by J. M. Madden
As they loaded onto the helicopter, Fontana looked the men over. Today they were wearing all the gear they’d need, and their packs and weapons were at their feet, helmets waiting on top. They needed to be ready for anything when they landed.
Jordyn climbed into the cockpit and began the start-up procedure. She blew her uncle a kiss, then slipped her sunglasses and helmet on. Suddenly, she was all business. “Let’s get this show on the road, people.”
There was a chorus of agreement from the back. With a final surveying glance, Fontana climbed into the cockpit beside Jordyn. She glanced over with a grin, and in spite of the gravity of the situation, there was joy in her face because she about to fly. He returned her grin as he strapped in, then gripped the handles and she lifted off from the trailer.
The morning fog burned away the higher they got into the air. It was another pristine day. He hoped it stayed that way.
Chapter Nineteen
Guyana was very similar to Brazil and Venezuela in that the weather could turn on a dime. Guyana, and the area where they were heading, was close enough to the ocean that she had to deal with tropical air currents as well now, and Jordyn had to pay serious attention to what was going on.
They also seemed to be heading into a more populated area for this third camp. Not like city populated, but there were definitely more villages in the area and roads and canals stretched below them. The intel that they’d been given said that the Collaborative had a small airport at their disposal for this camp, so it could definitely be more populated that the last two.
Jungle trees obscured almost everything below, and there was a mountain to the north. The Essequibo River ran north to south and she could see boats dotted along its surface. Smoke curled up through the trees in a few areas, and Jordyn knew it was probably one of the many indigenous tribes of the country. Guyana was a bit different in that it considered itself part of the Caribbean. The official language was English, but most people of the country didn’t speak it. They spoke Guyanese, an English-Caribbean cross, with words borrowed from other countries. Jordyn had been here before and found the people very down to earth and sweet; hard-workers, most of them.
Several miles away from the GPS location they’d been given, she angled the chopper high. They spotted a small plane going in for a landing, but she was far enough away that they didn’t even notice her. Fontana retrieved the binoculars and surveyed the area.
“Multiple contacts,” he murmured. “This is a much busier location. That plane is important, because several people are running toward it.”
Jordyn peeled away from the site and angled to the north, toward the mountain. “There’s a small airstrip over here my uncle has used before. He said it’s very rarely used for planes anymore, but there should be enough space for me to land.”
“Did your uncle know this location?” Fontana asked her sharply.
She nodded. “He said he flew a man out here years ago to speak to one of the local tribes, then flew him back out a week later. He was paid very well, and they never used him again.”
She could see the frown on his face but didn’t know what to tell him.
They found the old airstrip, and it was indeed at the base of the mountain to the north. The mountain would give them a great landmark. But as she’d flown she’d noticed the river and canyon that they’d eventually have to cross. There had been a bridge to the north, but it would be a hike to get there.
They landed in a swirl of red dirt and waited until the dust had settled before they climbed out of the cockpit. Once they climbed down from the chopper, Fontana rallied them quickly. If they double-timed it they could at least make it halfway back to the camp. This one was called Mourinda. He had no idea what the word meant and wasn’t interested enough to figure it out. If he had his way the camp would be closed by the time they were finished with it. He wondered if the CIA would let him blow it off the face of the Earth.
This jungle was much the same as the other ones they’d been to in the past few days. Dangerous things were trying to kill them everywhere. When he heard a shout, he turned to find Payne dancing away from a tree. What Fontana had thought was a vine and shoved out of the way turned out to be a green pit viper, highly venomous. He and Payne looked at each other and laughed, but they were both shook. That would have really fucked up a day.
Once again Madeira offered to take the lead. So far, they hadn’t had to get the machetes out, and until they did, he would have her take the lead through the dangers he didn’t always recognize. And she set a good pace; by the time the foliage thickened enough that they needed to cut through, they were all puffing and sweating.
Madeira checked the GPS and showed Fontana the screen. At least three more miles.
Big Kenny took the lead, muscled arm swinging the machete as he plowed through literally everything. Fontana lost track of how many small trees he chopped down. If they could get within a mile of the activity they would hunker down and go into surveillance mode. If this camp was busier than the others they needed to take their time. It wouldn’t do any good to get caught so close to their target.
Madeira drew them up. “There’s a fairly deep ravine not too far ahead. We need to veer to the east for a while.”
Zero took over the trailblazing and they started climbing a slope. Fontana could feel the pull on his glutes. Everyone went still as they heard the chug of an engine. Without saying a word Madeira pointed at the ravine and mouthed ‘boat’.
Weaving through the foliage she made her way to the edge of the rock precipice. Fontana was right behind her, but he couldn’t deny that he took more careful steps. He’d taken a tumble down a terrain like this before and he would not do it again.
Madeira went down on her belly and shimmied forward. She waved a hand at Fontana and he went down behind her, then crawled forward. Then he looked over the edge.
