Friday morning Marcus sat in the briefing trying desperately to listen to his boss, Senior Special Agent Mike Estes, but all he could think about was his date with Tori tomorrow. And yes, it was a date. Sure, they had both been invited to the wedding, but she had made a point of saying the word ‘date.’ He would be with her, by her side, all evening. He wondered if there would be dancing. Would he be able to hold her in his arms as they swayed to slow sultry music? He could practically smell her perfume—
Harper shifted in the seat next to him and covertly whacked his knee under the table. When she glared at him then toward the front, he got the message.
“It looks as though the Salvadoran Vipers were able to stop the semi, killed the driver and guard, then stole the trailer.” SSA Estes clicked from the route map to the next picture. Everyone stared in silence at the driver who had been shoved into the middle of the bench seat and slumped forward, half his face missing. Click. The photograph was taken from the opposite side of the tractor. The guard, who had been shot multiple times, lay sprawled against the driver, black blood pooled at his feet and on the seat. The site was gruesome but most of the men and women in that room had seen worse, up close and personal. The memory of the smell of death hung in the room.
The back of the tractor appeared on the large screen. “Obviously the thieves knew what they were doing. They disconnected everything as though they were experts.” A photograph of tire tracks appeared. “According to the report, they dropped the trailer ninety-seven feet from where they left the tractor, still running. Whoever moved the tractor might have left fingerprints but since these tractors are used by multiple drivers and guards,” Estes chuckled. “And rarely cleaned, the lab is having nightmares with all the fingerprints. Although we normally don’t like to share investigations, the Department of Homeland Security is taking the lead on this one. I can assure you, though, ATF is taking an active role.”
One of the new guys at the opposite end of the table raised his hand. Marcus wanted to roll his eyes. This was a high-level briefing, not a classroom. After working with SSA Estes on several missions, both on U.S. soil and abroad, he knew his boss preferred agents who used their minds and spoke up to ask intelligent questions. Maybe the new guy was trying to brown nose.
“Sir, doesn’t the Department of Energy normally handle their own security? Why are we getting involved?” The question was one Marcus had asked his boss before being ordered to take the uncomfortable ride in the semi.
Without missing a beat, SSA Estes explained, “There are several reasons, but not everyone in this room has the clearance to hear all of them. I will share this with you all. The DOE has extremely good contracted security for all phases of production of fissionable materials and transport.” He clicked back to the pictures of the cab of the truck. “They weren’t prepared for this.”
SSA Estes took a deep breath and put the map back on the screen. “The contractor doesn’t have the intelligence connections that we do. We had been warned something like this might happen. The Department of Energy had also been warned, but there was obviously a disconnect between those who had been briefed and the contractor.”
After a long drink of water, their boss continued. “As you all know, since 9/11 our role has continued to grow. When they added explosives to our title, they also added the term international. There would be those who would argue which department nuclear materials belong under, but our current administration believes that the rods that go into missiles transforming a tube of steel into a bomb should be considered an explosive.”
Marcus grinned deep inside but schooled his face. The president himself had called upon the ATFE after being briefed by several other alphabet agencies who used the words SV-16 and nuclear bombs in the same sentences. Too bad no one had paid attention earlier. The driver and DOE man might still be alive. He was thankful once again for the protection provided by Katlin and her team. They, too, would have ended up as casualties.
“Do we know where they took the trailer?” Harper asked a good question.
“Matter of fact, just before walking in here I was informed that the trailer was found parked next to hundreds of others at the shipping docks in Miami.” Estes grin was sardonic. “Empty, of course.”
“Are they tracking the shipment?” The eager new guy sounded hopeful.
Estes grinned indulgently. “Seven and a half million tons of cargo pass through that port every year. I looked it up. There are more than 175,000 employees, so I’m pretty sure more than a few could be bought off. They work round the clock, and given the hijackers would have arrived in the middle of the night, I’d bet money that those rods were on a ship heading to Central America by sunrise.”
“Do we know what they plan to do with the rods?” Robert Finch asked. He was one of the good guys. They had been on several missions together including one in Columbia where Harper had been kidnapped. He had visited Marcus several times while in the hospital and during physical rehabilitation.
Their boss looked his way. “Agent Tambini, will you inform the team of the interrogation findings please.”
Marcus was surprised as he looked at Harper. He had no idea they had moved her into an analyst position. He wondered if she had told someone at work that she was pregnant and they had moved her from the field to a desk job.
After a brief glance at her notes, Harper looked up and swept her gaze over the table. “Throughout the takedown and the interrogation, the hijackers kept saying Salvador libre which means ‘free Salvador.’ Which is not a person in this case, but they are referring to the entire country of El Salvador.” She shrugged. “In case you’re not up on your Central American history, El Salvador became a Democratic Republic in 1990 after twelve years of civil war. Before that it had been a military dictatorship. Although it actually has multiple parties, the two biggest ones are the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). In 2014, Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the FMLN party won the presidency. He had served the previous five years as vice president.”
The man’s face appeared on the screen with his name underneath.
Harper continued, “Since his name is Salvador, the interrogators were at first concerned that someone had kidnapped the president. It took a while to figure out that they were talking about the entire country.” She nodded at SSA Estes who clicked to the next screen, a map of Central America.
