Alex stood in the middle of the room watching the computer images on the wall screen. She turned to see Rafé at her shoulder. She smiled at her foster father as she accepted the steaming cup of coffee. Seeing Rosanna stuff herself silly with crumbly Mexican sweets as she grumbled about her swollen ankles and ballooning stomach had been comic relief. She took a sip and followed him to the table set up in the right corner of the room.
“Take off your shirt so I can tape this on,” Rafé ordered.
“Can’t,” she replied.
“Don’t be stubborn, Leila.”
“Butt out, Khan.” She elbowed him as he stepped up beside her.
“We’ve done this before. If something goes bad, the only thing between you and a bullet is us,” said Rafé.
Alex rolled her eyes. “These guys are professionals. They checked both Xian and me at the first meeting.”
“Hand?”
“No, scanner. Looked like one of the new models. It’ll pick up a transmitter no matter where we put it.” Alex watched as he put the tiny microphone down on the table.
“I don’t like the idea of you going in blind.”
“I don’t either,” she ruefully admitted, looking at Khan.
“Catch.”
Alex’s hands automatically lifted to catch the flying object. She looked down at an electronic watch.
“Receiver only,” Rafé explained.
Alex took off her silver watch and replaced it with the digital one.
“Okay, guys. It’s up,” announced Tobias.
Alex turned and moved closer to the screen. She watched as he magnified a section of the image.
“What am I seeing?” she asked, moving even closer to the digital image.
“This is the meeting spot.”
“It looks familiar,” she added, trying to place the location. Alex didn’t acknowledge the arm Khan placed around her waist. Instead, she watched Rafé take charge.
“It should. He picked the abandoned army barracks down by the Presidio. Good choice, not too many ways to enter without being spotted.”
“Okay here’s the plan,” Rafé began. “This is the building where you’ll be meeting our Mr. Banovic. Khan and Tobias, along with Xian, will stake out Banovic’s compound. Miguel and I will head out to the barracks early and try to stack the deck in your favor, Alex. As soon as Banovic arrives at the meeting and we confirm that the kid isn’t with him, Khan’s team will go in for the boy. Khan will contact me once the kid is safe and then I’m going to signal you, Alex.”
Alex looked down at the watch on her wrist.
“When that watch goes off, you get out of there. Try to make your way over to this bush. I’ll leave your weapon there. Khan and I’ll be covering you from this wooded area.”
Alex looked carefully at the small bush Rafé pointed to. She absorbed all the information and nodded her head. The plan was a good one, but they had a snowball’s chance in hell of getting away with it.
“What about Banovic?” she asked as she bent over to check the knife hidden in the heel of her boot.
If he weren’t taken out, she’d spend the rest of her days looking over her shoulder. She wanted Chou home and safe, but the need to put Banovic away was strong.
Rafé smiled and Alex felt a small shiver run down her spine. “Don’t worry about him. I know a couple of agents that have been itching to get their hands on him. Now let’s get ready. We’re wasting time.”
Alex went over and picked up the gun, taking a moment to withdraw the clip. “Rafé, what’s this?”
She’d expected standard small 9mm bullets, but what she saw brought her up short.
“I changed them,” Khan volunteered.
Alex turned to look at him as he joined her at the table.
“They’re soft point bullets.” He reached around to pick up an extra clip.
Alex stared down at the one she held in her hand. ‘Soft point bullets,’ a.k.a. hollow or flat tips, had been outlawed by the Geneva Convention unless DELTA troops were participating in a hostage situation.
“You know what they can do?” Tobias asked.
Alex nodded her head. She not only knew, she’d seen the damage they could inflict. The hollow point caused the soft lead slug to expand into a mushroom shaped projectile upon entering the body. Maximum penetration, double the diameter of impact.
“Just aim and shoot, Niña,” Rafé added.
Xian took that exact moment to enter the room. Alex looked up at him. She wanted to smile. With baggy jeans and a large basketball jersey, he looked like one of her former inner city karate students. Just as quickly, her smile slid off her face as she felt Khan’s fingers tighten.
Alex looked down at the gun in her hand and without thought her hand tensed and the magazine clip locked into place. She double-checked the safety before putting it in the black duffle bag lying on the table.
“What’s going on?” Xian asked.
