“Well, regardless of his high opinion of himself, he is right about one thing. No one has more eyes in the sky than America. If we have any hope of getting rescued, it’ll be by his people.” He pointed at the supplies. “In the meantime, however, we need to stretch this out as long as we can. It could take weeks.”

  Acton frowned. “I’m afraid, Captain, that unless there’s another way for fresh air to get in here other than that collapsed entrance, we’ll have run out of air long before these supplies.”

  48 |

  Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia

  “Any sign of them?”

  Tong shook her head. “Not yet. I followed the road they were on for as far as they could’ve gone in the time we were blacked out, but nothing.”

  Leroux frowned. “Then they must’ve turned off the main road.”

  Tong agreed. “They were probably trying to avoid more roadblocks.”

  “They’re probably trying to hide somewhere they won’t be spotted by the Chinese.”

  Tong ran her fingers through her hair. “Do you think they’d try to hide the vehicle itself?”

  Leroux pursed his lips then sighed. “These are smart people with more combat experience than you or I. And if I were them, I’d be finding some out-of-the-way place, then covering my vehicle with tree branches or brush or whatever I could find so that it couldn’t be spotted from the air.”

  Tong cursed. “Well, that just made my job a hell of a lot more difficult.”

  Leroux patted her on the back. “I have faith in you, and I’m sure the Chief won’t be too angry if you can’t find them before the Chinese do. After all, he only said it was his fault they were there.”

  She stared up at him. “You’re not helping.”

  He laughed and headed back to his station. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’ll find them, I’m sure.”

  Child spun in his chair, a victory finger in the air. “Speaking of finding people, I think I found our missing colonel.”

  “Where?”

  The victory finger bent toward the display and Leroux turned to see a satellite image showing a shot of a collection of vehicles, primarily military.

  “Where is this?”

  “It looks like some sort of warehouse, about five miles from the headquarters. The perimeter security, though, makes me think it’s not industrial, it’s actually a military complex.”

  Leroux watched the live feed showing military vehicles lined up, entering the building through a set of large garage doors, including a black SUV that matched the description of the colonel’s vehicle. “Is that him?”

  “Yeah, I managed to get a shot of his tags and matched it to a shot we had of the HQ before we lost coverage. It’s the vehicle he escaped in, all right, but whether he’s inside it, I don’t know.”

  Tong turned in her chair. “If he’s trying to escape, why would he go there? If there’s any place he’s going to get caught, it’s going to be on government property.”

  Leroux fit his headgear in place. “You’re forgetting he was escaping the Chinese missiles. As far as he knows, we’re not on to him, he’s getting away with it. If he were to go anywhere else but this backup command center, it would raise suspicions.” He activated his comms. “Bravo Zero-One, this is Control Actual, do you read, over?”

  “Copy that, Control. I read you, over.”

  “Zero-One, we’ve got a position for you. Transmitting the coordinates to you and your pilot now.” He indicated with a wave of his finger for Child to send the coordinates. “It looks like a secondary command location, about five miles north of Northern Command Headquarters. We’re going to send you a satellite shot now showing the area.” Another wave of a finger.

  “Done,” reported Child.

  “Control, this is Osprey Two-Niner, confirming coordinates received. What are your orders, over?”

  “Osprey Two-Niner, Control. Proceed to those coordinates and land at your discretion. We believe you’ll be received as friendlies, however, expect that status to change after Bravo Team proceeds with their mission, over.”

  “Understood, Control. We’ve saved their asses once already today, why not twice? Two-Niner, out.”

  Dawson cut in. “I’ve got the satellite imagery. Keep us updated if anything changes. Hopefully the Indians will be just as curious to find out the truth as we are. Captain Patel certainly is.”

  “Good luck, Zero-One. We’ll be monitoring. Control, out.” Leroux sighed and removed his headset. “We might just get out of this yet.”

  49 |

  Approaching Udhampur, India

  Dawson poked his head in the cockpit. “ETA?”

  Estevez glanced over his shoulder at him. “Three minutes. Instructions?”

