“Me neither,” agreed Jagger. “Though I could do without that landing.”

  Atlas stretched and groaned. “Those cockpits are not designed for real men.”

  Niner flashed a smile at Apocalypta as she walked by with the other pilots. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess it depends on what your definition of a real man is. I know mine was a hottie.”

  Atlas rolled his eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t continually proposition the poor guy the entire flight.”

  Niner continued to stare at the gorgeous woman who laughed and gave him a wave before disappearing through a door. Jagger’s massive lips followed. “My God, you just spent half a day confined in a small space with her?”

  Niner flashed some teeth. “Yep, and the conversation was sparkling. I tell you, having a girlfriend has made me a babe magnet.”

  Spock cocked an eyebrow. “Monopole maybe.”

  Niner eyed him. “What’s that mean?”

  Spock shrugged. “Ask Sheldon Cooper.”

  An officer emerged from a door and strode over. “Gentlemen, I’m Lieutenant Commander Middleton. I’ve been briefed on the broad strokes of your mission, but not the particulars, so anything I don’t say, assume I don’t know and I’m not supposed to know.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Niner. “What’s the latest?”

  “We believe your target is landing in Doha, Qatar. We’ve been repositioning all night to be as close as possible to the Gulf States. We can’t exactly fly you in and land at the airport, nor can we risk a visible insertion. We have a submarine standing by. She’ll be inserting you on the coast where a contact beyond my pay grade will rendezvous with you, provide you with equipment, and transport you to your ultimate destination. Any questions?”

  “When do we leave?”

  “Immediately.”

  Niner smacked his hands together with a smile. “That’s what I like to hear.” He turned to the others. “Let’s get a wiggle on, gentlemen. The sooner we get in that long metal tube full of seamen, the sooner we can see some action.”

  Jagger eyeballed Niner. “Do you listen to yourself?”

  Niner shrugged. “What?”

  Atlas shook his head. “All those hours alone with a gorgeous woman and the boy is still confused.”

  50 |

  Doha Hamad Airport

  Doha, Qatar

  Laura’s heart hammered as she stepped into the stifling heat of Doha, Qatar, there destination finally revealed to them as they descended. It reminded her of her dig site in Lower Nubia, but it also reminded her of the day her brother was supposed to have died in Jordan. Her jumbled emotions threatened to overwhelm her and she was on the razor’s edge of losing control. She was beyond excited that she was about to see her brother, but also hurt and angry. She had blamed herself for ten years for something that wasn’t her fault. Ten years had been lost that they could have shared. If only he had trusted her with the truth. Yet it wasn’t a matter of trust. He had done it to protect her. She understood that logically, but the emotional side of her couldn’t imagine doing the same to him.

  She stepped onto the passenger transport with the others and they were soon brought to the charter terminal where Mary had them whisked through customs. Two large SUVs were waiting for them outside with local drivers. Mary split them up, putting the Miltons with Sherrie and Fang in the second vehicle, everyone else in the first. The doors slammed shut then the driver pulled away from the curb, sending them into the light but steady traffic of Qatar’s capital city.

  Mary turned in the passenger seat and addressed Kane. “There should be a couple of bags behind you.” Kane reached back and pulled forward two large duffel bags. “Body armor, weapons, and comms. Everybody gear up.”

  Kane unzipped the bag and started handing out bulletproof vests. James helped her into hers, asking the obvious question. “Won’t this make us rather conspicuous?”

  Mary adjusted hers. “We’re going into a private garage, then onto a private elevator. Trust me when I say, at this building, geared-up foreigners are not an uncommon sight.”

  “And the weapons?” asked Laura.

  “The people at the building won’t care. If the authorities get involved, they’re not going to be happy, but things like that can always be taken care of with the right phone calls and cash. If it looks like we’re going to get pulled over, all the guns go back in the bag, the bag goes in the rear, and we plead ignorance.”

  Laura adjusted her vest then inspected the Glock Kane handed her. “Just what is the plan here? I mean, why are we here?”

  Mary pursed her lips for a moment. “I’ll be honest with you, I’m not exactly sure what the plan is. None of this is supposed to be happening, so a contingency was never set up for this. Right now, the entire point of this is to get you into a safe, controlled environment, and then either your brother has a plan that he’ll fill us in on when we see him, or we’re all going to have to come up with one together.”

  Kane shoved his Glock into his shoulder holster. “Well, let me be the first to say that I hope he has a plan and it’s a good one. While I agreed getting on the plane back in Maryland was the quickest way to safety, heading to the Azores and then to Qatar where we have no access to help isn’t the wisest move.”

  “And just what would you have done?” asked Mary, the hint of condescension a mistake if Laura knew Kane.

  “I would have flown us to Langley, landed at the closest airstrip, and had Echo Team escort us into headquarters.”

  “That would have left Charles on his own.”

  Kane cursed. “To hell with him. The whole point of this is to protect those who are actually supposed to be alive.” He jerked a thumb at Tommy and Mai. “We’ve got these two, plus an entire family with a child, in danger because of what your brother, I’m sorry Laura, but what your brother did. They’re the priority here, not your brother.”

