Page 35 of Into the Gray Zone

Chapter21

They reached the end of the alley, seeing the hotel directly to their front, rising beyond a pile of rubbish and a small iron fence. Brett took a knee and Jennifer slipped off her backpack, pulling out a pair of black Mechanix gloves and a set of Vibram Five Finger shoes. She removed her blouse and stepped out of her cargo pants, revealing a black sports bra and black Lycra yoga pants. She strapped on a fanny pack, tucked her hair under a black knit cap, replaced her hiking shoes with the Vibrams, then shoved everything she’d taken off into the backpack and handed it to Brett.

He took it, saying, “You look like you’re going to a Pilates class.”

Glancing at the balconies, she said, “That would be harder than this.”

He said, “No weapon?”

She put in her earpiece, saying, “Yeah, I’ve got a weapon.”

Brett followed her lead, setting in his earpiece and saying, “Where is it hidden?”

She said, “My weapon is you. Test, Test...”

He smiled and said, “I knew there was a reason I was here.” He nodded at her and said, “I got you, Lima Charlie. How me?”

She nodded back, saying, “Comms up. Pike, Pike, you copy?”

“I copy. Koko, you don’t have a weapon?”

“I have nowhere to conceal it. If I get caught, I’d rather talk my way out than shoot my way out. Holding a gun will cause problems.”

“Unless it’s the damn terrorists who catch you. Hang on before you execute. Blood, Blood, what do you think?”

Jennifer scowled at Brett, not liking having her judgment questioned one little bit. He smiled at her and said on the net, “It’s a good call. I’m here, and I’m armed. If she gets in trouble, I can react.”

Jennifer heard, “Roger all. Koko, you’re cleared to breach.”

She came back, saying, “Seriously? I have to get permission from Blood formyassault plan?”

Brett turned away, moving to the entrance of the alley, mutteringHere it comeswhile pretending to provide security. He took off the thread protector of the Staccato and screwed on a suppressor, then put on night-vision goggles, looking up and down the walls of the hotel while Pike got his ass reamed on the radio.

He said not a word on the net. The radio went silent and Jennifer came up behind him, squatting down and saying, “You ready?”

He chuckled and said, “Uhhh... yeah. Nothing better than running ops with two bickering lovers.”

She said, “Being his wife has nothing to do with it. I was right and you know it. If Pike was here instead of you, I would have made the same call.”

“Unless I have to use my weapon. Then Pike will say it wasmyfault.”

She smiled and said, “Then I guess I’ll have to make sure you don’t use your weapon. But I see it’s all tricked out now.”

He held up the Staccato and said, “Yeah, it is. This thing is sweet. Gonna be hard not breaking the trigger if you screw anything up.”

Then he became serious, saying, “Target room is on the fourth set of balconies down from the front. Second floor has lights on, and I’ve seen someone moving. Third floor—target room—is dark. Whichmeans we might have beat them to it. No IR cameras spotted with the NODs, which means probably no cameras at all. No movement on the grounds.”

She took a couple of breaths and said, “Okay, then. I’ll get across the fence and up against the wall. You spot for any movement, then follow.”

He nodded and held out a fist, saying, “Get some.”

She bumped it, then took off, a black shape moving through the night. She scaled the iron fence and slinked next to the courtyard on the ground floor, taking a knee and saying, “In position.”

Brett reached her a few seconds later, looking up and saying, “Second-floor light is still on. You want to wait?”

She looked up as well, then said, “No. He could be up for another four hours. I’m headed up. If something goes wrong, I’ll be coming back down to you.”

He said, “Roger that. Be careful.”

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