"I fucking work for a living, so don't you ever insult me like that again," Griffen snapped. "And you're supposed to be my friend. Have you forgotten that? We have a situation that could throw our country and all our allies into war. I want the best team I can put together to avoid this situation. All of you are aware of what Jaimie can do. Can any of you? Each of you has talents that are needed, but if we're going to send you in with the best chance of success without detection, you need Jaimie. Mack, you know I wouldn't ask if we didn't need her."
"But you didn't ask," Mack pointed out, his voice neutral. "I believe you ordered her."
A small smile eased the tension on Griffen's face. "I'm used to giving orders. I've been doing it my entire life. I'm sorry about that, Jaimie." He switched his gaze to her pale face. "I wouldn't be asking you if this wasn't a desperate situation, and I think you know that. You have a talent no one else has, or at least that we know of, Jaimie. Maybe it's not something we can put a name to, maybe it's undefined, but you have it, and it saves lives," Griffen said. He made every effort to keep his voice gentle, aware of the men watching him. He wasn't used to choosing his words so carefully and his voice came out a little strained.
Her mouth trembled. "What happens if others are relying on me and I fail them and someone dies? I would never be able to forgive myself." Like last time.
No one died last time, honey, Mack said gently.
You almost did.
You saved all of our lives. The entire team would have died in that ambush if it hadn't been for you. You never think about that part of it. We'd all be dead.
"Think of the children, Jaimie," Kane suggested. "You know the kidnappers have to kill them. With you, we have a better chance of going in without detection."
"You and Mack and the boys, you go in and get those kids out yourself." Jaimie was pleading now, clearly a last-ditch effort. She hadn't honestly thought about what would have happened had she not warned the team of the ambush and found them the clearest route possible to escape. Maybe they did need her, but . . .
She swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Mack's in desperation. He crossed to her side, his hand going to the nape of her neck, fingers easing the tension from her.
"If we needed cowboys to go in, guns blazing, we'd have any number of men, but we can't do that, Jaimie," Griffen said. "We have to get in and get out with no sound, like ghosts. The boy is the only son of the ambassador to D.P.R.K. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the international implications."
Jaimie sagged against Mack in defeat, her heart going out to the grieving parents, to the terrified children. She had to go. She knew what it was going to cost, though.
I'll be with you, Jaimie, Mack reminded. We're getting better at blending our energies. And you're stronger. We can do this.
I guess we have to, she conceded. "I guess I'm going with you."
Griffen smiled. "With your ability you can walk in and take them back without a fight."
"You and I both know it's impossible to control a situation like this. Most of it is pure luck," Jaimie argued. "And good intel."
"Well, we have you for that," Griffen said. Now that she'd capitulated, he was in a better mood. "General Chun is a fine man, a man any military man would respect. He has a code of honor. But let me tell you all, right now he's afraid, terrified even, and a man like Chun should never have such a look in his eyes. I didn't meet the little girl's parents but you know her brother, you went to the university with him and trained with him before you became GhostWalkers."
Jaimie's teeth bit into her lip again. There had been one recruit from North Korea, and she should have recognized the name. Kim-son Song. He had spoken of his younger sister often. She'd been born many years after him--an unexpected gift, he called her.
It was Mack who actually voiced the question, Mack the field commander, Mack who felt totally responsible for his men. "Does he know?"
"Yes. He's been briefed. He blames himself of course, but we're fairly certain she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Jaimie let out her breath and glanced at Mack's face. He'd gone utterly still, even his black eyes appeared lifeless. Kim-son Song had been in his command, an invaluable asset in Europe and the Eastern Bloc nations. Most important, he was a friend. Jaimie instinctively held out her hand. For a moment, Mack didn't move, and then his eyes touched her face. Empty. Cold. Jaimie shivered under his gaze, a sudden tremor of fear rising. There was something very dangerous buried deep in Mack. Jaimie didn't like the rare occasions she caught glimpses of that lurking monster.
