The 7th Victim - Alan Jacobson [153]
“Which team you want us with?” Vail asked.
Kilgore stiffened. “That’s the problem with having you here. I’ve got nowhere to put you.”
“We’ll form our own team,” Bledsoe said.
“What if I don’t have extra headsets for all of you?”
“Give us what you got. We’ll stay together, out of your way. But once you secure the place, we need to be in there right behind you.”
Kilgore stepped to the back of the truck, lifted the canvas covering, and slipped beneath it. He emerged a moment later with six spare headsets. Handing them to Bledsoe, he said, “Don’t change the frequency. And stay out of the way. Above all, don’t fuck up my operation.” Kilgore spun and ran off into the brush to catch up to his team.
“You gonna take that, Blood?” Manette asked.
“I did and I will. Remember the reason why we’re here.”
Sinclair pulled on a black ball cap to cover his shiny bald head and slipped on a headset. He motioned for Del Monaco to go first. “You gonna be able to make it?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re carrying some extra tonnage and this is gonna be a long hike.”
“Extra tonnage,” Manette said. “I like that. Mind if I use it, Sin?”
“Be my guest.”
“The ‘extra tonnage’ doesn’t slow me down,” Del Monaco said. “I pass all the physical endurance tests the Bureau requires. But thanks so much for your concern.” He motioned Sinclair ahead of him, then fell into formation behind him.
THEY TREKKED through the forested stands of pine and cedar and occasional oak, emerging at a clearing and hugging the tree-lined perimeter for cover. After nearly an hour’s hike, the various SERT members were beginning to call in, stating they had reached their positions.
For the task force group, Robby led the way at the point, with Bledsoe following in the second position. Manette was third, Sinclair next, Vail, and then Del Monaco pulling up the rear. Despite his assertions about passing the endurance tests, Del Monaco had never hiked through forestland on uneven terrain after having gone thirty-five straight hours without sleep.
By the time all team members were in final position, daylight had melted to dusk. The quarter moon was hiding behind cloud cover, and the temperature had plummeted another several degrees. Their breath was vapor, a dangerous situation when involved in covert maneuvers. For the task force members, who lacked night-vision goggles, the darkness was a double-edged sword: though it provided them adequate cover, it also prevented them from seeing unknown objects in unfamiliar territory.
From what they could see in the failing light, the house appeared to be a medium-sized clapboard two-story home that looked very much its one hundred and fifteen years. The paint, or at least what was left of it, was peeling and faded. The porch decking was cracked and dry. It was for this reason that Kilgore had wanted the Virtual Earth photos: he saw what appeared to be decking and knew, from his years of experience, that wood and nails and the ravages of weather produced noises one had better not encounter when attempting to launch a surprise attack. Due to Kilgore’s diligent intel, the team members were prepared and followed a preplanned route around the deck.
Vail bent her mouthpiece away from her face and asked, “Now what?”
Bledsoe stood beside her, both of them hunched behind a largetrunked redwood. “Now I kick myself for not asking them for night-vision goggles.”
“Most important thing is that they have them.”
“How’s your knee?” Bledsoe asked.
Robby had seen her pop a couple Extra Strength Tylenol just prior to beginning the hike, but she had shrugged it off. “I’m not going to let a little pain stop me.”
“A little pain?” he had asked.
“Okay, a lot of pain.”
Now, after the long hike, she framed it with level-headed realism. “As long as I don’t run out of pain pills, I’ll be fine.”
“When this is over,” Bledsoe said, “we’ll get a chopper in, fly you out of here.”
“Not exactly how I’d pictured my own private limo.” She inched to her right and watched as the first tactical officer moved to the left of the front door frame.