Page 71 of Into the Gray Zone (Pike Logan #19)
Nadia realized that Jaiden was beginning to deteriorate even as he co-opted the rest of the security staff. He had grown prone
to striking her whenever he caught her looking at him, but only when the in-house security wasn’t around, and had actually
slapped Annaka for the first time earlier in the day. He was losing control even if the other security men couldn’t see it.
As the head of Riva Thakkar’s protective detail, he’d somehow managed to convince the rank-and-file security guards for the
residence that there was some grand conspiracy occurring, and that the government was possibly the enemy. He’d told them that
protecting the life of Annaka Thakkar was their prime directive, and that they’d made a gorgeous salary for years, but now
they were going to have to earn it.
She had to admit, he was good. An imposing presence with impeccable credentials, he commanded any room he was in, the scar
tracing a path through his beard evidence that he was willing to fight. With no contacts to the outside world, and Jaiden
having been their direct commander for years, the guards took what he said at face value, eager to please him.
While Jaiden originally had just the two red-suited guards from the pre-wedding celebration, Nadia and Annaka now had to contend with five in the room, and she’d heard him telling eight more to position themselves on the rooftop. She knew why.
Riva had built a helicopter pad on the roof big enough for three helicopters, but the Mumbai government had forbidden him
from using it over an esoteric debate about noise, or air clearance, or some other excuse, forcing him to land his chopper
a quarter mile away. Whatever the reasoning had been, if a helicopter came to the roof, it wasn’t Riva coming home. It was
the enemy—and the security men bought it.
Nadia was beginning to see the outlines of Jaiden’s plan. She’d only had rudimentary explosives training in the RAW, but even
she could see that they had placed the charges on support members throughout the den—and probably farther inward, toward the
elevators. Jaiden was going to cause an enormous fight, which would play into the world press, and then he was going to detonate
the explosives in this room, hoping to bring down the top of the building, killing as many government men as possible—along
with Nadia and Annaka.
Jaiden was pacing around the space shouting orders, the wireless detonator in his left hand, his men stashing ammo caches
at strategic points and rearranging the statues to build cover locations inside the room, having no idea he planned on killing
them as well as everyone else. The only question she had was whether he had the guts to be a martyr, or whether he had some
other escape plan.
The television flipped to a breaking news story, and he went to it, his jaw dropping open. She couldn’t hear the words, but
she saw a picture of the American in the hands of police officials, flashing lights and rushing men behind him.
So he’s rescued. How did that happen?
Jaiden turned from the television and began barking more orders, waving his hands about. He stomped over to Annaka and her and said, “The American is free, which is good news for you. It means you’re much more valuable to me now.”
Nadia said, “What do you intend to do with us? Did they meet your demands to set him free?”
“No, they haven’t done anything I’ve asked for yet. Somehow he escaped captivity and ran to the police.”
His cell phone rang and he looked at the screen, then answered, saying, “Manjit, what the hell is going on?”
He listened for a few seconds, then said, “What about Kamal?”
He nodded his head and said, “Are you sure he’s dead? You saw his body?”
He sagged in resignation and said, “So I’m in charge now. Yes, you can come here, but understand, once you’re in, you’re in
for the endgame.”
He listened again, then said, “No, nobody will stop you from trying to enter. The government hasn’t released anything to the
press. How long until you arrive?”
He ended with, “Call when you’re at the gate.”
He hung up and held out the detonator in his hand, saying, “It’s coming to a close. You two won’t have to worry much longer.”
Nadia saw the detonator and thought, Get that first. No matter what happens, get that first.
***
Veep saw the JSOC guys go to their kit locker, all three of them throwing on body armor and jamming magazines in pouches.
He hollered, “Hey, what’s going on?”
They continued wrapping themselves in the equipment of the modern-day Samurai, with one saying, “Don’t really know, but these guys are getting ready for war, so we figured we’d better do the same.”
“Don’t you have a liaison telling you what’s happening?”
“Yeah, but he’s also a team leader. He’s a little busy, and honestly, I’m not sure he’s not trying to leave us behind. He’s
been told to placate the Americans, but he’s made it plain that he doesn’t agree with us being on the assault. We figured
we’d kit up in case he said something like ‘Leaving in two minutes... oh, sorry, forgot to tell you. Guess you guys need
to stay here.’”
