by Akart, Bobby
Blair nodded and replied, “Yeah, he’s drunk his share of Red Bull and Monster Energy. He turned down coffee. Says it’s bad for you.”
“I never said he was perfect,” replied Ryan as he laughed under his breath. The two developers of the Haven, visionaries who’d taken the former movie set of the Hunger Games and turned it into a preparedness community, continued to eavesdrop on the conversations between Alpha and the teams he’d picked to raid the hunting lodge owned by the Schwartz family.
Cort addressed the ex-military members of the team. “Guys, do we really need to do surveillance? It seems to me that we should take them by surprise. Our watching them might get discovered, and look how big this property is. They could scatter and we’d end up hunting them through the woods.”
“Here’s the thing, Cort,” began Alpha. “First, we have to confirm that they’re there. Second, we can’t assume that they’re alone. If Schwartz brought in his security team, we’re up against something more formidable than those useful idiots at the Varnadore Building. We have to go in there with all the information available to us.”
Ryan offered another thought. “Plus, wouldn’t it be beneficial if you somehow caught them apart? You know, one guy goes out to get firewood or take a piss or something.”
“Absolutely,” replied Alpha. “I think the plan is fairly straightforward and requires patience to implement. We try to establish a pattern of activity and get a feel for the terrain, etcetera.”
“May I add something?” asked Delta.
Alpha nodded and gestured for Delta to continue. “Yeah, man. Go ahead.”
“At Philly SWAT, when we initiated fixed surveillance, the term used for a stakeout, we often formed into three-man teams. A lot of police units like the two-person approach, but we used three if the surveillance period was going to be lengthy. A fidgety cop had a greater potential for being discovered than one who was fresh. Also, if there was an unexpected entrant into the surveillance field, the third member of the unit could check it out without compromising the primary objective. If someone enters the perimeter of the location, the third officer could follow while keeping eyes on the subject’s location. It was a variant of the ABC method. Officer A stays with the building, with officer B as his backup. Officer C follows the new entrant into the field of surveillance.”
“That would help if these guys have perimeter security,” added Bravo, who’d spent time with the DEA. “Ideally, we’d go in there with nine people, allowing for three teams.”
“The blueprints show multiple entrances,” offered X-Ray.
“True, but the north side of the structure doesn’t have any exits, only second-floor windows. Three teams could cover the sides of the lodge with doors.”
Before this conversation, Alpha had identified the personnel going on the raid. After some argument, Cort was confirmed as part of the team. He had no formal training with close-quarters combat, although he was more than proficient with the use of his weapons. In the end, he demanded to be included because he couldn’t allow his new friends to fight this battle for him. He acknowledged that he shouldn’t have been involved in rescuing Hannah because of his emotional connection. However, eliminating Schwartz and Briscoe was all business for him.
The participants in the raid would be X-Ray, who’d remain in his cabin and feed them information from the satellites if they were available. He’d also monitor Briscoe’s cell phone use. Alpha was teamed up with Hayden. Bravo and Charlie would work together. Cort was partnered with Delta.
Alpha paced through the media room. X-Ray had mirrored his computer to the large video monitor and constantly scrolled through images he’d obtained of the blueprints and satellite flyovers. Finally, he made a decision.
“Okay, we have the benefit of this being winter and the foliage is off the trees. On the one hand, that helps our field of vision, but it also could expose us. Kudos to Ryan and Blair for purchasing snow camo in a variety of sizes. The combination of whites, grays, and hints of brown will help us blend in. With the night-vision binoculars provided by Cort, we can do things a normal surveillance team can’t. I think we need to stick with our core six.”
The group discussed logistics a little while longer and then realized it was getting late. They needed a good night’s sleep and agreed that they could go over the details again during the flight north. Alpha would review the insertion point with the pilots in the morning and assign gear to the team before they departed. Just as the group was breaking up, Tom Shelton addressed them.
“Everyone, I’ve sent soldiers into battle before. It was part of my job, just as it was theirs to defend our country and preserve our freedoms. I never imagined that we’d be fighting a war on our own soil, much less against one another. Yet that’s what our future holds. You have an opportunity to make a difference. Actually, to make history, although the only people who will know of your brave accomplishments are those of us in this room.
“History always gives the Monday-morning quarterback the opportunity to interpret, second-guess, and oftentimes revise the true account of what transpired. But I often wondered if war could’ve been averted more often if circumstances were different. I think Cort has made the case that hostilities between left and right in this country can be tamped down if two of the players responsible for sowing the seeds of discontent are taken off the playing field. For that reason, what you are doing will prove to be historic.
“Yet dangerous, too. You’re prepared, but still, you’re going in blind. I urge you to be patient. Get the total picture. Wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, and come home safe to your families, and us.”
“You’ve got it, Commander!” shouted Alpha in a roaring baritone voice that shook the soundproof walls like an explosion in a war movie.
“Oorah!” Bravo and Charlie echoed his sentiments.
The group exchanged words of encouragement and then accepted hugs from Ryan and Blair. Tomorrow, they’d have their game faces on, and heartfelt sentiments or emotional goodbyes needed to take place now.
