Holding Their Own IV: The Ascent (37 page)

When the cans were empty, Bishop thanked the boys and turned to Roberto. The two men shook hands while Roberto said, “Senor, if that isn’t enough, please come back. We like Miss Terri mucho and want to help if we can.”

As he and Nick got back in the cab, the big man turned to Bishop and commented, “You should be nicer to people, Bishop. Terri’s probably getting tired of carrying your unsocial ass all of the time.”

Bishop responded with a grunt and put the truck in gear.

The men sat in silence eating the MREs. There wasn’t any problem between them, no ill feelings or issues unresolved. They had simply sat together and performed the same ritual so many times there wasn’t anything that needed to be said.

Deke finally rose from his perch and walked to a nearby drum to toss in his empty paper. Strolling to a cardboard carton, he looked at his watch and stated, “It’s time to feed the woman. Do you think she would like the meat loaf or the beef stew?”

“Why don’t you drape a napkin over your arm and go take her order. You might need the practice being a waiter before this is all over.”

Grunting, Deke bent and dug around in the box, eventually settling on the meat loaf because it was the most e
dible served cold. After making his selection, he looked up and commanded, “Well, come on.”

Moses
sighed and lifted his rifle. It was a rule that no one had contact with a prisoner alone. As the two men walked to the makeshift cell, the escort noted Deke’s selection. “You’re going to give that to her cold?”

“Oh, now who’s the old softie? What? We should heat it for her?”

Stopping, Moses reached into his pocket and produced a chunk of C4 explosive. Unwrapping the soap-like substance, the guard took his knife and sliced off a small portion. “We’re not animals,” he commented.

At the door, the Deke yelled inside, “Move to the far corner if you want to eat.”

Removing the steel crossbar and opening the door, both men stayed back until it was verified Terri had complied and moved to the far corner. Stepping inside, Deke dropped the MRE on the floor and then lit the C4 with a metal lighter. The dangerous plastic flared, burning steadily with a yellow hue. “Use this to heat this meal. It will burn long enough if you hurry.”

He then checked the water in the milk jug, noting the woman had consumed a few inches of the liquid.

Backing out, the men replaced the bar and returned to the main area of the garage.

“Any word on when the client is going to be here?” One of the others asked.

“In the next few days is all I know. Our instructions are to keep the girl here until he arrives.”

A grimace crossed the face of the man, an unusual display of emotion that didn’t pass unnot
iced by the leader. “What’s up, Chief? Why the sour puss?”

“I don’t know, Deke. This job just feels wrong. I’m up for a snatch and grab as much as the next operator, but this one ain’t sitting well with me. That lady in there ain’t no drug dealer
… or terrorist mastermind. Hell, she reminds me of my sister.”

“You know the rules, Chief. We do what we’re hired to do
—it’s just a job.”

One of the other men chimed in, “He’s just pissy because he took one in the chest from her pistol. That bullet bouncing off his armor must have stirred up some pussification inside. Next thing ya know, he’ll be looking at all our asses and wanting to decorate the place.”

Chief turned to his antagonist and grabbed his crotch, “I got your decorations . . . right here, bitch.”

Muffled chuckles sounded around the group. Deke, always observing his command, couldn’t let it go. “Chief, ignore that fuckstick
—that’s an order. Now explain to me what’s rolling around inside that overprotected cranial cavity of yours.”

“Oh, come on, Deke. You know exactly what I’m talking about. This isn’t our typical gig.”

“Chief’s right,” added another, “It’s like we’re playing some sort of high school social game here. I think this job smells more of someone’s personal vendetta than protection.”

Deke thought about the team’s growing sentiment. If he were to be honest with the men, he would have to admit to having similar feelings. This entire contract was way, way out of their normal line of business. But, then again, their normal line of business didn’t exist anymore.

“Look, guys,” Deke began. “I hear you, and have to agree. One thing we’ve got to keep in perspective is that the world has changed. Most of the rules have evaporated. How we used to make a living doesn’t exist anymore.”

Bishop and Nick had a much longer drive than the horseman had ridden. Going
cross-country as the crow flies with off-road vehicles and horses was a much shorter distance than taking the rare highway in this part of the world.

Bishop removed the fuses from the pickup’s electrical system so they could drive without brake, interior or dash lights
and accidently giving away their position. Using his night vision monocle to steer while Nick rode ready to rise out of the sunroof with his rifle, the truck became as stealthy and protected as was reasonable.

Traveling down the highway at night without headlights took a little getting used to, and Bishop could sense the nervousness in Nick’s voice. “So if you’re not using headlights, how d
o bears and moose and stuff know the truck’s coming?”

Bishop laughed, “I don’t know about moose, I’ve not seen any around these parts for a while.
I don’t think bears aren’t nocturnal, and deer see well at night. I think the lack of headlights probably lets them get out of the way without being a ‘deer caught in the headlights.’”

