Silver Lead and Dead (Evan Hernandez series Book 1)

by James Garmisch

  The thud of Black Hawks began to get louder as they went from a distant rumble to an air-vibrating noise. The remaining gun truck swiveled its .50 caliber toward the sky.

  Pablo felt rounds hit his vest and then he tripped, and he went down. The pain was not bad but he could not move immediately. He had twisted his ankle. He rolled and kept firing. Bullets where bouncing off the pavement near him.

  The gun truck disappeared in a cloud of white dust, red fire, and black smoke.

  The helicopter gunship continued to fire its weapons, which sounded like a giant buzz saw.

  Brrrrrrrrr!

  Gustavo and the rest of Team Two made it across the open LZ and fanned out just as a group of about twelve Scorpions made it back down the gangplank and tried to flee.

  “Team One, this is Team Two. Choppers are here!” Pablo yelled into his head set.

  Pablo shot several Scorpions as they made it off the gangplank. They stumbled or fell outright. Some returned fire. Pablo found cover behind a large steel shipping container. His men were ahead of him now.

  The gunship stopped firing as the two forces met. The helicopter banked and made a wide circle to clean up the perimeter and provide security. Almost everyone was out of ammo at this point. Pablo watched Gustavo drag an injured teammate to safety behind a smoldering bulldozer. Two Scorpions converged on him. He was helpless. Pablo shot both of them.

  “Thanks! Whoever that was.”

  Gustavo was relieved. He spoke into his headset not daring to look around for the shooter who had saved him.

  “Welcome!” Pablo muttered.

  Gustavo put his thumbs up, took care of the wounded teammate, and then got back in the fight.

  The remaining Dark Cloud shooters where rallying together, guarding each other and moving forward.

  Pablo limped as best he could and decided to use his last rounds to his advantage.

  The machetes, batons, and knives came out as the two opposing forces began to lock in their final death match.

  The navy began to fast rope onto the deck. Its soldiers headed toward the house. The Scorpions and Dark Cloud commandos began to circle and lock into what could only be described as a massive street fight.

  CHAPTER 39

  Hiding Places

  Carla took off her headphones, pushed the blankets off her, and tried to control her breathing. She had tried texting her father fifteen minutes ago, and he had said to hide and stay hidden. Then there was nothing. She moved from the back of the plane as lightly and quietly as she could. She thought she had heard a few loud booms and now heard something very different. She thought she heard a boat’s engine briefly, and then it cut off. Now, she heard pops off in the distance. She had been doing her best to make herself invisible in the back of the large moldy-smelling plane. She could not bear to sit still any longer.

  “Dad, where are you?” She took a quick peek through a tiny window and froze.

  “They are coming. This whole thing is falling apart!”

  Carla could see the rear of the house about half a mile away up on a slight hill. It seemed to be busy with activity. She saw men with guns running and trying to get into the house. She also spotted what looked like guests being dragged into the house. Black smoke rose slowly from the docks on the other side of the house. She knew something had happened.

  “A bomb?”

  Carla saw a shadow move across the water and then on the lawn stretching up to the house. That’s when she figured out what was going on.

  “The military is attacking the island!”

  She watched a helicopter with a gun of some sort circle and fire at something on the other side of the house. Carla looked at her texting device and frowned.

  “Oh, my God; where are you?”

  She heard loud, muffled noises like big weapons firing and saw pillars of smoke and dust rise up. Carla felt her heart begin to beat faster.

  Carla held her breath when she spotted a figure on a motor scooter break away from the edge of the house, ride across the lawn, and then skid onto the gravel road leading to the pier.

  “Man, Mario won’t like someone on his lawn.”

  She watched the scooter get closer and then realized that it was her father. She moved quickly to a different window and spied the four men and, now, one smaller man, whom she recognized as a guy who had been sitting with Jorge this morning.

  “Oh, no! Dad, answer your damn texts!” Carla looked at her texting device and then looked up at the front of the plane. She saw a sign that said “Signaling kit.”

