Blown Coverage Read online

  If only things had been this easy when he was defending Grozny back in 1996. If that had been successful, then maybe he would be home right now with a wife and sons instead of here with mud on his hands and blood on his boots.

  But, as every Chechen knew, you took Allah’s will as it came. Some days it brought freedom, and another day it brought a bullet in the back of the head for being in the wrong prison at the wrong time. Insha’Allah. Allah knew what was best; blessed be his name.

  Today Allah’s will had brought freedom for al-’Aqran, leader of the Cause.

  CHAPTER TWO

  FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 11:45 A.M. CRST SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA

  There was not much that could give Riley Covington the heebie-jeebies—moldy sour cream, chewing on tinfoil, the music of Barry Manilow—but looking at what was in the tall fountain glass that had just been placed in front of Scott Ross was seriously making his skin crawl and his stomach dance the mambo.

  “You try it,” Scott said as he slid the glass across the table with his fingertips.

  “You ordered it, you drink it,” Riley countered, sliding the sweating glass back across the polished wood. The two friends were sitting at an outdoor table at Las Fresas restaurant in San José, Costa Rica. Skeeter Dawkins and Khadijah Faroughi rounded out the foursome.

  “When I ordered guanabana juice, I thought I was going to get some sort of guava and banana mixture. This looks like they took curdled skim milk, added water, and then took the glass to the back so that the cooks could each hawk a big, honkin’—” Scott stopped when he noticed Khadi looking at him.

  Riley grinned. He knew Scott had been trying really hard to use his verbal filter on this trip, albeit with limited success.

  “Let’s just say that it looks like the guanabana had a bad head cold just prior to being juiced.”

  “Thank you, Scott. Although I’m not sure that was much of an improvement over what you were going to say,” Khadi laughed. “Just try it. You might be surprised.”

  “My lips and this twisted tribute to postnasal drip will never meet this side of—”

  Scott’s pledge was interrupted by a large hand grabbing the glass from in front of him. Bringing the glass to his lips, Skeeter downed the juice in one continuous motion. Riley’s huge self-appointed bodyguard slammed the glass onto the table, wiped his mouth with Scott’s napkin, then without a word turned back to the spot he had been watching down the street.

  “Dude, that was my juice you just drank,” Scott whined. “What’s up with that?”

  Riley took a sip of his fresh pineapple juice as he laughed. At the next table over, a little tico girl with enormous brown eyes and her hair in ponytails shyly turned for the fourth time to watch this big, happy American man. She jumped as Riley caught her eyes, then quickly spun back around when Riley shot her a quick wink. The girl’s mom gave Riley a smile and a nod in appreciation of his acknowledging her daughter’s attention.

  These last two weeks in Costa Rica had been exactly what each of the four had needed to physically and emotionally recover from the events of the beginning of the year. This group had experienced a lot of pain and had shed—and spilled—a lot of blood in the search for Hakeem Qasim. Only now was Riley finally feeling ready to go back to Denver to face life again.

  Riley Covington knew he faced a decision when he got home. Three months ago, he was an all-pro linebacker for the Colorado Mustangs. Then, suddenly, his old life had literally blown up in his face when a terrorist group bombed Platte River Stadium in Denver during a Monday night game. Nearly two thousand people were killed in that suicide attack.

  Because of his post-Academy years in Afghanistan as part of the Air Force Special Operations Command, Riley had been pulled back into the Special Forces life of guns and death. Can I really go back to the Professional Football League as if nothing ever happened? I’ve been franchised by the team, so it’s obvious they still want me. But do I have the passion anymore?

  “Riley . . . earth to Riley,” Khadi’s voice drew him back from his thoughts. She motioned to the waitress who was trying to put his food down.

  “Oh, sorry,” he said to the woman as he dropped his elbows off the table. His jaw immediately followed his elbows when he saw the plate that was put in front of him.

  “Holy Mother Russia, what is that monstrosity?” Scott asked before realizing that two more were being delivered to him and Khadi.

