Double Vision (20 page)

Kate nodded. “Well, I’ll tell you what. Let’s make a deal.”

He gave her a strange look, one she couldn’t fully decipher. “We give ourselves time to get used to each other and let things find their natural place. But we talk, Nathan. We’re open and honest, and we share what’s going on in our minds and in our hearts. We never shut each other out.” She hiked her chin. “Do we have a deal?”

He nodded. “We do.”

“Okay, then.” This stuff with Emily would sort itself out. Nathan might have been a widower for five years, but during that time he’d never shared his body or his heart with another woman. He’d thought that part of his life was over. She’d thought she’d never have it. At love, they were both rookies.

But they wouldn’t be cowards.

The telephone rang.

Kate spun toward the nightstand and saw the clock: 4:00 a.m.? Had to be Home Base. She lifted the receiver. “Captain Kane.”

“Kate?”

Colonel Drake. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Gaston has just reported in. He’s found Major Forester’s men twenty kilometers west of the outpost.”

“That’s fabulous!”

“Not so fabulous,” the colonel said. “You have to go in and get them—and the other detainees aren’t with them. They’ve been flown to undisclosed locations.”

“Another damn GRID compound?”

“I suppose so.” Colonel Drake’s sigh hissed through the wires. “Gaston wasn’t able to determine a location. Tactical will meet you at the border.”

“What border, ma’am?”

“Forester will brief you on that,” she said. “Kate, move your ass getting there. Transport is already waiting downstairs. Gaston’s worried the men are running out of time.”

“What does he mean by that?”

“They’ll soon be moved or executed.”

“I’m on it.” Kate hung up the phone and filled in Nathan. “Gaston found out where GRID’s holding your men. We’ve got to go rescue them. He’s waiting at the border.”

“Thank God.” Nathan jumped up, dragged on his clothes. “So I guess Gaston’s not a traitor.”

“Guess not,” she said, bypassing the luxurious silks and slinging on a fresh set of fatigues. “Maybe not.” She reached for her gun, then her knife. “Hell, I don’t know. But he reported finding your guys. So I guess we’d better be ready for assistance or an ambush.”

“Right.” Nathan moved toward the door. “Let me grab my gun and I’ll be right with you.”

“Nathan,” she called. When he stopped, she asked, “We’re to meet him at the border. What border?”

His expression grim and dark, he answered. “Iran.”

Oh, great.
GRID
or
the authorities would shoot them on sight. A cold shiver raced up her back and shot through her arms.

What were they going to do? They’d never be able to flush out or to retrieve Nathan’s men from a GRID compound inside Iran. Iran wouldn’t cooperate with the U.S. in any fashion, including the war on terror. That’s damn likely exactly why Kunz is there. And of course Iran would be a lucrative buyer for GRID weapons. Could this situation get any more difficult?

D
ouglas sat waiting in the lobby.

On seeing them, he stood, the strain forming deep creases in a face too young to have them. “All your gear is in the jeep.”

“I’ll need headgear.” She had to stay in constant touch with Home Base on this one. And no doubt, every honcho on the Hill would be tuned in.

“You both have it.”

They got into the jeep and soon exchanged it for a helicopter that dropped them off in Iraq near the Iranian border. Douglas’s team had called in backup and a total of about thirty men stood in small groups, waiting for instructions.

Some didn’t look too happy to see Kate.

Used to it, she blew it off. Nathan was senior officer; he’d assume command, but they both knew this was her domain and he would follow her lead.

“Riley?” Nathan said, surprise in his voice.

He stepped forward and saluted, holding the habitual clipboard, though this one was new. The edges weren’t worn. “Commander.”

“How did they miss you?”

The suspicion in Nathan’s voice startled Kate, until she thought about Kunz’s doubles. She looked closely but didn’t see anything inconsistent with what she knew of Riley, and Kunz hadn’t had time to double him—unless…

She nudged Nathan. “At any time in the past, has Riley gone missing for three months?”

He shook his head. “Answer me, Riley.”

“I was off duty, sir. I went out on recon, trying to track the guy who broke into our camp during the sandstorm and stole Captain Kane’s black box.”

Kate hadn’t told him that Gaston had returned it via Nathan and that her black box hadn’t actually been stolen from the outpost then. “What did you find?”

“A kid saw the man leaving the outpost with it,” Riley said. “He was one of ours.”

Uneasy, Kate pushed. “Do you know who he was?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do.” He pinched his lips together. “Gaston, ma’am. That’s who the boy described.”

Gaston. Had he switched the boxes on her? He couldn’t have. The C-273 communications device wasn’t missing. It was safely stowed in her gear. Then there had to be a reason Gaston wanted to be seen leaving with what appeared to be the device. There had to be a reason he allowed himself to be spotted by that kid…Of course!

“Kate?”

She looked at Nathan. “Gaston attacked us at the outpost. Not to kill us, but to convince GRID he was on their
side and they had no reason to be suspicious of him. They had been suspicious, so suspicious that Moss had gone to Sandross. Gaston had had to do something, give them something to get out from under intense scrutiny so he could do his job. He didn’t steal the device. He gave them a decoy to make them think he had.”

