She stood, looking up the street for Pike. She said, “I can’t explain it now. I need you to trust me. What’s your ETA?”

“We’re five minutes out on clandestine foot. Two and a half to three minutes if you want me to break cover.”

Meaning he would start running roughshod over anyone in his path with guns drawn.

She said, “No, no, don’t break cover, but I do need you quickly. Target’s about to move.”

“Where’s Shoshana?”

Jennifer studied the adjacent building, looking for entry. If she could get inside and go to a stairwell, she could access the roof. She could bottle them up right there. Sandwich them between their balcony and Pike coming in from below. She saw an iron gate.

She stood and jogged down the street toward the secondary housing structure. She said, “Shoshana’s inside the target building. I’ll have her go out into the street so you can link up. Pike, they’re going to exit using the roof of another building. I need you here now.”

“Jennifer, back off. Let the Jordanians handle this. The attack doesn’t stand a chance. They can’t reach the hotel and execute, even if they leave the building. Don’t let Shoshana push you into something. Al-Britani is their target, not ours.”

She reached the building, stopping at the wrought iron gate blocking the alcove to the main door. She tried to enter. It was locked from the inside.

She said, “Pike, he’s our target now. He knows the Lost Boys.”

41

Pike said, “The Lost Boys? What the hell do they have to do with this?”

Jennifer backed up, looking skyward at the side of the building. What she saw pleased her. Rough-hewn brick and balconies. She glanced back up the street, seeing the crowds and realizing there was no way she could do what she wanted out front.

Knowing Pike hadn’t heard the final words between al-Britani and Hussein, she said, “Pike, I can’t explain right now. I need you to trust me. Al-Britani knows who the Lost Boys are. He said so while you were assaulting. It didn’t click before, but he said it. Get Showboat ready to receive. He was waiting on Hussein, so it shouldn’t be any trouble.”

She jogged around the brick to the alley separating the target building from hers. She entered, running swiftly, glancing upward. She saw a metal ladder being maneuvered above her, bridging the gap between the balcony of the target building and the roof of hers. She kept going, reaching the back of the building in a narrow, fetid alley.

She scanned for a matter of seconds, planning her route and repositioning her purse to her rear. She pulled her cell and dialed Shoshana’s number, knowing Shoshana, not having a specially modified Taskforce phone, was unaware of what had transpired. She answered and Jennifer said, “Target’s in the corner room, northeast, third floor. He’s preparing to escape across the rooftops. Pike’s on the way. I need you to meet him out front.”

The suspicion leaking through the phone, Shoshana said, “Why?”

“We’re going to take him down.”

The suspicion evaporated. “Us? No Jordanians?”

“No. Listen, we aren’t working with a lot of time. I have to get to the roof. We need al-Britani alive. You understand?”

When she didn’t reply, Jennifer said, “Shoshana? Do you understand? Capture only.”

Shoshana said, “I’ve already told you, that’ll depend on him.” Then she hung up.

Jennifer cursed under her breath, sliding the phone into her back pocket. She grasped the brick in her hands and pulled herself off the ground, feeling the clock ticking. Wondering if they weren’t already too late.

She began climbing the rough cinder block, using the cracks, seams, and window ledges to go ever higher, having no more difficulty than a gecko on a plate of glass. She reached the top, cinched her hands on the small parapet, and raised herself slowly, peeking over the edge toward the balcony. She saw one of the men throwing a duffel bag across, and noticed that two other bags were already on the rooftop.

She looked for cover and saw the outbuilding that held the stairway to the floors below. She waited until the man returned to the apartment, then pulled herself over the side and scampered behind the cinder blocks.

She keyed her radio. “Pike, Pike, I’m on the roof and they’re about to cross. Where are you?”

“Just met Shoshana. We’re on the way up. Third floor, northeast corner, right?”

She slid her head around and saw one man walking across the metal ladder, hands outstretched for balance.

She whipped back around, getting out of sight and drawing her pistol. She said, “Shit, they’re starting to cross over! What do I do?”

“Seriously? This is your damn plan. But if it were me, I’d get a barrel in their face before they’re all on your side of the roof. Just passed the second floor. About ten seconds out.”

She rolled away from the outbuilding, seeing two men had reached her side, with another on the bridge. One was digging in a duffel bag. The other saw her and shouted. She stood up and sprinted straight at them, holding the pistol in a two-handed grip. She skidded to a crouch fifteen meters away and, feeling ridiculous, screamed, “Freeze! Stop right there!”

She heard gunfire inside the apartment and knew Pike had entered. The man on the ground whirled around, pulling an AK-47 from the bag. She placed two rounds into his head, controlling the recoil of her weapon even as the standing man charged her, unarmed. She saw the third man leap to her roof and a fourth jump on the bridge, firing into the apartment with a pistol.

The charging Arab was on her in an instant, leaping at her and screaming. She backpedaled, pulling her weapon into her chest and breaking the trigger three times. He landed on her, knocking her to the ground with literal dead weight. She rolled him off just as the third man reached her. From her back, she popped two rounds into his head and rolled out of the way of his falling body.

She heard a bullet gouge into the brick next to her, spraying her with slivers of masonry. She brought her weapon up, refocusing on the man on the bridge. She saw it was al-Britani. He fired again, missing, and she snapped two rounds past his head, knowing at least he spoke English and understood surrender. The shots caused him to duck and lose his balance. He began windmilling his arms, and she held her breath. He fell sideways, slapping his hands through the gaps in the metal ladder.

She cocked her ears to the apartment, hearing no further gunfire. She heard, “Koko, Pike. Status?”

She exhaled in relief, and said, “I’m okay. Three down out here.”

“Yeah, you could have told me there were eight of them. We busted into a hornet’s nest. But no jackpot. Doing site exploitation now. Got a laptop, but not much else.”

“I have precious cargo out here.”

“You got him? Alive?”

“Not yet. He’s on the metal bridge. Hanging on for dear life.”

She saw Shoshana come out onto the balcony. Jennifer smiled and walked to the parapet of the roof, weapon held high. She shouted, “Careful! He’s still got a pistol.”

Shoshana nodded, but kept walking forward. She reached the balcony railing and looked out at al-Britani. He saw her, but made no move, holding on to the metal ladder with a death grip.

She leaned forward and spoke to him. Jennifer heard Arabic and wondered what she was saying. She saw al-Britani’s face go white. Shoshana spoke again, and he released one arm, trying to raise the pistol while still holding on.

Shoshana gave a wicked smile, and Jennifer saw the dark angel appear. She knew what was coming next. She shouted, “No!” just as Shoshana pushed the edge of the ladder off the railing. Al-Britani screamed all the way down, the noise cut abruptly as he hammered into the concrete four stories below.