“We don’t leave pretty soon. El Presidente’s boys are gonna come up here pokin’ around, and we don’t want to be here when they do.” “Put that thing away,” Hughes said.
“Are you crazy?” “No, sir, what I am is pissed off. You owe me thirty million dollars and I want it.” “Thirty million?” “Yeah, I figure I’m due a little extra, for all my trouble.
Trouble you caused me.” “I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Course not,” Platt said.
From the hall, Martin called: “Colonel, is everything okay in there?” He couldn’t see them, because the kicked-in door had shut behind him when Howard had come into the room.
“Affirmative!” Howard called back.
“But listen up! I want you and Hull to go downstairs, collect the rest of Beta Team, and take the truck back to the rendezvous point ASAP!” “Sir? What about you and the package?” “We are involved in some… delicate negotiations in here, Martin. Get back to the rendezvous, you copy?” “Yes, sir!” “Good move,” Platt said.
“We’d better be going ourselves.” He waved the grenade at the door.
“We can leave through the kitchen. It’s pretty quiet back there now.” “Maybe not,” Howard said.
“Listen up. Colonel Sambo, here’s the deal. I need Hughes because without him, I am up Poor White Trash Creek without a paddle. You want him for your own reasons. Let’s go somewhere I can get what I want, then you can have him.” “Dammit, Platt–to was “Shut up, Hughes. You ain’t part of this discussion.” “You turn me over to them, why should I give you the money?” “Oh, I dunno, maybe because if you don’t, I’ll poke out your eyes or cut off your family jewels?” “I don’t much like your deal,” Howard said.
“Only one I’m offering. I got a ride out of this stinkin’ country. I’m gonna take an account code with me or I ain’t going’. Grab that laptop there off the bedside table, would you, darling’?
We got to move. You object to that. Colonel?” Howard shook his head. This guy was dangerous at the very least, maybe crazy enough to let that grenade go and kill or maim them all.
“If that thing is from World War II, what makes you think it will still work?” Winthrop said.
“Maybe I shoot you, it drops and fizzles out like a wet match.” “Maybe so,” Platt said.
“But you know them krauts, they build to last. You want to risk fat boy’s ass on maybe it won’t blow up?” “Let’s move,” Howard said.
“He’s right about one thing, if we don’t we’re all for sure dead.” “Age before beauty,” Platt said.
As Howard turned to leave the room, he reached down with his left hand, while it was hidden from Platt’s view, and triple tapped the panic button on his comma.m. “Oh, shit,” Fernandez said.
“What?” Michaels and Toni said together.
“My comm just started a beeper pulse. The colonel has pushed his panic button. That means he’s down or captured, he can’t talk.” Michaels said, “Can we locate him from the signal?” “Yes, it’s a GPS pulse.” “Then let’s go.” “We’re supposed to lift in twenty minutes,” one of the pilots said.
“Sooner or later the local army is going to get its pants on and come looking for whoever caused all the trouble.” Michaels said.
“We don’t leave until we bring our people out.” “Sir, the colonel’s orders–” the pilot began.
“Negative,” Fernandez cut in.
“If the colonel’s been captured, then I’m in charge, and I say we’re not leaving without Colonel Howard. Understood?” The pilot looked at the ground.
Fernandez said.
“If the local army comes around, then you can take off. Otherwise, you wait until we get back.” “I’m going with you,” Michaels said.
“And so am I,” Toni said.
“Not a good idea, sir,” Fernandez began.
“Why does everybody keep saying that? Let’s move. Sergeant.
Time is running out.” 2:15 a.m.
The rest of Beta Team had left by the front gate, which was opened and unmanned. The guards who had been fogged were still on the ground, bound in plastic wrist and ankle cuff tape.
Howard, Platt, Hughes, and Winthrop moved out. There was still a big commotion at the diversion fire, less than half a mile away, and nobody seemed to be standing around gawking at the presidential compound.
