“Fine. Since we know this complex is all underground, how are they hiding power, and utility use?”
“Generators and wells, and probably even solar panels in protected spots where they can catch rays from an other than horizontal position. With what they had to construct for the tunnels, I doubt they had any trouble at all finding water wells here in the Pacific Northwest. I think there will be questions to be answered about how this place was built without the government knowing it. I can see a construction firm being paid to do a job, and protecting the secrecy of it by claiming it’s a military defense project. Where an installation like this runs into trouble is their ventilation. They can camouflage the vents, but they can’t hide them completely. If we had the time, I’d get Paul to send a bird overhead. With the exact coordinates John gave us, we could get a heat signature from the vents, along with an outline of the complex.”
“You have a week to pull this off. What did we need Dan for if you were going to shit-can our original plan?”
“Dan was going to be our distraction around their main entrance on the day we moved on them from a different direction. That’s not going to happen. They don’t have a community or a main gate. John said they even have their vehicles drive down inside.”
Gus checked their position. “I’m almost afraid to ask this. We could have driven around the area, and went in hiking. We could have taken pictures, movies, and tested what they do when their perimeter is breached. Why the hell are you doing this in the pitch dark?”
“Because I’m going in to get John. I didn’t say anything, but he missed his check in earlier today, not that it mattered. I briefed him before he left. We already know what these Islamo-Fascist tools are doing. If I spent a week scoping out the place, someone would burn me, and we’d all end up dead. Paul gave me the code we worked out. He told Clyde to tell me I could use cartoon characters if I needed to. That meant he was worried somehow the mission would get compromised, and for me to do anything I wanted. I pretended for Clyde and Robyn I’d be doing a recon on the compound for the next week. We’re taking care of business tonight, Payaso. It will throw them into a panic when I use the EMP gun at one of the entrances, and then go inside for an assault.”
Gus hit the brakes, driving to the roadside shoulder. “You did not just say you are going into the Isis tunnels to assault the compound tonight! No! Uh uh… that did not happen! If it did, I’m leaving you right here, and I’m going to the Lodge and rat your ass out to Rachel.”
Nick chuckled, expecting to get an outraged condemnation from his friend. “I’ll need you at the coordinates I have on our satellite laptop on the backseat. I brought your com gear so we’ll be in touch every second. It’s the badass tech without peer. Tunnels, scramblers, barriers – nothing will cut us off. The EMP prototype I have will wipe out anything I point it at. John said there were twenty-two soldiers, facilitators, and infiltrators. That’s a big cell for El Muerto and his merry men, Payaso and El Kabong. I’m afraid they may be messing with our brother the Kabong. We can’t have that, Payaso. He left a tracker at the entrance they took him into initially. It’s working, so I’ll have a target entrance to check on.”
Gus stared across at his friend’s smiling countenance, remembering the rescue Nick did to bring his brother Phil out of Kingston, Jamaica. “Tell me what you need, brother. We’re not leaving without Kabong. I know how you assault places by yourself. Is that what those bags are in the back cargo bin?”
“Yep. I can tell you’re thinking Kingston, huh?”
“It’s the only way one lunatic pulls off a one man assault on an armed compound, and you certainly did that to get Phil away from the Jamaican Posse. You knew where Phil and the Butlers were being held, so you didn’t kill them too. What about John?”
“He activated his tracker two hours ago, which was the sign he was in trouble, as well as unable to contact us. His signal is on the laptop too. He was supposed to activate it, and swallow it. John laughed when I told him if it took me longer to get to him than it did the tracker to make its way through his digestive system, he wouldn’t need it anyway. This is a good place to stop. I’ll get my gear on, and you can ready the laptop.”
“You are one crazy guy, Muerto.”
“So I’ve been told.” Nick started out of the GMC, but then ducked his head inside again. “We both know what I am, Gus. I’m either going to kill a lot of people, or I’m finally going to get popped myself. I’m betting they don’t have enough guys to take out El Muerto. If they do, John will be with me, so drive to the Lodge, call Paul, and tell him to take the place out with a ‘bunker buster’. That should be safe enough, even with the unknown stuff they’re fooling around with in that lab down there.”