Slowly he eased himself over the lip and crawled towards the shrubs.
“One man in black, wearing a night vision head-set. He has what looks like a sidearm on his belt,” the controller said to the guard commander, as he zoomed in on the furtive figure that just came over the Cliffside. The controller had to respect the man, as that was one hell of a climb.
“Where is he now?”
“In the bushes by the top of the cliff.”
“Are you sure there is just one?”
“That’s all I can see at the moment. If I see any more, I’ll let you know.”
The man lay in the bushes, letting his eyes adjust again, as he recovered his breath. His arms and legs ached from the climb so he enjoyed the brief respite.
He raised his head slightly, immediately noticing a camera in the trees.
Cursing, he hoped the controller was asleep, but judging by the lack of sound and visible reaction, he felt confident he was unseen so far.
Crawling in a line that masked him from the camera, he made for a clump of smaller trees to his left. Beyond that was a beautiful cultivated lawn, to the left some rougher ground, and to the right a terrace that led straight to the front, the sea-view aspect of the house.
Set as a Spanish Hacienda, but on a very grand scale, the white building had a red tiled roof with pillars and arches abounding.
He crept through the trees and made for the rough ground to the left.
“He is leaving sector four, entering sector five.”
“I have him on my scope. Leave him to me.”
The intruder was now within twenty paces of a small out-building, which lay in darkness. He scanned the trees and walls for cameras and, seeing none, breathed a sigh of relief. Using a new attachment to his headset, he picked up several beams of infrared. The path ahead was alarmed.
They were about twenty inches off the ground at the lowest point, covering a broad area, so it took him several moments plotting his route. Then he set off, squirming under the beams on his belly, rolling clear behind a large conifer.
His task?
To locate the power room and set a charge that would disable the electric supply enough to render the electronic defence system ineffective. The remainder of his team of ex-Navy SEALS and DEA specialists were standing by and a full assault could then be executed. The initial plan was for a three man team to infiltrate the island, but, owing to the obvious risks and after some heated discussion, it was decided that it was a job better left to one man.
The privately owned island lay outside all sovereign waters and was the headquarters of Luis Mendoza’s international organisation.
Luis was Columbian and he had moved onwards and upwards in the business of supplying the rich nations with as much cocaine as they wanted. Branching out into several legitimate businesses in addition to the illicit ones, Luis was now a multi millionaire and owned several politicians in most of the nations surrounding the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Including, it has to be said, at least two US congressmen and several highly placed officials, notably in the Florida area.
The guard commander watched the dark-suited interloper through his telescopic night-sight. He had the opportunity to kill the man several times, but the boss was quite adamant.
No one was to die actually on the island and no firearms were to be used unless a full assault was attempted. The international community were adamant that the United States had already executed too many incursions into territory to which they had no control or authority. Therefore, Luis was wise enough to ensure that no excuse ever be given that a US citizen was in danger.
The man eased himself over a short wall and found himself facing a locked door to what his intelligence had told him was the power room. He checked the door for alarm contact points and once satisfied there weren’t any, he allowed himself a small smile.
He removed a bag from his pouch and opened it, selecting two very thin strips of metal.
After a few moments of fiddling with the lock, there was a satisfying click and he eased the door open.
The room was in darkness and he looked about him with a frown. There were no power units in here.
The intelligence was wrong, as this was only a storeroom, and an empty one at that. He looked around and noted that there was no other door. He went back to the door he had just come through and watched in slow motion as a gas grenade spewed a cloud of smoke in his face.
Feeling nauseous, he fell to the floor.
Luis Mendoza awoke at seven and stretched. The black silk sheets partially covered his nakedness and that of his companion. Nadia was still sleeping, her mane of strawberry blonde hair swathed like a glorious fan across her pillow. Her firm round breasts were exposed and Luis smiled.
She was beautiful and he felt a familiar sensation in his loins. He was about to reach across and wake her when the telephone rang.
Cursing, he answered it.
It was his security chief.
“Again? My God, they are so stupid. When?”
He listened to the voice on the other end. Nadia awoke and looked at him.
He smiled as she pulled the sheets off him, taking his erection in her mouth.
The man was still talking, but Luis was not really able to concentrate. She was doing the most amazing things with her tongue.
“Just get rid of the body. Same as the others. No one dies on the island!” he snarled and put the phone down, now better able to give more important matters his full attention.
Chapter 1.
The orderly pulled the mortuary tray out of the cooler unit onto the gurney and the doctor pulled the sheet back. The tall Federal Agent in the suit took one pace forward. He was a stocky, powerful man, grey showing at the temples despite his close cropped hair.
Sean Ellis looked down at the dead man on the tray. His heart sank. He had known who it might be, but he hoped it wouldn’t.
“Shit! Yeah, that’s him,” he said, a great sadness and frustration churned his guts.
He made a fist and hit the steel door.
“Goddamn it! He was one of the best, a real fucking hero,” he said. The bitterness and anguish very evident in his voice
The pathologist simply looked at the DEA agent dispassionately. In his business he spent too much time in the company of the deceased, so he tried not to take things personally.
He watched the tall DEA agent, as the man struggled with his emotions. The agent obviously had known the deceased and, as always, the professionals were never immune to personal feelings.
“His body was picked out of the ocean by the Coastguard in US waters. He died about three days ago.”
“How?”
“Drowned in sea water. But there are toxins and other signs that would indicate he was unconscious before he drowned.”
“Any injuries?”
“None. Only his fingers and hands have sustained minor cuts and abrasions consistent with climbing or scrabbling against a sharp and uneven surface. I’ve seen climbers with hands like this when they have fallen to their deaths. But he has no bruising and no other impact injuries to suggest he fell. No, I believe he was rendered unconscious by some chemical and then put or thrown into the water. I’ll know more after a full autopsy.”
Sean shook his head. This was the fifth attempt to infiltrate the island. This time, they really thought they had a chance. But it seems that the ‘impeccable’ source was not reliable after all.
He looked at his watch and swore again.
“Thanks doc. I’ll notify the family,” he said, leaving the morgue.
He took out his mobile phone and called his office.
The agent on duty, Jenny, answered.
“Hi, Jenny, it’s me.”
“Hi, boss, was it Chuck?”
“Yeah, it was. Look, can you tell the Director and then notify Chuck’s department chief. I’ll go and see his wife.”