THIRTY ONE.

    The Philippine army helicopter approached the Amphibious Readiness Group from the west. In the middle of the formation sat the intimidating USS Belleau Wood. Rapp couldn't wait for his transport to land. The morning had gone from bad, to better, to good, to too good to be true, and then just when things looked like they would all fall into place he was thrown a curve ball. A little more than an hour after General Moro had been nearly decapitated, Coleman called to report an interesting piece of information. Initially, he regarded the news of the Anderson family as a gift, but then Rapp began to see a problem.

    The Filipino Special Forces had been whipped into an uncontrollable frenzy by the death of their commanding officer, just as Rapp had hoped they'd be. The 200-plus-man force began loading up for war.

    Two counter-sniper teams had been sent out to see what they could find, while Colonel Barboza took charge and prepared to send out additional patrols to find the enemy. The men wanted blood, and as soon as they got a whiff of their opponent they were going to engage them with everything they had.

    Rapp had watched all this unfold with a feigned grave concern.

    Inside he was very pleased. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. The Special Forces group would go after Abu Sayyaf with a rabid vengeance, and back in Manila, General Rizal would strongly advise that the U.S. military be allowed to join in the hunt. With this new cooperation they would locate the Andersons, rescue them and once and for all deal with Abu Sayyaf.

    Coleman changed all that when he called to inform Rapp of the vision he'd witnessed in the wet predawn jungle of Dinagat Island. In addition, Coleman reported that the Abu Sayyaf camp was only four miles from the Filipino Special Forces camp. The original plan had been for Coleman and his team to take the shot and then move to the beach and swim out for an extraction. That was now off. Coleman did not want to lose contact with the Andersons and Rapp agreed.

    So now they were left with an enraged group of Filipino Special Forces soldiers who wanted revenge. Sitting between them and their retaliation just happened to be four U.S. covert operatives. In addition, the Filipino soldiers were so agitated that Rapp doubted they would perform a well-thought-out, deft hostage rescue once they found the Abu Sayyaf camp.

    If the two forces met, it could quickly disintegrate into a massacre with the odds of the Andersons making it out alive not good.

    Fate had moved all the players into a very tight area and moved up the timetable, as well, and if Rapp couldn't rein in the Filipino soldiers, is trip to the opposite side of the globe could quickly become a

    disaster.

    Having just a few avenues open to him, and not able to talk freely at the Special Forces camp, Rapp made a single call. It was to his boss.

    Washington was fourteen hours behind, so while Rapp was already starting his day in the Philippines, Irene Kennedy was ending hers at Langley. Rapp made two requests. The first was that she get General Flood to lean on General Rizal in Manila to keep his troops in camp until they could come up with a strategy. The second request now loomed large beneath him.

    The USS Belleau Wood churned through the Philippine Sea at twelve knots, its massive twin screws leaving a white frothy wake as far as the eye could see. Her escort and support ships were arrayed around her in a diamond formation that stretched for miles. To the east storm clouds loomed. Rapp cursed the weather at first, but then wondered if it could be used to their advantage.

    The Philippine army helicopter landed on the massive nonskid deck of the USS Belleau Wood well forward of the looming superstructure.

    Mitch Rapp was out the door like a shot, heading straight for the only piece of ship that wasn't below decks. He'd been on U.S. naval warships before and knew for the most part where to go. When he neared the towering superstructure a navy lieutenant approached him and extended his hand.

    "Mr. Rapp," yelled the officer, "I'm Lieutenant Jackson. Damn pleased to meet you."

    Rapp allowed the officer to pump his hand with enthusiasm.

    Without having to look for the shiny trident on the officer's khaki uniform, Rapp immediately knew by the man's longish hair, physical build and goatee that he was a SEAL.

    "You're just the man I wanted to see, Lieutenant."

    Jackson grinned. He, like most of his colleagues, knew all about Mitch Rapp. His appearance on the Belleau Wood was a good sign.

    "My orders are to bring you straight to the captain's quarters."

    Jackson disappeared through the hatch and Rapp followed him.

    They walked down the metal stairs for several decks and then down a narrow passageway. They stopped in front of a gray door with the name CAPTAIN FORESTER stenciled in black.