Despite having Terri’s night vision pressed against his eye, Nick wasn’t convinced. “Bishop, this just seems like a bad idea. You’re going what
, 50 miles per hour and using that little scope? How will other cars see you?”

“What other cars? Jee
z, Nick, we’re out in the middle of the desert after the shit has hit the fan. I’ve not seen a car on these roads since those Colombians. They would use their headlights.”

“Well
. . . . Okay. . . . If you say so.”

“You’ll get used to it, or end up with a black eye. You shouldn’t press that thing so hard against your skull, buddy. If you break it, Terri’s going to kick your ass.”

“What are you doing looking at me? Keep your eyes on the road, damnit!”

Bishop couldn’t resist, and pushed down on the gas pedal, the truck accelerating to almost 70.

“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll shut up - just slow down, please.”

A few hours later
, Bishop pulled the pickup to the side of I-10. This part of West Texas was sparsely populated, and while rare, abandoned cars did exist along the interstate. Bishop declared, “According to this map, the exit is about two miles ahead, just around that next bend. I wanted to stay back because I’m pretty sure these guys will have night vision and possibly thermal imaging. It would suck to announce ourselves by driving too close.”

Nick agreed, “Given what you’ve told me about their equipment and tactics, I would say it’s almost certain.”

“This is going to be very tricky. Thermal is next to impossible to defeat. We have to find a place to observe the building without being detected.”

The two men exited the truck and made for the open desert that surrounded the big road. The curve in I-10 had been constructed to bypass a small outcropping of foothills. The elevated, rocky terrain signaled the northern most edge of the Glass Mountains.

As they approached the rise, Nick stopped and whispered to Bishop, “Don’t go for the highest point on that ridge. If I were them, that’s where I would put a trip line or two. Pick a spot that’s high enough, but not the obvious choice.”

Bishop voiced his agreement, “
’Bout time you started earning your pay.”

Caution was more important than speed
when going up the hillside. The terrain was littered with small gullies, clusters of scrub oak, and knee-high cactus beds. The duo’s progress slowed even more as they approached the summit, taking every precaution not to expose the thermal signatures of any part of their bodies.

Nick whispered, “At this time of night, with the cool air, our body heat will look like a Vegas neon sign if anyone’s watching. We’ve got to find somewhere that will allow for maximum visibility with minimal exposure. Vegetation does a good job of blocking radiant heat, but I don’t see much around.”

Bishop continued to move along the backside of the ridge, looking for a good spot. The two stalkers had traveled almost 50 yards before Bishop waved Nick down and pointed. A slab of sandstone the size of a pool table had split away from its mother formation, probably before humans had inhabited this section of North America. The “V” shaped opening had been the perfect place for a larger-than-normal cluster of oak to take root and make a stand against the harsh desert terrain.

The trees had littered the area
, with a significant amount of fallen limbs, dried leaves, and other dead vegetation. The rock formation had acted like a dam on the river of air that constantly swept over the hill—the narrow gap blocking the wind from naturally scattering the debris.

“Perfect,” Nick whispered, “Now if we can just see the building from there.”

Bishop pulled his baklava mask out of his back and pulled it over his head. “Until my body heats this up, it should work for a few minutes.”

Crawling up behind the formation, Bishop slowly peaked through the brush. Raising his night vision, he scanned the area below and could clearly make out the shape of a small metal building and gravel parking lot.

Backing away, he motioned for Nick to see for himself. “I think this vantage is perfect, but take a look.”

A few moments
later, the big man crawled back, nodding his head. “I don’t think we’re going to do any better. Did you notice the trash?”

“No, what trash?”

“There’s a barrel full of trash to the south of the building. I don’t think it’s left over from the original occupants. Someone’s staying in that structure.”

“I can’t believe the guys we’re after would make a mistake like that. That’s
Basic Concealment 101.”

Nick thought about Bishop’s remark for a moment
, and then replied, “They’re probably bored or cocky. Either one can make you sloppy. Besides, put yourself in their shoes, would you expect anyone to discover this hideout?”

Bishop wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know
, Nick. I’ve never seen anybody execute small unit tactics like they did. Their weapons and equipment were top shelf. If it was the same guys, they infiltrated an Army base that was locked down pretty tight. I can’t believe an organization like that would screw up with waste discipline.”

“Nobody is perfect
, my friend. Let’s take turns keeping a watch on the place. It could be interstate refugees and not some super bad-ass team, too.”

Bishop and Nick decided the best way to remain undetected from below was to push Bishop’s rifle through the brush pile
, and use the long range 24-x scope. Unless fired, the rifle would remain the same ambient temperature as the surrounding rocks and shouldn’t be detectable from below.

Nick s
uggested, “Let’s take turns scouting the place. The guy that’s off duty can watch our six and make sure no one sneaks up on us.”