Before I had a chance to process, Hollis nudged me. An elbow in the ribs, and I turned.
She held up a phone. A text response to the one her brother had sent out to everyone back at the hotel, and he’d forwarded it to her.
555-934-3438:Friendly inside.
I immediately killed my mic and tipped my head toward Hollis and whispered, “Who is he? Can we trust him?”
She pulled the screen back and flipped to a profile:Army Special Forces. Joined Helix six months ago.
New. Not yet corrupted. And probably realized he’d been sold a lie.
She showed me the next message forwarded.
555-934-3438:I served with Gray back in the day. I can see him outside the plane. What are my orders?
None of us had masked up. No reason to. That may have been our saving grace now.
“Show this to Alpha Two. Confirm,” I told Hollis.
She went over to Gray and quickly returned a moment later. “He’s the real deal. Not another trap,” she let me know.
I leaned toward Ryder, murmuring, “We’ve got a man on the inside.”
His eyes narrowed slightly; then he faced the plane and resumed speaking into his mic. “Best I can do is offer you a cell at a CIA black site instead of death. Maybe even let you bunk with your girlfriend. But this ends now.”
As Ryder bought us time, I shifted out of view of the cockpit and told Hollis, “Tell me you have something on you to kill the power inside that plane.”
Hollis smiled. “Of course.” She reached into her pocket and produced what looked like a hockey puck. “EMP device.”
“Tell our insider the power will go out in thirty seconds; he should make his move then. Get Audrey away from Rhett, and we’ll take the kill shots through the glass.”
She nodded. “Once I hit this button, three seconds later, it’ll fry everything in a twenty-meter radius. We’ll have five minutes before everything starts rebooting.”
“Good.” I let my sling catch my rifle, then waited for her to send the text before setting the timer on my watch. Another damn countdown. “Go.”
I turned my mic back on and switched to our secure channel to include Alpha Team in on the plan since Reed and Ryder were still on the other line with Rhett.
We moved into position, preparing to knock our NODs in place. I discreetly signaled to Ryder and Reed the time to give them the heads-up, then readied my rifle. Time for one of our own distractions.Us, so Alpha could move in for the kill.
“Alpha Two,” Gray said. “POTUS wants the HVT alive for questioning, if possible.”
Fuck.“If it’s him or Audrey ...”
“Of course,” he responded as Reed and I flanked Ryder.
Through the side cockpit window, I put eyes back on her again. On the woman I’d made love to tonight. The woman who could even be pregnant with my child right now.
I swallowed. Breathed. And readied myself for only one allowable outcome: her surviving this unscathed.
And then in three, two, one ... it was go time.
A sharp click.
A dullwhumpof released energy.
Then total blackout.
“Snipers up,” I ordered, and Alpha Team moved on target as the interior of the jet went dark. Lights, controls, and cockpit screens were dead.
