Baldwin commented, “Thanks, Jack. Now, everyone note, as soon as we arrive, squads one and two set up and wait for my command to open fire. But you hear us fire, then open up if you see a target. If you’re spotted, defend yourself. Pete and I will proceed to the back door, while Jack and Maggie cover the front.”
I interjected, “There are big windows in the front and back, so it’s easy to see inside if the lights are on.”
“Ok, when Pete and I breach the rear door and enter the building, you and Maggie follow in through the front. Before entering, we need to locate Adam,” Baldwin advised.
Maggie asked, “What if he’s not in the main building?”
“Good point,” Baldwin said. “If he’s not in the main building then we’ll need to carefully search each one until we find him. Our job is to find Adam before any assault begins. The squads will provide overwatch protection. They got our backs.”
I looked at the time because the sun was getting low in the sky. It was 6 pm and Baldwin said, “Let’s proceed to Route 89. We’ll stop there to rest, eat, check our weapons, and review the plan again before proceeding. I’d like us to be in position at the target shortly after midnight.”
We drove on, 70 more miles, to the Route 89 intersection and pulled to the side of the road, out of sight. We were well-concealed from any traffic that might pass by, which could possibly give us away to the nomads.
Here for the next few hours, we made ready to do battle with the nomad bandits. Everyone checked their gear, guns, radios, ammo, and water supplies.
MAY 27, 2026
WUPAKTI
It was just after midnight on the 27th of May, as my squad rolled onto Loop Road, at the northern entrance to Wupakti ruins. We stopped about three miles from the Visitor Center. Everyone knew what to do and how important this mission was.
The two Hums, short for Humvees as I call them, set up a roadblock on Loop Road, as planned. Four men would remain there, guarding the road not letting any vehicles or persons pass during this operation. It was after midnight and we figured that anyone driving around that late would be a bogie, so we would shoot first and ask questions later.
It was a little chilly with a slight breeze blowing across the open desert. The sky was clear, exposing millions of stars and a half moon. It was surprising to me just how much the stars and half moon lit up the night. Once your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you almost didn’t need night vision. But our night vision is the best FLIR system money can buy. It shows the body heat of a target as small as a mouse. You can’t hide behind a bush to be safe from our rounds.
I was very anxious and wanted to find Adam quickly, praying that he was still alive, and had not been beaten or tortured. If he had been, there would be hell to pay. As I have always said, I hate bullies and people who harm children in any manner. The only justice for these sick bastards is a bullet in the head. That solves everything, in my opinion.
We were getting ready to move out on foot for the three-mile hike. Maggie asked, “Should we bring the dogs?”
I thought about it for a minute. If we bring our guard dogs, Adolf and Freda, they could give us away with one bark. On the other hand, if we can’t locate Adam, they could sniff him out no matter what building he was in.
“I don’t wanna risk bringing the dogs. They could give us away with one bark and blow the mission, getting Adam killed and maybe some of us,” I said.
Maggie nodded her head in agreement, and put the dogs back inside the truck so they wouldn’t follow us. Our squad was made up of ten people. Maggie and I along with eight Templar Warriors, who would be our support team and cover our backs. They would take positions on the east side and the south side of the visitor center compound. Baldwin’s men would be on the west and north side.
We were dressed in our standard black SWAT-type combat gear, which made us look like Ninjas. We would blend in with the shadows even on a star-lit night, making us invisible to the enemy.
Our men would select the best positions to cover us once they arrived at the target zone. My crude map with the X’s only suggested positions for the overwatch crews to locate. They would decide the exact spots based on their experience.
We would approach the Visitors Center, staying off the main road in case there were any cameras. Once the Warriors had located their overwatch positions, Maggie and I would proceed to the rendezvous point, meeting up with Baldwin and Pete. We had to circle around to the north side, crossing over the visitor center driveway, to link up with them.
A little more than an hour had passed. The radio crackled. “We’re in place,” Baldwin said. “Over.”