  Laura sniffed, his words painful to hear, though he was right. She reached out and squeezed Kane’s forearm. “You’re right, of course, Dylan, but we’re here now. What could have or should have been done is now irrelevant. We need to start thinking of next steps, and I have to think that you’re right. We’re safer back in the United States at a secure location like CIA Headquarters or Fort Bragg, somewhere where we have people we can trust. The question is, how do we get there now that we’re here?”

  Kane checked his watch then pressed the buttons surrounding the face in an odd pattern. He stared at it then cursed. “We’ve got a tail.”

  51 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters

  Langley, Virginia

  Leroux stood behind his station, staring at the display, satellite footage showing the two SUVs containing their people heading through the streets of Doha, Qatar. Blue indicators followed them with identifiers attached, and behind them were two red targets they had spotted following them from the terminal. There was no way of knowing who they were, at least not yet. It could be the Chinese. It could be any number of hostiles. Or, it could just be Qatari security, curious as to whom these people were that had arrived on an aircraft that didn’t exist, then blew through customs in record time.

  “I’ve got the plates.” Tong brought them up on the screen.

  “Run them.”

  Tong’s fingers furiously worked her station as Leroux admired her skills. She was second to none, and he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have her on his team. She was always level-headed in a crisis and just knew how to do whatever he asked of her. She whistled as she leaned back, jerking her chin toward the screen, Qatari vehicle registrations displayed for both plates.

  “Iranian embassy?” Child spun in his chair. “How the hell did they find out? Those guys aren’t exactly cutting edge.”

  Leroux folded his arms as he stared at the screen. It was a good question. It was possible the Iranians caught wind that something was going on, but how they could possibly be there ahead of everyone else was beyond him. Even the CIA hadn’t known where they were going until the last minute. He squeezed the back of his neck in an attempt to work out some of the stress building. He turned to face Child. “You’re right. They shouldn’t be there, but they are. The question is how? How could they possibly know what we and the Chinese didn’t?”

  “We’re assuming the Chinese don’t know. Maybe they do.”

  Leroux agreed. “Let’s cast a little wider net, shall we? The Chinese would definitely have teams in Qatar, so as soon as they knew where our people were landing, they would have had plenty of time to prep. And we know they’d be well-equipped, whereas the Iranians are probably using security staff from the embassy and they would have minimal capabilities beyond brute force. Let’s see if we can catch sight of any drones or other vehicles being guided by satellite that are hanging farther back than the Iranians.”

  “How would the Chinese know they were there?” asked Child.

  Leroux shrugged. “Same way we did. They have satellite capability, and if this is as important as we think it is, they would have done whatever it took to make sure they didn’t lose that aircraft when it took off from the Azores. Remember, whoever gets their hands on this tech first controls cyberspace for the next five to ten years. They’re not going to spare any expense.”

  “But the Iranians? How did they find out?”

  Leroux turned back to the display. “Maybe the Chinese have a mole.”

  “Or we do,” muttered Child.

  52 |

  Doha, Qatar

  Reza Ahmadi changed lanes as he followed the Americans. They had been sent in last minute from the embassy after a briefing both classified and minimal. The people they were following were up to something, but headquarters wasn’t sure what. A paid contact within Chinese intelligence indicated the Chinese were desperate to get their hands on these people. If his country could get them first, they could sell them to the Chinese or some other higher bidder.

  But they couldn’t exactly grab them off the street. This wasn’t Tehran, this was Doha. It would have to be done out of sight. Their contact had told them exactly where and when the plane had arrived, then they had scrambled to get into position, picking the Americans up just as they cleared the terminal. He had no idea where they were headed, he just hoped it was some place out of the public eye where they could take down the two vehicles and seize the hostages.

  Once they had them secured, it was easy enough to get them out of the country. They did it all the time with wayward Iranian citizens or others that the government wanted for questioning—they just had to get to them.

  He checked his rearview mirror to see the second team directly behind him, following a little too close for his liking. He leaned to his left, checking his driver’s side mirror, and spotted someone right on the bumper of the trailing SUV. Doha had its share of asshole drivers like any city. Was that what was going on here? Suddenly the tailgating driver leaned out of the window, a machine pistol gripped in his hand. The muzzle flashed, the sound catching up to Ahmadi’s ears a moment later as the targeted vehicle swerved out of control then flipped. He gasped as it landed on its roof then skidded along the highway.

  He slammed on his brakes, bringing them to a shuddering halt, then threw open his door as did the others. He drew his weapon and opened fire on the hostiles’ SUV as it rounded the upturned vehicle of his comrades. Machine pistols from both sides opened fire on them and one of his team went down. Ahmadi ducked behind the reinforced door as it took several rounds, then reached inside and drew an AK-47. He took aim and opened up with controlled bursts targeting the engine block as the others attempted to take out the gunmen. A blast of steam and smoke erupted from under the hood, killing the approaching enemy’s speed rapidly.

