“Senior, it’s too early,” one man moaned as he looked at his watch and realized that it was only ten-thirty in the morning. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem is our targets have left the house. They took their suitcases and are heading out into the desert, you idiot. We need to go after them.” Carlos was very mad and was not helped by his large hangover.
“Where are they going amigo?”
“All I know is they are headed up I-15 North. There is nothing out there for hundreds of miles except Indian reservations,” Carlos muttered.
“Maybe the gringos are tourists today,” another said.
Carlos thought about that for a second. “You know. You could be right,” Carlos said as he rolled out of bed still dressed. “I know of one place they might visit.”
“What place?”
“The Valley of Fire,” Carlos answered. “It would be a fine place for killing someone,” he said at almost the same time as Banyon had said it.
“I don’t like the name,” one of them said as he crossed himself. “It makes me think of the devil.”
“I don’t care what you think,” Carlos fired back. “Get your lazy asses up and be ready to go in five minutes. Miguel will pick us up in front of the casino.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Banyon started talking about the Valley of Fire. He had been there several times during his lifetime. He had also done research on the Internet. “The Valley of Fire is one of our oldest National parks. It was the first one dedicated by the state of Nevada in 1935. It was formed over 150 million years ago. It’s like another world.”
“I never heard of it,” Eric chimed in.
“It is a big oval basin. It’s something like four miles across one way and six miles the other way, with only one main road that runs east to west and feeds all the parking lots. Most people haven’t heard of it because it butts up to Lake Mead and is at the end of the Grand Canyon. They are much more popular parks. But it contains many unusual windblown rock formations. They have names like ‘The Elephant’, ‘The Beehives’’, ‘The Seven Sisters’ and more. The rock formations are stunning.”
“Most of this desert is flat. Why aren’t there formations like it in other places?” Heather inquired.
“Well, I’m not a geologist,” Banyon pointed out. “But it was once a sand dune desert. Then it was part of an inland ocean and finally it was once part of a tremendous faulting and shifting of the earth’s crust. The sandstone rock, which is very soft, eroded over time and what is left are the formations.”
“Why is it called the Valley of Fire?” Mandy quickly asked.
“Because, when the sun is strong and the sky is clear, like it is today, many of the rock formations reflect sunlight. They look like they are on fire. The majority of the rock formations are red. But you will see other colors are well.”
“How does that help us?” Mandy asked.
“Actually, none of the formations I mentioned helps us, but there is one more rock formation that will be very useful to us.” Banyon said dramatically.
“Which one?” Mandy demanded.
“It’s called Petroglyph Canyon,” Banyon said slowly to let it sink in.
“Wait; aren’t Petroglyphs figures drawn on cave walls?” Heather said.
“Your right Heather,” Banyon replied with a smile. “Petroglyph Canyon is near the middle of the park. It’s a huge rock formation which is riddled with canyons. It is like a big maze. There are many windblown and carved caves in the walls where the ancient Indian tribe called the Anasazi lived. They drew on the walls and outside the caves. Many people think the caves are haunted.”
“So, we are going to lead the hit men into a maze, is that right?” Mandy asked. “Then what?”
“That’s right,” Banyon told them. “But not just any maze. We are going to lead them to ‘The Mouse’s Tank’.”
“What’s the Mouse’s Tank?” Mandy asked with frustration in her voice.
“It’s actually a depression in a rock. It’s a pothole that looks like a bowl and is under several other rocks and not easily found. Most of the year, there is water in the depression. There is no other water available in all of the rest of the Valley of Fire.”
“Do mice live there? I hate mice,” Heather said as she squirmed in her seat.
“No,” Banyon replied. “The story behind the name comes from an Indian named Little Mouse. In the 1890’s he supposedly killed a local man and a posse chased him into the rock formation. For six months, they could not find him and thought he was dead, but one day he emerged and they caught him. He showed them the pothole and said he lived on the water. So they named it after him.”
“But why set our trap there?” Mandy persisted.
“Well,” Banyon continued. “It is at the far end of a dead-end canyon. It has fifty foot walls on one side and many caves on ledges above the path. It is high ground. Second, there is a picnic table at the end of the canyon. It would be perfect for our dolls. Third, the way to Mouse’s Tank is well marked by signs and easy to follow. And finally, the way out can be easily blocked. Once the hit men go in they are not coming out.”
***
“I see a road sign. It says The Valley of Fire next exit. There is an exit coming up,” Eric yelled.
“Take it and go right. There are no other signs or billboards for the park,” Banyon told him.
Mandy swiveled her head back and forth. “I don’t see anything. It’s all just open deserts. All I see is those mountains way off on the left,” she pointed.
“Across those mountains is Death Valley in California,” Banyon told them. That got him a punch in the arm from Mandy.
“Know it all,” she muttered.
Eric took the exit and headed up a nondescript road which led slightly up hill. He eventually came to a sign that said they were entering the Valley of Fire. There were two Park Rangers standing by the side of the road. They waved them to stop.