  Dawson held out the tablet showing the overhead shot. He pointed at a large, paved area in front of the building. “I say we just land there. We’re friendlies, we land, we disembark, we do our business, we leave.”

  “And should this business go south?”

  “We leave in a hurry, so keep things powered up.”

  Estevez rolled his eyes. “Will do, but remember, we don’t exactly leave like a bat out of hell in this beast.”

  “If we’re leaving in a hurry, we probably have their colonel, so they might not be too eager to fire on the aircraft.”

  “There’s that famous word, ‘might.’”

  Dawson shrugged. “I’m not too worried about it.”

  Estevez eyed him. “And why is that?”

  “Because the moment my foot hits that ramp, anything that happens after is your fault.”

  Estevez flipped him the bird. “Get the hell out of my cockpit, Sergeant Major.”

  Dawson grinned. “Aye aye, sir.” He returned to the cabin where the others were checking their gear. “Now remember, Captain Patel leads the way. We follow, patrol carry—we don’t want anybody panicking. We’re just friendly Americans arriving to lend a hand. When we confront the colonel, I suspect it’ll go one of two ways. He’ll calmly surrender, or he’ll try to turn his men on us. And remember, we don’t know who’s working with him. All it takes is one or two to turn this into a Charlie-Foxtrot.”

  Niner leaned forward. “And if things go south?”

  “Grab the colonel, use him as a human shield, fall back using the vehicles as cover, get on board the aircraft, then hope the Indians aren’t going to try to shoot us down with the colonel on board. Questions?”

  “What’s more important, him or his cellphone?” asked Atlas.

  “His cellphone. Whatever happens, we leave there with the phone first, him second. Langley believes that what’s on that phone could prove the reasons behind this war are bullshit.”

  “Sixty seconds,” reported Estevez over the speakers.

  “This is it, gentleman, let’s try to keep casualties to a minimum.”

  “Always sound advice,” commented Niner.

  Atlas punched him on the shoulder, sending him stumbling. “He’s not talking about us, knucklehead. He’s talking about the Indians.”

  “Oh, that makes more sense, though it kind of hurts my feelings that BD doesn’t think we should keep our casualties down.”

  Patel gave Dawson a look. “How do you put up with it, Sergeant Major?”

  Dawson chuckled. “I have a woman at home who loves me and has met him, so she knows exactly what I’m going through.”

  Patel laughed. “Then you’re a lucky man. My wife has never met any of those who aggravate me. Perhaps if she did, she might understand me a little better.”

  The attitude of the plane changed as the rotors tilted upward. Dawson hit the button for the ramp and it lowered as the Osprey bounced to a textbook landing, its ass-end facing the gaggle of vehicles. Patel led the way and the rest of them followed, Dawson at Patel’s right shoulder.

  Patel pointed. “There’s Colonel Mandal.”

  Dawson spotted Mandal surrounded by at least half a dozen of his men. He was giving orders as if nothing were out of the ordinary. There was no hint the man knew what was about to happen, and it had Dawson wondering if Langley were right, though his doubts weren’t about to have him ignoring his orders. Risking embarrassment wasn’t a concern when a murderer and traitor could potentially be captured.

  Patel’s pace quickened slightly, the man’s nerves getting to him.

  “Easy, Captain. We’re all friends here, remember?”

  Patel slowed up and Mandal spotted them, a smile spreading. “Captain! Sergeant Major! I’m relieved to see you made it out alive.” Patel stopped and saluted, Mandal returning it. “Captain, now that you’re here, I want you to coordinate―”

  Patel cut him off. “Colonel, I must speak with you in private.”

  Mandal dismissed those around them with a flick of the wrist, leaving them alone. Dawson’s men casually repositioned to surround the colonel and observe the soldiers in the immediate vicinity. Dawson quickly assessed every man around them, most going about their business off-loading supplies and reinforcing a security perimeter, few paying attention to their arrival.

  “What is it, Captain? I’m busy here.”

