by Martin Cox
Alex and his team had rapidly reached the proximity of Sperafico’s fort. They were all accounted for. Crouching down, each took a sip from their water canisters. Two men moved a little closer taking out their Rangefinders, positioning themselves in order to see into the compound. Their Rangefinders had built in cameras able to take stills or two minutes of footage. The trees made it difficult to obtain a perfect view, but a small amount of data was recorded, the two men then made their way back to the rest of the unit. Alex sat and watched the playback on Dylan’s hand console. The walls of the fort were damaged in places and wire fences had been put up. Dylan recognised one of the men instantly.
‘It’s Sam Maddox. He’s a nasty piece of work. Used to be secret service in Washington, until they sacked him for a string of unanswered killings. He’s been rogue for about five years, hiring himself out to the highest bidder. If he’s there, there is bound to be superlative security, motion sensors and sound detection. I’ll do a sweep of the area to see if I can pin point them.’ Dylan turned off the footage and scrolled down the menu, his fingers tapping the screen numerous times. He waited a few seconds. Alex was impatient and asked for the verdict.
‘Well, what have we got?’
‘I can fix the motion detectors, but the sound detectors are beyond this equipment.’ Alex was silent for a moment, a noticeable bounce in his squatting position. It was clear that what ever Jack may have had planned for Sperafico, he wouldn’t have got very far.
‘Find us the best route. We have to get in somehow.’
‘I know that our friend is in there, but I think you need to remain focused.’ Dylan whispered. Alex turned to Dylan, a glint of openness in his eyes, nodding in agreement. A few minutes later he came back with a look on his face that told Alex he hadn’t found an answer.
‘There are sensors everywhere, the only suggestion I can make is to set them off purposely and bide our time. Alarm systems sometimes have problems with false positive activation, if we set them off enough they will assume there is a fault. We’ll have to keep watch and hopefully catch the moment when they stop investigating the alarm.’ It was a plan and the only one they had. The men gathered and Alex explained what they had to do. Camouflaged against the jungle, the alarms were triggered.
Sam Maddox was alerted by the triggered alarm from a pager on his belt. He made his way into the control room to find out what section had initiated the warning. The security cameras swung round displaying a wide angled view of the area. But there was nothing there.
‘What system has been triggered?’ Maddox asked, staring at the screen closely, as he controlled the full scan of the camera’s range.
‘The sound detection sir, but no motion has been detected,’ the technician answered. Maddox went into the courtyard and once again interrupted two men smoking. From the small window Jack could see Maddox issuing orders to the two men who promptly left the compound and ran off into the surrounding jungle. Jack continued to scrape away at the window surround, stopping every time a guard past. A few minutes later, Jack watched as the men returned. It was only seconds later, that he saw Maddox check the pager on his belt for the second time. The two men again entered the jungle. Jack climbed back down the human ladder to give himself, and the two men, a rest.
‘There’s something upsetting their security system,’ Jack began.
‘Either that or it’s on the fritz. One thing is for sure though, we would have never got near the place without being detected. This could be a good opportunity, if I keep at it we may be out at night fall.’ His face was confident and the others felt the hope of escape.
Alex and Blue Company remained silent and composed, entwined with the jungle’s foliage. On three different occasions, two men were seen investigating the noise disturbance and on the fourth no one came. The team took that moment and triggered the alarm once more; again no one was to be seen. Dylan had managed to find a path, avoiding the cameras as best as they could. He disabled the motion detectors and they made their way closer to the fort. Carefully and quietly they positioned themselves just outside the walls.
‘Ok, send in the GEKO.’ Alex ordered. Dylan opened up his backpack and took out a small plastic box. He opened it and removed a small, metal robot about seven centimetres long and resembling a small lizard. GEKO stood for Geomatic Electronic Knowledge Operative. It had the most up to date on-board cameras, all with heat detection and night sight abilities, digital microphone and the unique ability to climb up almost any surface. Dylan activated the GEKO, controlling it with his handset. It scurried off towards the wire fencing, manoeuvred through and into the compound. With the cameras, Dylan was able to see in all directions, moving forward only when the coast was clear. They triggered the sound alarm again. The GEKO scuttled across the courtyard and up a wall on to a small flat roof. From that position, it was able to look out at the surrounding area, identifying guard positions and the exterior layout. One of the cameras picked up on an open doorway. It rapidly moved towards it and disappeared inside. The cameras reverted to night vision, as it approached a dark staircase. Dylan manoeuvred it to the wall where it took hold and descended downwards into the dark. At the base of the stairs Dylan could see four large doors down a long corridor. He switched to thermal imaging. Behind the last door, the camera identified a large heat source. He had found them. Dylan signalled to Alex and the team, giving them the route to take. They crouched in position. The wire fence was cut and a small section silently removed.
Anjo was sitting on the sofa, staring into space. She turned towards the door as Sperafico entered. He signalled to the two guards to leave. Anjo turned her head away from the tyrant as he closed the door, turning the large iron key in its lock, ensuring their privacy. He made his way round the back of the sofa, behind Anjo, who continued to turn her head away from a man she greatly despised.
‘I am sorry for the delay, business never sleeps,’ Sperafico said, continuing his saunter around the sofa. Anjo continued her silence and flouting conduct. She knew Sperafico’s intensions. He stood for a very brief moment before speaking again. ‘I could kill you here and now, but I would like to give you the choice to live.’ Anjo rose quickly from the sofa, gained some distance between them, turning, her face red with rage.
‘You’ll have to kill me before I let you touch me with your filthy hands.’ Sperafico laughed out loud.
‘I thought you might say something like that, but this is going to happen, whether you like it or not’. He advanced towards her, a look of the devil in his eye and empowerment in his hands. Anjo picked up a small glass figurine and hurled it at Sperafico. He confidently dodged the hit, tipping his head slightly to the left. It smashed into the solid, stone wall behind. Anjo grabbed another piece of ammunition, this time a square, lead paperweight. She threw it. Sperafico laughed once more as the lead weight flew meters from his head. Just as he was about to speak, wanting to mock her for her useless effort, the paperweight smashed through the window.
The sound of the breaking glass alerted the team. They watched as a group of armed men gathered around the shard fragments. This was it, as good a chance as any. Armed with a new, lightweight, 6.8mm round producing assault rifle, Alex gave the order to shoot at will. Blue company swiftly entered the courtyard and fanned out. They opened fire. The rifle’s suppressors coughing, as each of their targets were forced to the ground with accuracy. One man let off a spray of bullets as he was sent stumbling backwards. On the sound of the firing, Sperafico grabbed Anjo and unlocked the door to the study. In the control room, Sam Maddox had seen Blue Company enter the compound. He had grabbed his two-way radio and issued a warning to all personnel. Maddox met Sperafico as he exited his study.
‘Why is there gunfire?’ he asked, clamping his right hand securely above Anjo’s left elbow.
‘Special Forces have entered the grounds, I suggest you make your way to safety,’ Maddox advised, as he rammed a full cartridge into his M16. ‘And take her as a hostage. They won’t shoot if she�
��s next to you.’ Through their earpieces, Alex’s voice could be heard dividing his team into three. He positioned two men at the entrance to the fort, ordered to secure any one who tried to leave. The second team would find the hostages, release them and give them safe passage out of the fort. The rest would locate Grimlock. Alex headed the team in search of Jack and the other hostages. It didn’t take long to find Grimlock. He was hanging from the noose, his lifeless body swinging in the cooling coastal breeze. The unit spaced themselves out, using the trees as cover. Three men appeared on the rooftop of the fort. They fired their automatic weapons to the ground below. One of the unit was shot in the leg. His buddy grabbed him and pulled him behind a large tree. Sperafico’s men continuously fired. It rained bullets centimetres from the feet of the men. They were trapped. Together the team emerged swiftly from the safety of the trees and fired rapidly at the rooftop. Their aim was precise as one of the men toppled off frontward, slamming head first into the ground below. The other two retreated away from the edge. The wounded leg was inspected and although there was a lot of blood it was only a flesh wound and it was rapidly dressed. One of them quickly took a photo of Grimlock’s corpse and left him there, the others keeping watch. They proceeded around to the back of the fort. There were only a handful of men left in the compound, including Sam Maddox and Sperafico; the fortunate initial attack had taken care of most of them.
