Net Force - Tom Clancy [127]
What was going on? Was this a robbery? There had been a lot of criminal activity of late. What did they want?
The woman zipped up her pants and clicked the snap closed. She slipped her shirt off, put the bra on-some kind of one-piece sport thing-adjusted it, then slipped her blouse back on, buttoned it and tucked it in. One of the other men handed her a dark blue Windcheater.
No need to do any of this on our account, Becky, the young man with the gun said.
In your dreams, Marcus, the woman said.
If you would step back inside, Dr. Plekhanov? the gunman said.
His speech was correct, but Plekhanov still had not placed the accent. You arent Russian, nor Chechen, Plekhanov said.
No, sir, he said. This was spoken in English.
Plekhanovs stomach twisted. They were Americans!
He gestured with the gun. Inside, Professor. Youll want to change into something more appropriate for travel. Were going on a long trip.
Saturday, October 9th, 11:28 p.m. Urus-Martan
They got him! Fernandez said. They are en route, ETA twenty minutes.
The men in the room cheered. Howard let them, then said, All right, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Get the birds on-line. Well celebrate when were back on our own soil.
Ten minutes later, Howard was outside in the dark, watching the pilots preflight the copters, when Fernandez came out of the farmhouse double-time.
Sir, we have a slight problem.
Howard felt his belly lurch and fill with several hundred butterflies who all wanted out, now. What?
Our squads ride just broke down. Squad Leader Captain Marcus says he thinks it blew a head gasket.
Howard stared at him. The truck broke down? That wasnt even in the scenario! Jesus Christ!
39
Sunday, October 10th, 12:04 a.m. Urus-Martan
Where are they? Howard asked.
TCS-op Jeter was all business now, nothing funny in his voice. Sir, GPS puts them in the city, south of the old Tets Komintern, in the new Visok Stal Oil Storage Area, close to the Sunzha River.
How far from here?
A long walk with a reluctant prisoner in tow, sir. I make it eighteen kilometers.
Wonderful.
Uh-oh. Weve got incoming vox transmission. Im unscrambling. Jeter tapped keys.
If the squad leader was willing to break radio silence, even with a coded transmission, that meant things either had gone, or were about to go, right to Hell.
Wolf Pack, this is Cub Omega One, do you copy?
This is Alpha Wolf, Cub. Go ahead.
Sir, were broken down in the middle of a giant oil-tank farm and weve got two security officers a hundred meters away, approaching us on bicycles.
Bike cops. Great. Follow planned procedure, Omega One. Smile politely and wave your documents, they will pass muster.
Yes, sir-oh, shit!
Say again, Cub Omega One?
The captains voice came back, but he wasnt talking to Howard: Somebody shut him the hell up!
Omega One, report!
There was a dead silence that stretched long.
Cub Omega One, reply.
Ah, Alpha, we have a, uh situation here. Our passenger started screaming bloody murder and these stupid damned cops just up and opened fire!
Next to Howard, Fernandez said, Jesus, what kind of trigger-happy bastards are they? They cant know who theyre dealing with.
Alpha, we have returned fire, repeat, we have returned fire. Omega Cubs are all uninjured, say again, no injuries our squad, but we have one local down and the other has-has- Proper report terminology failed him. Has hauled ass behind a big fucking oil tank, sir. Stand by. Barnes and Powell, flank right, Jessel, left, go, go!
Howard waited for what seemed like another couple of thousand years. He exchanged glances with Fernandez.
Captain Marcus came back on-line. Sir, the downed local is ah, defunct. He had a belt phone, and we have to assume the other one also carries communication gear, but we lost him. I would guess that we are going to have unfriendly company soon, Alpha. Please advise.
Howard looked at Fernandez. There was no choice. Nobody was leaving anybody out here. Bag it up, troops! We lift in three minutes!