Chapter 26

Maggie wanted to follow Hamid Saeed, but Grant refused to let her. Instead, Grant moved her into position with her team. The holding area was starting to empty out as country after country was called to join the opening ceremony.

Waiting made it worse. The texts were coming through and Maggie was forced to sit back and wait as her friends, her family, and the man she loved put their lives on the line.

That's right disappointing,Skeeter texted. There was no countdown or dramatic music. Just cut the wires and be done.

Maggie smiled at that. The bombs were disarmed and her friends and family were walking from all over the stadium back to their seats together.

"You can relax now, lass," Grant said. "Here's your man."

Maggie looked over her shoulder to see Hunter and Kane walking toward them. Maggie wanted to fling herself into his arms, but this wasn't over yet. Instead, she squeezed his hand as soon as he reached her and looked between her team of protectors. "This isn't over yet. Hamid still hasn't been caught. Did you see him after he left the holding area? Could he be the person behind all of this?"

"Hamid could be behind it," Grant suggested but didn't look happy about it.

"You don't think so, though?" Maggie asked Hunter when she saw his expression of doubt.

Hunter shook his head. "No, I don't. Someone had to get him out of jail. That someone has to be pretty powerful."

"We have people, mercenaries, and former soldiers from multiple countries. Maybe instead of asking who, we should be asking why," Maggie told them.

"We thought we knew. For them to regain power," Grant said.

"But, that's a lot of power spread out. For real power, it would need to be consolidated, right?" Maggie asked.

"It's like a business conglomerate," Gage added. He'd been mostly quiet, but he was the one with the MBA. "There's one company that owns all the subsidiaries. Even as they operate independently, the parent company is the one with all the power, yet all the subsidiaries get something out of it."

"Iran, Crusina, Russia, and China have all been mentioned," Maggie said, thinking out loud.

"I don't think Crusina is running this. I think they're trying to benefit from it. They're too small and not powerful enough globally to pull this off," Kane told them.

"Not Russia," Grant said instantly. "They're more concerned with Ukraine and recreating the old Soviet bloc."

"Except they need weapons and allies," Hunter pointed out.

"Just like Crusina needs someone to help overthrow Deming Nikan," Grant said, nodding as if he were putting pieces together.

"Iran has been making moves to become more international instead of regional," Gage told them.

"Most crimes come down to two things: money and power," Maggie said, more to herself, but Hunter responded instantly by hugging her.

"I'm so stupid. I was focusing on power and forgot about money. Which country is slowly buying up land, ports, and transportation facilities all under the guise of helping the poorer country's economy when in reality these overblown loans can never be paid back and instead, the country comes in and seizes control?"

"China," Gage said instantly. "They want to start The New Silk Road or the Belt and Road Initiative. It's two-fold. They either make bad loans or build poor infrastructures that break down and can never be paid off, then seize control when payment can't be made. They've done it to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Angola, and Ecuador to name just a few, leaving them billions of dollars in debt to China, who now has leverage to exert control over them. It started in neighboring countries and then spread to Africa. Or they make allies with the leaders. In Djibouti, they've built a port on the Gulf of Aden which is the gateway of the Suez Canal. About twenty percent of the world's trade goes through there. Then they established a military base that they refused to call a military base but a support facility, bribed officials to kick previous terminal operators out, and brought in a state-controlled firm from China to run it. Then they expanded to South America and Cuba. In return, China will help the rulers of those countries stay in power. The list goes on and on."

"But we have caught people from other countries, not China," Maggie said, pointing out the countries of the men they'd either captured or killed.

"Follow the money," Hunter said. "Or in this case, the favors. How much do you want to bet China is running this from the shadows? They'll never be linked to it, but their fingerprints are all over it. Iran needs allies to pull off their Middle Eastern power play and Russia needs weapons in their fight to regain their lost bloc. China can provide that to both of them. Is the Chinese delegation all out there?"

"Yes. I saw them," Maggie answered.

"All of them?" Hunter asked. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made to keep attention off of you. The Chinese government and the Chinese people are two different entities with different levels of respect for human life. The government will do what it needs to advance its power and their human rights violations tell you all you need to know about how they treat their citizens. We already know Iran, Russia, and Belarus don't have their full teams out there."

Maggie glanced at the screen where the camera was panning the delegations. "I was paying more attention to Iran, but while the China team is large, I don't think that's all of them," Maggie admitted.

"Iran and Russia aren't innocent in this either, but I think China is calling all the shots. They need a bigger foothold in the Middle East and Iran can give them that while China can give Iran the weapons and money they need to stay in power," Hunter said. "Our time is almost up. We need to figure out who is holding the detonator. It won't be China. They won't risk proof of their direct involvement. That leaves Iran or Russia. I think China would trust Iran to get the job done. First, Russia doesn't have an official delegation here. And two, Iran has the most to gain behind China. Either way, I guarantee one of them will be leaving soon with a phone in their pocket that will detonate those bombs."

"We also don't know if there are any more bombs. We found four, but there could be more," Kane said. "A failsafe plan if something went wrong. You don't set up an attack like this without one."

