Running Off Radar, page 24
Maji watched Jack blanch, trying to keep his calm with one of his wife’s captors close enough to reach back and grab. “Jack,” she said, “breathe.”
After two beats, Green added, “Try and act normal. AET Taira, drive directly to the hangar.”
“Aye, aye.”
All the ground crew working in the hangar stopped and looked their way when the Jeep screeched up and stopped under the one open roll-up door. “Hey, Taira, what’d you—” one began, then stopped himself when Jack popped out of the passenger side looking fearsome. The crewman stood to attention, saluted, and barked out, “Lieutenant Commander.”
“At ease,” Jack replied. In command voice he called out, “All hands present.”
There was a scurrying as crew pulled themselves away from their work and moved into a line. They looked expectant and a little concerned. Clearly Jack could take command but didn’t flex that muscle too often.
“You are all on break until further notice. Go do your PT, or get a bite, or catch up on your training modules. I’ll page you if I need you.”
“Aye, aye, Lieutenant Commander,” they answered in unison. Then one ventured, “Sir? May I finish my diagnostic?”
“You may not, AMT Ramirez. Dismissed.”
They filed out without further comment. As soon as the room was clear, Jack moved on Tom. Tom dodged the blow, and Green stepped between them. Maji spun Taira away when she leaped forward to join Jack in the confrontation.
“Stand down,” Green barked.
“Your wife will be fine,” Tom said to Jack with no trace of a Russian accent. “You have my word as an officer.”
“What the hell?” Taira said.
Tom turned just his head toward her. “Strictly need to know.” To Maji he added, “Vouch for me.”
“You can trust him,” she said. But damned if she’d reveal his identity. They could guess whatever they wanted about him so long as they cooperated.
“What about those guys who have Dee?” Taira asked.
Jack looked unconvinced also. “And Tina.”
“They work for the man we’re all after,” Tom conceded. “But they answer to me, as long as they believe I do too.” He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. “Now, we really need to work together. Which helo is in the best shape?”
“For what?” Taira asked.
“A trip across the boundary line. With the payload.”
“That’s way beyond safety limits, even without the gold,” Jack said.
“What if we stripped all nonessential equipment out?” Green asked. Before Jack could answer, she cocked her head, one finger up. “Coordinates?” she asked Tom.
He rattled off a latitude and longitude, and she repeated them into her comm. They both looked to Jack again.
“Maybe. We’d need at least one stop to refuel. And I’d still want to weigh what came out, plus minimize the crew.”
“Just two,” Tom said. “Pilot and copilot.”
Jack shook his head. “Just me. I’m not risking anyone else under my command.”
“Even you can’t hold up alone that far,” Tom countered. “I’m going with you. I did some time as a Night Stalker, so you know I can back you up. Besides, my boss expects to hear me giving updates as we go. Tina gets released when we cross the border.” He looked to Green. “Strike teams ready?”
She nodded. “Both targets covered.”
“All righty then,” Tom said. “Let’s strip a bird.”
They got to work unloading all the search and rescue equipment from the Jayhawk that Taira confirmed as the one most recently overhauled and cleared to fly.
“Do we have a second ready, in case a distress call comes in?” Jack pressed.
She nodded. “Affirmative.”
With that knowledge, Jack took a deep breath and seemed to focus, identifying every item inside the helo that was safe to take out. Taira helped make sure nothing got loosened that could work its way free and create a hazard while they flew. Green kept a running count as they weighed all the items removed, right down to nuts and bolts.
“Back the Jeep up close to the open bay,” Tom instructed Taira as they neared the end of the weight removal effort.
When she had the Jeep in place, Tom positioned Jack in the opening, legs hanging out like a rescue swimmer ready to drop into the water. “Smile for the camera,” he said.
Jack scowled and flipped him the bird.
“Perfect.” Tom sent the photo off and handed the phone to Green. “You have anybody in crypto can get a bead on where these are going? We think he’s in Beringovsky, but it would be good to confirm.” He paused and gave an apologetic wince. “And I need to keep it close, in case he calls.”
