He thought he might be dreaming, but then saw the grim, determined faces of Ritchie, Mancini, Akil, and Davis emerging from the house to greet him. They’d heard the news and crowded around him, expressing their sympathy.
Akiclass="underline" “We’ll get her back.”
Mancini: “Holly’s a tough lady. She’ll be fine.”
Davis: “Just tell us what to do, boss. I’m in.”
Akiclass="underline" “We all are.”
Ritchie: “Whatever it takes.”
He knew that if he could count on anyone at a time like this, it was his men. “Thanks, guys. Where’s Cal?”
“He went home. Remember?”
Feeling a hundred years old, he sat at the kitchen table and drank a cup of bitter coffee. Mancini stood before him with his hand over the receiver of a satellite phone. “It’s the CO. You want to talk to him?”
“Who?”
“Our CO back at headquarters in Virginia. I’ll tell him you’ll call back.”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Hand me the phone.”
He recognized Alan Sutter’s smooth voice, the distinctive Kentucky accent. Remembered that he had bought land in his native state and planned to retire there and raise horses. Racehorses.
Their CO was saying all the right things-about loyalty, sticking together, praying for Holly, doing anything that could possibly be done.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.”
“We’re family, Crocker. Holly’s one of us.”
“I know.” Emotion built in his chest.
His CO paused. He was a no-nonsense guy. Sentimentality didn’t figure into his decisions.
He said, “Crocker, this is a difficult situation for all of us. I pray that the whole thing’s a misunderstanding and Holly shows up untouched.”
“Me, too, sir.”
“But here’s the hard reality. No point pussyfooting around.”
He sensed what was coming and steeled himself.
“You and your men are there to complete an important mission.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Mancini told me that you’re under way but still have a few more sites to inspect.”
“One or two more, sir. That’s correct.”
“Under the circumstances, I should recall you, relieve you of your duties there.”
“Sir-”
His CO raised his voice. “Let me finish!”
“Sorry, sir.”
“But I can’t.”
“Can’t what, sir?”
“Order you back. I know you want to be there close to your wife. I would, too. So I leave that decision up to you.”
Crocker started to get choked up. “Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me.”
Sutter said, “Here’s the situation. I want you to turn over the inspections to Warrant Officer Mancini. I know that you also lost Calvin, so I’m sending two other men.”
“Sir, that won’t be necessary.”
“I think it is.”
“I disagree, sir.”
“Why?”
“First, I have sufficient men with me to complete the inspections. Secondly, I’m perfectly capable of continuing to lead them myself.”
The CO paused, then said, “That doesn’t sound realistic.”
“Trust me, it is, sir.”
“Seriously, Crocker. You mean to tell me you think you can ignore the situation with your wife and continue?”
“A mission is a mission, sir.”
“Dammit, Crocker. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t get in the way.”
“I won’t, sir. The ambassador has assured me that he has people out there looking for Holly. Frankly, I don’t know the country well enough to know where to start.”
Sutter: “I should probably have my head examined.”
“You make perfect sense to me, sir.”
“If I hear about any interference from you, you’re out of there.”
“I understand.”
“Alright, Crocker. My prayers are with you and your wife. Godspeed.”
Chapter Ten
Because we focused on the snake, we missed the scorpion.
– Egyptian proverb
The two Ambiens Davis gave him knocked him out. In the morning he couldn’t remember anything except the Lord’s Prayer, which he repeated over and over in his head.
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Crocker had never been much of a believer in prayer or organized religion, but this morning he got down on his knees beside the bed and said out loud: “God, please look after Holly and deliver her from whatever evil might await her. Don’t let anyone harm her. She’s a good woman, filled with love and light, and worthy of your mercy and compassion. Amen.”
He was still repeating the Lord’s Prayer to himself like a mantra when they arrived at the airport. As he stood with his cell phone waiting for Remington to come on the line, Akil, wearing a tight black T-shirt, said, “Doug Volman stopped by last night.”
“Who?”
“Volman. You know, that goofy guy from the State Department.”
“What did he want?”
“He said he wanted to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“Wouldn’t say.”
Remington picked up, sounding hoarse and tired, as though he’d been speaking all night. “What’s up?”
Crocker said, “I want to let you know that we’re assembled at the airport, about to leave for the military base in Sebha.”
Remington provided background, explaining that Sebha was nearly five hundred miles almost directly south of Tripoli, a transportation hub in the middle of the Sahara that Gaddafi had transformed into an agricultural oasis thanks to the Great Man Made River, a network of 1,750 miles of pipes that transported fresh water from wells to cities throughout Libya. It was the largest irrigation project on earth, described by Gaddafi as the eighth wonder of the world.
“Interesting. In all the confusion about my wife, I forgot to tell you about our trip to Toummo, particularly our discovery that Iranians are stirring up trouble along the border with Niger.”
“We knew that already.”
“What about the fact that Farhed Alizadeh is down there directing things?”
“It’s got our attention.”
“What do you think Alizadeh’s presence there means?”
“It means that the Iranians want uranium, which we already knew.”
“I’m not an expert,” Crocker said, “but it seems significant.”
“Are Lasher and Dr. Jabril there yet?” Remington asked, changing the subject.
Crocker saw a black sedan crossing the tarmac. “I think they’ve just arrived.”
“Good. Oh, and, regarding Holly, we’re following up on a lead now. I’ve had my men out working since we met with the ambassador. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something.”
“Thank you. I appreciate all that you’re doing and wish you good luck.”
He wanted to trust Remington, the ambassador, and the people who worked for them. Wanted to believe that they had a network of dependable sources throughout the country that would find Holly and Brian Shaw and quickly bring them back unharmed. But he had doubts, most of which related to the Sheraton bombing. He chased them away by running through Colonel Boyd’s OODA loop in his head, which he had committed to memory as a young SEAL and repeated to himself every time he launched a mission.
1. Observation-the highest priority. Find the threat before it finds you.
2. Orientation-take in the situation and surroundings. Anticipate steps that will be difficult for your enemy to predict.
3. Decision-trust your subconscious mind to weigh all the variables and present your conscious mind with the option that will offer your highest chance of success.