And all the while Voeckler was talking to the crew aboard Florida as he watched via the team’s exterior sticky cams. Because they were all tied into the same tactical network for situational awareness, Voeckler had been able to stream his video of the targets back to the sub’s control room. With Park and Noboru’s help, he’d passed along four critical points on the buildings that would result in the desired effects.
“That’s two, we got two,” he told them. “They’re buried good; outstanding work, gentlemen!”
The south and north parking entrances to the Almas Tower were now successfully blocked, and two of the six BTRs had been taken out of the fight, buried beneath tons of debris. That was no cause for a victory party, but Brent was damned pleased.
Juma, on the other hand, was outraged.
“I told you I would help you capture this woman and protect my nation’s gold, but I did not give you permission to destroy our buildings!”
A half dozen glib remarks came to mind, but Brent softened his tone and said, “I’m sorry, Juma. Better to do everything we can to save the gold, right? The buildings can be repaired. It was the best I could do. Now, can you back us up with a couple of squads? I can’t do it without you. Here come my guys now.”
Juma didn’t look happy, but he finally nodded and turned away to call his men.
Brent waved Daugherty, Copeland, Heston, Park, and Noboru into the parking garage. They gathered around him.
“Destroy the other exits,” he ordered. “If she tries to come out through this tower, I want this to be her only way out.”
“Have C-4, will travel,” said Heston. “We’re on it, sir.”
“She’s still got two other exits via Almas,” Lakota pointed out.
“Yeah, but those mystery troops are keeping the BTR crews busy over there,” said Brent. He faced Daugherty. “You figure out who they are?”
“I got in close enough to examine one of their dead, pulled his mask, took a picture. But there’s still no uplink to run his ID…”
“All right, we’ll get to that later. But for now, we’ll take all the free help we can get.”
“Ghost Lead, you better hurry,” said Schleck. “They’ve cleared the vault area. I think the last of the forklifts is in the elevator now.”
The boy was talking to him and crying, but Chopra could barely sense him through all the cold. There was no fear, only a growing sense of calm like a soft wind blowing in his ears. He reached out, took his father’s hand, and felt the calluses of a man who had toiled all his life. That was what love felt like. His father smiled, and there was pride in that grin.
Chopra smiled now at Hussein, who had made a promise to continue his father’s dream.
There was one more breath coming. One more.
Chopra took it.
When they reached the cargo trucks, the Snow Maiden nodded in satisfaction at the sight of the dead Chinese special forces troops. Haussler’s Spetsnaz had dispatched them with precision. Had there been any doubt? After all, Haussler’s men were Russians.
The bad news was that they’d lost two of Haussler’s vehicles. They still had the tank and the four remaining BTRs. She hesitated before climbing into the cab of one cargo truck loaded with gold. “You drive the lead truck. I pull up the rear,” she told Haussler. “I’ll tell you where to go.”
“As always,” he said with a sigh.
Just then he got a report from one of his troops: A missile had struck the tank. Now it was out of the fight, too. He cursed.
As did the Snow Maiden. Her original plan had two trucks going to the airport, two going to the ship. The idea was to split the gold so that any opponents would believe that one shipment was a diversion, when in fact both were hot and at least one should be able to escape. She’d never disclosed that to Patti, who, of course, wanted all of the gold, but fifty percent of something was better than nothing.
But, of course, they’d lost a truck and had overloaded the remaining three. The BTRs had room enough to carry the gold and were much better protected, but she feared that wasting any more time to make a transfer might result in their being trapped.
Were she an American Special Forces leader, what would she assume? Well, the smart money had the gold inside the better-protected vehicles. So she had to hope that they’d go after the BTRs. That made sense. Thus, they’d send out the armor first. The cargo plane landing at the airport would also raise suspicions.
“Can you get the choppers outside to cover the BTRs when they leave?” she asked Haussler.
“Izotov has put me in direct contact with the Enforcers Corps commander,” he answered. “I’ve never seen such an efficient piece of blackmail.”
“Good. Do it.”
“I will, but first, I’m putting those Cheetahs on the entrances. Your old friends from the Green Brigade have become a wart on my ass.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for that image.”
“Anytime.”
With their rifles at the ready and targeting data streaming across their HUDs, Brent and his team hustled their way through the garage and down toward the main tunnel that would take them over to the Almas Tower.
Juma remained up top to meet the two squads he had called over.
When they were halfway through the tunnel, the warlord called to say that the choppers were gunning down the mystery fighters opposite the east and west entrances, and it seemed likely that Brent’s target would exit from one of those areas because the Cheetahs were clearing the path.
Brent could hear all the booming above and feel it in his legs. He told Juma to get as many vehicles as he could near those exits. Once the choppers neutralized the mystery force, only Juma’s men could slow down the Snow Maiden’s escape, while Brent and his Ghosts came in from behind.
Schleck and Voeckler checked in. They’d slipped into the main vault area for a quick recon, and Voeckler’s camera picked up a figure wearing an environment suit and kneeling over an old man whom Brent quickly recognized as Manoj Chopra. He used a finger gesture to widen the data box and watch as Voeckler confronted the figure, who turned out to be Hussein.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” said the Splinter Cell.
“I know,” answered the boy, his accent distinctly British. “Where are you taking me?”
“Someplace safe.”
“What about him?”
“We’ll come back when we can. Later…”
“Get him through the Silver Tower,” Brent ordered. “I’m charging both of you with keeping him safe. That’s royalty right there. Do you guys read me?”
“Yes, sir,” said Voeckler.
“Don’t worry, Captain,” added Schleck. “This kid’s got the best bodyguards in town. Moving out now.”
“Brent, it’s Juma! The choppers are backing off and the BTRs are coming out! Four of them now, turning up toward the highway. Still small-arms fire from a few stragglers, but they’re getting away.”
“Schleck, did she load the gold onto the BTRs?” Brent asked the sniper.
“Sir, I’m not sure. She’s still got the three cargo trucks, but I’m trying to pinpoint their locations.”
“Brent, it’s Juma again. One of my teams up near the airport says a cargo plane just touched down. It’s military, unmarked.”
“She’s got the gold in the BTRs, and they’re heading to the airport. Everyone, turn around, we’re getting the hell out of here! We need to get back up top! Voeckler, is Florida still available?”
“Negative, sir.”
Brent cursed. “Lakota, still no uplink?”
“Nothing. I’ve got a loop set to alert us the second we break the jamming.”