CHAPTER 21
Main Situation Room
Clocktower Station HQ
Jakarta, Indonesia
The situation room was busy. Operations technicians typed at keyboards, analysts filtered in and out with reports, and Vincent Tarea paced back and forth, watching the wall of screens. “Are we sure Vale is getting a false location map?”
“Yes sir,” one of the techs said.
“Tell the safe houses to move out.”
Tarea watched the safe house video feeds as the soldiers marched to the doors and pulled them open.
The sound of the explosions turned every head in the large situation room to the monitors, which now showed fuzzy black and white static.
One of the techs punched a keyboard. “Switching to outside video. Sir, we have a massive detonation at—”
“I know! Safe houses, hold your positions,” Tarea yelled.
No sound came over the speakers. The location map was completely black where the red dots had paced around the safe houses. The only dots left were David’s convoy and the small group left at HQ.
The tech swiveled around. “He must have rigged the safe houses to blow.”
Tarea rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Thank you, Captain Obvious. Are we in that quiet room yet? Did they find Josh?”
“No, they’re about to start.”
Tarea walked out of the situation room, into his private office, and picked up the phone. He dialed his counterpart at Immari Security. “We have a problem. He took out my men here.”
He listened a moment.
“No, look, I convinced them, but he, it doesn’t matter, they’re all dead. That’s the bottom line.”
Another pause.
“No, well, if I were you, I would make damn sure you kill him with the first strike, no matter how many men you’ve got. He’ll be incredibly hard to contain in the field.”
He started to set the phone down, but jerked it back impatiently at the last minute.
“What? No, we’re looking. We think he’s here. I’ll keep you posted. What? Fine, I’ll come, but I only have two men I can bring, and we’re staying in the rear in case it goes south.”