Finally, Troy spotted headlights coming toward them. Relief and anger filtered through him as the twin beams got bigger and brighter. “You’re late,” he muttered as Travers came to a quick stop and climbed out of the Jeep. It was the first time since he’d met the major that there’d been a problem. But this was a big one. As far as Troy was concerned, you always posted on time in RCS — no excuses. “What the hell?”
“Decus septum,” Travers said, aggravated that Troy had omitted the greeting.
“And protect the peak, but look, I—”
“Hey, I hit traffic.”
“At this hour?”
“Come on, it’s DC. Anytime, anywhere, pal. You know that.” Travers gestured at the cluster of townhomes closest to them. “Which one is it?”
“It’s not in this area. It’s two clusters down.” Troy pointed farther along the lane. “I wanted no chance of them spotting us early.”
“Two entrances to the place?”
“Yeah, front door and back terrace.”
“Floors?”
“Three.”
“Do we know how many people are in there?”
“Four. Gadanz, the woman he lives with, and their two kids. I have no reason to believe anyone else is inside the home. I’ve had the place watched since five p.m. yesterday, and no one’s gone in or out since Gadanz got home at seven o’clock last night.”
Travers reached back into the Jeep for a pistol that was hidden beneath the driver’s seat. They were all carrying the standard Heckler & Koch MP5s tonight, but he was bringing his Colt .357, too. “You say kids are in there?” he called softly over his shoulder.
“They’re twelve and nine, and they’re both girls. It’s nothing to worry about.”
“But I assume we’re operating under normal procedures,” Travers said in a low voice as the four men huddled close together so they could all hear. “Anybody sees us, we take them out, right?”
“We’ve all got our ski masks with us. It won’t be a problem.” Troy glanced at the other two men. “Make sure you keep those things on,” he said, gesturing at the masks dangling from their belts. “Don’t let anyone rip them off.”
They nodded.
“Still…” Travers said deliberately.
“It’s a family in a townhouse,” Troy replied. “It’s not like we’re storming an embassy that’s been taken over by hostiles.”
“And these guys are my family.” Travers gestured at the other two men. He’d recruited them quickly for this morning’s mission from inside the Interrogation Division. They were Agents Potomac and Shenandoah, as far as Troy knew. “I can’t take any chances.”
“It won’t come anywhere near that,” Troy said confidently. “We’re grabbing Gadanz, and then we’re getting out. We shouldn’t be inside for more than five minutes. If we have to secure the other three, we will. Then we’ll call the cops after we’re gone, to set them free again.”
Travers nodded at Potomac and Shenandoah, indicating that they should move off a few paces. When they had, he leaned close to Troy so they couldn’t hear what he was about to say. “You’re not easing up, are you?” he whispered. “You’ve got to stay tough.”
“What are you talking about?” Troy demanded.
“I don’t want to jump bad on you, pal. God knows, you saved my ass in North Carolina the other night.”
“Say what’s on your mind.”
“You’ve got a little boy up north. I saw you with him. I saw how much you love him. I don’t want that getting in the way of what might happen in there,” Travers said, nodding down the lane. “Or any other place in the future, for your sake and anybody with you. We gotta stick to procedure. Anybody sees us, and they do not greet the morning light, no matter who they are or how young they are. We clear on that?”
“Major, I—”
“I’ve seen this before. I’ve seen guys in RCS back off the edge just a little because they get compassionate when they have kids, sometimes even when they just get married. Something happens when they see that baby or they tie the knot, and they lose our religion. And just a little loss can be plenty. It doesn’t happen often, but it does. And when it does, it’s a huge risk. That’s why Carlson didn’t want married guys, especially not fathers, in the cell. We are not in the business of being compassionate. Do you understand me, Captain?”
Troy stared at Travers for several moments, then finally nodded. “Don’t worry about me, Major. Do you understand me?”
Travers grinned and patted Troy on the shoulder, then waved the other men back in. “Okay, tonight I’m Agent Walker.” He pointed at the other two. “They are—”
“I know, I know,” Troy interrupted, “Shenandoah and Potomac.”
“And you’ll be Agent Smirnoff.”
It was Troy’s turn to grin. Travers had told him that Harry Boyd had always been Agent Smirnoff in these situations, and Troy understood that Travers was sending a big compliment his way. “Okay.”
For several minutes the four men went over the plan. Troy and Travers would enter the townhouse together through the terrace entrance while Shenandoah and Potomac would cover the front door and cut off that escape route from the shadows until Troy or Travers let them in.
When they were all clear on their orders, the four men checked and rechecked their weapons. Then they donned their ski masks and headed through the darkness toward the target location.
“You get all your errands taken care of?” Troy whispered as they hustled along. Travers hadn’t been at all forthcoming about where he was going before meeting back up with Troy.
“Yeah, sure, no problem.” He pointed ahead as they jogged. “Any dogs?”
“No.”
“Good. I hate it when I’ve gotta deal with dogs.”
“I don’t know why you are so hating me. It must be because I am a—”
“You’re part of a group that’s attacking the United States,” Maddux cut in, anticipating the card his victim was about to play. “This morning has nothing to do with what religion you practice. But you’re right about one thing. I do hate you. Anyone messes with my country and they go on my hate list.”
“I am not part of any group doing that,” Kaashif replied, moaning when he strained at the chains stretched tightly across his bare back and legs, securing him to the cinder-block wall so he could barely move. A muffled sob escaped his lips as the first tear rolled down one cheek. “I am a high school senior.”
“That’s your cover, terrorist-boy. It’s a pretty good one, too. I’ll give you that. And stop crying. I’m not buying it. Besides, even if you really are in high school, you should be a man about this. You chose this path.”
“I chose nothing. I should be taking a chemistry test today,” Kaashif said through his tears.
“Don’t give me that crap,” Maddux snapped as he lit a cigarette. “School’s out for the holidays. Don’t insult my intelligence.”
Kaashif glanced over his shoulder fearfully as Maddux took a long drag on the cancer stick, then moved his way. “I just want to go home, sir. Please let me go home to Philadelphia to my mother and father.”
“I’ll be happy to let you go home just as soon as you’ve finished answering all my questions.”
“But I do not know anything about what you asked me before. I swear I do not.”
Maddux chuckled. “Well, we’re about to find out for sure now,” he said as he pressed the hot end of the cigarette to the skin of Kaashif’s bare shoulder…and the screaming began.