Sperafico had taken no chances in exiting by the front gate and had taken Anjo at gunpoint back into his study. He pulled down a large red book. The bookcase slid to the right revealing a set of stairs.
‘I knew it!’ Anjo exclaimed.
‘Shut up,’ Sperafico said angrily, pulling out his mobile phone from his left trouser pocket, switching on the torch application. At the bottom of the staircase was a dark corridor. At the other end, a large wooden door with four large, black hinges. Sperafico turned the large handle, his other hand burying the barrel of his Glock 27 into the base of Anjo’s spine. They both entered the room. The door was kicked shut, the slam echoing in the darkness. The room was small and empty, apart from a small wooden table in the corner that Sperafico illuminated with his torchlight. Sperafico dug the gun further into Anjo’s spine, pushing her towards the table.
‘Stand against the wall and don’t move,’ Sperafico ordered. Anjo stepped back as she watched him rotate one of the table’s spindly legs. With great force the table was tipped on its side, a square of the stone floor rising with it, revealing a deep shaft. He shone the light down into the depth of the hole. The light exposed a wooden ladder to the side of the shaft, fastened with rusting brackets.
‘Get in and don’t try anything stupid.’ Anjo decided to go along, she would have her moment if he let her live long enough. She dropped into the shaft and descended slowly, the air damp, dark and cold. She looked up, shivering slightly, as Sperafico dropped in after her, one hand on the ladder, the other continuing to grip his firearm, pointing it in her direction.
Maddox had taken the two men from the roof and they made way to ground level. They waited at the rear of the building as the five commandos came into view. Maddox opened fire. His M16 vibrated vigorously in his hands, empty shells littering the dusty floor. The other two men joined in. A multitude of bullets sprayed the air. The commandos ducked for cover but there wasn’t much to shelter behind. One took a shot to the head. The other four positioned themselves flat on the ground firing their weapons at an excessive rate. The retaliation sent Maddox ducking for cover, but it was too late for his men. Both received multiple bullets to the chest. Maddox waited for the silence and sprang from the safety of the stone wall. He fired rapidly to the ground and dove back behind the wall, as three bullets practically hit him. His suicidal attempt had wounded another, this time in the shoulder.
Alex and his party had made their way down to the cell level and had switched on the lights. The GEKO was inanimate at the foot of the doorway to Jack’s cell. Four of Blue Company, with Alex and Dylan, had entered the building and made their way down to the cells. Two men stayed at the entrance to the cell section and the others ventured to the door in question. Dylan picked up the GEKO and held it in his hands, inspecting its exterior for damage. The cell door was thick but had a large keyhole. Alex whispered through the opening, hoping to alert them to their presence.
‘If you can hear me, give a response.’ It was Paulo that heard the faint whispers.
‘Yes’
‘Stand back from the door and cover yourselves if you can, do you understand?’
‘Yes,’ Paulo turned, warning the others. Jack descended and huddled them all into the corner and being Jack, tried to spread himself around them. The team placed a small amount of C4 on each of the hinges and into the gap of the door lock. Each was primed with a small remote detonator. The team headed out of the corridor and the trigger was pressed. Both parties on either side of the door had placed their fingers firmly in their ears. The C4 exploded. A significant rumble echoed through the building.
Maddox had retreated to the armoury. He felt the slight tremor of the explosion, ‘That must be the cells,’ he announced to the two remaining men. They all grabbed another two magazines for their rifles and attached grenade launchers. ‘Don’t spare the bullets,’ Maddox said angrily. They left the armoury and headed for the cells.