They left the room and Veep thought about tracking down Kerry Bostwick. He hadn’t seen the man in over two hours. Something
was happening, and he knew Pike would want the latest intel before he hit the Garmin watch location.
He stood up and his phone rang. He saw it was Pike and thought, Shit. Here comes an ass chewing.
He answered, saying, “How’d the recce go? Are you going to hit that place?”
“We already did, and we need some damage control. Get Kerry Bostwick.”
“You did what?”
“Veep, I don’t have time for chitchat. Get me Kerry, now.”
“Stand by. We’ll call back via video.”
He ran out of the room, went down the hallway to the double doors of the Black Cat tactical operations center. A guard out
front stopped him, and he said, “I need the American, Kerry Bostwick. He has an important call.”
The man sent a runner, who came back in twenty seconds, saying, “He’s busy right now. He said come back in twenty minutes.”
Veep said, “Tell him Pike went apeshit.”
The man left again, and twenty seconds later had Kerry Bostwick in tow. Kerry said, “What’s going on?”
Veep started walking, saying, “I don’t know. Pike did the hit on the Garmin watch and said he needs backup. He’s waiting on
a video call.”
Kerry fell in next to him, saying, “I told that asshole not to go apeshit.”
They entered the room the Black Cats had started calling the “American Stable” and Veep turned on the laptop, dialing a number.
While waiting for it to connect, he said, “The JSOC boys were just in here kitting up. What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. That’s what I was trying to find out when you pulled me. Something big has happened, but I can’t get anyone
to talk to me. It’s like they don’t want me to know because I’ll disagree.”
The screen cleared and they saw Brett Thorpe in the passenger seat of a car. He said, “Pike’s driving. You guys got me in
the green?” Meaning encrypted.
Veep said, “Yeah, you’re in the green. What’s up?”
From off-screen, Pike said, “We hit the Garmin watch place but had a little trouble. We met the Chinese on the way in and
had to eliminate them. It was a gunfight and it’s generated a little interest.”
“How much interest?”
“A lot of interest. Look, we have one of the terrorists in custody, but we have a problem.”
“What do you need from me? A safe house?”
“No, no. What I need is the intelligence you have on Riva Thakkar’s residence. I need to know where the hostages are, what
the outside security is like, where the elevators are located, I need everything.”
“Why?”
“Because they were holding Sledge, and—”
“Wait, you rescued Sledge? You have him?”
Veep saw Brett grimace at the interruption. He said, “No, we don’t. Can you let Pike finish?”
Kerry pursed his lips and said, “Continue.”
Off-screen again, Pike said, “One of the terrorists was supposed to kill him, but he couldn’t go through with it. He let Sledge
escape. Sledge went out on the roof and is now on the run. If he ends up in police hands the Black Cats are going to hear
about it, and they’re going to assault the residence with no hesitation about an American hostage. They’ll burn it down.”
“Pike, if what you’re saying is true, there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Veep heard the door open and saw the JSOC assaulters come back in, taking off their kit and stowing it in a locker. He said,
“False alarm?”
The team leader said, “Nope. Well, false for us, but they’re going in.”
Pike said, “What was that? What did he say?”
Kerry turned away from the computer and said, “What are you talking about?”
The team leader said, “They found Sledge. He ran into a police roadblock outside the Dharavi slum screaming about being kidnapped.
He’s safe, and U.S. interests no longer apply. They don’t need us anymore, which is why they didn’t say anything about us
joining them.”
Kerry said, “When are they going in? How long?”
“I’d say about an hour, give or take.”
Pike said, “Kerry, get me that intel, right now.”
Veep started working the computer, sending files, and Kerry said, “It’s coming now, but why?”
“I’m going to hit that place first, before they go in and kill everyone.”
“Pike, that’s crazy. The snipers have reported upwards of twenty to thirty security men.”
“They won’t matter. Just get me the intelligence.”
“How are you going to get in? You have a helicopter I don’t know about?”
“I’m getting in the same way they did. I’m going to become a Trojan horse.”