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  “The container is fucking empty, Luis. I can’t say it any plainer than that.”

  Suddenly Teller’s voice cut across the conversation. “Bravo Three to all Reaper callsigns. You have trouble inbound. I say again, you have trouble inbound. I count two trucks headed your way. Repeat two trucks. Get ready for company.”

  Ferrero stared at Thurston in realization. “It is a fucking trap.”

  “Yes, get them out. Now!”

  “Bravo Three? Reaper Two. What is the ETA on the trucks? Over.”

  “Two minutes, Reaper Two.”

  “Copy.”

  Ferrero came over the comms. “Reaper One abort. I repeat, abort. Get the hell out of there.”

  “Copy.”

  Behind him, Ferrero heard Thurston curse, “What a damned fuckup.”

  The Sea Fortune

  “Time to go, Axe,” Kane snapped.

  “Shame to waste these explosives, Reaper.”

  “You’ve got one minute.”

  “Roger,” Axe said and reached inside the bag he carried.

  He withdrew the device and set the timer for five minutes. Then he set his watch. After which he tossed the device behind the container.

  Axe looked at his watch to make sure the timer was running properly.

  4:58 … 4:57 … 4:56 …

  “How long, Axe?” Kane asked him.

  “Just under five minutes.”

  “Hell, you didn’t give us much time.”

  “I guess we’d better move.”

  Then all hell broke loose as gunfire erupted and bullets started to ricochet throughout the hold.

  Port of Esmeraldas

  “Cara, the sentries are moving towards the gates,” Spencer warned her when the call for an abort came through.

  She focused on the sentries. “They’re opening them for the trucks.”

  “We need to stop them from letting them in. That way it might slow the trucks down.”

  Cara nodded. “One step ahead of you.”

  She sighted the M110 on the first of the sentries and stroked the trigger. He fell as though he’d been hit by the hand of God when the 7.62mm NATO round slammed into him. She then shifted aim to the second target, and another bullet dropped the man midstride.

  The sound of automatic gunfire sounded from deep within the ship. “They’re taking fire.”

  She pressed her talk button. “Zero? Reaper Two. Reaper One and Four are taking fire.”

  “Copy, Cara. Do what you can.”

  “There’s movement on the deck, Cara. Starboard side, amidships.”

  Cara brought the weapon around. She could see the movement Spencer was talking about and said into her comms, “Reaper One? Reaper Two. You’ve got more Tangos moving your way. Maybe up to ten, over.”

  A mess of noise filled her ear, and an incoherent babble followed it.

  “Say again. Over.”

  This time the voice was clearer. “Copy, Reaper Two. We’re a little busy right now. Out.”

  No sooner had the comms gone quiet when another louder noise arose. The whine of truck engines. They came in with a roar and a blaze of headlights. Instead of slowing, the first truck crashed through the gates, the forceful impact throwing them wide.

  The second truck followed the first through, and they both skidded to a halt not far from the gangplank. Armed men spewed from the back of both vehicles.

  “Shit!” Cara cursed. “Targets of opportunity, Spencer. Shoot whatever moves.”

  The Sea Fortune

  A stream of bullets whined off the bulkhead not far from Axe. “These fuckers mean business, Reaper.”

  Kane fired a burst from his MP7 and saw a man drop. “We need to get out of here, Axe. How much time do we have?”

  Axe looked at his watch.

  3:31 … 3:30 … 3:29 …

  “Fuck all.”

  “Lay down some fire!” Kane shouted.

  “What do you think I’ve been doing?” he shouted back and leaned around the side of the container where they were sheltering. He laid down a long burst of fire until the thirty-round magazine ran dry. “Changing,” he shouted.

  As soon as Axe’s gun went silent, Kane pressed forward towards the door in the bulkhead. A man appeared, and Kane squeezed the trigger on the MP7. The would-be killer jerked violently and tumbled back out of sight.

  Another man appeared, and the same fate befell him.

  Kane reached the door and looked along the passageway. It was clear. But instead of heading back the way they’d come, Kane broke to the right, Axe hot on his ass.

  “Keep an eye on that countdown, Axe. I don’t want to be down here when that thing blows.”

  … 2:30 … 2:29 … 2:28 …

  “Reaper One, Zero. You need to get out of there now. There are at least twenty more Tangos about to board the ship. Over.”

  Axe shot a man on their six and growled, “Does he think we’re playing with our dicks down here?”

  They reached a ladder and climbed it to find a clear passageway. Moving on until they reached the main deck level, they paused just inside the exit.

  “Reaper Two? Copy?”

  “Copy, Reaper. Where the hell are you?”

  “We’re just about to break out onto the main deck.”

  “Negative, Reaper. Main deck is full of tangos.”

  “Shit!” Kane cursed. He glanced at Axe. “Talk to me.”

  Axe glanced at his watch.

  … 59 … 58 … 57 …

  “We go now or die.”

