"Put the rope and kit down, nice and slow," Joe was ordered.
Joe leaned to his right and eased the first aid kit to the ground. Then he lifted his right hand up to his left shoulder and brought the rope down slowly until it reached his left wrist. At that point, Joe went into high gear and threw the rope at the Assassin. Caught by surprise, the heavy rope struck the man in the neck, knocking him off balance. Joe rushed at him and let fly with a right hook before the man had a chance to stand upright. The false tooth flew from his mouth as his head connected with a tree. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.
"One down, two plus to go," Joe murmured. Now, what was he going to do with him? Joe pulled the man's belt off and used it to tie his hands behind his back. He stood, picked up the rope and looked about, his gaze settling on a sturdy tree branch above him. He tossed the end of the rope up, trying to get it over the branch. His first two attempts failed but on the third try, the rope sailed over a thick branch and down the other side. Joe opened the first aid kit and pulled out the gauze and tape. He opened his prisoner's mouth and stuffed the gauze inside then taped his mouth shut.
Next, Joe put one end of the rope around the Assassin, weaving it through his arms. He took the other end of the rope and pulled, hoisting the Assassin into the tree, then tied the rope to the base of the tree after wrapping it twice.
There were only two more out here tonight, he knew. Maybe staying close to their camp would allow him the opportunity to capture them. If he could just get one in a snare trap, then he could take the other one out. No, that wouldn't do, Joe realized. If he did manage to capture one with that kind of trap, who's to say the Assassin wouldn't get off a few rounds with his gun? No. He would have to capture the others some other way.
Joe looked at the tent and grinned. Okay, so it wasn't the greatest idea in the world, but it just might work. He checked the tent one last time for anything he might be able to use then rigged it to cave in on anyone who went inside. Taking his loot, he moved into the cover of the forest; with his newly acquired night vision goggles in place he climbed the tree which held his captive. He checked to make sure the now conscious man was completely incapacitated and then waited silently for his prey.
Joe slipped a pack of beef jerky he had taken on his second foray into the tent and began munching as he waited for another Assassin to put in an appearance. After three hours, he stretched, cautious to make as little noise as possible. He had heard rustling among the foliage below on several occasions but it had always turned out to be a deer or some other woodland creature so when another rustle occurred seconds after he had moved into a more comfortable position, he glanced down more from habit than anticipation.
He did a second take as the enemy made his way to the camp. Good. One at a time I can handle, Joe thought as he eagerly waited for the man to draw closer. Without a sound, Joe leapt out of the tree, feet first, knocking the Assassin to the hard ground face first. Joe somersaulted to an upright position and rolled the Assassin over, delivering a blow that rendered him unconscious. Using the same technique as before, Joe hoisted his captive into the tree next to his first prisoner.
Don't get cocky, Joe berated himself when he caught himself grinning at his success. There's one more. He contemplated getting back in the tree and doing a repeat of his last capture but decided on a more subtle approach.
The third guy would probably be expecting someone to be at camp so he really shouldn't disappoint him. Joe started the fire that was ready to go and filled the metal coffee pot with water and set it on the grill above the fire. Next, he carefully opened the tent flap and put one of the sleeping bags in one of the others. The glow from the fire illuminated the tent in such a way that anyone looking would assume someone was asleep in the tent.
Joe then took the remaining sleeping bag and lay down beneath it near the fire. He made sure his feet nor his head were showing. Now, he had only to wait.
"Ready to talk?" a voice came from above Frank's head. Frank tilted his head back as far as the cramped space would allow. He couldn't see anything so he assumed an intercom system was in use since no light seeped into his prison.
"Go to..." Frank said, breaking off and biting his bottom lip. No. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of hearing him lose his temper. He took a deep breath. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic. He wondered how long he would be kept here before being transferred to another room.
He frowned, thinking about the various rooms he had been in since his capture. Wherever he was, it was definitely not a place which had been chosen on the spur of the moment. His abduction, and the Gray Man's, had obviously been well thought out. They had been going to a survival camp. Frank had assumed that had meant surviving in a wilderness area, but it made much more sense for them to learn to survive against the enemy. Could his captors be Network agents? Were they supposed to discover how much an agent could take before he broke? If that were the case, then Joe was still alive! But, he had Joe's necklace, Frank remembered. No. These men weren't network agents. They had tried to kidnap Joe at the festival. But perhaps they had taken over the camp which meant there were other prisoners here as well.
Frank gave a slow smile. Other prisoners meant he wouldn't be alone in trying to escape. The odds wouldn't be as incredible as he had first assumed.
Joe heard the last man arrive in camp. The Assassin looked in the tent and grunted before making his way to the fire. Stooping, he picked up a cup and reached for the coffee pot. Deciding this was his best chance, Joe threw the sleeping bag at the enemy and pounced. Within thirty minutes, the man had joined his comrades in the tree top.
Joe gave a deep sigh as he looked around the camp. Unless he wanted his prisoners found, he was going to have to erase all sign of their camp. He knew it would only be a matter of time before reinforcements were sent in.
Joe worked diligently in taking the camp apart. He buried the tent and most of the items he found, leaving out only what could prove useful that he could carry. Lastly, Joe covered the smoldering fire with fresh dirt, topping it with loose leaves. He stepped back to survey his handiwork and froze as a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder.