  “Yes, Colonel. Information has come to light through the Americans, and I’m almost embarrassed to ask, Colonel, but I need to ask you for your cellphone.”

  Dawson’s eyes, hidden behind his ballistic glasses, noted the colonel’s nostrils flare and his shoulders square slightly. “Captain?”

  “Sir, if you would just give me your cellphone, we can clear this up immediately. I’ve assured them that there’s nothing to find, that this is all a misunderstanding, and it can all be cleared up just by showing them your cellphone.”

  Mandal’s chest swelled and he directed his glare at Dawson. “Sergeant Major, perhaps you better explain what’s going on here. My captain’s being far too diplomatic.”

  Dawson gave a curt nod and delivered the dirt. Straight. “Of course, Colonel. We have reason to believe you were involved in the murder of Senator Simmons and have been providing intel to the Chinese, who warned you of the missile attack on your headquarters so that you could escape in time.”

  This had everybody within earshot stopping, for Dawson had made sure he said it loudly enough for all to hear. This was the moment of truth. How would these troops react? Would they want to defend their commander, not believing the accusations, or would they be so appalled at the possibility of them being true, that they would not interfere?

  “Are you accusing me of being a traitor, Sergeant Major?”

  “Sir, at the moment, I’m accusing your phone of being a traitor. I don’t care about you. My orders are to seize your phone so that we can see what’s on it. Hand it over now, and we can end this very quickly. Don’t hand it over…well, sir, I think you know what could happen.”

  “I know what could happen, Sergeant Major, but I get the sense that you don’t.” Mandal took a step back. “Arrest these men!”

  His soldiers stood startled, uncertain as to what to do. Captain Patel, however, reacted immediately. “Belay that order! Arrest the colonel!”

  Weapons were raised all around them, one of the men aiming his directly at Patel’s chest. “Sorry, Captain, I’m not in your chain of command, but I am in his. Arrest the captain and the Americans!”

  Dawson stepped forward and grabbed Mandal by the shirt, yanking him closer and twisting him around. He pressed his Glock against Mandal’s temple. “Now, everybody’s going to remain calm,” he said as he slowly backed toward the Osprey, its engines powering up from idle as Estevez was obviously paying attention to the proceedings. “Nobody does anything stupid and the colonel lives. All we want is his phone.”

  Patel backed away with Dawson and the others. “Ask yourselves this. If he’s innocent, why won’t he just hand his phone over?”

  “Colonel, what should we do?” asked his lone vocal supporter.

  “Kill them all!”

  Dawson pressed the muzzle of his weapon harder against Mandal’s skull. “The first shot I hear fired, I squeeze the trigger, your colonel is dead. My men are wearing full body armor and they’re American Special Forces. You may take us out, but not before we take out ten times as many of you, all to protect a man who might be a traitor who started this war. Stand down, and nobody dies here, and maybe we end a war.”

  “You have your orders!” shouted Mandal, and it was evident to Dawson the man had a death wish. The soldier causing problems raised his weapon and Dawson quickly put two in his chest before pressing the muzzle back against Mandal’s skull. Dawson continued to back away toward the Osprey, using the vehicles as cover for their right flank.

  “Everybody just remain calm,” said Patel, his hands extended in front of him, palms up. “Nobody else has to die. All we want is the truth.”

  “Sniper on the roof,” warned Niner.

  Dawson’s eyes darted up and he spotted the target readying his weapon. “Take him out.”

  Niner’s M4 belched lead, three well-aimed rapid shots eliminating the threat. They continued to back out, but the tension levels were rising. Any moment now, a nervous trigger finger could turn this into a bloodbath. These were innocent soldiers just doing their job, and he could just imagine what he’d be thinking if a group of Indian soldiers showed up on Fort Bragg and attempted to arrest Colonel Clancy at gunpoint. He’d be killing those Indians without hesitation before asking questions.

  Atlas spotted him first, a soldier to their left, sweating profusely, his eyes wide with fear and panic, the veins on his neck popping as his hands gripping his rifle shook. He swung the barrel of his weapon toward them and Atlas fired two rounds into the man’s chest.