“Oh, is that all?” Green cocked her head again, listening to her comm. “We have a guy on strike team two. We’ll pull him off the house.”
“No.” AET Taira got between them, looking up into Green’s face. “I know a guy right here in crypto—a real tech wizard. Let me get him.”
“Is he on duty and on base now?”
“I think so. I’ll call him.” At Green’s nod, she went to the wall phone and dialed an extension. When the call ended, she said, “He’ll be right down with a laptop and trace kit.”
“Thanks, Liv,” Jack said. He held out an arm, and she stepped into his embrace.
“What about Dee, Dev…and Rose?” Maji asked.
“They stay put until after we’re in the air,” Tom replied. “Since Sirko thinks you’re acting under duress too.”
True enough. In Arabic she asked him, “What if we just sprung them and kept the gold. Would that get one of Sirko’s backers mad enough to kill him?”
“That’s plan B but it’s iffy, given his clout,” he answered. “But if we can pull plan A off, we have a chance to shut him down and confirm the kill, plus take out some of his ring. The gold’s the only bait we know will get him out of hiding.”
“Why couldn’t he want something light?” Green pitched in, also in Arabic. When they turned and stared at her she added, “What? This surprises you?”
Taira stopped working. “What the actual fuck? Who are you people?”
“They’re Special Forces, OT,” Jack said. “Let them drive. Clear?”
She looked conflicted, but nodded. “Aye, aye, Lieutenant Commander.”
“About the weight issue,” Jack said to Green. Then he stopped and smiled for the first time. “C’mon. Two tours in Iraq and one in the ’Stan, remember? I can’t speak well, but I understand quite a bit.”
“Okay, then,” Green responded evenly, switching them all to English. “What about the weight?”
“She’s as stripped down as we can get her. And that’s not going to cut it”—he pointed to Green’s tally of total weight removed—“after we add the gold and two personnel back in.”
“If you get there and some of the gold is missing, you may both be killed on the spot,” Green said.
Maji looked at Tom and Jack and wondered if they were all thinking the same as she was—Sirko would have no need for Jack upon delivery, anyway.
“We’ll cross that bridge later,” Jack said. “As we say here, You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.”
Yep. Maji swallowed hard and looked to Tom. “Does Sirko know exactly how much you pulled up?”
“Only roughly. We could fudge maybe twenty percent. He is getting a seventeen-million dollar helo with it, after all.”
“Might be enough, depending on where we refuel,” Jack said. He sounded like a man with all thoughts of his own survival pushed to some far-distant corner of his brain. Maji supposed he’d been on enough harrowing flights to compartmentalize automatically.
“Get your options lined up and then call your boss,” Green instructed Tom. “The longer you keep him talking, the more we can narrow his location down. Tell me when, and I’ll have the tech wizard ready.”
“You guys handle logistics, and we’ll get busy on the gold,” Maji said. “Taira, what can we use to secure these things inside the cabin?” The old rusty lockers were not a safe option.
While they collaborated to get the gold loaded and secured, Maji tried to keep Liv from keying in on the quiet huddle of the planning team. “So you’re from Hawaii, huh?”
“Can’t talk—thinking,” Taira replied. “All of this is for nothing if the engines overheat or the controllers melt down. Stripped down or not, these aren’t designed to cruise so many hours, touch down for fuel, and go right out again without maintenance.” She stood abruptly inside the helo cabin and went to the open door, leaning out. “Jack!”
“Yo.”
“Shave ten clicks an hour off your cruise speed, for cooling and fuel conservation.” The lack of an immediate response seemed to frustrate her. “Just try it.”
“Aye, aye.”
“If he’s going down for your crazy-ass mission, it’s not going to be in the middle of the Bering Sea,” she fumed on her return, speaking without looking at Maji.
