Page 108 of Down and Dirty

“Remember that old Bruce Dern movie where terrorists were gonna attack from a blimp over the Super Bowl stadium.”

Within seconds, they contacted the rest of the team, CENTCOM, aircraft in the region, bomb control, and every other military and police unit within a twenty-mile radius. He and three other SEALs were in an SUV headed toward the balloon site, but already they could see one of the balloons starting to drift. Ironically — or perhaps not so ironically — it was one with an American flag motif.

During the next hour, helicopters dropped down bomb specialists into the unmanned balloon to disable the explosives. It became apparent that the plan would have called for a gunman to shoot the balloon with a long-distance weapon, probably from over by the expressway. Once the balloon started to deflate, the clock would have started. The bomb had been set to go off during the third quarter, as close to center field as possible. Fans would have thought it was a special planned entertainment. University officials would have thought it was a balloon gone astray.

None of the terrorists could be found, but they did find evidence in a local motel room, amid the piles of fast-food debris, all of which was gathered for fingerprint analysis. Maps of the stadium and surrounding area. Details of explosives. And an odd reference on a scrap of discarded paper that hadn’t completely flushed down the toilet to Navy SEALs… him, in particular.

Did Arsallah have something to do with this?

How did he know Zach would be here?

Suddenly, Zach pulled out his cell phone and called the commander at home. “Zach here. Hey, Mac, quick question. How come you put me on active duty?”

“I had nothing to do with it.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Your timing stinks, Lieutenant. Aren’t you supposed to be cleaning up after this near–bomb attack?”

Zach bristled. “That’s just what I’m doing. Where did the order come from to put me on this op?”

“How the hell—”

“It’s important, Mac. In fact, it’s urgent. Check it out, and call me right back.”

Zach’s body was on red alert as he filled the rest of the team in on his suspicions.

Fifteen minutes later, Mac called back, and his tone of voice was ominous. “The call to put you on this op came from a low-level secretary in the Department of Defense… a secretary who has suddenly disappeared. This is a royal FUBAR. I’m sorry, Zach—”

“Dammit! Get to my house right away.”

“I’m already on my way. The police are ahead of me.”

“Call and—”

“I already called. There’s no answer.”

Zach swore a blue streak.

“Settle down, boy. You’re not going to accomplish anything in that frame of mind.”

“How would you feel if one of your kids was taken by someone like Arsallah?”

There was silence.

“Keep me on the line till you get there,” Zach ordered, followed by, “please.”

He could hear the commander talking on another phone to someone. Whatever he heard was causing him to curse, too.

“We’re here. There are three guards disabled. Not dead, but they must have been given a huge zap from a Taser. The tangos operated from the house across the street.”

“The Lehmans’?”

“Yeah. Tied up the husband, wife, and two teenagers in a basement closet for about twelve hours. They’re scared shitless, as you would imagine.”

“Someone needs to take Arsallah down. The bastard is a walking target from now on. I don’t care what the ‘play nice’ diplomatic service says, or the two-faced State Department.”

Mac ignored his rant. “Listen, I’ll call you back once I’m inside, but Zach, there’s something you need to know.”