tiny instrument that registered heat signatures and swept the site as Mike had done with the binocs. “Yup. He’s there.”

“How many?” Troy asked.

“I count ten, including Mark. Not a large group. Okay. No talking. Everyone ready? Okay, then. Let’s move.”

Dan boosted Faith up into the crotch of a tree where a thick limb jutted out, nodded, and moved away from her. From her vantage point she could see the men move out in different directions, so silent if she didn’t know they were there she’d have been unaware of them.

She had no idea where Rick was, but he was the sniper so she assumed he’d be someplace up high. Pulling the Glock from her belt, she rammed home a clip and racked the slide. She’d never shot anything but a paper target but she could kill to save her life. Or Mark’s. Holding the gun the way she’d been taught, she sat and waited.

* * * * *

“What was that?” The Wolf looked up from the cup of really bad coffee he was drinking. He couldn’t wait to get shut of this cesspool. This was the last time he let himself be talked into a situation like this, no matter how much money was involved.

“A helicopter.” Escobedo drew on his cigarillo.

“What is it doing here?” the Wolf looked up again. “You don’t think that’s suspicious?”

“Not at all. Helicopters fly over here all the time. You’d be surprised how many people have them.”

“Still. It’s possible someone has found us.”

Escobedo laughed. “And who would that be? The people around here know enough to stay away from me, and everyone else minds their own business.”

“If what you say about Halloran and his psychic abilities is true . . .”

“Pah! True or not, Felix has slammed down a mental shield. In any event, el Capitan is close to breathing his last. When we are rid of him it will all be over.”

“Let’s get to it, then. I must leave shortly.” He dumped out the rest of his coffee and set the empty tin cup on a rock.

“Fine.” He moved into the central part of the camp. “Hola! Time for the morning’s entertainment. Two of you please bring our guest out here to me.”

The two men closest to the tent rose from the log they’d been sitting on and started to get Mark.

Then all hell broke loose.