Mack fought back the demons clawing at his gut. Innocent children this time. Who would use children as pawns? Someone had hired Doomsday to do their dirty work, to carry out their idea. Doomsday had no personal agenda other than to make money.
Everything in him rose up to do battle with the abductors, a berserker's cold, deadly rage. He detested terrorists--murderers. There was no excuse to kill the innocent. There was no excuse for using political agendas to murder untrained civilians.
His gaze focused on Jaimie's transparent face. He could easily read the jumble of confused emotions. Fear was among them. Instantly he made himself take a deep, calming breath and relax. He softened the hard angles and planes of his face with a smile as he laced his fingers through hers.
"It's okay, baby; we'll get them back." He sat down, cradled her in his lap, his arms strong and comforting. His Jaimie. She had such a gentle heart, thinking only of the children and their families with compassion. The truth was, he wanted swift, brutal retaliation against the perpetrators. His fingers tangled in the blue black silk of her hair. God, but she overwhelmed him with intense emotion. Love. Whatever one called it.
"Do we know who's behind this? Does General Chun have any ideas?"
"A few. There are a couple of powerful people who believe that if the United States was caught resorting to the kidnapping and murdering of children, the world would make concessions on their nuclear program."
"So he wants prisoners."
Jaimie stiffened. "If we turn those men over to the general, you know what he'll do to them. We can't do that."
"They took his son, Jaimie," Griffen pointed out. "He has a right to question them. We can't do it. We can't let anyone know we were even there."
Her breath hissed out between her teeth. She looked around the room and knew immediately none of the men had the least bit of sympathy for the terrorists.
"What do you want us to do with them, Jaimie?" Javier asked.
"That's enough," Mack intervened.
"No, he has the right to ask," Jaimie said. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, especially if we're all going in, risking our lives. I'd rather see them dead than tortured, Javier. And imprisoned rather than dead."
"I can arrange their deaths," Javier agreed and turned to Sergeant Major, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.
Griffen shook his head. "As much as we'd like to settle things that way, we can't. We have to pull those kids out of there without a shot fired. No one can know. We'll get them out of China and back into General Chun's hands immediately. You tranquilize whoever you find and walk away. I mean it. Leave them where they lie and get those kids out of there. That's your part of the mission."
"Is that all? You're sending us in without bullets?" Mack asked.
"It has to be this way," Griffen said. "You're ghosts. Get in and get out. We don't have much time. We can't take the chance that they'll move those kids again. It's one of their favorite tactics with hostages, moving them every few days to a new location."
"They won't move them, Sergeant Major," Mack said with a small sigh. "And I think you know that. They're going to kill them and leave the bodies near the gates inside the embassy. God only knows what they'll do to the kids first. You can bet they'll have pictures and arrange for reporters. They're looking for a big splash. The video will be a YouTube hit on the Internet. You know they've got someone ready to record the deaths."
"We have milita
ry transport standing by," Griffen said. "You can sleep on the plane. You'll leave in two hours. You'll be infiltrating the U.S. embassy in Beijing. We don't want anyone in the embassy informed at this time other than the captain."
There was a long, shocked silence. "You're not letting the embassy know?" Mack echoed softly. "I don't think so. What the hell are you trying to pull?"
"I told you it was a hot one. What better way to start an international incident? If the children are found there, the United States would be publicly blamed," Griffen snapped. "Who do we trust? You know there would be a leak."
"The Marines guard all of our embassies," Jaimie pointed out. "Security is ultra tight."
"Don't worry, we've planned for that."
"The Marines, rather a Marine, spotted them. A very smart young man. Instead of shooting it out, he quietly reported to his captain. He was able to find the traitor working with them and to uncover the cell underground," Griffen said. "They took the information directly to the secretary general."
"They entered the embassy through a tunnel?" Jaimie found that unbelievable.
"The tunnel had been sealed years earlier. Someone spent a great deal of time and energy reopening it. We knew about the tunnel and also the seven seals that were cleverly worked into the building structure that amplified sounds so we could be monitored."
