“Well, of course,” Nomar said with a smile. “And let me know the damages to your house. I’ll take care of that for you. It is my fault. My men,” Nomar said more seriously.
“Thank you, I will do that,” Leo agreed graciously.
They arrived at Airstrip 8 to find the trucks and two more Hummers waiting. Men were already standing in a group near the middle of the mesa. Leo got out of the Hummer and adjusted his guns, then walked over to meet Nomar at the front of the vehicle. He took off his hat and wiped his brow, and then put it back on. “Well, let’s get the party started,” he said to Nomar.
Nomar was about to reply when spotlights hit the airstrip area, blazing down from both the north and south mesas.
“Shit!” Leo cursed.
“Madre! Not this one!” Nomar shouted.
Leo grabbed Nomar’s arm and pulled him toward the north side of the mesa just as the gunfire began and something exploded to the east.
Chapter Forty
Beverly and Preston were dropped off at the head of the wash, and they ran across the top of the mesa to the cliff ahead using handheld flashlights. The full moon and the amazing number of stars above lit up the sandy ground almost to the point where the flashlights weren’t necessary. However, a twisted ankle would be devastating out here if trouble arrived behind them, so they used the lights.
As soon as they were in position and could see the trucks below on the flats, Bev used her radio to call in, “Bev and Preston are in position.”
“Copy,” came Danny’s voice. “Safe hunting.”
They watched as the guys below prepared the strip as Leo had instructed.
“Kim is like a Mrs. Clever in army boots,” Bev said to Preston in a whispered voice.
“Yes?”
“I mean, she’s looking at the hole in the floor that the hand grenade made, and tells me she’s got Brent coming over to ‘spruce the place up,’” Bev said with a light laugh.
Preston looked at her with a gleam in his eye. “Yes, she is funny as hell. She was a triage nurse in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing fazes her. A few dead bodies and a hole in the floor aren’t going to affect her at all.”
“Wow, that explains a lot,” Bev agreed.
She was not sure what made her turn and look behind her, but as soon as she did, she dropped to the ground. Preston followed her without hesitation. “Behind, looks like two,” she hissed. And then she heard the plane.
Two men walked up so close to them that one nearly stepped on her. They looked over the ridge at the view below.
“Major Les was right. Sooner or later, they would be back. And here they are,” one of the men said.
They were both in desert camo, like Bev. She had picked up hers that afternoon from the Army Surplus store in Lakeside, not really knowing what the dress code was for a drug drop. No one had made any comments about her fatigues, though, and two of the others were dressed similarly. The rest were in basic black.
She also had three Glocks on her: one in a shoulder rig, a second on her right hip, and the third at her back in a clip holster. Her dagger was on her left hip, and a combat knife was secured across her left breast, handle down. This armament did get some appraising eyes, but no comments. After that morning, she wasn’t going to get out-gunned again. She also had five flashbangs in her pockets.
“Yep,” said the other man. “Well, I figure after the plane lands and they do the heavy work, we’ll put five or six grenades down there, and then play sniper while Major Les comes in with the rest of the boys and cleans up.”
“Sounds about right,” said the first.
“Go ahead and radio that in. Here comes the plane,” said the second.
The first man got on his handheld radio and told “Major Les” what the plan is. The word came back that they would wait for the signal.
“Copy.”
Bev looked to Preston, who nodded and reaches for his combat knife, secured in the same position as her own. She came up slowly on one knee, and then pulled out her combat knife and attacked the one farthest away, leaving the other to Preston.
Bev grabbed the man across his mouth, pulled his head back, and buried her blade into the lower spine area the Recons call the sweet spot. The man was dead before she let go of him. Preston chose to go up into the back of the skull, with the same effect.
“Get their rifles and ammo,” Preston told her.
The rifles were M16s with night scopes and M320 40mm grenade launchers attached in front of the magazines. Preston gave her a quick lesson on how to use the rifle and the launcher. Each man had a bandoleer belt of ten grenades, plus three magazines for the rifle. They took the radio as well as their watches and wallets. Preston explained that groups like this sync their watches with each other, so having theirs might be useful. Bev nodded and did as she was told. Her body was thrumming with adrenaline.
As Preston led her back across the mesa, he radioed down to their own people, “We have company of the bandit kind. Probably vigilante home guards. Force size unknown yet, but plan B advised.”
“Copy on plan B. Where are the hostiles?”
“Top of the wash we came down from, I believe. Bev and I are on our way to scout and neutralize now.”
“Advise us prior to action,” Danny told them through their earpiece radios.
“Copy,” Preston said.
“Copy,” Bev agreed.
They moved quickly but didn’t run, as they weren’t using flashlights now.