I pushed the radio button, “Our men are in place. We’re on the way over to you now. Don’t shoot us by mistake. Over.”
The radio hissed, “Ha, ha. Jack, we wouldn’t do that. Over.”
“Very funny, asshole.”
Maggie and I kept a low profile and crossed the driveway, meeting Baldwin and Pete with no problems.
Baldwin got on the horn again, speaking to everyone. “If anyone has an eye on a bogie, speak up.” No one replied. So far we have not seen any nomads.
The four of us were about a hundred feet away from the building, kneeling behind some small shrubs. We could see dim lights in the main room and in one of the housing units located on the northeast side. Thank God these stupid jerks didn’t have any security posted. They must have felt smug as a bug in a rug.
Baldwin said, “Pete and I will proceed to the back door and try to get a look-see inside. I’ll radio you when I do.”
“Roger that. We’ll sit tight until you give us the ok to move up.”
Maggie and I watched as they kept low moving across the desert, and around the building to the rear door. I scanned the front door using my FLIR and didn’t see a soul.
I said, “Maggie, keep your eyes open.”
Then, a body flashed by the front window, blocking the light for an instant. It was just a shadow-like figure. I radioed George. “I just saw someone walk by the front window.”
A whisper came back. “Roger that. I got eyes on him. It’s the guy with the eye patch and black head bandana.”
“Adam has to be in that room.”
“He is, Jack. Move your butts up to the front door fast, because we’re going in. I count six bogies. Two are awake and four seem to be asleep.”
Maggie and I ran the 100 feet in record time. I radioed George, “We’re here.” I peeked in the window with Maggie to determine exactly where these jerks were at.
“Going in now, Jack.”
“Roger that. We’re right behind you.” We observed George open the rear door and open fire on the two men sitting at the front desk. Maggie and I quickly entered the room and opened up on the four sleeping on the floor, but now they were awake. Startled, they reached for AK47’s. We gunned them down before they could turn a weapon on us. Everyone was quickly terminated without them firing a single shot.
I wish I had a video of it. The four of us firing M4s on full automatic pumping lead into these dirt bags; watching the bodies jumping around as if an invisible string was making them move. Blood was splattered all over the room, covering the white walls with spots of crimson red.
We stopped firing. Pete went to make sure the rest of the building was clear. I glanced around the room. Adam wasn’t here. George told me he was here. I panicked and grabbed George by the shoulders. “Where’s Adam at? You said he was here.”
“Take it easy, Jack. He’s here alright.”
Then the restroom door squeaked opened. I raised my M4 putting my finger on the trigger getting ready to squeeze. Baldwin grabbed my arm and stood in front of me.
“You don’t wanna shoot your Grandson, do you? He ran into the washroom when we entered to keep from being shot by the bad guys. Smart kid.”
Suddenly we heard gunfire from outside. The radio hissed, “Boss, five tangos are terminated. It’s all clear out here. Over.”
“Roger that. It’s all clear in her
e.” Baldwin replied. “Hold your positions until further notice. There’s no need for an extraction.”
Adam ran to me and we tightly embraced each other. Then Maggie joined in hugging us both. Captain Baldwin joined in, making it a big group hug.
Adam had tears in his eyes. He said, “I knew you would come for me, Grandpa. I told them you would kill them all for kidnapping me. They laughed at me.”
I held Adams face in my hands and carefully examined it. He had some bruises and a black eye. I said, “They beat you.”
“Yeah, a little but I’m ok. They wanted to know where the treasure was.”
“I know, White Feather told them about the treasure.”
“Yeah, that’s right. How did you know that?”
“We found White Feather and he told us. We also found out White Feather was friends with these guys at one time.”
Adam said, “I could tell he knew them. They were friendly to him at first. But when they hurt me he did step in and tried to stop them. Then they beat him up pretty good. Somehow he escaped, and boy that pissed them off. They searched for him all night.”
“Well, I have to admit White Feather did help us find you by providing some information.”
