He and Teague crossed to the door, which would be harder to clear as it was a pinch point in a door-width alcove.
He nodded to Collins, who yanked the door open so Chris could pass through.
The upper landing with its long hall was empty. Down below, Burns and Kramer would be clearing the floor.
A muffled sound behind the guest room door was followed by a curse.
Diana yelled, “Chris!”
He kicked the door open and there she was, fighting with Maxim in front of the window. The man wanted to use her as a shield, but she wasn’t cooperating.
Diana, more than anyone, knew when it was time to be a meek hostage, and when it was time to fight, but even when she chose meek, she was the one in control.
Chris stalked forward. His gun lowered; he’d never aim a gun in her direction. Fortunately, she’d managed to disarm Maxim, who groped for his weapon as he tried to hold her off.
Chris kicked Maxim’s gun to the side and reached down, grasping him by the throat. He lifted the man by his neck, freeing Diana from grappling limbs.
Behind him, he heard Burns and Kramer enter the room.
Collins stepped forward and faced one of the men who’d helped plan the attack that had killed the rest of his Fire Team and left him for dead in the forest.
Collins punched the man in the gut while Chris held him by the neck. Chris squeezed harder, stopping the man from making a sound of pain.
Then he met Diana’s face and saw the shock—even horror in her eyes.
He dropped Maxim to the floor. Collins stepped forward to kick him in the ribs, but Burns and Kramer caught him.
Collins breathed deeply as he fought the same demon that haunted Chris.
He knew Collins wanted to argue. To justify. All the others were dead. What was one more?
Chris sympathized. But once that threshold was crossed, there was no going back.
He pulled out his cell phone and called their commander. “Sir, we got him. Alive.”
Chapter Sixty-Four
The gate opened without Rand needing to slow the SUV. It appeared the Kuliks were expecting him once again. They’d gone to the unnecessary effort of hiding Kira, who had tucked down in the well of the front passenger seat, covered by papers and Rand’s coat, while two SEALs crouched in the back and two rode in the cargo area.
That both Kuliks were lax in their security was a very good sign.
“Sorry, guys,” Rand said as he parked in front of the fountain, knowing they had to be uncomfortable crammed in the space as they were.
The SEALs grunted. Like Rand, they were used to the discomfort of covert insertions. Kira, the smallest and easiest to hide, was more vocal about how uncomfortable the ride had been with her bruised ribs.
He placed his cell phone to his ear so anyone watching would think he was on the phone. He grinned at Kira. “How about I go in alone and you and the guys follow a minute or two later?”
This wasn’t the original plan—in case they had trouble getting past the gate—but now that they were here, it made sense.
“As long as you get video of Reuben’s face when he spots me, I’m good.”
He touched the camera in his collar and flashed the baseball ring. “Wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
He clicked on the link that gave Freya and NSWC a live feed from the collar camera as he marched up the steps and shoved open the door, not bothering to wait for the butler. He demanded to see Luka and Reuben and this time was led into a room with a theater-sized TV.
Not the art room he’d been expecting, but he should have known they’d be glued to the news. It was almost 1100 in Malta, and 0500 in Virginia. The news showed dark skies and even darker clouds over Little Creek. They’d continued to pump in smoke over the last few hours, to make it impossible for news cameras to get a decent view of the base in the night.
The no-fly zone was being strictly enforced, authorized by no less than the president, who’d received a security briefing on the planned assault and countermeasures being taken thirty minutes before the fireworks show began.
Now it was an hour before sunrise. Soon, nautical twilight would end and civil twilight begin. As the smoke cleared, the sun would rise and reveal the base had no damage at all. The power station was fine. Wastewater treatment continued without concern. The barracks still stood, and sailors who’d gone to the club to celebrate the holiday would rise and shine. They might not shine bright if they’d indulged too much, but still, they would rise.
The Coast Guard would still patrol the waters of the Chesapeake where they met the Atlantic, and Seabees and other Navy engineers would continue engineering, underwater and on land.
The same number of SEALs who were based at Little Creek and Dam Neck yesterday continued to serve today. Naval Special Warfare Command continued to be special.
Reuben faced him with not a small amount of glee. “Have you seen the news? Something happened in Virginia. That’s where you’re from, right?”
Rand furrowed his brow. “Virginia? It’s a big state. What part?”
“There were devastating attacks on two Navy bases. It happened during a fireworks show.”
“Bullshit.”
Reuben waved toward the TV. “The proof is there.”
Rand took a step forward and studied the screen. He saw nothing but the same cloudy dark night the news had broadcast for the last few hours. “I don’t see anything.” He frowned. “But damn if a group of terrorists managed to pull that off…it would be… Nah. Not possible. Base security is too tight. I’ve researched that kind of thing for my books.”
