Ben barely made it down onto the floor before the guard unlocked the door and pushed it open.
Jenn and Eden quickly snapped to it, dropping to their knees beside him as if they"d just finished dressing him, and were tying his sneakers, looking up at the door as if surprised that it was opening.
"Oh, thank G.o.d," Eden said, and Ben heard the crinkling sound of a plastic grocery bag before the door thunked shut again, and the bolt slid home.
Jenni poked him. "Door"s shut. We"re good."
"We"re more than good," Eden said, taking out both of his glucagon kits, and tossing one to Ben. "We"re ready to get out of here. Or at the very least improve the odds for Izzy and Danny. I counted seven of them-including the ones called Jake and Nathan."
"I got six," Jenn said. "Five inside plus the one out front."
"No," Eden said, "I saw two outside, plus those same five..."
"Wow," Ben said, mixing the powder with the liquid in the vial as Eden did the same with the second kit. "I have no idea how many bad guys there are."
"Your eyes were closed." Jenn gave him a good excuse.
"So it"s Danny and Izzy against seven men with guns," Ben repeated.
"At least," Eden confirmed. "But maybe we can lower that by one." She moved back behind the door, where she"d be hidden from the guard"s view when it opened. "If I"m standing here here, and you"re there there, with Ben on the floor..."
"He"s not going to come in if he can"t see you," Jenn pointed out. "Maybe you should just stand more in the middle of the room, like, Ben"s choking and you"re distressed."
"I can do distressed," Eden said.
"If I"m the one who"s choking," Ben said to Jenn as he got into position, "you should have the second syringe." He handed it to her. should have the second syringe." He handed it to her.
"And we hit him with both," Eden said, "right at the same time."
"While I go for his gun," Ben said.
Jenn and Eden looked at each other over the top of Ben"s head.
"Come on," Ben said. "If we"re doing this, we have to do it. All of us, together."
"If you get yourself shot," Eden told him, "I will kick your a.s.s."
She hugged him hard, hugged Jenn, too, and Ben knew what his sister was thinking. It was do-or-die time.
And they were probably going to die.
"We have maybe five minutes," Izzy said as Dan ended his call with Neesha, "before you need to call Jake."
"We"re not ready for me to call Jake." Dan was shocked-Izzy could see it in his eyes, on his face. Neither one of them had expected Todd to come back into the apartment, although now that he had, it made perfect sense.
Whoever was down there in that big white warehouse that seemed to glow in the predawn darkness had gotten tired of waiting for Dan to call, and had sent Todd in to wake him up.
But instead of moving forward, Danny was still struggling to compartmentalize the idea that the sweet little girl they"d left behind had needed to defend herself with deadly force. Instead of giving himself a pat on the back for successfully teaching her to fire the weapon that had killed her attacker, he was mired in the horror of it all.
They"d reached the point in their approach where they had to move in more slowly, more cautiously, and if Izzy had more than five minutes to spare, he would have sat there for at least thirty, just watching the place and observing the patterns and check-in procedures of the various guards. He also would have traversed the building"s perimeter before making that phone call to Jake. He glanced at his watch. Or maybe not. Once that sun came up, they"d lose their advantage. So maybe this was fate plus common sense giving them a friendly nudge.
While Dan had been on the phone with Neesha, Izzy"d spoken briefly to Jules Ca.s.sidy, who was probably going to get his a.s.s fired for helping them this way. But that was another thing that Izzy couldn"t worry about right now.
"The witness your AIC is looking for just killed a man in self-defense," Izzy had reported, giving Jules the address of Eden"s apartment. "You might want to get someone over there, p.r.o.nto, because the police are on their way, and it could get ugly if they try to kick down the door. She"s inside with the body, and she"s armed and understandably tightly wound. She"s also got a cell phone." He rattled off Greg"s number so the FBI could at least contact her.
"Bless you," Jules said. "I"ll make sure she stays safe."
"Roger that, sir," Izzy said. "I"m betting you grok how the fact that their man being dead makes him unable to communicate with the mothership via cell phone, which shortens the time line for our"-he cleared his throat-"surveillance. I need a little help, ASAP, from our friendly eye in the sky."
"I"m on it," Jules had said, and cut the call.
Izzy now got a text from the FBI agent: 4 out, 11 in, believe 3 of those 11 are Hs in sm rm NE 4 out, 11 in, believe 3 of those 11 are Hs in sm rm NE. It was followed, immediately by a text from Troubleshooter Tess Bailey, verifying those numbers.
Yes. "Fifteen life-forms-twelve tangos, three H"s," Izzy told Dan. "Ca.s.sidy just told me they believe the three hostages are being held in a small room in the northeast part of the building."
That information brought Danny back. Or maybe he"d just got his second wind. Because he nodded and took out Eden"s cell phone as he said, "I have to call Jake. We have to give him a reason for why Todd"s not answering his phone or calling to check in."
"Wow, what a good idea," Izzy said. "But hold up there, Skippy, I already got it all figured out. Here"s what you"re going to say."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE.
