Black Ops 03 - Deadly Games Read Online Free PDF

involved?”
    Rocco nodded. “And I’m damn sure not going to correct him.”
    “Let me see the picture.” Travis stepped closer as the photograph of Maddy in the crate appeared on the screen. He groaned at the image. “Enlarge it.”
    Rocco complied. “You can see Tran’s symbol here.”
    “Can you forward a copy of that to my Blackberry?”
    “Sure.”
    “Any chance the crate is a ruse, to make us think she’s overseas when actually she’s still in the U.S.? Tran’s got strong connections in San Francisco.”
    Rocco shook his head. “He knows we’d expect that. The best way to secure a hostage is to keep her close to his home turf. Which explains why we haven’t heard anything before now.”
    “Transport time.” Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “What else do you know?”
    “That this will ruin your claim of plausible denia-bility when I disappear again.”
    Travis snorted. “Trust me; it was ruined earlier by a tip that the Thai government is circulating your photograph with REWARD printed on it. It doesn’t sound like Minh Tran is the only one expecting you.”
    Shrugging, Rocco shut down his laptop and slid it in his rucksack. “I wouldn’t read too much into that. It’s no secret Tran keeps a few officials on his payroll.”
    “This time it’s different. Tran and the government have a conflict of interest. The Thai government wants Dr. Rufin, too. They’ve tripled the reward for Rufin’s capture. Consequently, we’ve got bounty hunters springing up like mushrooms after rain.”
    “Great,” Rocco muttered. “Guess I’ll have to be extra sneaky.”
    “You can’t go after her.”
    “I have to. The official investigation’s been bungled from the get-go. And we both know the Agency’s policy on hostage negotiation.” The CIA didn’t negotiate. Period. “I’m Maddy’s only chance at a rescue.”
    “Do you really think I’d abandon her, too?” Indignation flashed in Travis’s eyes and quickly disappeared. “She’s been part of the team since Dante’s return. Some of her research has been invaluable.”
    “But I feel personally responsible,” Rocco said. “It’s my fault she was targeted to begin with.”
    “No, it’s Minh Tran’s fault. Maddy will get help. Just not from you.”
    “Then whom?”
    “Someoneweboth trust. Someone who can follow up other leads as well.” Travis’s eyes slid to his watchers. “There are other developments you’re not aware of.”
    “Like?”
    “Tran’s hedging his bets by going after others he thinks you care for. Your sister’s place was broken into earlier tonight. A neighbor called police. Two Thai thugs, both suspected associates of Tran’s, were picked up. One had a ransom note addressed to you.”
    “Jesus!” Guilt over ignoring Adele’s phone call swamped Rocco. Was this what Tran’s crony meant by “what we do next”? “Where is Adele?”
    “I had her and your nephew relocated to a safe house, but she’s making crazy demands. I hoped you could talk some sense into her.”
    “I’ll call her.”
    “I’d prefer you talked to her in person,” Travis said. “These men will take you.”
    The suggestion irritated Rocco. “Sounds like someone’s worried I’ll slip away.”
Or get in the way of an
existing op.
Travis was hiding something. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    Travis scowled. “We’ve heard the Thai government has a lead on Harry Gambrel’s location, possibly in Burma. The Thai secret police want to retrieve him and offer a trade for Dr. Rufin. It’s vital that we get to Harry first.”
    Harry Gambrel had disappeared two years ago, along with two other operatives: Dante Johnson and Max Duncan. The three men had been reported dead, but both Dante and Max had recently turned up alive. Making it highly plausible that Harry was alive, too. To Travis and others at the Agency, Harry was a brother in arms. Their unspoken code of honor meant allegiance.
    The fact that Rocco didn’t much like Harry