  “Pastor Jimenez told me, ‘Order the Ensalada de Fruta con Helado,’” Riley said. “He told me it’s just a simple fruit salad with ice cream.” But Riley had never seen so much fruit. His plate was overflowing with strawberries and huge chunks of pineapple, watermelon, and mango. And if that wasn’t enough, three enormous scoops of ice cream topped off the tropical explosion.

  “I’ll never be able to finish this myself,” Khadi complained. “In fact, I would never forgive myself if I did.”

  “Don’t look at me. He never told me to get just one for all of us. I just assumed.”

  “Yeah, well we all know where that gets us, Pach,” Scott said. Pach was Riley’s nickname back from his Air Force football days, when his speed and hitting power drew comparisons to the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. “If I try to eat all this, it could make for a long, painful flight home. This stuff will shoot through me like . . . like . . . like refuse through a Canadian waterfowl,” Scott finished lamely. “Khadi, this whole verbal filter thing is really a pain.”

  Khadi reached over and patted Scott’s arm. “I know it is, and I appreciate it.”

  Scott called the manager of the restaurant over and had him take a picture of the three of them with their fruit salads and Skeeter with his Cuban sandwich.

  “Nice smile, Skeet,” Scott said as he checked out the picture in the digital viewer of his camera. “You look like someone just stole your brass knuckles.”

  “Mmm,” replied Skeeter, who turned his attention back up the street.

  “It’s always great having you part of the conversation, my friend.”

  Riley, Khadi, and Scott attacked their fruit salads, effectively halting conversation other than the occasional “Oh, yeah” and “That’s good.”

  A passing box truck spewed black diesel exhaust into the sidewalk café, causing Riley to cough and look up for the first time in five minutes. As he waved his hand in an attempt to clear the air in front of his face, his eyes were drawn to Skeeter, who was so intent on something up the street that he had completely ignored his plate. “Hey, Skeet, you okay? What’s up?”

  Skeeter turned around and noticed his sandwich but didn’t take a bite. “I don’t know, Pach. There’s a couple of guys halfway down the block. Caught them looking this way a few times.”

  “Where’re they at?”

  “Your eleven.”

  Riley casually looked around Skeeter’s big frame and saw the two men. One was sitting on a car, and the other was leaning against a building. Their close-cropped black hair and full beards seemed out of place on a Costa Rican street. Both men were smoking. As Riley watched, a third man walked out of a farmacia and joined them. “Don’t look now, but your two have turned into three.”

  “Will you two relax?” Scott said as he turned around to look at the men. “You guys have been seeing bogeymen behind . . . Whoa, hold on. They do look a little more hajji than tico.”

  Khadi spotted the men also. “They sure do. And I’ve asked you to please quit using that term.”

  “What? Hajji? That’s just what we called all the Middle East folk when we were out on patrol in the ’Stans.”

  “First of all, this isn’t the ’Stans. And second, if that’s true, then I’m a hajji, too.” Khadi was from a Persian family who had fled Iran just prior to the fall of the shah.

  “Come on, Khadi, that’s ridiculous. Hajjis are guys. You’d be like a hajjette or something.”

  “Thanks, Scott. That’s far less demeaning.”

  “They’re moving,” Skeeter broke in. As the four watched from the ta
ble, the three men walked to the far end of the block and turned out of sight.

  “There! Did you see that last guy take a quick glance back before he rounded the corner?” Riley asked.

  “I’m kind of getting a bad feeling about this,” Khadi said. “We need to think about making ourselves scarce.”

  “Good call.” Riley caught the waitress’s attention and made a scribbling motion on his hand indicating he was ready for the check. “Skeeter, what are you packing?” As Riley’s official bodyguard, Skeeter was the only one allowed by Costa Rican immigration to bring in firearms.

  “Got my HK45 and a Mark 23.”

  “Good. Pass your Mark to Scott under the table. Now, there’s no way anyone could know we’re here, so this is probably total paranoia. But still, it’s not worth taking chances. Scott and Khadi, as soon as I settle up, I want you two to walk to the corner and hang a left. Skeeter and I will cross and head up the next street to the right. We’ll meet back at the hotel as soon as we can get there.”