“He’s crazy,” Hughes said quietly to the colonel.
“He hates black people, or at least black men. He’ll kill us all if he gets the chance.” Platt moved over and tapped Hughes on the back of the head with the grenade he held.
“Ow!” “Didn’t I tell you to shut up? You burned all your goodwill up with me.” “Why do they call it a potato masher?” Winthrop said, trying to distract the man.
“Because of the shape,” Platt said.
“See, narrow here, on the handle, but fat down here. You take your cooked potatoes and pound away at them, like this.” He moved the grenade up and down, as if using it to smash things under the heavy end.
“See?” God, he was crazy. Look at him grin. And what was that stain all over his skin? He couldn’t possibly think he was passing for a native, could he?
2:20 a.m.
“Randall, what are they doing?” Fernandez asked.
“Still moving, Sarge. Gotta be on foot, slow as they are going.” They were in the truck, running with the lights off, and the vehicle found every pothole in the dirt road, bouncing them around like Ping-Pong balls. Toni kept one hand on the wooden frame mounted on the back, the other hand on her kris handle. She had shoved the sheath into her belt when they’d gotten on the helicopters, although she didn’t know how much luck it was bringing her at the moment.
Could be worse. She could be dead.
“Same direction as before?” Fernandez asked.
“Yep.” “Get us in front of them. Butler, half a mile or so, then shut it down.” “You have a plan?” Toni asked.
“Not really. The colonel’s GPS unit is going somewhere at fool speed.
If it’s still attached to the colonel and he’s free, he’ll probably like a ride. If he’s been captured and is being taken out to be shot or some thing, then he probably won’t be too unhappy to see us. Either way, we need to know–hold on a second, somebody is calling. Go ahead.” “Sergeant Fernandez, this is Martin. Beta Team is at the rendezvous–except for Colonel Howard and Lieutenant Winthrop ” “What happened to them?” “I don’t know, Sarge. They went into the package’s room and then things got real quiet.
We could hear them talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying through the closed door. After a while, the colonel told us to take off.” “Did he give a reason?” “Negative. All he said was, he was doing some kind of negotiation.” “Copy, Martin. Hold your ground as long as you can.
We’re going to collect the colonel and the lieutenant now. See if you can shoo away anybody who comes nosing around until we get back.” “Affirmative, Sarge.” Fernandez looked puzzled.
“Doesn’t make any sense.” “When we find Howard, we’ll get him to explain it,” Michaels said.
2:25 a.m.
“Where are we going?” Howard asked. The brush around the little trail was thick, still radiating damp heat from the day.
You couldn’t see two feet into the forest, and could barely see the trail, even with flashlights.
“Not too much further,” Platt said.
“A half mile or so. I have my ride stashed up ahead. We get there, Hughes gives me the bank code, I check it out using the laptop, we go our separate ways.” Platt saw Winthrop and Howard exchange quick looks.
“Well, in your shoes, I don’t reckon I would much trust me neither. But I got nothing to gain by killing anybody here.
And you got your guns and all, right? You get your big-time thief and most of the money back, I get paid what I’m owed and I’m gone, you don’t never see me again. I’ll even shut off my little surprises, once I’m safely out of here. Now don’t that sound like a good deal all the way around?
Except for fat boy here, but we don’t really care what he thinks, do we?” Howard didn’t say anything, but what he was thinking was, Dammit, Gridley, we’re about out of time here. Move your ass!
2:30 a.m.
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Michaels whispered to Toni.
“That’s Hughes, in the white pajamas, and I’m pretty sure the big guy behind him is Platt, wearing some kind of disguise.” . “Yeah, and Howard and Joanna both have their pistols out, but it doesn’t look like they are in charge.” “The big guy’s carrying a grenade in one hand, that’s why,” Fernandez said.
“Probably already armed. That’s who is in charge, and that’s why they don’t plug him. He falls, the grenade goes boom. Jesus, it’s dark out here.