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  Nathan watched Antonia take a sharp right and disappear behind the Laundromat—the southernmost commercial building on the west side of the road. “She could be executing a surveillance detection route,” he told Estefan. “Hold position until we determine that’s what she’s doing. If we’re correct, she’ll work her way north along the dirt track behind the buildings and head back toward the pay phone, but we’re done waiting for her. We’re going on the offensive.” His radio clicked.

  “It seems Raven’s a good teacher,” Harv said.

  “It’s a smart move doing a SDR. I might’ve done the same thing had our situations been reversed.”

  “It’s interesting she doesn’t assume Estefan’s still in the motel room.”

  Nathan said, “Either that or she suspects he isn’t alone down there.”

  “She’s had no reason to think that. She hasn’t seen or heard Estefan on the radio. Raven probably told her to make sure she wasn’t seen using the phone.”

  Nathan expected to see Antonia appear again within the next few seconds. He wasn’t disappointed. “Okay,” he radioed Estefan, “she’s on the move in the alley parallel to the main road. She’s heading north, back toward the post office. Sighting from your position, there’s nothing but open field behind the tavern. When I give the word, advance toward the street and be ready to fire a shot in the dirt in front of her. Use your NV in tandem with your laser. I’m hoping to flush Raven’s men out of the lumber mill and spook Antonia into going home. One shot only. Clear?”

  “She deserves a bullet,” Estefan said.

  “Are we clear?”

  “Clear.”

  “You’ll be able to see her when she runs between the post office and the tavern.”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Harv, I need your eyes back on the lumber mill.”

  Estefan moved laterally about a yard to take advantage of a small clump of weeds and focused between the post office and the tavern. He gauged the distance to where the young woman would appear at just over thirty yards, took a deep breath, and tried to relax. The more he thought about it, the more he knew Nathan was right. They needed to avoid killing or injuring an innocent person—apparently that sentiment included Antonia. Although he wasn’t overly concerned about a stray shot from his pistol hurting someone, Raven’s thugs would likely have machine guns, and they wouldn’t be concerned about collateral damage at all.

  Estefan hated to admit it, but he was rusty. The last combat he’d seen was over twenty years ago. He’d soon be mired in a game of cat and mouse where a mistake could prove fatal. Even though his trust in Nathan’s shooting skill was absolute, he had no desire to test his faith. The closest hospital in Jinotega was several hours away, and limping in there with a gunshot wound wasn’t a viable option. Secondly, he wanted to keep Nathan’s rifle silent. As long as Raven believed he was facing a single combatant, he’d feel confident that he and his men could eliminate the threat and get on with business as usual. Conversely, if Raven discovered a second sniper in the area, he’d be ten times harder to kill—if not impossible. As Estefan had learned long ago—from Harvey and Nate, in fact—short of facing an insurmountable number of enemy soldiers, a sniper’s worst enemy was another sniper.

  Nathan was about to scan the lumber mill area when Antonia dashed from the northwest corner of the post office toward the tavern. “Estefan, she’s on the move. Put a bullet in front of her. Shoot now!”

  Nathan saw Estefan’s gun flash.

  A full second later, the sound reached his position, crackling off the valley’s walls like a small thunderclap.

  The girl froze, then crouched. She reversed course and ran back to the post office, where Nathan lost sight of her.

  “That ought to wake up the neighborhood,” Harv said.

  “I’m not seeing any lights come on.”

  “Based on Tobias’s letters, it’s not surprising. Here we go. We’ve got movement at the lumber mill,” Harv said.

  Nathan swung his scope to the lumber mill and saw three men emerge from the building with the lit windows, presumably its office.

  “Estefan, you’re on. Three gunmen are headed in your direction from the mill. Looks like they’ve got assault rifles. You’re out in the open. Make an all-out sprint for the abandoned cars behind the church. The gunmen are too far away to see you.” He released the transmit button. “Harv, I’m still zeroed on the church. Give me a wind correction.”

  “No change. Hold left two inches.”

  “Copy. Hold two left.”

  “Do you think Raven alerted his men after Estefan interrupted her call? That was well over ten minutes ago.”