They came to the edge of the wash, and there on the slope below them were five dune buggies with two men each. Preston flipped up the cap on his scope and searched the area. Bev followed suit. It took a bit to get used to the night vision, but she was able to count out ten men. She looked farther up the wash and saw another dune buggy that was empty. She pointed this out to Preston, who nodded and then motions back to the two they had taken out. Bev nodded in agreement.
They backed up from the edge and Preston gave the report to Danny. “Heavy arms, rifles, grenade launchers. We don’t want to go toe to toe with them. We’ll lose a vehicle for sure, at the very least.”
“Agreed. We’ll take the other wash out of here, the one Leo has marked as being a mile ahead. Where do we pick you up?” Danny asked.
Preston looked over at the empty dune buggy. “We got a ride. Meet you at the first rest stop.”
“Copy. Good hunting.”
“Copy, and thanks.”
“Thanks,” added Bev.
The first thing they did was check that buggy had the keys in the ignition. Seeing them there, they hurried back to position. Bev showed Preston her five flashbangs and he smiled. “You start first, from front to back. I’ll follow, going for the buggies with the launcher, then we’re out of here.”
“Got it. Don’t look at these things. They’ll blind the shit out of you,” she warned.
“I know it, trust me. I’ve witnessed the effects firsthand. Ready?” Preston asked.
She nodded and got the first flashbang read to fly.
“Go.”
She could hear the plane engine revving up as she threw her first grenade, picked up the second and tossed it to follow, then hit the dirt, covering her ears. The concussions, even out there in the open, were monstrous. She wasted no time grabbing her third and fourth and letting them sail. Preston launched a 40mm into the first buggy and reloaded in time to hit the dirt with her again. Rocking explosions filled the night with yells of panic and surprise along with cries of pain.
She threw her fifth flashbang into the center of the group and then picked up her rifle. She set like Preston had taught her and launched the loaded grenade at a buggy. She didn’t see if it hit its mark, because she hurriedly dropped to the ground again to avoid the flashbang detonation. She reloaded as Preston fired a grenade and dropped down. As he comes down, she rose up on her knee and fired hers. She had no idea how to aim the thing. She just pointed, fired, and dropped to reload.
Preston fired again, then tap
ped her on the shoulder. He pulled out his flashlight and started to run. She looked over the edge and saw nothing but flames and confused men. She followed quickly, pulling out her own flashlight and running hard across the mesa.
The plane took off. She saw it rising into the air. What the hell was Plan B?
Preston reached the buggy long before she did. He started the engine and spun the buggy around with a power slide. Bev put her rifle behind the seat and jumped over and into the passenger side as Preston floored the gas. He rocketed them out of the mesa and onto the dirt road, leaving a hail of rock and dust behind them.
“Danny! We’ve left the area,” Preston said into his radio. “Hostiles are hit and subdued. Probably mad as fuck, too. Over.”
“Copy. We’ve left the area as well. Nearly to the wash. Lead car is already up and out of the flats. Over.”
“Meet you at the rest stop. Out.”
“Copy. Out.”
“What’s Plan B?” Bev yelled over the din of the motor.
“Angel flies the plane under radar to the road in front of the club and lands, then pulls the plane around to the back. We unload there,” Preston told her.
“Ah, why wasn’t that Plan A?” she asked.
“Because it’s risky as fuck. If Angel is spotted on anyone’s radar, or reported by some concerned citizen, he’s screwed, with a payload of 300 kilos. Even Jay isn’t that good. He’ll do a lot of time.”
After a few miles, Preston said, “Look around and see if you can find some night vision goggles or something.”
She looked around at her feet and behind the seats — which was when she spotted the headlights behind them. They were way behind them but moving fast. Preston picked up speed, and she looked more furiously for the night vision goggles. She found a set of goggles and showed them to Preston, who nodded and took them from her.
“Lucky us!” he yelled with a smile.
She nodded, gave a nervous smile in return, and picked up her rifle. She checked the grenade launcher, making sure the cartridge was loaded and ready, then checked her magazine. As soon as she was done, Preston put the goggles on and killed his lights, going dark.
“We can’t lead them to the rest area!” Preston yelled. “We’ll never get rid of them if we do. Either we lose them, or you take them out.”
“Got it!” she agreed.
They only went another quarter mile before a helicopter flew low over them, heading toward the pursuing buggies whose lights were easily seen. Bev turned around on her knees to watch what happened, and she was stunned at what occured.
“I think they are firing on that helicopter!” she yelled at Preston.
“What? Are you sure?”
“Yes. I can see the muzzle flashes. And someone launched a grenade!”
“Fucking son of a bitch!” Preston yelled. He slowed down, then turned off the road into something that could barely be called a trail, and parked them well into the brush.
