Chapter Eleven: Jungle Boogie
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Morning, sunshine." Keller greeted as he turned on the lights to the room again. For further humiliation, he threw a glass of water on the sleeping Ed. Deline's cold blue eyes darted around the room as he woke up.
"It can't be morning already." he commented, looking at the smirking Keller.
"Wanted to make sure that you were ready to have company." Keller shrugged, sitting down on the desk in front of Ed. He smiled widely. "McCoy didn't come alone."
"What?" Ed exclaimed, mentally berating Danny for bringing others on this dangerous of a mission.
"Holt, Cannon and Marquez are with him." Keller reported, delighted to see the worry that was now present on Deline's face. "So, which one do I kill first?" He gestured with his fingers. "The pit boss, the valet, or the casino hostess?" A wicked grin crossed his face. "I'd say either you or McCoy, but business before pleasure."
"You don't need to do this, Jack." Ed said, trying to get out of his restraints. "It doesn't concern them."
"You know," Keller continued, pretending not to have heard Ed. "I do have men waiting for your little soldiers. It wouldn't take much to organize an ambush." He picked up Ed's cell phone and looked at Deline. "What do you think?"
"You wouldn't." Ed shook his head defiantly.
"Wouldn't I?" Jack asked, flipping open the phone.
"Wait." Ed protested as the color drained from his face. He was worried that he just sealed the quartet's fate. As he gulped heavily, Keller simply chuckled at him.
"Don't give yourself a heart attack." Keller commented, closing the phone. "It's far too early to kill them yet."
----------------------------------------------------------------
Glancing up at the moon, Danny leaned against a nearby tree. The group had decided to take a break a few miles into their trek through the jungle. However, it wasn't much of a rest for Danny, who had volunteered for lookout duty. Nearby, Nessa and Sam, who was sitting on a rock, consulted over the map while Mike drank from one of the water bottles the group had brought along.
"Damn!" Mike said, slapping the back of his neck. "I swear the mosquitoes here must like the taste of Vegas or something."
"If we keep moving," Danny replied, looking around. "They shouldn't bother us." He glanced back up at the moon. "We need to take full advantage of the lack of light." He looked back at his friends. "Who's up for running the rest of the way?"
"Count me out." Sam replied, shaking her head.
"It's only 5 more miles!" Danny protested, gesturing with his hands. He was beginning to question the wisdom of bringing one Samantha Jane Marquez along.
"Unless you're going to pull a car out of that pack of yours," Sam commented as Danny rolled his eyes. "walking is the only way I'm going to get there. I'm spent as it is!"
"Keep your voices down." Nessa reminded, "You two are going to get us killed." She turned to Danny. "Why don't you go ahead of us, and we'll watch your back? It'll be easier for one person to sneak in anyway."
"You sure?" Danny asked, looking around. "I don't want to abandon you guys out here."
"Go on, man." Mike encouraged, patting him on the back.
"Yeah." Sam agreed with a smile.
"You're the only one with enough experience to deal with Keller anyway." Nessa reminded as Danny nodded. "You're the only one of us four who can really save Ed."
"Okay." Danny agreed, taking off his pack and one of his two assault rifles. He tossed them at Mike. "Don't worry. Nessa will tell you how to use the grenades." He took off his other assault rifle, and gave it to Sam. "You guys just be careful. If anything happens to me, I want you to turn back and head back for Vegas."
"You're only going ahead with just one gun?" Mike remarked, looking at the pistol he held in his belt. "You're crazy."
"Not just a gun." Danny replied with a smile. "Ed's good luck charm."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"This isn't what I was thinking when I suggested dinner the other day." Luis remarked as he walked inside Danny's house. Mary simply smiled at him.
"I just wanted some company." Mary commented, showing him to the kitchen table. "I hope you don't mind that I had to reheat it in the microwave."
"Can't be all that bad." Luis shrugged, sitting down. He smiled at her. "You're looking good, considering the circumstances."
"Thank you." Mary said, blushing slightly as she sat down across from him. "Anything new on the Ed front?"
"Nothing." Luis shook his head, "You heard anything?"
At that point, Mary remained silent. She didn't know if she should tell Luis or not about Danny and the gang traveling to Panama. On one hand, Danny seemed determined to do this on his own. However, it was that kind of attitude that may lead him to get killed. She sighed heavily, and noticed that Luis was watching her with interest.
"Why do I get the feeling that Danny isn't upstairs asleep like you told me?" he asked, looking at her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ducking behind a tree, Danny took a moment to catch his breath. He had been running for what seemed like half an hour straight now, and he had finally reached the perimeter of the old factory where Ed was being held. As he peeked out from behind the tree, he stared at the chain link fence in front of him. He could only hope that it wasn't electric.
Upon hearing activity, Danny ducked behind the tree again. It sounded like something on the building was moving. Not hearing the noise, he looked around and immediately noticed what had made the noise. There was a surveillance camera on the side of the building, and it was looking right at him! He quickly ducked behind the tree again, and sighed. How was he supposed to get in now?
