Street Game

Griffen gave the two performers a small salute and continued on his way, wandering through the live art. He was an imposing man and easy to keep an eye on. Mack knew his shadows would hang back. The man in the trench coat ambled on the outer edges of the exhibit, although he did study the first picture for a long time just to make certain that small tribute the sergeant major had given them hadn't been anything more.

  Gideon, Javier said. Take a good look at the woman standing just by the first painting. Average height and weight. Short dark hair. Dressed like everyone else. She blends in. Gray jacket with hood. She's sipping coffee and thumbing through the art info.

  I got her.

  I got a feeling about her. She got out of the way when my little group came hurtling through there. Smooth. Fast. Clean. Really clean, Gideon. She's a plant. If not with them, then law enforcement. And she blends too well.

  Mack smiled. Javier had a gift. If he said the woman had moved too smoothly, she had. He switched to watch the kid in action. The teens had congregated by the corner of the stage and were doing a mixture of tricks and dance moves. As always, Javier was in the middle of them. No one, not even Mack, could catch him looking at Sergeant Major. And most likely, after dropping the earpiece into Griffen's pocket, he'd never so much as glanced at him. That wasn't his job. His job was to spot the enemy.

  I've got her, Javier, Gideon reported. If she moves when he does, I'll let you know. Right now, Bond-boy is keeping fairly close. I'm guessing Skull-boy takes over when he starts his walk to the coffee shop.

  Ethan, seated on one of the benches, glanced at his watch, folded his newspaper, gathered up his briefcase, and began to walk out of the square toward the coffee shop. He passed the woman Javier had pointed out without glancing at her. His cell phone rang and he stopped, a foot from her, and answered, spoke briefly with his back to her.

  Send those pictures to Jaimie, Mack said. Did you get any of Bond-boy?

  A couple, Top, but I'm not certain they'll be good enough, Ethan answered.

  Jaimie can do anything with her program, boss, Javier said. She's a goddess.

  Mack knew she could work magic with her computer, but this was so important. In the end, all of their lives would depend on her skills. They had to know who was supporting Whitney and trying to kill Kane and Brian. They had to bring them out of the shadows and into the open where his team could take them down.

  She is, Mack said, meaning it. He was lucky to have Jaimie, to know someone with her skills, let alone have her for his partner.

  He watched Sergeant Major make the circuit around the live art show, admiring the various pictures. "Okay, do your usual brisk walk out of there. Get back to your usual routine. Head for the coffee shop like you always do. Get in line, order your favorite drink. Don't sit down. I want you to stand in front of those three posters on the back wall and read them. Javier will be right next to you. Put your cell phone in the right pocket of your coat. Once he has your phone, don't move. Take your time drinking your coffee. This is important, Sergeant Major. He'll be sending the data to Jaimie. If they have a trace on that phone, she'll find it and do a back-trace. They can't know there's anything wrong. They have to think you're the one with the phone, not Javier."

  "But . . ."

  "Keep walking. He'll drop the cell back into your pocket. Paul will call you, a casual conversation, just follow his lead. This will work. They'll record the conversation with Paul and we'll get an address. And don't talk to us, just go about your business, following the instructions. This is what I'm trained for. You're covered all the way."

  Sergeant Major moved into the swarm of people on the sidewalk, heading downhill from the square. San Francisco was all hills. One either went up the hill or down it, but there were very few flat areas. It was good exercise and Griffen was big on utilizing the local terrain for his workout, rather than hitting the gym. Still, it was difficult to walk down the street in the open air, surrounded by tall buildings, where at any moment someone could put a bullet in his head.

  I'm moving with him along the rooftops, boss, Gideon reported. I've got an open route. Lucas is running interference for me. Bond-boy is well ahead of him, almost at the coffee shop. Skull-boy is back about two blocks. They're giving him plenty of room. Someone told them the old man has sharp eyes.

  And the woman?

  She hasn't moved yet. She's difficult to spot in the crowd.

  Mack's gut twisted. Marc, hang back and watch her. Don't lose her. Stay up high and watch that woman.

  Ten-four, boss.