  “Either that or someone from the motel called over there. I doubt they were dressed for combat at one o’clock in the morning. It took them a few minutes to get ready.”

  “Hang on, Harv. Estefan, it looks like one of the gunmen is heading for the motel. The other two are running directly toward you. Sprint for the rock wall behind the church. Drop down on the other side and speed crawl over to the abandoned cars. The wall will screen you from their line of sight.”

  “Am I cleared to engage?”

  “Negative.” Nathan saw Estefan hustle south toward the church and knew it would be close. The gunmen were fast runners. “We want to avoid a firefight in the middle of town. Those houses have paper-thin walls.”

  “Antonia might see me running over here.”

  “Your shot spooked her. She’s hiding somewhere on the west side of the post office, probably scared shitless. When you reach the cars, stay low and hold your position. Don’t worry. I’ll drop every one of them if they make a move to capture you. Fall back on your training and become part of the landscape. They’ll never see you.”

  “Let’s hope they don’t have flashlights or NV.”

  “Stand by.” Nathan saw lights come on inside Mateo’s house. A few seconds later, Mateo stepped out to his porch and looked around. When the pair of gunmen reached Mateo’s house, they stopped. One of them said something to Mateo, who held his hands out innocently before retreating back inside his house.

  “Estefan, you’re in good shape. Mateo just bought you a few extra seconds. You’ll reach the cover of the abandoned cars well before they get there.”

  “Where are they?”

  “They just passed Mateo’s house. Maintain radio silence until you hear from me. It looks like they’re going to pass very close to you. They’ll be there in thirty seconds.”

  Harv spoke up. “One of those gunmen could be Raven. We shouldn’t assume he’s in Managua. Can you see a scope on any of their rifles?”

  Nathan refocused on the gunmen, but they were carrying their weapons one-handed while running, which created too much motion for him to see any detail. “I can’t tell, but I understand your point. If one of those guys is Raven, Estefan could be in trouble.”

  Still using his NV, Estefan lifted his head just high enough to peer over the hoods of the wrecked cars. From this distance, he couldn’t see much detail, but whoever these guys were, they were hauling ass directly toward him. Wearing woodland combat uniforms, the two men hopped the waist-high rock wall and resumed their sprint.

  Estefan didn’t get a clear look at their assault rifles, but he was certain they weren’t AKs or M-4s. Those rifles had distinctive shapes.

  He ducked lower, pulled his Sig, and held it close to his chest.

  The thuds of their boots changed to crunches as they reached the expanse of gravel. Nathan had called it pretty damned close. These guys were going to pass within two or three yards of his hiding place between the cars.

  In slow motion, Estefan lowered himself to a prone position and pivoted onto his right hip. Ignoring the rocks grinding into his flesh, he aimed his gun through the gap between the cars and held perfectly still.

  He could hear their breathing.


  If either of them glanced in his direction as they sprinted past, things would turn ugly.

  Time seemed to slow as the moment of truth arrived.

  He exhaled when two dark blurs rushed past the crevice between the cars.

  As quickly as it had come, the crunching from their boots receded. It would’ve been easy to pop up and nail both of them, but Nathan had made it clear he didn’t want a firefight in the middle of town, and the third gunman was still out there somewhere. Estefan felt relief when Nathan’s voice came through his ear speaker.

  “Good job. I want those men out of breath from their sprint before I send you out to the river.”

  “Where’s Antonia?”

  “Still behind the post office. I want you to start a low crawl directly toward the river. That will keep the abandoned cars between you and the church. When you reach the rock wall, hold your position until I tell you to scramble over it.”

  “Do you guys have eyes on the third gunman?”

  Harv said, “I lost sight of him when he initially crossed the street near the motel. I think he’s watching your room. Don’t worry. There’s no way he can advance toward your position without me seeing him.”

  “Copy. Starting my crawl now.”

