“Yeah, I guess it makes sense. Using us was a convenient way to put together an adequate team and still keep the number of C.R.I. employees that were in on it to the bare minimum.”
“Yep. He knew our backgrounds and knew we were all capable operators, and it didn’t hurt that you and the other guys from the reservation were somewhat familiar with the territory, and that you and Wolf were expert trackers.”
“Considering that he knew that, he should have made sure I was dead, that’s all I can say. Because someday, that Burkett fellow will look behind him and see that I have followed his tracks to the place where his trail comes to an end!”
“I understand, Luke, and I wish I could be there for that! Right now, though, we need to stop those other three. I think we should head directly to the UTVs. They aren’t going anywhere fast without them, so if we can beat them there, we can set up an ambush.”
Two
NO MATTER WHAT LUKE had said about he and his tribesmen being involved in this mess anyway, Eric still felt responsible for getting three good men killed that day. Things like this happened in combat, but Eric wasn't supposed to be working operations like this at all; it wasn’t why he'd returned to North America in the first place. He had already accomplished his primary mission here—finding his daughter, Megan—and now all of his family members would soon be reunited in Louisiana, where his father and brother waited. Unfortunately, it was going to be a while before Eric could join them, because in order to ensure their safe transport, Eric had once again been forced to cut a deal and work for hire doing the one thing he did best. Shauna certainly objected to the idea of them splitting up yet again, but it was the only way Eric could be sure they would arrive there safely. It was simply too long of a journey and too fraught with danger to even think of attempting it any other way.
“I wish there was some alternative Shauna, I really do." Eric had told her, when it came time to say goodbye to her and Megan, and Jonathan and Vicky.
"There is, Eric! Just don't do it! We can make our way back by ourselves. We made it out here, after all."
"Yes, we did. But have you forgotten how? Have you forgotten that it was because of my arrangement with Lieutenant Holton that you and Jonathan got to Colorado? And that because of that, you didn't have to ride those bicycles hundreds of miles across the Midwest? Have you forgotten that you had the protection of the Army? Do you really think we can make it all the way back to the Atchafalaya River, across the entire state of Texas without running into more trouble?”
“I don't know, Eric! All I know is that I'm tired of splitting up like this over and over! Why can’t we just find a way to stick together? This is scary and confusing, and I'm not ready to deal with it again!”
“I’m not doing this because I want to, Shauna! Believe me, if I thought there was a better way, I’d be all over it. But this is the only thing that makes sense. Look, it’s a simple job; far easier than most I’ve done. I’ll be working with some good guys, including Nantan and the others that helped me track you down. We’ll get in and get out and I’ll be there with the rest of you in no time.”
“Don’t give me that, Eric Branson! You know that I am well aware that operations like that are never so straightforward. Anything could happen out there, and after all we’ve been through to find Megan, you may not make it back at all! That’s what scares me. I came out here with you because I wanted to help you find her, but now, I don’t know what we're doing anymore. I wasn't planning on any of this other stuff. Am I supposed to just go back there without you to where my husband and my stepson are waiting for me and pretend that nothing happened between us, Eric?”
"What do you want to do, Shauna?"
"I don't know anymore! I just really don't know! All I know is that things feel so right now, because I feel like I have my family back, and it’s a feeling I don't want to lose. But back there, I have another family, and it's not fair that Daniel has been waiting and worried about me all this time while I’ve been out here with you. But even though I know it’s not fair to him, I still can't help but feel like this is where I'm supposed to be. I don't know what to think, Eric! Everything seems so different now. The life that I had with them before everything fell apart doesn't even seem real anymore. It doesn't seem like it will ever be real again, and it probably won’t be, will it?”
"I don't know Shauna. You know I don't have the answer to that and no one else does either. All we can do is stay focused on survival. We accomplished what we set out to do. We found Megan and she’s safe. If I do this one operation for Major Langley, I can be sure that you and her and Jonathan and Vicki will all make it back to Vic’s. It's the only way to get you there that I can feel good about. I can't afford to put all of you at further risk after all we’ve been through to find Megan in the first place. And the truth is that even if I don't make it back from this job, I will have accomplished what I set out to do."
"No, Eric. What you set out to do was find Megan and get her to safety, but have you thought about how it’s going to make her feel knowing something happened to you because of her? She doesn’t want to live with that, and I don't either. Getting us back there only matters if you’re there with us. I understand if this is the only way that can happen, but you’d better come back, Eric Branson! We both need you.”
Eric could see the sincerity in her eyes. “I know now that I need both of you too, Shauna, I just didn’t think that was an option anymore. It wasn’t something I considered when I came back, and I doubt it ever crossed your mind, either.”