  Sergeant Major just got stopped. A woman appearing to ask directions. She's handed him a map. She came up from his left. He has the piece in his right ear, Gideon reported.

  Mack swore under his breath. Such an innocent thing. A tourist? There were several tense moments.

  I've got her in my sights, give me the go, Gideon said.

  I can go in for a closer look, boss, Javier said.

  Not a good idea, Mack replied. Hold your position. You pass him too many times and they'll notice you.

  Stay where you are, Gideon said. Sergeant Major is waving me off.

  Keep the fucking gun on her, Mack snapped. It isn't his call. Just don't pull the trigger.

  She walked back over to two other women and she's pointing away from the coffee shop, Gideon said, and there was relief in his voice. Sergeant Major is on the move again and the three women are headed away from him. Skull-boy broke off target and acquired the three women.

  Lucas, you'll have to watch Skull-boy, so move into a higher position. I want to know if he talks to the women. Watch cell phones and if they drop something for him to pick up, Mack commanded. He doubted if they would have such a big team on the Sergeant Major, but he had come to meet with the GhostWalker team and they would want to know what he was up to, no matter how much it made sense. Did we get a picture of them for Jaimie?

  Jaimie's on it, Mack, Kane said. Skull and Bond are military or at least have been in the past.

  Just like the two who came after Jaimie, Mack said.

  Exactly, Kane confirmed. Look at the way Bond-boy moves. He's a fighter all the way.

  Jaimie, Javier, Sergeant Major is approaching the coffee shop.

  Javier made another teenage joke, got his group laughing, and then he glanced at his watch. Muttering, he dropped his board and pushed off with a casual wave and glided right up to the door of the coffee shop. Kicking the board up, he caught it, tucked it beneath his arm, and swaggered into the shop. He shoved the board into the double loop built into his backpack, freeing his hands as he stood in line at the counter to get his coffee, just a kid looking for his caffeine fix.

  Jaimie didn't look up. Her setup on the back wall was perfect. It would be impossible to approach her from any direction other than straight on, and no one could see her screen. The one glance he'd given in her direction had assured him anyone coming in wouldn't be able to recognize her. Her signature curly hair was pulled back from her face into a ponytail, giving the illusion that she had straighter hair. Her ball cap was pulled low, shadowing her face. The glasses were wider frames, a thick black that seemed to swallow her face. She chewed gum, staring straight ahead while her fingers flew across the keyboard. Occasionally she lifted the large coffee and took a sip without taking her eyes from her screen.

  Sergeant Major entered and moved into line. Javier took his coffee and moved toward the back where the three posters were. He set up in the shadows. In position, Top. Jaimie's doing her thing and is in a perfect position. Sergeant Major is getting his coffee and bagel as instructed. Bond-boy has entered the building. He blends so well.

  Mack chose not to reprimand Javier's snicker or urge him to take the enemy seriously. Javier would never change. Life seemed a great adventure to him. The more the adrenaline rush, the more he liked it.

  Javier waited until Sergeant Major settled into position, sipping his coffee and reading the posters before leaning over to look into the backpack he'd put beneath his table. He "acc
identally" brushed up against Griffen's coat, extracting the cell phone.

  I've got his cell. Jaimie, you ready?

  Yes. Do they have a chip? Or are they working with a mirror program?

  Chip. You can back-trace with no problem, Jaimie. Javier dropped the cell back into the Sergeant Major's pocket as he bent to pull his book out of his backpack. Everything's in place.

  Initiate the call, Mack, Jaimie advised. They'll begin tracing and my program will begin the trace instantly.

  "Incoming call, Sergeant Major. Stay on as long as possible," Mack said. "You'll be talking to Paul. Talk about fishing. Tell him you're in a coffee shop and will see him after the meeting. Follow his lead."

  Sergeant Major dipped his hand into his pocket as the phone rang, sipping at his coffee, his back to the room.

  Oh, yeah, Javier said, they're recording his call just like you figured, Mack.

  Mack hadn't realized he was so tense. He let his breath out. Jaimie?

  I'm on it. I already had a good idea where we were going with this, Mack, Jaimie said. They're bouncing all over the place, but they aren't going to get away. Not this time.

