Ghostwalker 08 - Street Game

Estes tried to break in, we killed two of their men. We managed to tag both of them with a tracking device. We couldn’t have asked for a smoother operation.”
    Griffen took up the story. “We traced them all the way to China. Beijing to be exact.”
    Mack sat up straighter. “China? What the hell would Shepherd and Estes want in China?” He sank back. “Never mind. If you want to go to North Korea, you have to go to Beijing, right?”
    Kane nodded his head. “They met with Frank Koit and Holeander Armstice, both known members of Doomsday. The four traveled together to North Korea. The next day, these two children were snatched from the museum and their bodyguards were slain. The kidnappers left behind an American assault rifle.”
    “To implicate the United States,” Mack guessed. “Because we aren’t in enough trouble already, with both countries pissed off at each other over the nuclear issue.”
    “Publicly North Korea has warned of military action against the United States,”
    Kane said. “Even if they knew we weren’t guilty of kidnapping these children, to save face they’d have to retaliate if it looked to the world as if we were responsible for grabbing them.”
    “The world would be on their side,” Griffen said. “Using children as pawns in a nuclear debate would be despicable.”

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    “And the children would have to die,” Mack added. “You know they’d kill them.
    What other choice would they have? Even if they pretended, the boy was raised by General Kwang-sub Chun. You know he’d spot any inconsistencies. One thing, he won’t panic, not if he’s anything at all like his old man.”
    “Privately, North Korea has asked for us to aid them in getting these children out alive.”
    Mack sighed and rubbed at his temples. “Are you certain the kids are still alive, Top?”
    “We have to believe that,” Griffen said. “I want your team to go in and bring them out.”
    Jaimie made a small sound of distress. Mack swung his head to look at her. She was curled up in a chair a few feet away from the table, partially hidden in the shadows, her face averted. “He makes it sound so easy.”
    “We have to know where they are,” Mack said. “Unless our bugs have stopped working.”
    “Oh, no,” Jaimie said, “they’re in place. They’re relaying the information just fine.” She rubbed her hand over her face. “They’re transmitting from under the American embassy in Beijing. The American embassy, Mack. If the kids are found there, the world is in trouble.”
    “Shit,” Javier commented.
    “Thank you for your contribution,” Griffen said. “As you can see, Mack, this requires a delicate hand. You have to get in unseen, scoop the kids back without anyone knowing you—or they—were ever there. That means no shots fired. Nothing that could possibly draw attention to this situation.”
    “With no shots fired? Against a terrorist organization that thrives on as much violence and publicity as possible?” Mack looked at Kane. “When do we leave?”
    “I’ll provide as much intel as I can from here,” Jaimie volunteered.
    “You have to go with them,” Sergeant Major ordered. “I’m not asking.”
    There was a shocked silence. The men looked at one another. Mack looked at Jaimie. She squeezed her eyes closed tightly, fists clenching until the knuckles turned white, until her fingernails bit deeply into her palm. “You know I can’t go with them, Sergeant Major,” she whispered softly, a thousand tears in her voice, her chest aching.
    “I would if I could, but it’s impossible. I nearly got Mack killed on our last mission together.”
    “She can feed us intel from here,” Mack said.
    Griffen shook his head. “I don’t need her feeding you intel. I need her to do whatever she does to get you all in and out quietly. If there was another way . . . But she’s what we have and we have to use her skills.”

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    “I don’t work for you anymore.” Her voice was stiff. She didn’t look at any of them.
    “You never stopped. And I’m not asking,” Griffen retorted.
    Jaimie stood up so fast her chair went over backward. “You’re not going to do this to me. Arrest me.”
    “Don’t think I won’t. This is what you were trained for and, by God, you’re going to do your job.”
    “Sergeant Major.” Mack’s voice was low. Ice-cold.
    The room went dead silent. Kane moved. The action was subtle, but he put his body between Jaimie and the rest of the