The team had been climbing for a while, but he hadn’t realized how deep the ravine was. Madeira must have noticed it from the air. He certainly hadn’t, even with the binoculars. As he looked down to the river he calculated they must be at least sixty feet above the murky, muddy water. There was a longboat chugging upriver. One dark-skinned man steered the boat, and there were three soldiers in the front, rifles held across their laps and ready.
“We’ll have to cross that river eventually. Now we know they’re patrolling it.”
They backed away from the cliff and returned to the team. Fontana reported what they’d seen.
“Sounds like it’s definitely an active target,” Shane murmured. “Should we go ahead and call in the spooks?”
Fontana debated. They were probably going to have to call them in eventually. “Let’s see what we can see first. Then we’ll think about calling in Rose.”
There was a round of thumbs-up and they took off again, weaving through the foliage now rather than chopping through it. Madeira had her handheld GPS out, and she checked their position almost constantly. They were a bit more than a mile away when they pulled up at the peak of the ravine. Even through the thickness of the foliage they could hear the waterfall.
“Zero and DeRossett, why don’t you scope out that fall? See if there’s a way we can get across the river. There should be a bridge not too far away.”
They nodded and took off into the jungle.
The rest of them settled in to catch their breath. They’d been going hard for a couple of hours now, and it wouldn’t do to get too tired. Payne drew on the straw of his Camelback, a water storage system. Fontana drew on his as well. They needed to stay hydrated. Yes, there was more of a breeze here, but the heat was also more of a factor.
Madeira planted her butt on the ground and looked around. “It’s going to be harder to get them out of here. If they’re anything like the last group they’re not going to have the stamina to do this trek.”
Fontana hated to admit it, but she was right. They had been whipped when they’d gotten out of the Brazilian camp themselves and had to carry three of
the survivors. If there were more survivors here, it would be that much harder.
As much as he wanted to do this himself, he was going to have to have support.
“I want to get eyeballs on it myself.”
It was interminable waiting for Shane and Zero to return. The four of them scoped out the area and settled in to wait, snacking on protein bars and resting. When the two men did come back, they did so quietly, emerging from the darkness like wraiths.
Fontana spotted them first. “What did you find?”
“There is a bridge about a mile up river, but it’s watched,” Zero told them, taking a knee in the dirt. “There’s a guard outpost on the other side. The road seems to be used by people other than just the camp, though. There’s a village almost connected to the camp, so I can’t tell what the guards’ parameters are. Apparently, they’re just watching for anything out of the normal.”
“We did see troops heading into the camp, like they’d all been called back for something,” Shane said.
“If that plane brought in one of the big bosses or something, maybe it’s something to kiss his ass. A show of force.”
Zero shrugged. “Not sure. We couldn’t see much more than that. We’ll have to cross the river to get a better view.”
“Roger. Zero, DeRossett, take a load off. Rest up. Tonight you’re leading us across the river.”
This op felt different, but Jordyn couldn’t explain why. Yes, there was more danger, obviously. It was a more active camp and she had a feeling there would be more prisoners as well.
Probably more than they could handle.
Shane took point as he led them through the jungle and to the bridge that crossed the river. They all wore their night vision goggles, and the glow from the camp was enough to blind them. It was like a beacon in the black jungle that surrounded them. Even from so far away they could tell that this camp was much larger than either of the other two.
They surveyed the bridge for half an hour, watching for any kind of movement, but it was quiet. There was a village on the other side, but it didn’t seem heavily populated.
Fontana keyed his mic. “I’m going to knock out that bulb in the guard shack, then we’ll cross. If we can get past them we should be able to get to the jungle beyond.”
Jordyn keyed her mic in an agreeing click along with the others, but she was worried. If by chance the guards had NVGs, Team Alpha would be in serious trouble.
Everything went as expected though. They crossed the fifty-foot wooden bridge to the other side and weren’t spotted. There were no overhead lights and they hadn’t seen a vehicle pass for as long as they’d been watching it. A dog barked in the village, but it eventually quieted.
This was going too easily. Or was she just borrowing trouble?
Insects swarmed around them as they broke into the dark jungle, headed toward the glow in the distance. It reminded her of driving across the desert toward a city, and the amber yellow glow from all the streetlights that could be seen from miles away. This camp seemed to have a steady power system. It was more than two hundred miles from the coast and fifty miles from the closest decent sized city. They were actually closer to the Suriname border to the east right now than any decent sized Guyana city. There were a few ports along the Essequibo River, which they were now paralleling, but nothing huge.
Shane lifted a fist and they crouched down. Then she heard it. There was a vehicle clattering over the bridge behind them. They waited as the rumbling engine traveled along the road and curved around to their right side. Jordyn didn’t realize they were traveling so close to the road until she saw the flash of lights through the canopy before the truck passed them by.
Jordyn released a relieved breath. That had been incredibly close. She glanced up and saw Fontana looking at her. She widened her eyes at him and gave him a grin he might or might not see. Zero took point, then, and they followed along at a crouch. They were moving much more slowly now, and she was glad of that. No sense in blundering into a situation they weren’t prepared for.
