Tom Clancy's Op-center Balance of Power - Tom Clancy [100]
"How long will it take them to scan the entire castle?" Hood asked.
"Until about four o'clock," Rodgers said.
Hood looked at the computer clock. "That's nearly two hours from now."
"I don't like the idea of Striker sitting around and getting stale either," Rodgers said, "but it's the best they can do."
"How far is the palace from the Interpol office?" Hood asked.
"I'm checking a map now," Rodgers said. "It looks to be about fifteen minutes by car-if there's no traffic or military checkpoints.".
"Which means that if they sit and wait for the LDE findings they're as much as two hours and fifteen minutes away," Hood said. "If Amadori decided to leave the area before we pinpoint him, we'd have a problem."
"True," Rodgers said. "But even if the Strikers were at the palace, there's nothing they can do. They can't choose a game plan without knowing exactly where he is. Besides, if Amadori isn't there we may be sending them off in the wrong direction."
Hood looked at the high-resolution photograph of the troops in the courtyard. There were at least two hundred of them, broken into small groups. The soldiers looked as though they were drilling-perhaps to defend the compound, perhaps to serve as firing squads. In any case, it reminded Hood of the pictures he'd seen of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guards drilling in front of his residence before Desert Storm. Muscle flexing.
Amadori had to be there.
"Mike," Hood said, "we're responsible for María being in on this. She's got no backup. I can't have that."
Rodgers was silent for a moment. "I don't disagree. But we've been over these photographs and we're going through floor plans of the palace now. Getting in there isn't going to be easy."
"They don't have to go in," Hood said. "I just want some firepower in the area. Darrell can be in touch with them through Ishi Honda."
"That's right," Rodgers said. "But the mission is still Amadori and we don't know for sure that he's there. We haven't been able to pick up any ELINT yet. It'll be another hour or so before we can start getting that."
Hood was not getting impatient with Rodgers. The general was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing. Pointing out options and possible pitfalls.
"If Amadori's somewhere else we'll pull Striker off," Hood said. "And who knows? Maybe the son of a bitch will decide to show himself and save us the trouble of going in."
Rodgers exhaled audibly. "That's not likely, Paul. But I'll tell Brett to move out. I also want to remind you that, while we brought María into this, she acted without orders," Rodgers said. "She put herself in this situation. And not for our benefit, but for the benefit of her country. I will not be in favor of risking team lives to evacuate her."
"Noted," Hood said. "And thanks."
Rodgers clicked off and Hood hung up. He dumped the photos from the monitor and turned off the desk lamp. He shut his eyes.
It made no sense; none at all. Clinging to a job that by its very nature left you alone, cut off from your family and often cut off from subordinates. Maybe that's why he felt drawn to María's situation. She was alone too.
No, Hood wouldn't forget the mission. And he wouldn't forget what Mike Rodgers had been too respectful to point out: that the Strikers had lives and loved ones, just like María.
But Hood also couldn't forget Martha Mackall. And he'd be damned if he did nothing while another unarmed colleague faced danger in the bloody streets of Madrid.
* * *
TWENTY-EIGHT
Tuesday, 8:36 a.m.
Madrid, Spain
María followed the young captain into the corridor, confident that she could trust the officer to bring her to Amadori. Neither the captain nor the general had anything to gain by tricking her. They had