Page 102 of Fatal Mistake
He needed help. Much more than Rick could provide. They were both just men. Skilled men, but men failed. Tara was too important for even a hint of failure.
Father, help us, please, he implored. He had to let go of his anger at God. Let go of his stubbornness and trust Him to save Tara. It was the only hope.
Please, he pleaded again before turning his attention to the perimeter ahead and honking at the officer moving the barricade at a snail’s speed.
Cal wanted to race through the opening, but reporters and looky-loos stared at him and failed to yield the right of way until he flipped on his lights and siren, and laid on his horn.
Ten minutes later, he finally reached the main access road leading to the highway and another hour passed before GPS announced their destination a mile ahead on the right. Cal eased the car onto the shoulder and flipped off his headlights. Rick rummaged through his bag, came out holding night-vision goggles, and strapped them on.
Cal killed the engine and peered ahead. The house sat in the dark, shadows cloaking both stories. A light shone through the living room window.
“Look for June’s protection detail,” Cal directed. “They should be blocking the drive before the house.”
Rick sat forward and stared out of the window. “No sign of them.”
Cal curled his fingers but held his anger in check, as he couldn’t risk damaging his hand when he might need it. “Let’s get suited up and hike in.”
Rick didn’t have to be told twice, and he exited the car with Cal. A cooling breeze rushed over Cal as he opened the back window to retrieve combat vests and fill pockets with extra ammo and tools.
The action felt so similar to suiting up for his days at war. A fitting sentiment in Cal’s mind. The entire country was at war with terror, and men like Keeler had to be stopped.
Cal tucked a backup gun behind his vest and settled his NVGs on his head. After a quick check of the thirty-round magazine for his assault rifle, he was ready to roll.
He nodded at Rick, then made a sweep of the area, the green tint from the goggles familiar and comforting as he scanned. Not seeing any threat, he signaled his intent to move and stepped off.
Despite darkness and heavy clouds obscuring the moon, Cal could see a clear path to the house. He tightened his hold on his rifle and moved silently down the drive. A single cow mooed in the distance, breaking the quiet. Despite the lack of noise, Cal didn’t have to look back to know that Rick was right on his heels. He was as silent and deadly as all of the Knights, and if Cal had heard Rick’s footsteps, something would be very wrong.
Cal eased off the drive and approached the house, pausing at the living room window. He signaled for Rick to hold. The light from inside cascaded into the night and illuminated the shrubbery below, forcing Cal to lift his goggles as he crept closer to the window.
He shot a quick look inside, then retreated, his heart plummeting. A brief glance told him that June sat in a chair, Keeler’s telltale white PVC circling her neck. Cal returned to the window again and held his breath as he ran his gaze over the room, looking for Tara in a similar situation. He determined June sat alone and confirmed that, other than the bomb, no additional danger presented itself.
He dropped to a squat and froze in place as he tried to figure out where Tara could be. Rick duckwalked closer and cast a questioning look at Cal. He signaled to look inside. Rick took a long look and came to squat next to Cal.
“A bomb would definitely bring Tara out here.”
“No sign of her, though,” Cal whispered. “But she could be in another room.”
“We need to gain access to the house and not through a door,” Rick whispered back.
He was right. Keeler could have booby-trapped the doors and windows. Still, they could cut a hole in a window and insert a camera to determine if it was safe to open.
Cal signaled for Rick to follow him to the back of the house where, if Keeler was watching from the road, his finger perched over a remote, he couldn’t see them enter the house. Cal dug into the bag attached to his vest and located a glass-cutting tool. Rick stood at the corner keeping watch. Cal made the hole and inserted a snake camera through the opening. He swiveled the camera to capture every inch of the window frame.
“We’re clear,” he whispered, and unfastened the lock. “We’re good to go.”
Rick backed his way over to Cal. “We need to steer clear of the living room. If there’s a leveling device on the bomb, we don’t want to spook June.”
Cal nodded his agreement and silently climbed inside. He and Rick both knew the first-floor layout from prior visits, so Cal stepped straight ahead and gestured for Rick to move right. Together they crept through the first floor until they’d cleared all rooms save the living room and headed up the stairs.
Four bedrooms and a bathroom later, they hadn’t found Tara, and Cal’s worry for her safety almost had him running down the stairs and bursting in on June to question her.
Rick faced Cal. “Now what? We can’t go barreling down the stairs and scare June.”
Cal forced Tara from his mind and ran their options until a sound idea took hold. “I saw an answering machine on the kitchen counter. A ringing phone shouldn’t freak her out too badly. I’ll leave a message telling her that we’re in the house and coming down the stairs.”
Rick nodded his approval. Cal made the call. A ringer pealed from a bedroom down the hall and from the kitchen. On the sixth ring, June’s cheerful message played. Cal left a message after the beep.
“Agent Riggins,” June called out. “Are you really here?”
