by Ann Simko
Ricco knew.
"Relax, Private." The quiet words startled him. "You're gonna be all worn out before the real fun starts." The major hooked an arm around Ricco and helped him to his feet. "Come on, put an arm around my shoulder and let's go see what has Patrick all worked up."
Ricco stifled a groan as he half limped, half ran alongside the major. Every step only served to remind him how much of a liability he was to the team.
When they caught up with the rest of the team, Ricco was determined to stay on his feet. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the Major asked Patrick for an update.
"How you doing?" Ricco jumped at the quiet voice.
"Doing my best." It was an honest answer. He didn't tell Bobby that he thought his best was far from good enough. Damn it, he didn't want to be scared, but he was. He was terrified.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Bobby said. "I couldn't do it."
Ricco didn't understand. "Do what?"
"That guy—the General? He had you all those years, did all that shit to you. No way in hell I would walk back through his door after that." Bobby shook his head. "Nope, no way in hell, man. You couldn't get me within a thousand clicks of here if I were you. You got balls, Ricco, so give yourself a break."
Bobby punched his shoulder lightly before he relayed what he had just learned from Patrick.
Ricco could only stare. He had no words.
"Patrick has two players in his sights." Montana put his hand back to his ear-piece. "Negative on the shot. I repeat hold your fire Patrick. We are five minutes from your position. Fall back and stand by."
Ray looked disappointed. "Come on Major have Patrick cap these guys and we can get on with it."
The Major gave Ray a scathing glare. "We don't know their check-in schedule or when they're due to be relieved. If we take them out, and they're discovered before we find the bunker where Dakota's being kept, we're screwed."
Ray mumbled something under his breath.
"Stop complaining and get moving, Ray. We have a long night ahead of us. Plenty of time for you to create havoc." He clapped Ray on the back before looping Ricco's arm around his shoulder.
"Yeah? Well I'm going to hold you to that," Ray muttered as he fell in behind.
Patrick was squatting next to a boulder, waiting and watching the two guards through binoculars. "Six-hundred-twenty yards. They haven't moved, major."
Montana went down on one knee and borrowed the binoculars. "They don't look too happy about being here, either." He looked over his shoulder. "I get the feeling a whole lot of people are pissed off at you, Private."
"Yes sir," Ricco wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, but he had no doubt that every man under the General's command was in a shit-load of trouble because of him. That sent chills through him again. He wondered about those balls Bobby thought he had.
Montana handed the binoculars back and caught Ricco's sleeve. "Do you have any idea where BD-3 is from here?"
Ricco felt a flush of heat. Dr. Thomas was going to die because of him. Or worse, the General knew they were here and was watching them all right now. He could practically feel the General searching for him in the dark.
"A good guess would do, Private." The major's tone caused him to flinch. "With guards here, we can't use this bunker as a starting point. If we have to sweep a wide perimeter around this place, searching for the trail, we'll never find it in time."
"I'm sorry, sir. I spent all my time underground. I couldn't tell you where we're at right now, even if it was daylight out."
Ricco could see the major's disappointment. This man had saved his life and he couldn't even point out a simple direction. He looked out to the dark. Think Ricco, think! Something had to look familiar, there had to be something.
"Patrick, drop our players. We'll take our chances with the rest of it."
That got his attention. He might not understand exactly what the major's strategy was, but he did know if Patrick fired, the General would know they were here.
"Roger that." Patrick unfolded the tripod on his fancy rifle and stretched out on his belly in the sand. He snuggled the butt of the rifle into his shoulder. When he chambered a round, the sound was chilling, deadly. Ricco heard him whisper, "Six-two-zero yards...two clicks up. Windage...two miles right...one click. Target in sight...man needs a shave. Safety off."
"Wait! Don't shoot. I remember something!" Ricco cringed as his loud whisper echoed off the rock walls around him. Now he had everyone's attention, wanted or not.
