Over the skies of Southeastern Oklahoma
Matt Laughlin felt his butthole pucker as the plane approached the airport. “That’s not a fucking airport!” He pointed nervously. “That’s a cow pasture!”
The pilot shrugged. “I’ve landed in worse, sir. Please sit back and buckle your seat belt.” Matt grabbed the loose end of his seat belt and pulled it tight. He quickly made the sign of the cross over his chest then kissed his thumbnail. The pilot gave him a sideways look. “You’re obviously not Catholic.”
“No, but if I knew prayers in Hindi right now, I’d be spitting them out as well.”
“Please.” The pilot continued to feather the throttle and Matt felt the plane drop suddenly. “I could land this thing in your backyard and still avoid your wife’s flower beds.”
“I’m not married!” he screamed as the plane bounced once then slowly rolled across the rough ground. “Tell me we didn’t crash.”
The pilot shot him another quick glance. “And you’re a Regional Director?”
Matt swallowed hard and loosed the neck of his shirt. “I don’t like…uh…to fly.”
The pilot smirked. “It’s not the flying that’s dangerous. It’s the landing.”
“Very funny.” Matt unbuckled his seat belt as the plane slowed to a stop and the pilot turned it around. “Just let me off this thing.”
The pilot reached across and tapped his leg. “I think your rental is here.”
Matt covered his eyes and peered through the plastic windshield. “Seriously?”
“Hey, that’s a nice ride, man.”
“Maybe for Bumfuck, Oklahoma.” Matt sighed as he pushed the door open and stepped out of the Cessna Citation. “Find a hotel in town.” He grabbed his bag and turned back to the pilot. “I hope to be in and out but this could get…” He sighed again. “Just be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”
“Roger that.” The pilot reached for his clipboard as Matt walked across the sparse grass to his waiting rental.
“This is it?” he asked, pulling his sunglasses down.
The man glanced at the Jeep Wrangler then back to Matt. “We, uh…we’re sort of the only car rental place in town with anything available.” He gave him a weak smile. “You’re lucky we had a Jeep left. A lot of people like to rent them and go off roading in the snow.”
Matt groaned as he tossed his bag into the back of the Jeep. “I’m sure they do.” He grunted as he hiked his leg up to climb into the lifted 4X4.
“I don’t…um…could you maybe give me a ride back to the shop?” The kid cut him a silly grin. “We don’t usually bring the Jeeps out to people at the airport.”
Matt’s eyes widened. “Airport? This is an airport?” He snorted. “I thought it was some rancher’s back forty.”
The kid’s face fell and he glanced over his shoulder toward town. He turned back to Matt and gave him a lopsided grin. “I guess I could walk. It’s only a few miles.”
“Get in.” Matt glared toward the pilot still sitting behind the controls of the plane. “You’ll need to come back and take him to a hotel.”
“Uh, we don’t really do the whole taxi thing either.”
Matt turned and gave him a stern stare. “It’s a long walk back.”
The kid swallowed hard. “Yeah, I’d love to give him a ride. It’s not that far. I can be back in a matter of minutes.”
Matt twisted the key and started the Jeep. “That a boy. I knew there was a brain inside there somewhere.”
11
Southeastern Oklahoma
Bridger held his 10MM at the ready, his head bobbing and weaving slightly behind one of the larger bullet holes so that he could take in as much of the scene outside. “They must be in the trees.”
“Which ones?” Gregg snorted. “The whole world is trees out there.”
“They took out the Tahoe.” Lisa added as she glanced through the shattered glass. “Both tires on the passenger side are flat.”
DJ clung to his pistol and slowly eased his head higher to peer over the window sill. “And my truck is in town.”
“Where’d you leave the rental truck that the other kill team had?” Bridger asked quietly.
DJ sighed. “Near the entrance to the park.” He glanced at him and shrugged. “If we can get out of here without getting dead, it’s only a thirty minute hike.”
“I can’t see Mauk’s truck.” Bridger said more to himself. “I’d bet money they disabled it as well.”
“Fuckers. I just got it paid for.” Mauk grunted and ripped another floor board from the strongbacks. “Almost there.”
Bridger rolled across the broken glass and peered into the crawlspace. “Is there enough room for us to crawl out?”
Mauk nodded. “If we stay low.” He turned and gave Bridger a knowing look. “Odds are they have all four sides covered.”
Bridger groaned. “We could wait until nightfall.”
“And pray they don’t have night vision?” Mauk gripped another board and tugged, pulling the rusty nails from the ancient wood. “We’re out when you’re ready boss.”
“I don’t get why they don’t just burn us out.” DJ muttered.
“Probably to keep as low profile as possible.” Bridger replied. “Think about it. You’re in a foreign country in an otherwise deserted state park surrounded by forest.” He raised a brow. “Would you really want every fire team in the state converging on your kill zone?”
“I don’t think I’d care if my target was toast,” DJ joked. He shot Bridger a sly grin. “Besides, trees are overrated.”
“Says the man who lives in a swamp,” Gregg muttered. “All of our coms are gone. I got zilch. No internet, no cell, no nothing.”
“Probably have a military grade jammer out there.” DJ replied, his eyes still scanning the tree line. “I’ve got nothing.”
Bridger squatted over the opening and peered into
