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slipped it into a long round padded pouch, lashing it under his
pack.
Smythe was the team telecommunications specialist. He
squatted in front of his rucksack and laid out each piece of
equipment. Between them, they had one satellite phone, one
GPS and a PDA loaded with a Tajik dictionary and phrase book
along with information on the local flora and fauna that might
prove useful. None of this, however, would be necessary unless
something went wrong.
Shit!
Smythe kneeled in front of the equipment shaking his head.
What s wrong? Goode asked, jogging over to him.
It s the GPS. It busted when I came down, Smythe said
angrily.
Don t worry about it, we re not going to need it, Goode
assured him.
We better not, Smythe said looking at Rennie.
Those things don t work half the time anyway, Levin said.
Of course they do. Our satellite systems ensure that,
Baldwin said, looking unconcerned.
Baldwin was always the optimist. Rennie figured Goode was
right, though. The satellite phone was more important. They
would need it if disaster struck.
48
Rennie rubbed her arms. The warmth of the night had begun
to seep through the chill that had sunk into her bones in the
upper atmosphere she d be glad when they got moving.
Jonah Levin was gathering their jump equipment the
rigs, the jumpsuits, the helmets, masks, tubes, oxygen canisters
and all the rest and stuffing it into the duffel bags that had held
everything they would now carry with them on the hike. When
Goode assigned duties before they left the U.S., Levin had joked
that he was on trash duty they had no choice but to leave the
jump gear behind and it could never be tied to the FBI in any
way. So, all jump-related equipment stayed and only the bare
essentials for the hike and the mission would go. The farmer
who owned the field would eventually stumble across it Rennie
imagined him scratching his chin and wondering where the hell
it came from.
Rennie bent down and retied her boots. She wondered if
anyone had ever made a HALO jump wearing Timberlands
hers had been modified to meet the stability standards required
for the jump. The idea that the team would perform this, their
first important mission, undercover, had come as a not entirely
welcome surprise. The mountains of Tajikistan had drawn
adventuresome hikers from around the world for years. Most
knew to stay clear of the trouble spots. Occasionally, though, one
would find himself someplace he shouldn t be. And this was their
cover just a bunch of stupid hikers who didn t have a clue they
were edging up on a terrorist training camp. The essence of their
cover was twofold first, to draw as little attention as possible and
secondly, and most importantly, to get themselves out. This was
not going to be a scenario where they ran out of the woods and
a chopper would be waiting for them. No, the U.S. didn t have
a friendly base near enough to launch an extraction operation.
They would have to walk out.
Goode was staring at his maps, looking thoughtful. Rennie
wondered what was on his mind. She knew he was stressed that
they had lost so much time. Goode was the oldest and most
experienced special agent. He had spent ten years in the New York
49
City office maybe the toughest assignment in the country and
had seen everything there was to be seen. When he was assigned
the leadership position, right after Smythe replaced Perez, he
had immediately taken the reins of the young team firmly in
hand. He made a point of getting to know each of them and had
done his best to cool the tension between Rennie and Smythe.
Everyone had their packs on now and stood waiting for
orders, looking as much like ordinary hikers as such a group
could. Goode finally put his map away and joined them. He
looked at his watch and took a deep breath.
It s nearly zero three thirty now. We lost a lot of time due
to the storm.
Rennie knew what was coming.
By the time we get deep enough into the woods to bed
down, we ll only have about two hours of sleep before sunrise.
I think that s a waste of time. So, let s push through tonight and
we ll all have a good sleep tomorrow night.
Rennie knew Goode wasn t happy to be delivering this news
and from their stony expressions, the team wasn t too glad to
receive it either. But they accepted it.
Hooah, boss, Levin said quietly and without enthusiasm,
but with a big grin. It was an old, ironic joke between them, an
allusion to the pumped-up enthusiasm so often stereotyped in
movie portrayals of special forces or the military. Their team had
a reputation for being unusually laid-back.
Okay, let s move out, Goode said.
Rennie shifted her pack on her shoulders until it was in a
comfortable position. She felt good. The field was damp from
the night but it hadn t rained in at least a couple of days, so it
wasn t mucky and walking was easy. She loved night work, she
always seemed to be at her best after the sun set, but she was
worried about Goode s decision not to take any rest. This was no
training mission. This was the real deal and they all had to be in
top form.
Ending a man s life on orders was not the most comforting
proposition Rennie had ever encountered and she wasn t certain
50
how to feel about it. She knew that on some level she hadn t
taken it in entirely, hadn t allowed it to absorb into that part of
herself that mattered, the part that made choices about how to
live a good life in the world. Of course she d considered when
she decided to try out for CT3 that she might have to end a life.
That it was even a likelihood. But assassination left a bad taste
in her mouth. It was an acknowledgment that her country had
exhausted all other possibilities and could no longer afford to
play fair.
They were almost at the edge of the woods. Goode stopped
and waited for the team to gather around.
Okay, we go in single file, people. Keep your wits about you.
We don t expect to have any company this far out, but you never
know. Godspeed.
They all touched fists and filed into the coal black forest.
The woods were dense and the lights from the village were
immediately snuffed out. Goode and Smythe led. Rennie fell into
rhythm behind Levin. Baldwin brought up the rear. They were
keeping a good pace. Rennie took a deep breath. The woods
smelled organic and lush. The temperature was just right for a
hike. It was fortunate that the terrain was mostly level, because it
was very dark, the moonlight barely penetrating the thick canopy
of leaves. Her senses were on full alert as she concentrated on
each step. Every twig that snapped beneath their feet reverberated
through the forest and through her nerves as they made their way
through the black night ever closer to Armin and the mission
they came so far to complete.
51
CHAPTER FIVE
They weren t making good time. Goode knew his decision
to push through the night without rest was the right one. The
woods were more dense than he had hoped. They needed to find
one of the many paths he knew inevitably existed and would ease
their way. At least the ground was mostly flat. It was the final few
miles that would be the worst. From that point as the aerial
photographs showed the mountain arced upward, at first gently [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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