“Parks closed folks,” the Ranger said. He wore dark sunglasses with his hand on his gun.
Banyon rolled down the window and said, “I’m Colton Banyon. We are expected.”
“That will be six dollars to enter the park,” the Ranger replied with his hand out. Then a smile crossed his face.
“There is a blue ford with two Mexicans in it. They will be here shortly. Let them in too,” Banyon told the officer.
“When will the rest of the bad guys arrive?” the Ranger asked.
“Probably within the hour,” Banyon estimated. “But be careful, these guys are very dangerous and usually don’t leave anyone around to identify them.”
“No problem, when we see their caravan we are out of here until they pass. Then, we will be back on duty. By the way Rebecca Smith, with the FBI, and the troops are following them about a mile behind. I just talked to her.” He then waved them through.
They drove about a hundred yards and suddenly they could see Lake Mead shimmering in the distance. There was also a sign which said steep slope. Eric crested the rim and the view took their breath away.
“It’s stunning,” Heather uttered.
“See the rock formation there on the left. Head for it,” Banyon told Eric. The basin was like a crater on Mars. They could see the entire valley.
“That’s easy,” Eric replied. “There is only one road.”
“Several movies were filmed here,” Banyon said, then protected his arm from another punch from Mandy.
They could see several cars situated around the parking areas. Banyon guessed they were there to make the park appear open. Eric maneuvered the Escalade through the entrance ramp and into the parking lot. He pulled up as close to the entrance to the canyon as he could. They quickly piled out and began lugging the dolls, the water, and several guns, to the final site. They all had handguns, but also strapped HK417 assault rifles to their backs. The last item they carried was a box of ammunition. They were prepared for a war.
“I see the watchers cresting the ridge,�
�� Mandy yelled just as they were turning the first corner.
“Then we’d better hurry and set up the dolls,” Banyon yelled back. They began to jog through the thick, soft, sand. It took them five minutes to reach the canyon where the Mouse’s Tank was located. As they entered the canyon Heather spoke.
“This is very creepy. Look at all the caves. You can clearly see the petroglyphs on all of them. I wouldn’t want to be here in the dark.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be gone long before night,” Banyon told her. “Look there is the picnic table,” he pointed to the end of the canyon. “They‘ll have to get real close before they recognize the hoax.”
They quickly set the dolls up at the table and began searching the overhead ledges and caves for the best places to set up their guns. Banyon noticed his shirt was soaking wet with perspiration. When he checked out the girls and Eric, he saw that they were all losing a lot of water already.
“Make sure to stay hydrated,” he warned them. “You could have hallucinations if you lose too much water.
Eric, the former SEAL, picked the sniper holes. He told Banyon and Mandy to take the spot on the left and he and Heather would take control of the one on the right. Climbing the canyon walls was not easy, but eventually they were in their chosen spots. They still had their earpieces, so they could communicate.
“How can we be sure the watchers realize where we have gone,” Eric said into his earpiece.
“Good question,” Banyon replied.
“Why don’t I go find them and lead them here?” Mandy suddenly said. “I’m the fastest runner and can act like I forgot something in the SUV. Give me the keys Eric.”
“Mandy, they could have guns,” Banyon protested.
“There job is to follow us. Even if they have guns, they have no idea that we know about them. I’m sure they will just follow,” she replied logically.
“All right, go then. But be careful,” Banyon said.
Mandy quickly climbed down the canyon wall. She waited for Eric to throw her the keys. As soon as she had them, she turned and sprinted out of sight. Banyon took the opportunity to check in with Wolf.
“Wolf, do you have an update?”
“Carlos and his men are only ten minutes away. The FBI is still one mile behind them. It looks like everything is on plan. But please check in frequently until this is over.”
“Thanks, I will,” Banyon replied and then opened his phone to call Rebecca, only to find he had no cell phone reception in the valley. He wondered if it was going to be a problem for them.
***
Meanwhile Mandy rounded the corner and jogged into the open parking area. She saw the blue ford parked about halfway up the parking lot. Both men were still in it. She opened the rear door of the SUV and pretended to be looking for something. The men were suddenly out of the car and headed toward her. This made her a little nervous, but she waited until they were only a few yards away before she calmly closed the SUV door and turned to head back to the canyon.
“Hey, where you going little Chiquita,” one of them said.
She stopped in her tracks and looked at them. “My friends and I have having lunch at the Mouse’s Tank,” she said with innocence as she scanned the men for weapons.
“Where’s that?” he asked in broken English.
“The path is clearly marked,” she pointed to the sign and then began to run. The Mexicans scared her, but she knew they would follow. She raced back to the Mouse’s Tank area and scaled the canyon wall like a monkey. She then plopped next to Banyon and picked up her gun. Banyon could see a river of sweat running down her small back.
“They’ll be coming around the corner soon,” she said into her earpiece. “So, we had better hide.”
Soon one of the Mexicans peeked around the corner of the canyon. Heather spotted him immediately. “Mexican coming our way,” she whispered into her earpiece. The man took a quick look, he then disappeared. He had seen the group of people having lunch around the picnic table; that was all he needed to know.
