The Russian’s face contorted with hate. “Eric. So that is being your name true name then, little cunt. I will be remembering it for when I am gutting you like pig.”
“Kas, insults ain’t worth tits on a turtle coming from you. Neither are threats, for that matter.”
Eric moved left to keep a vector on the Russian as I stepped behind him. “If he moves, kill him,” I said.
“Gladly.”
I swiveled my rifle around on its sling to free up my hands. Just as I was reaching back to grab a couple of zip-ties, the Russian sprang up.
The top of his head caught me in the jaw and rocked my head back. My tongue got caught between my teeth and I tasted blood to go along with a jolting shot of pain. Before I had a chance to reach back for my weapon, the Russian had turned into me and slammed a fist into my solar plexus. He was standing directly between Eric and me, and if Eric pulled the trigger at this range, the bullet would go straight through and shoot the both of us.
“Gabe, get down!”
Kasikov grabbed me by the web gear straps on my chest and, before I had time to do anything about it, he shoulder-tossed me straight at Eric. I had time to think, Christ, this fucker is fast, and then I slammed into my friend. I managed to get a grip on Kasikov’s shirt as he threw me, dragging him along for the ride, and the three of us hit the deck in a tangle of limbs.
Kasikov got back to his feet first and swung a kick at Eric’s hand. The toe caught him just below the wrist, and the pistol went flying. He aimed another kick at his head, but Eric got his arms up just in time and cross-blocked it, trapped the Russian’s ankle, and lashed out with a kick aimed at his knee. Kasikov saw it coming and turned so that instead of getting his knee broken, it simply buckled from behind and dumped him onto his back.
Between the punch and the throw, I still hadn’t managed to draw a breath through any of the exchange. My tongue was a screaming ball of fire in my mouth, and I had to spit out a mouthful of blood to keep from choking on it. I got up to one knee, only to have Kasikov rip his leg free from Eric’s grip, pivot around on his back like a breakdancer, and swing a boot into my jaw. My vision exploded, and I toppled over backward, striking the back of my head on the cinder-block false front bordering the roof.
He aimed another kick at Eric, but missed as Eric flipped through the air in a capoeira-style, no-hands cartwheel. Dimly, I wondered where the hell he had learned to do that. Eric landed just next to the Russian, dropped down into the knee-on-belly position, and started raining down punches. Three of them landed before Kasikov could move an arm to block, and then, to my surprise, he bridged up on the back of his neck and did a hip-switch, throwing Eric to the side. That was a fairly advanced technique. Where did this guy learn to fight like that?
Not waiting for the bigger man to mount an offensive, Eric lunged forward in a somersault and popped back up to his feet in a fighting stance. The Russian got up, reached under the back of his shirt, and drew a fighting knife. I recognized it immediately—a Soviet era NR-40 combat knife. I had seen many like it before.
Eric saw the knife, and his eyes darted over to the weapons lying on the ground next to the men he had killed a few moments ago. Kasikov moved to his right, cutting Eric off from getting to them.
“Now, my friend. I am to be gutting you like pig.”
Eric’s face darkened, and he tightened up his fighting stance. “Bring it on, bitch.”
I rolled my eyes. Enough of this shit. The illuminator was still on my web belt. I took it out and pointed it at the Russian. “Eric, hit the deck!”
The Russian spun around, surprised. He must have thought he’d knocked me out with that kick. Behind him, Eric dropped. I grinned through bloody teeth, and pushed the button on the illuminator. Kasikov had a half-second to register what it was, and then his chest burst open in a crimson geyser. Gore and bone shards peppered me, splattering my chest and face. The Russian slumped to the ground.
I reached up and keyed the mike at my neck. “Took your fucking time, didn’t you?”
“I am sorry.” Great Hawk’s voice came back. “I did not have a shot until your friend dropped to the ground. Just so you know, I had already pulled the trigger when you activated the illuminator. It was not really necessary.”
“Just making sure you knew who was who.”
