The SEALs lay in the jungle growth for two minutes listening for any reaction around them. Gradually the insects began to sound again with their mating calls and operational buzzing and clicking. A bird sang, then another. Murdock licked his lips and stood.
“Move,” he said into the Motorola. The squad walked out of the growth to the riverbank and trotted down it to the road along the river. They were in the outskirts of Sierra City now, and moved quickly from shadow to shadow as they worked down the main road to a less-traveled street. Sandari led them. He told them he had grown up a short distance from the five-mile dock. They threaded through dark alleys, past shuttered houses and buildings, and along narrow streets that looked like cattle trails at times.
Murdock checked his watch. They had taken off precisely at 1200 and flown for twenty minutes. Now it was almost 0100 and they were not at their target.
“How much farther?” he asked Sandari.
“The Government Building is this side of the main business district,” Sandari said. “Maybe ten more minutes.”
They came up to the rear entrance of the large Government Building. It was only two stories high, but spread out over most of the square block. The near half of the block held an empty parking lot.
“Guards?” Murdock asked.
Sandari pointed to the far right corner of the building, then to the central rear door and again to the far left.
“Jaybird, guard to the far right. You and I will do him. Then move to the central rear door. The guard on the left can’t see the back door. Let’s move.”
The two ran down the block and came out less than forty yards from the lookout post. They leaned against a wooden building and watched the guard. He walked a short post and came back. Then he put his rifle on the ground and dug into his pockets. A moment later they saw a flare of light.
“Smoker,” Murdock said. “Good, his night vision will be seriously impaired for five minutes.” Murdock and Jaybird crept around the building, and then walked naturally across the open space toward the guard. They would act as if they belonged there. They had their weapons slung and were talking when the guard looked their way. He looked again, then waved. The two SEALs waved back, then slanted toward the man.
“Hey, got a smoke?” Jaybird asked from ten feet away. The guard snorted.
“Damn moochers. Buy some of your own smokes sometime.” He had just reached in his pocket, when Jaybird’s KA-BAR knife lanced through his shirt and drove deep into the soldier’s heart killing him instantly. Jaybird caught him and dragged him into the building’s shadow. The rest of Alpha Squad rushed across the open space. Ken Ching picked up the dead guard’s AK-47, slung it over his shoulder, and manned the guard post.
Murdock led the rest of the squad close to the building and out of sight of the guards on the rear entrance at the center. Bravo Squad followed, and soon the SEALs were within twenty feet of the two men on guard. Murdock and Jaybird slung their MP-5’s, drew their KA-BAR knives, and held them in their right hands with the blades hidden behind their arms.
They walked out into the open and toward the two federal soldiers. One guard called out in a conversational tone, “Hey there, you lost?”
“Shortcut,” Jaybird said.
“Anybody got a smoke?” Murdock asked. “I’m dying for a smoke.” By that time they were within ten feet of the two guards. The guards frowned, and one started to pull up his slung rifle. Jaybird swung up his silenced MP-5 and put two of three rounds into the man’s chest. The other guard froze for a second, and it was long enough for Murdock to jolt forward and ram his fighting knife into the man’s lung. He went down. Murdock pulled out the KA-BAR and slashed it across the guard’s throat. They dragged both guards into the shadows next to the building. Then Donegan and Rafii walked up and took the place of the guards, using their AK-47 rifles as props.
Murdock ran to the rear door. Locked. He fired six rounds from the silenced MP-5 at the lock. Metal and lead flew, then the door unlocked and drifted open. The ten SEALs rushed inside leaving the three outside who had replaced the guards.
Sandari led the group. He walked quickly down the central hall to the left and pointed to the basement door. Locked. Jaybird used his silenced MP-5 and fired one three-round burst at the lock. He pulled on the handle and the door opened. Sandari went through first, turned on two light switches, and then went down the steps. Murdock was right behind him.
“Second door to the right,” Sandari said. “That used to be documents.” The door was unlocked. Sandari turned on the room lights to find the space empty. He shrugged, and they went to the next door. This one was locked. Murdock fired twice with the MP-5 and broke the lock. Murdock heard a muffled cry from inside the room. Sandari opened the door and turned on the lights.
“Thank God,” Don Stroh said. He was tied to a bunk in the otherwise empty room. He wore the same clothes, had a shadowy beard, and his hair was rumpled.
“Where’s the Vice President?” Murdock asked.
“Next room. We tap on the wall now and then. No code, just to know we’re alive.”
Jaybird cut the thin nylon ropes that held Stroh to the cot. He stood and his knees gave way, then held, and he walked around a little. “Damn, good to be moving.”
Murdock had left with Sandari. They ran to the last door. It also was locked. This time it took six rounds to break the lock. Murdock opened the door and rushed inside. The lights were on. The Vice President sat at a low desk with a pen and paper. He threw down the pen and jumped up. For a moment he looked confused. Then he must have recognized Murdock. His face broke and he began sobbing. He rushed to Murdock, threw his arms around him, and wouldn’t let go.
“It’s all right, Mr. Vice President. We’re here. We’re going to take you home. Don’t worry. The worst is over. We’re going to get you out of here.”
It took several minutes before the Vice President would let go of Murdock. Tears still washed down his cheeks. “They put a loaded gun to my head three times. They tried to get me to sign all sorts of confessions. I kicked one of them in the balls and he beat me with a club. God, I want to get home.”
Jaybird ran back up the steps and checked in the main hall. He saw no sign of any federal troops. He hurried down the hall toward the rear entrance, then jolted into a doorway as a detail of ten armed federal soldiers marched into the hall from a room and turned away from him. When they were gone, Jaybird rushed back to the basement stairway.
Murdock and the platoon waited for him. He motioned, and they ran down the hall toward the rear door. Three federal soldiers came out of a room and stared at them, then lifted their rifles. Jaybird and Bradford cut them down with a dozen rounds. The SEALs ran faster, the Vice President and Don Stroh keeping up with them. The two men were in the middle of the group. They made it to the rear door. Jaybird opened it a crack and looked out. He shut it quickly.
“Skipper. There’s a vehicle out there and two men have guns trained on our guys.”
“Can you nail them with silent rounds?” Murdock asked. Jaybird nodded. Van Dyke and Fernandez moved up to the door and when Jaybird opened it a foot, they both fired. The bullets hit the two federal officers in the chests and knocked them down. The SEALs, along with the Vice President and Stroh, poured out the door, picked up Donegan and Rafii, and stormed for the far side of the building. They took fire from the vehicle that was parked near the entrance.
Bill Bradford stopped, turned, and fired one round from his Bull Pup. The 20mm hit the half-ton truck and exploded, silencing the guns there.