Solemn Duty (1997) (40 page)

Pullen looked at his watch, then his notes. "One hour and thirty minutes, J. C. Have they gotten off the Beltway yet?"

O'Malley exhaled slowly and motioned to the screen.

"They've almost made the entire 1-495 loop around the city.

They're approaching Bethesda, where they got on. . . . I don't like it . . . they should have struck out by now for the final site.

Why is Devoe delaying? How long will the transmitters work?"

Pullen smiled. "Over eighteen hours. My babies won't let us down."

The Air Force captain behind the monitor leaned forward in his chair, closer to the display. "They just exited onto 1-270, heading north toward Frederick."

"Okay, now we're talking," O'Malley said. "They're making their move. Looks like the handoff will be somewhere to the north." He spoke into his mike as he unbuckled his safety belt. "Delta Six, this is Command. Appears the handoff will be to the north, over."

"Command, this is Delta Six. Roger. We are jumping our strike force to Frederick and will stand by. We are making map study of terrain to the north, but it's obvious the mountains west of Frederick would be the best for them. Provide visibility and yet cover of trees. We are sending our redbird over to make a run over the Catoctin range and Blue Ridge range west of Frederick and will have printout of hot spots within thirty mikes. We'll uplink the info to you as soon as we have it.

Over."

O'Malley responded, "Roger, Delta Six. Out." He and Pullen walked to the lighted map boards on the far bulkhead.

Pullen pointed out, "The general's right, the mountains would be best. The valleys are too heavily populated. The Catoctin range has a lot of development . . . but look at the Blue Ridge, nothing to speak of. I'd bet it's somewhere along this portion of the Blue Ridge range."

O'Malley stepped closer to the map. "Not many roads going over them. . . . They'd want an entry road and at least one exit road, I would think. Circle all the areas with a grease pencil that fit this description: high ground with good observation, remote, and with a road very nearby. Once the infrared hot spot report comes back, we'll compare them to what we circled."

O'Malley stepped back and said aloud, "It's about time, we're finally getting ahead of Devoe."

Kenny leaned forward and tapped Eli's shoulder. "She's a. good singer, huh?"

Eli hadn't been listening to the radio but nodded anyway. It was the first time the small Cambodian cowboy had talked to him except for giving directions. He listened for a moment and glanced in the rearview mirror. "I like Reba but I still think Patsy Cline will never be beat. That gal could wail."

Kenny lit a Kool and blew the smoke toward his partially opened window. "Yeah, she was good, but Reba is very beautiful, too. I saw her in the movie with Kenny Rogers . . . she was hot. You like my boots, huh?"

Eli looked back at the road and saw a sign saying they were only a few miles from Frederick. "Sure do. Rattlesnake, right?"

"Texas rattlesnake."

"Yeah, shoulda known. Tony Llama?"

"Of course; I got the best. Kenny Rogers has a pair like them. You will exit on Alternate 40 and head west toward the mountains. The exit is only two miles ahead."

Eli glanced at Anderson and nodded. "Got it, exit on Alternate 40 and head west. So, Kenny, do you two-step and do that line dance stuff?"

Kenny's face tightened and he blew another cloud toward the window. "Your American women don't like my brown skin. Even fat ones won't dance with me."

"Don't feel bad, Kenny, they won't dance with me, either.

They don't like my gray hair and my age."

Kenny leaned forward. "Really?"

Eli raised a hand. "I swear, but a buddy told me the secret to success. He says country western bars are funny. You have to hang out awhile in one, let the regulars get to know you. You can't bar-hop and expect to do good. I'll bet you've been doin' a lot of traveling and haven't had time to hang in one place.

That's your problem-you have to hang."

Kenny nodded as if to himself "Yeah, hang. Yeah, that's probably it. I practice, you know? I have a video that shows al the steps. It's not so hard. Heel, toe, slide step, slide step, left step and . . ."

Seeing the yellow ball on the screen move toward the west, O'Malley clapped his hands. "It's the mountains!" he blurted, and spoke into the mike. "Delta Six, you monitor their turn off I-270? Over."