"Someone on the inside helped," Mack said.
"Three people. One, a young man who will be very quietly court-martialed," Griffen continued. "Another works on the grounds. Both contributed a great deal. The work was done on the guard's shift and the groundskeeper kept everyone away from the area with various ingenious ploys. He did it right out in the open in front of embassy officials, guards, personnel, everyone. We also suspect a low-level paper pusher who is a friend of the Marine guard. No one has moved on any of those involved."
"Who knows about this?" Mack asked.
"The secretary general was apprised of the situation immediately by the commanding officer, and of course the young Marine. The secretary general asked specifically for this team and I told him you'd do it."
"He doesn't want the terrorists dealt with?" Mack asked.
"Not by your team. He wants them tranquilized quietly. Once you're out with the kids, the Marines will go in and sweep the tunnel. They'll be turned over to Chun's men."
Jaimie stirred but she didn't say anything.
"You won't object to our defending ourselves if it comes to that, right, sir?" Javier demanded.
"Defend yourself with tranqs," Griffen said. "We've got one chance to do this right. If we don't get those children back, the United States will be very embarrassed and North Korea will be put in an impossible position."
"They could be dead," Mack said.
"If that's the case, we get them out, kill everyone involved, and lose the bodies. We'll have to deny all knowledge."
Jaimie closed her eyes briefly as she leaned back against Mack's chest, pulling herself in. This had to be done. She could see the reasons clearly, but it still didn't stop her from feeling sick about it. "I take it you have all the intel we'll need."
"The layout, guards, the total security system. We'll have full cooperation once we contact the embassy and let them know you're there. We'll do so at the last possible minute."
Jaimie was already shaking her head. "Too risky, too many people in on it. We can't know who else they've bought. If this was really over some formula the terrorist wanted, that might work, but not this. This is designed to pit the United States against North Korea."
"The guards will be handpicked, assigned a special duty, because the embassy will be receiving a surprise visit from a bigwig dignitary."
"Please God, tell me it isn't General Chun," Jaimie muttered aloud. "It sounds like something brilliant someone sitting behind a desk would come up with."
"It wouldn't be so unusual," Griffen countered.
"Nothing would put that group on alert like a surprise visit from the kid's father."
"What do you suggest?" Mack asked, his voice strictly neutral.
"A dinner party."
"Excuse me?" Griffen scowled at her.
"A dinner party. I know you've heard of it. Coat, tie, maybe a tail or two. Open the place up. Up the security. Get tons of dogs out sniffing the grounds."
"You're crazy, Jaimie." Kane scowled at her. "That will only add to the nightmare."
Mack shook his head his slowly. "No, wait a minute, Kane. She just might have something."
Jaimie jumped up and paced across the floor with her quick, fluid step. "Excuse me, guys, but this happens to be my area of expertise. You go out, shoot 'em up, bang, bang, but I plan for stealth, silent training if you recall. Trust me on this. If the embassy is putting on a high-profile dinner party--announced, say, now--the security will be upped like you wouldn't believe. They won't be able to kill those children. They'll have to stay tucked in that tunnel waiting until security eases a bit."
Gideon cleared his throat. "Sergeant Major. If there's even a small chance that the terrorists will kill the children, shouldn't the Marines on-site go in and rescue them now? Not wait?"
"Doomsday will kill them. You know they would, Gideon," Mack said. "You've seen the way they operate. At the first sign of trouble, they'll kill the kids and try to fight their way out. The few times an operative has been close to capture, they've blown themselves and everyone around them up."
Gideon nodded. "I knew you'd say that, but I had to ask."
"I think Jaimie's on to something," Mack said. "Doomsday will be pinned down until we get there. They'll keep the kids alive until after the dinner party. They'll need to just for insurance, for bargaining chips. They'll want fresh bodies for the optimum scandal, probably cut their throats on the embassy lawn. Hopefully the captain has kept the corporal from guard duty so he hasn't given them the opportunity and won't before we can get there."