  Tommy drove up to the four Scorpions who were guarding the docks. He recognized Andre Pena instantly. He shook his head and pointed with his thumb at four large UH46s that were circling over the island. Two Black Hawks came in low and disappeared in front of the house. Tommy could hear a massive firefight. Two gunships hovered and fired at something on the other side of the house.

  “Hey! Navy is here. We gotta get this plane ready. Jorge is coming!” Tommy tried to sound in charge and pointed.

  “How did you know to come here?” Andre asked.

  “I am the pilot, idiot. Jorge told me to come here!” Tommy yelled. Tommy put his hands down and walked past the guards and Andre Pena. “I gotta turn that engine over.”

  “We haven’t heard from Jorge.”

  “I was just with him. We gotta go!” Tommy lied. “He is coming.”

  Tommy looked out to sea past the plane and then scanned the docks and the rocky beaches to his right. The left was obscured by short block houses, a junkyard, and half of an ancient wall. He thought he heard the echo of a boat in the distance.

  “Those helicopters are going to land, and when that happens, we are going to have to deal with hundreds of men!” Tommy yelled.

  One of the Scorpions had had enough. He grabbed Tommy, punched him in the face, and dragged him into the guard shack.

  “I am in charge here, you shit! We wait for Gerard. He just called. He’s on his way. He is the pilot.” The guard pushed Tommy into a chair and turned to face his comrades.

  “He should be here by now.”

  “Dude, what is going on? The Happy Mermaid under assault?”

  The guards continued to talk and try to sort things out. The helicopters circled again and lined up an approach. The Scorpions muttered.

  Gerard had called them perhaps ten minutes earlier and mentioned that he was escaping. Everyone was lost. He was sure that Jorge was dead.

  Andre Pena stared in amazement at the assault and destruction that was unfolding. He turned and looked at the airplane and then the guard shack. He shook his head. It was pointless to blow up the house at this point, and with the navy here, he would just seal his own execution.

  No, escape is the only way now. He made up his mind and walked into the shack.

  “We need him!” He pointed at Tommy.

  Carla watched the thin, old guy follow the four big muscle guys into the concrete-block guard shack where her former friend’s body still lay in a pool of blood. Her heart raced in her chest, her skin felt cold, and her mouth was dry. She tiptoed out of the plane and onto the floating dock that joined the seaplane to the elevated dock. She moved down the hot wooden dock and focused on the fifty feet or so she had to go. She ignored the helicopters, the smoke, the shooting, and the high-pitched whine of large speedboats.

  She noticed wet footprints crossing her path as she neared the end of the dock and paused for a second. She lowered the flare gun and thought, Wow they have not dried yet?

  Suddenly, muscular arms encircled her, and she felt her feet leave the ground. Small feminine hands snatched the flare gun from her. Carla tried to move against the man who picked her up.

  “Quiet if you want to live,” a gentle voice said.

  Carla went limp as she was carried to the edge of a tin shed and gas pump. They put her down and made sure they were not seen. A thick wall halfway enclosed them and obscured them from the guard shack.

  “Honey, listen, don’t do anyt
hing rash. I am Tanya. This is Sergio and Victor. We know your dad. Don’t speak. Shhh.”

  Carla nodded. She really had to pee.

  “We have to fly out of here, but we need a few more passengers,” Tanya whispered.

  Carla nodded. “I have to pee.”

  Tanya looked from Sergio to Victor and shrugged.

  “Go ahead. Climb down under the pier.”

  CHAPTER 40

  Furious

  Gerard had been on the bottom deck of the yacht when the force of the mercenaries, or whoever they were, attacked. He and nine men had snuck through a series of passages from the outside of the yacht and down a ladder into the bowels of the ship. His plan was to make it to a secret elevator that gave access to Mario’s secret observation deck. He knew Jorge was alive and still up there. Jorge’s watch had a powerful transmitter, camera, and microphone. Gerard’s plan was to sneak up the elevator and kill the seven or so people who held Jorge hostage. Mario’s observation suite was built to withstand a direct hit from large-caliber weapons and explosives, such as RPGs and breaching rounds. The glass surrounding his windows was ten inches thick.