In his helicopter, General Walker responded immediately.

"Command. Roger, we are moving strike force now to west side of Catoctin range and will go into hide position. We are keeping treetop level so we won't be spotted from Blue Ridge range, and there are plenty of small valleys to hide ourselves in.

I have our Blue Flock on standby alert and will scramble them once Team Tan stops. Over."

Pullen wiped beads of sweat from his brow. "It won't be long now, J. C."

O'Malley's smile slowly faded and his jaw tightened. "I'll bet Tanner and the colonel are thinking the same thing-poor bastards."

Chapter 21.

Operations Center, FBI Headquarters.

The director strode into the conference room and took a seat at the head of the table. The deputy director stood and motioned toward the large-screen television to his right. "Sir, we have here the map display that the command and control aircraft is seeing on its monitors, and the speakers we've set up will allow us to hear all communications between Command and the tactical commander, General Walker. We believe the handoff will happen very soon. As you can see on the screen, Team Tan has crossed the Catoctin Mountains and is proceeding up the National Highway toward South Mountain, which is part of the Blue Ridge chain. The Air Force redbird has identified several hot spots in remote areas, meaning they've sensed infrared body and vehicle heat signatures here and here. We believe the handoff is this first location, inside the South Mountain Park on this access road. At this site the redbird has picked up the signatures of four vehicles and seven probable humans. We believe it is Devoe and his people. The blinking yellow dot on the screen is Team Tan, and you can see they're approximately three miles from the suspected handoff location. These blinking blue dots are the strike force helicopters. They've just moved into this position in a meadow a mile from the suspected site and are making final preparations for their assault. What you don't see on the screen is our diversion package known as Blue Flock.

They will not be scrambled until Team Tan reaches the site."

The director studied the screen a moment before shifting his gaze back to his deputy. "How will the diversion and strike force insertion be coordinated?"

The deputy lowered his pointer and stepped closer to the table. "Sir, the timing is all based on the telephone calls. Let me explain. Once Devoe is assured we've lived up to our part of the bargain, he'll tell Agent Tanner where the hostages are located and allow him to call us. Tanner will in fact call the Airborne Command Post, which will act as though they are our operations, in case Devoe is monitoring. We'll hear the call and immediately begin the recovery operation of the women.

We have six helicopters placed throughout the city area with tactical teams on board. Once we know where the hostages are located, we can have a chopper over them in less than three minutes. Our tac team people are prepared to rappel to the roof of the building if a suitable landing site is not available.

Regardless, we'll have the hostages within four to five minutes. During that time Blue Flock will be scrambled and be on station. We will not tell Agent Tanner the women hostages are safe until Blue Flock is in position and ready to execute. Once they are and begin their approach and are only a mile from the handoff site, we'll confirm to Agent Tanner that the women are safe. When Command uses the phrase, 'The women are confirmed safe,' that will be the trigger to execute. The strike force will begin its attack approach perpendicular to Blue Flock so they don't interfere with one another. Once Blue Flock is clear of the target area, the strike force will come in and immediately drop the detachment by fast rope."

The director lowered his head a moment before raising his eyes again. "Are we sure Blue Flock will work?"

The deputy slowly shook his head. "Sir, to be quite honest, no. This has not been done before and we had no opportunity to rehearse the scenario using the assets. It was Agent Tanner's idea, and he said he knew the effect of this type of diversion and believed he still could stay focused enough to do what is necessary. It will all be up to him, sir. It will take fifteen to twenty seconds for the strike team to get on the ground. Agent Tanner will have to keep himself and Colonel Anderson alive until the strike force arrives."

Seated behind the director along the wall with the division chiefs, Ramona closed her eyes as the director nodded and spoke almost in a whisper. "It appears the safe outcome of the operation is in Agent Tanner's and God's hands now."

At Kenny's direction, Eli turned off the narrow National Highway onto a gravel road that continued uphill at a steep grade. Completely shaded by mammoth trees on both sides of the road, Eli knew the moment of judgment was close at hand.