  Kane gave him a wry smile. “On the way through, don’t forget to grab the boss a canary.”

  “Ha. Fuck you.”

  Kane opened the door and raised his MP7. He was about to step through when flying lead filled the void. He drew back. “Shit.”

  More rounds hammered the interior bulkhead with a metallic staccato sound. Axe tapped him on the shoulder. “After you.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  … 45 … 44 …43 …

  “Reaper Two, copy?”

  “Copy.”

  “I need you to clear us a path. You’ve got thirty seconds.”

  “Copy that. What happens after thirty seconds?”

  “We die.”

  Port of Esmeraldas

  “We die.”

  The words filled Cara’s mind and spurred her instantly into action. She came to her feet and began to run along the tops of the containers closer to the ship.

  “Where are you going?” Spencer shouted after her.

  Without looking back, she shouted, “Come on, move! They need our help!”

  “Christ,” the CIA man cursed and followed.

  Bullets ricocheted from the containers in small explosions of orange sparks as shooters from the docks followed their route of travel. Cara reached the fence where there was a gap in the containers, and she leaped across. She landed hard, gathered herself, and lined up on the deck with the M110. She stood there like a female Adonis. Illuminated and a clear target.

  Her first shot tore through the air and smashed into the chest of a man armed with an AK-47. By the time she lined up on a second target, Spencer was alongside her. He opened fire with the HK416 on full auto and sprayed the deck with a hail of lead.

  Over the top of the din, he heard Cara shout, “Reaper, go!”

  From where he stood, Spencer saw the two figures erupt onto the deck. They moved fast, firing as they went. Muzzle flashes sparkling across the ship.

  Then it blew up in a giant ball of orange flame.

  Her face lit by the orange glow, Cara was stunned. She just stared at the ship which was now burning. In her comms, she could hear Ferrero’s voice.

  “Reaper One, this is Zero, come in.”

  Nothing.

  “Reaper One, this is Zero, come in.”

  Cara said, “Zero, this is Reaper Two. Reaper One and Four are down. I repeat, Reaper One and Four are down. No one could survive that.”

  “Reaper Two? Bravo Three. You have more
vehicles headed your way. I think they’re Ecuadorian Police. You need to get out of there now.”

  Cara stood staring at the burning ship in stunned silence.

  “Reaper Two?”

  Dead air.

  “Reaper Two?”

  “Cara,” Spencer snapped and grabbed her shoulder.

  “Huh?”

  “We have to go. Police incoming.”

  She nodded. “Sure.”

  “Zero, this is Reaper Five. We’re moving now.”

  “Copy, Reaper Five.”

  Cara and Spencer hurried back along the tops of the containers. The leaped across the gap now illuminated by the flames from the cargo ship. Another explosion rocked the port, and a large fireball erupted skywards. Sirens sounded as the police grew closer.

  Cara paused atop the containers and looked back at the burning ship.

  “Come on,” Spencer urged her. “We don’t have time for this.”

  She shook off his hand and kept her vigil, hoping that Kane might suddenly appear like a Phoenix from the ashes.

  It was the police that brought her back from the edge. The arrival of four police vehicles, each with four officers inside, that skidded to a halt not far from their position.

  Immediately, one of them looked to the stack where she and Spencer were. He pointed to them and said something which made his compatriots turn.

  Instead of shouting at them to stop or surrender, they brought up their guns, and a stream of semi-automatic fire raked the containers where they stood.

  This time Cara reacted and ran. She got to the edge of the stack and jumped down, with Spencer close behind. They took shelter behind the containers as more shots clanged from the metallic sides.

  “They have us pinned,” Spencer said desperately.

  Cara leaned around the corner of their shelter and was forced back by more bullet strikes. She pressed her talk button and said, “Zero? Reaper Two, copy?”

  “Copy, Reaper Two.”

  “We are pinned down by heavy fire, over.”

  “Copy, wait one.”

  “Christ!” Cara hissed. “Am I cleared to shoot back?”

  Thurston came on the comms. “No. We don’t want any police casualties.”

  “They’re closing in,” Spencer growled.

  “Zero, we really need a way out of here,” Cara snapped with urgency.

  “Wait one, Reaper Two. Bravo Three is working on it.”

  “Well, work faster.”

  “Reaper Two requesting permission to open fire.”

  “No. Permission denied.”

  “You’re tying my fucking hands here.”

  “They haven’t tied mine, Reaper Two,” a voice said over the comms. “Get ready to move.”

  The Reaper was still alive.

  Port of Esmeraldas

  “Reaper, go!”

  The voice filled Kane’s head, and he didn’t hesitate. Both he and Axe came through the door with fresh magazines in their weapons, fire in their belly, the will to live, and fuck all time left on the counter.

  They opened fire as soon as they came clear of the doorway. The deck was awash with blood and corpses. Still, there were enough gunmen to go around.

  “We’re not going to make it, Reaper!” Axe shouted as he shot another killer.