“What’s up?”
“That’s the DEA or Border Patrol they are firing on. They are in buggies like we are. This whole place is going to be swarming with everyone who has a badge within fifty miles in a few minutes. We’ll never get out of here now. We’ll have to wait them out.”
“Shit. I hadn’t thought of that, but you are right,” she said, and she turned around to flop back in her seat. “Fucking militant assholes.”
Preston took out his cellphone. He had a signal, so he called Danny and told him the situation.
“I think you should head on back,” Preston told him. “This could take awhile to clear up.”
“I’ll send the others ahead, but Austin and I will wait here for you. Angel has already called and let us know he made his landing and is safely behind the building. They can unload him and get that side of things cleared up.”
“Copy that. We’ll try to find a way past them in about two hours. The hornets should be settled down by then.”
“Good. Keep in touch,” Danny told them, and he broke the connection.
“Just so you know, God,” Bev said bitterly to the stars, “when I fantasized about spending the night with him, this is not what I meant.”
Preston laughed so loudly she was sure the world was going to hear him.
She gave him a grin and wondered if Leo was safe yet.
Chapter Forty One
“Down the side!” Leo ordered Nomar, and he pushed him ahead, following him closely. “To those rocks! See them! Move!”
Gunfire ripped across the mesa, and explosions tore apart the night. Men were screaming and dying all across the mesa. Claymore mines fired their ball bearings through the air, which ripped through flesh and limbs.
Nomar hurried as fast as he could in the ambient light of the spots from the north and south walls, which had lit up the landing field to daylight levels.
“DEA?” Nomar asked as he ran.
“Can’t be,” Leo shouted back over the gunfire and explosions. “They would’ve waited for the plane to land. What are they going to bust you for? Illegal camping?”
Nomar agreed. “Not bandits, either, for the same reason!”
They reached the rocks and looked at each other. “Gonzalez,” they said at the same time.
“Fuck me,” Leo said, and he slouched back against the rocks.
“I was sure he would have gotten the message. Maybe he doesn’t know I’m here.”
“Maybe he doesn’t care!” Leo said.
“How could he not care?”
“Did you hide her, or is she in your bedroom?” Leo asked.
“Well…”
“He got her already, then. He has her, and now he’s after you and everyone else,” Leo told him. “We need to get to that wall over there, the cliff. See? It’s in darkness. We can follow it up and out of here. Long fucking walk, but it’s better than being in that kill zone.”
Nomar looked to the wall and then up at his men being gunned down. “Si, alright!”
“Ready? Go!” Leo said, and he started to run, pulling Nomar with him.
They ran, and Leo had never been so scared in his life. His back itched with the feeling of eyes on him and bullets coming fast.
They made it to the shadows. Nomar was bent over, breathing hard.
“Do you need a gun?” Leo asked.
“Si, I didn’t bring one,” Nomar panted to him.
Leo kicked him hard in the ass and sent him sprawling into the dirt. He put his knee to Nomar’s back and handcuffed him quickly.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Nomar shouted, struggling against the cuffs and Leo’s weight.
“Giving you to Gonzalez,” Leo told him calmly.
Gonzalez said from behind him, “Thank you, Leo. He sent word that he has my granddaughter, though.”
“I’ll have her before sunrise,” Leo told him, and he got up from Nomar.
“Leo? Why?” Nomar screamed.
“Do you remember Woody and Emma? You probably don’t. Just two more people that you had raped and killed.”
“Woody? Emma?” Nomar asked in wonder.
“He didn’t remember my granddaughter, either,” Gonzalez mused. “A man in his position should have a better memory. The Hummer you requested is right back there. Keys are inside. I’ll take this from here.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I have her,” Leo told him, and he started at a jog for the waiting Hummer.
“Leo! Leo! Don’t do this!” Nomar shouted at him.
“Woody and Emma probably screamed the same thing,” he said to the darkness.
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
The black Hummer was nearly an exact copy of the ones they had taken out to the airstrip earlier, all the way down to the molded chain license plate frame. As expected, none of the guards gave Leo a second glance as he drove it up the drive of Nomar’s hacienda and parked it right in front of the main doors. The place was manned by a skeleton crew anyway, since all of the staff and most of the guards had been moved to the La Jolla house.
Pablo, Nomar’s son, was with Isa, the boy’s nanny. Just to be safe, however, Leo pulled out his Glock and chambered a round, holding it down to his side as he walked down the familiar hall to his own room.
In his room, he grabbed his overnight canvas gym bag and stuffed it with the watches, jewelry, and cash he had in the drawers, leaving the clothing. He also put his laptop into the bag. Then he left the room and made his way to the master bedroom.
SAUL Page 52