“Who are you talking to?” Eric asked as he walked over to me.
“Great Hawk. He’s on overwatch.”
Eric helped me sit up and looked over his shoulder. “Took his sweet-ass time, didn’t he?”
I chuckled, wincing in pain. “That’s what I told him.”
“So where is he?”
“ ’Bout a klick south of here, set up on a hilltop.”
He looked at Kasikov’s corpse. “That’s a hell of a shot.”
“I gave him my .338.”
“Ah. That’ll do it.”
I handed Eric my flashlight. “Would you mind taking a look at my tongue? I bit the shit out of it when that fucker head-butted me.”
He clicked it on and looked. By his expression, I was guessing it wasn’t pretty. “Yeah, you cut a little chunk off the tip there.”
I took the flashlight from him and reached back for a first aid kit. “Give me just a minute here.”
“You okay man?” Eric asked. “You took some pretty bad licks.”
“I’m fine. Just not as quick as I used to be.”
He patted me on the shoulder, smiling. “You did fine. Most people would be dead. That son of a bitch was fast, though. Wasn’t he?”
“You ain’t lyin’.”
I folded a patch of gauze over my tongue and held it in place until the bleeding subsided, then spit it out and walked over to the dead Russian. Eric had already rolled him over onto his back and was checking his pockets.
“Does he have something we need?” I asked.
“There’s a key … got it.”
I checked the other bodies and the backpacks next to them, but found only weapons, food, water, medical supplies, a few baggies of marijuana, and several bottles of liquor. Nothing that revealed any information about the Legion.
“You have any luck over there?” I asked.
Eric sat back on his heels and let out a disappointed sigh. “Nope. Just the key to the women’s shackles.”
Just as he was about to stand up, his eyes shifted to the Russian’s wrist and he picked it up, pulling back the shirtsleeve. “What do you make of this? Looks like some kind of military insignia to me.”
I walked over and knelt down, shining a light. “Holy fuck.”
“What?”
I moved the dead man’s arm so that Eric could see it. “That’s emblem for Spetsnaz GRU. This guy was a fucking Russian commando. No wonder he kicked our asses.”
“Actually, he only kicked your ass.”
I scowled at him, and then my eyes drifted over to the pile of Kalashnikovs the raiders had been carrying. Eric followed my gaze.
“You think?” he asked.
“I can’t say for sure. But I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Eric stood up and put his hands on his hips, looking down at the dead marauders. “What the hell is going on here, Gabe?”
I got to my feet and stood next to him. “I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”
Chapter 24
The Journal of Gabriel Garrett:
Assets
I called Great Hawk down from his hide.
Eric and I cached the marauders’ weapons in the manager’s office of the drug store, then dragged their corpses into the refrigerator of the McDonald’s. The reek of moldering flesh would soon join the stench of long-spoiled food, but the seal on the door would trap most of it in.
We set up camp on the roof of the garage down the street and waited for Great Hawk to arrive. Having retrieved my ghillie suit and pack, I took out the satellite phone and called the prearranged number that connected directly to Captain McCray’s office.
He answered immediately.
“This is Alpha. How copy?”
“Alpha, this is Wolf. Copy loud and clear. Subject acquired, five by five. Three ECs down. AO green.”
“Nice work, Wolf.” His voice sounded relieved. “Where’s Hawk?”
“En route. Will establish comms for subject debrief.”
“Very well. Reestablish comms via VTC.”
“Wilco. Wolf out.”
Eric scooped another sporkful of corned beef hash from his MRE and scarfed it down. “Okay, so in English, what just happened there?”
“I told him we found you, killed three hostiles, and that you’re uninjured. We’re safe, and the area is clear. When Great Hawk gets here, we’ll debrief you via video teleconference.”
“So why didn’t you just say that? Why all the jargon?”
I frowned at him. “It’s called brevity. Getting messages across quickly and concisely, with no confusion. The military does shit the way it does for a reason, Eric.”
