Page 18 of Chinook Winds

“Make sure you and Deacon have your weapons close,” Victor told his men.

“Roger that,” Tegan confirmed. “In my pocket.”

The jeep came to a stop. Two men climbed out and came over.

“You Deacon?” one man asked.

The camera showed Deacon stepping forward. “That’s me.”

The Afghani who’d spoken nodded. “I’m Badih. This is Isaad.” He indicated the second man.

Deacon turned to his team. “This is Tegan and Peter. You still have eyes on the location?”

Since Jordyn had discovered the possible hiding place of the nukes, James had reached out to his contacts in Afghanistan to assist. Badih and Isaad had been at the site ever since.

Badih confirmed with a nod. “We do. We left two of our people there. There’s been no movement. If the weapons are in the cave, they are still there.”

“That’s good news. Are there men watching the place?” Peter said.

Isaad answered, “Yes, about half a dozen. If you’re ready, we should go. We will have to take a different route, so we don’t draw attention to ourselves. You all should get in the backseat where you can duck out of sight, should we run into more trouble.”

The men headed for the four-door jeep. The video jumbled as Tegan got into the back. Badih climbed behind the wheel and didn’t waste time moving.

“Why are they stopping vehicles?” Tegan asked the question foremost in Kinsley’s mind.

Isaad turned in his seat. “The country is very tense right now. Expecting more attacks. Our president is relying on his newly appointed security chief to guide the country through this. Guess who the security chief is?”

A sinking feeling slipped into the pit of Kinsley’s stomach. “Don’t tell me. Ahmad Hassanzai,” Kinsley whispered while Deacon voiced the answer aloud.

Isaad nodded. “This guy has been gaining more control with each new attack. No one sees him for what he is. This is bad for our country.”

“And the world. If Hassanzai and Collins take over, I can’t imagine how bad things are going to get,” Deacon said.

With a shake of his head, Isaad faced the front once more.

“I have my people in the states watching on video,” Tegan told the two men.

Isaad appeared surprised. “Is one of them James?”

James answered via the phone. “I am. Good to meet you both. Thanks for helping out.”

Isaad smiled. “Of course. This is a crazy time for our world. These people—Hassanzai and the others—must be stopped.”

“This is as far as we can go by vehicle.” Badih whipped the jeep behind a group of trees. A fence separated the road from the property.

Tegan climbed out and headed to the fence. “How do we get through this?”

The camera showed a grinning Badih. “This is not our first time to pass through here.”

They headed down the fence line to a spot some fifty yards. A hole had been cut in the wire. Badih didn’t hesitate to slip inside. Tegan followed, then Isaad, Peter, and Deacon.

Peter brought out binoculars. “There’s a house on the horizon. It doesn’t appear to be occupied.”

“No one lives there,” Isaad confirmed. “The going is about to get rough. Our people are up on that ridge overlooking the mountainside.”

Tegan returned to the phone. “I’m going to end the call and the video. As soon as we have information for you, we’ll check back in.”

“Copy that,” James said. “Stay safe. If anything comes up, let us know.”

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