  Now everything was lost. The mercenaries had assaulted down and up at the same time.

  The Scorpions’ assault from outside had been repelled and countered by the navy and more troops. Gerard had barely escaped with his life. He had been shot several times in his vest and had taken shrapnel to his legs and arms. He was having trouble breathing and coughed up some blood. His team had been killed, and yet he lived.

  Gerard had managed to kill several of the assaulters before dropping his handheld computer and fleeing.

  Now he was on a Jet Ski that he had taken from the well deck of the yacht. He opened the throttle full and zipped around the island. He ignored the helicopters and dying gun battles. Smoke, sea spray, and sweat stung his eyes. He was furious. His vision was blurry still and began to clear.

  Now they will no doubt figure out how to get into Mario’s room.

  He had been caught by surprise and in his haste had left the elevator door open. He knew who had Jorge and pieced together what he thought had happened. Somehow Mario, the White Mexican, had figured out their plans. He planned on killing everyone. Gerard was not quite sure how the Mexican navy became involved, but he suspected it had to do with Ivan or Tanya and the disappearance of Yuri.

  “I was right all along!”

  He cursed and ignored the pain in his legs. His only hope now was to make it to the plane and fly himself off the island. He had spoken to his men at the dock and assured them that he was coming to prepare the plane for their escape.

  “Jorge is dead, I think,” he had told them.

  “Evan, what is going on up there?”

  Evan listened to Joaquin’s voice whisper into his ear. The whole yacht was mysteriously quiet now. Evan stayed at floor level and peered down the hall. He realized what must have happened. Roger and his squad were ambushed and taken out. He spotted large black panels in the walls, gun slits in a heavy iron door, and the dome of a camera. There was no way you could sneak in unnoticed. Mario’s suite was basically an armored bunker.

  “Mario had claymores built into his walls. He’s got video and possibly a robot-controlled weapon of some sort,” Evan whispered into his radio

  “How many casualties?” Joaquin asked.

  Evan peered down the hall, being careful to keep a low profile.

  “Evan?”

  “They walked into an ambush. Alpha Squad is dead. Hallway is littered with bodies. I see El Coyote next to Roger at the end of the hall. Looks like he tried to protect him from the blast,” Evan said and then finished.

  “It’s time for the navy to handle this.”

  Evan shook his head and spat his dip onto the carpet. “Assaulting this door is suicide.”

  “Come back down, Evan. The Scorpions are starting to fall back. We have taken heavy casualties everywhere. Time to lick our wounds, regroup. Navy is touching down in five…Evan, you there?” A familiar voice joined the airwaves.

  It was Roger. Evan closed his eyes and thanked God.

  “Don’t come in here. Door is armored like a bank vault.”

  “Can you move?” Evan asked.

  “Yes. El Coyote’s lying next to me. He’s hurt. I have my hand on a grenade, but I dare not move. Playing dead is keeping us alive. I could drop a grenade through a slot in the door, reminds me of a mail slot. Would be the last thing I did though.” Roger coughed and cursed.

  Evan leaned against the wall at the bottom of the stairwell and watched Joaquin, David, and Adrian approach. They helped him to his feet. Adrian, who was a medic and obsessed with water intake, thrust a CamelBak valve into Evan’s mouth.

  “Roger, stay put!” Joaquin commanded into his microphone.

  Evan nodded at them and said, “They were hiding in secret passages. We thought we cleared the rooms.”

  Evan gulped water and then spoke. “We have to rescue Roger before blowing that door.”

  No one spoke for a few moments. They stood still, drank water, and listened to the thump of helicopters.

  Joaquin filled Evan in on what was transpiring outside.

  Alpha Squad was dead, with the exception of Roger and a few others. Bravo Squad and Charlie were both down to about ten operators each. The tide was changing; the Scorpions were fleeing the ship and involved in hand-to-hand combat outside. The navy had its hands full securing the perimeter of the house and preparing the main assault.