To be continued...
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Morning, sunshine." Keller greeted as he turned on the lights to the room again. For further humiliation, he threw a glass of water on the sleeping Ed. Deline's cold blue eyes darted around the room as he woke up.
"It can't be morning already." he commented, looking at the smirking Keller.
"Wanted to make sure that you were ready to have company." Keller shrugged, sitting down on the desk in front of Ed. He smiled widely. "McCoy didn't come alone."
"What?" Ed exclaimed, mentally berating Danny for bringing others on this dangerous of a mission.
"Holt, Cannon and Marquez are with him." Keller reported, delighted to see the worry that was now present on Deline's face. "So, which one do I kill first?" He gestured with his fingers. "The pit boss, the valet, or the casino hostess?" A wicked grin crossed his face. "I'd say either you or McCoy, but business before pleasure."
"You don't need to do this, Jack." Ed said, trying to get out of his restraints. "It doesn't concern them."
"You know," Keller continued, pretending not to have heard Ed. "I do have men waiting for your little soldiers. It wouldn't take much to organize an ambush." He picked up Ed's cell phone and looked at Deline. "What do you think?"
"You wouldn't." Ed shook his head defiantly.
"Wouldn't I?" Jack asked, flipping open the phone.
"Wait." Ed protested as the color drained from his face. He was worried that he just sealed the quartet's fate. As he gulped heavily, Keller simply chuckled at him.
"Don't give yourself a heart attack." Keller commented, closing the phone. "It's far too early to kill them yet."
----------------------------------------------------------------
Glancing up at the moon, Danny leaned against a nearby tree. The group had decided to take a break a few miles into their trek through the jungle. However, it wasn't much of a rest for Danny, who had volunteered for lookout duty. Nearby, Nessa and Sam, who was sitting on a rock, consulted over the map while Mike drank from one of the water bottles the group had brought along.
"Damn!" Mike said, slapping the back of his neck. "I swear the mosquitoes here must like the taste of Vegas or something."
"If we keep moving," Danny replied, looking around. "They shouldn't bother us." He glanced back up at the moon. "We need to take full advantage of the lack of light." He looked back at his friends. "Who's up for running the rest of the way?"
"Count me out." Sam replied, shaking her head.
"It's only 5 more miles!" Danny protested, gesturing with his hands. He was beginning to question the wisdom of bringing one Samantha Jane Marquez along.
"Unless you're going to pull a car out of that pack of yours," Sam commented as Danny rolled his eyes. "walking is the only way I'm going to get there. I'm spent as it is!"
"Keep your voices down." Nessa reminded, "You two are going to get us killed." She turned to Danny. "Why don't you go ahead of us, and we'll watch your back? It'll be easier for one person to sneak in anyway."
"You sure?" Danny asked, looking around. "I don't want to abandon you guys out here."
"Go on, man." Mike encouraged, patting him on the back.
"Yeah." Sam agreed with a smile.
"You're the only one with enough experience to deal with Keller anyway." Nessa reminded as Danny nodded. "You're the only one of us four who can really save Ed."
"Okay." Danny agreed, taking off his pack and one of his two assault rifles. He tossed them at Mike. "Don't worry. Nessa will tell you how to use the grenades." He took off his other assault rifle, and gave it to Sam. "You guys just be careful. If anything happens to me, I want you to turn back and head back for Vegas."
"You're only going ahead with just one gun?" Mike remarked, looking at the pistol he held in his belt. "You're crazy."
"Not just a gun." Danny replied with a smile. "Ed's good luck charm."
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"This isn't what I was thinking when I suggested dinner the other day." Luis remarked as he walked inside Danny's house. Mary simply smiled at him.
"I just wanted some company." Mary commented, showing him to the kitchen table. "I hope you don't mind that I had to reheat it in the microwave."
"Can't be all that bad." Luis shrugged, sitting down. He smiled at her. "You're looking good, considering the circumstances."
"Thank you." Mary said, blushing slightly as she sat down across from him. "Anything new on the Ed front?"
"Nothing." Luis shook his head, "You heard anything?"
At that point, Mary remained silent. She didn't know if she should tell Luis or not about Danny and the gang traveling to Panama. On one hand, Danny seemed determined to do this on his own. However, it was that kind of attitude that may lead him to get killed. She sighed heavily, and noticed that Luis was watching her with interest.
"Why do I get the feeling that Danny isn't upstairs asleep like you told me?" he asked, looking at her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ducking behind a tree, Danny took a moment to catch his breath. He had been running for what seemed like half an hour straight now, and he had finally reached the perimeter of the old factory where Ed was being held. As he peeked out from behind the tree, he stared at the chain link fence in front of him. He could only hope that it wasn't electric.
Upon hearing activity, Danny ducked behind the tree again. It sounded like something on the building was moving. Not hearing the noise, he looked around and immediately noticed what had made the noise. There was a surveillance camera on the side of the building, and it was looking right at him! He quickly ducked behind the tree again, and sighed. How was he supposed to get in now?
To be continued...