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“Alexandrov likes to slowly, psychologically torture someone he hates,” he admitted, his voice low, hesitant. “I had heard this from his son, Vlad, that he has special places he takes such a prisoner. Usually, it is someone that has deeply wronged him.”
“Yeah,” Cal growled, “Russians are big on revenge.”
Alex shrugged and gave Cal a pained look. “I have never been to these places. Only heard stories…,” and he wiped his mouth, his brow furrowed.
“What stories?”
“That Yerik Alexandrov enjoys slow killing of the person. He will spend weeks, maybe a month or longer, watching them slowly die. He enjoys watching the process, I guess,” and Alex shook his head. “He is a sick bastard, Cal. He was considered one of the best Spetsnaz interrogation officers in the Russian Army. His son used to enjoy slowly pulling wings off flies. I am sure his father does the same kind of torture to his enemies, psychologically rather than Vlad’s way of doing it.”
“Yerik is exactly like his sick fuck of a son,” Cal growled. They finished crossing the tidal pool area and were now on a nearly mile-long public beach that was scattered with colorful umbrellas, adults and children playing in the shallows. The scene looked idyllic to Cal. As they broke into a trot along the wet, damp sand, their strides long and cadenced, Cal saw smiling faces, mother’s closely watching their children who shrieked with glee in the sand or near the water’s edge. Everyone was relaxed, sunbathing, enjoying the beauty of the day.
“What kind of torture?” Cal demanded. He saw Alex give him an agonizing look. “Okay, we’ll discuss that later,” he muttered. Because he really didn’t want to know. His mind was churning wildly over all the possibilities. Sky had to know, sooner or later, who had kidnapped her. She had been around Vlad. She knew the son’s predatory, hunter-like stalking of her. The old man would be far worse than his son. Vlad was a chip off the old block.
But now… his mind waffled with denial. Cal’s mouth thinned. But he couldn’t afford to be in denial about anything. Already, he was forming an extraction team in his mind. He’d want Alex along for obvious reasons, plus he was a damned good combat medic, and they wouldn’t know what kind of shape Sky would be in when they found her. He’d want Lauren along because her sniper skills were better than anyone else at Shield. Jack would want to come along. They worked well together, plus he had all his assets and would work directly with Butch, who would remain as the central hub of intel here in Coronado. There was no question in Cal’s mind that the Master Chief would bring the full weight and help of the SEAL community to them on this mission to locate Sky. It was going to be a top-secret civilian-military black op. And he was grateful to Butch because this Master Chief was a god among military gods. If anyone could shake loose assets to help them find Sky, it was him.
As he jogged past the women, the children, the dogs barking at them, watching the surfers out further in the ocean catching waves, Cal felt a little more steady. The fact they would have this kind of military help was going to make the difference in this mission. He hoped they were not too late. He hung on the medic’s information that Alexandrov would keep a victim alive weeks or months at a time. That gave him hope. But it was hanging by one, thin thread that could sever at any moment…
CHAPTER 9
June 15
Abby once againrepeated, clearly this time, what had happened when Sky had been kidnapped. The assembled team in the briefing room of ST3 was composed of nothing but grim-faced people as they took notes, listened, and asked questions, their game faces on. It was nearly six p.m. when Abby finished.
Butch sighed and gave her a kind look. “You’ve got to be tired, Abby.” He looked over at Joe. “Take her home?”
“I’m not leaving her alone in that condo,” Joe said. “The Russian mafia may still be hanging around the area.”
“It’s okay,” Abby protested, standing, giving them all a weary smile. “Master Chief? If you have a hidey hole somewhere around here that I can just go lay down in? I’ll be fine until ya’ll break up this mission planning meeting. Joe can take me home at that time.” She gave her husband a fond look and he nodded.
Butch said, “Good time for a break, people. Let’s get more coffee and I’ll show Abby where she can crash. Let’s take a fifteen-minute break and then we’ll regroup.”
The chairs scraped back on the tile floor, and everyone rose. Not much was said. Cal rubbed his face and turned, following Butch and Abby out of the small, windowless room. These rooms were security safe, lead lined walls to prevent anyone from spying or snooping with any type of electronic equipment while they conducted a top-secret meeting.
