Private Moscow

Chapter 104

The municipal airport was located northeast of Fallon, and the Naval Air Station was seven miles directly south, on the other side of town. They traveled through a flat, arid landscape, which was broken only by the occasional single story-home. High mountains wrinkled the distant horizon. No one said anything, and Hector Lopez covered the distance in twelve minutes.

Dinara had felt strange being introduced as the head of Private Moscow. She’d appreciated Jack’s gesture, but it had rung hollow. There wasn’t really anything to be head of. Leonid was gone, which only left Elena Kabova. Dinara wondered if the office administrator had been pulled in for questioning, or whether she was sitting in the Moscow office, puzzling over what had happened.

Dinara had slept on the plane, and her kaleidoscopic dreams had been dominated by Leonid’s death. She kept replaying the awful moment, despairing at her inability to save him. She’d slept but she didn’t feel rested, and the flat, desolate, alien landscape made her experience feel even more surreal. She was traveling with one of the world’s most wanted men, and they were about to attempt to infiltrate a high-security military installation.

Dinara studied Jack for any clue to his plan, but he was stony-faced. Did he even have a plan? Or was this simply the last gamble of a desperate man?

“Here goes,” Hector said as he made a left off Pasture Road onto a private driveway that led to a guardhouse. A wedge barrier blocked the road ahead of the guardhouse; then there were a couple of chicanes and finally a gate. Signs either side of the driveway warned trespassers they would be prosecuted.

“Want to tell me what you’ve got in mind, boss?” Hector asked.

“Show your ID,” Jack replied as the SUV rolled toward the wedge barrier.

A uniformed Marine emerged from the guardhouse. He held an assault rifle in the ready position. Dinara could see him looking at Hector’s ID from a distance.

“Just get us to the guardhouse,” Jack muttered.

“Then what?” Hector asked, but the question went unanswered.

Dinara’s entire body bristled with nervous energy, and her heart felt as though it might burst from her chest. But she sat perfectly still and pretended to be calm.

Up ahead, the Marine finally nodded at someone inside the guardhouse, and the wedge barrier descended into the road.

“Boss?” Hector asked.

“Drive on,” Jack replied.

Hector steered around the chicanes slowly, and stopped beside the Marine.

Dinara took a deep breath and held it as Hector lowered his window.

“State your business,” the Marine said.

Dinara gasped when Jack Morgan produced Hudson’s pistol and pointed it at Hector’s head.

“I want to see Colonel Steve Fuller, the base XO. If he’s not here in three minutes, I will execute these hostages.”

The Marine stepped back and raised his rifle. “Put the gun down!” he yelled.

A klaxon sounded, and more Marines ran from the guardhouse and surrounded the vehicle, their weapons trained on Jack.

“Boss,” Hector said anxiously.

Dinara was trembling, but when she looked at Jack, she saw nothing but ice in his eyes.

“Two minutes thirty,” Jack said.

“Drop it!” another Marine commanded.

“Put the gun down!” the first Marine shouted. “Or I will open fire.”

“Jack,” Hector said nervously.

Dinara jumped when there was sudden movement, and Jack’s passenger door was yanked open and he was pulled roughly from the car. A huge Marine pushed Jack to the ground, and ripped the pistol from his grasp.

Two other Marines pointed their assault rifles at Jack’s head.

“Don’t move!” one of them commanded.

The look on Jack’s face made it clear to Dinara that she’d just witnessed the last gamble of a desperate man.