Benton jumped into the conversation. “According to the map, every low area has a stream running the length of it. Any idea where they empty into?”
Ben had that answer. “They all drain into the Knife. This whole area is a watershed that eventually ends up in Lake Superior. Like the ridges, they run parallel to each other.” It dawned on him that Jensen hadn’t said much but was allowing everyone to contribute ideas. It was turning into a brainstorming session, and the major wasn’t pulling rank, instead letting ideas flow. Without saying a word, he pulled another map out of his case and laid it next to the one they had been working off. He lined up the edges so the lines and stream markings matched. Together the two maps showed a complete picture of the land, that which Ben owned and the portion of the neighboring tract where the militia’s compound was located.
Jensen took out a third map, this one showing the county road that ran past Ben’s home. “I don’t see any road or trail leading to the compound. Is it that recent?” he asked, looking at Ben. This time Ben was tracking what was going on.
“It is. I think it was put in two, maybe three years ago. We thought it was the beginning of a logging operation, but they never hauled anything out, and we more or less forgot about it. It starts here.” He placed his finger on the new map. “That’s all I know. The property is posted, and I never had a reason to trespass.”
Chapter Forty-Three
Major Jensen studied the map before them. “Get Chief Warrant Officer Eggart in here. I want him to take a look at this map.” In a matter of seconds, the enlisted officer came running across the lawn and into the kitchen, which was now serving as headquarters.
“Yes, sir,” he barked, and stood at attention. His commander put him at ease and asked a question.
“Look at this map. If you were laying out a road, beginning here,” he jabbed his finger at the spot where Ben had said there was a gate, “where would it go?”
Eggart studied the contours for a minute. “Sir, may I draw on this?” The major nodded. Picking up a pencil, the warrant officer began to draw a fine line. “I’d follow this ridge to where it almost joins the one above it. That way I’d only have to fill in this short distance. If I took a sharp left on the next ridge, sort of hairpin back, I could connect with the third ridge at this narrow piece of lowland.” He continued drawing a line, explaining his rationale as he drew on the map. When he finished, the trail he had delineated resembled a piece of ribbon candy that continually looped back on itself. There could be three miles of road to advance the mile to the back of the property and end at the red pin, the location of the militia’s base.
Eggart looked at Major Jensen, oblivious to the others in the room. “That’s my opinion, sir.” He assumed his attention pose.
“That’s all, Warrant Officer. Thank you. Resume what you were doing before I called you.
“Yes sir!” Eggart responded, turned on his heel and left the room. Major Jensen studied the map.
“It would be easy enough to do a flyover and get an aerial view of the road, but I don’t want to do that for two reasons. One, I don’t want them to know what we might be considering. Let them wonder what’s going on. Two, we don’t know what kind of armament they have. The black market is filled with everything from high caliber machine guns capable of bringing down light aircraft to shoulder-launched missiles that can track even jets. We’re not ready for that kind of escalation—yet. We have to consider they have a hostage.”
Inside, Ben froze. They weren’t holding a hostage, they had his wife, the woman he loved, his children’s mother, at least the only mother they really remembered. He caught the major’s eye and saw a sudden recognition.
“I’m sorry, Agent VanGotten. I had forgotten your relationship to her. I got caught up in the logistics of this. Try to have faith that we’re going to rescue her as quickly as we can. Here’s what I want you to do. Every hour, on the hour, until we are ready to move, call and demand to speak with her. Not only will that keep her hope alive, it will also let her captors know that as long as she’s alive, we won’t bomb the hell out of them. I think they want to draw us into a firefight, so they can kill as many U.S. soldiers as they can before they go down. They intend for this to be a suicide mission for themselves, why I don’t know, but they want to take as many of us with them in the battle.”
Ben was torn by his emotions. On one hand he wanted to jump at the chance to talk to Deidre. But on the other hand, he feared what he would find out. He had no choice but to call, and with his heart beating wildly and hands shaking he hit the call icon next to her name on his phone’s contact list. The phone rang so many times he expected it to go to voicemail. At the last minute it was answered by a man, the same voice he recognized from previous conversations.
“So, Ben, you’re still there. How can I help you?” the captain asked as though this were a simple business call.
“I want to talk to my wife.”
Captain Blake snickered. “She’s sleeping right now. Do you want me to wake her?”
Ben lost his cool. “Listen, you miserable SOB, I want to talk to her now. Do you understand? Right now, and if I ever get my hands on you, I’m going to tear your head off and shove it where the sun don’t shine.”
He knew he had made a mistake and had shown his desperation. “Now, now, Ben. We both know that’s physically impossible,” the captain chided him. “There’s no use getting testy about this. The answer to your problem is simple. We have your wife. You come and get her. That’s all we want.”
There was no more conversation, but Ben could tell Blake hadn’t hung up. He could hear footsteps and other sounds in the background.
“Ben?” It was Deidre’s voice, but he could hardly recognize it. She sounded unbelievably tired, and her voice cracked as she tried to speak. He couldn’t get past the way she slurred her words.
