Suddenly the dots connected in my head. “Damn it.”
“What?” Blake turned to look at me. “What the heck was that? Who blew it up?”
The soldiers who had been climbing the hillside had turned back and were running toward the destroyed building. More soldiers were pouring out of the forest from every direction to see what had happened and likely intending to help. But there was no one to help. Anyone within a hundred yards of that building was dead. “There was a soldier with a backpack.”
“Okay…” Blake clearly didn’t know where I was going with that. “Was that the guy?”
I nodded. “He came out of the forest with the backpack, by himself, and walked around the building. Then he came back into view—without the pack—and disappeared down the hill into that far corner of the forest. I think that pack had the bomb in it. The bomber is still alive.”
“Danny, you think that one guy blew the whole place up?”
“Sure, Keena. Why not?”
“But why?”
“To send a message would be my guess.”
“What message and to who?” Keena asked.
“Maybe stay away?” I shrugged. “Maybe the message was for me—for us.”
“You’re kidding?” Blake was as doubtful as Keena.
“No.” I turned to both of them. “Think about it. That had to have been Lazzo. I don’t know why he did it yet, but he had to be telling us to stay away.”
“You said the guy just walked around the building? No one saw him?” Keena asked.
“Actually… he stopped and talked to two guys at the southwest end of the building.”
“And they didn’t recognize him? But wouldn’t they know what Lazzo looks like? Wouldn’t that be like surrendering yourself?”
Blake was right. Yes, they would know what Lazzo looks like. That can’t have been Lazzo. I don’t get it. “Good point… of course they would. So if that wasn’t Lazzo, who was it? And why blow up the building?” I asked myself as much as them. Before either could suggest anything, I continued. “Unless someone in Qi Jia was trying to get rid of the general.” That was a new thought. “Maybe Roja knew too much or maybe he was competition. There’s really only one way to find out.”
“No, Danny. It’s not a good idea,” Blake was shaking his head. “It’s a hot mess down there.”
“What’s he thinking?” Keena asked, though Blake had kind of given it away already.
We have to follow that guy. “Let’s go.” I didn’t answer her question.
“Dang it, Danny,” I heard Blake mumble. I smiled. Objection noted.
Blake and Keena were on my heels as I cut down the hill. The enemy was distracted now. They had no idea what had hit them. The patrol that had gone down into the corner before the explosion—the same corner where the bomber had just disappeared—those guys had never come back up. I had a feeling we’d find them down there—dead—and another feeling there’d be tracks I could follow to whoever this bomber was.
THIRTY-EIGHT– Crystal Clear
Word of the Knights Peak explosion spread quickly. Commander Boli was informed immediately in Denver, and he wasted no time in reaching out to his contacts at the former Marine base in Hawaii. Governor Barnes was summoned to the base. He knew Trigger and Twix were under strict orders not to leave his side, so he had to sneak out. They couldn’t know where he was going or why he was going there.
He arrived at the base, and four armed and masked men escorted him back to the radio room. “What can I do for you?” Barnes spoke into the handset.
“You have betrayed me,” the cold voice of Commander Boli replied on the other end.
“I haven’t—what are you talking about?”
“The man you send, he has killed one or two hundred of my men, including General Roja.”
“Whoa, wait, Commander. I didn’t send anyone. What man are you talking about? This has nothing to do with me. I have done all you have asked. Every single thing. No one even knows I’m involved.”
“You lie.”
“No, Commander, I swear. I would never jeopardize my wife. You killed my daughter. You think I don’t know you’d kill her too? I promise you, I did nothing but what you’ve told me. Please…”
There was a lengthy pause on the other end. “We shot down one rescue plane and found other. We killed everyone you send. Your information was good there. But you are responsible for this Danny too, no?”
“No.” Governor Barnes was panicking. “I couldn’t say anything to Danny. If Danny knew I was involved, this all would have been over before it started. He never would have gone to meet you. I have risked everything here. I told you when he was coming, so you would be ready. I’ve been monitoring his dog tag the entire time. I told you to stay back and let him come. He couldn’t have blown up your building. Danny’s not even there yet. He’s still miles away from the coordinates.”
“He will never come now. I should kill your wife and the girls now.”
“Commander, please…” Barnes took the opportunity to plead with him. “Listen—please—it was your men who shot down Danny’s plane. If Danny made it to Colorado, he would never have blown up the building that gave him his only chance to save his sister.”
“Maybe so. But how do we find him now? Who else would have blown that building?”
“Commander, I’ll give you Danny’s current coordinates. But I have no idea who could have blown that building. Maybe some of the men from the other planes escaped. I don’t know. You killed a plane full of Captain Baker’s men. Maybe this was his revenge.”
“This was not Captain Baker.”
“How do you know? It could have been.”
“I know.”
“Sir, please, I have done everything you have asked. I have risked my life and betrayed my own country to help you. I just told you where you can find Danny. Please…please, sir…let my wife go.”
“You know I cannot.”
“You promised—”
“No!” Boli screamed back into the radio. “You have not delivered. I do not have the information I need. I have lost over hundreds of men. I promised you I would deliver when you deliver. That was my promise.”
“Commander, there is still plenty of time before the deadline you—”
“No. No more time. I give you three days. I will send men to pick up Danny where you tell me to look but if he is not there you must reach him and get him to turn himself in to me. Three days. I no have information by then, your wife—all the prisoners—they die. Three days.” And then there was an audible click.
“Commander—”
It was too late. He was gone.
THIRTY-NINE – 99 Problems
Governor Barnes had problems. Real, serious problems. As he left the base and headed back to the governor’s mansion, he racked his brain for anything he could do on this end. He needed to get back to his tablet and message Danny. But what was he supposed to tell him? That the Libyan commander had contacted him out of the blue and asked him to please have Danny turn himself in? Right. Danny would see through that. But if he didn’t message Danny immediately, he was wasting time. He only had three days to save his wife.