Alex firmly removed the thick band of Khan’s arm from around her waist and watched Xian’s face as Rafé filled him in on their plans.
“Leila, why don’t you introduce us?” Khan asked.
“Leila?” Xian repeated. His expression gave nothing away but she could see mounting anger in his eyes.
“He doesn’t recognize your proper name?”
“Khan…” Alex warned.
He continued to bait Xian. “You haven’t told him about us?”
Alex turned, glaring daggers at Khan. “Get that smirk off your face. I know what you’re trying to do and this is neither the time nor the place.”
Xian took a step toward Khan. “I disagree,” he stated.
She heard the undercurrent of menace in his voice.
“Xian, this is Khan…”
“Her husband.”
“Ex-husband,” she said automatically and then aimed a glare at the solider.
“It’s a joke, Xian,” Alex explained. “We were on a mission and couldn’t blow our cover; the ceremony wasn’t legal.”
“In the eyes of Allah…”
“You are about to get killed,” she hissed.
Alex allowed Xian to draw her away from Khan.
“It’s good that I am not a jealous man,” Xian smiled. His eyes changed from fire to ice.
“Go away, Khan. You’ve done more than enough damage this round.”
After the man went upstairs, Xian drew Alex away from the others. A hot stab of jealousy had rushed through him at the sight of Khan and Alex standing so close together. “So, is there anyone else you’d like to tell me about?”
“No.”
“Do you mean no, there is no one else or no, you don’t want to tell me?” he bit out.
“My past is a story best left for another day. We have more important things to discuss.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “So you’re going to tell me why you have that gun?”
“I’m meeting Banovic at the Presidio.”
“With your friend Khan, I assume?”
Alex nodded. “No. Khan is the only one I trust to get Chou back unharmed.”
“There has to be another way,” Xian replied calmly. Last night he’d been filled with passion, anger, fear. That morning, fear for Chou’s safety sat like lead in his stomach. He wanted his son back and he wanted Banovic to pay dearly for taking him away. But he also didn’t want Alex getting herself killed.
Alex stepped forward. “There is no other way. We’ve run out of time and options, Xian.”
“I won’t let you risk your life. We’ll just have to call in the authorities.”
Alex turned and looked at Rafé. Her uncle nodded, reading the look she sent him.
“Alex, we’ll be upstairs. We leave in twenty minutes,” he ordered.
Alex nodded her head, grateful for his understanding of the situation. Lord, she hated herself at this moment. She took a step towards Xian and reached up to run her fingers over his cheek. “Xian, everything is going to be fine.”
Alex drew a startled breath as he grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly. She fought her first instinct to pull away. This was a man she trusted; the memories of the night in his arms held her still. She looked into his eyes and for the first time could put a name to the emotion she saw buried in their depths: fear. She watched as he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist. Alex felt it to the tips of her toes.
“Shay-Lin said those exact words to me as she lay dying in a hospital room.” His voice was low, brought down by the ghosts of remembrance.
Alex wrapped her arms around Xian’s neck and hugged him close, inhaling the scent of his hair. She whispered comforting words into his ear while damming herself for the lies she would tell.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got school in another week. Remember?” she teased.
She drew back to see a glimmer of a smile cross his face. She continued. “I’ve done this before, Xian. This will be a walk in the park for me.” That much was true, but this mission would be different because she was emotionally involved. No matter what happened to her, Chou would live. This wasn’t a tactics operation where she could close off her heart and follow orders. This was personal.
“I don’t want you going in there alone. These men are killers.”
So am I. Alex shook her head. “I need you to do a more important job. You just make sure that you concentrate on getting Chou out safe and sound.”
“Was it true what Banovic said?” Xian questioned.
“What?”
“You’re known for getting out of tight situations with low body count?”
Alex’s stomach dropped and dread curled around her heart. Brian had never fully accepted her role in the military. It didn’t fit that the woman he desired to be the mother of his children had been a trained solider. Instead, he’d chosen to forget and focus on what was going to be their perfect new life.
“Yes.” She looked into his dark eyes. There was no pride in her voice or shame. She had done what her country demanded of her. She had paid her debt a thousand times over.
“Do whatever it takes to get out of there without getting hurt, Alex. If it comes down to you or them, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger.” Xian’s eyes bore down into hers.