  Things were about to go Antarctic South.

  “Into the cars!” Dawson dragged Mandal with him as he ducked between a troop transport and a jeep. The others did the same as gunfire erupted all around them. Dawson took a knee but kept the colonel standing, the gun now pressed against the base of the man’s spine. His comms crackled in his ear.

  “Zero-One, Control. What’s your status, over?”

  “Our status is we’re going to be cut apart unless we start fighting back, over.”

  “Do you have the colonel’s phone?”

  “Stand by, Control.” Dawson patted down the man’s pockets, finding it in his front right. He pulled out the phone. “I’ve got it.”

  “Get him to log in.”

  Dawson yanked the man down to the ground, gripping his skull tightly as he held the phone up to Mandal’s face. The device unlocked and he shoved the colonel back to his feet, jamming his weapon back into the man’s spine. “I’m in.”

  “Copy that, Zero-One. Stand by.” Dawson glanced down at the phone and saw a download begin then complete a few moments later. “We’re in, Zero-One. Make sure nothing happens to that phone while we download the data. We’ll also need it for evidence.”

  “Well, if you find anything on this, don’t keep it to yourselves. Share it with whoever the hell’s in charge here right now. Maybe they can get them to stand down.”

  “Copy that, Zero-One. Will do. Control, out.”

  Shouts erupted from the warehouse entrance and Dawson poked his head up to see a dozen well-armed, well-equipped men wearing spec ops gear racing into the fray. He cursed at the arrival of a real challenge, but was surprised to hear them ordering their comrades to cease fire. The gunfire dwindled, but didn’t stop, not everyone hearing the order.

  Mandal stared down at him, sneering. “You’re dead now, Sergeant Major. You and your men are dead.”

  Dawson pressed the barrel of his Glock harder against the base of the man’s spine. “I’m not going to kill you, Colonel. I’m just going to make sure you never walk again so that you can suffer for the rest of your life.”

  “I can live with that, Sergeant Major.”

  Dawson surreptitiously activated his comms so everyone could hear what was being said. “Colonel, my mission’s already been accomplished. The data’s being downloaded from your phone as we speak, and your actions here today have proven your guilt. If what my people believe is true, we’ll have helped stop this war, and if the six of us dying saves thousands of lives, I can go to my grave comfortably with that knowledge. The question is, Colonel, when I give the order to fight back, how many of your men am I taking with me, all because they unknowingly protected a traitor?”

  “I’m no traitor. I’m a patriot. I did what was necessary to save my country.”

  “By selling it out to the Chinese?” Dawson spotted the Special Forces team spreading out exactly as he would have his own men do.

  Leroux whispered in his ear. “Zero-One, Control. We found the proof. It was on his phone. He was sending false intel to the Chinese, making it look like the communications facility was being constructed to accelerate a build-up in the area with the ultimate goal of taking back and holding the disputed zone.”

  Dawson didn’t respond to Leroux’s update, but continued working Mandal. “You fed false intel to the Chinese, making them think that India was going to attack them first so you could trigger a war. How many hundreds have died already? How many thousands? Why did you do it, Colonel? Why did you betray your country?”

  “I didn’t betray my country, I saved my country. I showed the threat the Chinese posed to us. I’ve shown those morons in New Delhi that China can’t be trusted, that we have to take a stronger stand, and by making it look like the Kashmiris were behind this, we could deal with the other problem that we face. Separatists within our borders can’t be tolerated.”

  “So then, you’re admitting to everything? That it was your man that murdered the senator, that you fed false intel to the Chinese in order to trigger this war, and framed the Kashmiris so you could initiate a crackdown?”

  “Of course I admit it. I’m proud of what I’ve done and I’ll be hailed a hero because of it. But, Sergeant Major, my confession has only been heard by a dead man. Once I give the order, my team, who are completely loyal to me, will take out every one of your men. What does it feel like to know that everyone under your command has less than thirty seconds to live?”

 

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