He smiled at me, put down his food, and leaned forward to throw his arms around my shoulders, squeezing hard. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see your ugly-ass face, Gabe.”
I laughed in spite of myself and patted him on the back. “I’m happy to see you too, old friend. Now get the hell off me.”
He sat back down and picked up his food. “How’s Allison doing? She okay?”
“She’s fine. Busy as hell, and worried about you, but fine.”
He nodded, his hands slowly falling to his lap, eyes distant. “God, I miss her. I can’t wait to get home. I can’t believe it’s only been six weeks. Feels like forever.”
“Just imagine how she feels.”
“Yeah.” He was silent for a while after that.
I heard footsteps approaching, and looked through my goggles to see Great Hawk drawing near. I climbed down to help him carry up his equipment, and once we were settled, the Apache dug a touchscreen device out of his pack, touched a few icons, dialed a number, and in a few seconds, Steve’s face appeared on the screen. Great Hawk propped the tablet on an old roof-mounted A/C unit, and we all sat back far enough for the Army captain to see us.
“Damn good to see you alive, Riordan. Do you need medical attention?”
“No, I’m fine. Listen, Steve, we need to get things moving here. We don’t have much time.”
Steve’s eyes went flat. “What do you mean?”
Eric told us his story, and relayed all the intelligence he had gathered. From start to finish, it took a little over two hours. When he mentioned the supply cache with the Chinese rifles, Russian ammo, and Korean shipping manifests, I saw something flicker across Steve’s face.
“What do you make of that, Captain?” I asked, pointedly.
He sat still, his face blank. Several seconds passed. “Gentlemen, you deserve an answer to that question, but right now, there’s no time. It would take too long to explain. Furthermore, it’s irrelevant to the task at hand. We can discuss it once the Legion has been dealt with, and you’re all home safe.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but Eric held up a hand. “He’s right, Gabe. There’s no time. We’ll deal with it later.”
It was frustrating, but I bit down on my retort and let Eric continue. By the time he was finished, the mood had grown decidedly grim.
“Lucian is the key to all of this,” Eric said. “If we can get our hands on him, we can find out everything there is to know about the Legion. Their numbers, alliances, bases, supply caches, everything. He’s the mastermind behind their whole operation. And the sooner we get him, the better. He’s planning an offensive against Hollow Rock, and there’s no telling when he’ll leave Central to oversee it. If that happens, we might not get another chance to capture him. We’ll be back to square one.”
For the first time that night, Great Hawk spoke up. “I do not believe that Lucian is the only leader. The evidence is clear that someone is helping the Legion. There is a larger group, probably the Midwest Alliance, that is giving them troops and equipment. From what you are telling us, their numbers have doubled from what Captain McCray thought they were a few months ago. There is no way they have grown so much by capturing people as they did with you. Also, there is the matter of the Spetsnaz commando. I believe there is a larger game being played.”
Steve tried to keep his face blank, but I saw his jaw twitch, and he didn’t quite keep all the irritation out of his voice. “That may be, Great Hawk, but again, it’s irrelevant to the task at hand. I agree with Riordan; we need to capture this Lucian character, and as many other insurgent leaders as we can. We have assets not far from your location. We need to mount an offensive against that warehouse, and we need to take Lucian and his lieutenants alive. Eric, how long before the Legion starts searching for your crew?”
“We’re not expected back for a week, and it took us two days to get here. So a minimum of nine days before the Legion realizes their men are missing.”
“Good. That will give us more than enough time to send in infantry and air support. It’ll be tricky maneuvering around the Legion’s patrols, but there’s nothing for it. If we have to engage them, we will.”
“Steve, I think you’re forgetting something,” Eric said.
The captain’s eyebrows came together. “What?”
“The hostages. There’s more than thirty women being held as sex slaves, and at least forty men working in the tunnels.”
