Chapter XX

MADDUX WAS LESS THAN THRILLED about making another long trip back to Yugoslavia, especially since he staunchly believed he never should’ve been dragged away in the first place. Had Dex been more accommodating, he could’ve waited until after Maddux and Rose extracted Pritchett from the SDB holding facility in Podkoren. But Maddux realized there was no use in pining about the past. Pritchett remained in the SDB’s custody, and they weren’t about to let him get away. At least, not without a savvy escape plan.

Maddux invited Dex to join him in the basement before they hit the road. Dex accepted, and they stepped onto the elevator together and descended into Rose’s domain.

“Welcome, gentleman,” she said as she paced back and forth in front of one of her worktables. “Well, there’s some good news and some bad news.”

“I’d rather hear the bad first,” Dex said. “The good will soften the sting afterward.”

“Too bad,” she said. “You’ll hear it in the order that I heard it. So, the good news is that we know where Pritchett is—at least, we think we do. He has been taken to Konjic along the Neretva River. We have plenty of intel on that SDB prison since we’ve had several agents who’ve been held there.”

“And the bad news?” Dex asked.

“The location is heavily guarded and extremely difficult to get in and out of without being seen,” she said.

“It’s not that bad,” Dex said. “You guys down here always make everything sound so doom and gloom.”

“Would you care to refute the report and share with us how the prison is all rainbows and roses with a paved road leading to the prison gate?”

Dex closed his eyes and shook his head slowly before responding. “Rose, Rose, Rose. When are you ever going to thoroughly read my file? I know you do it all the time. I’ve seen you scanning other agents’ profiles as you decide what tech someone will need to make their mission easier.”

“Perhaps all you need is a bobby pin and you can jimmy the lock, walk right in, grab Pritchett, and walk right out. Simple enough, right?”

“You’re making it sound like it’s as easy as going to the corner market for a six pack. It is heavily guarded, but there are ways in and out.”

“Such as,” boomed Bearden from the back of the room. He strode toward them, his footsteps echoing throughout the cavernous facility.

“A tunnel, maybe,” Dex said. “Or scaling the fence when the guards aren’t looking.”

“Did you just say those ideas out loud, Dex?” Bearden asked.

Dex pursed his lips and tilted his head to one side. “Okay, so maybe those aren’t the most practical ideas given the fact that we need to get Pritchett out of there in a hurry.”

Maddux chuckled.

“What is it?” Dex asked.

Maddux smiled. “I just pictured Pritchett using a spoon to shovel out dirt from his cell. It was quite comical—not to mention that it will never happen.”

“Yes,” Bearden said. “We need something better than that, something that will actually help him escape the SDB’s clutches right away.”

“You know a thing or two about that facility, don’t you?” Rose asked , eyeing Bearden.

“More than I care to know.”

“Have you been there?” Maddux asked.

“I got taken there several years ago when we had an operation go south in Belgrade,” Bearden said. “Fortunately, the place wasn’t as heavily guarded then as it is now.”

“You escaped?” Dex asked.

Bearden nodded. “I put a guard in a sleeper hold, switched clothes with him, and walked right out of there. Took me less than a week to recognize the opportunity, and I went for it.”

“But things have changed?” Rose asked.

“Based off the reports I’ve seen, they’ve made significant changes since I was there.”

Dex glanced down at the documents in front of him. “From what I’ve read, this place is highly fortified. We’re not getting inside this place, at least not without a few dead bodies scattered around.”

“Or so it would appear,” Bearden said.

“You have some other ideas?” Maddux asked.

“I think so. Given everything that’s happened since I was held in Konjic, surprisingly there is one thing that hasn’t changed.”

“And what’s that?” Dex asked.

“The man running the place, Goran Jankovic. He somehow survived the fallout from my escape, which I know the KGB was upset about. They didn’t force the SDB to replace him as head of the prison, which is still puzzling. I’m not sure why that is, but I’m glad they didn’t. I have an idea on how we can get inside and get Pritchett out without anyone noticing.”

“What are we going to do, just walk right up to the gate and knock?” Dex asked with a chuckle.

“That’s the idea,” Beraden said. “Are you up for the challenge?”