  She was referring to the trace she'd started in her home. He still wasn't comfortable involving Jaimie. Strange, it had been so important that they work together before. He'd wanted her on his team, believing her special skills could keep them all alive. Now he just wanted her safe and happy. It was much more difficult than he'd imagined trusting her safety to someone else, even to Javier, who he knew loved Jaimie.

  He could hear Sergeant Major talking to Paul. His voice was a little strained, but he managed a laugh in all the appropriate places. His respect for Paul rose sharply. The boy sounded relaxed and very much a son calling his father, looking forward to seeing him. He led the conversation skillfully, talking about a fictitious woman he'd met a few nights earlier and was hoping to see more of. He asked about his father staying over and maybe going out to the Farallon Islands to whale watch, and seemed genuinely disappointed when his father declined and said he had to get back to Washington. Several times Griffen shifted restlessly, but he didn't break position.

  Got it! There was triumph in Jaimie's voice. Let's get him out.

  Mack signaled to Paul to end the conversation. The boy talked a few more minutes and told his father he would see him after the meeting. Griffen's voice was gruff as he told Paul he loved him. There was a small silence. Mack had the feeling expressing emotion for his son wasn't something the sergeant major did often.

  "We'll get him out safely," Mack found himself reassuring Paul.

  Paul nodded. "I know, boss." He flashed a small grin. "Are you going to hit him upside the head like you did me?"

  Mack grinned back. "I think I'll skip that part."

  Sergeant Major is getting ready to move.

  Mack snapped back to attention. "Walk out the door and turn left. Approach the fountain. Take out your cell phone. They can track you anywhere just using the phone. It has to be thoroughly soaked. Accidentally drop it in the fountain when you get jostled. I want you to get wet and have to buy new clothes. There's a men's shop just up the block. You've bought a couple of suits there before."

  Paul had told him that whenever Sergeant Major wanted a nice suit, he preferred the exclusive shop and would fly to San Francisco to acquire one. It was easy enough for Paul to go into the shop, identify himself as Griffen's son, and purchase a new suit for him, made to his precise measurements. It was waiting along with socks, shoes, and underwear as well as a coat.

  "Remove everything, Sergeant Major. There's a medical kit. There's a tracking device under your skin. Probably on your hip. That's where we found all of ours. You'll need to remove that. We've got a man inside who will sweep you for more and help stitch you up. You'll need to be fast. Once the tracking devices go down, they'll be on to us. Once we take you, they'll send in their troops to try to kill or reacquire you. This will shake them up. You're here on legitimate business so no one will ever know any of this happened once we take them down, but you can stay under their thumb until we remove the threat or come out now. Your call whether we go all the way or not."

  "Get me the hell out from under this bastard," Sergeant Major snapped, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as he faked a cough.

  Sergeant Major walked outside, looked around, and whipped out his cell phone again, moving toward the sculpted fountain. He frowned at his phone as he walked, going through his address book with his thumb.

  Skull-boy gave up on the women. They caught the trolley. He's on his way back, Lucas reported. I think they were genuine tourists, boss.

  Get back here and get into place. We're going to need precision. Jaimie, as soon as they're out of there, get clear. Get back to the warehouse and barricade yourself in.

  No problem, Mack. I've got the easy part. Be safe, all of you.

  Javier wandered out of the coffee shop directly behind Bond-boy. The man stopped abruptly in the doorway, making a show of putting on his dark glasses. Javier bumped into his back, planting the homing device easily.

  "Hey, dude. Keep moving," Javier said rudely, shoving past and dropping his board on the ground.

  Bond-boy flipped him off, already turning his attention to Sergeant Major. Javier gave a small kick-push and took off down the sidewalk.

  Sergeant Major pushed the call button to begin dialing a number as he leaned down to look at the bottom of the fountain where the light display played through the water. Something bumped his arm and he whipped his head around to see an elderly man reeling, trying to maintain his balance. He dropped his phone and caught the man.

  "I'm sorry, I was pushed," the man said, looking around. No one seemed to be paying any attention. "Your phone . . ."