Finally, Donna stepped forward with a zippered canvas bag. “There’s one more thing. Since the beginning of time, when soldiers went into battle, they carried a talisman, an object that brings good luck and protects them from harm. Blair and I have something for all of you.”
She reached into the bag and handed out the lucky charms to the team. She provided each one a hand-carved arrowhead with a string wrapped around its notch. The triangular piece of stone, primarily consisting of flint or obsidian, had a serrated edge with accompanying bevels near the notch.
Blair explained, “These are arrowheads we found around the Haven when Ryan and I first bought the property. We took them to an archaeologist at the university in Hickory to confirm that they are authentic and not left over from the Hunger Games filming. These arrowheads were most likely used by Cherokee warriors and hunters long before North Carolina was settled by early colonists. The Cherokees believed that a hand-carved arrowhead, used as a talisman around your neck, was a symbol of protection, strength, and courage. They believed that the arrowhead protected them from illness and acted as a guard against evil. These arrowheads can deflect any negative energy, protect you from your enemies, and absorb their power so you can turn it back on them.”
Donna began to hand them out to each of their warriors. The moving gesture resulted in more tears and hugs all around. Even the toughest among them, Alpha and Bravo, couldn’t hide their appreciation and emotions.
With the talismans lovingly placed over their heads by Blair and snuggled against their chests for protection, the six were prepared to make history.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Outside Kutztown, Pennsylvania
The Bell Relentless helicopter was one of the quietest in its class, but in a rural area in which activity had all but stopped, the sounds of its rotors could be heard for a mile. A northwesterly wind was blowing on the afternoon the team arrived outside Kutztown, resulting in the pilot picking t
heir alternative landing area over two miles east of the Schwartz Lodge.
The plat map for the property indicated there was a primary driveway that led westward away from the lodge, but a secondary driveway also appeared on the east end of the property, leading to County Road 737, which was also known as Krumsville Road. Alpha felt most comfortable using the atmospheric conditions to their advantage and approaching the lodge from the east.
Despite an abundance of farmland in Berks County, the lodge was nestled in a remote, heavily wooded area bordered to the south by Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 182. The hunting tract, which totaled two hundred seventy-three acres, was located about three miles northwest of Kutztown, along Saucony Creek.
X-Ray had provided the team topography maps of Game Lands 182 to give them a feel for the lay of the land surrounding the lodge. From rolling hills to narrow creek bottoms, the elevations ranged from six hundred feet to a low of three hundred sixty feet along the creek bottom. X-Ray had identified a hill that overlooked the lodge, assuming tree cover didn’t obscure the view.
The chopper landed and the team quickly exited. Within a minute, their gear was quickly unloaded, and the chopper took off to refuel for the return trip home. It would return to extract the team when Alpha contacted the pilots via the satellite telephones provided by Trowbridge’s people.
After checking one another’s chest rigs and donning the white camo attire, they set off on foot for a three-mile hike through the fields and woods of Berks County toward the lodge. Using his GPS, Alpha led the group, who moved in teams of two, spread apart by twenty yards, but making an effort to maintain visual contact with one another. They moved forward deliberately, taking precautions to avoid detection by the locals. The last thing Alpha needed was to be confronted by the local law enforcement. He’d have a hard time explaining the military hardware they possessed.
The group found its way through scrub plants and across agricultural fields to Saucony Creek, where they followed it on a westerly path until they were located due south of the lodge.
Alpha suddenly raised his fist, causing the group to pause and drop to a low crouch. He’d seen movement up ahead, and in the low light of early evening, he wanted to be cautious.
“Foxy, take the lead,” he said, patting Hayden on the back, and she moved forward, walking softly along the edge of the creek. An experienced hunter, she was the lightest on her feet.
She held her AR-10 at low ready, her eyes searching for movement. She adjusted her vision to take advantage of the Bering Optics night-vision riflescope, one of the many useful toys provided by Trowbridge.
“I see you,” she whispered to herself as she raised her rifle and studied the target through the scope. A white-tailed deer moseyed along the meandering creek bed, periodically pawing at the moist ground in search of her winter diet of twigs, dormant grasses, and red oak acorns, which remain viable and edible much longer than their white oak cousins. Hayden smiled as she inched forward. “If this were another day …” she added as her voice trailed off.
As she got closer, the deer, who was upwind, didn’t notice her silent approach. Hayden decided to announce herself by tossing a rock in the animal’s direction. She didn’t want to startle the deer too much, which might create a ruckus in the woods.
With the deer hopping through the woods, Hayden gave Alpha the all-clear signal and waved the team forward. When they caught up with one another, Alpha studied the GPS. He was trying to locate the hill they’d identified in the chopper earlier. Once he located it, he plugged the coordinates into the GPS device, and each of the other members of the team did the same.
This hill would act as their primary rally point in the event they got separated, with the chopper’s landing point for extraction to be determined based upon conditions on the ground. If the mission was successful, the extraction would be quick and take place on the Schwartz property. If there was trouble, the team would rally on the hill and then backtrack to the original insertion point to be picked up.