Some kind of serious situation is going down," Dan said as he spoke via Eden"s cell phone with Jake, who was inside of the very building he and Izzy were watching. Jake, who was holding Jenni and Eden and Ben at gunpoint. Jake, who started this conversation with a threat to kill one of them if Dan didn"t tell him what he wanted to know. Dan had interrupted that that s.h.i.t midsentence. Control the conversation, Izzy had advised him. He was trying. "Right here, in an apartment directly across the courtyard. The police are all over the place-squad cars are everywhere. They"ve got a guy cuffed and three uniformed officers are taking him out of here. Don"t tell me-you left a man behind to follow me. One of the neighbors must"ve spotted him, knew he didn"t belong here, saw his weapon, and called it in." s.h.i.t midsentence. Control the conversation, Izzy had advised him. He was trying. "Right here, in an apartment directly across the courtyard. The police are all over the place-squad cars are everywhere. They"ve got a guy cuffed and three uniformed officers are taking him out of here. Don"t tell me-you left a man behind to follow me. One of the neighbors must"ve spotted him, knew he didn"t belong here, saw his weapon, and called it in."
On the other end of the phone, Jake swore, but Dan didn"t let him take control of the conversation.
"I know you want the girl," Dan said as Izzy, who was listening in, nodded his approval, "but the cops have already knocked on my door, no doubt looking for information, and I didn"t open up because I had blood in my hair and I thought it might raise eyebrows. If I come walking out there now..."
"Well, you figure out a way to get it done," Jake told him.
"No," Dan said. "You f.u.c.ked this up by leaving this idiot here-you"re going to have to wait. And while you"re waiting? I want proof of life and I want it right f.u.c.king now. I want to talk to all three of them, and then I"m going to want to talk to them again, after-" going to have to wait. And while you"re waiting? I want proof of life and I want it right f.u.c.king now. I want to talk to all three of them, and then I"m going to want to talk to them again, after-"
"Which one do you want me to kill?" Jake asked, throwing Dan"s own words back in his face. "Right f.u.c.king now?"
And Dan couldn"t help himself. He hesitated. Just a second or two, but it was enough. Izzy made keep going keep going motions, but it was too late. He"d dropped the ball. motions, but it was too late. He"d dropped the ball.
"You"ll go to the girl," Jake said, "and you"ll get the girl. And then you"ll call me. Because I I want proof that want proof that you you have have her her. You have ten minutes, or one of the hostages is dead."
"Ten minutes isn"t-" Dan said, but the call had been cut. "Jesus!"
"That"s okay," Izzy told him, tried to rea.s.sure him. "You did okay. Well, maybe not okay, but we both knew it was a long shot and...We can do this in ten minutes."
"Maybe we can set up a conference call," Dan said. "You know, with Neesha?"
"I"m betting Jake wouldn"t recognize her voice," Izzy said as he started toward the building.
Dan followed. "But that"s great. That means we can call back in, like seven minutes, and I say that I have her, and you you pretend to be a frightened little girl." pretend to be a frightened little girl."
Izzy looked back at him with an odd mix of sympathy and disgust in his eyes. "And if he wants a picture? You gonna put me in a dress with a little pink bow in my hair?"
Dan was grabbing wildly at solutions and he knew it, but he couldn"t stop himself. "We pretend we lose connection and then we get Neesha to send me a picture, which I send to him."
"What if he wants a picture of her dead body?" Izzy said.
"We fake it."
"She"s alone in that apartment," Izzy pointed out. "Even if you could get her to take out the ketchup and squeeze it onto herself, how"s she going take the picture of herself lying there, dead?"
"So...we talk her into letting the FBI in there," Dan said, but even as the words left his lips, he knew that that would never happen. Not in the next ten minutes. would never happen. Not in the next ten minutes.
"We"re doing this the simple way, bro," Izzy told him, not unkindly. "We"re going in there and we"re getting them out."
Armed only with kitchen knives, except okay, there were four men outside that building who were in possession of a variety of weaponry. It wouldn"t take much to make a transfer of all that firepower into the two SEALs" hands.
The plan was a relatively simple one that they"d already established. Izzy would take out the security cameras and the guards in the front. Dan would dispatch the other two, and they"d meet up on the roof and play it by ear from there.
Except...
"I"m giving you an order to use deadly force," Dan said to Izzy as they moved closer to the structure.
Izzy looked at him like he"d gone mad. "Who died and made you admiral?" he asked.
"If one of us is going to burn for this," Dan said, "I want it to be me."
Izzy made a raspberry sound. "You"re the career Navy man," he pointed out. "Dude, look at you-you have master chief written all over you. If you really think there needs to be an order, I"ll I"ll give the order. These a.s.sholes just threatened to kill someone we love. They are dead f.u.c.king serious, and we are, too. If you have a problem eliminating those guards in a permanent fashion, you tell me now-" give the order. These a.s.sholes just threatened to kill someone we love. They are dead f.u.c.king serious, and we are, too. If you have a problem eliminating those guards in a permanent fashion, you tell me now-"
"No," Dan said. "I just didn"t want..." He stopped. Started over. "You"re an a.s.set to the Teams, and I"m planning on getting out anyway."
