Collateral Damage - Marc Cerasini [7]
The stranger who'd torn off her veil remained behind her, out of sight. A minute went by, then another. But the man didn't say a word. He didn't untie her, either.
"What are you doing?" Janice asked.
There was silence for another minute. Then came a quiet murmuring in another language. It was crazy, but Janice thought the man was praying.
"I demand you release me!" she cried. "This is kidnapping! Don't you realize that? Let me go this instant!"
Without a word, the man stepped around the chair to stand in front of her. Janice Baker's eyes went wide when she saw the machete in his hand.
Once again Janice Baker screamed.
* * *
7:58:46 A.M. EDT
Just outside Kurmastan
Hunterdon County, New Jersey
At the sound of the bloodcurdling scream, Holman had tensed and begun snaking on his belly, moving as close to the compound as he dared. Using his binoculars, he continued to scan the area for any sign of violence. Any sign of the woman who'd screamed.
But he saw nothing out of the ordinary. A few male residents were talking casually outside the mosque. Two females strolled out of the cinder-block dining hall, chatting with each other as if nothing was wrong.
He listened for more screams, but now heard nothing more than the birds chirping in the trees.
Holman knew he hadn't imagined that scream, and he knew how dangerous some of the men in Kurmastan could be — many of them were lifelong criminals with rap sheets as long as a bureaucrat's career.
Part of him wanted to charge through the front gate, find out what had happened. But that would compromise the investigation. They'd probably call the local sheriff and accuse him of trespassing. Holman couldn't even begin to consider explaining his rogue operation to a local official.
Seething, he carefully moved away from the compound again, backtracking to his van. He retrieved water and an energy bar, and then returned to the hill to continue his surveillance of the compound. At noon, he was scheduled to leave the area and hook up with Emmerick at a nearby motel, where they'd compare notes and plan their next move.
Holman needed to brief Emmerick about that tractor frailer he'd seen with armed men in bunks inside. And Emmerick needed to brief him about that "package" from Canada.
Until then, Holman would continue to keep his eyes open for any sign of that woman, whose terrified cry kept playing through his head.
2
THE FOLLOWING TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8:00 A.M. AND 9:00 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME
8:05:48 A.M. EDT
CTU Headquarters, NYC
"This is wrong, Agent Bauer," Layla Abernathy declared.
"You have no authority to do this. I'm sure Director Holman will be here any minute. Why can't you just wait to hear his explanation?"
Jack Bauer's features darkened. "You've called the Director. Repeatedly. And so have I. Brice Holman either can't respond, or refuses to..."
"Yes, but..."
"And you've tried to locate the Director using the GPS chip in his phone, correct?" Jack interrupted.
Layla frowned. "Apparently Holman deactivated it."
Jack clenched his fists, trying like hell to maintain his composure. "The Director and his deputy are unreachable, your guards downstairs say your exterior cameras are offline, and someone tried to assassinate me and my team on the street outside. You do see a problem here, don't you, Agent Abernathy?"
They were standing at the computer console on Brice Holman's desk, inside the Director's corner office. Jack had powered up the man's computer, only to find it double password protected. He now intended to break into his system.
Jack punched the intercom. "O'Brian, report to Director Holman's office."
Jack faintly heard his own voice amplified inside the massive threat room. He stood up straight and faced Agent Abernathy. "You mentioned a place," he said.
Layla nodded. "Kurmastan. It's a seventy-five-acre