by Hart, Lea
“Coming from a squid, that means a lot. Thanks, man,” Alex responded.
“Okay, now that we’ve had our Oprah moment, can we concentrate on finding Jane?”
Alex worked his tablet for a couple of moments and finally got an image up of where Jane was located. She was being held in an old industrial part of the city. He held it up and let David look at it. “I was in Tegu about five years ago when we were helping train the local military on counter-narcotics techniques. We were there for eight months and stationed at Soto Cano Air base. Most of our ops took us into the surrounding countryside. I never spent a lot of time in the capital, so let’s hope that we get lucky with Joel.”
David bounced his leg. “I wonder if this was planned or just an opportunity they took. I’m not even sure what kind of ID she travels with. Who would they ask for ransom money?” Lowering his head into his hands, he let out a shuddering breath. “Fucking hell. Why did I let her go?”
“It sounds like you did what you could. It’s not like you were married and had any real power. At least you got her chipped. That’s a lot more than most people have. We have her location locked, and we’ll have a plan before we land. We’ll have her on this plane before you know it.”
“Yeah, I hope to God you’re right.” Standing, he stretched his legs and pulled his sat phone out of his bag. “I’m going to call the director of the school again and see if he has any updates. This has to be something that they’ve dealt with in the past.”
“What do you know about the school?” Alex asked.
“It’s been around since the fifties, and it’s evolved through the years into a school that offers the local population a bilingual education. Jane teaches third grade and loves it. She joined an NGO that was associated with the school, and that’s how she found herself there.”
Alex watched his screen and confirmed no movement. “Let’s hope the administrators have some experience with this and some friends in the local police force. Best case, they contain the situation until we get there and don’t get in our way when we arrive.”
Checking his notes, David called the director and nodded. “Jane’s parents were killed five years ago in a plane crash, and her sister is kind of a disaster, so if it’s ransom they want, then they have to come to me.”
“Let’s hope we get a call. That would be good news for everyone concerned,” Alex responded.
David put his finger up to signal that the director was on the line. He turned and spoke into his phone. “Any news?”
Alex checked his own phone and noticed that Joel had sent him some info. One of his men had been on Team Four and had some connections in Tegu. Trevor had contacted him, and the guy was going to get in touch with him shortly. God bless that SEAL network. Those men stayed connected no matter what. He sent a reply and waited to hear. They needed to get boots on the ground as soon as they could to track where Jane was being moved. He didn’t want them going in to get her unless it was absolutely necessary because he didn’t want them to fuck it up. If they could monitor the situation until they arrived, that would be ideal.
CHAPTER SEVEN
David checked his watch and realized they were two hours out from landing in Tegu. Everyone had contributed, and they were in about as good a shape as they could hope to be. Considering that it had been ten hours since he’d received the call, they were in decent shape. Alex’s contact had come up with a local operative that was going to meet them at the airfield. He’d once been on Delta and had been operating independently in the region for several years. He was going to join them and bring some retired military guys along to help.
Garret had a buddy who flew a Black Hawk that had been converted to a MEDEVAC chopper from his days at the base. The pilot would help if they needed it. If there was going to be a hot extraction, he would much prefer to be airlifted out as opposed to driving through the streets of Tegu. Trevor from the Florida office had come up with two men who were with the military.
There was no way that they wouldn’t succeed.
Tilting his head against the seat, he closed his eyes and thought about the last time he spoke with her and the things they promised to one another. He meant every word he had said, and he hoped like hell that she remembered the promise they made to one another and still felt the same way. They were so close, and no one was going to take this away from them. Certainly not some fuckheads from Honduras. He hadn’t spent most of his adult life in one of the most elite warrior families not to come out of this victorious with Jane in his arms…safe at home.
His sat phone lit up, and he rushed to answer it. “Hello.” Listening intently to the director of the school, he wrote down all of the information regarding the call they’d just received for ransom money. Giving a thumbs-up to Alex and Sean, he passed over the piece of paper that he’d written the information on. He instructed the director to follow along with the requests and told him they would be on the ground and en route to the location where she was being held in two hours. All they needed him to do was not screw anything up before they got there. Turning the phone off, he stared at both men and nodded. “Best news we could’ve gotten.”
Alex didn’t respond right away. He was studying his tablet and noted movement. “It looks like she is being relocated.” He flipped through a couple of screens and watched her pin slowly shift away from the location in the industrial part of the city. “Let me text Ken and make sure that his men follow her. He’s going to meet us with Trevor’s military contacts at the airport.”
David pulled out his tablet and brought up a map of the area where she was being held. “Let’s hope the locals are on motorcycles. That will be the best way for them to stay undetected.”
“Ken knows what he’s doing, so I’m sure they have what they need and know how to do the job.”
“I’ll go and see what our eta is.” Sean stood and ambled toward the pilots. Leaning his head in, he spoke with the guys and then returned. “We have about ninety minutes before we land. “I’m going to get changed and check my kit. Anyone want some coffee?” Both men raised their hands as they bent over their tablets and coordinated the people on the ground.