“Is he here?” Adam asked.
“No, he chickened out.”
Adam glanced around the room at the dead bodies. He counted them and said in a whisper, “One man missing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. There were seven men here and there are only six bodies.”
Walking over to George, I advised him in a whisper what Adam had just told me. Baldwin nodded and hand signaled Pete. They went to perform another sweep of the building.
I spun around, turning in circles, peering at the room wondering where someone could be hiding. Then I saw it. It was blended into the wall so closely that you could hardly spot it. It was a door to somewhere. I thought, most likely it’s just a closet, with no exit.
Holding my finger to my lips, I warned Adam not to speak. I spoke loud enough to be heard and said, “Well, we got these guys.” I hand motioned for Adam to move to the washroom and waved Maggie over to me.
Maggie came over. “What’s up?”
I pointed to the hidden door and held my finger to my lips. I said loudly, “They’re all dead so let’s get out of here.” Whispering in her ear, I told her someone is hiding behind that door, so follow my lead, as I pointed at the wall.
We shuffled our feet and walked past the door, while observing it. I didn’t see a doorknob, so I figured it was the kind of door you push in a little and it will pop open on its own.
We very quietly moved back in front of the door. I hand signaled Maggie to make ready her M4. She stood back a few steps, off to the side. The problem was, I didn’t know what side the hinges were on, which would determine whether the door would open to the left or right. I guessed the hinges were on the left, based on the layout of the room. That meant that Maggie had a good position for a shot.
I pushed on the door and it popped open an inch, just as I thought it would. Grabbing the door frame I swiftly pulled it open. The nomad was standing inside the small room with his hands up. He mumbled, “Don’t shoot. I surrender.” He didn’t have a gun.
I said, “Hold our fire, Maggie, while I zip tie this bastard up.”
“Come on, Jack, let’s kill the asshole now.”
“No, not yet. I want some information.”
This guy was a dirty looking creep with curly black hair and beady eyes. He wore a plaid shirt and blue jeans. His facial features looked Mexican or Mexican-Indian to me. He had a black bandana tied around his forehead. He was a short little asshole, about five foot four, weighing around one-hundred thirty pounds.
I pulled out a zip-cuff, dragged him out of the closet, and ruffed him up a bit. I gave him a gun barrel to the gut, hard, that made him double over and fall to his knees. Then I cuffed him really tight. I knew the cuffs would cut off the circulation to his hands in a few minutes. They would turn numb and he would lose all feeling after an hour. In the meantime, he would be in real pain from the cuffs.
He said, “Hey man, these cuffs are killing me.”
“Shut up, dork.” I didn’t give a shit about his pain. I wanted to inflict more pain on this piece of crap. I yanked him up by the cuffs, almost dislocating his shoulders in the process. He screamed loudly which made me feel good.
Adam came out of the washroom, and at the same time, Pete and Baldwin returned.
“Hey, you found him,” Pete said.
“Yeah, he was in that hidden closet,” I replied, as I pointed to the open door in the wall.
Adam said, “He’s the guy who beat me.”
“I’m sorry, but I had to, kid. I didn’t really hurt you and I could have,” he said.
“You’re a liar! Grandpa, he’s one of the leaders.”
“What’s your name,” I asked.
“Pablo.”
“That’s a Mexican name. Is your gang made up of Mexicans?”
“Some are, but not all.”
“Well Pablo, your gonna tell me what I want to know. If you don’t, I’ll hurt you real bad. Hold on to your teeth because this is gonna hurt.” I took the butt of my M4 and slammed it into his face as hard as I could. He fell to the floor knocked out cold from the blow. I wanted him to know that I would hurt him.
Maggie dribbled some water over his face to wake him up.
He came to in few minutes. Blood was flowing out of his mouth as he mumbled, “You’re going to kill me anyway … so why should I talk?”