  He redirected his fire at the windshield as his men continued to fire, those in the upturned vehicle now extricating themselves and joining in. All the traffic had stopped in both directions, civilians abandoning their cars and cowering in fear, others running away from the battle. Another of his men cried out before the final enemy gun was silenced. He indicated for the others to move in then slowly advanced himself. He kicked the driver’s body hanging out onto the ground, then quickly searched him for papers and removed a wallet. He flipped it open and tensed at the diplomatic ID. “Report!”

  “They’re all dead,” replied one of his men.

  “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Who are they?”

  Ahmadi held up the ID. “North Koreans.”

  53 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters

  Langley, Virginia

  Leroux stared at the satellite image, his mouth agape.

  “What the hell just happened?” asked Tong.

  “I don’t know, but we’ve got another player obviously. Let’s see if we can trace that vehicle. It could be the Chinese.”

  Tong shook her head. “Way ahead of you. North Korean embassy.”

  Leroux dropped into his chair. “Okay, you’re telling me that the North Koreans and the Iranians knew when and where our people would be arriving, and we still haven’t seen any sign of the Chinese, and we don’t even have our own people in place yet? What the hell is going on here?”

  Child spun, staring at the ceiling. “I’m telling you, someone’s got a mole. Either us or the Chinese. They’re selling the info to the highest bidder then selling it again. If this is as important as we think it is, there are a whack of players who’d pay big bucks to get their hands on it. This could be the mole’s exit plan. One last big score that’s so big he can disappear and never be found, so he sells the info to everyone. Iranians, North Koreans, probably the Russians. We could have bit players in there too that are just trying to get their hands on the people so they can resell it, not to mention criminal organizations.”

  Child’s assessment was compelling, and too likely to be bang on. Leroux dialed Kane through the encrypted app, the operations officer answering a moment later.

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  Leroux explained. “It looks like you were being pursued by two Iranian vehicles that were then engaged by another. North Koreans. The Iranians took out the North Koreans but suffered some casualties and are down to one vehicle. Unless they’ve got some sort of eye-in-the-sky support, there’s no way they’re catching up to you.”

  Kane cursed. “Do you mean to tell me that the North Koreans, Iranians, and Chinese are already after us, and we haven’t even been on the ground an hour?”

  “Expect more.”

  Kane growled. “And what about the Chinese? Where the hell are they?”

  “We haven’t spotted anything yet, which tells me they’re using either satellite or drones to follow you.”

  “So, in other words, no matter what we do, they’re going to know where we’re going.”

  “Yes.”

  “All right, this is bullshit. We need an exfil plan and we need it now.”

  “We’re working on one. I recommend you cancel your rendezvous with Palmer and return to the airport.”

  “We’re here,” said a woman’s voice in the background.

  Kane muttered something. “Too late for that now. Just get those exfil plans ready.”

  54 |

  Charles Palmer Residence

  Doha, Qatar

  Acton held Laura’s hand as the SUV tipped forward and headed down the ramp into the underground parking. He was only minutes away from meeting a brother-in-law he was never supposed to see. He was slightly nervous about the meeting. It was like meeting parents for the first time, but he was more on edge from everything going on. He turned to Kane as his former student ended a call with Langley. “So, I take it that wasn’t a car accident behind us?”

  Kane shook his head. “North Koreans and Iranians fighting it out.”

  Laura’s grip on Acton’s hand tightened. “North Koreans and Iranians? Is there anybody who doesn’t know?”

  Kane rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t count on it. I’m guessing somebody in the know is selling the information on the black market. God knows who’s going to be after us, but don’t be surprised if someone with borscht on their breath invites us to take a ride with them.”

  “This is it,” said Mary from the front seat as they came to a stop. She opened her door and the rest followed. She led them to a bank of elevators and entered a code into the panel on the farthest one. It opened and they all stepped in. Acton noticed the drivers repositioning the SUVs for a rapid departure as the doors closed. Mary turned to Laura. “Your brother wants to see you first.”

  Laura sniffed, her eyes wide, her body’s tremble felt through the iron grip on Acton’s hand. “Can James come with me?”

  “No, he insisted on just you.”

  Acton patted her hand. “It’s all right. You should see him first. Remember, despite what’s happened, he’s still your brother and this is a happy day.”

  Tears pooled then escaped as the doors opened. They stepped into an impressive reception area, the Middle Eastern design distinctive and stunning.

  Mary extended a hand to the left. “If everyone could wait in there, I’ll show Laura upstairs. If I know your host, you’ll find food and drink waiting for you.”

  Laura turned and gave him a hug, squeezing him hard. He kissed the top of her head.

  “You know where I am if you need me.”

  She let go of him and followed Mary up a wide staircase that narrowed as it reached the second level of the penthouse. How much this cost, Acton had no idea, but it was clear Charles Palmer hadn’t been suffering in squalor these past ten years. He hung back as the others filed into another room and waited until Laura was out of sight before joining them. Two gorgeous women in form-fitting outfits greeted him with beaming smiles, taking his drink order and directing him to an impressive array of food the others were already mounting an assault on, everyone starving, little having been eaten on either flight. His own stomach growled at the sight and he forced himself to fill a plate, though his mind was upstairs with his wife who was going through something he could never imagine.

 

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