Mainframe tossed the deactivated bug onto the table, in a manner that conveyed his disdain for Cobra and all the problems it caused. He put his feet up on his desk and clasped his hands behind his head. Flint had already done the same and had been waiting patiently for the tech to report his findings.
"Well?" Flint asked finally.
Mainframe shrugged. "It's a typical Cobra spy gadget. Whoever was listening on the other end was close and concealed."
"What about surveillance?"
Mainframe shook his head. "All clear. No one sitting out and about that we could see."
"Someone on the base, then?"
The thought was shocking to Flint, but not inconceivable. Cobra had infiltrated them before. Nevertheless, it was disconcerting how much might have been compromised as a result. Cobra could be as covert and as cunning as anything the United States could muster. It competed well against the forces of justice and sometimes won.
"You really think one of our own would turn on us?" Mainframe asked, brow furrowed at the prospect.
"I'm not ruling anything out at this point," Flint said with a sigh. And he did not. He had come to know better. "What about your Washington source? Anything yet?"
"I'm expecting a call any time now."
There was a soft knock at the door of Mainframe's office. Flint reached back and opened the door, not bothering to stand to greet the visitor. He instantly wished he had. He nearly fell off his chair when he saw the woman in the doorway. She was tall, with dark skin that reflected in coppery beauty. Her hair was pulled neatly back, pinned behind her head. Its pure black color matched the color of her tailored skirt and jacket. The white blouse she wore was a stark contrast yet complimentary to her stunning beauty. She held a black leather briefcase in her hand.
Flint looked to Mainframe for a clue to the woman's identity, but he found a scarcely breathing man whose jaw was agape and eyes were riveted to her. Flint realized the futility of asking Mainframe for information. He stood and held out his hand to the woman.
"Chief Warrant Officer Faireborn," she said before he could introduce himself, accepting his offer of a handshake.
"Yes, that's right," he confirmed. "You can call me Flint."
"Flint," she said in confirmation.
She looked beyond him at Mainframe. "Hello, Blaine," she said, her voice becoming the slightest bit more sultry as she gazed on the man.
Mainframe melted into a broad smile. "It's good to finally see you in person, Grace." He held out his hand for her and led her to a chair, closing the door to the office once she was seated.
Flint sat down again in his chair, watching the interaction between Mainframe and Grace.
"So," Flint said slowly, "I take it this is the first meeting between you two?"
Grace was poised and at ease around them. "Blaine and I have always teleconferenced."
"Until now," Mainframe said, clearing his throat afterward. He was smitten. There was simply no hiding it.
She, too, was concentrating on Mainframe. It reminded Flint of two teenagers in love. The long pause in conversation was a bit much for Flint. He wanted to move the occasion along as quickly as possible, suddenly feeling like he was intruding on a very significant moment.
"So," Flint said again, "you just happened to be in the neighborhood, Grace, or is there something we can do for you?"
Grace broke her gaze at Mainframe. Her cheeks became flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said. "I found some information on your request."
Flint's curiosity was piqued. "And teleconferencing was out of the question?"
"Suffice to say that this is not something you want transmitted over communication lines. I felt it better to deliver the information in person."
Mainframe cleared his throat again, obviously not recovering with poise as quickly as she had. "What did you find, Grace?" He absentmindedly smoothed a hand through his hair.
"Before I get into it, you're sure you want to hear all this? It's a messy situation."
Flint was getting impatient. "There are people lying in hospital beds with holes in them. You better believe we want to hear it."
Grace looked at Flint with soft, understanding eyes. "Of course. What do you know about Elwood?"
Mainframe gave a quick summary. "Company spook. Blew in and out of here with the blessing of the Joint Chiefs, taking a souvenir when he left."
She crossed her long legs, her posture relaxed and confident. "He's the poster boy for breaking the rules. He's bounced from agency to agency because he has a hard time following orders. Most ops planners would call him a rogue at best."
"How does he get the call to come here if he's such a wildcard?" Flint asked.
"You might say he's a specialist. Elwood ranks among the best. He's phenomenally intelligent. He tests off the scale for IQ and all the physical metrics you can imagine. He's the pet of one General Larrabee."
"The JCS director?" Flint was incredulous.
Grace nodded. "He's been making power plays. Elwood has been his stepladder for quite a few operations that have gotten the attention of the upper officers, and even the president." She hooked an errant strand of hair behind her ear.
Mainframe seemed more composed as he grew used to Grace's presence. "What does Larrabee have to do with it?"