“Deidre!” he shouted into the phone. “Deidre, don’t give up. We’re coming to get you. Do you hear me? We’re going to get you out of this. I promise.” The phone went dead in his hand, and Ben slumped into a chair, his jaw set and his eyes steely. Jackie came over and laid her hand on his bent back.
“We’ll get her back. I promise.” She walked away without saying another word. It took Ben more than a few seconds to pull himself together, and when he did, he returned to the kitchen.
“She sounds about in the same condition as the last photo we saw. What are the plans?”
*****
After Ben’s call, Deidre was offered a half-cup of water, and her lips burned as it penetrated the cracked skin. She sipped it slowly, remembering what had happened the last time she gulped down her ration. She reeked of stale urine, but so far had resisted the urge to defecate. In her condition, it really wouldn’t have mattered much, though. She was defeated, and the call had hardly registered. In her mind, there was no hope.
“They’ll be coming for you soon. In a way, I hope your knight in shining armor gets his princess out. It will make for a nice story in the news. But,” Captain Blake paused. “If not, I suppose that will get reported, too.” He turned from her and walked away. Deidre pulled the blanket over herself and collapsed into a fitful sort of sleep. It had been almost twenty-four hours since her capture, but it seemed like an eternity.
*****
Ben couldn’t remember his last real meal, and it dawned on him he hadn’t eaten much in the past twenty-four hours. And the girls, what must they be doing? He had totally forgotten about them, and he rushed upstairs and opened their bedroom door without knocking. He was momentarily shocked to see Inga sitting on the edge of the bed, and then remembered he had called her to be with them. He took in the sight, and for a moment thought he would break down.
Inga had one of the girl’s Bibles open on her lap, and she was reading to them. He recognized the Twenty-Third Psalm. Her calm voice had an alm
ost mesmerizing effect, and he stood in his tracks, listening to the words. When she finished, Inga patted the bed beside her, indicating she wanted him to sit down. She took his hand and began to pray. When she finished, she closed the Bible and stood.
“The girls and I have done a lot of talking today, and we think it would be good if I took them to my place. They know you have too much on your mind right now to be able to worry about them. Can I take them with me for the night?”
Both girls came and sat with him, one on either side. They buried their faces on his shoulders, and Ben could feel their tears soak through his shirt. Megan looked up and then buried her face again, but Maren spoke.
“Dad, this must be killing you. We know how much you love Mom, and we don’t want to get in the way of your doing what you have to do. Just promise us you’ll be careful. How would we get along if we lost both of you? Inga will take good care of us, you know that. So, please, just take care of Mom.” She buried her face, and Ben looked helplessly at Inga.
“You’re a special person, Inga. I’ll try to get word to you as soon as I can about our situation. I’m not sure right now what the plan will be.” The girls packed their bags quickly, drying their tears, and together the four of them went downstairs. Ben watched Inga drive away with his precious daughters.
A field kitchen had been set up by the Guard, and Ben, realizing he was famished, ate for the first time since Deidre had been abducted.
Chapter Forty-Four
Ben’s spirits revived a little with food in his belly, and he paced back and forth on the porch while Major Jensen and the others in charge finished their meal. He knew they had to take care of their own physical needs or they’d be good for no one, but still, the minutes dragged and he became more restless with every sweep of the second hand on his watch. Finally, the group trooped back to HQ, his kitchen, and began planning in earnest. Ben discovered, to his relief, that Jensen was one of those people who processed while doing innate tasks, like eating.
“Okay, here’s the way we’re going to play this,” the major announced. “My men are divided into fire teams of four, and each squad is going to follow a stream toward the compound. There are five ridges that, if followed, will come within a quarter-mile of our target. The men will follow the low ground between the ridges and approach from the southeast. Five ridges, six fire teams of four men each, that makes twenty-four men.”
“Excuse me, Major,” Director Benton broke in. “Wouldn’t there be only four low area between the ridges?” The major looked at Benton as though he resented the interruption.
“There are five ridges, four low areas in between, and a low area on the flank of each outer ridge. That makes six low areas, twenty-four men.” Benton nodded, feeling as though he had just been chastised. Ben felt uncomfortable for his boss and wondered if that would be the end of the FBI’s input. Major Jensen continued.
“I’m going to send another six fire teams up the road and past the entrance, where they’ll cut through the woods and locate the same five streams. They’ll follow them down, making their approach from the northwest. That makes forty-eight of us, about equaling Agent VanGotten’s estimate of the militia’s strength. Any comments so far?” He cast a quick glance at Director Benton, and Ben wondered how many others had noticed. No one said a word.
“I have no intention of going in on equal terms, though. Three more fire teams, another twelve of our personnel, are going to come in from the direction of the entrance road, hitting the ridges perpendicular to the direction in which they lie. They will be the first to engage the enemy in a frontal attack. This will be mostly a diversionary move.”
Ben was getting more uneasy by the minute, because the major was talking as though Deidre didn’t exist, and he was about ready to break his silence. He had opened his mouth to say, What about my wife? She’s in there, you know. But before the words came out, Jensen continued.