She nodded slowly and felt the muscles of her jaw unclench. He understood.
“Promise me, Alex.”
“What?” she asked, leaning her head to the side.
“When this is over, we’ll talk about last night.”
Alex tensed and his arm tightened around her like a vise.
“Promise me you won’t run.”
“Why would I run?”
“Don’t play games. I know you.”
“Maybe you don’t know me all that well, Xian.” That wasn’t true, he was right. Alex planned on running as fast and as far away from him as possible. She looked up into his eyes and her heart turned over. She both wanted and feared the emotion that she saw there. She nodded her head. “I promise.”
She placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips before grabbing her bag and rushing up the stairs.
* * *
Rafé drove slowly towards the Presidio. The old army base had been transformed into a national park a few years back. Alex stared out the window at the passing scenery and the departing tourist busses. She sat quietly as Rafé parked the car and got out. He seemed to blend into the small crowd effortlessly. She watched as he put on his brown hat and began picking up litter, looking for all the world like an average park service worker.
Her father had loved this place. After years of active duty, he had come here to teach the younger generation of students about the sacrifices of African-American soldiers who had fought in the war against Mexico. Alex had watched as he spent numerous hours writing letters to the Presidio Trust, hoping he could motivate them to renovate the old Presidio barracks for African-American troops.
Alex shook her head to clear her thoughts. She pulled out her binoculars and followed Rafé’s movements towards the designated meeting point. She watched closely as he bent down to pick up an imaginary piece of litter. His movements were quick and if she hadn’t been watching for the drop, she would have missed it. Rafé had placed her gun and extra ammo underneath the designated bush. Alex was busy scanning the area when he returned to the car.
His question broke the silence. “What are you going to do? He won’t walk away and let you go.” She wondered if Rafé was referring to Khan or Xian.
“I will.” She shrugged. “He won’t have a choice. I’m not ready to have anyone in my life right now.” Alex turned to face Rafé. His face was half covered with the green hat.
“He’s not Brian, Alex. He accepts what you were, what you are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, surprised.
“You need someone in your life. You are too alone.”
Alex protested, “No, I’m not. I have you, Karen, the team, the kids, Sensei…”
He shook his head. “It’s not the same.”
“You’re alone,” she pointed out.
“Niña, last week I saw Death lean over and gesture for me to follow. For the first time since my parents hid me in the forest when the rebels came to our village, I was afraid. I had so many regrets. I have decided to leave DELTA. I’m going to settle down with one woman.”
Alex regarded Rafé closely. He was serious. “Who?”
“When I say, you will be the first to know.”
She watched as he lifted the binoculars. “Get ready,” he ordered.
Her heart jumped as she turned to look at the road leading to the recreation area. She saw the three dark Mercedes Benzes slowly drive past the adjacent parking lot. Then she turned her attention back to Rafé, who was on the cell phone.
“Khan, Banovic just arrived without the boy.”
Alex took a deep breath and looked at her watch; the electronic dial read 7:45 p.m.
“Fifteen minutes,” she announced.
“Alex, are you sure you can do this?” She heard the concern in his voice.
“Yes.” Alex didn’t elaborate. He would just have to trust her. She wanted it to be over. The waiting. She hated the waiting.
“Let’s go.”
Rafé started the car and drove along the winding road towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Alex saw her car waiting at the exact location Miguel had indicated. As she pulled the handle on the car door, she felt a light touch on her arm.
“At the first sign of trouble I want you out of there.”
Alex felt her mouth go dry and words seemed to stick in her throat. She nodded her head and jumped out of the truck. A minute later, Alex put the car in reverse and pulled out.
Alex drove as close to Infantry Row as she could and parked. Taking the key out of the ignition, she picked up her small purse and got out of the car. She stepped into the cool California night, her eyes searching for hidden figures. As she walked forward, she automatically scanned the area, marking the location of her hidden gun. As she advanced slowly towards the waiting men, she counted three guards.
The whole area was illuminated by the moon and the overhead lights. As she moved closer, the guards came towards her with powerful looking semi-automatic guns aimed in her direction. She was about fifteen feet away from the building before they stopped her.
“Hold your hands up, slowly,” the one closest to her instructed.
