He hesitated, taking the deepest breaths he could to build up his oxygen reserves. With his training, a 40-yard swim would normally be a warm up, but he knew how heavily the current ran in this area, and it was sure to tax him. He picked out the few landmarks visible in the dark to keep his bearings should he get disoriented before reaching the far shore. Taking a final look in all directions to make sure he wasn’t being watched, he located the small service ladder and slipped quietly into the bay.
The water was as cold as he expected, so he gave himself a second to adjust before setting out. He’d been right about the current, which pulled him to his left as he swam forward. He adjusted his angle of attack so he would move in a straight line, albeit slower than before, and settled into a rhythm so as not to exhaust himself. He surfaced every 10 strokes or so to make sure he maintained his course.
It took him almost five minutes – far longer than he had anticipated – to kick the mud of the bottom a few feet from the island. He slogged onto the small beach and looked north towards the footbridge onto the island. There was no light, telling him Katie had already parked and was walking towards the meeting location. He’d hoped to get in position long before she got there, but now that would be a challenge. Shit.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the sealable plastic bag holding his .45. Ripping it open, he placed the gun in his holster. The wet jeans weren’t the best mount for the holster, and it took him a minute to get it seated right. He then set out at the fastest possible pace he could manage while remaining silent. He took care to pay attention to his flanks. He knew where he was likely to find Brendan, but not where he would have stationed his men, nor how many he had. That was both the benefit and downfall of having an inexperienced opponent. He wouldn’t position his men in the right place, but he also might put them in places Carson would never expect, leading to an unwelcome surprise. Well, I can’t control everything.
He saw Brendan, or at least his skinny silhouette, long before hearing him. Standing in the clearing at the end of the trail, just as Katie had instructed, he shuffled his feet and looked about. He tried to put himself in Brendan’s mind to determine where he would put his deputies, and guessed he would want to surround Katie to keep her from running. Accordingly, he started looping around Brendan back towards the path Katie would be using.
He soon heard the crunch of Katie’s footsteps on the gravel, and only saw the lookout because he rapidly snapped his head towards the same sound. Rookie. If that wasn’t dumb enough, he raised his hand and pointed, unintentionally telling Carson where to find the second lookout. They both hunkered down in the sparse brush instead of making any more signals, indicating they were the only two around.
He checked his Smith & Wesson, ensuring it was ready to fire. Using it was an absolute last resort, because the report of a gunshot would alert every living thing on the island and for a couple miles beyond, and stray bullets were dangerous to everyone. He started closing the distance to the near sentry, keeping a watch on Katie, who was now near enough to Brendan that they spotted each other. Running out of time. He came up with an ad hoc plan replete with risk, but he saw no better way. Carson closed the remaining distance rapidly, being noisy enough to make his intended victim turn in his direction.
That ended up being his last conscious action. As soon as Carson saw his body start to twist, he accelerated, and as the two made eye contact, Carson punched him in the middle of his throat, crushing his trachea and sending him careening into the tree. A tiny squeak emanated from his mouth, but his injury prevented the full-throated scream of alarm he was clearly aiming for. Carson silenced him for good with a precise strike to the man’s temple.
Rising immediately, he implemented the second part of his plan by waving to the other sentry, assuming he would not be able to recognize the different silhouette. The man waved back, and Carson used more hand signals to suggest he should move forward while Carson looped behind him. Signaling his agreement, the man started forward towards Brendan and Katie while Carson backed away.
Carson moved faster now. The other man would expect to hear him and wouldn’t question the noise, and even if Brendan saw or heard him, he would assume it was one of his men moving to a new position. It gave him the one thing he needed now more than anything – speed.
He darted across the trail and then turned to chase down the second lookout. He closed the gap rapidly, and it seemed like his target was deliberately slowing so they could join up. Perfect. But then he saw the other man pull his gun. That wasn’t unexpected, but it did make things dicier. He halted about 10 feet from the edge of the opening.
He could hear Katie and Brendan talking now, and both their voices were heated. He’d told her to keep the conversation calm and agreeable as long as possible, but she seemed to be losing her patience. He really couldn’t blame her. How could she