“So he’s with us?” Nathan asked, clearly uncertain.

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Kate considered all angles. “GRID must have discovered he was CIA. I don’t know how—he doesn’t exist on paper. Hell, maybe he told them.” It made sense. “Moss suspected him. Sandross would have killed him for suspicion alone, so Gaston gave him a reason to keep him alive. Gaston convinced Sandross he could be more useful, not less.”

Nathan picked up the thread of thought. “So he had himself evacuated to coincide with our rescue so he could find out what we knew—which is what Kunz has wanted to know all along.”

“I think so.” Kate went on from there. “But Moss and Gaston were in the water when I positioned the C-273 on the rocks. Moss reported his suspicions to Sandross, which included news of the C-273 being seated. Sandross wanted it and he ordered Gaston to get it.”

Nathan again followed the thread. “But Gaston didn’t want GRID to have it, so he claimed it came unseated from the rocks and couldn’t be found. Sandross, figuring if you had one and it’d been lost, you’d replace it with another. So he sent Gaston to get it.”

Kate nodded. “That’s when he pulled the attack on your tent.”

“He knew we were there, and he made sure he was seen leaving with his own black box, wearing the red scarf.”

“He had to do more than that to see to it, Nathan. We were in the middle of a sandstorm. What kid is going to be out looking around in a sandstorm?”

“Gaston bribed the kid.”

“I’d bet on it. Then he took the fake back to Sandross. I’d love to see what kind of replica he gave them.”

Nathan shrugged. “That would put their suspicions at ease and get him back in their good graces.”

“It’d also keep him alive and inside GRID, where he could report what they’re doing.” Kate dropped her voice another notch. “And he also reported the location of your men, Nathan.” A good feeling washed over her. “Gaston hasn’t turned traitor.”

“No.” The remark was genuine; it showed in his tone and expression. “I’m glad. It really gets to me when one of our own turns on us.”

They took refuge from the sun under a stretched canvas, ate MRE emergency rations and cooled their heels, waiting for the order to move.

One of the men Kate didn’t know sighed. “What’s taking them so long?”

Riley answered. “Hey, this takes a while, you know? People have to be found and diplomatic channels have to be worked. You can’t just snap your fingers and this stuff gets done.”

Kate smiled behind her hand. Riley performed those duties ordinarily, and if he sounded irritated it was because he clearly was. It was a common rivalry between guys in the field facing the action, and guys manning the stations, running through political minefields. Frankly, Kate never understood the rivalry. Neither group could do squat without the other.

The order finally came in shortly after sunset.

“Douglas?” Nathan shouted over to where he sat talking with his team. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Yes, sir, Commander.”

Kate put on her headgear, heard the summons from Maggie at Home Base, and quickly adjusted her lip mike. “Go ahead, Base.”

“Intel says Iran will know you’re inside their borders within ten minutes of arrival. The colonel informed the honchos, and the secretary has conferred with his consultants.”

What exactly did that mean? “And? Has the pump been primed or what?” Kate wished she’d gotten Amanda or Darcy or even Colonel Drake online, but all were tied up with other facets of this same mission.

“They’ve done the risk assessment, Bluefish. Iran could blow the chopper out of the sky, or confiscate it and try you and the team as spies. You’d be executed.”

“I know all that.” Her nerves sizzled. “What else?”

“They could also let you evacuate the prisoners. Iran doesn’t want American prisoners any more than America wants Iran to have them.”

“Iran also doesn’t want to screw up its source for weapons.” Kate had enough of this. She had a grip on the potential scenarios. She wanted the bottom line. “What are the odds?”

“Strategists are rating the odds fifty-fifty that Iran will play stupid and ignore the rescue mission.”

“Great.” Getting hot under the collar, Kate raised her voice. “That’s like saying, ‘maybe they will or maybe they won’t.’ We don’t need strategists for that kind of answer. It doesn’t tell me a damn thing I didn’t already know.”

“I wasn’t finished.”

“Well, by all means go ahead then.” The men would be
dead and buried before Maggie got to the bottom line, even after being asked to skip to it.

“The secretary bettered the odds. He activated a satellite tracker in one of the men. We don’t know who, but we suspect Gaston.”

That would be a reasonable assumption, considering Gaston initially reported the location of the missing men. “Okay, that’ll help.” Apparently the pilot already had the coordinates since the order to move out had come through Nathan’s chain of command. “We’re going in.”

“The chopper will be putting down about two miles east of the target’s current GPS coordinates.”

“Roger. Two miles east of target.” Repeating the message so Nathan got it, she gave him the nod.

He issued a flurry of orders, getting Douglas and the team on board the chopper and Riley and the others in position, manning their command post operations.

Kate climbed into the chopper, sat near the door and checked her fanny pack. Wire, caps, fuses, remote detonators, bullets…No C-4. “Douglas?”

He passed her two minibricks. “Direct order to put it in your hands.”

She released a steadying breath. “Thanks.” The idea of going in without any had her stomach doing flips.

Douglas blinked and his smile faded. “Thanks for hauling my ass out of the horror chamber.”

