American Survival (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 5)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

“Hell Paul, I don’t know. One minute we’re hearing Spanish spoken by some Iranian, and the next, we’re getting overrun by Chinese and Cubans. You need a program to list all the bastards who want our asses. I didn’t hear you asking any intelligent questions. Nothing bothered you, other than whether someone would come and get your butt out of here without walking.”

  “That’s because right now I don’t care about anything else. I need some R & R. Let’s lay waste to these guys coming in, get back to John, and recall the chopper.” Paul thought about it before continuing. “If these guys want to call it quits or surrender, I hope they speak English. Otherwise… I don’t like their chances.”

  “Or at least some Spanish,” Jack added. He glanced up, and saw a vertical signal, so they were still heading in the right direction. "If they have any kind of goofy looking container with them, maybe we should retreat to the copter and ambush them there.”

  “We have a better field of fire here, than back there,” Paul said. “We can really screw them up if we catch them right. Look what happened with John. We had him easy."

  “I haven’t blown any pieces off this bunch. They’ll be coming wary. I guess we can take a quick look. If something’s out of place we’ll proceed with the no mercy option. No telling what they’ll do when, and if, we shout at them. If they’re armed, and they aren’t pros, they might just fire everywhere, so we need to have good cover. We should at least have better cover than when we took John Boy.”

  “They can get no closer than fifty yards, if we can find an open area to let them come into,” Paul agreed.

  Jack pointed up to where the light stayed steady. “Showtime, they must be on course, and getting close.” Jack looked around, and saw too many trees, rocks, and bushes. “Let’s back track to where we passed those two dead falls. There wasn’t much in the way of cover for forty or so yards around them. I think we should stay together too until we get a look, and then spread out to take them, okay?”

  “Sounds right, how many grenades do you have?”

  “Just three, how about you?”

  “I have five,” Paul answered. “I hope we can do this without the grenades. We’re the ones on low ground, and those damn snow banks up there have already taken quite a pounding. I don’t want to be in the middle of an avalanche along with everything else. Maybe there’re only a couple of guys with a white flag.”

  “Sure, Paul, and you might as well make one of them a former model, who lost all of her clothes on the way.”

  “Oh man,” Paul shook his head. “Do not go there. Do you know how long it’s been since I had a woman?”

  “No, and I don’t want to know.” Jack stopped as they reached the first fallen tree, and looked around the way they had come. “Let’s set down right over there, and then I will head left, towards the bole of that second tree. You see where I mean, Paul?”

  “That’s a lot of ground to cover with the commies bearing in on us. I hope they’ll be making noise to cover your loud ass.”

  “Make sure you’re ready to screw them up if they get too prepared, too quickly.”

  “Count on it. Hand me your binoculars, and I’ll keep an eye out for them. I have better eyes than you do.”

  Jack handed his brother the field glasses. He sat down against the tree, as he checked his rifle and Paul’s. He made sure the extra clips he carried were accessible. Paul patted himself down for his extra clips, while he watched, and switched a couple to a more comfortable position.

  “At least we know their first reaction will not be to let loose a deadly virus. If they’re packing it at all, it will be in a container, which should take a while to get into.” Jack mused.

  “Maybe,” Paul replied. “We could also get into a firefight with them, or use our grenades, and let it out ourselves.”

  Jack chuckled. “Maybe we should surrender. They won’t expect that.”

  “Ho, ho, ho, you are soooooo… funny. Hey, they’re flashing the light. I guess they must be close. Okay, I have them in sight, making noise like a herd of buffalo, and just clearing the trees a little to the left of us. I count five, and no visible weapons." Paul crouched a little, and pumped his fist at his side, elbow in. “Yesssss… I like it. What say we let God sort these guys out on the other side, brother? They’re coming in a bunch. You won’t even need to run over to the side. I’ll do the honors with one clip, and a grenade.”