"You asked me to get a line on the reaction of Elwood's community over all this. I'm here to tell you that Larrabee's blood pressure is just short of having a stroke. He knows Elwood's gone mustang, and he has concerns."
"I take it," Flint suggested, "that Elwood is not in the service of the entire JCS?"
"No," she said slowly, emphasizing her point. "In fact, he's tolerated at best by them. He has a bad habit of doing what he thinks is best and not following mission parameters. Larrabee has had to push to keep him on the payroll."
"But now," Mainframe said, "they have a reason to get rid of him."
"Exactly," Grace concluded. "They got wind of Larrabee's bounty and took it as gospel that Elwood should be put on ice for good."
"What about the package he took?" Flint was careful not to mention Suarez, just in case Grace was not as informed as she appeared.
"Doctor Suarez's story has been limited in details to the rest of the JCS. She's considered just another casualty. They're more interested that an entire mountain base was destroyed and a dent was put in Cobra's operations. She's nothing more than an assigned operative to them. Time travel isn't on their minds in the least. They're not making that connection."
Flint felt a cold wave flow through his veins as she said the words. Grace was certainly in the know, and it was disconcerting to him just how much she was. He knew Mainframe would not have violated protocol and given her details.
"So, they're not interested in her exactly, then?" Flint asked.
Grace shook her head. "There's not enough information to entice them. Larrabee kept it as quiet as possible and sent Elwood to bat cleanup. But now, Elwood's bolted, and the good general is mad as hell."
Mainframe smiled quaintly. "How mad?"
"When all the funds are added up," Grace said, "something near three million and change."
Flint could not resist asking the obvious. "Where does a general get that kind of cash?"
Grace cocked an eyebrow. "I never said it was his cash. You might say there are emergency funds available for just such an occasion as the retrieval of operatives who have gone underground."
"Any idea where Elwood has gone?" Mainframe asked.
Grace reached down and opened the briefcase. She retrieved several photographs and handed them to Flint. "He's here," she said.
Flint grabbed the pictures from her hand, though he did not mean to be so eager. "He's where?"
If Grace was insulted, she did not show it. "A warehouse in Denver. The address is on the back. On the surface, it looks abandoned, but it's far from that. It's his base of operations. That group of apes you saw when he took her are all on his payroll – all ex-military and all very good at what they do."
Mainframe leaned over and looked at the photographs. "How do you know he's there?"
Grace hedged, then relented. "We put a tracker in his Wheaties. Without getting into specifics, we have an eye on him at all times."
The equation was becoming clear to Flint. "You and Larrabee aren't on the same team. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so nervous."
Grace smiled. "We're not even in the same league."
"Dare I ask?"
She scratched at her brow. "No," she said, still smiling.
Flint was still not satisfied. "What about Suarez? Your people aren't interested in getting a hold of her?"
She relaxed in her chair. "Unlike Larrabee and Elwood, we look before we leap. If Star Trek has taught us anything, it's that knowing the future is disastrous."
He wanted more than anything to know her affiliation, but her confidence made it clear the question would be useless. "It sounds like the circle of knowledge about everything is small."
"The flow of information was sterilized to the JCS. Thanks to your general's vagueness and our ability to strategically edit reports to the JCS, we were able to keep it quiet."
Mainframe sat back after he had seen enough of the warehouse pictures. "How did Larrabee find out about Suarez in the first place?"
Grace sighed. "We're still working on that one. The possibilities are numerous. Our concern right now is getting Suarez back from Elwood. Frankly, we're really not picky how that's done. Elwood is now considered expendable."
"Is Suarez with him?" Flint asked.
She shook her head. "We can't be sure, but my gut feeling is yes. She's worth money to him, and I doubt he'd let her out of his sight until the transaction was complete."
"Who's the buyer?"
"Cobra, most likely. They have the funds."
Mainframe grimaced with frustration. "And he's probably spilled the beans about who she is to them. Mindbender will have a field day if he gets his hands on her."
Flint's brain flashed to Mindbender, with his sinister monocle and handlebar mustache. The doctor was anything but good, using his exceptional intelligence in the best interests of Cobra. Torture was not out of his repertoire, and he would most surely do whatever he thought necessary to get answers out of Suarez. He would be careful to not kill her, but he could do so many things to make her wish he would.
"I suggest you get a retrieval team ready," Grace said, standing. "He won't stay in one place for long, and neither will she if he finds the right buyer."
She reached down and picked up the briefcase. The two men stood when she did. She shook hands with Flint, then with Mainframe. The contact between the tech and the mysterious woman lingered.
The smitten eyes returned between the two of them, amusing Flint.
