46 |
46 |Operations Center 2, CIA Headquarters Langley, Virginia
“Well, they’ve been picked up, but they weren’t held at the airport like they were supposed to be.”
Leroux frowned at the expected news as he reentered the room after being informed by Director Morrison that Delta was a go. “Where are they?”
“You’re going to like this,” replied Randy Child, pointing at the displays. “I’ve been able to track them leaving the airport then arriving at the Burj Khalifa.”
Leroux’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Why the hell would they bring them there?”
Child shrugged. “These are Saudis. I don’t think they really look at things the way we do.”
“Obviously.” Leroux gestured toward the displays showing Acton and his wife escorted into the hotel by four men in suits, none of whom wore the police uniforms of the men that had arrested them. “Where’d they go?”
Child manipulated the display. “They boarded an elevator, went to the 142nd floor, then entered room 142E. There are no cameras in the rooms, so that’s as far as I can take it.”
Leroux frowned. “So, you’re telling me all you were able to do was track them to their exact final destination?”
Child threw up his hands in mock apology. “I know you’re disappointed.”
“Tremendously. You’re fired.”
Child grinned. “I’ll pack my things.”
“Do that.” Leroux raised a finger. “But not until after your shift.” He became serious once again. “Do we know who rented that room?”
Child tapped a few keys then laughed. “Oh, this is too good.”
Leroux smiled, turning toward him. “Let me guess. They didn’t bother hiding it.”
Child shook his head. “Nope. Department of Ancient Antiquities, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Sonya Tong shook her head, her arms folded across her chest. “How sheltered from the real world are these people?”
Leroux sat at his station, shaking his head. “Let’s just hope their idiocy keeps up. Right now, they just keep digging their own grave.”
Child held up a finger. “Now, now, they are after an ancient ring, so at least they’ve got the right department renting the room. Let’s give them that.”
Leroux chuckled. “The problem is they honestly think this makes everything look legit.” He leaned back and stared at a data file on the building, cycling through what the CIA knew about the structure, things that the average civilian wouldn’t consider, such as HVAC ductwork, window types, door thicknesses, and more.
Anything anyone would need to know to breach any part of the massive structure standing over 2720 feet tall.
Leroux sighed. “Well, at least we now have a target for Delta. Get every piece of intel you can over to them. They’re going to need it if they’re going to come up with a plan that gets our people out alive.”
Child shrugged. “Seems pretty easy to me. Hit the room, kill the bad guys, grab the targets, get out.”
Leroux turned his chair to face Child. “You’re forgetting one thing.”
“What?”
“That room is on the 142nd floor. The elevator alone takes a minimum of one minute to get to the bottom. That assumes the elevator is already there when they need it, and that it doesn’t slow to stop on any other floors on the way down. By the time they get there, a couple of hundred police could be waiting to greet them.”
“Huh. Didn’t think about that.” Child chewed his cheek for a moment, scrunching up his nose. “So, maybe I should get to work on those elevators?”
Leroux nodded. “Figure it out, and you might just keep your job.”