The Eye of Shiva

CHAPTER 19

Harker's voice sounded calm as she talked to Nick, as though it was just another day at the office. As if terrorist attacks and sending in the Marines were every day events. In Elizabeth's world, that wasn't far from the truth.

"There'll be Marines on site soon," she said. "They know the embassy detachment is dead and they're going to be pissed. If they go in, they could make a mistake. Be advised."

"Thanks for the encouragement," Nick said.

Nick stood with the others in front of the building Steph had identified as the one with the entrance to the old tunnel under the embassy. A faded sign announced that it was the Chinese Friendship Society Community Center. The door was locked. There was no one around. Everyone in the area had taken off for safer parts of town.

Nick tried the door again. It was still locked.

"Screw this," he said. "Stand back." He fired two rounds and the frame around the lock splintered. He pushed the door open and they stepped inside. Nick closed the door behind them.

Dust motes floated through beams of yellow sunlight filtering through the windows of a large, open space used for dances and meetings. One wall bore a series of faded travel posters for China and the Philippines. On another wall a cork bulletin board posted business cards and notices. They walked through the room and into a kitchen on the side of the building facing the American Embassy.

"Not much cooking," Lamont said.

Ronnie sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"I don't see anything," Nick said. "Look for a trap door."

Stephanie's voice popped into his ear. "It should be about a third of the way along the rear wall from the end," she said.

"Which end?"

"Sorry. The bay."

"Over here, Nick." Ronnie stood in front of a large stove. Part of a metal manhole cover showed under one corner.

"Let's get this off of there." The three of them pushed against the stove. It barely moved.

"That is one heavy mother," Lamont said.

They pushed again. The stove scraped across the floor until the cover was exposed. There was an odd shaped hole on one side for a key. Nick worked two fingers into the hole and tried to lift. Nothing happened.

"It's locked. See if you can find something to pry it up."

They searched the kitchen without any luck.

"They probably lost that key fifty years ago," Ronnie said. Nick heard the distant beat of rotors. The Marine helicopters were coming in.

"Too bad we don't have a little C4," Lamont said.

"Yeah. We can't waste any more time with this. We'll do it the hard way," Nick said. He spoke into the comm link.

"Steph, send me a picture of the embassy grounds and the building where we are now."

"On the way."

Nick looked at the screen on his phone. He showed it to the others.

"We're here." He tapped the roof of a building in the picture. "It would have been nice to sneak up on them through that tunnel but it isn't going to happen."

"What's this?" Lamont asked. He pointed at the next building over. The embassy was beyond that.

"Offices," Nick said.

"And this?" Lamont pointed at a building directly behind the embassy.

"That's the Chancery," Nick said. "They may have a sentry posted there. Even if they don't, they can see it from the embassy. Hold on a moment."

He keyed the comm. "Selena, do you copy?"

Nick heard an answering cough.

"Can you see the Chancery building from where you are? Don't answer, just cough. Once for yes, twice for no."

Cough.

"Are the bad guys watching the Chancery?"

Cough.

"How many? More than one?"

Cough.

"More than three?"

Cough. Cough.

"Are you okay?"

Cough.

"Hang in there, I'm coming."

Cough.

"How is she?" Ronnie asked.

"She's good. There are two or three watching the Chancery."

They studied the picture on Nick's phone.

"We can make our way down this parking lot behind the offices. They won't see us if we stick close to the wall," Nick said.

A row of tall trees and shrubbery ran at an angle from the corner of the parking lot to the embassy.

"Those trees would give us some cover," Ronnie said. "We could use them to get over to the side of the building."

"It's not much of a plan," Nick said. "I don't see what else we could do."

"Are there windows on that side?" Lamont asked.

"Have to be. Better hope they're not looking. Any other ideas?"

"Nope," Ronnie said. Lamont shook his head.

"Let's boogie," Nick said.

They moved out into the sunlight. The block shaped building that served as office space and quarters for embassy personnel loomed on their left. At the end of the parking lot they could see where the landscaping around the embassy began. Only a corner of the building was visible from where they stood.

Nick spoke into his comm link. "Selena, we're moving in now. Be ready."

Cough.

Sudden sound drowned out thought as helicopters came in low and fast overhead. The engine notes changed as they hovered to drop the Marines.

"Go," Nick said.

They ran the length of the parking lot toward the embassy, staying next to the building wall. They reached the end of the lot and paused. There were three large trees between them and the embassy and some low shrubbery. Several windows lined the embassy wall. Anyone looking out would see them moving across the gap between the trees.

Nick wished he had more than just his pistol with him.

"We're going to need more firepower," Ronnie said. He held his Sig in both hands.

"You read my mind," Nick said. "We'll have to liberate a couple of AKs as soon as we can."

"We might get over there without being seen if we run like hell," Lamont said.

Nick thought about it. "I don't see a better way. Ronnie, you go first, then me, then Lamont. Get up against the building between the windows."

"On my way," Ronnie said.

He took off at a fast sprint. Nick gave him a lead and took off after him. He heard Lamont's footsteps pounding behind. Ronnie passed the second tree and then the third, with Nick a few steps behind. Ronnie reached the building and flattened himself against the wall between two windows. Seconds later Nick and Lamont had joined him.

Nick let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm getting too old for this stuff," he said. He kept his voice low.

"Yeah." Lamont was breathing heavily. "Tell me about it."

"What's next, Kemo Sabe?" Ronnie said.

"Whenever you start that Kemo Sabe stuff, I get worried," Nick said.

"So?"

"I haven't figured the next part out yet," Nick said.