"You have to go?" Mainframe asked.
"I'm due back in Washington as soon as possible," she said regretfully.
Mainframe looked dejected. "I see."
Her eyes were practically smoldering when she looked at Mainframe. Despite the fact that she was some sort of high level operative, she was still human and certainly had a thing for the man she called by his real first name.
"It was nice meeting you in person, though," she said, still holding to his hand.
They reluctantly parted. Grace was gone as elegantly as she had appeared. Mainframe recovered from her spell, though his reaction to her had been quite entertaining to Flint. They paged Hawk to the conference room. The synopsis of the meeting with Grace was quick and to the point.
Hawk nodded at the development. "Sounds like she's a reliable source."
"She's golden," Mainframe said confidently. "I trust her completely, sir."
Hawk looked at Flint, contemplating. "Pick your team," he said with determination.
Flint was all too happy to oblige him with the selections. "Mainframe will stay here and be our eyes. I'll take Scarlett and Leatherneck because of their familiarity with Suarez, plus an assault contingent."
"Fine."
"If it's all the same to you, General," Flint added, "I'd like Wild Bill to give us the ride there."
"Consider him off restriction," Hawk said without hesitation.
"Thank you," Flint said in relief. Bill was the only pilot he trusted.
"Let's make every effort to take Elwood alive," Hawk said. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask him."
"Yes, sir," Flint said, his voice laced with a need for revenge.
"Get it done," Hawk said.
Scarlett and Leatherneck responded promptly to their page to report to the command center just as Mainframe finished compiling briefing packets. Lieutenant Argyle, the utility assault team's leader, also reported. Wild Bill rolled in a few seconds later, accompanied by Lifeline.
"We didn't call for a medic on this one, Ed," he said kindly.
"I owe her, Flint. She's hurt, and she's going to need my help getting out of there," he said, pleading his case.
Flint knew there was no arguing with Lifeline, and he had to admit the medic had a point. Suarez was not in the greatest shape when Elwood kidnapped her. She might be in worse condition now.
"Agreed," Flint said. He motioned for Lifeline to take a seat at the conference table. He looked around the room at all of them. "Doctor Suarez has been located in a warehouse in Denver. Our good friend Elwood has her. He has a small, well-trained contingent with him. We're going to hit the warehouse fast and hard and take what we're there to get."
He stood and slowly walked around the table. "Elwood is to be taken alive if possible. However," he said, stopping, "I don't think anyone is going to shed a tear if he makes that impossible."
"The primary objective," he continued, "is Doctor Suarez. We're going to retrieve her safe and sound, not matter what it takes. Any questions?"
The room was silent.
"All right," Flint said with finality. "Lieutenant Argyle, brief your team on the entry tactic. We dust off in thirty." He looked around the table, satisfied with the team. "Dismissed."
The room cleared except for Scarlett, who stayed seated. When the door closed, she looked to Flint.
"You okay?" she asked with care.
Flint slumped down in the chair at the head of the conference table. "No," he said in a voice that sounded small in his ears. "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not sure I can follow Hawk's orders to bring Elwood home in one piece."
"We'll play it as best we can, Dash," she offered.
"What's your worry?" he asked, knowing she was going somewhere with the question.
Always direct, she said, "I want to make sure you have your head screwed on straight is all. You're not the only one on this op. There are more involved now. Unlike Elwood, they're not expendable."
He took offense at her words. "I know how to do my job, Shana."
"I think you're on overload," she said directly.
"If you're suggesting I'd put the team at risk . . ."
"Not intentionally, no," she said, warding off a tirade. "But I think a person can only take so much."
"I'm going to see this through," he told her. "We didn't start it, but we're certainly going to finish it. And Suarez is not going to pay the price for helping us."
Scarlett nodded after a moment. She stood and backed away from the conference table. "Just remember," she said, "you have someone waiting for you when this is all done. Don't go getting yourself killed because you lost your head."
Then he was alone in the room. He leaned his head back, stretching the taut muscles in his neck. His eyes closed for just a moment. Only then did he realize how tired he really was. He had been running mostly on adrenaline. His body was a collection of bruises and cuts, soreness that seemed to occupy every fiber. He envisioned taking Elwood into custody and what condition Suarez might be in, neither of which was satisfying. He knew Elwood would fight, and it was doubtful that Suarez was receiving the care she required in her injured state.
Flint felt the heat of anger in his face and suddenly realized what Scarlett was warning against. He was on the edge, knowing the rules of engagement still applied but not caring. He would be tested in taking Elwood into custody, alive and well.
Accidents could always happen.