CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“Do we have her location yet?” asked Hex.
“No. But we know why,” said AJ. “She’s actually using one of our phones, and someone told her how to turn the tracking systems off. We’re going through the backdoor to reverse it, but it takes a minute.”
“Someone told her what?” frowned Luke. “That means someone who understands our technology and knows the system. Do we have a leak?”
“I don’t think so,” said Hiro. “In all likelihood, knowing what we know about the Ranger commander, he gave them that information. The phone she’s using is an older model. The serial number indicates that it was part of a stolen shipment a few years ago.
“We did what we always do, which is disable the bells and whistles of our systems and make them untraceable. To us. She obviously found someone capable of turning the system on from their end, attaching it to one of their own. It’s actually quite genius.”
“You admire this shit?” growled Cam.
“I admire that they figured out a way to use it. I don’t admire that they stole the tech. Listen, we joke with you about not understanding how difficult some of this is, but it’s the truth. Whoever she has as a tech person is good. Maybe as good as we are.”
“That’s a problem,” said Luke. “If Mikella has someone working for her that can get around our stop gaps, she could conceivably steal these shipments and use the technology that we own.”
“Yes and no,” said Hiro. “We still have the fail-safes that will trip the equipment and ensure that it can’t be used. Some of the newer stuff has self-destruct mechanisms, but the older stuff didn’t have that. They only had the fail-safes to shut down.”
“So, are you telling me they can’t use our newer things?” asked Luke.
“I’m telling you that it’s not impossible, but it’s improbable.” Luke just stared at him, wondering what the hell that actually meant.
“What about our locators on the products? They’re all still operable, right?” asked Eric.
“They are. Everything is in the DOD warehouses as they should be. There have been no approved contracts that would allow them to be shipped at this time. That’s what she was trying to get to with Leo. If she knew who the contracts were going to be with, she would be able to try and reroute them to her or change the shipping addresses.”
“Maybe we let her do that,” said Hex.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” said Cam. “We cannot let that woman get her hands on any of this.”
“Listen to me. We can give her what she wants and still find her at the same time. In fact, we might get more than we bargained for and find when they open the containers that her partners are standing there as well.”
Luke stared at his teammates, then back at AJ, Hiro, and Tanner. It was more than risky. It could be him sending men on a suicide mission. But if it worked, they could potentially be stopping the outbreak of the largest war in the Middle East.
“Let’s walk this through.”
“Hi,” smiled CJ, walking up to Jill.
“Hi there. Done with your meetings?” she asked.
“Yes. And no.”
“Okay, I’m probably not going to like this, am I?” she grinned. He frowned, unsure of how to answer, and then shook his head.
“Relax, CJ. I know that this is something you have to do, whatever it is. We’ve been researching all the contracts that might have passed through the hands of the men that were killed, and it’s a bit mind-boggling. Fortunately, most of what she’s taken did not belong to G.R.I.P., and they weren’t tier-one weapons. Some was just ammunition. Other things were uniforms or vests.”
“Well, that doesn’t exactly make me feel better, but at least we know that she doesn’t have her hands on the best there is to offer,” frowned CJ. “I think we still have to find her and stop this. We can’t allow her and those three terrorist leaders to get their hands on anything we have.”
“I agree. Now, tell me what you have to do,” she smiled, taking his hand as they walked toward the cafeteria.
“We’re going to be gone a few days, but I’ve got it on good authority that I will be back in time for our wedding,” he smiled.
“Maybe we should postpone the wedding for just a couple of days,” she smirked. “I don’t mind, CJ. I know that I’ll be Mrs. Abbott soon enough. I don’t want you to be thinking about me, about us, while you’re doing your job.”
“That’s gonna happen no matter what, honey. I think about you all the time.” He kissed her passionately, holding her tight to his body. “I don’t want to postpone anything.”
“I’m glad you said that,” she smiled, opening the cafeteria door. CJ looked around the room and grinned, realizing that he’d just walked into his own wedding. “I had a feeling. I should say your mom and all these other beautiful women had a feeling. I don’t need the dress or the flowers or the cake, CJ. I just need to know that I’m your wife and that you’ll return to me.”
CJ could only laugh, shaking his head.
“Let’s go, asshole. It’s time to get hitched,” said Brix, nudging his friend.
The service could not have been more perfect for the two of them. They weren’t people who wanted big and ostentatious. They wanted small, simple, fast. It would never be described as a small wedding, but it was simple, and they loved it.
Dylan, Sara, George, and Casey made all their favorites and somehow, in record time, made the most beautiful wedding cake either of them had ever seen.
They danced their first dance, laughed with their friends, and then Hiro walked into the room.
“I think you have to leave now,” smiled Jill. “Come back to me, CJ. I will not be happy if you don’t.”
“I will always come back to you,” he said, kissing her. “I love you, Mrs. Abbott.”
“I love you more, Mr. Abbott.”
She stood and waved, then watched two dozen men leave with him, and she frowned.
“There are so many,” she whispered.
“This is bigger than we thought it would be,” said Hex. “The compound is on lockdown for now. Until we get to Mikella, we have no idea where she might truly be.”
“Aren’t you hoping she’ll be with the shipments?” asked Jill.
“That’s our hope. But shit always comes up with surprises for us.”