“They’ll go and wait by their car now,” Mandy said. “Then they’ll lead the hit men in. I’m going to hide by the entrance so we will know when this party will get started.” Before Banyon could protest, she once again came off the ledge and sprinted around the corner, but this time she had her HK417 with her.
“Mandy. As soon as you see the hit men, you get back here,” Banyon screamed into his earpiece. God, she is as impulsive as Loni, Banyon thought.
“I guess we can relax for a few minutes,” Eric said and leaned back against the rocks and closed his eyes.
“Wolf, do you have an update?” Banyon whispered.
“Everything is on plan right now,” he replied.
But things were about to change.
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Carlos sat in the front seat of the first van; there were three more vans behind him. He held his head in an attempt to stop the throbbing from his hangover. Miguel had picked the hit men up right on time and they sped off to kill Colton Banyon. Carlos had dispersed his men in the vans so he could communicate with them. The last stolen van was running low on gas, so his man called him and said they had to stop at the next exit. Carlos told his driver to head to the gas station. When they stopped, he went into the convenience store and purchased a coffee to help clear his head.
As he headed back to his van, he noticed several police cars parked just up the road, behind the gas station. He suddenly became suspicious; something didn’t feel right to him. He returned to the convenience store counter and asked the clerk if it was normal for so many police cars to be congregated nearby. The clerk shrugged and told him he didn’t know. This told Carlos that something was up. When he returned to the van, he told the men in the rear van to see if the police attempted to follow them.
When they were back on the highway, his phone rang. “The police cars are following,” his man said without preamble. Carlos didn’t know if the police had some inside information, or if they were setting up a speed trap, or maybe they just decided to follow sixteen hard-looking Mexicans in four vans. He decided he had to do something. They were only a few miles from the exit for the Valley of Fire.
He addressed the driver. “Speed up, I want to pass those two tractor-trailers before they get to the overpass up ahead,” he pointed. He then called his man in the last vehicle and gave him instructions.
The four vans picked up speed and whizzed past the huge trucks. When the last van was near the front of the second truck, gun fire erupted from the windows of the van. It blew out all the tires of the truck. It immediately began to jackknife and pushed by the momentum of its weight, the truck began to roll over in the road. Soon the first truck was rolling over as well. Both came to a stop just before the overpass and completely block the highway.
Carlos smiled for the first time that day. His goal was to stop the police from following him, but he unknowingly stopped the thirty SWAT members from continuing after him. He didn’t know how lucky he was. He just knew the police would stop and help the victims. It was always their first priority.
“Exit for the Valley of Fire is coming up,” his driver announced.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
“No,” The President of the United States roared. He and Marlene Moore were sitting in the situation room watching the action on the big monitor. They had moved a satellite so that they could follow the hit men into the park. They could also see the SWAT convoy a few minutes behind. They watched in horror as the semis rolled over and one exploded, completely blocking the highway. His cellphone immediately ran. It was Rebecca.
“We’re in trouble,” she started. “It is going to take us at least thirty minutes to get around this mess,” she complained. “I can’t even call Banyon to let him know. There is no cell reception in the valley.”
“So, he has no idea there is no help on the way?” the President screamed into the phone.
“No, sir. They are on their own until we can get there. We have
only two men up on the ridge to stop tourists from entering the park and they need to protect the populace.”
“Get there in ten minutes,” the President ordered and hung up.
“Mr. President, Nellis Air Force Base is not too far away. Maybe we should scramble a jet and put a couple of missiles into the vans?” The National Security Advisor said.
“I can’t lose Banyon,” the President moaned. “And we can’t shoot the vans. It would be political suicide.”
“We have some Marines on the base. Can’t we helicopter them into the valley?” Marlene asked, remembering that there was a group just in from overseas.
“Get them there as soon as possible,” the President ordered. The National Security Advisor immediately called the Pentagon.
“It’ll take ten to fifteen minutes. Do we have your approval?” he quickly asked the President.
“Do it.” He answered. “I just hope Banyon can hold out until then.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Banyon suddenly saw Mandy sprinting into the canyon. He knew the hit men would be right behind her. So he decided to check with Wolf.
“Wolf, any updates?”
“Yes,” Wolf quickly replied. “The entire SWAT team has been delayed by an accident caused by Carlos. Two trucks are involved and two men died. The SWAT team won’t get to your location for at least thirty minutes. The President has scrambled some Marines from Nellis Air Force Base, but they will take almost as much time to get there.”
“You mean we are on our own?” Banyon screamed as panic filled his body. Sixteen armed killers with machine guns against the four of them were not good odds. Their odds of survival had gone way down.
“It can’t be helped, Colt.”
“Should we abandon our position and hide?” Banyon was a veteran of gun battles. Over the last few years, he had been in many. But this time he only had one person, Eric, that he knew would perform. He was not sure about the women. He thought it might be prudent to wait for another day and a better plan.
A Dubious Position (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 7) Page 24