Betrayal
Chapter 37
Lesters PoV
Damn, we don't have enough men to observe an area as big and multitudinous as this. Way too many hiding places behind trees and bushes and on top of it it´s dark and we have no night vision goggles and this place is just too fucking big…
Luckily both Ram and Tells Sniper rifles had both a KN-250, a night vision scope.
So we did the only thing that made sense apart from standing in the middle of the clearing in a circle and shooting down everything that moved; we parted and circled in a radius of about 650 feet around the mine.
We Team Bravo started at 12 o´clock, Charlie at 2, Delta at 4, Echo at 6, Foxtrot at 8 and Golf at 10; moving clockwise and each team 650 feet apart from each other. One man observing the front the other the back, while we moved.
650 feet is a very long way in this environment, and so much more than I´m comfortable with but Steph wanted it like that. She wanted to detain Anderson's men as early as possible and we anticipated that they too will divide approaching from all angles. She knew it was risky but was confident to pick up any slack and they don´t know we almost double them in numbers and we had two snipers.
On our way to our starting positions, Bobby and I briefed the others on Anderson and his team. Bobby, Ranger, and I met them in Iraq in 2008, his and two other Black Water teams mucked up one of our covert ops, blowing our cover. I ended up in the hospital with three new holes in my body. I fully intent to get even with them tonight.
Not 50 feet away from me Tank passed by and I was itching to kill him so much so that I had to take my finger from the trigger. There would be hell to pay from Ranger if I accidently kill his prey.
We were halfway to 2 o´clock when I heard Ranger taunting Tank. I turned to Bobby and we shared a knowing grin. The Beast was free.
The happy feeling didn´t last long a minute later we heard shots.
Nyx PoV
I shared a short concerned look with Ranger. This moment's distraction earned him a left hook to the jaw. Ouch.
"Report" I barked.
"Breakthrough at 9 o´clock. Wait a sec Wifey." Manny said.
"Ram?" I asked.
"No sight on them and no Sniper so far."
"Tell?" I asked.
"All clear."
"Bravo?"
"Clear"
"Charlie?"
"Movement at 3." Silvio whispered.
"Delta"
"Clear. Should we backtrack?" Adam asked.
What to do? Milliseconds to decide.
"Change channel and confer with Charlie. Silvio is in charge. Your decision Silvio."
"Copy that" both answered.
"Echo"
"All.."
"Sorry Cal" Manny cut in. "Steph we were overrun by six men in total. They weren´t surprised by us. They had night visions and I think one of them had an infrared camera. Three came up on us and engaged us in a gunfight, while three others used that and slipped by. We killed two; the other is wounded but will survive. Have him secured and knocked unconscious, we will leave him here."
"Good job. Anderson?" I asked.
"Not one of them. Maybe he was one of those who bypassed us. Hades saw only their shapes, said one fitted Anderson but isn´t sure."
"Okay, any injuries?" I asked.
"I´ve got a graze on the arm, just need a band aid. Hades is clear. He´s so skinny he dodged all bullets."
"Good. Continue as planned and keep your eyes open. I will welcome our guests."
"Copy that."
I started to walk to the western end of the clearing and call Echo again.
"Echo Report"
"All clear Alpha-Two"
"Golf ?"
"Clear"
Through the comm. I heard Ranger still taunting Tank, it was so tempting to turn around and look for myself how Ranger was holding up, but I ignored it. Even the slightest slip of attention can get me killed now. About 200 feet away from the trees I stopped. He is here. I can feel him.
"Come out, Leland. I know you are here." I called and a moment later he stepped out from under the trees alone, an M-16 pointed at me.
Coward.
I know he is not alone but I will play his game for the moment.
"Alpha-two" Silvio called in. "We stopped four men at 3 o ´clock. We think no one escaped. "
So he came with an extended team, seems like he had learned not to underestimate me. But it will not help him. RangeMan is better than Black Water. And I am better than him. I smiled a toothy smile at Leland to cover the hissed "Silence now" at Silvio.
"Hello Leland" I greeted him politely. Nothing wrong with being polite to the man you will kill in a few minutes.
"Plum" he snarled. He stopped a few before me and I looked him over. He could be such a handsome guy 5´11, blond short hair, startling blue eyes, tanned skin and a well-toned body without being overly buff. He hadn´t changed in the last years still looking like a Californian Surfer Boy if it weren´t for the evilness he emanated that made him more ugly than any scar or bodily deformation ever could.
I crooked my head and said.
"Call the two men that are hiding in the trees here and surrender. My man already killed two of yours and captured one, you don´t want to lose any more men."
The knowledge that we also had the other four I will keep to myself for now. If he doesn´t already know it -I have no idea about his communication protocol- but if he didn´t know I won´t give a potential trump away, I might need it later on. The only thing that worries me is that we haven´t found his Sniper, yet. As if he heard my thoughts Tell radioed in.
"Sniper is out of the game."
I gave neither Tell nor Leland any indication I heard that vital piece of information, my blank face was firmly in place.
Leland still hadn´t spoken a word but he had gestured to his men to come out. As they came nearer I recognized them from the pictures I saw, Nicolas Petrenko and Sam O´Neal.
They stopped next to Leland, flanking him, Petrenko on the right and O´Neal on the left. They too pointed their M-16´s at me. Never taking my eyes from Leland I addressed them.
"Turn around now and go, this has nothing to do with you. It´s a matter solely between Anderson and me. I don´t want to kill you."
"We have the order to liquidate you, Plum" O´Neal stated flatly and Petrenko slurred in his heavy Russian accent.
"You think you can kill us, bljad` 19?"
I didn´t grace them with an answer.
"Leland" I almost pleaded.
"No can do, Plum" he said.
Without waiting for another second I moved my arms marginal and pulled the triggers.
Petrenko and O`Neal were dead before they hit the ground.
Hit between the eyes.
19 pronouncement of the Russian word for whore, at least that´s what the www told me. I don´t have the slightest clue about Russian so don´t blame me when it´s wrong.
love bea