“I’ll make you a deal. If you talk and tell the truth, I won’t kill you. If you don’t talk, you will suffer unbearable pain before you die.” I pulled out my trusty Black Bear fighting knife and waved it in front of his face. “Pablo, I know how to make people talk.”
In a swift move, I grabbed his left ear and sliced it off. It was like cutting warm butter. He screamed, “You’re crazy! I’ll talk … I’ll talk!” Blood ran down the side of his face and neck.
I held his ear up to my mouth and shouted into it. “Yes, I am crazy! Can you hear me?” He nodded his head yes, very quickly up and down. “You know, it makes me sad that you wanna talk because I wanted to cut off more body parts.” I threw the bloody ear into his face.
Maggie commented, “Yeah, it also makes me sad, because I wanted to cut off his little prick.” She pulled out her Barong Machete and swung it in a circle over her head.
This is Maggie’s favorite weapon. It is the weapon of choice for the Amazon Warriors who guard our island home, named Tocabaga. The Barong is made from 1055 hardened steel and has an 18-inch long leaf-shaped blade. It is so sharp you can shave with it. Maggie is very skillful with this weapon. She has killed several dirtbags by slicing off their heads, as well as other body parts.
We both laughed, acting like we were really nuts. Pablo looked at us with wide open eyes and said, “Ok … I’ll tell you … whatever you wanna know.” His voice quivered in fear as he spoke.
“Pablo, then we got a deal. I won’t cut you or kill you as long as you talk.”
“Does that include me?” Maggie asked.
“Maggie, you can’t cut him as long as he talks.”
“Damn it anyhow, Jack. You always ruin the fun.”
I asked, “Mr. Pablo, tell us who’s in charge of this group of misfits?”
“Your boy is right. I am one of the leaders. There are three of us,” Pablo replied.
“What are the other names?”
“Pancho and Aba.”
“Where are they now?”
Pablo laughed and said, “They went to find the treasure In the Grand Canyon, which your boy told us about.” He started to laugh louder.
I slapped him in the head with the barrel of my carbine. “What’s so funny ass-wipe?”
He stopped laughing. “Nothing really. I just thought it was funny that they’ll beat you to the treasure because your boy told us everything.”
<
br /> Adam was watching the interrogation and said, “That’s not true, Grandpa.”
I waved my hand at Adam and told him, “It’s ok, it doesn’t matter. These nitwits couldn’t find shit, even if they stepped in it.”
Baldwin said, “We’re going outside to check on my men, and explore this compound. Maybe we’ll find something.”
“Ok, take Adam with you.”
Captain Baldwin nodded and said, “Grand Master, please come with me.”
As they walked outside, I heard George get on the radio ordering the trucks to move up to the Visitor Center.
I had never heard Captain Baldwin call Adam the Grand Master before. He would always just bow and really never gave him a title of superiority. It was true that Adam was the Grand Master of the modern Templar Warriors. The Warriors all vowed to follow him after they had witnessed the Sword of Jerusalem behead Christian de Molay, thereby protecting Adam. It was clear that the holy relic had supernatural powers, and in the hands of Adam, it made him invincible. Maybe Adam had gained a little respect after having under gone the terrible kidnapping without any complaining. Adam is only thirteen years old, but it seems he took it like a man.
I continued my questioning. “How many men do they have?”
Pablo said, “Fifteen men went to the canyon.”
“How many men total do you have?”
“We had twenty-seven, including me, until you killed everyone here.”
“What are they looking for in the canyon?”
“You know, the Hooked X to find the treasure.”
It seems that someone, either Adam or White Feather, told them about the Hooked X. I’ll ask Adam later just how much he told them. But in reality, it didn’t matter, because they couldn’t find the treasure until the summer solstice, which was in June.
“How well do they know the canyon?”
“Pretty well. Aba has been down in the canyon many times. He’s somewhat of an expert, because he knows all the trails.”
TEMPLARS QUEST: LUCEM SANCTAM (THE TEMPLARS QUEST CHRONICLES: A Historical Mystery Book 3) Page 4