"No, you"re not."
"Yeah, I am."
"Dude, you"re suffering from marriage madness. You don"t know what the h.e.l.l you"re saying, because you"re too busy trying to find words that rhyme with love so you can write Jennilyn a freaking sonnet. Above Above, okay? It"s moon above, stars above, either work equally well. Problem solved, move on."
Dan shook his head. "That"s not-"
"Zip it, Chatty Cathy, it"s go time," Izzy said, shooting Dan the hand signal for ready ready along with along with shut the f.u.c.k up shut the f.u.c.k up.
They were just going to make it before the sun burst, in its full glory, over the mountains to the east.
Except there was something...a light in the sky, coming from the west, shimmering slightly as it moved toward them...
Izzy saw it, too.
A light-and a noise. Getting bigger and louder and...
"What the f.u.c.k?" Izzy said exactly what Dan was thinking. He turned to look at him, shouting over the deafening roar. "Okay, bro, change of plans..."
Eden took a deep breath, about to pound on the door and scream, Help! We need help in here Help! We need help in here, when a sound started, distant at first, then louder and louder, a high-pitched whine accompanied by a low rumbling.
Ben and Jenni were both looking at her, confusion on their faces. And she knew that she was looking back at them the same way.
It was Jenn who identified it first. "It"s a plane," she said, and even though Eden couldn"t hear her over the rattle and roar, she could read her lips. "A jet-it"s landing on the airstrip outside."
And Eden"s first thought was that it was Izzy, even though she knew it couldn"t possibly be. She had to close her eyes for a moment, because she was filled with such a rush of hope and longing at the idea that, in just a few short moments, she"d be safe in his arms.
But then she realized that if it wasn"t wasn"t Izzy on that plane-and it wasn"t, it couldn"t be-then it was someone, or a lot of someones, who worked for or with Jake. Two against seven was dangerous enough odds. This plane was definitely adding to that number by at least one, and quite possibly doubling or even tripling it. Shoot, big enough planes could carry hundreds of men. Izzy on that plane-and it wasn"t, it couldn"t be-then it was someone, or a lot of someones, who worked for or with Jake. Two against seven was dangerous enough odds. This plane was definitely adding to that number by at least one, and quite possibly doubling or even tripling it. Shoot, big enough planes could carry hundreds of men.
And Eden knew that Izzy and her brother were SEALs, and that they were good at taking care of themselves, good at what they did. But they weren"t invincible.
Still, she also knew no matter how many additional men came in on that plane to provide backup for Jake, that Izzy and Dan weren"t going to let that stop or even slow them. In fact, it was likely that they"d use the incoming plane as a diversion.
And she found herself waiting, heart in her throat, listening for the sounds of gunshots or shouting-sounds that would let her know the battle had begun.
Izzy had done everything but kiss Dan good-bye.
"Okay, bro, change of plans." After that initial what the f.u.c.k what the f.u.c.k, Izzy"d taken the landing jet in stride. And they needed a change in plan because they both realized that their new priority one was to make sure that Jenn, Eden, and Ben did not not get on that aircraft. get on that aircraft.
"Go around back," Izzy said, "take out those two guards, ammo up, and get inside through one of the air vents-think you can do that, Gimpy McBaby-Man?"
Dan laughed as he said, "f.u.c.k you!"
"I"ll take that as a Yes, Mommy Yes, Mommy. Once you"re inside, locate the women and Ben. Stay put if you think it"s safe; if not, get them out of that northeast room, but I want you to avoid avoid the front of the building. Do you hear me? Stay back from the airfield." the front of the building. Do you hear me? Stay back from the airfield."
Dan nodded, because he knew what was coming.
Izzy said it anyway. "Because I"m gonna disable the plane, and if I have to, I"ll make it go boom."
"How the h.e.l.l are you going to...?" The words were out of Dan"s mouth even though he knew the answer.
"I"ll improvise." Izzy held out his hand to Dan, and what started as a handshake turned into a tight hug. "f.u.c.k you, a.s.shole. I hate you and your a.s.s face. Keep Eden safe for me," he said, and it was the closest the irreverent SEAL would ever come to a should I not return should I not return type appeal. type appeal.
"Make sure you improvise an escape while you"re at it," Dan said, past an inexplicable lump in his throat.
Izzy pushed Dan away. "Go." "Go."
Dan went.
Whoever was in charge of security here was a total fool.
As Izzy watched, the two guards in the front of the building went to meet the plane with another two men, who came out of the building with a portable set of metal stairs, after pulling up one of the garagelike bay doors and leaving the d.a.m.n thing wide freaking open.
He wanted to call Dan on Eden"s cell phone and say, Come on back, bro, lookie here, you can sneak right in Come on back, bro, lookie here, you can sneak right in. Thing is, Dan needed the firepower he was going to borrow from the guards around back-except, oh, sweet! sweet! The guard who was built like a linebacker actually set his AK-47 down, leaning it against the side of the building so he could help move the stairs. The guard who was built like a linebacker actually set his AK-47 down, leaning it against the side of the building so he could help move the stairs.