  Nathan kept alternating his surveillance between the motel and the church. The third gunman’s diversion to the gas station to watch the motel was an intriguing development. Since Antonia hadn’t been able to make a second call to Franco, she couldn’t have been the source of the information. For now, Nathan had to assume the info had come from whomever checked Estefan in to the motel. A second snitch on Macanas’s payroll was hardly surprising. In all likelihood, that person reported all comings and goings in Santavilla to Macanas’s local headquarters. Or perhaps Estefan’s garb or manner had triggered suspicion. Either way, a gunman now watched Estefan’s lighted motel room, wondering whether Estefan remained inside. As long as the watcher stayed in place, it worked to their advantage. Nathan’s primary concern was the two men approaching the church.

  On the east side of the church, the pair suddenly stopped running and huddled briefly. Now that they were a lot closer and holding still, Nathan got a clear look at their weapons.

  “Harv, their rifles aren’t scoped.”

  “Then it’s highly unlikely Raven is one of them. He’d be using a scoped weapon.”

  “Agreed. Let’s keep your eyes on the area around the gas station. We need to know if the third gunman moves south. I’ll watch Estefan and the area around the church. Estefan, we’re going to give those guys alphanumeric designations. G1 and G2 are at the church, G3 is behind the gas station watching the motel. Copy that?”

  “Copy. You have eyes on me?”

  “Affirm. I have you in a low crawl approaching the rock wall due east of the abandoned cars. Keep going.”

  Nathan saw G1 and G2 fan out in opposite directions and encircle the church. When they reformed a huddle in the middle of the street, Nathan saw an opportunity. Estefan had only crawled about half the distance to the rock wall. If he made an all-out sprint, he could reach the wall in under five seconds. Nathan decided it was an acceptable risk.

  “Estefan, stop crawling and run for the wall. The church is screening you from the gunmen. Once you reach the wall, stay low and be ready to beat feet out to the river.”

  Nathan swung his scope back to the men in the street. They appeared to be frozen in indecision. Since they hadn’t found anyone, they were probably trying to decide if conducting a search was worthwhile. No doubt they were pissed at having to run all the way over there for nothing.

  “Did Estefan make it to the wall?” Harv asked.

  “Yes. Estefan, stand up. I want the gunmen to see you. Okay, they’re looking your direction. Move south along the wall . . . a little more . . .” Nathan watched one of the gunmen point in Estefan’s direction. “Go now! All-out sprint to the river!”

  Both gunmen joined the chase, but they weren’t running as fast this time and Estefan had a hundred-yard head start. Short of Estefan injuring himself during his sprint, Nathan knew his former student would reach the cover of the trees well in advance of the gunmen.

  “G1 and G2 are on your six. When you reach the river, turn right and head for the dam. Use your radio to coordinate your location with Harv. Your gun isn’t suppressed, so find a good spot to lay low until Harv gets there. As far as I can tell, they don’t have NV, and I haven’t seen any flashlights.”

  “Copy. Do I have a green light if things get ugly?”

  Nathan didn’t hesitate. “Affirm. You are cleared to engage once you reach the river, but do your best to avoid it. Harv will be at the dam in three mikes. Copy that?”

  “Copy. Three mikes.”

  Nathan released the transmit button. “Harv, throw on your ghillie and get going. I’ll be okay up here. Leave your pack. You’ve got spare mags in your pockets?”

  “Four.”

  “That ought to be enough.”

  While Harv scrambled into action, Nathan made a quick calculation. Estefan would reach the trees with at least thirty seconds to spare. If the gunmen opened fire on the run, they’d have little chance of nailing him from that distance. If their orders were to take Estefan alive, they might not fire at all. Once the gunmen reached the tree line, he’d lose sight of them. It became Harv’s show at that point, but Nathan wasn’t worried. Harv possessed expert handgun skills—better than his own.

  Nathan consciously slowed his breathing and kept G1 in the center of his scope as the man ran toward the river. He wanted to make sure G1 entered the tree line at the same point where Estefan had. Once he lost sight of G1, he’d switch his surveillance over to the gas station area. If G3 decided to join his comrades, he’d need to warn Estefan and Harv.

  Estefan hated scurrying for cover like a field mouse. He’d rather face danger than run away from it. At least now he was cleared to engage his pursuers and get some payback for his torched house and bludgeoned wife. He’d personally deal with Raven later.