"I still don't get why they target the Olympics. What do they get out of this?" Gage asked.

Maggie saw Hunter scan the stadium from their enclave in the holding area. "People that abuse power thrive during chaos, and bombing the Olympics with all these dignitaries and athletes here will create chaos. China can swoop in and offer aid in this time of need. Iran will scare off their challengers and no one will be watching Russia make a push for more land. All of Iran's adversaries are here. They've set up proxy forces in several countries. They wipe out the leadership in those countries and Iran's proxies can rush in to fill the power void. Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen are split. Syria's leadership is pro-Iran, while their opposition is backed by Saudi Arabia. Lebanon has pro-Iran Hezbollah, but the Sunnis are pro-Saudi. Then in Yemen, the government in exile is pro-Saudi but the Houthi rebels are pro-Iran. Iran and Iraq are allies, trying to bring the others to their side while Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, and Bahrain are trying to stop them. Take out those leaders and their countries will focus inward instead on trying to contain Iran," Hunter explained.

Kane nodded in agreement. "It's actually perfect. You have mercenaries from Belarus who will most likely get economic support now from China and enter trade deals with Iran, former soldiers from Bolivia who will be helped by Iran's proxies to get back in power, rebels from Crusina with both Russia's and China's help to take over once again, and a bomber from Yemen who can name his price for putting this together."

"Hamid!" Maggie gasped as the United States got closer and closer to being called out.

"We'll worry about him later," Hunter said, turning to talk to the group.

"No, he's there," Maggie whispered, trying not to point.

Behind them was a bank of private elevators for dignitaries. Hamid looked upset. He must have discovered the bombs had been disarmed. He flashed a badge to security and they pressed the up button.

Maggie saw Hunter move so quickly that she didn't have time to ask him what his plan was. Kane saw it too, and moved to back up his brother. Hunter held up a badge to the security guard who nodded. Hamid turned, locking eyes with Hunter.

Maggie gasped as the elevator opened and Hamid jumped inside. He didn't pull a weapon. He pulled out a cell phone. Hunter dove into the elevator behind him. Maggie struggled to see what was happening as the doors closed. The guard looked confused, but Kane shoved past him, sticking his hand between the almost closed elevator doors.

Maggie took a step toward Hunter, but Grant grabbed her and shoved her to Gage. "Don't let her move," Grant ordered, the playfulness gone from his voice as he charged forward.

The elevator door opened, and over Kane's shoulder, Maggie saw Hunter and Hamid locked in battle. The sound of the elevator doors opening caused Hamid a split-second distraction and that was all Hunter needed. His forearm slid across Hamid's throat. Hamid struggled, but Hunter's headlock held.

Kane was talking to Hamid as Grant grabbed the cell phone from Hamid's hand, but then the doors closed and they were gone from view.

Hunter loosened the pressure on Hamid's neck as Kane began his interrogation. Hunter shouldn't have expected a confession but was still disappointed when Hamid refused to answer any questions about who was behind the bombings.

"Blood will be spilled whether you kill me or not. I'll never talk."

"You already told us what we need." Kane rolled his eyes.

Grant stepped forward and smashed his fist onto Hamid's chin. His eyes rolled back and Hamid went slack in Hunter's grasp.

"There's still a bomb," Grant said as the elevator opened on the suite level. "I'll get this guy out of here. You find the person running it all."

Hunter dropped his hold on Hamid, straightened his jacket, and walked off the elevator as if nothing had happened.

"What's the plan?" Kane asked.

"Find the cell phone and kill the person holding it."

"Simple, yet effective. Let's go."

The suite level was completely different. Secret Service and military protection lined the halls from the various countries. Hunter and Kane were stopped every ten yards and had to show their credentials. It was going to take forever to get to the Iranian delegation.

"Gentlemen, they're with us. Let them by."

Hunter turned to see a young woman with brown hair perfectly coiffed in navy blue pants, a white blouse, and a red jacket walking toward them with Dalton and Elizabeth flanking her. "Madam Secretary," Hunter said, nodding quickly.

Security let them pass and finally they could pick up their pace. At thirty-three, Secretary of State Sutton Ramsey was the youngest person to ever hold the position. There were rumors that when President Birch Stratton's term was up in two years, she would be the leading candidate for the next presidency.

Sutton was new to the office and this was her first real test of diplomacy. She was technically here as part of the US delegation as a former Olympic athlete herself. Two games ago, she'd been on the fencing team. She'd fenced during her time at the University of Kentucky, where she'd earned her master's in political science with a focus on foreign relations. She'd been elected to the House of Representatives a year after hosting a podcast that explained politics, the economy, and foreign relations in a way that everyone could understand. She continued her podcast while in the House of Representatives, easily winning three straight terms and climbing the ranks in the foreign relations committee.

She gained national prominence when she joined President Birch Stratton at a global summit on foreign economic development and helped him broker a new trade agreement between several smaller countries that would not only supply a niche market for the United States but would help those smaller countries pull themselves out of poverty.

