All Necessary Force

Know anything about that?”

She glared at me, making me take a step to the right before she could do some damage. The fact that the comment had aggravated her gave me a small bit of optimism that I was making progress reversing the clock past the incident in Egypt. Before she could say anything, our radios squawked.

“Pike, Decoy. We have ’em. Pictures on the way, but it’s them.”

Jennifer pulled out her phone, looked at the images, and nodded her head.

“That’s the Arab and the Asian man who walked out of the Prague hotel while we were conducting surveillance on the original guy.”

I clicked back, “Where are you?”

“Across from a place called Cafe Brazil. It’s the third cafe on the left side. Red and green umbrellas. They’re outside sitting at a table. The Asian looks like he’s scared.”

“Can you stay?”

“Yeah, we’re across the way at a park bench. We’re good. They can’t see us and we can trigger.”

Crossing the street, I said, “Okay, here’s what I want—”

Decoy cut me off. “They’re standing up. They’re leaving. Headed away from you, away from Andrassy.”

Shit. I looked at the map on my phone, seeing Buckshot’s position. “Buckshot, come down Terez and turn south on the first street you get to. It’s a one-way with a big-ass Magyar name that begins with a D.”

“I got it. I see it.”

“Stage where it curves away from the park to the southeast. That’s where we’ll take them. Break-break. Decoy, leapfrog to the end of the block. Get ahead of them.”

“Moving. What about the targets?”

“We’ve got the eye. We’ll be on them in seconds.”

We were moving at a fast walk when Jennifer jerked my arm to slow me down. I saw the pair to our left front, weaving in and out between the tables and chairs.

“We got them. We’ll bring up the rear now. I want to hit them before they get a chance to get into the main arteries of the city, while they’re still here in the park.”

We followed behind them for a minute or two, my brain working through options at the speed of light, trying to assess the risks and rewards of taking them down right here in public, in daylight. It could be done, I knew from experience. You wouldn’t believe the things you can get away with right in front of people. The kicker was making it look natural. Plausible.

I had no doubt we could take the Asian, but the Arab was a different story. In the back of my mind was the image I had snapped of him with the Blackjack before he’d entered the house last night. Assessing his surroundings like a wolf. Looking for the weakness before he continued. He wouldn’t go down easy. He had a sense for trouble.

Buckshot called, “I’m at the bend, but I can’t stay here. It’s a one-way road with no parking. I gotta keep going or get police attention.”

I tapped Jennifer. “Keep eyes on. Don’t lose them.” I returned to the radio. “What about back up the road, before you enter the square?”

“Maybe, but it’s going to be close. Pike, this is asking for trouble. I think we let them go.”

“Can’t. He’s going to kill that guy, then disappear. He’s not going to bed down tonight. He’s already left a blood trail, which means he has a goal in mind.”

Decoy called, “We’re at the end, and there’s a cafe here. They’ll be walking right by it. It’s full of people. We might be able to take one, but not two. Someone’s going to see the action.”

I wanted to start kicking shit, but remained cool as ice on the radio. “Roger. Buckshot, circle the block and stage on the same road, keeping in between the buildings before it breaks out into the square. Decoy, Retro, find a spot for takedown right there. In between the buildings before the square. Can you do it there? What’s the visibility?”

Jennifer said, “Two minutes. They reach the end in two minutes.”

Decoy came back. “Got a spot, but, Pike, it’s shaky. No visibility from the park, but there’s a group of schoolkids looking at a statue at the entrance. They’ll see the hit. If he comes this way.”

“All right, everyone listen. They keep going straight, we let ’em go. They make the turn to Terez Boulevard, which I think they will, we take ’em. I want them alive. No killing. Get ’em in the van and we haul ass.”

Buckshot said, “Roger. I’ll be there in thirty seconds.”

Decoy said, “Pike, the schoolkids. I can prevent anyone from the cafe from seeing, but I can’t do shit about the kids. They have a clean line of sight to me.”

I saw the street about seventy meters in front of me, the targets about thirty meters closer to the end than I was. I could see the kids, along with a teacher talking to them. Need a diversion. Something to focus their attention away from the left.

“Jennifer, break away from me. Go to the right of the schoolkids and get their attention.”

“How in the hell am I going to do that?”

“Jesus, I don’t know. Figure it out. But don’t do it until you see the targets commit to Terez Boulevard. They keep going straight, let them go.”

In my head I was tracking about forty different variables and knew I was on the ragged edge of causing the entire hit to collapse. Too many things to control with too few people.

She glanced at the targets, saw them still moving, and returned to me. “Pike, don’t push this. Don’t… do something we’ll regret.”

I had precious seconds to get her on board. I didn’t want to lose sight of the targets but decided to give Jennifer my undivided attention. I stopped and took both of her shoulders in my hands. “Jennifer, we’ve got about one minute to make this work. If it doesn’t, I’ll let it go, but I need you in place. I know what you’re thinking. You don’t want to be here. To be responsible for what’s about to happen. I know I’ve put you in situations before you were ready. Caused you to do things that made you question who you are, but your feelings need to take a backseat right now.”

She glanced down the square toward the target, refusing to meet my eyes. I shook her. “Look at me.”

She snapped her head back at my tone.

“I need you. We need you. Right now.”

Something flitted behind her eyes. A brief look of resignation tinged with anger. She broke away from me without a word, headed toward the children across the square.

I picked up my pace, closing within twenty feet of the targets. “We’re thirty seconds out. You guys set?”

Decoy came back. “Yeah, we’re set, but those fucking kids are still there.”

“Don’t worry about them. The targets turn the corner toward you, the kids will be focused the other way. I’ll bring up the rear. We’ll double-team the Arab. Who’s on him?”

Retro said, “Me. Decoy’s got the Asian.”

“Roger all. Thirty seconds.”

I glanced quickly at Jennifer, now on the other side of the schoolkids, talking to the teacher. Jesus, I hope this works.

The targets reached the street and immediately turned left, amping up the adrenaline.

“They’re going to Terez. Ten seconds.”

I turned the corner, saw the targets abreast of our van, and heard a startled yelp behind me. Buckshot, in the driver’s seat of the van, came on, “Target’s ten feet out. Pike, I can see Jennifer. She just went down. Something happened.”

I came back, now solely focused on the hit, no emotion whatsoever. “Execute, execute, execute.”

I rushed the Arab from the rear, seeing the van door slide open in slow motion. The team deployed from an alcove, pistols drawn, Decoy taking the Asian guy and Retro focused on the Arab. The Asian froze for a second, then fell to his knees with a wail. Decoy hammered him in the head, cutting off the warbling with a thump, then threw him into the van.

The Arab reacted instantly, snarling and whipping a seven-inch fillet knife at Retro’s body. He jumped back, holding his pistol close to his body and shouting, “Don’t, don’t!”