Alex did as ordered. The greeting was designed to intimidate. Alex had spent most of her life performing the art of keeping a serene and unreadable expression on her face no matter what. About five feet away, the Russian who’d accosted her at Club Envy leveled the barrel of a submachine gun at her chest.
Her mind automatically identified the weapon: suppressed Heckler and Koch 9mm. She knew that if she looked down an infrared beam would be on her heart. The weapon was designed to be accurate, highly lethal, and uncannily silent. The sight of what it could do in a close-quarter’s battle environment, all the carnage, remained etched in her memory. The guard looked much too happy to see her. She matched his big smile with her own small, cold smile, as cold as the certainty that if given the chance, she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
He searched her from top to bottom. She gritted her teeth as he slowly ran his fingers over her breasts, between her legs, and tried her best to remain still. Glancing at the other guards, she saw both were scanning the area.
When he finished, Alex watched as the one of the other men came forward and ran a wand over her body and then her purse. When it didn’t beep, he turned it off and reached to pick up her purse. Alex watched as he dumped everything out. The Russian immediately picked up the disk and put it into his pocket. Satisfied, the brown-haired man motioned for her to pick up her stuff and follow him into the building.
Alex was careful to keep relief from showing on her face. If he had paid closer attention to her boots, he would have found her knife. As she started walking, the taller, bald Russian stood at her back, so close she could feel his breath on the back of her neck.
The building was a colonial revival style barracks that had been constructed in the late 1890s and looked as though it had undergone restoration some time in the past. The leaded windows and peeling paint gave the front a haunted look. Stone steps led up to a heavy wooden door. The wooden porch creaked loudly in the quiet darkness.
Alex took a closer look at her guards. One had an extra clip in a belt around his waist, along with a .9-millimeter automatic. The guards were soldiers, professionals. One turned to the tall Russian standing behind her.
“From the way Jarik described her, I expected much more.”
Alex shrugged. “Sorry.”
“You let this tiny woman disarm you?” His lip curled with scorn.
“Shut up, Serge.”
Alex felt his hand push her towards the door. She took a step forward into the room. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust. What had once been a mess hall or a squad room had been turned into an administrative office after World War II. The room looked like the set of an old Alfred Hitchcock movie.
The rafters were covered with ropes of cobwebs. Old brown maps lined the walls and filing cabinets sat blanketed with dust. The room was lit by the dim glow of two swinging light bulbs.
Alex turned her head to the right. Banovic got up from behind a desk. In the dim light, his features took on a demonic look.
“Right on time, Ms. Thompson.” His voice was gentle, pleasant, as though they were meeting for afternoon tea.
“I try to be punctual,” she replied.
His mouth transformed into some semblance of a smile. “I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”
Alex watched as his eyes roamed over her body.
“I don’t,” she bit out.
His smile disappeared. “Do you have the disk?”
Alex’s stomach took a nosedive and her pulse sped up. “Where’s the boy?” she answered back.
“Safe, Ms. Thompson.”
She arched her eyebrow. “He’s not here.”
Alex watched as the brown-haired guard stepped forward with the disk in his hand.
“I found this in her purse.”
“Good. Give it to Anton.”
Alex took a step forward and found her arm enclosed by the guard named Serge. “I want the boy, Banovic. Where is he?”
He gave her a scornful look and turned back towards a slender, dark-haired man with glasses who now sat at the desk staring at a laptop. Alex tensed as the man called Anton inserted the CD-ROM into the laptop. Twenty seconds later, the sound of Tupac blasted out of the laptop speakers.
Banovic went around the desk to stand beside Anton. “What is this?”
The man answered in a thick Russian accent. Alex knew instantly that he was the one that Brian had contacted.
“I guess you’re not into rap music. He’s real popular here on the West Coast,” she added.
“What game are you playing, Ms. Thompson?”
“No game, Banovic. I want the boy. You want the disk.”
“That is why we are here.” His tone was angry. “This is not what I wanted, Ms. Thompson.”
“Seems neither of us is getting what we want tonight. I know about your track record, Banovic. I want him back alive.” Needing time, she stalled. “Is it money? Did you take Brian’s life for money?”
His face reddened and his eyes narrowed, making his heavy brows connect. “Money? Is that what you think this is about, Ms. Thompson? That is all you Americans think about. I care nothing for money, only vengeance.”
