by R.A. Neely
***
It had been dark for over an hour now. Olson was waiting for Simmons to return with word of the camp's defenses. He wasn't terribly worried but he figured some token recon wouldn't hurt.
"I'm back," a voice called out.
Olson turned to see Simmons walking towards him. "How'd it go?"
"Someone over there has some idea of what they're doing. Nothing insurmountable, but it'll take some caution. Patrols are pretty tight."
"How hard would it be to get in?"
Simmons shrugged, "Don't think it'll be that big a deal. Probably can't bring along the dead weight though.
Olson nodded, "He'd just be in our way anyway. Did you see the girl?"
"I think so. I'm pretty sure I found their leader too. I also saw that other guy that Jeremy described. There were two blondes there that match Jeremy's description. I figure we just grab them both and sort 'em later."
Olson nodded, that was probably the best way since they wouldn't be bringing Jeremy with them. Speaking of, Olson bit back his frustration as he heard clumsy footsteps coming their way. It could only be Jeremy.
"Did you find her?" Jeremy asked as he reached them. "Is she there?"
"Olson found the man she's traveling with. I'm thinking that unless she's parted ways with him she's still around."
"That's great! When do we go in?"
"Soon," Olson replied, but you won't be coming with."
"What? Why not? How can you be so sure you get the right woman?"
"These guys have a bit of training and all of their guards are armed. You'd be a liability. As far as the woman goes, we've narrowed it down to two possibilities. We'll just grab both."
Jeremy sighed in relief, "I suppose that would work. Be careful. I don't want her hurt."
"Of course," Olson replied. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we've some planning to do."
"Right, I’ll leave you to it."
"Where do you think he's going?" Simmons asked.
"Probably off to take another nap. Who cares? After tonight we can send him back to Emerald Falls."
Olson gathered his men and they developed a plan to infiltrate the camp. It was fairly simple. Olson would go for the women while Simmons took out their leader. Meanwhile, Drake and Roberts would cause distractions along the perimeter of the camp. Cimino would be nearby with the vehicles so they could make a quick escape. Olson smiled as they completed their planning. In about an hour's time they'd be done and could send Jeremy on his way.