Joe leaned to his right and eased the first aid kit to the ground. Then he lifted his right hand up to his left shoulder and brought the rope down slowly until it reached his left wrist. At that point, Joe went into high gear and threw the rope at the Assassin. Caught by surprise, the heavy rope struck the man in the neck, knocking him off balance. Joe rushed at him and let fly with a right hook before the man had a chance to stand upright. The false tooth flew from his mouth as his head connected with a tree. He crumpled to the ground unconscious.
"One down, two plus to go," Joe murmured. Now, what was he going to do with him? Joe pulled the man's belt off and used it to tie his hands behind his back. He stood, picked up the rope and looked about, his gaze settling on a sturdy tree branch above him. He tossed the end of the rope up, trying to get it over the branch. His first two attempts failed but on the third try, the rope sailed over a thick branch and down the other side. Joe opened the first aid kit and pulled out the gauze and tape. He opened his prisoner's mouth and stuffed the gauze inside then taped his mouth shut.
Next, Joe put one end of the rope around the Assassin, weaving it through his arms. He took the other end of the rope and pulled, hoisting the Assassin into the tree, then tied the rope to the base of the tree after wrapping it twice.
There were only two more out here tonight, he knew. Maybe staying close to their camp would allow him the opportunity to capture them. If he could just get one in a snare trap, then he could take the other one out. No, that wouldn't do, Joe realized. If he did manage to capture one with that kind of trap, who's to say the Assassin wouldn't get off a few rounds with his gun? No. He would have to capture the others some other way.
Joe looked at the tent and grinned. Okay, so it wasn't the greatest idea in the world, but it just might work. He checked the tent one last time for anything he might be able to use then rigged it to cave in on anyone who went inside. Taking his loot, he moved into the cover of the forest; with his newly acquired night vision goggles in place he climbed the tree which held his captive. He checked to make sure the now conscious man was completely incapacitated and then waited silently for his prey.
Joe slipped a pack of beef jerky he had taken on his second foray into the tent and began munching as he waited for another Assassin to put in an appearance. After three hours, he stretched, cautious to make as little noise as possible. He had heard rustling among the foliage below on several occasions but it had always turned out to be a deer or some other woodland creature so when another rustle occurred seconds after he had moved into a more comfortable position, he glanced down more from habit than anticipation.
He did a second take as the enemy made his way to the camp. Good. One at a time I can handle, Joe thought as he eagerly waited for the man to draw closer. Without a sound, Joe leapt out of the tree, feet first, knocking the Assassin to the hard ground face first. Joe somersaulted to an upright position and rolled the Assassin over, delivering a blow that rendered him unconscious. Using the same technique as before, Joe hoisted his captive into the tree next to his first prisoner.
Don't get cocky, Joe berated himself when he caught himself grinning at his success. There's one more. He contemplated getting back in the tree and doing a repeat of his last capture but decided on a more subtle approach.
The third guy would probably be expecting someone to be at camp so he really shouldn't disappoint him. Joe started the fire that was ready to go and filled the metal coffee pot with water and set it on the grill above the fire. Next, he carefully opened the tent flap and put one of the sleeping bags in one of the others. The glow from the fire illuminated the tent in such a way that anyone looking would assume someone was asleep in the tent.
Joe then took the remaining sleeping bag and lay down beneath it near the fire. He made sure his feet nor his head were showing. Now, he had only to wait.
"Ready to talk?" a voice came from above Frank's head. Frank tilted his head back as far as the cramped space would allow. He couldn't see anything so he assumed an intercom system was in use since no light seeped into his prison.
"Go to..." Frank said, breaking off and biting his bottom lip. No. He wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of hearing him lose his temper. He took a deep breath. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic. He wondered how long he would be kept here before being transferred to another room.
He frowned, thinking about the various rooms he had been in since his capture. Wherever he was, it was definitely not a place which had been chosen on the spur of the moment. His abduction, and the Gray Man's, had obviously been well thought out. They had been going to a survival camp. Frank had assumed that had meant surviving in a wilderness area, but it made much more sense for them to learn to survive against the enemy. Could his captors be Network agents? Were they supposed to discover how much an agent could take before he broke? If that were the case, then Joe was still alive! But, he had Joe's necklace, Frank remembered. No. These men weren't network agents. They had tried to kidnap Joe at the festival. But perhaps they had taken over the camp which meant there were other prisoners here as well.
Frank gave a slow smile. Other prisoners meant he wouldn't be alone in trying to escape. The odds wouldn't be as incredible as he had first assumed.
Joe heard the last man arrive in camp. The Assassin looked in the tent and grunted before making his way to the fire. Stooping, he picked up a cup and reached for the coffee pot. Deciding this was his best chance, Joe threw the sleeping bag at the enemy and pounced. Within thirty minutes, the man had joined his comrades in the tree top.
Joe gave a deep sigh as he looked around the camp. Unless he wanted his prisoners found, he was going to have to erase all sign of their camp. He knew it would only be a matter of time before reinforcements were sent in.
Joe worked diligently in taking the camp apart. He buried the tent and most of the items he found, leaving out only what could prove useful that he could carry. Lastly, Joe covered the smoldering fire with fresh dirt, topping it with loose leaves. He stepped back to survey his handiwork and froze as a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder.