trusting Sela’s life and that of her relatives to an unknown municipal cop.
“Trust me, Emerson…this will work out. I say we scope out the Wildcat operation and make a plan for how we play this. Once we know the lay of the land, it’ll be much clearer. Come on, buddy… buck up. This is just like the old days.”
“Not quite, Jason. In the crosshairs are civilians related to the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. I’m fairly alarmed here, and I’ll tell you something else…Freeman sending us in blind doesn’t make sense. We’re supposed to watch this crew rip off Fort Knox without a coordinated response from the base commander? This is bullshit, Jason,” he said, shaking his head in disgust.
“I couldn’t agree more, my friend…but we’re under orders. Are you with me, or do I go in alone?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jason,” Palmer chastised, annoyed by the question. “Of course I’m with you. Have I ever let you down? Let’s get going. I want to see where the hostages are being held before dark. We’ve got a lot to accomplish before the day is out.”
“Now you sound like your old self, man,” Henry said, slapping his partner’s back. “Thank God you’re onboard.”
“Well, just remember…you talked me into this, Jason. When Senator Coscarelli charges me with willful negligence, you better have my back,” he said prophetically.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Emerson. But if it does, yeah, I take full responsibility. You have my word.”
“It’s not your word I doubt, Jason. We’ve got too many hostages in harm’s way. This ain’t good.”
“I hear you, pard.”
The men saw Lieutenant Morris and Angelina making their way back to the baggage claim area. They each gathered their belongings and walked to meet them, both feeling ill-equipped to face what the next few hours would bring. Doubtless, their path ahead clearly promised to be one of the most intriguing and daunting missions they had ever undertaken.
SIXTY-ONE
Wildcat Fish Farm
16:00 HOURS
Richard Kilmer and Rafie Nuzam were sitting at the Struffenegers’ massive dining room table, poring over the layout of the Fort Knox complex. The creases on their foreheads spoke volumes about the worry each of them had. Neither of the seasoned veterans was willing to voice what they both knew: The operation before them was suicide.
“Git ever’one assembled,” Kilmer said to Rafie. “We’ve only got seven hours before deployment. I want one last walk-through.”
“Right away,” Rafie replied, pushing back from the table.
Rafie found Colt outside with Emil helping cinch the tie-downs on the trailer. Metusack, Marlon, and Ventura were in an adjacent outbuilding checking the ordinance and personal gear needed on the mission; Farley was in back with the hostages; Mills was doing nothing but fretting. Everyone’s mood was somber. Rafie made contact with each man and told him to convene in the main house. The staging of the Fort Knox job was underway.
“Right oh, let’s walk it through one last time, mates,” Kilmer started when the men had assembled. “We leave at 23:00. Colt’ll be the first through the main gate,” he reiterated, and proceeded to call out each man’s position and duty.
He went through the entire foray, step by step, just as he’d done for the Livermore job and Quantum before that. When he completed a briefing, there was never a doubt about the timing of events or each man’s duty. Niggling uncertainties and doubts were addressed, and it was his style to gain consensus that the plan before them was the best available. From the looks on everyone’s faces, however, he could tell the men were dubious about their chances for success. His encouragement was needed more than ever.
“How do we know the mission hasn’t been compromised?” Ventura asked, voicing everyone’s concern. “The kid’s parents showing up makes me believe they’ve shared the location with someone. We could be walking into an ambush.”
“Conrad’s story makes sense,” Kilmer studiously replied. “If the cops knew anythin’, they’d already be here; no way they’d let ‘em show up alone.”
“What about the hostages?” Emil asked. “When I agreed to help Alastair, hostages weren’t a consideration. They know where they’re being held; my facility’s been identified. What’s the plan for that?”
“Unfortunately…there’s only one possibility,” Kilmer replied, steely-eyed. “No one planned to be in this pickle, but to be dead cert there’s no trail back to ya…the hostages are history.”
No one made a sound. The conviction in Kilmer’s voice was unmistakable. The hostages’ fate was inevitable. There was no other solution.
“So that’s Farley’s only purpose here, then?” Sully Metusack asked.
Sully, along with the rest of the team, knew of Farley’s reputation; he was a cold-blooded and remorseless killer, completely devoid of conscience. When he surfaced, everyone knew his presence didn’t bode well for the hostages. Sully remembered a time when Farley had adroitly extracted vital information from a recalcitrant hostage with only a pair of pliers. The man involved was especially reticent, but pliers applied to his fingertips finally produced enough pain to break his resistance. It was horrible to watch, and Sully wondered how anyone could remain so detached from the torturous screams. But as Kilmer had stated, none of them planned to take hostages when they signed on to the job. They hadn’t planned on Conrad’s hidden equations, or his stubbornness in cooperating with their operational demands.
Sully was especially regretful about the fate of the women; he’d grown fond of Dr. Coscarelli. But he had to admit that the hostages were an unacceptable liability.
“Afraid so,” Kilmer replied. “Farley’ll git the order as soon as Conrad does his thing. Their fate is sealed. Ya’ll never know they were here, Emil.”
Emil was standing apart from the group, in obvious discomfort. He wrung his hands and paced like a caged animal. “I don’t want to know any more about it,” he said. “Just promise me you’ll dispose of any evidence that my wife and children might find. This whole business is unseemly. Alastair and I will have words, Richard.”
“I’m dead cert ya will. Any more questions?” Kilmer asked. “If not…git some rest. We hit the base at midnight,” he repeated.
The men shuffled away from the meeting, taking up individual conversations as they went. The mood of the men had never been lower going into an operation. Everyone was filled with doubt, but they each realized it was too late to withdraw. The time had drawn nigh, the plan developed, and the steps to proceed put in motion. Time would tell if Holloway’s master plan would prevail.
An incredible disquiet embraced each of Kilmer’s team and most would vote to cancel the mission if it were possible. More than one reflected that the setting sun at Wildcat Farm could be the last they would ever see. It was now or never.
SIXTY-TWO
David Morris drove from Louisville, following the GPS directions to Wildcat Catfish Farm. Agent Henry rode shotgun, with Palmer and Angelina in the back of the Ford Explorer. The highway signs to the catfish facility were numerous and in no time they closed in on the location. They all agreed this would be nothing more than a brief reconnaissance of the farm; what they found would determine how they would rescue the hostages.
As he drove, Morris spotted a Bass Pro Shop with easy access off the highway. The men quickly agreed Bass would be a suitable place to buy binoculars, camo gear, rifles, and enough ammo to carry out their mission. Each of the lawmen carried their individual sidearms, which airline security allowed with proper identification, but to prepare for an assault against a heavily guarded outpost would require more firepower than they had in their