  Khadi laid her hand on Riley’s wrist. “I don’t feel good about us all splitting up.”

  Riley knew that by “us all,” Khadi meant the two of them. The feelings between Riley and Khadi had continued to grow over the months since they had met in the aftermath of the Platte River Stadium attack. The only thing separating them now was the only issue big enough to keep them apart—their religious beliefs. Both Khadi’s Koran and Riley’s Bible prohibited cross-faith unions. But, while both could control their actions, it was much harder to control their emotions.

  “I understand, Khadi. But if these really are haj—bad guys, I don’t want you or Scott anywhere around me. Skeeter can take care—”

  A screech of tires made Riley jump.

  “Don’t matter now! Here they come,” Skeeter yelled as he pushed Riley to the ground. Scott and Khadi dove for cover.

  “Get inside,” Riley yelled to the next table. The mother grabbed her daughter and ran through the front door.

  A rusting red sedan tore around the corner where the three men had disappeared and sped up the street. One masked man was leaning over the roof of the car, and a second was hanging out the rear driver’s-side window. Both were armed with AK-47s.

  The sound of the assault rifles combined with the shattering glass of the windows sent screams up all around the restaurant. Riley prayed that the mother had made it to the ground in time. Scott and Skeeter returned fire with their handguns. A shot from Scott put a hole in the knit mask of the man leaning over the roof. He flew off his side window perch and exploded the rear glass of a parked car.

  All of Skeeter’s shots were directed at the driver, with one finally hitting its mark. The car swerved, caught a tire, and began to roll. On the third spin, Riley could see the other gunman ejected from his window. The last Riley saw of him was when the car landed on top of him then skidded up against a delivery truck.

  Riley quickly turned toward Khadi. Blood streamed down her cheek from a shard of glass. “You all right?”

  “I’m fine. How’d they know we were here?”

  “I have no clue. Scott, Skeet, you guys okay?” Before they could answer, all four heard the familiar whoosh of an RPG launch. “Incoming!” Riley yelled.

  They dove to the ground just as the rocket plowed into the restaurant, showering them with pieces of the building. The explosive wave slammed hard into Riley’s body and drove the air out of his lungs. Plaster dust hung like a fog, burning his eyes. He lay there gasping for breath, trying to clear his brain. People screamed around him, but they sounded like they were down a long tunnel.

  He didn’t know how long he remained in that state before the sound of automatic weapons fire snapped him back to full consciousness. He looked to his left and saw Khadi moving slowly. Beyond her, Scott knelt behind two large fern planters, returning fire. Next to him, Skeeter was stretched out. There was blood on his forehead, and he wasn’t moving.

  “Scott, sit rep,” Riley called out, looking for a situation report.

  “Minimum three bogies with AKs hoofing it down the opposite direction from our first batch. Skeet’s out but breathing. I’ve got two more clips for his Mark, and three for his .45.”

  “Got it! Slide me the .45 and the clips!”

  Scott complied.

  Riley picked up the weapon and lost his fingers in the thick grooves of Skeeter’s custom-made grip. However, Skeeter’s gun was not unfamiliar to Riley, and he made a quick adjustment to his hold. Turning to Khadi, he said, “Scott and I are going to press these guys back. Soon as we’re forward, I want you to check on Skeet.”

  Khadi tried to respond but started coughing instead. Tears from her grit-filled eyes were making streaks down her dusty face. She put a thumb up instead.

  Turning back around, Riley said, “Okay, Scott. Just like back in Afghanistan, except this time we’re outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded by innocent civilians.”

  Scott grinned, “Look out, hajji, here we come!”

  “On go, you cross the street and split the fire! Three—two—one—GO!” Riley began firing up the street as Scott bolted across. His peripheral vision caught Scott suddenly veering course. He turned in time to see Scott grab the first casualty’s rifle off the pavement and dive behind a car. The guy’s good, Riley thought.

  He signaled Scott, who began to lay down cover fire. Running past the corner restaurant and across the intersection, Riley could hear the whiz of bullets all around him. The discordant scents of fresh baked bread and gunpowder hung in the air as he flattened himself against the side of a panadería. Chunks of pulverized brick showered his face from the corner of the building.

