Part 25 (2/2)
”Hang up the phone,” said Alpha. ”If you can hear it ringing, the Russians will hear it, too.”
”What the f.u.c.k else can we do?” said Bravo.
”I have an idea, but if it doesn't work, we open the back door anyway.”
”That could end badly,” said Bravo.
”It'll end worse if we don't.”
CHAPTER 39.
Nathan held the satphone away from his body like it might explode. None of them recognized the number, and David could somehow tell that the call did not originate from another DTCS (Distributed Tactical Communications System) encrypted phone. Someone other than Nathan's dad or David's dad had somehow acquired a highly cla.s.sified number. Nathan had let it ring for over a minute while they scrambled to get their gear ready for a quick departure. When it finally stopped, an eerie silence descended on the room. Keira peeked through the opening in the shades, moving them slightly with her hand.
”Get away from the windows,” said David, shouldering his backpack.
”We need to see what we're getting into,” she said, staying next to the window.
”You want to take a sniper bullet?”
”They don't know where we are.”
”They will if you keep moving that shade,” said David.
”Hon. Let's stay away from the windows,” said Nathan, kneeling next to Owen. ”You ready to roll, buddy?” he said, checking his son's slightly oversize helmet to make sure it was snugly attached.
”Yep,” he said, nodding bravely. ”Who do you think called?”
Nathan shook his head. ”Probably a wrong number.”
His son didn't look convinced, which didn't come as a surprise. Pa.s.sing off lame answers on Owen was becoming increasingly difficult. He'd been through enough by this point to know the difference between the hard truth and one of their increasingly less frequent ”don't worry about it” answers.
”Just stay down,” said Nathan.
He headed toward the small table next to the television to retrieve his backpack, freezing in place when a m.u.f.fled voice broke the room's silence. Keira and David ducked, backing away from the window. With the room completely still, the voice sounded louder, but it came from the desk. Seemingly from his backpack. Nathan pushed his pack aside, finding the radio they'd used to communicate with Alpha's vehicle while driving out of Mexicali.
They had kept the handheld in standby mode for the entire trip, just in case their CLM escorts had decided to follow them out of town and neglected to change frequencies. Unlikely, but they had nothing to lose by monitoring the frequency. Nathan's shoulders dropped a little. It was entirely reasonable to think that Jose had their satellite phone number. He'd been in possession of their phone for most of yesterday. He was probably just checking in.
Nathan swiped the radio off the desk.
”Fisher. David. This is Alpha. We know you're in room 204. Please answer this. It's life or death. I'm not f.u.c.king around.”
Keira joined her son between the two beds. David aimed his rifle at the door, slowly backing away from the front of the room. Nathan answered the radio.
”How did you find us?”
”No time for that. Listen carefully and whisper. Cerberus found you. They're stacking up on both sides of your room as we speak. If you want to live, here's what I need you to do. Take one of the mattresses and place it against the back wall of the room next to the bathroom, then get everyone into the bathroom. Do it fast. Do it right f.u.c.king now.”
”Got it,” whispered Nathan, turning to his family. ”Owen. Keira. Get into the bathtub. Now.”
They scrambled to the bathroom with their gear, while David helped him lift a mattress off one of the beds. Within seconds, they'd jammed the queen mattress against the wall, its disheveled sheets and bedding partially draped across it. The instant they'd finished, David yanked him into the bathroom.
”I know what they're doing,” said David. ”Give me the radio.”
When Nathan handed it over, David pushed him toward the bathtub. He leaned over and grabbed Keira's hand. She lifted her head high enough for him to meet her eyes under the lip of her helmet. He nodded at her.
”It's gonna be fine,” he said.
”You always say that.”
”Lie flat,” David hissed.
Nathan let go of her hand and patted Owen's helmet before pressing flat against his rifle on the floor next to the tub.
”This is David. We're ready for you to breach.”
”Copy that,” said Alpha. ”We have to time this perfectly, so you won't get a warning. I need you up and on your feet fast after this goes down. Out.”
David crouched next to the tub. ”Plug your ears, keep your mouth open, and breathe shallow. Like this.” He mimicked how he wanted them to breathe for a few seconds before lying next to Nathan on the dusty linoleum tile.
”What're they planning?” whispered Nathan.
”Something loud,” said David, pausing. ”Something soon.”
Nathan plugged his ears under the helmet and waited.
CHAPTER 40.
Olmos strained to keep up with Griga, who had picked up speed once they pa.s.sed the breezeway leading to the inner parking lot. Whipping after him around the southwest corner of the motel, he found his counterpart in a full sprint down the service alley. The Russian had already cleared half the distance between the corner and a white sedan parked in front of two trash dumpsters. Olmos dashed after him, jolts of pain shooting down his leg.
The Russian ran between the car and the building, abruptly stopping at an unmarked metal door next to the sedan and reaching for the doork.n.o.b. Jesus. Don't just open the door! He stifled the urge to yell a warning. When the Russian opened the door and disappeared inside with one fluid motion, Olmos threw himself into a crouch against the building. When a few seconds pa.s.sed without an ear-crunching explosion, he bounded forward toward the door.
A fetid stench hit him as he raised his rifle and stepped through the open doorway. Griga stood directly ahead of him in the hallway before an interior door, his hand on the doork.n.o.b. He turned to Olmos, and their eyes met for a moment. Olmos shook his head.
Griga's stolid expression slowly transformed into a thin smirk. Olmos backed out of the room and hid most of his body behind the exterior door frame, leveling his rifle at the door just beyond Griga. The Russian pushed the door open a few inches and announced his presence in fluent Spanish. Sunlight from the front office poured through the thin crack. He opened the door another inch and repeated his announcement. The widening vertical line of sunlight remained unbroken. Nothing stirred inside the office.
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