The Insider Threat

Free The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor Page A

Book: The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor Read Free Book Online
Authors: Brad Taylor
Tags: thriller
right. Shake it off. Phase two is a go. We’ve got Omega and the leader’s on the move. Brett, take the wheel. Knuckles, get ready.”
    Brett and I switched positions, and Knuckles growled, “I oughtta use the damn Taser on him.”
    I called Retro and Jennifer. “Koko, Retro, this is Pike. Assault element secure. Moving your way.”
    Retro said, “Pike, we’ve got an issue. The target is being tailed by one of Panda’s security. The black guy from inside the hotel that Koko swiped with ABS.”

15
    I heard the transmission and cursed. We were now moving out of what even
I
would call perfect conditions.
    “Why? What happened? What did the target do to spike security?”
    “Nothing. I think Panda’s actually providing him protection without him knowing.”
    “Is he moving on the projected route?”
    “Yeah, but we can’t take him in view of the security.”
    We had planned on assaulting the target just south of Adams Arcade. There was a road that ran east to west on the southern edge, acting as a border between the security of the mall and a flea market called Toi. Unlike Adams Arcade, Toi was a maze of vendors jam-packed together in makeshift huts, and was a local favorite for buying secondhand clothing. Most of the stalls would be closed at this hour, but not all.
    I looked at the map and said, “Okay, we’re bumping the kill zone one road to the south. See Kinangop? See where it curves? He hits that and he’ll trail it back to Kangethe and home. Hopefully.”
    I looked at Brett. “Start moving. Stage on Joseph Kangethe Road where Kinangop dead-ends into it.”
    Jennifer came on. “He just broke out of Adams Arcade. He’s into the Toi Market, and security’s still following. What about him?”
    We had maybe three minutes.
    She repeated, “What about the security following him?”
    “Retro interdicts him. He’s the only one that’s clean. Retro, can you penetrate inside Toi?”
    “Yeah. I can get in. I’ll stick out, but that’s not the problem. I take out the security and everybody’s going to see.”
    I said, “Retro, don’t take him out. Just stop him. Is he well dressed?”
    “Yeah, he’s in a suit.”
    “Okay, act like you’re lost. Act like a tourist. Stop him as a nice-looking Kenyan and ask for directions. We only need seconds. Get a gap between him and the target.”
    Jennifer said, “And me?”
    Brett stopped the van, saying, “We’re here.”
    I said, “All elements, we’re staged. Koko, penetrate into Toi with Retro. Split when he moves to the security man. Same profile. Prevent the target from running back the way he came.”
    I didn’t want to do that, because a single white female walking around out here was like dropping bloody chunks of meat into shark-infested water. I heard nothing for a moment, then Jennifer said, “Pike, target’s spotted security. He’s getting skittish.”
    “Okay, okay, stay on him. Nothing’s changed.”
    “He’s speed-walking now. I say again, he’s moving fast through the stalls. He’s headed west, not south.”
    My first thought was
Abort.
    I looked at the map, seeing my plan of action was way off. I said, “He’ll hit Suna Road, then go south. This is it. Retro, interdict security. Jennifer, stick with him. Brett, get up there. Get to the intersection of Suna and Kinangop.”
    He goosed the engine and we went flying past our projected kill zone. Knuckles said, “We’re not going to make it in time. He’ll be through the intersection before we get there.”
    “Nothing I can do about possibles. We’ll deal with the situation when we get there.” I keyed the radio. “Jennifer, Retro, status?”
    Jennifer said, “I lost him in the stalls. He’s headed straight west.”
    From Retro, I heard mumbled conversation. He couldn’t talk, and had keyed the mike to let me know he was executing.
    Brett raced up Kinangop, luckily the only car on the road, the weak headlights from the van providing barely enough illumination for the speed

Similar Books

Maggot Moon

Sally Gardner

Urban Myth

James Raven

Murder Is My Business

Brett Halliday

Mortal Bonds

Michael Sears

Far From True

Linwood Barclay