the flooding if she stays in the mountains. She might find enough shelter there.”
Wishful thinking was not his forte. He sucked at it.
“You said you wanted to talk about the terrorist cell who claimed responsibility a few hours ago,” she reminded him.
He knew Tanya well enough to see she’d changed topics to get his mind off Alexa. And worrying about the weather did them no good.
“The group who claimed the kidnappings on the Internet was an outfit called the National Liberation Army,” he told her. “They were originally a Marxist insurgent group based out of Colombia. They’ve been in existence since the mid-sixties, inspired by Castro and Che Guevara. They have terrorist cells training in Cuba.”
“Why would such a group commit an act of terrorism in an impoverished country like Haiti, then take the hostages back to Cuba? For that matter, why take hostages from there at all?” she asked. “You’d think they would launch an attack where they could abduct vacationing tourists, people with money.”
“Your instincts would be dead-on, but I think this was a training exercise. Whoever they are, I think they’re preparing for something bigger…on turf where they feel comfortable.” He shook his head and slumped in a chair across from her. “And as to why they took the hostages to Castro country, Cuba provides safe haven, medical care, and support for this group. And it’s believed they have ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Venezuela’s involvement broadens their playing field. I think something else is going on here.”
“You have a theory?” She narrowed her eyes.
“The National Liberation Army conducts hundreds of kidnappings for ransom in a year, and they generally target the employees of large foreign corporations. This broader focus doesn’t fit the MO of the terrorist cell Alexa is tracking. The group claiming responsibility may be creating a smoke screen to cover up another agenda, or they’re lying about who they are to throw off authorities.” He leaned forward and rested his palms on his knees. “The tactics feel like Islamic Jihad, maybe a group out of Afghanistan in training for something bigger. Or maybe their goal is to aggravate an already strained situation between the U.S. and Cuba or Venezuela. America doesn’t need another global distraction, not with a faltering domestic economy.”
“Has this group asked for ransom money?” she asked. Before he answered her question, she posed another idea. “Maybe it’s not about money. They’ve already posted one gruesome video that’s getting attention. Perhaps they’re after headlines in a global arena. These hostages could be nothing more than collateral damage to the cause.”
He’d already leapt to the same conclusion until wishful thinking intervened.
“There have been no demands for money, but that might be due to the weather,” he said. “They have no way to communicate until the hurricane passes.”
The hopelessness of the hostage situation made him understand why Kinkaid had been so relentless, especially if there were innocent children involved, as the Haitian police had reported. And if his theory about this being a training exercise for a larger operation was right, Kinkaid’s emergency call might thwart a more dangerous scheme geared for a higher body count. Gut instinct told him more was at stake for the terrorists than the lives of the hostages or any paltry ransom money.
“We need to track these bastards by other means. If we can find a way to trace their last transmission, that might provide us a clue. We could know what to look for when they post another video.”
“What makes you think they’ll post again?”
“They took a video cam with them for a reason. Groups like this crave attention.” He nodded. “They’ll post again. Each upload is a fucking victory lap.”
His mind raced, formulating a plan and the logistics he’d need to pull it off. He got to his feet and went to his desk to jot down his thoughts.
“When we get through this storm, Alexa will need our help,” he said, keeping his attention on the notepad as he continued, “If we know how to track these guys, we can give her an edge and have a backup team airborne to support her on the ground.”
When his phone rang, Tanya stood and prepared to give him privacy. He glanced at the display and recognized the extension for security.
“I’ve got to take this, but stick around.” He picked up his phone. “Wheeler.”
A man from security informed him that his car service had arrived in the secured parking garage. His visitor was in custody and still wearing a blindfold. Jessica Beckett would be escorting the young man to his office.
“Can I send him up, sir?” the guard asked.
“Yes, immediately. And thanks.” He hung up the phone and looked at Tanya. “Our visitor has arrived. Get your team ready. I want him to hit the ground running. Use your judgment and give him what he needs. He’ll be under your supervision.”
“Works for me.” She left his office and shut the door behind her.
And for the first time today, Garrett smiled and meant it. “Great timing, Seth Harper.”
“Bet this stop isn’t in any brochure,” Harper said. When Jess didn’t answer, he yanked her chain again. “Not exactly what I had in mind when I came to New York. Sightseeing works best when you can actually…see, Jessie.”
Seth walked slowly down a corridor with a blindfold covering half his face. He carried an overnight bag on his shoulder at Garrett’s suggestion. Seth would be the guest of the Sentinels.
“Maybe we can put this blindfold to good use later, just you and me,” he added. She heard the smile in his voice and pictured him with a devilish twinkle in his eye. “After all, I let you see me naked. The least you could do is return the favor.”
“Thanks for the privilege, Harper. Next time you should charge admission.”
“Next time?”
Jess held his hand and heaved a sigh with an eye roll she knew he couldn’t appreciate. They were near Garrett Wheeler’s office—an intimidating place she’d only been to once. Whatever was happening with Alexa, it had to be important for Garrett to bring Seth into their operation. She joked for Harper’s sake, but she was worried for Alexa.
Seth let her lead him to the closed office door. He was having fun with all the security protocol. She only hoped he’d still have a sense of humor when this was all over.
Garrett had explained enough for her to appreciate that Alexa needed Seth’s computer expertise, and time was apparently critical. When she presented the situation to Harper, he agreed to help without hesitation. She expected nothing less from a guy she’d grown to respect—personally and professionally—if computer hacking and online surveillance that bordered on criminal activity could be construed as “professional.” The guy bent the ethics rules when it came to tracking criminal activity on the computer.
That could earn him a definite plus on his resume—
Jess let go of Seth’s hand to knock on Garrett’s door. She heard a man’s voice inside, giving her permission to enter. When she led Harper in, Garrett wasn’t alone. He had Tanya Spencer with him, his senior analyst and advisor.
Before introductions were made, Garrett exchanged looks with his analyst, and Tanya shrugged.
“Why is he still blindfolded?” her boss asked. “Once he was secured in the building, I thought you knew he could ditch the headgear.”
All eyes were on her. Jess pursed her lips and avoided their questioning stares until Harper figured it out.
“Very funny, Jessie.” He yanked down the blindfold and left it dangling around his neck. “You’d be a riot at a firing squad.”
In truth, it wasn’t a prank. She liked having Harper reliant on her for a change. And having a semi-legitimate excuse to hold his hand was an added bonus. The first time she put her hand in his, a rush of intimacy swept through her. She loved the warmth of his skin next to hers even though it made letting go harder to do.
Her new boss made the introductions and took great pleasure in shaking Harper’s hand. Jess noticed Garrett’s eye contact as he fixed on Seth with all the enthusiasm of a scientist testing a new lab rat. After everyone made nice, they sat and the briefing got under way.
Jess sensed that Garrett left key elements out of his update. He only named Alexa so Harper would understand why he had been asked to get involved. And he focused on details Seth would know from the news.