McCray nodded. “We’ll have to take steps to ensure their safety. But for now, I’ll get on the horn and get the ball rolling with the reinforcements. Grabovsky, Wilkins, and Marshall will be airborne within the hour. I’ll give them your info and have them contact you. The unit closest to you is a Ranger platoon. They’ll be under orders to split in two, with one of our people as liaison to each squad.”
“They are not going to like that, Captain,” Great Hawk intoned.
“Right now, I couldn’t give less of a shit what they like or don’t like. I’ve been dealing with the Legion for over six months, and I’m ready to put an end to this mess. Make no mistake, gentlemen, this is a full-court press. I’m throwing everything I have at this, including the kitchen sink. So fuck the politics, and let’s get this done. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Eric said, speaking for all of us.
Steve turned his head, and I heard the rustling of papers being shuffled off camera. “I think the best way to proceed is to have the two squads of Rangers approach from the north and the east, respectively. They’re closest, so they’ll be in position first. I’ll take charge of the Hollow Rock militia personally, and cover the south flank. Anyone who escapes will be driven west, right into the waiting arms of an entire company from the First Reconnaissance Expeditionary. I know those people; I served in that brigade for eight months. They’re out of Fort Bragg, and every last one of them has seen action. The Legion won’t stand a chance.”
“There’s still the matter of the tunnels,” Eric said. “If we just go at them head-on, then when the fighting starts, a lot of Legion troops will try to escape that way. That will make it difficult to rescue the hostages.”
“Okay. What do you suggest we do about it?”
“We don’t want this to be a slugfest. Too many of the wrong people could get killed. This needs to be a surgical strike. I have a plan, but it hinges on whether or not you can provide me with what I need.”
Steve said, “And what would that be?”
“First, I need these two guys.” He pointed his thumbs at Great Hawk and me. “We’ll also need a few soldiers to help us. Maybe five or six men altogether. Seasoned veterans only, no newbies. They need to have experience conducting operations at night, preferably in an urban environment.”
“That can be arranged,” Steve said. “What else?”
“I know a way in that won’t alert the men in the warehouse, but we’ll have to take out the perimeter watch and a few other guards to make it happen. How many snipers do we have at our disposal?”
He leaned back in his chair and thought for a
few seconds. “Each squad, both Rangers and regular infantry, have designated marksmen. But full-fledged snipers? Including you, Great Hawk, and Garrett, that gives us maybe seven or eight.”
“That should be enough. Can we outfit them with the same long-range thermals as these two?” Eric gestured to Great Hawk and me.
Steve grimaced. “We can, but I’ll have to call in some favors.”
“Call whoever you have to. Just get us those scopes.”
“Before I do that, how about you lay out your plan?”
Eric did.
I could tell he had been thinking about it for a while. It was careful, methodical, and detailed. He had thought through solutions to every contingency it was possible to anticipate. As for the rest, we would just have to adapt and overcome. But on the whole, it was a good plan, and I said as much to Captain McCray. He agreed, and Great Hawk offered no objections.
“Lucky for you, the Rangers have a couple of Barretts on hand. Between that, and Garrett’s .338, you should have all the firepower you need. But once you get the hostages out, haul ass. I’m not going to wait long to send in the cavalry. If you can, grab that Lucian bastard while you’re at it.”
“We’ll keep an eye out for him,” I said.
“Very well. I’ll have the Pave Hawk make a supply drop as soon as I can. In the meantime, you three get some rest, and get ready to move out at first light. I want you to get back to the Legion’s encampment and conduct surveillance. Keep me in the loop, and stay in touch with the other operators. I want this to go smoothly, gentlemen. No fuck-ups.”
“I have a question,” Eric said.
“Go ahead.”
“If you’re leading the militia, who is going to be coordinating things back in Hollow Rock?”
“General Jacobs is on his way as we speak. He should be here in the next twenty-four hours. He’ll be overseeing the operation personally.”
“This must be important to the top brass,” I said. Steve’s eyes shifted in the camera image. “Isn’t it unusual for the head of Special Operations Command to personally take part in combat operations?”
Surviving the Dead 03: Warrior Within Page 32
