Free The Callsign by Brad Taylor

Chapter 1
     
    2008
    Charleston, South Carolina
     
    "Lima Echo just turned around. I say again, Lima Echo headed back toward target."
    It was the absolute worst call I could have received, because it meant the cop law enforcement, or Lima Echo had seen something he didn't like. Which was probably related to our be.ing in the process of breaking into a building on Broad Street.
    Retro was in a vehicle providing outer security, precisely be.cause he blended in to the current environment. Actually, he blended in to just about any environment. He was a plain-look.ing guy, not too tall, not too short. A gray man that you tended to forget as soon as he'd passed you. The only thing that stood out was his clothing. He'd quit buying civilian duds the minute he entered the Army, and everything he wore looked like he was going to a flashback costume party. Hence his callsign.
    "Retro, this is Pike. Was it a hard turn, or is he just doing a routine patrol? Did we spike?"
    The dumbest thing we could do was panic simply because a random patrol car had decided to turn around. Something I wanted to convey over the radio to the man doing the B&E to keep him from executing an action that would elevate the situation unnecessarily. Which was a trait I was beginning to worry about in my second-in-command.
    "Pike, Retro. I can't tell. He definitely picked an odd road to do the U-turn on, but it is four blocks away. Nothing on the radio, so he didn't think enough about it to call it in. All I can say is, he's headed back."
    Cop's coming, and a timeline I can't meet. This is bullshit.
    I had no idea if the policeman was real or if he was roleplaying. I'd never conducted a live exercise in an actual, real-world city, and the distinction had the potential to be catastrophic. If this guy was paid by the City of Charleston, and not read on to the exercise, I could possibly make the news in a big way as a member of a new counterterrorist unit that operated outside the bounds of any legal chain of command, answering only to the national command authority.
    The B&E was just an exercise, but its outcome held much, much more risk than any other I had ever participated in. Certainly more than any exercise I had been in charge of. Back then I'd always had the big Army to fall back on, so I felt distinctly out of my element here. I couldn't shoot my way out. Shit, I couldn't even threaten violence. I was supposed to be in and out without anyone knowing, a mission that wasn't playing to my strength of breaking things.
    "Kranz, Reaper, this is Pike. Break contact. Get out." "Screw that. We don't have the time. Don't get your panties in a wad. I've been here before. Nothing to worry about."
    I recognized Kranz's voice. My know-it-all second-in-command. A guy from the CIA's National Clandestine Service that had apparently seen more Jason Bourne-type action than Matt Damon himself something he loved to share at every opportunity. I had my doubts, since he had a little bit of a gut and smoked cigarettes like a chimney. I couldn't see him running more than a block before putting his hands on his knees, no matter what skills he professed to have.
    "Jesse, give me a status."
    "Car's still creeping, but no flashing lights or anything."
    Jesse had also come over from the NCS, but unlike Kranz he showed some serious talent. He was the youngest on the team and looked like a college student, but he was a smart problem solver who was ice under pressure. I was pretty sure Kranz embarrassed him.
    The rest of the team was pure commando. Retro and Bull were Special Forces, and both had worked with me in my last unit. We'd all been recruited together as a package. Reaper was a SEAL, and appeared to be okay.
    Kranz was the issue. He seemed to have little-dick syndrome, and he was always trying to prove he was as big of a badass as the military guys.
    "Kranz, get your ass out of the building. You still have time."
    I heard nothing for a moment, and then Reaper came on. His voice