Tom Clancy's Op-center Balance of Power - Tom Clancy [80]
Aideen jogged after her. She was trying to imagine some other scenario. But there were no riots in San Sebastián and the police were handling the inquiry into the explosion in the bay. There were only small homes and fields between this spot and the mountains: the Ramirez factory was the only target large enough to merit four helicopters.
This is a civilized nation preparing to make war on itself, she told herself. Though it was difficult to accept that fact, it was becoming more and more real by the moment.
Juan stepped from the van. He was followed by Ferdinand.
"Where are you going?" Juan shouted after the women.
"To call my superior!" María shouted back. "I'll let you know if I find out anything."
"Tell your people that we will not fight back unless we're attacked!" Juan yelled as he and Ferdinand started running toward the factory. The helicopters were less than a quarter mile away. "Tell them that we have no quarrel with the honest soldiers or people of-"
His words were drowned out by the rattling drone of the rotors as the choppers bore down on the factory. An instant later the crisp chatter of the airborne Modelo L-1-003 guns was added to the din and both Juan and Ferdinand fell to the ground.
* * *
TWENTY-TWO
Tuesday, 5:43 a.m.
Madrid, Spain
Darrell McCaskey couldn't sleep.
After bringing Aideen to the airfield, he'd returned with Luis to Interpol's Madrid office. The small complex occupied a single floor of the district police station. The turn-of-the-century brick building was located just off the broad Gran Vía on Calle de Hortaleza. The ride back to the city had been a quiet one as McCaskey reflected on his months with María.
Suddenly exhausted when they returned, McCaskey had lain down on a soft sofa in the small dining room. But while he'd gladly shut his heavy eyelids, his heavy heart had refused to shut down. María's anger had disturbed him, though it was not unexpected. Worse than that, though, was simply seeing the woman again. It reminded McCaskey of the biggest mistake of his life: letting her go two years before.
The sad thing was, he'd known it then.
Lying there, McCaskey remembered vividly all the differences that had come up during her stay in America. She had a live-for-today attitude, not worrying very much about health or money or the danger of some of the assignments she took. They had different tastes in music and in the sports they liked to watch or play. She liked to bike everywhere, he liked to walk or drive. He loved cities and high energy places, she loved the country.
But whatever their differences, and they were considerable, one thing was true. They had loved each other. That should have counted for more than it did. It sure as hell did now.
McCaskey could still remember her face when he told her the relationship wasn't working for him. He would always see that face, hard but deeply hurt-like a soldier who'd been wounded but refused to believe it and was determined to keep going. It was one of those snapshots that stayed in the soul and came back from time to time, as vivid as the moment it happened. "Emotional malaria," Op-Center psychologist Liz Gordon had once called it when they were talking about failed relationships.
She got that right.
McCaskey gave up trying to keep his eyes shut. As he lay staring up at the fluorescent lights, Luis came running in. He hurried to a phone on one of the four round tables in the dining room. He snapped his fingers and motioned for McCaskey to pick up another one.
"It's María," Luis said. "On line five. They're under attack."
McCaskey swung from the sofa and rushed to the nearest table. "Are they okay?"
"They're in a car," Luis said. "María said she thinks it best to stay where they are." He scooped up a phone.
McCaskey did likewise and punched line five.
"María?" Luis said. "Darrell is on the phone and Raul is checking on the helicopters. What's happening now?"
McCaskey decided not to ask for an update. If he missed anything Luis would fill him in.
"Two of the helicopters are circling low over