Street Game (GhostWalkers 8)

"I fucking work for a living, so don't you ever insult me like that again," Griffen snapped. "And you're supposed to be my friend. Have you forgotten that? We have a situation that could throw our country and all our allies into war. I want the best team I can put together to avoid this situation. All of you are aware of what Jaimie can do. Can any of you? Each of you has talents that are needed, but if we're going to send you in with the best chance of success without detection, you need Jaimie. Mack, you know I wouldn't ask if we didn't need her."

"But you didn't ask," Mack pointed out, his voice neutral. "I believe you ordered her."

A small smile eased the tension on Griffen's face. "I'm used to giving orders. I've been doing it my entire life. I'm sorry about that, Jaimie." He switched his gaze to her pale face. "I wouldn't be asking you if this wasn't a desperate situation, and I think you know that. You have a talent no one else has, or at least that we know of, Jaimie. Maybe it's not something we can put a name to, maybe it's undefined, but you have it, and it saves lives," Griffen said. He made every effort to keep his voice gentle, aware of the men watching him. He wasn't used to choosing his words so carefully and his voice came out a little strained.

Her mouth trembled. "What happens if others are relying on me and I fail them and someone dies? I would never be able to forgive myself." Like last time.

No one died last time, honey, Mack said gently.

You almost did.

You saved all of our lives. The entire team would have died in that ambush if it hadn't been for you. You never think about that part of it. We'd all be dead.

"Think of the children, Jaimie," Kane suggested. "You know the kidnappers have to kill them. With you, we have a better chance of going in without detection."

"You and Mack and the boys, you go in and get those kids out yourself." Jaimie was pleading now, clearly a last-ditch effort. She hadn't honestly thought about what would have happened had she not warned the team of the ambush and found them the clearest route possible to escape. Maybe they did need her, but . . .

She swallowed hard, her eyes meeting Mack's in desperation. He crossed to her side, his hand going to the nape of her neck, fingers easing the tension from her.

"If we needed cowboys to go in, guns blazing, we'd have any number of men, but we can't do that, Jaimie," Griffen said. "We have to get in and get out with no sound, like ghosts. The boy is the only son of the ambassador to D.P.R.K. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the international implications."

Jaimie sagged against Mack in defeat, her heart going out to the grieving parents, to the terrified children. She had to go. She knew what it was going to cost, though.

I'll be with you, Jaimie, Mack reminded. We're getting better at blending our energies. And you're stronger. We can do this.

I guess we have to, she conceded. "I guess I'm going with you."

Griffen smiled. "With your ability you can walk in and take them back without a fight."

"You and I both know it's impossible to control a situation like this. Most of it is pure luck," Jaimie argued. "And good intel."

"Well, we have you for that," Griffen said. Now that she'd capitulated, he was in a better mood. "General Chun is a fine man, a man any military man would respect. He has a code of honor. But let me tell you all, right now he's afraid, terrified even, and a man like Chun should never have such a look in his eyes. I didn't meet the little girl's parents but you know her brother, you went to the university with him and trained with him before you became GhostWalkers."

Jaimie's teeth bit into her lip again. There had been one recruit from North Korea, and she should have recognized the name. Kim-son Song. He had spoken of his younger sister often. She'd been born many years after him--an unexpected gift, he called her.

It was Mack who actually voiced the question, Mack the field commander, Mack who felt totally responsible for his men. "Does he know?"

"Yes. He's been briefed. He blames himself of course, but we're fairly certain she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Jaimie let out her breath and glanced at Mack's face. He'd gone utterly still, even his black eyes appeared lifeless. Kim-son Song had been in his command, an invaluable asset in Europe and the Eastern Bloc nations. Most important, he was a friend. Jaimie instinctively held out her hand. For a moment, Mack didn't move, and then his eyes touched her face. Empty. Cold. Jaimie shivered under his gaze, a sudden tremor of fear rising. There was something very dangerous buried deep in Mack. Jaimie didn't like the rare occasions she caught glimpses of that lurking monster.

Mack fought back the demons clawing at his gut. Innocent children this time. Who would use children as pawns? Someone had hired Doomsday to do their dirty work, to carry out their idea. Doomsday had no personal agenda other than to make money.

Everything in him rose up to do battle with the abductors, a berserker's cold, deadly rage. He detested terrorists--murderers. There was no excuse to kill the innocent. There was no excuse for using political agendas to murder untrained civilians.

His gaze focused on Jaimie's transparent face. He could easily read the jumble of confused emotions. Fear was among them. Instantly he made himself take a deep, calming breath and relax. He softened the hard angles and planes of his face with a smile as he laced his fingers through hers.

"It's okay, baby; we'll get them back." He sat down, cradled her in his lap, his arms strong and comforting. His Jaimie. She had such a gentle heart, thinking only of the children and their families with compassion. The truth was, he wanted swift, brutal retaliation against the perpetrators. His fingers tangled in the blue black silk of her hair. God, but she overwhelmed him with intense emotion. Love. Whatever one called it.

"Do we know who's behind this? Does General Chun have any ideas?"

"A few. There are a couple of powerful people who believe that if the United States was caught resorting to the kidnapping and murdering of children, the world would make concessions on their nuclear program."

"So he wants prisoners."

Jaimie stiffened. "If we turn those men over to the general, you know what he'll do to them. We can't do that."

"They took his son, Jaimie," Griffen pointed out. "He has a right to question them. We can't do it. We can't let anyone know we were even there."

Her breath hissed out between her teeth. She looked around the room and knew immediately none of the men had the least bit of sympathy for the terrorists.

"What do you want us to do with them, Jaimie?" Javier asked.

"That's enough," Mack intervened.

"No, he has the right to ask," Jaimie said. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, especially if we're all going in, risking our lives. I'd rather see them dead than tortured, Javier. And imprisoned rather than dead."

"I can arrange their deaths," Javier agreed and turned to Sergeant Major, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

Griffen shook his head. "As much as we'd like to settle things that way, we can't. We have to pull those kids out of there without a shot fired. No one can know. We'll get them out of China and back into General Chun's hands immediately. You tranquilize whoever you find and walk away. I mean it. Leave them where they lie and get those kids out of there. That's your part of the mission."

"Is that all? You're sending us in without bullets?" Mack asked.

"It has to be this way," Griffen said. "You're ghosts. Get in and get out. We don't have much time. We can't take the chance that they'll move those kids again. It's one of their favorite tactics with hostages, moving them every few days to a new location."

"They won't move them, Sergeant Major," Mack said with a small sigh. "And I think you know that. They're going to kill them and leave the bodies near the gates inside the embassy. God only knows what they'll do to the kids first. You can bet they'll have pictures and arrange for reporters. They're looking for a big splash. The video will be a YouTube hit on the Internet. You know they've got someone ready to record the deaths."

"We have milita

ry transport standing by," Griffen said. "You can sleep on the plane. You'll leave in two hours. You'll be infiltrating the U.S. embassy in Beijing. We don't want anyone in the embassy informed at this time other than the captain."

There was a long, shocked silence. "You're not letting the embassy know?" Mack echoed softly. "I don't think so. What the hell are you trying to pull?"

"I told you it was a hot one. What better way to start an international incident? If the children are found there, the United States would be publicly blamed," Griffen snapped. "Who do we trust? You know there would be a 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 a Marine, spotted them. A very smart young man. Instead of shooting it out, he quietly reported to his captain. He was able to find the traitor working with them and to uncover the cell underground," Griffen said. "They took the information directly to the secretary general."

"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.