Mark Young - Off the grid

Lawton gave him an uneasy look. “Right now? They got someone watching you?”

Nodding, Richard eased back in his chair. “Based on the level of activity, my guess is there is only one operative. My people tell me they should have a lock on this person before the day is out.”

“And once you find this person-what then?”

“Do you really want to know, George?”

The other man’s features clouded as silence followed the question.

Richard knew George’s unspoken answer. Kill him!

Joe studied his screen intensely. He’d picked up short bursts of electronic signals ever since he came online about an hour ago. One possible explanation was that Kane’s people were searching for any intrusive signatures, trying to determine if someone was trying to gain access to their system. His firewall and access to reverse proxy servers leading to other sites protected him from them locking down his position. He must work fast in order to get in and get out without leaving behind any more telltale signatures.

A few minutes later, he backed out and shut down his exploratory program. Senator Summers’s revelation to Gerrit about Project Megiddo had given Joe more information that even Willy and Gerrit realized. Kane’s self-replicating spyware and lightning quantum calculations might be able to find a way to track Joe’s digital trail. In order to break that link, he pulled out and shut down for short periods, scanning his system to detect any weaknesses or viruses. If his system became vulnerable, they’d be able to slip inside and corrupt or monitor his whole operation.

He had to make sure this never happened.

Joe called up another electronics mail drop and pecked out a quick message.

Target at my location may be aware I am in area. They cannot locate…if I stay vigilant. Concerned about our birds out west. Gal from Vienna spotted on-site. You have location of lab. Send them help through our ops contact. Keep them safe. Thanks.

As he hit the Save button, he hoped Beck remembered to check his messages. Joe shed himself of that concern and began to relax, knowing this man always came through. He never knew much about Beck’s background for security reasons. But he knew if the man got this message, Gerrit and the others would have their backs covered.

Beck Malloy always came through.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

A timid knock on the motel room door forced Gerrit to sit up and clear his head. He’d just closed his eyes for a moment. The others were in their own rooms. Maybe one of them came back to give him an update.

He rose and opened the door. A maid gave him a shy smile and handed him a piece of paper. “A man…he give me this for you, senor. Okay?”

Gerrit sleepily nodded thanks and accepted the folded paper before closing the door. He unfolded it and read the scrawl inside:

G.

Meet me down the hall in room 34, upper level. Now! Need to bail you out again.

Jack

Semper Fi

Confused, Gerrit read the note once more. This could only be one person. Major Jack Thompson, USMC, his old commanding officer now located at SOCOM. Here? In this motel? He tensed. If the major knew he was in this room, then the guy must know about the others. As he folded up the paper, another rap on the door drew his attention. He opened the door. Alena.

“We heard a knock on the door and some voices. Everything all right?”

He showed her the note. “I think I know who this guy is. And if so, we can trust him…I think. After everything else I’ve seen, I’m just not so sure anymore.”

“Need me to go with you?”

“Nah. But alert the others. If I run into a problem, you guys jam out of here. I wish we were prepared to defend ourselves right now. That was the next thing I was trying to work out with Geronimo.”

“How did this guy know we were here?” She seemed to be thinking about that question for a moment. “Maybe Joe sent some backup. He knows Kane’s people are here.”

Gerrit shoved the note into his pocket. “That’s what I’m hoping. Best-case scenario, Joe sent in the cavalry. Worst-case scenario, Kane knows where we are.”

“But if that weasel knew where we were holed up, he would just send in his people and take us out.”

“Let me see if this is the guy I know. If not…”

Alena gave him a quick hug. “Stay safe.” And then she was gone.

He walked outside, closed and locked the door. Quietly, he walked toward the room identified in the note. The door to room thirty-four was recessed, and he couldn’t actually see the door until he was right on it. Curtains to the right of the door were closed, the window sealed up. Gerrit tried to glance at a crack between the two panels of curtains. Only darkness. Once he opened the door, anyone inside would have the advantage. It would take his eyes several seconds to adjust to the darkness once he crossed that threshold.

Major Jack Thompson always maintained tactical advantage. Gerrit smiled as he thought of his old commanding officer. Tough as nails, the major earned the respect of everyone under his command by never asking them to do something he wouldn’t do himself. Like running twenty-six miles in full battle gear as they sweated through ninety-degree weather. Or taking on a full complement of Taliban killers with a handful of men during a bitter-cold Afghan winter.

Gerrit took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He heard a deep growl inside. “Come on in, Marine.”

Smiling, he turned the knob and stepped into darkness.

“Shut the door, Marine. You want to invite Charlie?”

Gerrit closed the door. “We’re a long way from Vietnam, Major.”

A second later, a light came on. Jack Thompson stood across the room, his hardened face breaking into a grin. “Losing your touch, Lieutenant. Never let the enemy get this close to your people.”

“Never thought of you as the enemy, Major.”

“I’m a colonel now, son. Gotta keep up.”

“Congratulations, sir.”

“Stow it, Marine. They thought this old leatherneck might ride a desk for the rest of his career and quit causing them problems. In their dreams.”

“Still in Special Ops?”

He nodded. “They’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming from that post. The day they move me inside is the day I leave the Corps.”

“Never thought I’d see you retire.” Gerrit crossed over and shook hands. “Good to see you. But a little surprised that you showed up here.”

Jack smiled. “Bet you are, boy. Couldn’t believe I could get this close to you without setting off an alarm. You need to run a tighter ship.”

Gerrit turned his palms upward. “I’m running nothing right now but a look-and-see op. What brings you here, sir?”

“My man Beck Malloy tracked me down after he got a message from Joe. Yeah, I know him, too. Beck said you and the others might be running into some flack?”

Gerrit shook his head. “I keep hearing about this guy, but so far we’ve never crossed paths.”

“Better that way,” Jack said. “Need to compartmentalize these kinds of operations, much like the spooks run theirs. Need to know and all that.”

“So how much do you know about what we’re up against?”

“First, sit down and let me tell you a few things.”

They pulled up a couple chairs and settled in. Jack gave him a sober look. “I’ve had my eye on you ever since our first operation together. Your dad came to me and asked that I watch your back. He wouldn’t say much, except he was concerned that others might try to get to him through you.”

“My dad came to you? He never said anything about it.”

“That’s the way he wanted it. And after he died…” Jack paused for a moment. “When Tom was killed-after you returned to the States-your uncle paid me a visit with the same request. Later, he put me in contact with Beck.”