    Jackson rapped on the door twice with his knuckles and waited for permission to enter. It came almost instantly. Jackson crossed the threshold first and came to attention. He held a salute and said, "Captain, as you requested: Mr. Rapp."

    Captain Sherwin Forester set down a book he was reading and stood. At six foot four, Forester looked cramped aboard the space-conscious ship. The ceiling of his quarters was only a few inches from the top of his head.

    "Thank you, Lieutenant. As you were." Forester strode across the blue carpet, raising a bushy eyebrow as he sized up his visitor. With a grin he said, "Well, Mr. Rapp, today marks a first for me. In my twenty-one years of service I have never received a direct call from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and most definitely not while I've been at sea."

    Rapp smiled. There was something instantly likable about Forester.

    "Is that a good thing or a bad thing, sir?"

    Forester chewed on the question for a second.

    "I don't like waiting around sitting on my hands. Especially after what happened the other night. So I'm going to guess someone with a reputation like yours showing up on my ship like this just might be a good thing."

    Rapp nodded. It appeared Forester was a warrior and not some bureaucrat masquerading as an officer.

    "I think you're going to like what I have to tell you."

    "Good. Let's sit down." The captain led the way over to a couch and four chairs. The suite wasn't big by normal standards, but as far as ships went it was huge. Forester and Jackson took the couch while Rapp sat across from them in an armchair.

    "So, Mr. Rapp"-Forester crossed his long legs-"what are you doing so far away from home?"

    Rapp had already thought about much of what lay ahead. It was going to be a busy day and he needed these two men fully committed to what he would eventually propose. Having worked in an environment that was obsessed with secrets had not always gone over well with Rapp. He could appreciate the need for it, but there were times when the entire cause would be better served if the people in the field knew what was going on.

    In Rapp's mind this was one of those cases, plus these two naval officers were not a security risk. They all wanted the same thing; in fact, Forester and Jackson probably wanted it even more. They'd been out here on patrol for more than a month with the Anderson family fresh on their minds, and it had been their brethren who'd been gunned down on the beach not too many nights ago. They could be trusted.

    "What I'm about to tell you can't leave this room. In fact, if you breathe a word of it to anyone, it could end your career." Rapp clasped his hands in front of him and looked at both men to make sure they got his message.

    "Have I made myself clear enough?"

    They nodded.

    "Good." Looking at Forester, Rapp said, "The SEALs you put ashore the other night that were ambushed… their mission was compromised by a leak that we traced all the way back to Washington."

    After a long pause Forester asked, "Where?"

    "The State Department. Some of this you're going to hear in the press. Assistant Secretary of State Amanda Petry sat in on the National Security Council briefings on the operation. She was told pointblank that she was not to share any information regarding the hostage rescue of the Anderson family with our embassy in Manila. Once the Andersons and all of our assets were safely out, we'd let the Filipino government know. If they got upset"-Rapp shrugged his shoulders-"our attitude was tough shit. The family's been held hostage for six damn months, and they haven't done shit to free them. In fact, we've discovered that they've actually hindered our efforts."

    Hindered was a kind choice of words.

    "After our boys were ambushed Director Kennedy launched an investigation. It appears that for some time she's had people at Langley monitoring the situation out here. What she discovered you're not going to like. Prior to the rescue operation Amanda Petry e-mailed Ambassador Cox in Manila the general plans of the mission. Ambassador Cox in turn relayed this information to someone in the Philippine government."

    "Who?" asked Jackson.

    After hesitating Rapp replied, "That I can't say."

    "Can't or won't?" asked the ship's captain.

    "Won't," conceded Rapp, "but that doesn't matter. It's the next part that you're going to be most interested in. Have either of you met General Moro?"

    Forester shook his head while Jackson said, "Several times."

    "What'd you think of him?"

    Jackson seemed to consider the question carefully and then said, "I think he had a real hard-on for me and my boys. A big chip on his shoulder."

    "Yeah," Rapp agreed.

    "Like maybe he didn't like Americans running around on his little island?"

    "That and the fact that he was always trying to prove that his boys were better than us."

