Space & Time

Chapter 27 - Where Did My Little Brother Go?

The NSA team enroute to Paris was making excellent progress. The pilot of the jet was

descending on approach to the airport as the team in the back received a radio signal from the

commander. Hooper listened as the commander filled him in on the new surveillance data about

the children and the grim news about the team in the Ukraine. "Hooper, the teenagers and child

were last seen entering into an apartment building on the corner of Quai D'Orsay and Rue Jean-

Nicot. Get there as quickly as you can, nightfall will occur soon. We have been maintaining a

steady video feed from two cameras outside the building and they haven't come out."

Hooper replied, "Yes sir."

The commander continued, "This may be our best opportunity to extract them and the

crystals together quickly and quietly. Our extraction team met some resistance in the Ukraine

and we lost contact with them. I am not sure who they could have run into but one of our men

was apprehended by local authorities. I will start working on a plan to get him back quietly.

Keep me posted as soon as, wait hold on... Hooper, I just received word our communication is

hacked, close this line and use another frequency for your team, I will get back to you once we

fix this, command out."

Hooper sat there for a moment, wondering what else exactly could possibly go wrong for

them. It would take quite an expert to hack a secure encrypted NSA communication line. He

also knew a few of the men assigned to the covert team, which was lost in the Ukraine. They

were well trained and not easy to beat. Someone was working against them, possibly for the

same target. Hooper paused for a moment and then looked at Sonya and Vlad, "What do you

really know about the man Ivan who was on your crew and used to be with the KGB?"

Vlad answered him with a question, "Why do you ask?"

Hooper repeated his conversation with the commander and expressed his concerns about

them not being the only people going after the Petorium.

Sonya looked at Vlad and then spoke to Hooper, "I believe if Ivan was to have help, he

could most certainly be operating on the same path as us. He is ruthless, cunning and deadly.

He may have had a hand in the mess in Odessa. This is all the more reason for us to hurry to the

apartment and get to the crystals and those kids."

Hooper looked around at his team and spoke as the plane landed on the runway, "I want

this assignment high and tight Robinson and Jindal. We have zero margins for error. We are

dark on communications with command so this is all on us. Let's get moving and secure our

target. I do not want to be in Paris too long, move out." The team got into the SUV waiting for

them and Jindal turned the headlights on as he sped out of the airport, driving as quickly as he

could to the apartment with their intended target inside.