  He pushed aside the distracting surge of anger and concentrated on his footing. If he twisted an ankle or sprained a knee, he’d have to shoot it out with a crippling and painful injury. Conversely, as long as he kept his feet, Estefan had little doubt he could kill both gunmen. The knee-high grass under the barbed-wire fence offered perfect cover from a prone position. Bushwhacking them as they approached would be easy, especially with a laser sight. They’d never see him in time. He toyed with the idea of faking a fall, but he’d never be able to face Nathan after such a disgraceful deception. Nathan and Harv had risked their lives coming down here, and he wouldn’t betray their trust. In truth, he’d sooner take a bullet in the back. Estefan had many faults, but a lack of integrity wasn’t one of them.

  Still in a full sprint, he reached down and pressed the transmit button on the radio clipped to his belt. “Nate, where are they?”

  “They just hopped the rock wall. You’re about one hundred fifty yards ahead of them. Harv’s on his way. He’s using the trail leading down to the dam. I haven’t seen any sign of G3. Since he hasn’t joined the pursuit, I doubt they’re using radios. There are multiple buildings between where I last saw G3 and the area behind the church. I doubt G3 saw you or his friends. Harv, unless something tactical happens, I’m going radio silent so you can coordinate with Estefan.”

  “I just reached the footpath,” Harv said. “I’m going to slow my pace when I get closer to the river.”

  “It’s me again,” said Nathan. “One of the gunmen just changed direction. He’s running due south. I’m calling him G2. G1 is still on your six, Estefan. It looks like they’re trying to flank you. When you reach the river, turn right, but find a place to conceal yourself well short of the dam. G2 is going to reach the dam before Harv gets there. He may set up an ambush while G1 tries to drive you over there. You copy?”

  “C
opy. G1 is on my six. G2’s heading for the dam.”

  “Okay, I just lost sight of you at the tree line. Harv’s Sig is suppressed, so hold your fire if possible. I don’t want G3 to hear any shots and join the fight.”

  “Copy that.” Estefan needed to point something out. “The guy on my tail won’t know which direction I went at the river. Do you want me to make it obvious I’m heading toward the dam?”

  “Harv?” Nathan asked.

  “Yes. I want them both in the same place.”

  “Okay, Estefan, take G1 west toward the dam. I’m going radio silent. I’ll only come up if I see G3 or Antonia make a move.”

  The trail Harv followed was little more than a furrow carved into the slope. Because of all the tree cover, the aerials didn’t show this footpath, but it served several dozen homes farther south overlooking the wooden bridge, including Pastor Tobias’s house. Harv wasn’t worried about being too stealthy until he got closer to the dam. His night vision, coupled with the ghillie suit, gave him a substantial advantage. In another hundred yards or so the trail would level out where the foliage grew thicker along the river. He would slow to an ultraslow pace then to avoid producing any discernible movement. Even in low light, the unaided human eye could detect sudden motion.

  Estefan scrambled down the bank and turned right. He wove his way through the ferns and other bushes until he reached the same spot he’d used to watch Antonia’s approach. Like he had before, he climbed just high enough to peer over the edge and saw G1 running in a full sprint toward the spot where he’d disappeared over the bank. He couldn’t see G2. He grabbed a low-hanging branch and gave it a tug, making the outer reaches of its leaves shimmer in the moonlight. He ran another thirty yards and did the same thing. There was no way G1 could miss the shaking branches. The air was still. Nothing else moved down here.

  He backtracked to a location well behind the spot where he’d shaken the second branch and saw what he needed. Lying against the bank, a fallen tree offered a good place to hide. Its splayed array of bare branches would conceal the sharp lines of his body. With a little luck, G1 would pass directly below him, believing he was headed for the dam. Since this hiding place was closer to the first branch he shook, G1 should be focused beyond this point, farther down the river. Estefan took a few seconds to make sure his NV visor wasn’t leaking light. Satisfied its rubber boots were pressed firmly against the skin around his eyes, he turned the gain up to maximum. It was damned dark under these trees.