The man did, his face and eyes showing more fear than evil. He pulled open his jacket in both directions, then shot his hands back up into the air.

“On the ground, legs spread, and arms out at your sides,” Jed commanded next.

While Jed held his targeting dot on the man’s head, Carl surged forward, placing a knee in the center of the man’s back, flex-cuffing the tango’s hands in the small of his back, and then patting him down with the back of a gloved hand. When he was satisfied, Carl gave Jed a nod.

“Three deceased tangos confirmed inside the hangar,” Eli announced.

“One down outside at the rear,” Hyeon added, since Eli had not been on that side for the breach.

“And one crow secured,” Carl said.

“Any other signatures, Variable?” Jed asked into his boom mic.

“Negative, Sword One,” Ben answered. “Show just you and the tangos you’ve accounted for. What’ve you got?”

Jed turned in a slow circle, chest tightening as the smoke thinned to reveal his worst fear. “No plane,” he said. “We’ve got an empty hangar.”

“One, we have a large crate at the south end of the hangar,” Nisha called from across the room. “It appears to be the right dimensions.”

“Is that a jackpot call?” Jed said, hope rising as he watched her move to peek inside the open crate.

“Negative,” Nisha said, dashing his hope before it could really take hold. “It’s empty.”

That meant the weapon probably had been here, Jed realized, and now it could be anywhere.

“Dry hole, Variable,” Jed said, unable to mask his disappointment and worry. “We’ll be off the X in two minutes with whatever intel we can take and one crow to interrogate.”

His words might have filled the team in the TOC with hope, but they did nothing for him.

Because the weapon could easily be airborne right now, and they still didn’t know the target. Victor, maddeningly, remained a step ahead.

“Variable, we need to interrogate any satellite overflight imagery and any other local security camera footage that might have recorded any and all aircraft coming and going from this hangar in the last twenty-four hours.”

“Copy, Sword,” Ben answered. “Retrieve what you can from the hangar and clear out. We estimate a police presence in less than four minutes, so be gone before then.”

“Where do you want us?” Jed asked, jogging toward the north end of the hangar to help Eli and the rest of Joshua Bravo collect any electronics that might be in the hangar and to photograph anything that might be useful.

“Back to your point of origin,” Ben said, referring to the Air National Guard base in Atlantic City where they’d briefed. “We’ll have more direction by the time you land. Secure the crow. I’m on my way to you.”

Ben’s coming to us. Does that mean he has fresh intel—something he doesn’t want to put out on the air?

“Roger that, Variable,” Jed said.