'Let the anchor go.'
Logan hit the switch on the console, and the electric windlass began to drop the anchor. Once in the water, I'd secure it deep into the sand, so the boat wouldn't float away.
We were all dressed in dark clothes provided by jock's man at Moore's. We put camouflage paint on our faces, and black watch caps on our heads. Jock gave Logan a pair of night-vision goggles, and lie hung another around his own neck. He passed out grenades. We attached them to the web belts we found in the equipment box.
I climbed over the transom, and water came up to my waist. The bottom was hard sand, and the footing was good. Jock handed over an M-16 and my nine millimeter. The grenades were attached across my chest and still dry.
Jock and Logan slipped quietly into the water, and we made our way to the bow of the boat. I used my feet to dig the plow anchor deeply into the sand. We were about ten feet from the shore. I went first, feeling my way with my feet, not wanting to fall into a hole.
The goggles provided us with a view of our surroundings, and I could see the narrow trail leading away from the water. We started out in single file, me in the lead and jock bringing up the rear. We'd traveled about two hundred yards when I saw the outline of the generator shed.
The three of us had studied the schematic of the island that Debbie had sent. We knew exactly where we were.
'I'm going to blow the generator,' Jock said. 'Create a diversion.'
'With what?' Logan asked.
'C-4,'Jock said. 'Courtesy of the guy at Moore's.'
'Do you know how to use that stuff?' Logan asked.
'Oh, yeah,' Jock said, and moved toward the shed.
In the green glow of the goggles, I saw something I'd missed the night before. There was a pipe running from the shed, along the ground and disappearing into the palmetto scrub that flanked the little building.
'What do you think this is?' I said, pointing to the pipe.
Logan looked more closely. 'Gotta be the fuel supply. Probably runs to some kind of storage tank. It'd have to be near the water, so a barge could come in now and then to replenish the fuel.'
I was concerned about starting a fire that would be between the boat and us when we started back. 'If Jock blows that thing, are we going to have a fire on our hands?'
Logan shook his head. 'I doubt it. That's diesel and it has a very high flashpoint. We should be all right.'
Jock had broken the lock on the door of the shed and was inside. In a couple of minutes, he came out. 'I've set the charge. It shouldn't do anything but cut off the electricity. I don't think it'll even make much noise, and it surely won't blow the place up.'
We moved away from the area to a few feet from the back of the main house. Jock used some sort of device he had in his pocket to blow the charge. There was a loud pop, and the lights in the house went out. We moved quickly toward the cabin in which I'd found Peggy.
The guard from Peggy's cabin was running toward the guardhouse, his rifle strapped across his back. I saw another guard coming from the area of the trail leading to the little beach I'd found the night before. They seemed confused by the loss of power and were probably trying to find the guy in charge.
I unbolted the door to the cabin and went in. 'Peggy,' I said, loudly. 'It's Matt.'
'I'm here, Matt. I'm tied to the bed.'
I looked around, peering through the goggles. I saw her across the room, straining at ropes that bound each arm to the bed. Other women were beginning to stir. I ran to Peggy and cut the ropes. She was wearing a white gown and was barefoot.
'Can you walk?' I said.
'Yes. But we have to get the Rev.'
'Do you have any shoes?'
'Flip-flops. Under the bed.'
'Get them, and let's go.'
She reached under the bed and came up with the flip-flops.
I started for the door, leading her by the hand. Jock and Logan had taken positions on either side of the entrance, facing the courtyard, rifles at the ready. We left the building, and I bolted the door, keeping the drugged women in and out of harm's way.
'We've got to get Simmermon,' Peggy said again.
'We don't have time to get him. We've got to get out of here before these guys figure out what's happening.'
'Matt, Simmermon has some big plans about blowing people up. I don't know what they are, but it's about to start. We have to get him to tell us what lie's doing.'
I stopped at the door near Logan and Jock. 'What do you know?' I asked.
'He took me to his room today. I tried to get him to talk to me about what he was going to do. He just said it was big, and rambled on about God telling him to blow up some people. He said that his disciples were going to change the world in a day or two.'
'Is he crazy?'
'I think so. He must be.'
'Did he hurt you?'
'No. Oh, you mean did he screw me? He tried, and I had to let him, but he couldn't, if you know what I mean. He said it was God's way of punishing him for not starting the bombings earlier.'
Jock turned and said, 'We'd better get him. Do you know where he is, Peggy?'
I said, 'Peggy, meet Jock and Logan, my friends.'
Peggy nodded. 'I can take you to his room, but there're usually guards in the house.'
'Let's go,' said Logan.
We ran toward the main house, staying in the shadows of the two cabins that lay between the one where Peggy had been held and the house. The sound of a rifle rang out, and a small clod of dirt kicked up beside Logan's feet. I saw a rifleman on the porch of the big house, lining up another shot. Jock fired from the hip, on the run, and the man tumbled to the ground.
I looked up and saw another rifle beginning to poke out of an upstairs window. 'Second story, on the right,' I called out. Logan blasted away with his M16, knocking the gunman back into the room.
We dashed for the front porch, Jock in the lead and me in the rear holding onto Peggy. She was running barefoot, holding her flip-flops in her hand. By the time I hit the steps leading to the verandah, Jock and Logan were flanking the door, rifles at the ready. A classic infantry approach.
As I reached the porch, Jock nodded. He stepped back and kicked open the front door. I had my rifle trained on the opening, but no one was there. I was looking at a traditional entrance hall, with a stairway reaching to the second floor. Living and dining rooms opening off the hall. Everything appeared green through the night-vision goggles.
Peggy whispered, 'Upstairs, first door on the right.'
'Stay here,' I said.
I started through the door, Jock and Logan providing cover. A man appeared at the top of the stairs. I shot him, and he tumbled down, landing at my feet. I saw movement to my right, and turned to fire. A white gown seemed to float out of the living room. I realized it was a girl, her eyes wide, fear etched on her face. I grabbed her by the arm and flung her back inside.
'Take care of her, Peggy.'
I started up the stairs. Logan and jock took a quick look into the rooms flanking the hallway, and announced that they were clear. They followed me up the steps, climbing backward, rifles pointing downward. Mine was pointing toward the landing at the top.
I topped die stairs and Jock came up behind me. Logan planted himself on the second step from the top to guard the front door and entrance hall. Peggy and the girl were cowering in the living room, still in sight of Logan.
I kicked in the door to the bedroom Peggy had pointed out. A man was standing in the middle of the room
