A/N: Heading out on vacation for a few days. Next update might be a day later than normal, but will be close to normal posting time. Thanks to all who have stayed with my story over the last few weeks.
Rick looks at the address the man had written and says, "Shit, this is four hours upstate. It will be nearly dawn when we get there."
Hunt finishes up tying the man to his desk chair with his phone cord and says to Rick, "Well, we better get started then. We don't want to disappoint the Missus."
"Or miss our meeting with the son of a bitch that runs this mess and has my wife. Let's go, now."
Rick heads out in the Mercedes and pulls onto the highway, jumping on I87 and mashing the accelerator. According to the GPS, the address lies on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River Valley. If the place is actually on the bluff, then the available approaches to the area are more limited. They will have to attempt infiltration from the front if at all. Hopefully, the house, mansion, castle, estate, whatever you want to call it will have some weakness in which to enter. Guess they will find out when they get there.
Hunt asks once again, "Gonna do what you need, now that we know he probably has some heavily armed security?"
"I'm gonna break your face you ask me one more time," Rick lashes back.
"Good, keep that attitude, I don't want to have to carry you when we get there."
"Just don't get in my way, you old-decrepit-has-been-washed-up-agent-wannabe."
Hunt laughs heartily and it breaks the tension a little so they can both relax and prepare mentally for the challenge ahead. If what Mr. Obese said is true, they will have to bring their A-game to this fight. And Rick is sure he will be bringing his A+ game tonight. Nobody, but nobody, ever threatens or harms his loved ones, especially Kate or Alexis. Best not be any hurt when he gets there or someone is going to be hurting very badly.
Rick can see the wheels spinning in Hunt's mind. He knows his dad is probably one of the most dangerous men he has ever met, having demonstrated that more than once. He remembers Paris, remembers the guy in the library. If Jackson Hunt needs someone dead, he will be dead. Rick just hopes he doesn't kill the guy who took Kate before he gets to mete out some justice of his own. And it will be with great prejudice.
Hunt looks over to Rick and ask just what he has in his trunk. Rick smiles and tells him, "Oh don't worry, I came prepared. What do you have in your little goody bag in the back seat?"
Jackson acts like he is trying so very hard to remember, holding his chin as he contemplates Rick's question.
Rick exclaims, "Just tell me, stop playing the dumb I-can't-remember games"
Hunt laughs and starts cataloguing the contents of his larger duffel in the back.
Well, I have my Walther HK MP5 A5 assault rifle and its twin, about 1000 rounds of ammo for them in mags, three Glock G41 Gen4 45 caliber pistols, silenced with five magazines each. I have a Remington MSR based on the SOCOM modular requirement, chambered for .338 Lapua round. I have an M32 40 mm grenade launcher and an Atchison Assault automatic shotgun and plenty of ammo for all of them."
"Damn, Dad, you will get a hernia trying to carry that thing. How much does all that weigh?"
"Not too much if you need it in a firefight. Now quit your bellyaching and get us to your Missus. I thought you were in a hurry to see her tonight."
"Yeah, probably wouldn't be too good to get pulled over with all this ordnance in the car. I'll get us there before daybreak, so we can go in under cover of darkness. Any thoughts, Dad?"
'Yeah, if someone is shooting at you, shoot him back. Anything else you need to know?"
Rick laughs at the simplistic response from Hunt, and thanks his lucky stars one more time that he is here with him. He is certainly one to have on your side in this type of situation, whether it be here or overseas. Rick is very proud to be his son, even though no one can really know about it.
Rick heard the female voice on the GPS telling him they had about 30 minutes to destination. He was starting to get amped up and was practicing deep slow breathing techniques he learned in Israel to control adrenaline and emotion. He would need all his faculties about him when they finally arrived at the location, but he had a very difficult time controlling his anger when he thought about what could be happening to Kate right now. He pressed just a little harder on the pedal, bringing the car to just about twenty miles per hour over the legal limit. He wanted to hurry, but if they were stopped by the troopers, not only would they be in deep trouble with the weapons they had on board, but would also be delayed indefinitely. He did not want an altercation with the police. He also did not want the police involved until they had Kate out safe and the abductor, whoever that might be, incapacitated at least. Preferably they would all be gone and this piece of worthless Bantha pudu will be incarcerated for the rest of his miserable life. His money will not sway the 'guests' of Rikers. (Rick thinks he is getting too wrapped up in Star Wars tonight and needs to get his mind back on task).
Hunt starts to get individual items out of his bag and begins to dress for the action. His vest goes on, then a pullover black tight tactical jacket. It can hold many items, but fits so well it will not hinder any actions he might have to make. Then he starts to fill the jacket. First is a series of magazines for his various weapons, then several throwing knives.
Rick looks at him incredulously and Hunt asks, "What? I'm just getting prepared. Never can tell what we will run into. The fat guy said this man has an army protecting him, so I want to be prepared for an army. Never can tell when I will need a knife for some short distance stealth action. You just take care of yourself."
Rick smiled and said he would be prepared just fine for what he needed to do when they got there. He would take care of things with his pistol, the second Walther automatic rifle, his "Rambo" knife modeled after the one on First Blood Part II, and if need be, his bare hands. He was more than a match for most mercenary security people since he was fighting not for money, but for his family, and specifically Kate. He would make sure his training was put to good use and would successfully rescue Kate from the clutches of this evil man.