Patrick eased off on the trigger and frowned at Ricco. Ray groaned, Ito chuckled, and Bobby stood open-mouthed.
"This better be good Private," the major growled.
"Major, the last time they moved me, from BD-3 to here, it was early in the morning. I was pretty drugged, but I could feel the sun on the left side of my face the whole way."
"You sure?" Patrick sounded skeptical.
Ricco couldn't blame him. "Yes, sir. When you don't get to feel the sun on your face for years at a time, believe me, you remember those times with perfect clarity." He'd cherished those times. They were rare and fleeting. He knew he was right.
"Okay, that's good. That's very good." The major peered over the boulder toward the bunker. "That means they were traveling south."
Ricco felt the doubt that had tied his gut up in knots begin to unravel. Maybe he could do this. Maybe he could help bring the doctor back home. Maybe sometimes the good guys did get to win.
The major pulled a compass from his pocket and placed it on the ground in front of Patrick. When the gleaming needle settled on north, he said "Patrick, I would greatly appreciate it if you would find this bunker where they are keeping my brother."
Patrick gave a quick nod, gathered up his rifle, and moved out.
The major put the compass back into his pocket. "Well done, Michael." He arched a brow at Ray. "I don't want to hear it."
Ricco had to grin, despite the circumstances.
"What?" Ray feigned innocence. "What'd I say, huh?"
"We have two hours until sun up, people. Let's make this happen."
* * * *
It took longer than ninety minutes to find the trail, but no one said a word to Patrick about the miscalculation. Ito said, as he looked at the nearly concealed trail with admiration. "Whoever these guys are, they're good."
Montana grunted. He'd kept a close eye on Ricco. Being here again had unnerved the boy, but he was keeping it together. Montana gave him credit for that. He was a lot tougher than he looked. He came up close behind Ricco and spoke so no one else could hear him. "You okay?"
Ricco's eyes appeared black in the light of the moon. The pupils were dilated, leaving only a thin rim of iris surrounding them. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good."
Montana wasn't sure that was the truth, but he gave him a reassuring pat as he walked by.
"Here," Patrick said at last, and his movements became more sure as he moved along an invisible path only he seemed to see.
Montana closed his eyes briefly, the only outwardly visible sign of the nerves that jangled and screamed for urgency he would allow himself.
They entered a blind canyon as the first rays of light pierced the sky. Night still prevailed where they walked, and they took advantage of the dark as they followed Patrick in silence. He finally came to an abrupt stop. Confusion and frustration battled for control of his expression. Standing in front of a slight indentation in the canyon wall, he turned in small circle, looking at the ground. "What the hell? It just ends. How can it just disappear?"
Twice he retraced his steps, coming back to the point where the tracks ended.
"Patrick?"
Ricco made his way from his position at the end of the ranks, his eyes bright with fear or excitement. "I know this place." His voice, not much more than a whisper, commanded attention. "They didn't disappear. Look." He began scraping at the canyon wall.
Montana was the first to see what he was doing, but the rest of the team caught o
n fast. Together, they cleared away the edges of a camouflaged door. The disguise was nearly perfect. It had to have been for Patrick to miss it.
"Well, God damn." Ray let out a low whistle.
Ricco's eyes widened as he surveyed the area. "I've been here before. It's been a long time, but I remember." He nodded as though trying to convince himself that he was right.
"This is BD-3. I'm sure of it."
Chapter 18
Dawn brought muted shades of gold and rose to the desert sky. It had always been Montana's favorite time. The quiet between the ending of the night and the beginning of the day brought him a peace that renewed itself once every twenty-four hours. A peace that for the first time in his life eluded him. He stood a little outside the circle his team had formed around Ricco, and listened while the private briefed them.
"These bunkers are all the same. The entrance opens into a long, narrow hallway, with living quarters on one side, and a mess hall, rec room, toilets and stuff on the other. It slopes slightly downwards about a hundred yards, and then splits. The hallway to the right leads to the med facility, offices, that sort of thing. The one to the left leads to the holding cells. That's probably where they're keeping Dakota."
