The Eye of Shiva (12 page)

Omar
spoke to the camera.

"You need to know we are serious," he said.
"I will show you how serious we are."

He pointed at
one of the hostages, a local girl who worked in the mailroom. The camera followed his gesture. He signaled one of his men. "Her," he said. The man grabbed her and pulled her to her feet. He brought her over to Omar and forced her down on her knees.

"No, wait," she said. "Wait."

Omar shot her in the head in front of the camera. Gray matter and bone sprayed out over the room. The body toppled over.

"You have one hour," Omar said to the camera. "If
you do not begin releasing my people I will shoot another. Next time it will be an American." He made a slashing motion across his throat. The camera light went off.

Selena felt the ambassador grip her hand.

"Bastard," Cathwaite said. "She just had a baby. Three months ago." Her voice trembled with anger. Blood spread in a wide stain under the dead girl.

Outside the embassy, Nick considered his next move. Selena's voice sounded in his earpiece.
She was whispering, but Nick could hear the stress in her voice.

"Nick, do you copy?"

"Affirmative."

"There are twelve of them. They've placed charges all around. They shot a hostage."

"We're outside the building looking for a way in." He paused. "You okay?"

"Nick, these people are crazy..."

Her voice cut off.

"Selena?" he said. There was no answer.

CHAPTER
21

Lt. Colonel
Kroger shielded his eyes against dust kicked up by the Sea Knight helicopters as they lifted away. Three Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallions came in after them and settled on the boulevard. They disgorged more Marines and half a dozen Humvees with Browning M2 .50 BMG machine guns mounted topside. Kroger believed in being prepared. From the air he'd seen a column of Philippine Army vehicles speeding down Roxas Boulevard toward the embassy. He placed some of his men and a Humvee across the Boulevard in the path of the oncoming Philippine troops. Others took up positions along the edge of the embassy grounds. Kroger had created an instant buffer zone around the embassy. No one was getting near the building without going through him.

The Philippine convoy was getting close. "Looks like we got here just in time, sir."

The speaker was his XO. Major Clifford Anderson had been Kroger's second in command for the last two years. Both men had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both had been under fire many times together. Kroger couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have with him in a potential firefight.

"Better get ready for an argument, Cliff," Kroger said. "The locals aren't going to be happy."

"That's too damn bad," Anderson said. They waited for the Filipinos to arrive.

The lead vehicle was a Kia 450, a medium-sized truck used for troop transport. It was followed by another half dozen similar vehicles filled with troops. Two American
-made M113A2 armored vehicles brought up the rear.

"The tracks on those must be doing a real good job on th
at nice asphalt road," Anderson said.

"Show of force. They probably think they're going to go through the gates with them."

"That's not going to happen," Anderson said. Men wearing olive drab berets and dressed in camouflage uniforms scrambled out of the trucks. They carried modern assault rifles. An officer stepped down from the lead vehicle.

"Showtime," Kroger said. "That's the 1st Scout Rangers, if I'm not mistaken."

"Those are Steyr assault rifles they're carrying," Anderson said. "Good weapon."

"The Rangers are their elite unit," Kroger said. "They even sent a general. Let's go, Major
. Time to make nice. Smile."

The two Marines walked over to the Philippine general. Kroger saluted.

"Lieutenant Colonel Kroger, sir."

The Filipino returned the salute. "I am General Narcisco. Why are you here, Colonel? I was unaware permission had been given for American troops to deploy. Your men are blocking my vehicles. I wish to pass."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that, sir. My orders are to secure the area until the situation is resolved."

Narcisco's face tightened under his beret. "You are on Philippine territory, Colonel. You will remove yourself immediately. We will take care of this."

"Sorry, sir, I can't do that. May I remind you that the embassy is United States territory."

"Colonel, unless you wish to find yourself a lieutenant again, you will immediately get your
men out of the way."

Behind General Narcisco, his troops had picked up on the hostility between the officers. They didn't look happy. It had been a long time since World War II and Americans were no longer popular in the islands. Anderson saw one of the Filipino officers give a quiet command to his
sergeant. Weapons came up to port arms.

"Move out of my way, Colonel," Narcisco said.

"Sir," Anderson said.

"I see it, Major."

Kroger raised his left hand in the air in a prearranged signal. The Filipino troops found themselves staring down the barrels of Marine rifles. Kroger was bluffing. He wasn't going to fire upon troops from a friendly nation, but Narcisco didn't know that. Fifty or sixty Marines in battle dress pointing weapons at you would intimidate most people and Narcisco was no different. He looked at the faces of the men behind the rifles and saw nothing to reassure him. It was a convincing, chilling display of force.

"General," Kroger said, "
my orders are to secure this area. I suggest you consult with your commanders as to the best course of action. Your troops will not be allowed to come near our embassy."

"You will regret this, Colonel."

"Perhaps I will, sir. But in the meantime I have my orders."

Narcisco
looked at the rifles pointed at him and turned to the officers behind him. "Fall back and deploy the troops across the road," he said.

He stalked away toward his vehicle.

"That went well," Anderson said. "Lieutenant, sir."

Kroger laughed. "We'll let the politicians figure it out. In the meantime, I want your ideas on how we go in there without getting the hostages killed."