    Rapp sensed some potentially important information here.

    "Were they?"

    Jackson laughed.

    "No way."

    Rapp hoped the answer was based on more than bravado and unit pride.

    "Be more specific. How'd they shoot? How were they in the jungle? What was their discipline like?"

    "They were extremely disciplined. Moro was a real sadist in that regard. They were in great shape. They could handle the long marches, with the big packs and not a one of them would piss and moan. I was a little disappointed in their shooting, but they don't fire anywhere near the amount of rounds as we do on the Teams."

    This was important information.

    "How were they in the jungle?

    Were they good trackers?"

    "It's funny you ask that," said Jackson, frowning.

    "They were great trackers. They'd pick up shit in the jungle before every single guy in my platoon with the exception of maybe one."

    "Why's that funny?"

    "Well, if they were such good trackers, why was it that they could never pick up the Andersons' trail? A couple times we strolled into camps that had been hastily vacated, and I'd urge Moro's men to press on, but there was always some excuse why we had to stay put. They'd sit on the radio for an hour waiting for orders while scouts fanned out looking for a trail."

    "Did you ever try to pursue on your own?"

    Jackson shot a sideways look at Forester.

    "Hell, yeah. Moro threw a real shit fit. He actually climbed into a chopper and came out to where we were. He reamed me in front of my men and his. Then he got a hold of my CO back in Guam and reamed him out too. I ended up with a letter of instruction in my file, and now they won't let me off the ship."

    Rapp smiled.

    "Well, Lieutenant, I think I might be able to get that letter removed from your file."

    "Huh?" asked a confused Jackson.

    "Just remind me when this is all over, and I'll make sure the letter of instruction is purged… In fact, I'll make sure it's replaced with a commendation." Rapp could tell Jackson wasn't following.

    "Your instincts were right, Lieutenant. General Moro was a traitor."

    "Traitor?"

    "That's right."

    "I noticed," started Captain Forester, "that you used the past tense in regard to the general's status. Is that by accident or intentional?"

    This is where things got tricky. The problem was not in acknowledging Moro's death. It would be public soon enough. The difficulty lay in who killed him and how they knew he was a traitor. Rapp decided to tell only part of the truth.

    "General Moro has been accepting bribes from Abu Sayyaf." Rapp left out the information about China.

    "As you pointed out, Lieutenant, he has no love for Americans."

    "So Abu Sayyaf was paying him not to pursue them?"

    "That's correct."

    "Why that little-" Forester interrupted the junior officer's cuss.

    "Did General Moro have anything to do with the ambush that was sprung on our men the other night?"

    "I'm afraid so."

    Forester remained calm despite the anger that boiled beneath the surface.

    "So back to my other question. Is General Moro still with us?"

    "No," answered Rapp without the slightest hint of remorse.

    Jackson, knowing Rapp's reputation and that he'd been at the Special Forces camp this very morning, asked in a hopeful tone, "Did you kill him?"

    Forester cleared his throat loudly and eyeing Rapp said, "Lieutenant, I don't think we want to ask that question."

    Rapp appreciated the captain's discretion.

    "That's all right. No, I didn't kill him. General Moro was shot by a sniper."

    "A sniper," repeated Jackson.

    "That's right. The camp's perimeter security was nonexistent. Abu Sayyaf got someone in close enough and they shot the general early this morning." Rapp paused to see how this was going over and added, "That's the official story. Now would you like to hear what really happened?"

    Both men nodded, Jackson more enthusiastically than Forester.

    "The information I'm about to share with you is highly classified.

    I can't stress this enough." Satisfied that they knew the stakes he said, "In the predawn hours this morning a U.S. Special Forces sniper team was inserted onto the island. They moved into position and sometime after sunup they took the shot."

    Both officers took the news in silence.

    "That's not all, however. While moving into position the team sighted the Anderson family and their captors. The four-man team split into two elements; one to follow the Andersons and the other to take out the general."

    "We know where the Andersons are?" asked a cautious Jackson.

    "Yep."

    Forester uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

    "We know precisely where they are?"

    "Precisely," replied Rapp, "and we're going to go get them."