“I can’t say that it never did,” Eric. “We do have a lot of history, you know. I was surprised you came at all, to tell you the truth, but I was glad you did from the moment I saw you step out of that boat at your dad’s place. I don't know what else to say about that right now, but I do know that I don’t have any regrets about what happened out here and I don't want that feeling to change."
“Me either,” Eric said.
But Eric knew that this brief time alone with her might be the last such opportunity they had, whether or not his mission was successful. When it was time to finally go, he didn't have any more answers than he did before. He wasn’t happy about having to leave her again, and he wasn't thrilled or excited about this new mission, whether Shauna believed that or not. He’d had more than enough action recently to fill his need for adventure for the foreseeable future, but he also had to consider what his options really were. No matter how much he racked his brain, looking for alternatives, this one seemed the best for all of them, whatever risk or delay it might cost. Besides that, getting involved at this level enabled him to gather valuable intel about conditions not only here in the Southwest, but in the other nearby regions, both within the fractured nation and beyond. Weighing all that newfound information would enable him to make a sound decision when it came to choosing the ultimate destination for his family later, if and when it was feasible for them to set sail aboard Dreamtime. By the end of this mission, he hoped to have a clear plan, so that when he returned to Vic’s place, they could quickly make their preparations and get underway.
Eric hadn't counted on the size of his crew growing the way it had, or he would have looked for a larger boat to begin with, but he was determined to make it work, regardless. Jonathan and Vicky had become inseparable in their brief acquaintance, and besides, Vicky was Megan’s friend too, so Eric wouldn’t say no if she and Jonathan wanted to come along. Eric figured they would, because the kid would probably have a hard time selling her on the idea of staying in the swamp and living off his fishing. If it were just those two and Megan and Shauna, the 42-foot schooner would be just about perfect. But there was also Bart and Keith, although Eric still wasn’t sure if he could talk his brother into leaving the community he’d sworn to protect when he joined the sheriff’s department there. If Keith didn’t sail with them, Eric knew there was a good chance the old man might not either. Bart could well be quite content to stay there on the river, helping out his youngest
son.
But even without them, there was still the matter of Daniel and Andrew. Eric knew Shauna’s husband didn’t want to sail away and leave America, just as he hadn’t wanted to sail away from south Florida. He’d given in then because he was outvoted and out of options, but would he do so again when it came to the prospect of a major voyage? Would Shauna force the issue as strongly as she had then? After what had happened out here, Eric didn’t know, but he didn’t think Shauna was thinking straight or that she knew exactly what she was feeling just yet anyway. Whatever it was, it would probably change, he figured, once she got back and saw Daniel again. Things would go back to normal for them more than likely, despite what had transpired here over the last few days. Shauna had been under a lot of stress and worry, and she and Eric had been working together under trying conditions with the mutual goal of finding Megan. They’d achieved that goal and their time together reminded them both of a distant past when everything was simpler. Eric didn’t expect that spell to last, especially when Shauna came down from the high of celebration. Reality would set in again, and she’d remember all the reasons she’d finally given up on him. Eric expected no more, and anyway, all of it was a long and complicated matter, and something he couldn’t waste more thought on at the time. He had to keep his mind clear and focused, staying in the moment so that he could complete this mission without compromising the safety of the loyal new friends who were risking their lives to be there alongside him.
But now, it turned out he’d done exactly that. Three out of four of those friends were dead and regardless of what Luke had said to make him feel better about it, none of them would have been here if Eric hadn’t gotten them involved in the first place. Sure, it had seemed like a worthy objective, taking out a Mexican drug cartel’s newly established base of operations on American soil, but what did it really accomplish? According to what the Jicarilla security council had gotten out of Chief through interrogation, the compound was vital to their ability to establish a foothold north of the border and due to its remote location, it would grow and become far stronger in the coming weeks and months. Eric now knew that the cartels were behind many of the terrorist operations that had sent the nation into chaos and that their objective in doing that, seemed to be total disruption, in the wake of which they could move into new territory and firmly establish themselves in the vacuum of law enforcement authority.
From what Chief had told Eric, the cartel kingpins, unlike their terrorist allies, didn't want the complete collapse of society, because in those circumstances there would be no market for their product. They wanted things to eventually settle down, and they wanted to be prepared and in place when they did, with new footholds and power that couldn’t be broken whatever the future held. The strategy had been working for them for more than a decade in Mexico—a place where the authorities at all levels could be bought for a price. The cartel leaders saw no difference in the United States and assumed their tactics would work north of the border just as well, if they could simply create enough desperation and fear. All they had to do was cut off and isolate the various law enforcement agencies from their larger chains of command and backup, and they were delighted to see that in many parts of the nation, anarchist groups were making it easier by diverting government resources to deal with their riots and sabotage. When the dust settled, frightened and subdued citizens would look to the powerful cartels and their strongmen for protection, just like their neighbors did to the south.
