Black Harvest (The PROJECT) (19 page)

"Definitely. His experience will be valuable. There may be resistance."

"Arkady is used to that." A pause. "Good hunting."

Elizabeth set the phone down.

"Let's talk about the mission. Steph, bring up the objective."

Steph tapped keys at her console. A live satellite picture came up on the big wall screen.

Harker swiveled toward the monitor. "This is Dansinger's compound in Texas. He grows experimental crops in those large buildings."

The live satellite picture was stationary, clear and detailed. A state highway paralleled the complex to the north. A straight, blacktop road ran south for about a quarter of a mile from the highway to the main gate of the compound. The compound itself was several hundred acres in size, rectangular, with the long sides on the east and west. The entrance by the gate was the only way in.

A high fence went completely around the property. Low shrubs and landscaping split the center of the compound east and west. Looking south from the highway, there were ten large buildings to the west, spaced evenly in two rows along the fence.

On the eastern side was an L-shaped building with parking areas. South of the structure, five two-story buildings followed a perfect line. It reminded Nick of a military base. A good sized airstrip ran along the eastern border, with two runways crossing each other in an offset X. It was contained within the fenced perimeter. It featured a windsock, a hanger and a helicopter pad. The pad was empty.

A paved two lane access road connected everything in a neat grid. Two more of the big buildings sat at the far eastern corner of the compound. Beyond them and the fence, the Texas panhandle headed south toward civilization.

"The outside fence is twelve feet high and electrified." Harker traced it with a laser pointer. "Razor wire on top. Floodlights that come on at dusk."

"Typical," Lamont said.

"How's your arm?"

"Better." He held it up, out of the sling. "I can use it. I've been working it."

"Good. Because you're going."

"All right." Lamont grinned. "Back in the saddle."

"There's only the one gate, backed by the guard house. Dansinger owns the land up to the highway and 5000 surrounding acres. Security will have monitors on everything. There are cameras along the outer fence and on the corners and entrances of each building. Those big buildings are where he grows his crops."

"What's that L-shaped one?" Nick said.

"That's admin. Offices. The next two buildings are for equipment, supplies, vehicle storage, that kind of thing. There's a full garage and shop. He's got a fire station with two engines. The security vehicles park there. They use GMC Suburbans, like the Feds."

Nick pointed. "Next to the Suburbans. Get a closer look."

Steph zoomed in with the satellite camera.

"Well, well. Three Humvees, M-240s on top. Early models, looks like. There's no protection for the gunner. How the hell does Dansinger have stuff like that? What's he need them for?"

"Coyotes, maybe," Ronnie said.

"That building next to them could be a barracks. Adam mentioned security."

"How many men, you think?"

Nick thought about it. "Hard to say. Three Humvees, eight SUVs. Probably two men in the guardhouse, two in the patrol vehicles. Probably three shifts. I'd guess around forty. Former military, with those Humvees and guns. Gone over to the Dark Side. That's a lot of firepower to protect a few rows of corn. He's got himself a little army there."

"Mercenaries." Korov's voice was full of contempt.

"Yeah, mercs. Except we don't call them that anymore. Now they're contractors."

"The compound is self sufficient except for power. It comes in from the road." Harker used a laser pointer to indicate an electrical substation where the access drive made a T with the highway.

"He has to keep those buildings cool." Nick studied the image. Propane tanks and gas pumps were visible in the photo.

"Those are backup generators behind that last building, near the propane tanks. Big ones. It would take a few minutes to get them up and running if the power goes down. They're vulnerable from the rear."

Two men came out of the building next to the Humvees. One man carried an assault rifle. They climbed into one of the security vehicles.

"Not much cover," Ronnie rubbed his chin. The land around the compound was featureless.

"Nothing except jack rabbits, weeds and cactus," Harker said. "Steph, show us Texas."

A map of Texas appeared on the wall monitor. Dansinger's compound was northwest of Amarillo, off Highway 87 and a state highway linking two small towns.

"I can get you and your gear to Dyess in Abilene or Sheppard in Wichita Falls. You'll have to drive from there. We can't use helicopters for this."

"Looks like Sheppard and Dyess are about the same distance away." Nick studied the map. "The roads are more direct from Sheppard. 287 to Amarillo, then 87 north. Piece of cake. Get us to Sheppard."

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Nick poured wine for Selena, whiskey for himself. They sat at the counter in his apartment. He'd fixed a simple plate of snacks. Crackers, celery and cream cheese. Olives. Brie.

There was a comfortable silence between them.

"I've been thinking."

"About what?" He cut a piece of brie, smeared it on a cracker.

"Us. You and me." She sipped. "You want to move in together or not?"

There it was.