Montana nodded, as the description matched his recollection of the other bunker. "What about guards?"
Ricco shrugged. "That's hard to say, sir. They're probably not at full complement with the quick move, but I'd expect to find one on the door, and one, at least, on Dakota at all times. I have no idea how many might be in the med lab or with the General."
"So, you're pretty much guessing," Ito said.
Ricco released a deep sigh. "Sorry, but yeah, pretty much. Nothing like this has ever happened before." He turned to Montana. "There is one thing I don't have to guess about, sir. You need to be very careful. The General, he is unpredictable and full of surprises."
"Cool," Ray said. "I love surprises."
"No." Montana shook his head. "No surprises. There has to be a back door, a ventilation shaft, something. There was a hidden door at the first bunker, one in the ground." Montana looked all around him at the ground.
"Another door?" Patrick said.
Ricco nodded. "It's how I got out."
"We need to go in quiet. If Ray blows the door, we're screwed." Montana described the door that he and Dakota found at the first bunker. "Split up. It'll be well hidden and probably overgrown with vegetation."
Ray shook his head. "Waste of time."
As the rest of the team went to search near the canyon wall, Montana went to Ray, who sat on a boulder with a lump of C-4 in his hand. "Got a problem, Ray?"
"No, sir." Despite the denial, Ray didn't look happy. He scowled at the bunker door, as his hand bunched and squeezed the innocent looking lump of explosive.
"If there's something on your mind, say it."
Ray jumped off the boulder, looked at the explosive in his hand, and then back at the door they had recently uncovered. "We're wasting time, sir. Give me thirty seconds and I'll get you in there. Down and dirty. We blow the door and they'll never know what hit them. Bobby and I will cover you, you grab your brother, and we get our asses out of here."
Montana leaned against the boulder. His stillness was in contrast to the immediacy he felt churning inside him. As he looked at the door and thought of Dakota somewhere down there waiting for him, it was difficult not to agree with Ray. "I know, but it's my brother's life in the balance. It's a risk I'm not willing to take. The minute we blow the door, we lose everything."
Ray sighed and looked longingly at the door once more. "Yes, sir."
"I'll try to give you something to destroy when we leave, okay?"
Ray gave a half-hearted grin, just as Ito's voice came across on their headsets.
"Found it, one hundred yards north of the canyon wall."
Ray perked up at the news. "I get to blow the fucker on the way out?"
"You help me get my brother out of here, and you have carte blanche, my friend."
By the time Montana and Ray had rejoined the rest, the previously concealed door had been revealed. "Any idea where this opens up?" Montana said to Ricco.
Ricco glanced to the canyon behind him, and back to the door. He wiped beads of sweat from his face with a forearm. "Yes, sir. Right before the split. There's a secured room there. I've never been inside, but I've seen security people go in and out all the time."
Montana thought for a moment. "It's probably the control room for the power, ventilation, that sort of thing. How's it secured?"
"There's a box next to the door. They use their ID badges to get in."
Montana nodded. "I saw them in the first bunker."
Bobby spoke up. "It's possible the security system isn't working, Major. Ricco already said this bunker has been out of service for years. We're talking about sensitive equipment. Without environmental control and proper upkeep, it's probably out of commission, the connections eroded."
"Probably," Montana agreed. "But I would rather not guess. We do this by the book." He made a point to look at Ray. "No cowboy maneuvers. No mistakes."
Ray rolled his eyes, but kept any comments he might have to himself. Montana motioned for Ito to open the door. "We do this quiet. Do not fire unless you have to, understood? Two teams: Bobby, Ray, you're on the main entrance, and you go on my signal. Ito and Ricco, you're with me. We'll take out the control room. Patrick, stay topside and find a good spot to cover both exits. The lights go out and we move fast and silent. If our cover is blown, then Ray gets to makes some noise." Montana reached up to his earpiece and adjusted the setting. "Stick to channel one, but switch to channel two if necessary. We don't know what they're monitoring. Gentlemen, we insert in one minute. Questions?"