When the previous secretary of state resigned due to a health crisis, President Stratton had tapped Sutton Ramsey. She'd been in office for less than three months, but so far Hunter heard nothing but good things from those who actually dealt with her.

"I'm in a rather interesting position," Sutton said as they walked down the hallway. "Birch called and told me to do this and to not ask any questions. I'm not supposed to ask why the First Lady's best friend and husband are here. I'm not supposed to ask why I'm leading someone who's obviously a soldier to the Iranian suite. And I'm not supposed to stick around and find out. Here's the thing. I didn't get to where I am by blindly following."

Sutton stopped and Hunter saw Elizabeth and Dalton share a glance. "I'm not moving until I'm filled in."

"You need to take that up with the president," Hunter told her. "Right now, I don't have time for a temper tantrum."

Sutton's eye flashed, but she remained calm. "You don't have a say, soldier." Sutton pulled out her phone and made a call. She stepped away and Hunter saw her remain calm as she spoke into the phone.

"She's smart. She'll put it together," Elizabeth said with a sigh.

"Might be a good thing. She could be our boss," Dalton replied.

"We'll be retired by then, so it's not our problem." Elizabeth looked over at Dalton with a look that told Hunter Elizabeth was still weighing that decision.

Sutton hung up the phone and turned to them. "So, you disarmed four bombs seven minutes ago that were rigged to blow up the stadium. You believe the Chinese government is pulling strings with their Belt and Road Initiative to expand their power and control outside of China while having Iran and Russia doing the dirty work in a quid pro quo. We have at least one more bomb that's unaccounted for and we believe the cell phone that can detonate it is in the Iranian suite. What do you need?"

"Who is in the Iranian suite that would be powerful enough to be trusted with this, yet not so high up that they could be thrown under the bus if this goes FUBAR? The supreme leader would need deniability."

"Farhad Raza," Sutton answered after a moment's contemplation. "He's a general in the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces who, at first and even second glance, is a midlevel military man. However, what's not on record is that he works with China on matters involving the Belt and Road Initiative. He's who Iran sends in to take property from the citizens for Iran's new initiatives with China."

"It has to be him. He's not attached publicly to these countries and is far enough down the political ladder that the government could hang him out to dry without getting their hands dirty," Hunter said to Dalton, who agreed.

Hunter could see Sutton's mind worked as she nodded. "Got it. Get rid of any weapons. Let's go."

"You're not to be there," Elizabeth protested as Hunter dumped all the weapons he had into the nearest trashcan.

"Then stop me."

Sutton didn't wait. She walked off down the hall leading to the suite. Hunter didn't have time for political bullshit. He had a target and never missed his shot.

"United States Secretary of State Sutton Ramsey and my assistant to see Ambassador Nazeri," Sutton told one of the guards.

"The men?" the guard asked.

"My security. They go where I go. Just like you do."

The guard went inside and a moment later came to hold the door open. Sutton was allowed in, but the guards frisked Elizabeth, Dalton, and Hunter before letting them in.

"Farhad Raza is the man closest to the door with the scar on his face," Sutton whispered to Hunter before plastering on a political smile and making a show of greeting their ambassador and his wife.

Elizabeth flanked Sutton to block the view of the more powerful members of the delegation from seeing Farhad in the back row. Dalton and Hunter stepped forward until they stood behind him.

Hunter pulled out his phone and dropped it.

"Whoops," he said with a smile as Farhad glanced to see who had dropped the phone by his feet and then quickly dismissed him. "Sorry about that. I'll get it."

The guard who had been watching turned back to watch Ambassador Nazeri as Hunter walked into Farhad's row and took the seat next to him. Hunter bent down, picked up the phone, and then turned to the man who held the trigger to the bomb in his hand. The cell phone was right there. Farhad's thumb moved to absently touch the screen. The screen activated, displaying a countdown. All Hunter had to do was get it.

"Nice phone," Hunter said, nodding to the cell phone. "Is that the latest model? Mine is a couple of years old and I guess since I've dropped it so many times it runs slow. How's that one?" Hunter held up his phone, hoping Farhad would do the same.

Farhad turned his scarred face to look at Hunter. Hunter saw the moment recognition hit him, which confirmed Sutton had been right. This was the man pulling the strings on behalf of the government. Hunter knew time was up.

Hunter moved at the same time Dalton did. Hunter had Farhad's arm in his hand trying to get to the cell phone as Dalton slid his arm across Farhad's neck, turning his head so the man couldn't look at his phone as he yanked the man from his chair. It was then Dalton saw the guards converging. A taser was pressed to Dalton's neck and a guard grabbed Hunter's shoulders and yanked him back.

"Bomb!" Hunter shouted as the guards dragged him out of the row of seats, literally kicking and screaming.

Everyone was up. People were screaming. Elizabeth was climbing rows of seats to make it to Farhad but was going to be too late. Hunter watched as Farhad unlocked his cell phone and pulled up his contacts list where eight numbers were listed. They'd been wrong. There were four more bombs unaccounted for.