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"It might be a bad idea."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid I'll fuck it up."

"Me too."

"That I'll fuck it up?"

"That we both will. Maybe we should wait a little."

"You want some distance?"

"No, that's not it. I'm having a little trouble right now. With what we do. What I do."

"I know."

"I'm having nightmares. I think maybe I need to see someone."

"A shrink?"

"Or a therapist. Someone to help me sort it out. I'm having these dreams, someone's trying to kill me. I can't see who they are."

"Doesn't surprise me. I thought it would happen before now."

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone gets bad dreams who does things like we do. Soldiers, cops. Everyone. Except the psychos who love it."

"That's what bothers me. Part of me loves it." She picked up a cracker, nibbled it.

"That's because of the rush. Being on the edge. At risk. Am I right?"

She nodded.

"It's not the same thing as enjoying it the way the nut jobs do."

"So why the dreams?"

"When I came back from Afghanistan." He stopped.

"After the grenade."

"Yes. They made me talk to a shrink. We talked about this. It's called cognitive dissonance. The mind sets up a conflict between belief and reality."

"I know about that."

"We're brought up that killing people is wrong. Then we kill people. We believe we shouldn't do it. Reality is different." He shrugged. "Cognitive dissonance."

"So we get nightmares."

"Yup. PTSD is a nice catch all for a lot of different ways it shows up. Dreams is one of them."

"
Doctor
Nick. I still think I need a shrink."

"Maybe." He set his glass down. "I've got an idea for short term therapy."

"What about living together?"

"Why don't we talk about that later? After our therapy session?"

He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.

"
Doctor
Nick," she said.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Early next morning the team and Korov gathered around a flat table covered with satellite photos of the compound.

Nick began. "Harker's got the logistics locked down. Transport to Sheppard. Vehicles waiting for us there. That's the easy part. Steph dug up info on the opposition. They provide hard core security in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have been incidents with this group."

"What kind of incidents?" It was Selena.

"They shoot first and ask later. All combat vets, former Rangers, Marines, SOCOM. We have to assume they know what they're doing and will respond rapidly."

"They gotta be there to protect Demeter," Ronnie said.

"No other reason I can think of."

"Our weapons?"

"We'll take all that with us, Korov. MP-5s, side arms, grenades, ammo. Night scopes. You know the MP-5?"

The Russian nodded. "A good choice."

"We'll take Thermate-TH3 for the meltdown and C-4 just in case. All our personal combat gear. Vests and the like. Lamont, can you handle a rifle with that arm?"

"Yeah, with a bipod and a rest. Don't think I'd be much good in a running firefight, though."

"I'm thinking we take a Barrett .50 and give you an M4 for backup. You stick with the vehicles, set up and give us cover while we go in."

"That'll work."

Nick put his finger on the electrical substation at the junction of the highway and the access road.

"A big transformer fire will make a nice diversion. We'll take it out with a delayed charge and be in position when the lights go out. I'm betting they'll think it's a normal power failure. These guys have been sitting on their ass in the middle of nowhere for months with nobody shooting at them. They'll be dull. That will change pretty quick once they realize we're inside."

Selena said, "How do we go over the fence?"

"We don't go over it. We go through it with a plasma cutter. Easier and faster that way." He tapped the photo. "Here. In the rear, away from the guard shack and the barracks. Once we're in, we've got cover between the buildings. We'll get close before the power goes off."

Korov nodded.

Nick continued. "They won't see us. There's no moon. Weather says clouds, so no stars either. It'll be black as Hitler's heart out there. We'll approach from the back, beyond the lights. Lamont will set up to cover us with the Barrett. We crawl up close and go through the fence when the power goes down."

"And if the lights come back on while we're doing that?" Selena asked.

Nick was in leader mode. "We deal with it."

"Which building is the primary objective?" Korov studied the photo.

"Building Four. This one."

Building Four was in the second from the last row, in the back of the complex. That made it a little easier.

"Korov, what's your experience with demolition?"

"Extensive. I am familiar with thermite and with your detonators and explosives."

"Figures. Okay, you and I will go inside and set charges. Ronnie, you and Selena outside to cover us with Lamont as backup."

"What does this stuff look like?"

"Pepper, Ronnie. Just like pepper."

"Getting out?" Korov said. "The power will be back on with the fence."

"Lamont will take out the generators with the .50 when we're ready to leave. No need for quiet by then."

"When do we go in?"

"0300 hours. This whole thing depends on getting in without being seen. If they see us we're looking at a heavy firefight with some very pissed off people. But they're rusty. We're not."

"Forty of them?"

"Yep."

"Maybe ten to one odds," Ronnie said. "Makes it an equal fight."