Street Game (GhostWalkers, #8)(83)

“I haven’t seen any couples together other than you and Mack,” Paul said. “But I suspect so. I’ve been trying to keep track of observations without leaving a paper trail anyone can find.” He looked up at her. “If they were to access my computer.”

She smirked. “Piece of cake. Your bad luck that I wrote that program. I take it Whitney doesn’t have access to it.”

“Very few people do. It’s experimental.”

“What did you do for Gideon?” she asked.

“I drained off some of the psychic energy and it allowed him to sleep.”

Kane stood up. “I’ll use his bed and leave Gideon here, if that’s okay with you, boss.”

Mack nodded. “Okay, kid, I have a message I want to get to your father. Use your impossible-to-hack-into program and tell him I want a meeting. I’ll tell you when and where.”

Paul nodded.

“Everyone get some sleep. Lucas, relieve Marc in a couple of hours. We’re going to have some major work over the next few days.”





CHAPTER 14


“You’re certain about this, boss?” Paul asked, chewing on his bottom lip, frown lines forming around his mouth and brow. “This is my father we’re talking about. I don’t want anything happening to him.”

Mack smirked a little. “Don’t underestimate your old man, Paul. Long before you ever thought about getting into his game, he was playing everyone. I’m the slow one. He sent me messages and I just wasn’t getting them.”

He glanced at Jaimie. He couldn’t very well blame her, but he’d been distracted. Knowing he was going to have to find her again. Knowing she’d disappeared and he wasn’t going to be able to stand not knowing if she was safe, even if she wasn’t with him. He should have had his mind on his work, not on Jaimie, but until he had known exactly where she was, he couldn’t think clearly.

Jaimie looked up at him and smiled. He’d dragged her in, needing her skills, and for the first time, she hadn’t objected. She’d been working to prove to Mack that Griffen was not only betraying him, but trying to kill two members of his team. Maybe she felt guilty, but it was more likely that her soft heart had kicked in as usual and she genuinely wanted to help the man. That was Jaimie.

Mack studied his team gathering around him, ready to be let loose. His men were a different story altogether. They were going to rescue their sergeant major and it had nothing to do with having soft hearts. On his part, Mack was outraged that anyone would try to compromise Sergeant Major or any member of his team. And he liked the challenge, needed it, the adrenaline rush that accompanied outwitting criminal minds. Maybe he had one of his own, as he knew other members of his team certainly did, but they channeled their aggressive natures onto a path for service of country.

“Paul was able to get a message through to his father, and Sergeant Major immediately arranged to fly to San Francisco on the pretense of a meeting with us over Doomsday and the weapons being held in the warehouse. We asked for more intel on the Doomsday unit. He made a big show in his office of barking out orders to get whatever we needed as we were very close to taking down the cell here,” Mack explained. “It’s a very legitimate reason for his coming. This is a big coup if we pull it off and Griffen has the rep for seeing to details personally.”

And he should have remembered that when Sergeant Major had been so vague about backup for Brian and Kane. His head hadn’t been in the game at all.

“I just want to make certain that nothing we do tips them off,” Paul reiterated.

Mack shook his head. “It won’t. Sergeant Major knows what he’s doing. He always stays at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on Union Square, which is perfect for what we need. He has a routine he rarely deviates from, and he’ll follow that routine. We know he’s being monitored and we’re going to have spotters to catch anyone. We also have Jaimie, our trusty ace in the hole. She’s setting up shop in his favorite coffeeshop. He’ll take his walk and head for coffee and to read the newspaper before his meeting and she’ll be waiting to start the back-trace using his cell phone.”

“Whoever is watching his every move is going to be more alert because they have to know we’re in San Francisco,” Kane said. “Especially because he’s meeting us.”

“Not necessarily, although I think if we can’t get the trace and get him off the hook, we’ll put more security in place when we actually carry through with a meeting.” He held up his hand, signifying to the others to give him complete attention. “This plan is very detailed and involved for a number of reasons. Each piece has to fall into place for it to work. No one take chances. If in doubt, walk away from your assignment and call it in. We’ll switch to our other procedures. You cannot be spotted. If they know we’re about to take him, my guess is they’ll kill him.”

Paul sucked in his breath audibly.

Mack shrugged. “If they lose him, he’s of no further use and he becomes a liability instantly. They have to kill him. They have strings back to them that can be followed and the last thing they want is for anyone to identify who they are. And God help Colonel Wilford if this leads back to him.” His gaze locked with Jaimie’s. “You can do this?”

“Oh yeah. If I’m right, I’m already halfway there. I think whoever is threatening Sergeant Major is the one trying to hack into my computer.” She leaned over and touched Paul’s hand. “I know I can do this, Paul.”