“You knew I’d come.” Tilting her head, she looked up at him. “What woman in her right mind could ignore such a charming summons?”

Curious, his team was all ears. “What’d he send you, Captain?” one asked.

“Something irresistible to women, Carlisle.” She tugged
her cap down to shade the twinkle in her eye. “Completely irresistible.”

Nathan coughed in his hand to hide a smile.

The team did a verbal crawl all over Douglas, trying to find out exactly what women found irresistible. Kate looked at Nathan and waggled her eyebrows. He treated her to a wink.

A bear of a guy Kate didn’t know shouted to be heard over the clamor of the others. “Hey, Douglas. MacAlister here needs a double dose of whatever you got, bud. Help the loser out.”

“Loser?” a third said. “Hell, have you seen Beth? She’s a knockout.”

“She’s also dated half the guys in the unit.”

“Damn right,” MacAlister said. “None of you
losers
could hang on to her.”

Kate again sought and found Nathan’s gaze. For the moment, the premission tension was under control.

When the chopper off-loaded and they were on the ground, Kate tapped Douglas. “I’m not going to remember names.”

“One through five.” He shrugged. “What’s to remember?” His eyes gleamed with insider knowledge he wanted to flaunt a little. “I assume you’ll be able to recall the commander’s?”

A slow smile curled her lips. “I’ll manage.”

Douglas grunted. “It’s my own damn fault. I should’ve followed up after our last mission.”

“Sweetie, if you had, you’d hate me by now,” she said honestly. “This is better.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He nodded toward Nathan, no longer flirting or wistful for what could’ve been be
tween them, but sincere about what was between her and Nathan. “You’re good for him.”

“Yes, I think I am.” And her tone proved it surprised no one more than Kate herself.

“I’m glad.” Douglas looked down at the ground as if afraid she’d see too much in his eyes. “We all are.”

“Because he’s less bitchy?” she speculated.

“Oh, no.” Douglas grunted. “He’s had a burr up his ass since he heard you on the radio, last mission.” Douglas glanced back her and let her see his gratitude. “But he isn’t sad anymore. We’re, um, we’re all happy about that.”

They genuinely cared about Nathan.

“Kate?” Nathan’s stern tone surprised her and she turned to look at him as he walked up to her and Douglas. His face looked flushed. “Security update.”

She stepped over to him and, when Douglas returned to the team, Nathan continued. “Two miles east. The bastards are lining my men up in a stadium.”

Oh, God. She’d seen the tactic used in this region of the world before. It immediately preceded executions. “If they’re all together, we can’t move in as a team without being detected.” She started to precheck her gear. “I’m going alone.”

“No, you’re not.”

She stilled, her hand on her fanny pack. “Nathan, this is my job.”

“I know that. And I know you’re good at it. But I’m going with you.”

“Fine.” No sense arguing with him. He’d just pull rank on her. “Let’s move.”

Kate pulled on her backpack, hooked the straps on her shoulders, checked her gun inside her top between her breasts, her rifle and scope, her knife, fanny pack and can
teen, then adjusted her headgear and mike. Then, watching Nathan pull his precheck, she contacted Maggie.

“Home Base, do you copy?”

“Go ahead, Bluefish.”

“Going in. I’m taking—” Her first thought was to say “Guppy” to punish Nathan for acting as if she needed a protector. But because he had been so adorable about it, she decided to forgive him and not razz him in front of his men, who were also monitoring—likely right along with half of the Iranian forces. “Shark is backup.”

“Roger that.”

“Maintain radio silence until further notice.”

“Home Base silent and standing by.”

Nathan glanced down at the GPS locator and thermal heat sensor in his hand, double-checking their target’s location.

“We good?”

“We’re good. Go.”

Kate took off in a slow sprint across the moonless desert. Nathan ran beside her. Douglas and his team gave them a thirty-second lead and then followed, hanging back and taking up posts along the route.

In a few short minutes the glow of lights silhouetted a stadium. A soccer field, according to Darcy’s earlier report. The perimeter had been reinforced with concrete walls ten feet high and topped with razor wire.

The ground under Kate’s feet vibrated. She motioned to Nathan to get down, then dropped to her stomach in the sand. Beside her, he motioned right with a tilt of his head.

Kate pulled her dart gun, sensing the guard before she saw him. Downwind, the smell of his sweat reached her first. She got a visual through her scope, then aimed the silent dart gun and fired.

A slight thump sounded. He’d hit the ground.

She waited to see if anyone else noticed and reacted. Ten seconds…Twenty…A full minute…Seeing and hearing only sleepy sounds of a quiet night and gentle wind, she hiked a shoulder and verified with Nathan.

He scanned the vicinity with the heat sensor, and gave her a thumbs-up. She pointed two fingers forward, then they rose quickly and pressed on.

Thirty yards out, noises filled the night air. Shouts, cheers and jeers all carried from inside the stadium over the concrete wall. It sounded like a damn ballgame instead of the beginning phases of a mass execution. Kate stopped and whispered to Douglas through her mike. “One. Position?”

“On the mark,” he whispered back.

“Stay here,” she told Nathan before disappearing into the night.