Sniper Elite: One-Way Trip

CHAPTER 16

Agent Ray Chou was in the hangar talking with Steelyard and Lt. Commander Perez about the possibility of Sandra Brux being held in the village of Waigal. The Night Stalker crews were there, too, having arrived the hour before to begin prepping their aircraft for a possible rescue mission.

Captain Crosswhite pulled up in a Humvee and got out, stalking up to the three men with an almost casual salute to Commander Perez, whom he normally didn’t care for. “So, are we on or what?” he wanted to know.

Steelyard shrugged. “We don’t know yet. That’s what we’re discussing.”

Crosswhite glanced around. “Where are your SEALs?”

“In the back breaking into their cruise boxes. Where’s your gear?”

Crosswhite thumbed over his shoulder at the Humvee. “I packed light. Your people can hook me up with whatever else I need, right?”

Steelyard nodded. “Why don’t you head back there?” Crosswhite walked off and the chief turned back to Perez. “Like I was telling you, Commander. I think it’s better if this operation stays at the noncom level on the DEVGRU side. If word reaches the Head Shed about what we’re up to, they’ll yank the plug on us. I’ve assembled enough noncoms to pull this operation off, good men who aren’t afraid of the consequences.”

Perez was in a quandary because he was very much afraid of the consequences. At first, he’d been all for the idea of going in after Sandra Brux without orders, enjoying the heroic feel of the rhetoric around the hangar, but now that there was actionable intelligence to work with, he was getting cold feet.

Steelyard had expected this from Perez, knowing him for the rear echelon — type motherfucker that he was. So he had selected six seasoned noncoms and two enlisted men that he trusted implicitly for the rescue operation, knowing that Perez didn’t possess enough spine to stand up to that many chevrons. Dan Crosswhite had already volunteered to lead the op, giving them the only officer they would need. What Steelyard was hoping for now was for Perez to go back to the Head Shed and keep his fat trap shut.

He took the cigar from his mouth. “Look, you know how solid these men are, Commander. If the mission goes bad, nobody’s going to mention that you knew anything about it. There’s no reason for you to risk being around here now.”

Chou was watching Perez very carefully, knowing the man had the power to shut it all down with one call, and he could see that Perez was about to make that very decision. “Listen,” he said casually, cutting Perez off before he could open his mouth. “It’s not like you could have done anything to prevent SOAR showing up here with all those fucking helicopters. And it’s not like you could have prevented the men from viewing the rape video.”

Perez stared at him, understanding the implication of Chou’s words. Perez had not only failed to prevent the men from watching the video, he had watched it with them, knowing very well that it was classified material. What Chou was saying, just as plain as day, was that if Perez backed out now, and the rest of them wound up with their tits in the wringer, Perez was going to wind up under the proverbial bus for not going to the Head Shed the second he realized classified information had been leaked to the rank and file.

Chou was a civilian with NCIS, and was therefore in no way subordinate to Perez. He didn’t care if the guy liked him or not, and he sure as shit wasn’t afraid of him. The potential consequences of the risks he had taken went far beyond any heat that Perez could bring.

Steelyard cleared his throat. “And we’re going to need a man on the inside back at the Head Shed,” he added, realizing they had Perez by the nuts. “Someone to run interference if anybody starts asking questions.”

Perez knew he was had, and he was kicking himself for having gotten chummy with enlisted personnel, having certainly known better. There was nothing to do now but try and make sure the op was a success and hope they all became legend.

He looked at Steelyard, trying to appear more enthusiastic than he felt. “So what do you want to call the op, Chief?”

“Operation Bank Heist.” Steelyard grinned and stuck the Cohiba back into his mouth, putting out his hand. “If it’s any consolation, Commander, we probably couldn’t pull this off without you.”

Perez knew there was no probably about it, and that Steelyard and Chou had set him up for the op from the very beginning, knowing that an unauthorized mission of any real scale would need a man on the inside back at the Head Shed to run interference and keep the op from being discovered by the higher-ups. That was why Chou had invited him to view the video in the first place. Perez felt too stupid to speak, so he nodded and shook Chou’s hand and left the hangar.

Steelyard and Chou smiled at each other.

“Warms my heart to see him stepping up to the plate like that,” Steelyard said.

Chou chuckled. “Well, Chief, all we can do now is hope he doesn’t suddenly grow himself a spine.”