“Our initial concern is to rescue Sheriff Johnson, which is why I don’t want this to be an all-out assault. Agent VanGotten?” Ben’s mouth snapped shut before he could say something he’d later regret. “You said you were quite sure you knew which building your wife was being held in. Tell us about what you saw that makes you so sure.”
Ben cleared his throat and pointed to a building in the sketch he had made earlier. “This one. I observed two individuals who carried themselves like officers go in and out of it twice in the few minutes I was there. Also, it has only one door—here.” He made a mark on the side of the building facing the central grounds. “It has no windows, and looked to be made of concrete blocks. If I were to hold someone, it would be in there.” Jensen took a second to digest Ben’s information and supposition.
“What if that’s their armory, and your wife is being held elsewhere? We’re not sure she’s even being held at that exact location.”
“Yes we are.” It was Director Benton speaking. He hadn’t been cowed after all. “We ran a triangulation on the phone calls and texts we’ve received via Deidre’s cell phone. That’s the origin of the transmission. And if you’re thinking they’ve moved her, the last call made by Ben was received by them in the same place.” He stood his ground, looking at the major, not confronting him, but letting the officer know that he expected to be considered part of the team. “And another thing. I doubt at this stage of the game they’re going to be moving her. You told Ben to call her on the hour to make sure she’s still alive. I know what you’re trying to avoid, risking your people to rescue a dead captive. But, and I ask this not to undermine your authority, because you are in charge and your men are your responsibility, but think of what Sheriff Johnson has been through. To wake her every hour and expect her to respond will only sap what little strength she has remaining. If we do that, she’ll be of no help aiding in her own escape.”
Major Jensen looked at the map, then looked up. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking when I made that order. Point taken. Agent VanGotten, do you have any idea how to breach the walls of this building?”
Ben was taken by surprise and had to think. “I know she’s in there, but I don’t know where. If we blow a hole in a wall, it might be one she’s leaning on. It would be impossible for anyone to sneak around to the front and break down the door, even if it weren’t reinforced. I don’t know.” He shook his head in frustration.
“Is there a way for Deidre to provide us with the information?” Jackie thought out loud. “What if a couple of hours before our operation begins, Ben calls her to check on her wellbeing? Could we frame some questions for him to ask that would provide us with a clue by her answers? For instance, he could ask if she is being kept in a separate room, or if that is too obvious, ask her if she is comfortable where she’s being held. I think it’s worth a try, anyway. Then we can plan to set a charge where we think she isn’t.”
The thought bolted through Ben’s mind. Where we think? We’re getting set to roll the dice with my wife’s life at stake! He was about to object when Benton spoke up again.
“Major, what do you think of that idea?” Benton asked. “I know it’s taking a chance, but it’s better than going in blind. Any information we can gain will increase our odds of succeeding.” He turned to Ben, and expressed what Ben had been thinking. “I know the idea isn’t foolproof, but we have to do something.” He turned his attention back to the major.
Jensen nodded with his lips puckered and his brow furrowed. “You’re right. There are no certainties, but we have to do something. We’ll follow the agent’s suggestion.” He glanced at his wristwatch and Ben looked at the clock on the wall. It was eight thirty and getting dark outside, twenty-four hours since Deidre had been carried away, and he wondered if any plan would work. Major Jensen’s voice pulled him back to the room.
“We want to be at the compound by daybreak. All units will be ready to move out at 0400 hours, which should give us time to reach our
positions. The three units coming in from the northeast will fire a round of shots at 0630 hours to get their attention and create a diversion. A hole will be blown in the wall of the building that seems to be a bunker, and a designated team will storm the interior and bring Deidre out. Once she’s been safely extracted, a full assault will begin. I want the state troopers to have their armored vehicles ready to crash the gate of the entrance road and move in to our perimeter. County deputies are in charge of maintaining order here. The FBI SWAT team will join the state troopers and act as reinforcement. Unfortunately, I doubt if we will come out of this unscathed. I’ve been in contact with the Guard units at the other sites, and those who have engaged the enemy report strong resistance from well-trained militiamen. They report their adversaries are well-equipped for battle.” He concluded by asking if anyone had questions.
Ben spoke up. “Sir, where do I fit into the picture?” The major looked at him. “Where do you want to fit in?”
Ben’s impulse was to say he wanted to be among those who entered the building. Then he remembered Megan and Maren. “I’d like to join one of the units, but I’ll let them do their job. I just want to be close and observe. Does that sound ridiculous?” Jensen looked at Ben and shook his head, and Ben thought he was rejecting his request. Then it dawned on him that the major meant no, it wasn’t ridiculous.
“You will arm yourself, though, and you will be ready to defend any of my personnel as needed. Agreed?” Ben nodded.
The major dismissed them and joined his warrant officers to finalize the plans, but not before admonishing everyone to get a couple hours sleep if they could. Ben went into the living room, sat on the couch, and stared at the floor. The room was too quiet. Jackie tiptoed in and took a seat in an easy chair next to where he sat.
Preying in Two Harbors Page 24