He reached out and patted Robert's shoulder as he kept his eyes on the road. Ahead, a small man stepped out onto the road raising his right hand. In his left he held a Mac 10.

A cigarette in his mouth, Kenny said, "Agent, stop by my friend, Kaing. Keep both hands on the steering wheel.

Anderson, put both your hands on the dash."

Seconds later, Kenny opened the door and Kaing got in with Kenny and trained his weapon on Eli's back. "Drive slowly ahead," he said, and handed Kenny a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol.

Eli shifted to Drive, and looked to his left and right as he drove, realizing once again the subtle truth of Murphy's Law: something can always be counted on to go wrong. It was the trees. They were huge, and he knew there was no way the strike team's ropes would be long enough for the insertion. He would have to delay longer than twenty seconds.

Eli focused again on the road and accepted the calm that was settling over him. It was all right, he told himself, he would succeed, or die trying.

General Walker snatched off his headset and turned to face the young officer who had tapped his shoulder. "What, Captain?'

"Sir, I'm a Civil War buff and I've walked all the battlefields around here, including South Mountain Park. Sir, it's the trees.

They're over two hundred years old up there. The detachment's ropes are only fifty feet long. Those trees up on the ridges are at least seventy feet and probably higher."

Walker spun around and looked at the monitor. "Where's the closest open area?"

The captain pointed. "Here, sir, there are Civil War monuments located in this open grassy area."

"Christ, that's a good hundred and fifty meters away from where the redbird picked up the signatures," Walker blurted.

He quickly put on his headset and spoke into the ball. "Strike leader, change of plans. You will land in open area one hundred and fifty meters north of original insertion point. Targets will be to your south one hundred and fifty meters on high ground. Do you roger, over."

"Delta Six. Roger. Will inform other birds and team leaders.

Out."

In the airborne command post, O'Malley heard the radio message sent to the strike leader over the tactical frequency and turned to Pullen. "My God, we've just lost Team Tan. The strike force is landing one hundred and fifty meters away... there's no way they can get to Team Tan in time."

Pullen lowered his head in silence and closed his eyes.

Ahead just off road, four vehicles were parked side by side. Kenny said, "Stop here. Keep your hands on the wheel."

The rear doors opened and Kenny and Kaing stepped out Kenny motioned up the road. "Both of you get out and walk ahead. Mr. Devoe is waiting."

Eli got out and walked around to assist Anderson. Two more men appeared from behind the parked four-wheel-drive Suburbans. One carried wood crutches and tossed them to the ground in front of the colonel. "You use those, Anderson. Agent Tanner, do not touch him again."

Eli stepped back and studied both new men as Robert picked up the crutches. They were both carrying short-barreled Winchester riot shotguns and each had a Sig Sauer pistol in a shoulder holster.

The two men fell in beside Kenny, who commanded, "Walk up the road and stop when I tell you."

Anderson looked at Eli but saw he was looking ahead as if in a trance. Robert whispered anyway. "I . . . I . . . don't know about this, Eli."

"Stead-deee," Eli whispered.

In the FBI headquarters conference room, the deputy pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard about the change of plans.

The director leaned forward in his seat. "Larry, what does that mean, they've changed the insertion location?"

The deputy sighed and raised his head. "Sir, in effect it means it will take the Delta detachment at least several minutes to reach Agent Tanner and the colonel. It means that the chances of Team Tan just fell to almost zero."

The road petered out and became nothing but a wide trail as Eli continued walking up the incline. What looked like the top of the hill lay just ahead, and then he saw that the ground did finally flatten out. Suddenly, three men came into view thirty yards away. He ignored them and panned slowly to his right and his left. He saw immediately that he was actually coming up to the crest of a wide ridge top. To his right the ground rose sharply again, and all around, spaced twenty to thirty feet apart, were the majestic old oaks and maples whose distant branches and leaves high above blocked out most light. The persistent sun, not to be denied, had penetrated the thick canopy with small shafts of light that dappled the ground and formed golden pools all around him. Eli took it all in, and for a moment it reminded him of the trail in Vietnam where his platoon had been ambushed. But this time his enemy was in the open and already waiting for them.