The Insider Threat

She stood, looking up the street for Pike. She said, “I can’t explain it now. I need you to trust me. What’s your ETA?”

“We’re five minutes out on clandestine foot. Two and a half to three minutes if you want me to break cover.”

Meaning he would start ru

She said, “No, no, don’t break cover, but I do need you quickly. Target’s about to move.”

“Where’s Shoshana?”

Je

She stood and jogged down the street toward the secondary housing structure. She said, “Shoshana’s inside the target building. I’ll have her go out into the street so you can link up. Pike, they’re going to exit using the roof of another building. I need you here now.”

“Je

She reached the building, stopping at the wrought iron gate blocking the alcove to the main door. She tried to enter. It was locked from the inside.

She said, “Pike, he’s our target now. He knows the Lost Boys.”

41

Pike said, “The Lost Boys? What the hell do they have to do with this?”

Je

Knowing Pike hadn’t heard the final words between al-Britani and Hussein, she said, “Pike, I can’t explain right now. I need you to trust me. Al-Britani knows who the Lost Boys are. He said so while you were assaulting. It didn’t click before, but he said it. Get Showboat ready to receive. He was waiting on Hussein, so it shouldn’t be any trouble.”

She jogged around the brick to the alley separating the target building from hers. She entered, ru

She sca

The suspicion leaking through the phone, Shoshana said, “Why?”

“We’re going to take him down.”

The suspicion evaporated. “Us? No Jordanians?”

“No. Listen, we aren’t working with a lot of time. I have to get to the roof. We need al-Britani alive. You understand?”

When she didn’t reply, Je

Shoshana said, “I’ve already told you, that’ll depend on him.” Then she hung up.

Je

She began climbing the rough cinder block, using the cracks, seams, and window ledges to go ever higher, having no more difficulty than a gecko on a plate of glass. She reached the top, cinched her hands on the small parapet, and raised herself slowly, peeking over the edge toward the balcony. She saw one of the men throwing a duffel bag across, and noticed that two other bags were already on the rooftop.

She looked for cover and saw the outbuilding that held the stairway to the floors below. She waited until the man returned to the apartment, then pulled herself over the side and scampered behind the cinder blocks.

She keyed her radio. “Pike, Pike, I’m on the roof and they’re about to cross. Where are you?”

“Just met Shoshana. We’re on the way up. Third floor, northeast corner, right?”

She slid her head around and saw one man walking across the metal ladder, hands outstretched for balance.

She whipped back around, getting out of sight and drawing her pistol. She said, “Shit, they’re starting to cross over! What do I do?”

“Seriously? This is your damn plan. But if it were me, I’d get a barrel in their face before they’re all on your side of the roof. Just passed the second floor. About ten seconds out.”

She rolled away from the outbuilding, seeing two men had reached her side, with another on the bridge. One was digging in a duffel bag. The other saw her and shouted. She stood up and sprinted straight at them, holding the pistol in a two-handed grip. She skidded to a crouch fifteen meters away and, feeling ridiculous, screamed, “Freeze! Stop right there!”

She heard gunfire inside the apartment and knew Pike had entered. The man on the ground whirled around, pulling an AK-47 from the bag. She placed two rounds into his head, controlling the recoil of her weapon even as the standing man charged her, unarmed. She saw the third man leap to her roof and a fourth jump on the bridge, firing into the apartment with a pistol.

The charging Arab was on her in an instant, leaping at her and screaming. She backpedaled, pulling her weapon into her chest and breaking the trigger three times. He landed on her, knocking her to the ground with literal dead weight. She rolled him off just as the third man reached her. From her back, she popped two rounds into his head and rolled out of the way of his falling body.

She heard a bullet gouge into the brick next to her, spraying her with slivers of masonry. She brought her weapon up, refocusing on the man on the bridge. She saw it was al-Britani. He fired again, missing, and she snapped two rounds past his head, knowing at least he spoke English and understood surrender. The shots caused him to duck and lose his balance. He began windmilling his arms, and she held her breath. He fell sideways, slapping his hands through the gaps in the metal ladder.

She cocked her ears to the apartment, hearing no further gunfire. She heard, “Koko, Pike. Status?”

She exhaled in relief, and said, “I’m okay. Three down out here.”

“Yeah, you could have told me there were eight of them. We busted into a hornet’s nest. But no jackpot. Doing site exploitation now. Got a laptop, but not much else.”

“I have precious cargo out here.”

“You got him? Alive?”

“Not yet. He’s on the metal bridge. Hanging on for dear life.”

She saw Shoshana come out onto the balcony. Je

Shoshana nodded, but kept walking forward. She reached the balcony railing and looked out at al-Britani. He saw her, but made no move, holding on to the metal ladder with a death grip.

She leaned forward and spoke to him. Je

Shoshana gave a wicked smile, and Je