Zero led them north, along the Essequibo. Again, they were traveling up a slight slope, barely enough to notice, but her glutes noticed. After a while fatigue began to set in, and she noticed that Fontana’s limp was a bit more pronounced. They were traveling more upright now, but it was still a trek.
Then Zero went almost completely still. Holding up a fist for the rest to see, he went down onto his belly, creeping forward through a line of thicker brush to the right. Big Kenny followed him, then Shane, then Fontana. Jordyn followed him, with Payne bringing up the rear.
As soon as they crested she had to shift her goggles up onto her helmet. They were on an elevated steppe. Similar to the cliff overlooking the ravine earlier, they were now looking down onto the well-lit Mourinda camp. The last two camps had been a fraction of the size of this one, and for the first time Jordyn felt real trepidation.
This was a legitimate compound, entirely fenced with eight foot chain-link and topped with razor wire. To the left, just outside the fence, was the airstrip they’d seen the jet come in on. It was a gleaming white jet, and it screamed corporate money. Silverstone Collaborative corporate money? There was no name on the plane, but it was probably a good bet.
She scanned the area, taking in the maintenance building, the troop barracks along with the vehicles parked in front of it. There were several different vehicles, mostly trucks with canvas tops, parked in the dirt. Then, on the right-hand side of that building, there was an added-on, low white building. She would have thought it was the med center if not for the movement in and out of the building. Uniformed men were going in and out, laughing and joking with each other. This appeared to be some kind of cafeteria.
She panned her gaze to the right. There was the med center. She’d recognize the shape of the sterile white building anywhere. This was probably what the other two camp med centers had started out looking like, but with time and disuse they’d fallen to the jungle. There were two men at the security door and two men walking around the building. It was obvious this wasn’t going to be just a walk in the park.
Fontana seemed to sense it as well. “Where are the cages?” he hissed.
Zero pointed to the left and into the jungle on the other side of the troop housing.
On the one hand, it was good that the prisoners were away from the main bustle of the compound. On the other hand, it was bad because there was a decent-sized squad of military moving through the cages. At least five or six. All of the cages seemed to be closer together. And even from here she could see bodies inside. In one cage there was even a man standing, gripping the bars like he was yelling something.
More worrisome, though, were the mercenaries dressed in black that were wandering the perimeter fence. These were in addition to the ragtag military. She hadn’t seen any at the last camp, so she didn’t understand the significance until Fontana whispered, “Collaborative Operatives. Mercenaries. They’re damn good, and the last group we ran into were enhanced, so they might have been prisoners at one time.”
A chill went through her. She had seen Fontana move faster than he ever should have been able to when he’d been fighting the guard. Is that what he meant? And the shaking. She hadn’t had a chance to ask him about it, but she assumed it was something related to his enhancements.
Payne drew the camera around, shielded the lens and began taking pictures. Jordyn worried that one of the men in black would hear the click of the shutter, but they were several hundred yards away. She knew for a fact they couldn’t hear that far away. It was just so loud right next to her ear.
Team Alpha watched the movements of the compound for hours, logging shift changes and command structures. The guards hadn’t moved any of the prisoners yet, but it was night time. Whatever medical personnel lived in the camp were probably off-shift right now. In the morning things would get busy.
There were cameras on this compound as well, mounted predominantly on the light poles that had been positioned arou
nd the area. That would be an issue unless Fontana planned on doing his woo woo stuff. She had no idea how strong he was in that area. Or what kind of range he had.
It was creeping toward dawn when he keyed the mic. “Let’s pull back and try to reorient ourselves before the sun comes up.”
Jordyn shimmied backwards through the brush, which was harder to do than expected. After hours of laying in the same position, they needed to move around and get their blood flowing. She also needed to find a bush to pee behind.
Once they were out of the surveillance area, she paused to do her business, then fell back to the group.
“I want eyes on all sides. They’re probably going to start moving prisoners soon and I want it documented. Madeira and DeRossett, I want you guys to stay on this side. Payne and Zero, I want you on the north side documenting the prisoners and any movements. Kenny and I are going all the way around behind the troop barracks. Go through the fence only if you’re confident that you won’t be noticed. Someone came in on that plane last night and I have a feeling they’ll be looking around today. I want pictures.”
He looked at Payne with a raised brow, and the smaller man nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to call the spooks and see what Rose thinks,” Fontana continued. “I’m sure they’ll want to strike with us, but I don’t know if we’re going to be able to wait for them. I’ll see what their ETA will be. Orders clear?”
They all gave thumbs up, then crouched down to wait for the orders to go.
Fontana moved away to make his calls, and Jordyn hoped that they could get backup sooner rather than later. They’d landed in a situation with a very high pucker factor and the more help they had the better.
Chapter Twenty
Aiden fumbled the phone from the bedside stand.
“Willingham.”
“Hey, Will,” Fontana whispered.
