yourself a lieutenant again, you will immediately get your men out of the way."
Behind General Narcisco, his troops had picked up on the hostility between the officers. They didn't look happy. It had been a long time since World War II and Americans were no longer popular in the islands. Anderson saw one of the Filipino officers give a quiet command to his sergeant. Weapons came up to port arms.
"Move out of my way, Colonel," Narcisco said.
"Sir," Anderson said.
"I see it, Major."
Kroger raised his left hand in the air in a prearranged signal. The Filipino troops found themselves staring down the barrels of Marine rifles. Kroger was bluffing. He wasn't going to fire upon troops from a friendly nation, but Narcisco didn't know that. Fifty or sixty Marines in battle dress pointing weapons at you would intimidate most people and Narcisco was no different. He looked at the faces of the men behind the rifles and saw nothing to reassure him. It was a convincing, chilling display of force.
"General," Kroger said, " my orders are to secure this area. I suggest you consult with your commanders as to the best course of action. Your troops will not be allowed to come near our embassy."
"You will regret this, Colonel."
"Perhaps I will, sir. But in the meantime I have my orders."
Narcisco looked at the rifles pointed at him and turned to the officers behind him. "Fall back and deploy the troops across the road," he said.
He stalked away toward his vehicle.
"That went well," Anderson said. "Lieutenant, sir."
Kroger laughed. "We'll let the politicians figure it out. In the meantime, I want your ideas on how we go in there without getting the hostages killed."
"Yes, sir," Anderson said.
"Get those gates open and vehicles ready to go in. If the shit hits the fan I don't want anything slowing us down."
CHAPTER 22
Th e taking of the embassy dominated the news. In Virginia, Elizabeth and Stephanie watched Selena reading Abu Sayyaf 's demands. Part of her team, in harm's way. They watched the hostage die.
"We have to help Nick find a way in," Elizabeth said.
Steph had put t he plans of the American Embassy up on her monitor. The two women studied the image.
"Abu Sayyaf will be watching the ground floor," Elizabeth said. "I don't see how they can get in that way."
" Twelve hostiles," Stephanie said. "It's not enough to cover everything."
" The main focus has to be on the lower level."
Stephanie pointed at the plans. "Nick could get in from the roof. There's an access door and stairs to the top floor."
"That might work, but how do they get up there? There's no fire escape."
"That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"
"They could climb an outside wall." Elizabeth peered at the architectural drawings on the monitor. "There doesn't seem to be much they could use for footholds."
"The windows have blast grills over them," Stephanie said. "They can't get through those."
"The more I look at it," Elizabeth said, " it seems like the roof is the only way in. How about trees? Is there a tree they could climb to put them on the roof?"
Stephanie entered a few commands . An angled, overhead shot of the embassy grounds appeared on her monitor. She zoomed in.
"If they could get over to the opposite side of the building, there's a tree tall enough to get them onto the roof."
Elizabeth spoke into the comm link.
"Nick, do you copy?"
"Copy."
"It looks like there's only one way in. There's a tree on the south side of the building. You can climb it and get onto the roof. There's access up there."
" Copy. Climb the tree to the roof."
"It's the only way in," Harker said again.
" Copy. Out."
"Doesn't talk much, does he?" Steph said.
Elizabeth laughed.
CHAPTER 23
Selena watched Omar talking to a man carrying a heavy rifle with a telescopic sight. The man nodded. She was whispering to Nick when Omar looked her way. She stopped mid-sentence. Next to her, Ambassador Cathwaite leaned close.
"Who are you talking to?"
Behind General Narcisco, his troops had picked up on the hostility between the officers. They didn't look happy. It had been a long time since World War II and Americans were no longer popular in the islands. Anderson saw one of the Filipino officers give a quiet command to his sergeant. Weapons came up to port arms.
"Move out of my way, Colonel," Narcisco said.
"Sir," Anderson said.
"I see it, Major."
Kroger raised his left hand in the air in a prearranged signal. The Filipino troops found themselves staring down the barrels of Marine rifles. Kroger was bluffing. He wasn't going to fire upon troops from a friendly nation, but Narcisco didn't know that. Fifty or sixty Marines in battle dress pointing weapons at you would intimidate most people and Narcisco was no different. He looked at the faces of the men behind the rifles and saw nothing to reassure him. It was a convincing, chilling display of force.
"General," Kroger said, " my orders are to secure this area. I suggest you consult with your commanders as to the best course of action. Your troops will not be allowed to come near our embassy."
"You will regret this, Colonel."
"Perhaps I will, sir. But in the meantime I have my orders."
Narcisco looked at the rifles pointed at him and turned to the officers behind him. "Fall back and deploy the troops across the road," he said.
He stalked away toward his vehicle.
"That went well," Anderson said. "Lieutenant, sir."
Kroger laughed. "We'll let the politicians figure it out. In the meantime, I want your ideas on how we go in there without getting the hostages killed."
"Yes, sir," Anderson said.
"Get those gates open and vehicles ready to go in. If the shit hits the fan I don't want anything slowing us down."
CHAPTER 22
Th e taking of the embassy dominated the news. In Virginia, Elizabeth and Stephanie watched Selena reading Abu Sayyaf 's demands. Part of her team, in harm's way. They watched the hostage die.
"We have to help Nick find a way in," Elizabeth said.
Steph had put t he plans of the American Embassy up on her monitor. The two women studied the image.
"Abu Sayyaf will be watching the ground floor," Elizabeth said. "I don't see how they can get in that way."
" Twelve hostiles," Stephanie said. "It's not enough to cover everything."
" The main focus has to be on the lower level."
Stephanie pointed at the plans. "Nick could get in from the roof. There's an access door and stairs to the top floor."
"That might work, but how do they get up there? There's no fire escape."
"That would be too easy, wouldn't it?"
"They could climb an outside wall." Elizabeth peered at the architectural drawings on the monitor. "There doesn't seem to be much they could use for footholds."
"The windows have blast grills over them," Stephanie said. "They can't get through those."
"The more I look at it," Elizabeth said, " it seems like the roof is the only way in. How about trees? Is there a tree they could climb to put them on the roof?"
Stephanie entered a few commands . An angled, overhead shot of the embassy grounds appeared on her monitor. She zoomed in.
"If they could get over to the opposite side of the building, there's a tree tall enough to get them onto the roof."
Elizabeth spoke into the comm link.
"Nick, do you copy?"
"Copy."
"It looks like there's only one way in. There's a tree on the south side of the building. You can climb it and get onto the roof. There's access up there."
" Copy. Climb the tree to the roof."
"It's the only way in," Harker said again.
" Copy. Out."
"Doesn't talk much, does he?" Steph said.
Elizabeth laughed.
CHAPTER 23
Selena watched Omar talking to a man carrying a heavy rifle with a telescopic sight. The man nodded. She was whispering to Nick when Omar looked her way. She stopped mid-sentence. Next to her, Ambassador Cathwaite leaned close.
"Who are you talking to?"
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