"Yes, sir," Anderson said.

"Get
those gates open and vehicles ready to go in. If the shit hits the fan I don't want anything slowing us down."

CHAPTER 22

Th
e taking of the embassy dominated the news. In Virginia, Elizabeth and Stephanie watched Selena reading Abu Sayyaf 's demands. Part of her team, in harm's way. They watched the hostage die.

"We have to help
Nick find a way in," Elizabeth said.

Steph had put t
he plans of the American Embassy up on her monitor. The two women studied the image.

"Abu Sayyaf
will be watching the ground floor," Elizabeth said. "I don't see how they can get in that way."

"
Twelve hostiles," Stephanie said. "It's not enough to cover everything."

"
The main focus has to be on the lower level."

Stephanie pointed at the plans.
"Nick could get in from the roof. There's an access door and stairs to the top floor."

"That
might work, but how do they get up there? There's no fire escape."

"That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"

"They could climb an outside wall." Elizabeth peered at the architectural drawings on the monitor. "There doesn't seem to be much they could use for footholds."

"The windows have
blast grills over them," Stephanie said. "They can't get through those."

"The more I look at it," Elizabeth said, "
it seems like the roof is the only way in. How about trees? Is there a tree they could climb to put them on the roof?"

Stephanie entered a few commands
. An angled, overhead shot of the embassy grounds appeared on her monitor. She zoomed in.

"If they could get
over to the opposite side of the building, there's a tree tall enough to get them onto the roof."

Elizabeth spoke into the comm link.

"Nick,
do you copy?"

"Copy."

"It looks like there's only one way in. There's a tree on the south side of the building. You can climb it and get onto the roof. There's access up there."

"
Copy. Climb the tree to the roof."

"It's the only way in," Harker said
again.

"
Copy. Out."

"Doesn't talk much, does he?" Steph said.

Elizabeth laughed.

CHAPTER 23

Selena watched Omar
talking to a man carrying a heavy rifle with a telescopic sight. The man nodded. She was whispering to Nick when Omar looked her way. She stopped mid-sentence. Next to her, Ambassador Cathwaite leaned close.

"Who are you talking to?" Her voice was
soft. She peered at Selena. "Is that an earpiece? You have an earpiece, don't you?"

"Yes. The rest of my team is outside."

"Your team?"

"It's a long story, Margaret."

"You, shut up." It was one of the men assigned to watch them. "No talk."

Selena took the ambassador's hand and squeezed it. The terrorist
was a heavy set man with a scraggly beard and bad teeth. He looked at her, his eyes stripping away her clothes. He licked his lips and rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth.

It wasn't the first time a man had looked at her with desire. But this man's look was filled with more than lust.
Selena could feel his eyes, clinging and sticky like summer heat on a humid day. It made her skin crawl.

"Selena." Nick's voice in her ear. "We're going to try and get in through the roof."

She coughed.

"Be ready," Nick said.

If only I wasn't stuck here
, she thought.
If I could get up to the roof I could let them in.

The terrorist was still looking at her. His AK hung from a strap over his right shoulder. His fingers
moved restlessly against the cold metal of the receiver as he licked his lips again.

Selena raised her hand in the air.

"I have to use the toilet," she said.

"No
toilet."

"Please." She moved on the floor as if in discomfort. It was
suggestive, a movement someone with sex on his mind would think inviting.

"I really need to go," she said
, her voice husky. "Can't you take me?"

Next to her
, the ambassador whispered, "What are you doing?"

Selena ignored her. "Please?" she said again. She smiled at the man as she said it and moved her hand to her chest,
under her breasts.

A crooked smile appeared on his face. "Come," he said. He gestured with his AK. Selena stood up.

"Where are you going?" Omar strode over.

"This one needs the toilet. She looks like she's getting ready to piss all over the floor."

Omar laughed. "Take her." He gave his man a careful look. "Don't be too long," he said.

"Come," the man said to Selena. He grabbed her arm
with his left hand and pulled her toward the hall where the restrooms were. She made no resistance. The other hostages watched them go.

They went past the body of a dead Marine. Flies were buzzing over
his open mouth. His eyes stared at the ceiling. Selena felt cold anger wash through her.

The restrooms were at the other end
of a long hall, next to a staircase leading to the upper floors. The terrorist kept a grip on her arm and kicked open the door to the restroom with his foot. He pulled her inside the room after him.

"What's your name?" she said. She made her voice
husky, inviting.

"
Gibril." He licked his lips. His rifle pointed at the floor.

She moved close to him
, smiling. Then she stomped down on his foot. Gibril wore sandals, but Selena had shoes with hard, flat heels. She felt the bones of his foot crunch under her shoe. Gibril howled in pain. Reflex made him double over and reach for his foot. Selena brought both her hands down on the back of his neck and brought her knee up under his chin. She heard bone crack. The rifle clattered against the tile floor and Gibril fell in a lifeless heap. She leaned over and felt for a pulse just to be sure.

The embassy had been built in a day when
expensive materials were used for important buildings. The walls of the bathroom were thick stone, the door made of solid mahogany. It was like being in a soundproof room. No one outside would have heard Gibril yell.