The only sound was of weapons checks. There was no more time for talk. Montana gave a nod to Bobby and Ray. "Move out." As they hustled away in the dusky light of dawn, he peered down into the bunker. "All right. Ito, you're up. You know what to look for. Ricco, stay in my shadow. Once we're down there, do not step in front of me for any reason."
He waited for Ito to climb down the ladder, amazed as always that a man of Ito's size could move with the silence and liquid grace of a big cat. When Ito reached the smooth concrete floor below, he signaled for Ricco to follow, and then started down the ladder himself.
"Good luck, Major." Patrick gave Montana a crisp salute before he disappeared in the shadows.
At the bottom of the ladder, Montana motioned Ito forward, and then caught Ricco's attention and put a finger to his lips. The kid looked like he was about to puke, but he didn't hesitate or slow them down. As they crept silently down the corridor, they heard muffled voices and occasional laughter. So far, so good. Their insertion had gone un-noticed, but Montana knew that was about to change.
The security door was exactly where Ricco told them it would be.
Montana signaled for Ito to move ahead to the split. He pulled a metal card from his vest pocket. A small battery and a pair of wires came from another pocket. Working quickly, he connected the leads to the card, swiped it through the reader, and de-magnetized the controls. A soft metallic click indicated the lock had been neutralized.
He looked to Ito, who gave the all clear sign, and then he pulled on the door. It swung open on quiet hinges.
"How'd you do that?" Ricco whispered.
Montana smiled, despite the circumstances, and blew on his fingers. "Magic."
It took him less than thirty seconds to find the right control panel. He slipped his night vision goggles down over his eyes and waited until Ito and Ricco had done the same. "Ray—lights out in five seconds. You ready? Over."
"Ready, willing, and goddamn eager, sir. Over."
"Then let's dance." Montana pulled the breaker, and they were wrapped in darkness until their night vision glasses illuminated a green-tinted world. He heard shouting, someone barking orders, and then the crash and clatter of metal objects hitting the floor, followed by angry curses. They didn't
have long before the emergency generators kicked in. He and Ricco followed Ito down the empty corridor on silent feet until they came to the split. Off to the right, he saw several men groping their way along the wall towards his position. Looking back, he saw the dim outlines of Bobby and Ray running his way.
Montana signaled for them to cover the split. Without waiting for a response, he took off down the left hand hallway toward—where he prayed—Dakota was being held. Before he'd run five steps, he heard two short bursts of gunfire and swore under his breath. They had just run out of time.
The emergency generator kicked into life a moment later, and all three men ripped the night vision goggles from their eyes, as even the dim lighting blinded them. The red haze of emergency lights had replaced the green glow.
"Move!" Montana yelled. A sudden explosion shook the bunker and almost brought him to his knees. He ducked his head as bits of concrete and dirt showered down on him. "God damn it Ray! I said on the way out!"
All hope of a quiet extraction dashed, Montana broke into a run, hoping that Bobby and Ray could contain whatever went wrong in the tunnel.
* * * *
Dakota opened his eyes. Just narrow slits against the light. He blinked his vision clear. The first thought that broke through the confusion was, Christ, I have to take a piss. His second was that he was too weak to do anything about it.
Suddenly Bubba was there by his side. "Hang on, Doc." He handed Dakota a bottle, helped him use it.
With that fundamental task taken care of, Dakota saw that Bubba was smiling at him and looking very un-Bubba like. He removed the stethoscope from around his neck.
"Jesus, Bubba, that's cold."
"Shut up."
Dakota complied, but only because he didn't have the energy to argue. "Don't you ever sleep?"
Bubba pulled the stethoscope from his ear. "Sleep is highly overrated." He checked the monitor with an expression of extreme satisfaction. Dakota's vital signs were stable and steady.