Alex lifted his head and glanced at David. “Any word yet on who is asking for the ransom? That might tell us what we have to look forward to when we land.”
“The director said it was men from a local gang called the Maras. There are two warring factions; there are the eighteens and the thirteens. They don’t operate inside of the capital, so he’s not sure why Jane was their target.” Rubbing his forehead, he tried to remain calm. “Apparently, they usually don’t make kidnapping Americans part of their regular routine.”
Alex whistled. “Great. Local gang bangers who got ambitious. Let me send the info to Ken on the ground. They probably already know, but better give them everything I have. Let’s hope it’s some low level thugs that decided to take advantage of an opportunity. From what I remember, they prefer to keep all their violence local, so this kidnapping doesn’t make sense. They’ve always reserved their attention for people who cross them and get in the way of their drug trade.”
He sent messages to all the men who were assisting them on the ground and hoped they would have some recent intel that would help them. Checking his tablet again, he tracked Jane’s progress. “They’re taking her outside of the city. They’re moving south on the highway. Did the director have the location for where they wanted to meet yet? Maybe they are taking her to more familiar territory. Somewhere that they control and know.”
“No. He was waiting for the call.” Sitting back in his chair, David breathed in and out slowly. He needed to remain focused on the mission and not on the ball of fear that was threatening to explode in his gut. The only thing that was going to save Jane was every person on the team operating at their very best, and that included him. He had done thousands of rescue ops over his career in much more difficult conditions. There were no bombs going off or Tangos trying to blow them up. Who cared if these guys ha
d guns? Sean and Alex were rock solid, so they were going to be fine. As long as no one touched a hair on Jane’s head, then everything would work out. But if Jane was hurt in anyway, all bets were off. He’d do whatever was necessary to bring her out alive and unharmed.
“Hey, man. Is Jane’s school in the El Zamorano Valley?”
“Yeah. There isn’t too much around it, except farms and small towns. I think there is some kind of nature preserve not far from it. But that’s the only thing.”
“That’s the direction they’re heading. Would Jane have anything on her that would identify her as anything other than a teacher?”
“I don’t think so. She doesn’t wear jewelry except for a thin gold band I gave her. She had a throwaway phone and doesn’t carry much cash.”
“Okay, that’s good news. I just want to see if these guys might figure out that she is connected to you in some way. I know it’s not likely, but I want to make sure.”
“No, I didn’t give her my trident to wear.”
“Thanks, smartass.”
David flipped him off before he stood. “I’m going to check my pack and change.”
********
Her face was covered with some sort of fabric hood and she couldn’t detect whether she was being taken to another building or room. Big hands gripped her arms and jerked her forward as she tried to keep upright. They hadn’t spoken to her once since the moment they grabbed her off the street, and she had no idea what they had planned for her. All she heard were snatches of conversation mumbled quietly among themselves. They were clearly from a gang. But, which one? Her limbs were trembling so badly that she was having difficulty walking. Please, God let David find me. It would be a miracle if he did, but she prayed that she was due for one.
A small breeze crossed her hands and she knew that they were finally outside again. The conversation between the men was louder now.
“Vamos a darle una droga.”
Oh, no way, she wasn’t going to let them give her a drug. If that happened, then it meant only one thing. I would rather die than be raped. They laughed and continued talking about their plans.
“Podemos pasar un buen rato antes de que la de a su jefe.”
No, they were not going to have a little fun. The least she could do was fight back. One of the men held her arm loosely, so she turned and shoved her knee up into what she hoped was his groin. Hearing a sharp curse, she realized that she hit something. Then a hard blow landed on her head and she stumbled. This was going to end badly, but at least it wasn’t going to be easy for them. She could die knowing that she tried. Kicking out her feet, she went crazy and tried to land a blow.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she tried to get free from the arms that were holding her. And then…a large fist hit her squarely in the chest and she doubled over. Then a prick in her arm, which must have been the drug. Blackness.
********
Alex pulled out his tablet and confirmed everyone’s location. “We have my contact Ken meeting us on the ground. He’s going to take us to where Jane is being held. Juan and Arturo are following Jane. They are going to keep her in their sights and let us know what conditions to expect when we arrive. Carlos and Jaime are meeting us at the airport, and they are our military contacts who have been working the area. They are also going to clear us and get us out of the airport with our gear, no questions asked. We have Nelson, who is Garret’s buddy, on standby at the airbase. He’s in a Black Hawk so he can help us out if we need a hot extraction. The last update we had from the director is that they are looking to pick up the ransom money in the morning. That will give us a good twelve hours to rescue her before they move her again. At least, that’s what he hopes. Obviously, nightfall is going to be a big help to us, so let’s take advantage of what we have in our favor and make this quick.”
“Agreed,” David said.
Sean nodded and put his hand on David’s shoulder. “We got this, man. We’re going to get your girl and bring her home.”