  Riley looked back to see Scott ejecting the magazines that had been taped together and shoving the fresh box into his AK-47. That’ll give him thirty more rounds, Riley thought as he slid a new clip into his handgun. Not much, but it’ll have to do.

  Suddenly, he saw Scott’s eyes get big. Scott quickly signaled to him that there was another RPG ready to fire but that he wasn’t in position to get a shot at it.

  Riley leaned out just a touch and used the glass of the buildings up the street to give him a picture of where the gunmen were. His eye caught a dark shape with a long cylinder stepping out into the street.

  Riley signaled Scott to lay fire and then spun around the corner. His first two shots were wild as he tried to get his bearings, but the next three hit their mark. As the man fell back, his RPG fired wildly into the sky. Lord, don’t let that land in a school yard, Riley prayed as he quickly advanced. Running ahead, he saw another bogey lose half his face courtesy of Scott.

  Where’s the third one? Riley thought as he ran. Scott said there were three. There! At the next corner, a man was pulling off a mask as he rounded a corner at top speed. Riley signaled to Scott, who was now across the street and trying his best to match the linebacker stride for stride. Scott nodded, and they both went toward the corner.

  Just before they reached it, the sound of a motorcycle engine kicking to life echoed down the narrow side street. Scott and Riley made a wide turn around the corner just in time to see the third gunman speeding away.

  The sounds of sirens began to fill the air. The two men slumped against the building and tried to catch their breath.

  “How’d they know, Scott?” Riley panted. “How could they possibly have known I was down here?”

  “I don’t know, man. But, believe me, I’m going to find out.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 4:18 P.M. MDT ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO

  The war room was divided. Less than three minutes remained, and tensions were high. Sweat and stale coffee hung heavy in the air. The snap of a pencil breaking between someone’s fingers ricocheted through the room.

  Exasperated, Todd Maule couldn’t take it anymore. “How could you even think of pulling the trigger on this one?” His tone made it more of an accusation than a question.

  “Son, watch your tone!” fired back the man in charge, sta
ring down Maule.

  After an uncomfortable silence, Maule finally looked away, trying to regain some semblance of composure.

  “Give me the biographical sketch again,” the team leader called out. Almost instantly the mammoth monitor displayed the image of a young man. To the right of the picture was his life history right down to the latest videos he’d rented from Blockbuster.

  So much was riding on this decision. Guys had been falling all afternoon, and the people in this room never thought they’d be in this position. If they let this man out of their grasp, they could potentially be paying for it for years to come.

  “Boss, are you sure on this one? The political fallout if you make this move could be a lot more than we want to deal with,” Mark Schlegel said, giving the voice of reason.

  Less than one minute remained on the clock. The phones were ringing off the hook. All around the room legs were shaking and pens were tapping—anything to give vent to the nervous energy.

  The man in charge stood stoically, glaring at the picture on the screen. Without moving, he verbally made a circuit of the room. “Adams?”

  “I’m with you.”

  “Cherapy?”

  “If you’re okay with the fallout, then I’m okay with the decision.”

  “Schlegel?”

  “I’ve got major reservations, but you’re rarely wrong. I’ll support you on it.”

  “Should I even ask you, Maule?”

  “I think it’s insane. Absolutely the worst decision you could make!”

  Schlegel interjected with urgency, “Boss, fifteen seconds!”

  Exhaling deeply, the decision-maker made up his mind. He picked up the direct line and said into the phone, “Do it!”

  6:21 P.M. EDT

  NEW YORK CITY

  Jerome Taylor waited backstage by the curtains. He had been PFL commissioner less than one year and was still reeling from the Platte River Stadium attack in December. Many people had wanted him fired for not having better security in place for the big game. And he had been shredded in the press for his handling of the aftermath of the attack. On top of that, teams were already beginning to panic about the potential loss of revenue due to fan apprehension about attending upcoming games. Usually a man who thrived under pressure, he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take.