  “We got a lot of wounded. We have to get out of here!” Adrian said.

  Evan thought about how he was going to get Roger.

  Joaquin looked as if he had something on his mind and reached into his cargo pocket. “Evan, I think there is a way.”

  “Huh?”

  “Trust me. Let’s go!” Joaquin said then and pulled Evan along down the hall. Evan hurt in places that had not hurt in years. The men ran and limped as fast as they could.

  CHAPTER 41

  Not So Fast

  Tanya peeked around the edge of the tin shed and counted the muscular backs of the four Scorpions and the thin outline of Andre Pena. The Scorpions were armed with a shotgun, AK-47s, and sidearms. Each man carried a machete, which seemed to be the fashion with Jorge’s elite army. Tanya looked at her watch.

  “We can’t wait any longer. We gotta kill these guys. There is no need to escape in this plane, Tanya. The navy is here,” Victor whispered.

  Sergio pointed at a Black Hawk that was lifting away from the roof of the house. Its occupants had fast roped onto the roof and now were preparing to breach through the roof with explosives.

  The gun battle for the rear exterior of the house was definitely going to the marines. Teams were preparing to enter the rear of the house. Troops were spread out, securing the grounds and flushing out resistance. There seemed to be a firefight in the woods.

  “They will do it top down and then enter through the ground floor,” Victor said.

  Tanya looked at Sergio. She was exhausted and just wanted it all to end. “I got one question—” She never finished her sentence.

  The roof of the house exploded and then caught fire. The helicopter backed away and spun as something hit its tail rotor.

  It spun out of control.

  Sergio took a step forward. A bullet thudded into the back of his head.

  “Duck!” Victor yelled. He spun and raised his weapon but collapsed, meeting the same fate. Shot dead.

  Tanya and Carla screamed at the same time and put their hands up. They backed into the tin shed and froze.

  “Hello, Tanya!” The wet, bare-chested, sunburned, and bloody Frenchman limped down the dock. He was not smiling and held a short assault rifle with a scope out in front of him. He stumbled briefly but never took the weapon off of Tanya.

  Tanya had no idea how he had made it behind them and onto the dock without making a noise. She had never seen so much fury in a man’s eyes. She tried to process where he must have come f
rom and saw that he was dripping wet. She backed up, covering the younger girl’s body with her own. She braced herself for the bullets.

  CHAPTER 42

  Mexican Standoff

  Gustavo cursed as the heavily tattooed Scorpion stabbed him in the side of the leg. Gustavo smashed him in the face with his buttstock. The Scorpion fell backward from Gustavo’s blow. Gustavo dropped down to his knees and pushed the man onto his back. He dropped his empty weapon, drew his machete, and hacked down. There was a metallic thud and sparks as Gustavo separated the man’s head from his neck.

  Gustavo collapsed and grabbed his leg. He rolled over and accepted help from the navy’s medics.

  Every Scorpion was dead. The medics began clearing and triaging the wounded from the LZ. The entry teams were preparing to breach the house when the roof blew up.

  Pablo accepted help getting to his feet and froze as he watched the explosion and the helicopter spin out of control. Fortunately, the pilot brought the bird down in the shallow water on the beach. The entry team on the roof was not so lucky.

  “They must have wired the place to blow!” The medic helping Pablo said.

  “You guys are running into a death trap!” Pablo told the medic.

  The navy commandos backed off the LZ and took up a defensive perimeter as the house began to catch fire.

  Pablo shook his head.

  Guests and unarmed thugs began to stream out of the house with their hands up. The fight was over. It was now a rescue mission.

  Evan put his next-to-last dip in his mouth and rode the one-person elevator to the top deck. He was sweating heavily and hoped the stream of adrenalin would keep him going. They figured that the elevator was used to bring up laundry or Mario from the bottom deck. The elevator stopped, and the door slid open. Evan turned on his red-lens flashlight, pushed open a small door, and stepped into a closet. He smelled expensive clothes and leather shoes. He clicked his UMP .40 onto “single shot” and slowly moved to the closet door.