  “I don’t think so, you pirate. I’m retreating about twenty yards. Let them walk past you; then ease in behind, and to the side of them. I’ll scare the crap out of them from the front. If they don’t behave, we wax ‘em. Sound okay?”

  “Perfect… if I wanted anymore prisoners.” Paul stared at his brother, waiting for a reaction, and then turned to watch the approaching people. “Go on. I’ll do it. Just don’t wax me too if something goes wrong.”

  Jack clapped his brother’s shoulder lightly, and moved in a crouch to another part of the fallen tree, where he would be almost directly in the men’s path. He could see the men stumbling along, almost directly behind each other, bunched into a group. They seemed to be wearing foul weather parkas, but nothing out of the ordinary. As they drew closer, Jack flipped off the safety. He watched them walk in on him with their heads down, not paying attention to any sounds or sights. Jack saw Paul ease out behind them, and level his rifle in their direction, at an angle, which would not include Jack in any bursts. Jack popped up, and leveled the AK-47 over the tree fall he crouched behind. He fired a burst into the ground in front of the trudging figures. The one in the front stopped so fast, his followers ran right into him and each other from behind. Jack called out in Spanish, with instructions for them to get on their knees, with their hands clasped behind their heads. The leader knelt immediately, and clasped his hands behind his head as ordered. He turned and spoke in what sounded like Chinese, and motioned to the ones behind him. They all dropped hesitantly to their knees, following his example.

  Jack signaled Paul to stay where he was. When he saw an acknowledging signal, Jack moved over the fallen tree, and approached the group. “Any of you folks speak English?”

  Almost in answer to his question, all of the heads looked up at him in unison. The man in the lead nodded, and said, “yes, we all speak English. Only I speak Spanish.”

  “Good,” Jack said. “That makes it easier. Listen carefully. I will only tell you to do something once. Any hesitation or argument, and the soldier behind you will execute all of you. Turn slowly, and look so you see I do not bluff.”

  Five heads turned, and looked at Paul, and then again at Jack. “What do you want from us,” the lead man asked.

  “First off, I want you to stand one at a time, and strip off every piece of clothing on your bodies. Then toss them one at a time to me. The faster it gets done, the faster we get moving, understand?”

  A voice in the middle began to protest, only to get told roughly to shut up. "We will do as you say," the leader said.

  He stood and began to disrobe, throwing each piece of clothing to Jack. Jack checked it carefully, as he pulled anything, and everything out of the clothes, and stuck the objects in his pockets.

  Paul moved to a position fifteen feet from the kneeling group, and to their side. He had knelt, resting his rifle on his knee, pointed with safety off, at the group. Jack slung his rifle; and after checking each article of clothing, he put them on the ground to his side. When the man was naked and shivering, Jack began tossing clothing back, and motioned for the next one. The next four were women. Much to their credit, the two brothers handled this shock in stride, with no outward sign of acknowledgment. Jack could tell he didn’t have to worry about Paul’s attention wondering from his duty.

  Jack had confiscated the lead man’s tracking device. As the last woman put her clothes back on, Jack walked over, and showed Paul the compact Satellite tracking device.

  “Why the hell don’t we get stuff like this,” Paul asked angrily. “This gizmo has everything.”

  Jack smil
ed. “We got one now. Does this last ridiculous episode have the hair on the back of your head standing up?”

  Paul laughed. “It doesn’t get any weirder, but I have something else besides my hair standing up.”

  “Thank you for sharing.”

  Paul looked over his shoulder momentarily, and gestured upwards. “We might find dead bodies up there, if Mitch and Steve only have one pair of binoculars between them.”

  Jack laughed. “I forgot about them. I think they have two sets.”

  “In that case, I hope there aren’t any soldiers approaching from their rear, because I guarantee they ain’t watching their backs.”

  “Would you be?”

  “Hell no,” Paul replied, still watching the group in front of them.

  “Let’s hope there are no more people wandering towards us. I guess we’d better get these folks moving towards the helicopter.”

  “You take the front, and I’ll stay in the back,” Paul said.

