Iris Johansen - Dead Aim

"You'll be glad to know that, thanks to your orders, our people were not-"

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Unfortunately, the explosion undermined the integrity of the surrounding acreage. Thirty-four miners are buried. We don't know if there are any fatalities yet." "Thirty-four-" He felt sick, and he knew that horror must be reflected on his face. He had to get to somewhere less public. He was the President. He mustn't show fear or disgust and most of all he mustn't show despair. He was the icon, the symbol. God, he was tired of that too.

Well, too bad. It went with the territory. He drew Keller out of the corridor into the green room. "Now, tell me what the hell happened."

Miami, Florida

"What happened?" Alex glared at Galen as he helped her from the plane. "And where's Morgan? I'm going to kill him."

"I can't say I blame you." Galen took her duffel and led her toward a car parked beside a hangar at the private airport. "But I'm innocent. He didn't say anything to me about ditching you until it was a done deed. He called me after your plane had taken off."

"But you suspected, didn't you? What did you tell him when you called while we were on the way to the plane?" "That AI Leary was hobnobbing in Guatemala City with

Cordoba, the head man of Matanza." "Leary…" She had to think for a minute before she made the connection. "He's the CIA agent who sent Morgan to North Korea." "And set up the Morales hit. Morgan asked me to locate

Leary." And he hadn't mentioned anything about it to her. She felt a burst of anger and frustration-and sheer terror. "He's gone after Leary, hasn't he?" "More than likely."

"You know damn well that's where he is." Her voice was shaking. "He wants answers and he thinks Leary will give them to him. It doesn't matter that he's down there with all those crazy butchers and killers and-" She had to stop to regain her composure. "And he didn't want me with him. He thought I'd get in the way. I'm not that dense. I would never have-" She drew a deep breath. "He said he'd call me, but he's more likely to phone you. You're not going to give him a guilt trip. So you have to let me know when he contacts you. No more secrets."

"Okay. I'd never think of disputing a lady as angry as you are." He opened the passenger door for her. "In the meantime, I promised Morgan I'd take you home with me until he could-"

"No way. Your wife's pregnant. I'm not going to put any more pressure on her than she has already. You can stash me back in that shack in Prescott and I'll wait until I hear-" She broke off as Galen's phone rang.

Morgan?

Galen shook his head to her unspoken question as he spoke into the phone. The disappointment was so intense she had to turn away from Galen for a moment. What had she expected? Morgan might not even have reached Guatemala City yet. Galen was cursing softly and her gaze flew back to his face. Grim. Very grim.

"What is it?" she asked as he hung up. "Your wife?"

He nodded. "But she's fine. She just wondered if I'd heard about Plum mock Falls."

"What?"

"It's a coal mine south of Huntington, West Virginia.

There's been a gas explosion and thirty-four mIners are buried."

Horror surged through her. "No," she whispered.

"That's what I said."

"Z-2?"

"It could be a coincidence."

"I don't think so." Thirty-four smothering darkness beneath the chances of getting them out?"

"It depends how unstable the mine's become and how much air is left down there." mIners caught in that earth. "What are the

"We should have been quicker. We should have been able to figure out where it was going to happen." "How? You just found out about the possibility of coal mines being in the equation. Do you think you're some kind of fortune- teller?" "I guess not." She felt numb. All she could think about were those men buried in that mine. "Why? Why would anyone do that?"

Galen shook his head.

"I have to know, Galen. You weren't at Arapahoe Junction.

All those people, all those deaths. It can't keep happening…" She tightened her lips to keep them from trembling. "I won't let it go on. It has to stop."

Galen touched her shoulder comfortingly. "Come home with me. I talked to Elena. She's good with it."

Alex shook her head. "I'm going to Plummock Falls."

"It's not a good idea. If it's sabotage, there will be all kinds of law enforcement there. And we've already established that some of those cops aren't as pure as they should be. They'll probably be expecting you."

"I don't care," she said fiercely. "I'm going. Even if you have to arrange plastic surgery to keep me from being recognized. I have to be there."

He studied her for a moment and then nodded. "Okay. You do what I tell you and we'll find a way for you to go. I'll call Logan and tell him I may have to ask for some help on this one." He smiled. "And we'll try to do without the plastic surgery. You can use the same disguise elements you did before. It would be a shame to take a knife to that face."

Plum mock Falls…

Runne stared thoughtfully at the CNN shot of the mine.

Betworth had done well. He hadn't heard one murmur of suspicion on any of the news channels. They appeared convinced it was caused by a buildup of gas in the mine. There was a bit of ranting and raving by environmental groups and union representatives, but they clearly didn't have a clue. All they could determine was that

The dogs!

He sat up straight with excitement as the television cam era caught a shot of the rescue workers and canine teams on the edge of the mine. That's what he'd been waiting for. Throughout most of her adult life, Graham had worked side by side with search-and-rescue workers. Even if she only suspected that Plum mock Falls was Z-2, he doubted she could resist coming to help.

Besides, he'd made sure there was an added lure that would bring Alex Graham to the disaster site.

"What do you mean you're at Plummock Falls?" Logan said. "For God's sake, Sarah, you're in no shape to work. Why the hell didn't you call me before you took off?"

"I'm calling you now," Sarah said. "And you have no room to complain about lack of communication. You still haven't told me where Alex is."

"She's safe."

"The devil she is. Look, I didn't call to argue with you. I have a job to do and it looks nasty. They won't let us near the mine shaft yet. There's too much debris and too many walls to be shored up."

"Then you shouldn't be near it. Your team shouldn't have asked you to come." "Hey, I'm not the star here. The local Emergency Rescue Unit made a special request to headquarters to have Monty brought here." "What?"

"You know Monty's nose gets more press than any dog's in the search-and-rescue field." "Yes." But he didn't like any special requests being made. Not right now. "Look, Sarah, stay at the site. Don't be alone. Even for a minute."

There was a silence. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't like either you or Monty being singled out." He paused. "And if you get a call from Alex, don't go to meet her. She's already told me she won't be contacting you."

"And what if she changes her mind?"

"Don't go to meet her."

"What's happening, John?"

"I wish you'd just go home, dammit." But she wouldn't leave and she had to be warned. "We're not sure that Plum mock Falls was an accident."

He heard the sharp intake of her breath. "Another Arapahoe Junction?"

"Possibly. At any rate we have to be very cautious." "Those bastards."

"Yes. Will you go home?"

"No."

"Then will you be careful?"

"As careful as Monty will let me. We have to get those miners out." She didn't speak for a moment. "Why? This has to end, John."

"I'm working on it. And so is your friend Alex. You just concentrate on your job. I'll call you tomorrow. I love you."