leak.”
“The Marines guard all of our embassies,” Jaimie pointed out. “Security is ultra tight.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve planned for that.”
“The Marines, rather
“They entered the embassy through a tunnel?” Jaimie found that unbelievable.
“The tunnel had been sealed years earlier. Someone spent a great deal of time and energy reopening it. We knew about the tunnel and also the seven seals that were cleverly worked into the building structure that amplified sounds so we could be monitored.”
“Someone on the inside helped,” Mack said.
“Three people. One, a young man who will be very quietly court-martialed,”
Griffen continued. “Another works on the grounds. Both contributed a great deal. The work was done on the guard’s shift and the groundskeeper kept everyone away from the area with various ingenious ploys. He did it right out in the open in front of embassy officials, guards, personnel, everyone. We also suspect a low-level paper pusher who is a friend of the Marine guard. No one has moved on any of those involved.”
“Who knows about this?” Mack asked.
“The secretary general was apprised of the situation immediately by the commanding officer, and of course the young Marine. The secretary general asked specifically for this team and I told him you’d do it.”
“He doesn’t want the terrorists dealt with?” Mack asked.
“Not by your team. He wants them tranquilized quietly. Once you’re out with the kids, the Marines will go in and sweep the tunnel. They’ll be turned over to Chun’s men.”
Jaimie stirred but she didn’t say anything.
“You won’t object to our defending ourselves if it comes to that, right, sir?” Javier demanded.
“Defend yourself with tranqs,” Griffen said. “We’ve got one chance to do this right. If we don’t get those children back, the United States will be very embarrassed and North Korea will be put in an impossible position.”
“They could be dead,” Mack said.
“If that’s the case, we get them out, kill everyone involved, and lose the bodies. We’ll have to deny all knowledge.”
Jaimie closed her eyes briefly as she leaned back against Mack’s chest, pulling herself in. This had to be done. She could see the reasons clearly, but it still didn’t stop her from feeling sick about it. “I take it you have all the intel we’ll need.”
“The layout, guards, the total security system. We’ll have full cooperation once we contact the embassy and let them know you’re there. We’ll do so at the last possible minute.”
Jaimie was already shaking her head. “Too risky, too many people in on it. We can’t know who else they’ve bought. If this was really over some formula the terrorist wanted, that might work, but not this. This is designed to pit the United States against North Korea.”
“The guards will be handpicked, assigned a special duty, because the embassy will be receiving a surprise visit from a bigwig dignitary.”
“Please God, tell me it isn’t General Chun,” Jaimie muttered aloud. “It sounds like something brilliant someone sitting behind a desk would come up with.”
“It wouldn’t be so unusual,” Griffen countered.
“Nothing would put that group on alert like a surprise visit from the kid’s father.”
“What do you suggest?” Mack asked, his voice strictly neutral.
“A dinner party.”
“Excuse me?” Griffen scowled at her.
“A dinner party. I know you’ve heard of it. Coat, tie, maybe a tail or two. Open the place up. Up the security. Get tons of dogs out sniffing the grounds.”
“You’re crazy, Jaimie.” Kane scowled at her. “That will only add to the nightmare.”
Mack shook his head his slowly. “No, wait a minute, Kane. She just might have something.”
Jaimie jumped up and paced across the floor with her quick, fluid step. “Excuse me, guys, but this happens to be my area of expertise. You go out, shoot ’em up, bang, bang, but I plan for stealth, silent training if you recall. Trust me on this. If the embassy is putting on a high-profile dinner party-announced, say, now-the security will be upped like you wouldn’t believe. They won’t be able to kill those children. They’ll have to stay tucked in that tunnel waiting until security eases a bit.”
Gideon cleared his throat. “Sergeant Major. If there’s even a small chance that the terrorists will kill the children, shouldn’t the Marines on-site go in and rescue them now? Not wait?”
“Doomsday will kill them. You know they would, Gideon,” Mack said. “You’ve seen the way they operate. At the first sign of trouble, they’ll kill the kids and try to fight their way out. The few times an operative has been close to capture, they’ve blown themselves and everyone around them up.”
Gideon nodded. “I knew you’d say that, but I had to ask.”
“I think Jaimie’s on to something,” Mack said. “Doomsday will be pinned down until we get there. They’ll keep the kids alive until after the dinner party. They’ll need to just for insurance, for bargaining chips. They’ll want fresh bodies for the optimum scandal, probably cut their throats on the embassy lawn. Hopefully the captain has kept the corporal from guard duty so he hasn’t given them the opportunity and won’t before we can get there.”
“He has,” Griffen said grimly.
Javier pulled his knife from his boot and began sharpening it. Griffen shot him a speculative look.
“You’ll have to keep your men in line, Mack,” he warned.
“My men know what to do, Top,” Mack said.
He caught Javier’s eye and shook his head. Javier sighed and put the knife away, having made his point. “Maybe we should make some fresh coffee and give ourselves time to think this through.”
“I’ll make a fresh pot,” Marc volunteered.
Javier snorted. “No way am I drinking his coffee. I’d rather go to this embassy buck naked and armed with only water guns.”
Laughter accompanied the shudders that went around the room. Almost as one they stood up and headed for the stairs. Jaimie turned off her computers and followed. Mack waited on the bottom stair for her, reaching for her hand. He brought her fingers to his mouth. “We’ll do this, baby.”
“I think we have a good chance. We’ve got all the right people,” Jaimie agreed.
“You know if something goes wrong, I probably won’t be much of an asset to you.”
“You can fire a gun, Jaimie. No one’s going to ask you to shoot through a hostage. We’re there to save them.”
She took a deep breath and let it out. “Don’t worry. Really, Mack. You know me, once I make up my mind to do something, I’m in all the way.”
That was true. She was very disciplined and methodical. She’d be a huge asset in planning how to get in and out.
It was Kane who put on a new pot of coffee while the men raided the refrigerator and cupboards, reminding Mack of locusts.
Jaimie and Mack followed Griffen to the comfortable chairs and sank into them. Jaimie leaned toward Sergeant Major. “Put your handpicked embassy Marines at the gate, let them watch all the people going in, but don’t tell them about us. Believe me, Sergeant Major, if the guards know someone is meant to slip through, they’ll never be as alert and neither will we.”
“You have a plan?” Griffen asked.
Mack nodded. “You said the commanding officer was going to take his Marines in and clean up. How exactly?”
Griffen hesitated again.
“I need to know,” Mack said.
“We’ve got a small unit standing by. Special Ops. They’ll go in with the commander, take the sleeping terrorists to a waiting unmarked car. It will have tinted windows so no one can see in. The commander will go about his
