Veep shouted, “Go!” and she pushed off, disappearing into the night. I jumped onto the slide right behind her and immediately pushed off, crossing my arms on my chest like I was going down a waterslide.
Chapter 81
I hit the turbulent slipstream of air from the jet and tumbled once, throwing out my arms and arching my back. I stabilized face down, checked my altimeter, fell for a second more, then pulled my parachute at three thousand feet, feeling the satisfying cinch in my groin.
I scanned below me but didn’t see Jennifer’s parachute. I did a turn with my canopy, looking above me, and saw her about two hundred feet away and high.
I knew she wanted me to be the low man and had pulled early to make sure that happened, but I didn’t mind. It relieved her of reading winds, because she’d just monkey-see, monkey-do every move I did.
I found the DZ, a brown blob lined with the black of the water on each side and ran across it. I reached the far side, then turned south, running with the wind. I judged my speed, made an educated guess, and turned into my landing pattern, going back across the DZ. I reached about halfway then turned north, flying into the wind.
I looked below me and saw I was above the trees on the south end, and knew I would be fine. The canopy continued forward slowly, the wind in my face almost strong enough to make me come straight down. I reached a hundred feet, then fifty, then ten, and yanked my toggles down, stalling the chute and landing on my feet.
I rotated, deflating the chute, and began rolling it up just as Jennifer landed next to me, having to run off a little speed. I shucked my harness and went to her as she was doing the same.
I whispered, “That was about perfect. Good thing I was the low man.”
She said, “I really, really hate that shit.”
I chuckled, looked above me, and saw two more parachutes. Four minutes later Veep was dividing up binocular night vision goggles and radios. While he did that, I said, “Veep, breacher. Aaron, one man, me two man, Jennifer in the rear. Explosive breach, hostile force ROE. Engage any threat with lethal force. Any questions?”
They shook their heads and I told Veep to lead us to the target. We reached the river and he cautiously waded out. I let him get halfway and saw he was still walking, not swimming, and gave Aaron the signal to cross. When he was halfway, I entered, the water bracingly cold. I made it to the far side and took a knee in between Veep and Aaron, my weapon out. Jennifer reached us, and Veep motioned, then stood up, taking point.
I could see light through my nods, a faint glow through the trees. Veep reached the edge of a clearing and took a knee. I moved to him, saw a wooden structure, and he leaned into my ear, whispering, “Looks like a single-room cabin, door in the center.”
I whispered back, “Prepare to breach.”
He spent thirty seconds building a charge, then nodded. I motioned to Aaron and Jennifer. When they each took a knee I said, “Center breach, appears to be a single room.” They gave me a thumbs-up, and I whispered to Aaron, “Move to breach.”
He took point, with Veep second and me following, all of our weapons covering different areas. I glanced behind me and saw Jennifer was with us, then turned back to the front.
Aaron reached the door and stood to the side, his barrel rocksteady on it. Veep slid underneath him and placed the charge. When he was done, we all rotated against the wall next to the door, Veep unspooling wire as he went.
He glanced back at me and I waited. Jennifer rubbed my shoulder and I nodded my head. Veep rubbed Aaron’s shoulder, then cranked the detonator. The door split open with a flash of flying wood and a thunderclapof noise, Aaron moving before it had even subsided. He charged into the gaping hole, Veep right behind him, the team flowing into the room like water from a split bucket.
I saw Veep go left and went right, tracking Aaron clearing the far corner. I swept my sector, then turned into the room, finding a body on the floor, blood spilling out. I continued my sweep and saw three people tied up next to a dying fire, absolute fear on their faces.
I heard the all clear from each member and raised my NODs, finally recognizing Amanda Croft. She recognized me at the same time. I saw her mouth drop open, and Aaron and Jennifer went to them, untying their bonds.
I asked, “Where’s the Ghost?”
Amanda said, “He’s gone. He killed that guy on the floor and ran out.”
I said, “He ran?”
“Yes. I thought he was going to kill us, but he didn’t. He pulled out a cell phone, inserted a battery, and turned it on. He threw it on the floor and ran away.”
I heard the words and what had happened sank in. The Ghost had intentionally turned on his phone, knowing I would find it.
I said, “He left on foot?”
“Yes. He took an Iridium phone with him. He was talking in the corner with the dead guy, then they came over to us and they argued. They ended up fighting and he killed this guy. I think he’s shot as well, but I can’t be sure.”
Aaron began speaking to the prime minister in Hebrew, and after thirty seconds, he turned to me and said, “We need to get them out of here, right now.”
I said, “Okay, okay, I think we’re secure for the time being.”
He said, “No, you don’t understand. The men were arguing over the attack in the West Bank. It’s a radiological dispersion device. Apparently a big one, and we’re the only ones who know.”
