Lisa braced herself and kicked the middle of the doors, sending broken glass and shards of wood into the ornate room as Laughlin swept left around her. The pair pulled up short and glanced at the medical equipment, unsure what to make of a lavish hospital room inside a drug czar’s compound.
“Clear,” Lisa announced before turning back towards the gunfire. Laughlin paused for just a moment then fell into step behind her, sweeping right as she cleared left.
Lisa pulled up along the edge of the wall just shy of another long hallway running parallel to the one they had just cleared. She could hear men yelling in Spanish and gunfire being answered by suppressed weapons. She took a deep breath then glanced around the corner. She nodded to Laughlin and the pair spun, entering the fray.
28
Near Chapala, Mexico
Bridger dropped two more cartel enforcers and spun left, peering past the carnage to clear the room. “Clear!”
DJ emerged from the room on the opposite side of the hallway. “Clear.”
The pair both turned to continue down the long hallway when Bridger’s IFF warning chimed. “Sparrow, report!”
“On your right,” Lisa’s voice echoed in his ear.
DJ smiled when he heard more shots being fired and the telltale sound of bodies crumpling to the ground. “I hope she’s keeping Laughlin alive.” He changed magazines and grinned at Bridger. “I’d hate to have to walk home.”
“Truth be told, I’m holding my own, thank you,” Laughlin announced as they rounded the corner. “South and west sides are cleared.”
Bridger slowly rose to his full height and checked his weapon. “North and east sides clear.” He paused and glanced at his team. “Anybody catch site of this ghost?”
Lisa shrugged. “They’re not exactly wearing name tags.”
Bridger growled low in his throat and pursed his lips. “Something tells me this isn’t over.”
“Incoming!” Mauk announced over coms. “Fucker got past me, Vulture.”
Bridger spun and trotted back to the main doors. He leveled his barrel on the double doors as the team stacked around him. They listened as heavy boots stomped up the wooden steps and stumbled across the wooden deck.
The double doors flew open and a haggard looking, filth-covered man fell face first onto the polished wooden floors.
“Hold!” Bridger yelled, shocking the intruder as his team closed in to secure him. “Pick him up.”
The man stared at the gringos with wide eyes, shaking his head as he struggled against their combined grip. “No! No, no, no!!”
“Hablas English?” Bridger barked.
The frightened man shook his head. “No!”
He glanced to Lisa who stepped closer. “Ask him who this ghost is.”
Lisa translated, for what good it did. “He doesn’t know. He was hired by the militia to guard this place. He’s never even seen him.”
Bridger snarled at the man. “Then he’s no good to us.”
“Bridger, he’s unarmed,” Lisa stated as he turned to walk away.
“So was Rob when they rolled his Jeep over his chest.” He disappeared around the corner and the three operators all looked to each other.
DJ shrugged. “He didn’t exactly order us to kill him.”
Lisa nodded. “He just said he was of no use to us.”
Laughlin pulled his side arm and shot the man in the temple before turning and going after Bridger.
“Jeezus!” Lisa yelled. “Why’d you do that?”
“He was the enemy,” Laughlin deadpanned. He paused at the corner and gave them a confused look. “You coming?”
DJ dropped the body and trotted after him. “That was cold.”
“I swear, I’m hating him more every day,” Lisa grumbled.
The trio caught up to Bridger standing on the rear porch. “We would have seen him if he’d left.”
“Who? The ghost?” DJ asked.
Bridger nodded. “Nobody has come or gone since we staged on the ridge.” He glanced into the thick vegetation. “How could he have…” He trailed off then slowly turned and stared at the building. “He’s still inside.”
“We cleared the entire building,” Laughlin stated.
“Did we?” Bridger stepped forward, reaching for the door. “Did we check under the beds? In the closets?” He paused and a slow smile formed. “BEHIND the closets?”
Lisa shook her head. “Secret passageways? You’ve been reading too much James Bond.”
“This is a drug cartel leader’s house. You think he wouldn’t have some kind of contingency plan?”
Langley Virginia
“And so it has begun,” Jameson stated blandly. He sat forward and motioned to the satellite tech. “Are you prepared?”
The tech nodded. “Yes, sir. Primed and ready, sir.”
“What’s going on?” Ingram asked, suddenly very nervous.
Jameson came to his feet and walked around the short aisle of seats. “We are about to ensure the safety of our asset, Robert.”
“Tracking a UAV, inbound from the east, sir,” another tech announced.
“Very well.” Jameson pulled his coat on and adjusted the lapels. “Once it’s within range of the compound, you have a go.”
“What the hell is going on?” Ingram asked as he stumbled around the observation chairs.
“Watch and learn, Robert.” Jameson couldn’t help but allow a slight grin. “We may not have been able to call off the Mexican drone, but we can certainly still ensure that our asset isn’t killed.”
The pair moved closer to the tech station and watched as the satellite tracked the incoming drone. “Closing, sir.”
“Distance?”
“Fifty kilometers. Optimal firing range in thirty seconds.”
“Don’t give them the opportunity,” Jameson replied flatly.
“We could go ahead and…SHIT!” the second tech yelled before scrambling at her station. “They’ve launched!”
“What?!” Jameson pushed in closer and stared at the screen. “Can you shoot it down?”
“It’s too fast, sir.” The tech glanced back at him. “We can still drop the drone.”
“Will somebody tell me what the hell is going on here?!” Ingram screamed.
Jameson felt his mouth go dry as he took a half step back, his eyes glued to the screen. “They were about to destroy the drone…with a laser.” He turned and stared at him blankly. “From the satellite.”
“They can do that?” Ingram asked.
Jameson turned back and watched as the air to surface missile closed on the target. “Yes,