“It’s no crazier than flying into an Arctic storm and diving into the ocean to save the crew of a sinking ship,” Maji said. “By the time they cross the boundary line, there will be teams in place to assist. Nobody’s letting Jack go without a fight.”
“You’re mighty calm for somebody whose girlfriend has a gun on her,” Taira snapped back.
Maji shook her head. “Not hardly. But this is the only way I can help to get her home safe.” Into the quiet that followed, she added, “Dee will be okay too. We’ve got her six.”
“Okay, I get it. Shut up and let me think.” Taira looked at the nearly completed task. “I need to check something. Can you finish packing these things?”
Maji looked at the mass of weights left to transfer into the fresh containers. She was tired and sore and hungry. But the hands-on task did keep her fears at bay some. “Aye, aye.”
After a bit, Maji noticed that Jack finally sat and took a break, pressing a fresh ice pack to his leg. She exchanged a look with Green, who watched him for a moment and then wandered to a far corner to speak into her comm with Kim.
On her return, Green spoke plainly to Jack. “Change of plans. I’m subbing in as copilot, and Dmitry will take your seat.”
Jack straightened up and gave her an openly disparaging look. “The minute they realize it’s not me in the helo with Dmitry here, they’ll blow you to bits.”
“Put me in a flight suit and helmet, and they won’t know until it’s too late,” she countered.
“Not gonna happen. He’s barely got the transferrable experience to second my helo. And you—how much flight time have you had in a Jayhawk?”
“What happened to let them drive, Lieutenant Commander?” Lt. Green cocked one platinum eyebrow at him. “It’s my call and you will abide by it.”
He shook his head. “Respectfully, ma’am, this is my asset, my crew”—he pointed to Taira, then to the hangar in general—“my career. Whatever airframes you two have flown, it wasn’t this bird and it wasn’t over these waters.” He eyed Tom. “And I’m not sending this guy to go out with my bird just to get killed before he completes his mission. We have the best chance of success with the two of us, even as is.” He paused as if considering his next words. “I’m not going to get into a pissing contest with you, but I am the only one here capable of getting us all the fucking way over Russian waters in one piece. Especially if we’re trying to stay off radar.”
Maji watched Tom watching them sort this out. She hoped his experience and stamina would be enough to carry them if Jack’s leg got worse or his energy gave out. “What can we do to get you and Tom in the best possible condition?” she asked. The conversation stopped abruptly.
Green looked from her to Jack and Tom. She shook her head, listening to the voice in her earpiece. “Fine,” she said softly. Then, louder, she added, “Send that medic down, and a runner to the mess hall. We need dinner for all hands here.”
At the break Tom called Sirko and hashed out the final route plan. Sirko forbade him to land in Kodiak because of the Coast Guard air station there. Or Dutch Harbor for the same concerns about US military presence. They settled on a small town on the upper Aleutian chain that had a robust commercial airstrip and no law enforcement capacity. Maji realized two things as they talked and argued. One, the destination was a cargo ship not too far over the International Maritime Boundary. That would make mobilizing a SEAL team easier. Two, Sirko really did appear to trust Tom. And that gave them a decent shot at the long game, finally capturing the most dangerous criminal left running a viable operation.
When Tom hung up, he looked to the cryptotech. The tech’s thumbs-up made them all do a fist pump. They all returned to flight preparations with renewed enthusiasm.
Two hours later, Jack and Tom moved around the Jayhawk out on the tarmac, making their final safety checks. The clouds had lifted but the sun was waning. What a long day it had been, to be followed by a long night for these two.
Jack moved away from the prop wash and motioned everyone over. “I’ve called my second in command in. He’ll be on-site in twenty, thirty minutes.” He held his hand out to Taira. “It’s been an honor to serve with you. Give Tina my love, and…take care of Jasper.”
She ignored his hand and squeezed him hard around the middle, her face buried in his chest. He held her a brief moment, then thumped her on the back. Taira pushed back and looked up at him, gulping air. “Safe travels.”
“And you—” Jack motioned to Maji to come close. When she did he leaned in, and said quietly, “Tell Tina to be happy. Tell her I said so.”
