Chapter 16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We may have caught a little break,” Trevor said to Snake as he pulled up to their position. He noticed Paco was with him.

“What is he doing here?” Trevor asked, glaring.

“Paco, show him,” Snake said.

Paco rolled up his sleeve. High up on his arm was an Army Ranger tattoo, Airborne Division.

He looked at Paco, “Rangers? You?”

Paco nodded, “Two tours in Iraq.”

“You’re here to help?”

“I am,” he said.

Trevor looked at him with a mildly suspicious eye, “Why would you put yourself in danger for people you don’t know?”

“Snake told me what was going on,” he said. “I served my country. I don’t like the idea of terrorists here in The Pines. I’m here to help. You want help or not?”

“What about your boss?” Trevor asked.

“I never liked him all that much, to tell you the truth,” Paco replied.

Trevor nodded, “That, I understand.”

“Tell me what to do,” Paco said.

“You can start by securing Barkley to that fencepost,” Trevor said.

“Roger that,” he said looking at Barkley. “Should I take his phone?”

“No,” Trevor said. “If something happens and we don’t make it back, he needs to be able to call for help. Just secure him well enough that he won’t get away for several hours.”

Paco nodded and then looked at Barkley, “Sorry, boss.”

“What?” Barkley protested. “You ain’t gonna do that…”

“I am,” Paco said. “I saw you sucking up to those terrorists. It ain’t right, man. You’re staying right here. When this is over, I’ll come and get you.”

“Paco!” he screamed. “You aren’t going to…”

That was all Barkley got out of his mouth, before Paco shut him down.

“Shut up,” he said. “I’m not sitting by idly while two U.S. servicemen face off against terrorist kidnappers by themselves. Let’s go--- over here.”

He turned back to Trevor, “Be back in a minute.”

He led Barkley off.

“You’re a traitorous son-of-a-bitch, Paco!” Barkley screamed.

“If you and I have something to settle after, we’ll handle it then.”

“You’re damn skippy we’ll settle up,” Barkley yelled. “This ain’t over for you and me, Paco. Not by a long shot.”

“Whatever, man,” Paco replied.

“You started by saying we may have caught a break,” Snake said to Trevor.

“Yeah. I just got a call from Orfali,” Trevor said. “They want to make the exchange at 3:00 a.m. in a place called Beachcrest.”

Snake looked at his watch. “That’s a half hour drive from here,” he said. “How does that help us?”

“Because, according to Barkley, Honor is being held in a cabin, two miles from that hill, across the lake,” Trevor said. “Something must have spooked them and they felt the need to move the timetable up.”

“They probably realized we weren’t at our hotel,” Snake said. “They know we’re planning something. So that means most of their men will be at Beachcrest now or at least heading there to establish defensive positions so they can pick us off at the exchange.”

“Right,” Trevor agreed. “They still have no idea we know where Honor is. They will probably only leave a small contingent with her and bring her in at the last moment.”

“How do you know that?” Snake said.

“That’s been the M.O. for ISIS over the last two years in hostage situations,” Trevor replied. “They send out a recon team to prepare the exchange site and position their men for kill shots. Once they are in position, they’ll call for the hostage to be brought in.”

Paco rejoined the two SEALS, “So, you’re telling me that most of the kidnappers will be gone and Honor will be held in the Carter cabin by a skeleton crew?”

“That’s right,” Trevor said.

Snake smiled, “Our window of opportunity has arrived.”

Paco had returned.

“Barkley is secure?” Snake asked.

He nodded, “He’s not going anywhere.”

“By the way, you said Carter cabin?” Trevor repeated.

“Yeah, you said she was being held in a cabin two-miles west of here across the lake,” Paco replied. “That’s Clyde Carter’s cabin. He died four months ago. Heart attack. It’s empty now. His son rents it out to hunters and fishermen. It’s the only cabin out here. If they’re in those hills, it’s the only place they could be.”

“You know that cabin?” Snake asked.

Paco nodded, “I do, and I know the area.”

“That’s will help us tactically,” Snake said. “What about weapons?”

“Snake brought the pistols,” Paco said. “And I brought knives from my personal collection.”

Trevor examined the knife he was given. He smiled, “This is an Ontario MK3. It’s a SEAL knife.”

“Best in the business,” Paco said.

“It’ll do,” Trevor said, handing him back the one he was given earlier. “I sure wish we had more equipment.”

“No time to go fetch more,” Snake said.

“I suspect men like you two can do a lot with a gun and a knife,” Paco said.

“We’ll have to,” Snake replied.

“How many men you figure will stay with your woman?” Paco asked.

“I don’t know,” Trevor said. “If we’re lucky, only four. If we’re unlucky… more.”

“It’s 1:35 a.m. right now,” Snake said. “Orfali’s men who will be preparing for the exchange have likely left by now, probably with Orfali himself providing oversight. I figure Honor will probably not be moved until about 2:15. That gives us a short window to make something happen.”

“How quickly can we get there from here?” Trevor asked Paco.

“I know the roads,” Paco said. “We’ll take my truck and drive around the lake. We’ll park about a quarter mile away so they won’t hear our approach. We’re on foot for the rest. I know a path leading to the back of the cabin. I doubt they even know that path is there. We do need to move… now!”

“Let’s go!” Trevor said.