And so far, their campaigns appeared to be working. But every setback such as the one Eric and the team had dealt them today, would delay their plans just a little, and possibly prevent them from implementing their grander scheme. At least that was what Major Langley suggested, when he’d spoken with Eric and laid out the plans for this unauthorized mission.
"You know the drill, Branson. I’m sure you understand the need for deniability in this situation."
"Of course," Eric said. "I wouldn't expect it to be any different. But I just want to make sure I understand the rules of engagement here. Or, if there are no rules, I'd like you to clarify that as well."
"As long as you're certain of your target, there are no rules Branson. We want this operation obliterated, and you know as well as I do there's only one efficient and effective method of doing that. Wipe it out. Take no prisoners and leave no survivors.”
“Well, in that case, you could just cluster bomb the hell out of them."
"That's not going to happen. Any direct action like this on our side of the border has to be subbed out to private organizations like C.R.I., unfortunately.”
“Then why do you need me? I don’t work for them.”
“For that very reason—independent, unbiased observation—and because of your track record, of course. I’ve spoken to Lieutenant Holton, as you know. I know what you’re capable of, Branson, and I know that because of your family’s situation, you’re highly motivated to succeed and survive. Look, I don’t like working like this at all, but I’m limited to few choices. I figure it’s a win-win for both of us. The C.R.I. man in charge of their operations here in New Mexico is Dan Burkett. He’ll make sure you’ve got what you need to do the job, but since this Chief fellow has been with him for so many years, I’m not convinced Burkett doesn’t know more than he’s telling me about what’s been going on. I’m interested in getting an independent take on it, as I said, and your friends from the reservation want to be involved as well. It’s a good thing; collaboration with the Jicarilla. It gives them a sense that they’re doing something to protect their people and it keeps these private companies from feeling like they have no one to answer to.
"Yeah, I guess you got me where you want me. You know I can't turn you down, and since you’ve been talking to Lieutenant Holton, you already know I'll agree to any shitty deal I have to in order to get what I want."
"It's for the greater good too, Branson. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve been enlisted, and you’ve done your duty to your country, but…”
“A country that doesn’t seem to exist anymore, Major.”
“Only if we give up on it, Branson. I know you want to get your family out for good, and I can’t say I blame you. But in the meantime, you’ll be doing us a service while getting what you want. I’d say that’s a fair enough trade, considering the alternatives. They’ll be there waiting for you. Just get in and get it done and you’ll all be back together in no time.”
"Yeah I've heard that before…"
"I'm sure you have Branson. But I can assure you I’ll do my part, if you’ll do yours.”
Eric held Major Langley to that promise, insisting on seeing Shauna, Megan, Jonathan and Vicky board a UH-72 helicopter at the post before leaving with the C.R.I. team leader named Weaver who was in charge of the operation. Weaver’s idea for the insertion was to use lightweight 4x4 all-terrain utility vehicles, rather than conventional trucks or SUVs to approach the vicinity of the target. With extra fuel carried on board each of them, the four Polaris Ranger UTVs had a round-trip fuel range of more than 350 miles. They set out from a remote campsite where they offloaded the UTVs from their trailers in the Gila National Forest, some 120 miles north of the Animas range. From there, they stayed off the pavement and took a series of rough roads across the deserts and foothills until they were within a few hours’ hiking distance of their objective. During the extensive interrogation he’d been subjected to, Chief had warned them of the likelihood of running into other Mexican nationals camped out in those mountains, whether with the cartels or not. Most would be armed, and all were a security risk to the operation, so Weaver didn’t want to bring the vehicles any closer to the target than necessary. Chief had also said that all the gravel roads leading in and out of the compound were probably mined with IEDs, because the cartel would expect trouble to approach on the roads. Both possibilities were enough to convince Weaver to make the final approach on foot, and Eric didn’t disagree with his decision.
None of Weaver’s men
had complained about the 15-mile overland trek, but it was obvious that most of them weren’t happy about it, especially considering the weight they had to carry in weapons, ammo and explosives, not to mention all their water and food for a three day minimum operation. It was that choice to go in the hard way that made the attack such a success though. No one inside the compound expected such an elaborate raid on that isolated target, and so the surprise was complete. If not for the unexpected treachery from the C.R.I. contractors, once the cartel gunmen were neutralized, the team would already be hoofing it back to the UTVs without having lost a man. Now, there were only three, but Eric was determined not to let a single one of them escape these mountains alive. Dan Burkett would never get the report from McCullin and his two buddies on what had happened out here today, Eric would see to that. Luke was the one he’d get the first-hand account from, and when Luke found him and delivered it, Eric knew the C.R.I. director would regret ever giving that order.
Feral Nation Series (Book 7): Feral Nation [Sabotage] Page 2