  Jack nodded, and turned to watch the five shivering figures for a moment. “Did you notice anything out of the ordinary, while the women stripped for clothes inspection?”

  “Yep. The woman directly behind the guy kept fiddling with her hair on her right side. She acted real nonchalant about it, very feminine like. All of the others huddled with their arms wrapped around themselves. I wondered why you didn’t find out what that was all about.”

  “You were watching. I’m impressed.”

  Paul smiled. “They all think us poor bumpkins survived out in these woods all this time on blind luck. Now what do you have in mind, Obi Wan?”

  “I want to know how many of these poor, bedraggled souls will jump when she does, and when. You will have to be fast. You may need to do them all before I can get turned. I hope not.”

  “This sounds risky Jack,” Paul stated. “Why not just whack ‘em all right now, and save the trouble. We’re so close, why take a chance?”

  “We might have some real answers here, and I don’t want to miss something, and pay for it later. Just watch my back once more, okay?”

  “I’ve heard that one before.” Paul sighed. “Okay, but if I have to shoot one of these women, you know the guys on the ridge will probably throw a few shots my way.”

  Jack laughed, and turned to join the man still shivering in front. “Let’s get moving. The sooner we get to the helicopter, the faster I get to hear your story.”

  The man nodded miserably. He gestured for his charges to follow as he led off. Jack stayed near him, but out of arm’s reach. Paul fell into step a few feet behind, and ten feet to the left.

  “Where are you…” the man began.

  Jack motioned him to silence. “Sorry, no talking until we get where we’re going. Concentrate on saving your energy, while my partner and I pay attention to everything else. You folks are a mystery. I don’t want to be interrupted, when I hear what you have to say, so stay quiet.”

  They traveled on in silence. Only the sound of the snow compacting beneath their feet, and their labored breathing, marked the small group’s passing. Paul saw the woman second in line take off her right glove, and reach under her hood. She seemed to be scratching the side of her head. He flipped off the safety, and took another step to the side. He watched her take her arm down, but not put her glove back on. A minute or so later, she stumbled to her left; but then straightened, and brought the glove-less hand back, as she lurched forwards, as if to regain her balance. Paul fired a burst directly into her, which blew the woman sideways, and to the right of the group. Jack turned, diving to the ground, and flicking off his rifle safety as he covered the group. The surviving man, and the three women crouched in stunned silence. They stared fearfully at their companion’s twitching body, as the sound from Paul’s burst reverberated through the valley.

  Jack stood up. “Thanks Paul, nicely done. I guess that answers that question.”

  “I guess. You want to do an orifice check on our guests now?”

  “Nope. We’ll keep a close eye on the rest. They seem surprised to me. I know now we have a very important guy with us, and I’m sure glad we held off on wasting them.”

  “What the hell you talking about,” Paul asked, puzzled at this new direction.

  “You don’t think she was going for me did you? She could have tried doing me anytime. She didn’t know if she could take out our friend in the front later, or not. She tried to do him now. I can’t wait to find out who the hell he really is to garner a personal assassin.”

  Paul shook his head. “The goofiest part of all this: I believe you. Okay I’m game, why do you think this guy rates a private assassin?"

  “I know you saw the hair thing, but did you see the way she watched our friend in the front? Their only hope was to find someone alive, once they traced the signal to the helicopter. I bet the crew reached them, and even radioed a warning about the incoming strike. The only way this guy was supposed to live was if they were able to make contact with the helicopter crew.”

  “Do you think he has something to do with the virus?”

  “I think if he doesn’t know everything about it, he at least knows something in reference to it. He’ll talk now. He knows he’ll be dead meat if they ever get near him. I would not be surprised if she was personally very close to him. What better way to keep him happy, and still be able to know his every movement, not to mention being able to take him out anytime they wanted?”

  Paul gave Jack a little push. “See, this fits what I’ve been telling you all along. You are just as whacked out as these other freaks. Every time I think I know how everything fits, you change the plot on me, and damn if you’re not right about it. Should we cover her up?”