He took a step forward and seemed to collect himself. “One cold night in the gorges of the southern part of Chechnya, a man was forced to his knees. As he begged for his life, a Russian solider put a rifle to his head and fired. They threw his body into the woods. Left him to rot, provide food for scavengers.”
Alex shifted from her left foot and watched as he curled and uncurled his fingers. His voice was singsong. Alex’s heart sped up. She had seen this before, the rage, the hatred, the insanity brought on by death.
“Who was he?” she asked.
“My twin brother,” he responded. He turned his attention back to her.
“You need not fear for your country. America’s hypocrisy sickens me.” He shrugged, “Yet I feel no ill will. Your capitalist nation cannot be expected to care for those who fight for freedom, for their homes, their very lives.”
She pushed him. “What does this have to do with Brian’s program, Banovic?”
“I see you still don’t understand. Yeltsin called the Chechen soldiers criminals, Russian mafia,” he spat. “My brother will be avenged. The lives lost will not go unpunished. I will cripple what is left of Mother Russia. I have waited five years for this opportunity. I will use their own networks to create a chaos they have never known. The world will watch helplessly as the former Soviet Union once again self-destructs. In the chaos, Chechnya will rise. And you, Ms. Thompson, will help me.”
Alex nearly let out a startled gasp at the slight vibration on her wrist. She quickly glanced down at her watch; the readout was flashing. She almost sighed with the feeling of release which washed over her. It was time to go.
“It’s a little warm in here. Mind if I take off my jacket?”
Alex took a small step away from the Russian after he released her wrist. As she slid the coat off, she quickly bent down to grab the blade from her right heel. Without taking the time to think, she threw the knife towards Banovic while ducking to avoid the Russian’s outstretched arms.
As his hand closed around her arm, she stepped towards him instead of away and jerked out of his grasp. Then she grabbed his right hand, stopping him from reaching for his gun. Alex stepped back and kicked into the man’s private parts. The big man went down, helpless, and she took off running, hit the back door, and leaped off the stairs.
The light of the moon offered no cover. She could hear rushing footsteps behind her. Alex ran towards the line of trees and ducked behind the bush. Quickly, she grabbed her gun and ticked off the safety.
Not taking the time to target, she shot over the top of the bushes. Pausing, she heard other gunfire but couldn’t tell which direction the shots were coming from. Then she heard Banovic’s voice. “Stop shooting. I need her alive, you idiots.”
Saying a prayer that Rafé had her covered, Alex moved out from behind the bush and sprinted in the direction of the woods. She ducked behind a tree just as a bullet came whizzing by her side. Apparently, the men hadn’t listened. Looking around the tree, she spotted two of the guards making their way towards her.
“Drop your gun and come out. We won’t hurt you,” an accented voice coaxed.
Damn it, where are they? Trying to keep her cool, Alex ejected the empty clip and inserted the fresh one. She moved from behind the tree and fired off two shots, hitting one of the men. She crouched down and began making her way to the left.
Then she heard the metallic click of a hammer. Turning quickly, she raised her gun but then froze in place facing the man. Jarik. She stared at the tall Russian who had tried to kidnap her at the school. They each had their gun trained on the other. Alex could see the vengeance in his eyes. One of them would die.
For the first time, Alex felt fear twist in her stomach. Nevertheless, she kept her eyes on his face, her finger pressed tight against the trigger.
“I knew that we would meet like this. Killing your boyfriend was a mistake for which I have paid a great deal. Banovic will never forgive me for a second mistake. I’ll run and he will hunt me forever. But you, I will see the life drain out of your eyes as you beg me not to kill you,” he promised.
“Drop your weapon,” Alex ordered. She never took her eyes from the Russian’s face. Her arms were beginning to tremble from holding the gun, but she kept it trained on him, steady, ready to pull the trigger.
“The police are on their way. I suggest you leave now,” she bluffed. She heard Rafé’s voice calling out her name and allowed herself the thought of getting out of this one alive. She looked away from her opponent for a second and when she glanced back she saw him squeeze the trigger.
It seemed as though time almost stopped. The hammer on his gun came down just as Alex fired. She felt a burning sensation on her left side. Through a haze of pain she saw the Russian sway and begin to collapse. It was the last thing she saw before the ground rushed to meet her and darkness chased the pain away.