Maji bit back the urge to cry, folding her fear and anger into a neat square and tucking it mentally into her pocket. She nodded silently for Jack, looking him in the eye. Then she gave Tom a long hug and shoved him away. “You get the shot, take him out.”
Tom didn’t look surprised, just somber. “Hooah.” Then he smiled. “I have orders to take you with us, bound and gagged.” At her look he winked. “But you have a bad habit of getting away. I’ve even got fresh cuts to prove it. Give Rose my apologies.”
“The bridge is back open,” Green said. “Team one can medevac if needed.”
Tom nodded and made his final call to the accomplices at Jack’s house on Lifesaver Road, reminding them to wait for his call to release Tina. They agreed to sleep in shifts. Maji knew that even if they treated her well, it would be a long night for Tina.
When he called Petrov, Tom asked him to confirm the status of all three hostages on the boat. He counted off with his fingers as he listened to the response: one, two, three, okay sign. To a question from Petrov, he laughed and described “the little soldier girl tied up like a present.” Then he asked to speak with Dev. “Act relieved to hear this,” Tom instructed in English. “He has orders to dispose of you all now. Do whatever you need to, akhi.”
Go time. Maji backed away from the helo and watched Tom and Jack climb in. As the Jayhawk rolled down the runway toward the liftoff zone, Taira spun toward the air station and began running. Maji looked hopefully toward Green.
“Go, go.”
Maji tore off after Taira, catching her before she reached the parking lot. Taira looked ready to fight her, so Maji waved toward the Jeep. “I’m with you, Liv.”
* * *
Dev smiled with relief at their captor. “Well, that is over. Now we must—”
“No!” Dee yelled and launched herself at Petrov as he started to pull his gun from its holster.
Rose felt herself slammed sideways, “Down,” ringing in her ears. On the cabin floor, she worked her hands loose. A foot cracked her shin, and she cried out involuntarily.
When she looked up, Dev had Petrov pinned to the dinette table. “Stay below the windows,” he ordered Dee, who was struggling to stand where she had fallen, by the steps down to the forward cabin.
Sniper, Rose thought, then heard the sound of boots pounding down the dock, feet landing on the deck of the boat. Silence followed, but for the grunting of the Russian as he tried in vain to break Dev’s hold.
“Yell all clear,” Dev told her.
“All…” her voice croaked out. Rose took a deep breath. “All clear,” she bellowed. She looked to Dev for next steps, and the cabin door burst open, a helmeted man with a pistol in front of him crouching low.
Dev fell back from Petrov, who reared up and twitched violently before falling across the little table. The snapping sound of the shots registered in Rose’s mind as the blood began to pool. She realized she was screaming when gloved hands touched her head and shoulder. “Ma’am. Are you hit? Ma’am?”
Rose uncovered her face and looked at the shooter. She shook her head and looked around. Dev had an arm around Dee, talking to her softly.
He looked up and gave her a reassuring smile. “We’re good. You okay, Doc?”
“No,” she answered honestly. She felt dizzy and nauseous. Seeing him frown and start to move, she said, “I’m not hurt. Bruised. Dee?”
Dee lifted her eyes, looked past the dead man in her cabin, and met Rose’s gaze. “Alive.” She looked at the soldier still crouching by Rose. “Can we go now?”
“Yes, ma’am. My team will escort you.” He offered Rose a hand.
She shook her head and pulled herself up, wincing each time she moved one of the several places she had banged while falling. At least her head was all right. “I’m Rose,” she said when she could look the man in the eye.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said and stepped outside, holding the door for her to follow.
* * *
Maji leaped out of the Jeep and chased after Taira, who had left it running near the two ambulances and a taxi in the Sealing Cove Harbor parking lot.
“Hey, you can’t go down there,” a man’s voice called after them.
Neither of them bothered to reply. Maji caught up with Taira where she stood scanning the docks, looking for the Eagle Song.
