Chapter 26
"Bruise."
Finch's voice hissed into Bruiser's ear, bringing him up from sleep. His hand clutched tightly around the handle of the sidearm he kept ready. Instantly alert, Bruise looked around and saw the rest of the team quietly gathering their scant belongings. There was an air of urgency in their motions. He looked askance at Finch who held up two fingers and made a gesture indicating unknowns were nearby. He nodded in understanding. They had company.
The island they had found wasn't very big. It was about the size of an American football field, yet more oval shaped with a ridge going down the middle. A thick growth of trees covered the entire island. They had chosen it as their base for its proximity to De Jääger's estate and because of the inlet on the far side that allowed them to hide the tiny skiff they used to move around the reservoir. Like most of the islands surrounding their target, there were sensors and monitoring devices posted in several places. Toad had made short work of the one that would have given their position away. With the knowledge of the ones remaining, they could move about undetected.
The chorus of insects that inhabited this piece of land receded as the sound of angry foreign voices lifted in what were probably curses Yeah, they had found Toad’s work. The man was a genius when it came to surveillance equipment and was able to put the device out of commission by making it look like a fallen branch had hit it. No doubt these men had been sent to repair the damage.
Silently, the team slipped off the island and back to their boat, leaving no indication there had ever been anyone there. It was part of their training, and they worked like a well-oiled machine.
Once they were out of earshot, they began to discuss what to do next. "Alright, where do we go from here? We know she's there. What's the plan to get her out?"
An airplane roared overhead, and the men ducked instinctively. A moment later, the distinct sounds of a water landing echoed across the lake. Cowboy looked at Bruiser. "That's the second one. I figured the one yesterday was bringing in supplies, but another within twenty-four hours? Something is going down."
"Yeah, I agree, and I don't like it. He may be planning on leaving with her. I'm not going to let her get away again. We need to find out what's going on."
"Already on it," Railroad offered. He pulled a duffle bag over and opened it, revealing diving gear.
Bruiser put a hand on his friend's arm. "No. There's too much debris in the water, too many logs and old trees. I can't ask you to risk it."
Railroad shrugged the hand off and picked up a tank. "You didn't ask," he said and carefully secured the equipment to his body. Sliding a Ka-bar into a sheath, he strapped it to his ankle. "It has to be done," he finished.
"No worries. I've got his six," Toad said as he pulled out his equipment.
Bruiser knew the subject was closed. He should be the one going, but he knew Toad was the best swimmer of them and Railroad's keen eye for detail would give them the best intel. Reluctantly, he nodded. "Half an hour. Scout and get back here."
The two nodded before slipping over the side of the boat, leaving only the barest ripple to mark their passage.
The rest of the team settled back in the tiny boat to wait. Hick passed out MRE's for their breakfast, which they quickly consumed. As they ate, another airplane approached and landed on the lake surface. River looked at his friends and lifted one eyebrow. What the hell was going on?
Railroad's head broke the surface, and he tossed his mask and tank onto the boat. Effortlessly, he pulled himself up into the boat as Toad appeared on the other side. When both men were settled, Railroad gave his report.
"Yeah, something big is going down. The first plane unloaded four men and three women along with cargo marked perishable. The second contained another six men, but all dressed alike in dark gray pants and white long sleeve shirts with black bowties. My guess is there's about to be a shindig, and that is the catering crew. Security has increased. I counted twelve scattered around the compound and another six inside, including those two apes that seem to be De Jääger's bodyguards. The dock has a ton of cargo sitting on it. My Dutch is not the best, but from what I could tell, it's all foodstuff."
"The back gate is closed and locked," Toad picked up. "I heard the groundskeeper, who sounded British, complaining about not having enough time to prep the garden for something he called, 'the big show.' They were unloading several large chairs and cushions from a storage room. I didn't like the looks of it." He paused a minute as if gathering his thoughts." These expensive looking chairs are placed in a semi-circle around a platform erected in the middle. The platform holds a cage and a small table next to it."
"Oh hell no," Bruiser hissed. "Whatever that maniac has in mind is not going to happen."
"We don't know what he has in mind. We don't know if that has anything to do with Olivia. Keep it together," Cowboy told him.
"I'm about as damned well 'together' as I can be right now. That freak-show has my woman, and God only knows what he's done and plans to do with her. This shit stops now. One way or another, we're getting Olivia back today."
"Absolutely," Railroad agreed. "By the way, the base island is deserted. It looks like they couldn't fix the monitor; it's still laying on the ground in pieces. I don't know if they are coming back or not, but my guess is not. Normally, if someone is working on something and plans to come back, they leave their tools there. The site was cleared."
Bruiser thought for a moment and nodded. "We're going back. If they show up again, we'll take their place and try to sneak into the compound. Cowboy, contact Digger and see if he can get any information about what we are up against. Maybe he can tap into the cargo manifests and passenger lists. I want to know as much as possible before we go in there and get Olivia."