The door to the cells had suffered severe damage and it was lying on the floor in pieces. From the dust and smoke, Jack emerged, stepping over the debris. Alex was pleased to see him.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Jack asked.
‘Where the hell are your boots?’ Alex replied.
‘Well, we did have an escape plan.’
‘Was it to knock out the guards with your smelly feet?’ Alex said laughing. Paulo passed Jack his boots and he quickly put them on.
‘Right, we need to get out of here,’ Alex began, ‘the rest of the unit are looking for Grimlock, were here to retrieve him and finish off Sperafico.’
‘He has Anjo. Have you found her? There’s no telling what he might have done to her,’ Jack said, with concern.
‘If she is still alive and he has the sense, he will be holding her hostage.’ Alex swung a rifle from his shoulder and passed it to Jack. ‘It’s all loaded and ready, so lets finish what you came here to do.’ Jack didn’t have time to inspect the weapon; the echoes of gunfire at the end of the corridor startled him and the rest of the group.
‘Maddox,’ Dylan said. The two commandos at the entrance to the cells had held their positions and were returning fire. Maddox and the two men were at the top of the staircase, firing erratically down to the lower floor with no idea of what they were shooting at. The furious noise of the bullets continued. The two commandos fired continuously in retaliation but were unable see their targets either. Neither party could advance. There was a moment’s silence. Just as Maddox launched a grenade into the cell area, one landed at the feet of the other two men. The two exploded simultaneously. In the confined space of the cell area the explosion took out both of the commandos and sent a dust cloud swirling down the corridor to the cells. Maddox’s men had attempted to jump for safety but were unsuccessful. Maddox looked around and considered his options. He turned and ran for his Jeep. The group in the cell area listened to the silence. Alex sent two of his team to investigate. They discovered the charred bodies of their colleagues then made their way silently up the stairs, fingers poised on their triggers. Hugging the wall, they reached the top just in time to hear the sound of the gunfire from the front gate.
The two men stationed at the fort’s entrance had concealed themselves at the sound of the Jeep leaving and fired upon its tyres as it exited into the surrounding jungle. The Jeep came to an abrupt halt.
‘Throw down your weapons and step out of the vehicle,’ the young commando said, peering through the sight of his rifle, which was aimed precisely at the back of Maddox’s head. He threw his rifle to the floor and stepped out of the Jeep.
‘Turn around slo
wly, we have you covered, any false moves, will be taken as hostile.’ The two commandos approached as Maddox turned around. One gave him a pat-down down, as the other held his position. The commando found nothing. They secured Maddox’s hands behind his back with plasticuffs and marched him back into the compound as the rest of party emerged from the fort.
CHAPTER 11
Anjo had been waiting for an opportunity to gain control of the situation she was in. Sperafico had obviously visualised such an attempt and had made every effort to keep on his guard. The ladder’s outlet had been in the side of the cliffs, beyond the fort. The sea spray rained on their faces, as they squinted, adapting to the lowering sunlight. With Sperafico showing Anjo the way, they descended down the cliff and into a small cavern. In the dark, still water sat a brand new, white Stingray 230sx sports boat, its protective cover secured tightly over its cockpit. Sperafico pulled off its bright blue cover and discarded it on the ground. The keys were in the ignition for convenience. Anjo was ushered on board, and with the barrel of his gun, he shoved her onto the rear seat.
‘It’s funny,’ he said ‘Maddox suggested I have this elaborate escape plan and purchase this boat. I thought it was a waste of money, but look at me now. He’ll deal with your family and friends so don’t think you’ll be seeing them again.’
‘Then why do you need me, just let me go.’ Anjo replied.
‘Have you learned nothing of me Anjo, I don’t forgive very well,’ Sperafico chuckled. He untied the boat from its moorings, using the rope to secure Anjo’s left hand to the handrail inside of the boat. He sat in front of the steering wheel, started the boat and placed his right hand on the throttle. He gently eased it forward and took the boat out through the dark cavern and into the ocean.
