Blaze of Glory by Jeff Struecker, Alton Gansky Page A

briefing with the navy this evening at nine o’clock.”
    “Good. The sniper posts?”
    “All established per your orders.”
    Gronchi lowered the glasses. “Did you double-check the sight lines along all streets near the hotel?”
    Lorenzo nodded. “Several times. We can observe the entrance from ten different positions; street access from a dozen additional points. The hotel staff has been checked, and only those with the cleanest records will be working tomorrow.”
    “I want undercover officers in the mix: kitchen, maid service, front desk, food services, everywhere.”
    “The hotel will be empty except for the G-20. There will be no other guests.”
    “I know that, Lorenzo, but we will err on the side of caution. No one walks into that building without having his identification checked.”
    “Understood, sir.”
    Gronchi shook his head. “Our careers rest on doing this right, Lorenzo. Allow no room for failure.”
    “The arrival of twenty of the world’s leaders to our city is an honor and a great reason for concern.”
    “I hear it was the American president who wanted the meeting moved here from London. I suppose the suicide bombing in London forced his hand.”
    “It is a wise decision,” Gronchi said. “The Brits are having trouble keeping their own backyard safe. Besides, Naples is small enough to make full security possible, but large enough to provide trained men and military.”
    “The fact that the American president is a student of history must have provided greater motivation. Is he still planning to visit Pompeii?”
    “Yes, and Castel del Ovo, the Palazzo Reale and the National Library, the Cathedral of San Gennaro, and the Church of San Domenico Maggiore, where Saint Thomas Aquinas lived and taught. Someone should tell him he is the president of the United States, not a tourist.”
    “Historians are passionate about history, Capitano.”
    “His passion is our pain. Even his Secret Service director is beside himself.”
    “He told you his concern?”
    “No, I saw it in the man’s eyes. He is uncomfortable with the extra stops.”
    “Who can blame him? President Huffington seems to get whatever he wants.”
    Gronchi gazed at Mount Vesuvius in the distance. “It’s our job to make sure he doesn’t get more than he wants.”

CHAPTER 15
    “WHATCHA GOT, DATA?” MOYER whispered the question into the small boom mike hung over his ear and taped to the side of his face.
    No response.
    Moyer looked to his right. Zinsser appeared green through Moyer’s night vision goggles. Without the electronic goggles he wouldn’t be able to see Zinsser or any other member of his team. Too little moonlight, especially when each man wore black from head to toe, including balaclava masks. With the goggles, Zinsser’s image was distinct but otherworldly. Moyer could see the man looking through the handheld FLIR. The Forward Looking Infrared device was the latest in technology, able to “see” through most walls.
    “Data, do you copy?” Moyer saw the man snap his head around.
    “I gotcha, Boss.”
    “Report.”
    Zinsser’s word came over in a whisper. “I’m getting nonspecific heat sigs from some of the rooms, but no targets.”
    Moyer gazed at the mansion. He and his team had parked a quarter mile off the access road, hiding the two vans they had traveled in from Camp Darby. The drive had been long, and most of his team took advantage of the time to sleep. After concealing the vehicles they had marched through the surrounding woods. They found no perimeter security. Moyer was grateful for that but guessed that the easy part was over. They divided into teams of two. Moyer ordered De Luca to stay with him, making Moyer’s team a band of three. Zinsser earned a hero’s medal, but he was untested with Moyer’s team. De Luca seemed well trained, but Moyer had not seen him in action. That made them both rookies as far as he and his team were concerned.
    “Colt, report.” Colt was at least a