  “We don’t have time. We have to get back to John. If he wakes up before we get back, he will freak out.”

  The women now huddled together for warmth, leaving their leader to stand looking down at the unmoving figure on the ground. Her blood decorated the snow all around her. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Jack, with his rifle slung, motioning for him to move on. He brushed a glove across his face, and resumed his trek, with the other three women filing in behind him. They all glanced at the body for a last time as they hiked past. Jack carefully retrieved what the woman had hidden in her hair, while Paul followed their captives. Jack wrapped the tiny syringe in a piece of cloth he tore from the woman’s clothing with his knife, and placed it in his pocket. He then resumed his position for the trek back to the helicopter.

  Jack halted the group a hundred yards from the helicopter, and glanced up to the ridge; where after a moment, he received an okay sign from Steve and Mitch to proceed. He walked over to his brother. “Keep them here for a moment, until I make sure John didn’t go psycho on us.”

  “Okay, but I guarantee we were not gone long enough for that dose of morphine to wear off; but as you say, better to make sure.”

  Jack approached the helicopter carefully, listening for any sound out of the ordinary. As he got to the helicopter door, he heard John snoring, and laughed. He waved Paul in, and then entered the helicopter, and took John’s pulse. He rechecked the bandages, and saw that the wounds had not bled through the added bandage. As Jack re-covered the snoring man, Paul motioned the others inside, and followed them in, laughing as he saw the snoring soldier.

  “I told you he’d be out.”

  Jack saw the look on their captive’s faces as they stared at the sleeping man. Recognition flashed briefly on all their faces before they quickly turned away. Jack glanced at Paul, and they both smiled as their eyes met. “This just keeps getting better and better, Jack.”

  Jack shrugged. “I believe John’s value just climbed another notch. I’ll radio Mitch and Steve, and then recall our ride to the base. I bet they’ll be pleased to know we have more guests coming along.”

  “I’ll sit here and drink in the thought of a ride back to the base to meet up with the kids, followed by sleeping in a warm bed,” Paul replied.

  “Ah
hhh… God Bless us everyone.” Jack took out his radio and reached Steve on the other end. “Steve, I’m recalling our ride. Listen Buddy, at least one of these folks rated a private assassin, and they all know the soldier we already captured.

  “Holy shit, Jack,” Steve exclaimed. “We saw what happened. What the hell was that all about?”

  “I’ll explain it all later, I need to get our ride on its way. Everything will be ready for them when they come. We can sort out all the rest later. Thanks for watching our backs out there. It went very smooth.”

  “De nada. Stay well; we will be down to pick you up soon, my friend.”

  “Until then… until then.”

  Jack called in to a very receptive Base, and then walked back to where Paul guarded their prisoners. “They’ll be on their way here soon. Do you have anything more to eat? We better give these folks something for their bellies.”

  Paul reached into his pocket, pulled out what rations he had left, and gave them over to his brother. Jack added what he had left, and walked over to the man.

  “Pass this stuff out to your friends. People will be here to pick us up, and strip the information out of this computer. I hope you’ll decide to help us wrap all this up without too much trouble. It appears John knows all of you, so when he wakes up, we will too. I’m sorry your friend was killed, but we could not let her take you out. Like it or not, cooperative or not, we need you. What’s in the syringe she was going to stab you with, and why?”

  The man stared at his hands for a long time before looking up into Jack’s eyes. “She was my lover from even before coming here from China. I am sure she was to inject me with the nerve toxin we have been working on. I would have been dead in moments. So life goes. I will miss her.”

  Jack became very glad he wrapped the syringe well before placing it in his pocket. “Does an antidote exist for the toxin?”

  “I helped make both the toxin, and the antidote,” the man admitted. “I know you have a sample of the toxin. I will help make an antidote for you, if I do not have to return to China. These women were lab assistants. They can help me to recreate the antidote, with your scientists’ help. I am sickened by all this, and wish only for its end.”