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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] "what prisoner? And who's Konrad?" "The Judah ite, George Sebastian." "Still nothing out of him?" "We'll break him or kill him." "Break him. I know you can." "You're not Konrad's immediate superior ? " "No. Do I need to look him up too? " "You'd better. He's supposed to be your top guy, deputy commander, office on your floor." "Send documentation." Later, Akbar told Stefanich, "You're being duped. Johnson and Konrad are in the system, everything adds up, except they don't exist." "Permission to reverse sting them?" "With my best wishes. Bring them in, dead or alive, and I'll move you to the palace." Page 87 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html As the phone calls and e mails progressed, the women's identities proved phony too. "The one from Montreal was in my office." By early afternoon, Akbar had decided, "If Sebastian is worth all this, they're tied in tight with the underground. Announce a raid and see if they reveal location." Chang called Mac. "The raid's phony. If you warn the believers, you could give them away." "Call Chloe or Hannah. I'm occupied." "Your location is a trap too, Mac." "All right, listen, Chang. You saved our lives. But whatever you do, find Sebastian. I'll get him out or die tryin'." Chloe answered her phone. It was Chang. "Raid was a setup so you'd lead the GC to the underground. Abort." "Hannah, you were right" "What? " "Hannah was right, Chang. She suspected we were being followed. I didn't notice a thing and thought she was paranoid." "I told you!" "Ditch them or lead them nowhere," Chang said. "From what I can tell, the GC has no clue where the Co op is or that it's the meeting place. I gotta go. Mac is calling." "Go, Mac." "Question. If this is a trap, why wouldn't Peacekeepers have come back with Chloe and taken me then?" "I don't follow." Mac told him of her encounter with the half doyen. "You got me. I'm still reading the back and forth between Akbar and Stefanich. Possible not everybody knows. " "That could be." "It's to your advantage." "Confirm if you can." "Will do." Mac had moved east far enough to see the lean to, if there was one. He saw Page 88 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html nothing. Not even the GC Hannah or Chloe had seen. That meant the meeting place for the ground troops was at least a little farther on. If Chang was right, Sebastian wouldn't be within miles of there. Brilliant military mind, Mac. Left yourself alone in the wilderness, way outnumbered. Mac considered his options and few advantages. He was hard to see. He knew enough not to be lured to where Sebastian was purported to be. He had the Fifty. He was a long walk or a medium jog to the car, but the car had to already be under surveillance. It would be surrounded, so if he were stupid enough to try to get to it, he would be easily apprehended. "Lord," he said quietly, "I'm gonna thank you for keepin' me motivated to stay in shape, and I'm gonna ask you for more stamina than I've got. All I'm tryin' to do is get your man and my two partners out of here alive. Now I'm thankin' you as if you've already done it, 'cause I'm going to be busy here awhile. And if you've chosen not to, I figure you know best and I'll be seein' you real soon." Mac made his way back toward the shack and stopped about a hundred yards above it. He removed his big, outer jacket, kept only three fifty caliber shells and two clips for the Uzi, then wound the Uzi strap twice so the weapon was snug to his body. He couldn't actually run carrying the Fifty, but he loped the best he could, staying high on the ridge and following the terrain, often as far as two hundred yards above the road. The air was cool on his arms and neck and face at first, but soon his body heat made him sweat. This, he knew, was only the beginning. Mac's muscles ached and knotted and all but cried out, but he would not stop. He didn't even slow. He just kept moving, farther and farther west, trying to gauge the distance to where he had left the car. After traversing a rugged stretch with loose rocks that nearly made him fall several times, he finally decided to look for the vehicle. Mac stretched out on the steep slant, facing down toward the road. He set the bipod, his arms shaking from effort and fatigue, popped open the telescopic sight, loosened the connection so he could scan with it rather than trying to move the heavy gun, and searched the road. It seemed to take forever for his eye to adjust in the darkness. The gravel road was a ribbon of only slightly lighter gray against the blackness of the woods, but he knew what he was looking at. At the far right [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |