He heaved a sigh of relief as the radio crackled. "This is Eagle Leader. We've got everyone on board who's coming." Pulling in collective, the pilot lifted and headed for knoll 8548.
In the rear, the two crew chiefs were preparing the hoist with a jungle penetrator. As the pilot brought the aircraft to a hover over the knoll they quickly lowered the penetrator. Tremont and Thompson hooked their vests onto the loop on the penetrator with snap links. "We're on," Thompson called out on the radio.
The pilot didn't wait for them to be reeled in; he lifted and accelerated to the west. They'd be pulled in while the helicopter was moving.
Riley led the way around the corner of the building. The HH-53 was already winging off to pick up the men on the knoll. He stopped at the first car he found in the lot. A blue BMW. He put the girl down and told Westland to watch her.
He tore the detonating cord off the charges on the car and opened the door. He reached under the dash, hoping his skills from childhood were still good. With his knife he slashed the ignition wires and then crossed them, ignoring the sparks. The engine coughed and then roared to life. Westland swung open the back door and followed the young girl in.
Riley spun the wheel and headed for the gate. He was halfway down the drive when the OH-58 blew. He instinctively ducked as shrapnel pinged off the back of the car. They were just passing through the gates when the charges in the cars went off, turning the parking lot into a roaring inferno.
"Hammer Base, this is Eagle Leader. Over."
Macksey grabbed the microphone. The last report they had had over the SATCOM was from the Snake element, advising that the exfiltration helicopter was retrieving the people from the strike force at the villa and that they were shutting down their radio in anticipation of being picked up.
"Hammer Base here. Give me a sitrep. Over."
"Mission a success. I say again, mission a success. No friendly casualties. Over." Three sighs of relief of varying magnitude could be heard from the generals gathered around the radio.
"What about the target? Over."
"Target completely destroyed and designated individual terminated. Over."
Pike nudged Macksey. "Check on Riley and Westland. And see if they got Powers out, too."
"This is Hammer Base. What about the assets you met down there and the hostage? Over."
There was a lengthy pause. Pike felt his stomach tighten in anticipation of bad news. "The assets chose to remain in country to search for the hostage, who was not present at the target site. Over."
"What!" Macksey exploded at Pike. "What the hell do they think they're doing?" He didn't wait for an answer as he keyed the mike. "What are they going to do? Over."
"Uh, that's unknown. I really didn't have a chance to talk with them. They made the decision as we were loading this bird for exfil, and I had more important things to worry about. Over."
Macksey dropped the mike and turned to face Pike. "What the hell do we do now? I've got to go over and brief the people across the river about what just happened, and we still have those two idiots of yours running around down there."
Pike looked the general straight in the eye. "Don't forget you also have Powers still being held prisoner. If Riley decided to stay there, he must feel there is still a chance to rescue him. Don't forget that when you brief the politicians. Also don't forget to tell them that we finally went and kicked ass, just like they run their mouths off about doing."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Riley glanced in the rearview mirror as he negotiated the streets of Bogota. Kate had put her sweatshirt on the young Colombian girl, who was huddled on the left side of the seat, her hands still tied behind her back with Riley's belt.
"Where are we going?"
Riley pulled the car off into an alley. "This is as good as anywhere."
Westland leaned over the seat. "What do we do now?"
In answer, Riley got out of the car and into the backseat, shoving the girl between Westland and himself. He grabbed the girl's face and made her look up at him. "Do you know where the Ring Man moved the American soldier?" he asked her in Spanish.
The girl spoke for the first time. "Are you the crazy American? The one who killed Maria?"
Riley glanced at Westland, then back at the girl. "Yes."
"Why did you save me from the Ring Man? What are you going to do to me now? Are you going to kill me?"
"I need this information. If you tell me where they moved the American, I'll let you go. The Ring Man is dead. He cannot harm you anymore."
Riley sat back against the door and waited as the girl sorted all this out. He didn't want to start hurting her, but he would if he had to. He was startled as Westland spoke to him in English. "Dave, could you leave the two of us alone for a few minutes? Let me talk to her."
Riley shrugged. It was as good a bet as any. He got out and began to check the alley. They were about a mile from the American embassy, according to Riley's calculations. The immediate neighborhood was pretty rundown. The alley entered onto the main road and at the other end led to a series of smaller roads. It was a satisfactory place to hole up until he could figure out their next course of action. If the girl didn't give them anything, Riley wasn't sure what he'd do.
He glanced back down the alley as the car door opened. The girl slipped out and ran in the opposite direction. Riley drew his Beretta as he started in pursuit.
Westland followed the girl out of the car and raised a hand at Riley. "Hold it! Slow down. I'm letting her go."
Riley was torn between chasing the girl and hearing Westland's explanation. He decided to trust her. Holstering his pistol, he sat on the hood of the car and stared at his partner expectantly.
Westland sat down next to him. "Powers was in that convoy that left yesterday. Apparently, President Alegre had asked for a truce with the Ring Man. There's an Israeli named Ariel who works for the Ring Man. He suggested offering to turn over Powers to Alegre as a sign of good faith. In reality, the girl says they were planning to use that meet as an assassination attempt on Alegre."
"That still doesn't tell me where Powers is."
"How about if I drive you there before I forget the directions?"
Riley hopped off the hood. "The keys are in the ignition."
Since the word of the attack on the villa and the confirmation of the Ring Man's death, Ariel had watched the sicarios in his detachment slowly melt away. One hour later he was alone in the house with the American prisoner. Ariel knew the sicarios were going into hiding until they found out which way the winds of power were blowing. They'd reappear when they knew who was the strongest and attach their new loyalties there.
Which wasn't too bad an idea, Ariel thought to himself. Without Ring Man he was in a precarious situation. The Ramirez family, or what was left of them, would be after him as long as one of them was alive. The Colombians were as bad as Sicilians when it came to a blood feud.
Ariel was tired of this pigsty of a country anyway, but his options were limited. He couldn't go back to Israel. Africa had plenty of employment opportunities but was an even worse place to live than Colombia, in his opinion. Whatever he did, Ariel knew he had to do it fast, before one of the sicarios made the brilliant deduction that killing the Israeli would be an excellent way to ingratiate himself with the Ramirez family.
Ariel looked at the bound and gagged American soldier lying on the floor. The man was still glaring back at him defiantly. Ariel had never met such a mule-headed man. He had tried taking the gag out of his mouth to let him eat, but the man immediately started into a cursing tirade like the one in the helicopter yesterday. Ariel was tired of dealing with him. He had planned on killing him after hitting Alegre anyway.