Over the next thirty minutes, they made their way through the woods, a job made difficult by a dark, cloudy night. Alpha used a combination of hiking trails and areas of standing pines that had little vegetation underneath, allowing them to speed up their progress. Everyone was careful to avoid snapping twigs or rolling ankles on the uneven terrain.
“Here we are,” announced Alpha as he dropped into a crouch. He raised his field glasses to get a better look at the lodge. The two-story structure featured cedar-shake siding and roof shingles. On the southern end, a tall stone fireplace divided several plate-glass windows that overlooked a lawn reaching toward the woods. A faint, flickering light could be seen through the glass, most likely coming from the flames in the fireplace.
The members of the team fanned out across the hilltop and retrieved their binoculars to take a look. The surroundings were assessed, and points of surveillance were determined. After the group conducted a radio check of their two-way units, Alpha got them into position, one team at a time.
Now they watched and waited for their opportunity to pounce.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Schwartz Lodge
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Of the six members of the team, Delta was the only one who’d engaged in multiple stakeouts. He’d practiced a variety of surveillance procedures and had learned to deal with adverse conditions, as well as boredom. On this night, the team was fortunate that the weather was favorable. After the cold spell that had engulfed the Eastern United States the week after New Year’s Eve, unusually mild temperatures had become more prevalent. Without the benefit of AccuWeather to plan by, the team had to be prepared for anything.
Delta provided them the benefit of his experience as he guided them into place. First and foremost, he told them, was to get into position unnoticed. If either Briscoe or Schwartz caught a glimpse of movement outside, they might hunker down, flee, or, if they had a security team on the property, initiate a firefight.
He also reiterated a word that Alpha and Tom had used during their briefing the night before—patience. Stakeout work could be long and arduous, especially when the ultimate goal of the team was to assassinate their targets. Sitting in an unmarked car full of coffee and snacks was one thing. Observing their targets for purposes of assessing their defenses with the ultimate goal to kill them was much more difficult. One hasty pull of a trigger, or even a mistake in judgment that revealed their location, could imperil the entire operation.
With the teams in place, they periodically checked in with one another without becoming chatty on their comms. Delta and Alpha spoke the most, constantly checking in as they became more comfortable that their two targets were alone.
Delta and Cort had positioned themselves nearest the lodge in order to see inside the large plate-glass windows that flanked the stone fireplace. Even in the dim light, Cort, who had seen both men at various political functions over the years, could accurately identify them and confirm their presence.
More importantly, Delta and Cort were able to determine that the two targets were alone inside the spacious lodge. For hours, until well after midnight, they hadn’t seen any other human activity, whether inside or outside the lodge. Occasionally, a gray squirrel scampered across the grounds around the home, drawing the attention of several rifle barrels as it hopped from tree to tree.
“I’ve got movement,” announced Bravo, who was teamed up with Charlie. The two were assigned the east end of the lodge, which contained a large wooden deck on the lower level. A combination of Adirondack chairs and patio furniture dotted the spacious area overlooking a small pond.
“Roger,” said Alpha quietly into his radio. “Go ahead.”
“One male. Maybe six three. Dark hair. Smoking a cigarette. Check that. Smoking a cigar.”
Cort, who allowed Delta to communicate with the team, had an earpiece that allowed him to listen into the exchange. “That’s Jonathan Schwartz. He’s a cigar connoisseur.”
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��Is he alone?” asked Alpha.
“Roger,” Bravo quickly replied. “I can take the shot. Easily.”
Alpha was quick with his response. “Negative, Bravo. Stand down, but eyes on the prize.” Naturally, he’d like to catch the two men separately, but it needed to be done quietly so they didn’t alert the other one.
For several minutes, Jonathan casually walked along the deck, periodically stopping to take a deep draw on his cigar, illuminating the cherry on the end, and then exhaling a puff of smoke, which floated into the air.
All teams waited, hoping that Briscoe would suddenly appear on the deck. With the two men alone and probably unarmed, Bravo team could end this mission with a few well-placed rounds.
Jonathan took in the night air and the stillness provided by the surrounding woods. The lodge was enveloped in trees except for the hundred yards of grassy lawn that surrounded the building. During the winter, the Kentucky bluegrass that was predominant in that part of Pennsylvania lay dormant but provided sufficient cover from the heavy snows the region was accustomed to.
He had no qualms about smoking the cigar inside the lodge, although he was respectful of the fact that Briscoe was a nonsmoker. Typically, he’d position himself near the hearth, allowing the heat of the flames to carry the cigar’s smoke up the chimney.
However, he needed a break from the conversations with Briscoe to be alone with his thoughts. He missed his father, who was much more than that. György Schwartz was his mentor, partner, and best friend. Father and son shared a special relationship with common interests ranging from matters of international finance, advancement of their political ideologies, to sharing a fine cigar.
Oddly, Jonathan had never smoked a cigarette. There were several reasons that a cigar was more relaxing to Jonathan. Partly because of the social aspect, but also because of the time it took to smoke.