Lauren was the last to leave. She saw how haggard Cal was, felt deeply for him. He loved Sky with his life. Abby looked exhausted. Anger stirred in her as she closed her notebook and stood up. She tucked it in the thigh pocket of her cargo pants. Outside in the passageway, she saw Alex head outdoors, head hanging, shoulders slumped. He looked the worst of everyone, and she suspected she knew why. Following him out, she saw the area was cordoned off with cyclone fences and concertina wire strung across the tops of them to prevent access. The sandy yard spilled out all the way down to the ocean. Alex was slowly walking toward the empty beach, beaten. It was very unlike him. He usually had the confident walk of an operator.Not now. Not this time.
Lauren hesitated and remained on the concrete steps, hand on the metal pipe railing, feeling the warmth of it beneath her fingers. The sun was close to setting, the Pacific Ocean glassy smooth. Inhaling deeply, she drew the tangy salt air into her lungs. Her mind spun with questions that only Alex could answer. Shoring herself up emotionally, she watched him sit on the golden sand, draw up his legs, and rest his head across his folded arms. Something broke within her. He looked like a lost child needing care. From this distance, with her hawklike eyesight, she saw Alex’s partially revealed face. His eyes were closed. He was vulnerable. Her instincts were finely honed, her senses acute as few people would ever experience. The sense around Alex was one of grief-stricken loss and abandonment. Lauren knew he doted on Sky. He treated her like his little sister. And she knew he was completely emotionally invested in trying to find her, no matter the danger to himself.
Tapping her fingers on the metal railing, she decided to push the river and walked down the steps and into the sand toward him. The breeze was soft against her face. Earlier, she had pulled her long, thick hair into a ponytail that moved gracefully between her shoulder blades. She didn’t want to feel anything for this operator, but she did. As she drew closer, she saw his cheek glistening. He was crying.
Halting, Lauren scowled, watching his massive shoulders shake. Her hearing was extraordinary, and she could hear soft, deep sobs wracking out of his opened mouth. Closing her eyes, Lauren felt tears burning in hers.No.She couldn’t go there. If she released her emotions, she’d be no good at all to Cal and the assembled team. Lauren turned and walked toward the building, took the steps, and walked back inside. She couldn’t handle anyone crying right now. Shock rolled through her because she’d never seen a man cry before. The sounds coming out of Alex had been terrible, clawing at her heart, tearing into her in ways she had no defense against. The last tears she’d shed were one of utter relief when the state sent a social worker to take her out of that hellhole of a family who had abused her.
“All right,” Butch growled, looking at everyone around the table, “we’ve got our first break.” He tossed a piece of paper toward Cal. “We can thank a Coast Guard contact of mine for these. It’s a URL from the CG database on drug runners and drug dealers. Every time the CG finds a boat or a plane carrying drugs, they photograph it, take down the serial number, and keep it in their main database. Cal, when we get done with the initial planning, I think you’ll want to spend some time trolling through that database for that sea plane Sky snapped a picture of?”
“I’m on it,” Cal said, pulling the paper toward him.
“I’ll help you,” Lauren volunteered.
“Good,” Butch muttered. He clasped his thick hands in front of him, dressed in desert cammos, his face hard. “Driscoll? You got a plan?”
Jack nodded. “It’s forming. Until we get solid intel, there’s not much we can do but choose a team and get ready to mount up.”
“Who are you going to have on your team?” Butch demanded, pulling a pen out of his pocket.
Jack said, “Cal, Lauren, Alex and me. I want the team small and mobile. Alex knows Russian tactics and the language. He knows the way Alexandrov and his soldiers behave.” He pointed toward Lauren who sat across from Cal. “No matter where we go or where Alexandrov is taking Sky, we may need a sniper. Cal’s a breacher. No one was better than he is in that business.”
“I’d go even if you didn’t invite me along, Driscoll,” Cal growled, giving him a drilling glance.
Jack managed a slight grin. “Yeah, I know, but I need your talents, too. There’s every possibility we’re going to have to breach and enter a building of some type to reach your lady.”