  "It's all right," Sergeant Major assured as he removed his jacket. "It's just a phone." He rolled up his sleeve but even then, when he reached through the water to retrieve the cell phone, his immaculate white shirt was instantly wet.

  Bond-boy isn't happy, Gideon reported. He's moving in on Sergeant Major. I can take him if he gets ugly.

  Give him some room, Gideon, Mack advised. We knew they wouldn't like losing the cell.

  Sergeant Major retrieved the cell, shook the water pouring out of it, and turned it off, cursing under his breath, even as he again reassured the elderly man that it wasn't his fault. He glanced at his watch and set off briskly going up the block toward the men's shop. The man with the dark glasses fell in behind him, mixing with the crowd.

  "Nice job," Mack murmured. "Looks like you've got two shadows."

  "I spotted one," Sergeant Major snapped.

  "Don't respond."

  Griffen cursed again and picked up his pace, his coat over his soaked sleeve. Mack felt bad for him. The man was a legend, reduced to playing a puppet on a string because of his love for his son. He was a man of action, not someone to let others manipulate him. Mack would bet his life he was armed and willing to use his weapons. Sergeant Major entered the men's store, disappearing inside.

  I've got him, Ethan said. He's stripping to the skin. I'm placing everything in a plastic bag. It's safer to get rid of everything, then take it to Jaimie. I don't want them tracing anything back to her. We'll have to rely on the trace. She'll have the cell phone.

  Hurry, Ethan, you're on the clock, Mack advised. Get that tracking chip out of his hip.

  Scanner picked up a second one. Ethan's voice was grim.

  Mack swore. Can you get it?

  It will be tough. It's deep. Sergeant Major says to cut the damn thing out of him regardless. Ethan let the admiration for the sergeant major show in his voice. "Sir, we have very little time. Can you stitch up your hip while I try digging for this thing?"

  "Whatever gets me out of here fast," Theodore Griffen snapped briskly. Ethan shot him full of painkillers and deadened the area before cutting out the first small chip, but still, it hurt like hell. Griffen didn't care. He wanted the vultures off his back and he wanted to retaliate.
r />   Ethan slipped the knife into Griffen's side, trying to ease the chip out. It seemed elusive, embedded deeper than necessary. Griffen never moved, stoically putting in two stitches at his hip while Ethan extracted the second chip.

  "Destroy them," Griffen ordered.

  "I'm sorry, sir, I can't do that," Ethan said. "You have to follow this through. You have to dress and go out the front door. I'll be right behind you with the chips. If they know the chips are gone, they'll kill you or reacquire you immediately."

  Griffen swore again. "Let's do it, then."

  Ethan studied him. The sergeant major's face was pale, but they'd cleaned him up fast. He had stitches in his side as well as his hip, but he walked without a limp even in the stiff new shoes. He walked out just ahead of Ethan. Ethan carried the garment bag with Sergeant Major's clothes in it. The two chips were in his pockets, still transmitting.

  Boss, the woman is coming right up on Sergeant Major, the one from Union Square, Marc reported. She's been in and out of shops, but suddenly she's moving fast and I think her intention is to intercept Sergeant Major. She's a pro, the way she moves through the crowd, very hard to spot.

  As Sergeant Major stepped through the doorway, Ethan pushed him to one side and collided with the woman.

  "Go now, fast," Mack instructed in Griffen's ear. "Head for the bistro. Go in and all the way to the back and down the stairs. Move it."

  Griffen heard the sound of air rushing out of Ethan's lungs, but he didn't turn, moving fast away from the man in the direction of the bistro as Mack had ordered. Behind him there was a commotion.

  Ethan's down, Gideon reported. I've got the shot.

  Take it, Mack commanded.

  Gideon squeezed the trigger and the woman with the knife in Ethan's side went down. Blood splattered across the window, but if there was sound, it was drowned out by the traffic on the street. Javier burst through the crowd, wrapped his arm around Ethan, and half carried him back inside and straight through the store to the back entrance.

  "Leave the knife in," he advised.

  "I'm crashing," Ethan said, his voice calm.

  Javier simply turned, bending his knees, lifting his partner over his shoulder, and hauling him out of the store. Bring up the van. Hurry up. Paul, where the hell are you?