The woman's voice told him to slow down; he had a right turn up ahead in about two minutes, then to proceed on that road for another seven minutes. The destination would be on the right. Rick told his dad to take over once he made the first turn and he retrieved his armament case from the back of the Mercedes. He started the preparations as his Dad had done and was completely armed when they made the turn onto the final drive. Once they got within a half mile of the destination, they cut the lights and let the car move slowly up the road, watching the estate all the time, calling out potential entry points, anything that might appear suspiciously like a surveillance device of some sort and any security lighting that might be triggered by motion or infrared. Once they were in sight of the main entrance, Hunt killed the engine and let the car coast to a stop. Rick pointed out a particular vulnerable spot he had seen about 100 yards back up the road, one that Hunt confirmed looked like a great infiltration point. There was a tree with one limb hanging across the top of the wall that would provide access to the inside of the wall and would be a good lookout point for perusal of the grounds. They both stepped out of the car and headed back up the road to the tree. Hunt asked Rick if he thought he could climb the tree to get onto the wall, Rick simply glared at him as he scampered up the tree. Once again, Hunt was impressed and well pleased with his son.
It was indeed a strategic vantage point. The two could see nearly all the grounds up to the main house that lay about a hundred meters back from the wall, nestled inside a grove of well-manicured trees. The trees were trimmed so a person could easily walk under them without having to duck around low hanging limbs, thus any cover from the trees was provided only by the trunks themselves. Hunt quickly surveyed the grounds, seeing several guards that appeared well armed, even carrying the guns openly. What was this, a drug lord estate; looked like right out of a Chuck Norris movie? Rick also noticed the guards and quietly remarked, "Dad, I see eleven of these guys. How many do you see?"
"Eleven also."
"OK, we have to get to the house without setting off an alarm. How quick are you with that MSR? I know you can hit anything you want to, but how fast? Can you take the guys out on the far side as I clean up the close ones?"
"You remember Paris? All those guys and not one shot fired, even the one with the gun to your head? Think I can handle it."
"OK, let me get down and sneak up close to the nearest one and then we will initiate. 3 minutes."
"Roger."
"Dad, just so you know, if these guys act like they are going to fire, I will silence them. If not, I want to take them out alive, but incapacitated. I have about hundred zip-tie restraints, so I will take these guys down one at a time and zip them up. You just watch the other guys so I don't get shot. Whatever you do, don't let them raise the alarm. I don't want to take a chance on Kate being caught in the crossfire or spirited out through another exit."
Hunt looks at his son and swells with pride, knowing he is now the man he knew he could be so many years ago when he gave him the copy of Casino Royale in the library. Now it is time to come of age, so to speak. He has his mission and there is no way he is coming back without his Kate.
"Go, I've got this end."
Rick slips out of the tree and ghosts through the trees, taking out two men without being detected. Hunt smiles as he watches his son become the avenging marauder, taking no prisoners as he moves silently through the grove. As he reaches the house, five of the eleven men are on the ground, sleeping it off for at least the next four hours. They are bound hand and foot with the right hand zip-tied to the left ankle and vice-versa behind their backs. All are silenced with duct tape. The four hours will allow them plenty of time to retrieve Kate and make their escape.
Hunt watches the men closest to the main house and sees one of them doubling back on Rick as he ties a sixth guy up. One quick shot, sounding like a puff of air and the guy is lying quietly on the ground, not to be of concern anymore. Rick sees him fall and quickly pulls his pistol, fearing the remaining four might have seen the encounter. Sure enough, here come two of them and Rick takes the closest out with his silenced pistol. He is as deadly as he is stealthy. He sees the second of the two drop suddenly as he hears what sounds like a wasp fly by only a couple of feet away, followed by a dull thick thud as the round impacts the guard center mass. He looks back at his dad and glares.
Rick quickly dispatches the last two of the men with no difficulty, binding them as the previous ones, and then Hunt makes his way rapidly to the door. They enter slowly and watchfully, taking in everything in the estate. Rick sees a guard and quickly wraps him up in a choke hold. He asks him if there are any more guys in the building and how many there are. The guard, now nearly unconscious from the choke hold, hold up five, then two fingers.
Loosening the hold slightly, Rick says, "Where?"
He points to the back to a corridor that leads to the private quarters of the house.
Hunt asks him, "Is there a woman being held back there?" Rick pulls his pistol and moves it to the man's head, just behind his right ear, and he quickly nods his head yes.
"You are going to show us exactly where and how to get there. Then you will go to sleep. If you make a sound at all, especially to alert anyone, you will die right then and there, understand?" Hunt says. The not now so tough guard nods his head timidly and tries to move to the corridor. Rick stops him and silently binds his hands and silences him with a gag. "Now, lead us to the woman," Rick whispers into the man's ear.
The guard leads them to a long hallway with two doors on each side and a single door at the end. The door at the end has a very large man standing guard, leaving no question this is where they will find Kate. Rick once again whispers into the man's ear, "Is that where the woman is?"
The Guard nods his head and then it's lights out for him. Hunt takes the guard at the end of the hall out with the silenced pistol he has been carrying. Rick and Jackson clear the first rooms on each side and move to the second pair. They encounter the remainder of the seven guards, leaving them either dead or severely incapacitated and bound in the hallway. Once inside the last door on the left, they find a set of monitors that are watching the room. Rick sees Kate in the monitor with a tall dark man slowly crawling up the bed beside her. She is dressed in a white negligee of some sort and he can see she is under severe duress. Rick says to Hunt, "We go in quietly and without mercy. I will get Kate first and then we will deal with this piece of shit. Understood?"
"Let's move," Hunt says.
They move silently to the door and open it without a sound. Rick creeps up to the bed and grabs the pervert by one leg and the hair of his head and simultaneously lifts and throws him backward to the far wall. Hunt immediately sticks the barrel of his silencer against his forehead just above and in front of his right temple and shakes his head to indicate not to speak or make a sound. Rick looks toward Kate and hears
"Rick"