“I want you all to take a good look at this area. To give you a point of reference, El Salvador is about the size of New Jersey but its population is just over six million, versus New Jersey with around nine million people.” She sipped her water before she continued. “Piecing together the intelligence gathered during the interrogations, the CIA has concluded that the Salvadorian Vipers are trying to unite El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala into one country. They couldn’t get anyone to commit as to what they were going to do with Belize but many people in that area don’t recognize Belize as a separate government. One man, in fact, talked about taking over the entire Yucatán Peninsula from Mexico all the way back to Veracruz.”
Robert let out a long whistle. “What makes them think they can turn over their own government, say nothing about uniting all the others?”
SSA Estes spoke up. “Many people throughout Central America had been carefully watching what’s been happening in Nicaragua. The U.S.-backed coup in that country has made all the other countries stand up and pay attention. Most celebrated when the United States ended its control of the Panama Canal. Now that Nicaragua is building its own transcontinental canal, bringing with it billions of international dollars, the other countries want a piece of that action.” He chuckled. “Unfortunately, they are not interested in friendly relationships with the United States which is financially supporting the rebuilding of Nicaragua.”
Robert leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “Let me get this straight, and I’m just trying to wrap my head around what SV-16 is thinking. They stole what could be made into nuclear weapons from the United States in an attempt to become a player in Central America? They don’t want our money interfering with their government, but they do want our weapons. Then they want our tourists. Is that about right?”
Harper looked at her boss. “I can answer that question.”
When SSA Estes motioned with his hand, she explained, “Yes. But they don’t want to stop there. Currently millions of dollars in drugs, human trafficking, and more illegal activities pass through their country every day.” She smiled then. “According to the leader of the hijacking, their intent is to charge a toll to the cartel. They aren’t interested in producing, distributing, or working in any way with the Colombian cartels, but they are confident that they could create a roadblock and charge for passage through their newly created country.”
“Well, that’s fucking bold,” Marcus said under his breath low enough that only Harper heard.
“Bold, indeed,” she announced. “But they are now holding something that no one within a thousand miles can compete with—nuclear capability.”
Softly spoken swearwords filled the room as the agents around the table realized the severity of the situation.
“Department of Energy has no international capabilities.” Estes looked at the newbie at the other end of the table. “This is why the President has dropped this live grenade in our lap. Good thing is, we’re not in this foxhole alone.” He looked around the table, pausing at each face. “This is our new task force. I want each of you to brush up on your Spanish, everything Central American, nuclear capabilities and SV-16.”
He pointed to three-inch thick binders sitting at a back table. “That’s your homework for the weekend. On Monday we will be meeting at the Department of Homeland Security.”
Grumbles filled the room. “At least you guys get to take the weekend off. I’ll be working with almost every alphabet agency in D.C. trying to hash out a plan that we can kick off on Monday.” Estes rubbed fingers over his forehead. Quietly he added, “I just hope I can kiss my wife and kids goodnight and catch a few hours’ sleep in my own bed.” He looked up and called, “Dismissed.”
When Marcus started to stand, SSA Estes held up a hand. “I’d like you two to stay.”
Catching Harper’s glance, his friend gave a small shrug. Well, damn. She didn’t know what was happening either.
When the last person wandered out of the room, tome in hand, their boss asked him to close the door.
When he sat down, SSA Estes let out a long slow breath. “You two know a whole lot more than what’s in those books.” He nodded toward the remaining two binders. “We’ve lived it, together, for years. I just want to bring everybody else up to speed.”
As though he’d shed the boss persona and morphed into their friend Mike, he leaned, putting his forearms on the table, and folded his hands. When his gaze met Harper’s, regret washed over his face. “I’m terribly sorry that I’m not going to be able to make it to the wedding this weekend. Trust me, I would much rather be there toasting your future than dealing with this shit. Anna was looking forward to a night in adult company without the kids.”
“I completely understand.” Harper reached over and patted his clasped hands. “The situation is so much more important than my quick little shotgun wedding.”
Mike laughed out loud. “I’ve met your friends. I doubt any will be carrying shotguns but I’m quite sure there will be enough hidden weapons in that church and reception to stop Rafe from running away.” Then he gave her the warmest smile. “He’s one lucky man, but I think he knows that.”
“Thank you, sir.” Harper looked like she was ready to cry.
Their boss quickly turned his attention to Marcus. “I’m putting you as our representative on the joint task force. When Harper returns from her honeymoon, she will be your liaison with this department. You’ll have an entire team behind you, but you will be the eyes and ears for us on this task force. Knowing Homeland, you will be reporting in over there until this mission is finished.”
“Yes, sir.” The thought of working over at Homeland Security didn’t thrill him until he remembered that Tori worked there. He might get to see her, every day.
SSA Estes grimaced. “By the looks of things, I’ll be over there every day next week, so we’ll keep in touch until Harper returns.” He stood in dismissal. “I’ll see you on Monday.” He turned to Harper and gave her a loose hug, whispering something in her ear that made her sniff as though holding back tears.
When she stepped away from their boss, his smile was almost fatherly. “I look forward to greeting Mrs. Harper Silva when you get back.”
Just before they stepped through the door, he added, “You two have a great weekend.”
Marcus was going to be on a date with Tori. He was going to have the best weekend of his life.