Senator Freeman asked to have Ryland's team guarding him when he visited 'a high security facility today,' Jack reported. The general did initially give the order, then an hour later rescinded it and gave the assignment to another team.
Son of a bitch. Whitney has even more pull than we suspected. Who could go over the top of the general?
Ken sat in the narrow corridor inside the cement wall. The fourth level was far more massive than he had ever considered it could be. It had originally been built as a secret military base before it had been closed down. Whitney had obviously discovered it and either bought it or persuaded his backers to allow him to use it for his experiments. There were very few in the know about the existence of the GhostWalkers. Whitney's front men were able to find a way to hide his work from the various committees who would have objected strenuously to his inhumane and illegal experiments.
I don't know who could countermand one of the general's orders. The president certainly, Jack responded. The secretary of defense. But I can't see either of them mixed up with a nutcase like Whitney. He's too unstable, and the kinds of things he's doing would rock the nation-the world-if it came out. No president would risk being associated with him if they knew what he's done to children and women.
That was true. Ken couldn't see anyone risking their political career. Hell, they'd face jail time, if not the death penalty, right along with Whitney. Mari alone would attest to the rape and murder of several women.
There was no sense in speculating. Ryland would have to approach the general, and if that went nowhere, then it would be up to the members of Ryland's team to find out whom they could trust.
Rear Admiral Henderson, the man responsible for the SEAL GhostWalker team, was already under investigation-of course he wasn't aware of it-and if they found no evidence against him. they'd never tell him. Jesse Calhoun was working hard to find out who had betrayed their team and sent them into the Congo.
Ken looked carefully around the walls of his tomb of cement. Ever since leaving Mari, he had been busy, marking the way so Cami could lead the other women out once Mari gave the signal to escape. He had tried to find Whitney's rooms and private tunnels so he could recover the pictures of the women, but it seemed impossible when the concrete dead-ended so often and was hazardous in most places to get through.
Has Logan got the blueprints on this compound yet? Ken wanted to destroy the pictures of the women Whitney had been taking for years. More, he wanted to put a bullet in Whitney's head. Since it's a former military base, he should have been able to access them with the admiral's clearance. If not, put Lily on it. She seems to be able to get anything she wants. The Whitney name works wonders, Ken said.
Logan tracked them down. They're studying them now. They're set up to make the rescue when the senator is here. We're going to have to push our timetable forward. There's no doubt that Whitney is going to arrange an accident of some kind for Senator Freeman and his wife.
Maybe, Ken mused. But he wouldn't want an investigation anywhere near this place. I don't think he'll hit the senator here. I think he'll make his try either before or after he leaves. He'd be stupid to bring a firestorm down on his laboratory, and the one thing Whitney isn't-is stupid.
He has to make it look like an accident this time, Jack said. Get word to Marigold and tell her if she can warn Violet, to do it.
No. Absolutely not, Jack. Ken was adamant. He crawled on his belly, careful of the sharp rebar sticking out of the walls, dragging his legs up and away from it. It was easy to lose oneself in the labyrinth, and Mari had been working on a new escape plan with the other women, as they feared they'd told Sean too much.
We don't have a choice. Violet has to know what she's up against. We don't have a team in place to protect him. If he's really Whitney's enemy…
Ken sent Jack the impression of disgust. No. I'm not risking Mari. She's taken enough risks in this hellhole. If Violet is undercover for Whitney, then Mari's dead.
And if she isn't, the senator is dead, Jack reminded him from his vantage point on the bluff. The air was cool. He wished he could send it to his brother trapped like a rat in the walls of Whitney's prison.
That's not my problem. Frankly, I'm not risking her life for anyone connected to Senator Freeman. I don't trust him or his wife. I'm not risking Mari. I've gone as far as I'm willing to go for her family. We're getting them out today, because if Sean doesn't die today, he'll be back tonight. I'll kill him and be done with it. and Mari will know what a bastard I am. That won't be good, because she'll decide she doesn't want me and then I'll have to kidnap her and try to change her mind.
Jack sighed. You've gone caveman on me, bro.
Mari has that effect on me. And, by the way, Briony will be really upset if anything happens to Mari, and that will impact your life, so just get over having Mari warn Violet.
Man, you're edgy. Chill out.
Ken frowned. He was edgy. He didn't want to leave Mari alone in that cell, locked up and trapped like a rabbit in a cage, when Sean might come back at any moment. He forced his mind to concentrate on the business at hand. Speaking of the sick, twisted freak, have you caught sight of the bastard?
Jack gave a short, expressive snort. Um, that would a negative. I've never actually seen Sean.
I sent you an image.
Tails and horns aren't exactly the real deal. Ken. You gave me a picture of the devil.
Ken made a rude noise, accompanying it with an even ruder gesture his brother couldn't see but would know he'd done anyhow. I did my best to nudge Sean into making a try against Whitney. With a little luck, he'll kill the doctor, and Whitney's men will do him, and we can just write them both off. Thanks for helping out last night.
Sorry I didn't step in sooner. I went to higher ground and dug myself in, just in case using that much energy took its toll. You must have been completely wiped.
Ken tried to sit up, and hit his head on rebar. He swore softly and glanced down at his hands. He hadn't felt the scrapes as he moved over the jagged, unfinished cement, leaving smears of blood behind. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore but getting Mari out of there. For a couple of hours. I couldn't get to Mari and I thought I'd lose my fucking mind. I didn't realize I had such a vivid imagination. I lay there scared shitless. The only time I've ever been that scared was when Ekabela's man was cutting my cock into tiny little pieces. He'd never admitted it before. Never discussed it with Jack-but Jack had to know he couldn't do without Mari. He had to get her out.
There was a small silence. She all right?
Sean was going to force himself on her. He'd been her friend; they trained on her GhostWalker team together. It's obvious she had genuine affection for the fuckwad, and for him to betray her like that… Ken hit the cement with the flat of his hand, needing to expel his pent-up anger in some physical way. She was pretty torn up, Jack. Ken took a deep breath and forced his mind and body back under control. I'm going to be taking the women out through the corridor the minute you give me the signal. I marked the way to make the run fast, but if you get a shot at Sean, take him out.
You're certain?
He'll never stop. Even if we don't get Whitney, and Whitney gives him a direct order, Sean is going to keep coming after her. In the end I'm going to have to kill the son of a bitch and she'll have a hard time forgiving me.
She isn't a stupid woman, Ken. You're underestimating her. Not that I mind killing him one way or the other.
Take him out, Jack, if you get the chance.
Jack briefly laid his head on his arm. His brother's emotions swamped him at times; then he'd recover, pull