"He has," Griffen said grimly.
Javier pulled his knife from his boot and began sharpening it. Griffen shot him a speculative look.
"You'll have to keep your men in line, Mack," he warned.
"My men know what to do, Top," Mack said.
He caught Javier's eye and shook his head. Javier sighed and put the knife away, having made his point. "Maybe we should make some fresh coffee and give ourselves time to think this through."
"I'll make a fresh pot," Marc volunteered.
Javier snorted. "No way am I drinking his coffee. I'd rather go to this embassy buck naked and armed with only water guns."
Laughter accompanied the shudders that went around the room. Almost as one they stood up and headed for the stairs. Jaimie turned off her computers and followed. Mack waited on the bottom stair for her, reaching for her hand.
He brought her fingers to his mouth. "We'll do this, baby."
"I think we have a good chance. We've got all the right people," Jaimie agreed. "You know if something goes wrong, I probably won't be much of an asset to you."
"You can fire a gun, Jaimie. No one's going to ask you to shoot through a hostage. We're there to save them."
She took a deep breath and let it out. "Don't worry. Really, Mack. You know me, once I make up my mind to do something, I'm in all the way."
That was true. She was very disciplined and methodical. She'd be a huge asset in planning how to get in and out.
It was Kane who put on a new pot of coffee while the men raided the refrigerator and cupboards, reminding Mack of locusts.
Jaimie and Mack followed Griffen to the comfortable chairs and sank into them. Jaimie leaned toward Sergeant Major. "Put your handpicked embassy Marines at the gate, let them watch all the people going in, but don't tell them about us. Believe me, Sergeant Major, if the guards know someone is meant to slip through, they'll never be as alert and neither will we."
"You have a plan?" Griffen asked.
Mack nodded. "You said the commanding officer was going to take his Marines in and clean up. How exactly?"
Griffen hesitated again.
"I need to know," Mack said.
"We've got a small unit standing by. Special Ops. They'll go in with the commander, take the sleeping terrorists to a waiting unmarked car. It will have tinted windows so no one can see in. The commander will go about his business as if nothing has transpired. The Special Ops team will take the terrorists to the North Korean embassy in Beijing. They'll leave them right outside the gates and General Chun will be notified that they are on the way. He'll have his men waiting. Special Ops will walk away, leaving the car and the keys for the North Koreans to just drive inside their gates."
Mack nodded. "This Special Ops unit. Marines?"
"Of course," Griffen replied.
"Then let's use them to help us get inside. They have to be briefed on what's going on, right?" Mack said. "Put them in the guard's position on the side nearest the tunnel and tell them to stand down when we come over the fence."
Griffen shook his head. "They don't know about the kids. This is need-to-know only."
"But they know someone's going in and tranqing the terrorists. They know the cell is beneath the embassy, right?"
"Yes."
"Put the Special Ops team in uniform and arrange for them to guard the fence near the tunnel entrance. They can know we'll be slipping onto the grounds. Or just one of them. Tell their Top. We can make our way through the roving guards and the dogs both going in and getting out. The danger is at the fence itself, especially coming out with the children. If they know, they can let us slip over the fence with our packages. Once we're clear, the captain can relieve them of their duties and they can get out of uniform and carry out their orders. They can strip down in seconds."
"I hate it when you're right," Griffen said.
Mack laced his fingers through Jaimie's. "I wouldn't mind this one over here admitting I'm right--all the time."
"Not likely," Jaimie said amid the laughter.
"But, damn, she does have a magnificent brain, doesn't she?" Kane nudged Mack.
"Either that, or not one at all," Jaimie interjected sourly. "This is crazy, you all know that, don't you?"
"We were all born crazy," Javier said with a cocky grin.
Griffen nodded his head. "I like it, Mack. At least it should minimize some of the risk to your team getting out. I'll have the secretary general send you everything they have on the tunnels and the workings and security at the embassy."