Mac looked at his watch, kicked the ground, pressed his lips together, and waited for Hannah.

Chloe stood in the bramble, finger on the trigger, feet spread in the mushy ground. The Peacekeepers stopped on the road, facing her position, close enough that she could hear their breathing.

All six set their weapons at the same time. She could barely see them and a.s.sumed they could not see her. She held her breath and did not move.

"GC!" one called out. "Who goes there?"

Chloe entertained the hope that they would all six decide they hadn't really heard anything.

"Show yourself or we spray the area!"

"Friend!" she called out. "GC here too. Sister on a.s.signment.

Cool your jets."

"Armed? "

"Holding it over my head, Peacekeeper. Ten to one I outrank you, so don't do anything rash."

A big flashlight made her squint. Holding the Uzi over her head, she said, "Turn that thing off! We're all here on the same a.s.signment."

The light went off. "Hand over the weapon, ma'am, and we'll sort this out."

"No, we'll sort it out first. Now I'm tucking it under my arm to show my papers. Stand down now. So far you've been by the book and I can't fault you."

"Thank you. I'm going to need to turn the light onto your docs, ma'am."

"Hold on, I got a smaller beam. Going into the pocket."

With the weapon tucked and pointing her small flashlight at her papers, Chloe's heart drumrolled against her chest.

"Superior officer, guys," the leader said. "Salute."

"No need," Chloe said. "Good job. A little sloppy on the march, but at least you're on time." "What were you doing in the bushes, ma'am?" "Following orders.

Now wait here for my CO and another officer, and we'll go together." "That Uzi's not official issue, is it?" "Something to look forward to." "Really?" "At my level it is." "Wow.

"We still reasonably on schedule?" she said.

"About twenty minutes early, ma'am."

"Stand by, gentlemen." Chloe pulled out her radio and turned it on. "Officer Irene to Senior Commander Johnson."

"Johnson! Oh, man! "

"Senior Commander!"

Chloe turned to the Peacekeepers. "A little decorum, please."

"Johnson, go ahead."

"Sir, I've met up with six Peacekeepers who will join us on the a.s.signment. Standing by for you approximately meters east of your position."

"Six? "

"Ten four."

"Everything copacetic, Irene? "

"Ten four."

"For all I know, we could be surrounded," Mac told Hannah. "You sure you weren't seen ? " "Positive."

"what is going on?" He called Chang and filled him in. "What do you think Stefanich is up to?"

"I'm in his mainframe, Mac, and there's nothing there. Could be as bad as they're onto you, or he's still trying to cover. "

"But what's he need all these people in the woods for? They mustering here for the midnight raid?"

"Seems out of the way."

"Sure does. Unless they're wrong about the location of the underground headquarters. We're not far from where the pastor hid out Rayford. You think they've finally discovered that?"

"You're a good thirty miles from there, Mac. I'll stay on it, but I don't know what to tell you." Aristotle said, "All right, let's go."

Plato shoved George up. Someone opened his door, and it seemed Plato and Aristotle each took an arm and guided him, while Elena opened doors. They led him about fifteen feet, up three concrete steps, and inside. Then about twenty steps down a corridor that from the echoes seemed narrow. Finally into a larger room.

Aristotle let go of George and walked a few steps away. "Ach! I can't reach it. Plato?"

"Give me that."

George heard what sounded like metal being slotted into metal, then a couple of loud clicks. Plato grunted. "What's the secret here?" he said.

"Let me get the other side," Aristotle said, and he was

replaced at George's side by Elena. I f only I weren't

cuffed, George thought. That was when he would have

taken his chances. Coldc.o.c.k the girl, whip off the blind

fold, race back down that corridor and outside, and

hope for the best. But not with his hands behind his

back. Any hesitation and she would shoot him, he was

sure.

Plato and Aristotle grunted and Aristotle said, "Push him in, Elena. Come on, Plato and I have to get back."