Steve sifted quickly through the printed pages he had been handed by the OSI technician. He turned to Oscar, who was nervously pacing the room.
"There's good news and bad news......."
"What does that mean?"
"The good news is that our boys have pinpointed the art of war symbol: the members of an extremist faction of the PLA wear this symbol as a tattoo on their lower right arms. They call themselves the People's Freedom Movement, and they do the dirty work for the communist governments of the world in exchange for access to weapons. Rudy must have seen the tattoo on one or all of his abductors' arms. The man at the top is Jai Shan-Wang, and from everything we have on him, he makes Ghengis Khan look like your average, friendly, next-door-neighbor."
"That's the good news?"
"I'm afraid so, Oscar." Goldman sighed and braced himself for Steve to continue. "The bad news is that the NSB has pinpointed the location where they think Rudy is being held. Hansen is awaiting final confirmation before sending in a demolition team to take down the building."
"Then we'd better get going."
"We? Don't you think I should go in alone, Oscar? I think I stand a better chance of--"
Russ broke into the conversation as he entered the room. "--Oscar, Hansen is in motion."
Steve started moving. "Then we have no time."
Oscar's face turned ashen as he grabbed Austin's sleeve. "We can't take a chance on this; I'll have to play my ace in the hole."
An anxious look played between Russ and Goldman, and Steve frowned.
"Oscar, what are you--"
Goldman cut him off. "--Russ, get him on the phone."
"But Oscar--"
"--Don't 'but Oscar' me, just do it."
Russ moved to a secure phone, and Steve leaned in toward Goldman.
"Oscar, what are you doing?"
"You're going to have to trust me, Steve."
Russ handed him the phone. "The Secretary...."
"Mr. Secretary, I'm sorry to wake you at this hour, but it's an emergency." He paused, waiting for the man to finish his sentence, then, he continued. "No sir, this can't wait. I have to see you, now." Oscar looked down at the floor, and then spoke again, "Yes sir. I'll be right there."
He handed the phone to Russ. "You're absolutely sure that Hansen has the correct location, right?" Russ nodded, and Goldman continued, "Then you make sure Hansen doesn't do anything after this comes down. Steve, go with him."
Russ looked at his boss. "Are you sure we have no other options?"
"Not if we want to save Rudy, no."
Steve looked into Oscar's eyes. "What are you going to say to the Secretary?"
"Nothing that I haven't thought about saying for years......"
Steve watched Oscar walk out, and decided a conversation with Russ was long overdue.