“Thanks, guys. Appreciate everything.”
“It’s what we do,” Alex responded.
********
Each man double-checked his gear and made sure his coms were operational. “I’ll give the guys mics when we meet up,” Alex stated.
Garret brought them down gently, and they taxied for several moments. Garret pulled the jet into the private airplane terminal and parked. Once the engines were turned off, the door was released. The men deplaned and met three other men at the bottom of the stairs.
“Evening, gentlemen. I’m Ken, your local welcoming committee, and these men are from the local military. I’ve just filled them in, and they have some intel for us that should help. Let’s load up, and you can give them the necessary paperwork en route. They are going to give you an update of what we’re dealing with on the road.”
“Thanks, man.” Alex put his hand out, and they shook quickly before loading their cargo into the waiting SUV. It was around eleven-thirty local time, and everyone was bright-eyed and ready to go. Alex handed the men copies of their passports as well as their current security clearance with the US government. Once they were done glancing at it, they handed it back to Alex, and he slipped it inside his vest. “Here are your mics. Let’s get everyone on the same coms, and then we’re ready to roll.”
David put his hand out to the two men and introduced himself. “Thank you for helping us out tonight.”
The bigger of the two guys introduced himself as Carlos and then told them that his companion’s name was Jaime. “We’ve been working the area where they are keeping your wife. It is a small town called Barrio El Robledal. The two factions of the Maras have been killing each other for many years. We think that a couple of them spotted Jane in the market in Tegu and saw an opportunity that they couldn’t pass up. We haven’t seen them kidnap an American in years. I think they got entrepreneurial and snatched her off the street. She must’ve gotten separated from her group, because I don’t think they would’ve taken the chance otherwise.”
Ken was at the wheel and was navigating them through the airport. Clearly, the government wasn’t in charge when a group of men could land in a foreign country with weapons and be flying through the gates of the international airport ten minutes after landing. Who the hell cared? David’s only concern was getting Jane out of the hands of what appeared to be some overly ambitious gangbangers. David watched Alex work his tablet as they tracked the pinpoint that represented Jane’s GPS device on the app. She hadn’t moved in over two hours, and he was taking that as good news. “Tell us what you know about the town where she’s being held.”
Jaime let out a sigh and shook his head. “The town where she’s being held is right outside of the Reserva Bilogica and is under control of both factions of the Maras. Someone dies there almost every day as a result of the turf war. I’m guessing that your wife looks American, and that is what gave the men the idea to kidnap her. Also, she was probably carrying identification that associated her with the school. These things are probably what are keeping her alive. I think the men are hoping that someone will pay a lot of cash to see her returned safely. Some low level guys must’ve decided to impress the boss, and that’s why they snatched her. Who knows? They kidnap local people who they think are getting in the way of their business, not Americans.”
Sean leaned over and asked, “Why do they think she’s married?”
David turned and answered. “I gave her a thin gold band to wear until she came home. It was a promise between us that we are committed to one another.”
Arturo gave him a grave smile. “It may have saved her life. They assume an American woman with a gold band must have a husband who would pay anything to ensure her safe return.”
Whistling through his teeth, Sean shook his head. “Damn, man. That is some kind of luck.”
Wiping his hand down his face, he let his shoulders drop. “I had no idea. I wasn’t sure that she would even wear it.”
Sean thumped hi
m on the back. “Damn lucky.”
Ken navigated them out onto the highway and told them that they had about an hour before they would arrive in the area where she was being held. “I can’t drive this car into town without alerting everyone that we are there. Juan is keeping eyes on the building where she is being held, and Arturo is at the entrance to town. He is keeping me updated on movements in town. He’ll meet us and take you into town. I’m going to park at the other end for our exfil.”
David and Sean conferred and came up with a plan on how they wanted to enter the building. “Let’s stay quiet and resolve our issues with little noise,” David stated. “I have my ka-bar and a silencer.”
Sean nodded. “Copy that. I have my ka-bar, too. We should be in and out in less than five minutes, as long as we know how many are inside before we enter. Ten minutes if we go in without intel.”
Alex handed them his tablet over the seat. “Study this, so you know what the town looks like, as well as the surrounding area for the exfil.” He pointed to a blank space on the map. “This is where the Black Hawk will land if we need to get out quickly. Nelson is in the air now and can be here within five minutes of my call.”
David took the tablet and studied it. He and Sean discussed the entry and exit points and came up with a plan for a hot extraction if it came to that. “Alex, are you going to cover us from the roof of the market?”
“That was my plan.” Taking the tablet back, he studied the town again to see if there was a better option. “The other choice is that I can stay on the ground and throw a frag as you are exiting. That could provide enough cover if the local boys join us and decide to empty their magazines in welcome.”
“I think a little frag can go a long way. Because we don’t know how many locals are going to come out to see the show,” Sean added.
“Agreed,” David said. “I don’t think they’re going to be expecting this, so a little shock and awe can go a long way.”