  A man stepped in front of Kane to block his path. Before he could fire, Kane shot him point-blank in the face.

  They’d almost made it to the side when the charges detonated. At first, Reaper felt the heat of the blast. Then came the brutal force which hit him in the back, followed by a sense of weightlessness.

  Things went black for a moment before his senses rushed back when he hit the water with a hard slap.

  When Kane’s head broke the surface of the water, he saw the flaming ship almost directly above him. Another explosion rocked the vessel, and amongst the orange flames, he thought he saw a couple of human torches, well alight, and writhing with the pain of their melting flesh.

  Axe! Where was he?

  Kane did a full circle in the water as he looked for his friend. “Axe? Where are you?”

  Axe broke the surface a few feet away. “Shit, Reaper. That was big.”

  Relief washed over Kane at the sound of Axe’s voice. “Are you OK?”

  “Sure,” Axe confirmed. “What do you want me to do with this fucker?”

  Kane gave him a confused look. “What?”

  From below the surface, Axe raised a muscular arm and dragged up a man, coughing and spluttering to get his breath and rid his lungs of sea water.

  Kane gave him a wry smile and shook his head. “Shit. Bring him along.”

  They swam to the edge of the dock about fifty meters from the burning Sea Fortune. The gunfire was still raging. As they pulled themselves over the edge of the dock, Axe encouraged his prisoner to do the same. Both team members had their MP7s, held in place by the shoulder strap attached to them.

  Kane observed the carnage before them. The police had arrived and were now concentrating their fire on Cara and Spencer’s position, where they were pinned down behind a container. The problem was, the pair weren’t returning fire.

  “Reaper Two, copy?”

  Static.

  “Reaper Two, copy?”

  More static.

  “The damn comms are screwed.”

  “Zero, copy?”

  Axe brought up his MP7 to cover the police who were still firing at Cara and Spencer’s position.

  “Reaper, we’ve gotta move. They’re closing in on the others. Why don’t they shoot back?”

  “’Cause they’re under orders not to.”

  “Fuck orders.”

  Kane smacked at his comms, and they crackled to life. “Got them.”

  “We are pinned down by heavy fire, over.”

  “Copy, wait one.”

  “Christ! Am I cleared to shoot back?”

  “No. We don’t want any police casualties.”

  “They’re closing in.”

  “Zero, we really need a way out of here.”

  “Wait one, Reaper Two. Bravo Three is working on it.”

  “Well, work faster.”

  “Reaper Two requesting permission to open fire.”

  “No. Permission denied.”

  “You’re tying my fucking hands here.”

  Kane pressed his talk button. “They haven’t tied mine, Reaper Two. Get ready to move.”

  “Reaper, is that you?” Cara called back.

  “In the flesh. As soon as we open fire, get the hell out of there.”

  “Don’t shoot the police, Reaper One,” Thurston said.

  “I’ll do my best, ma’am. Cara? Now.”

  Axe and Kane opened fire with their MP7s, and the police scattered. Beyond them, Kane could see Cara and Spencer break cover. As soon as they disappeared Kane said to Axe, “Shoot out them damned floodlights.”

  “Copy.”

  Axe fired burst after burst at the lights which exploded with each spurt. Soon it was all dark, and once more Kane pressed his radio button. “Bravo Three, we need a way out.”

  “Copy, Reaper One. Ten meters to your right there is a ladder. It will take you over the edge of the dock to a walkway. The maintenance crews use it to keep an eye on things under the dock itself.”

  “Roger, Bravo Three,” Kane replied and turned to Axe. “Time for us to go. Bring your friend.”

  They moved along to the ladder before the Ecuadorian police could regather themselves, and climbed down over the side of the dock to the platform below.

  Kane said, “Give us some directions, Bravo Three.”

  “OK, track straight ahead for fifty meters until you reach a T-junction.”

  “Copy. Axe this way.”

  “On your six, Reaper,” Axe said. He shoved his prisoner and growled, “Move asshole.”

  They worked their way along the walkway until they reached the junction. “Which way, Bravo Three?”

  “Turn left and keep going until you
find another ladder. Climb that, and you should be clear. One click along the road is an old petrol station. I’ll have Reaper Two meet you there. See you when you get back.”

  “Copy. Come on, Axe, let’s go home.”

  Chapter 7

  CIA Safehouse

  Reynolds put a sticking plaster on Kane’s left shoulder and patted it, making him wince. “Easy.”

  She smiled at him showing her even teeth. “Toughen up, stud. I’ve had more skin off my knees.”

  Kane stared over at Axe who was getting a bandage wrapped around his forearm by Cara. “I can’t believe you only put five minutes on that thing. You dick.”

  “It would’ve been plenty of time if those other pricks hadn’t turned up.”

  Spencer came into the room and took off his tactical vest. He was followed by Thurston. Axe looked at her and asked, “How’s my little buddy?”

  “All ready,” she replied. “One question though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “How the hell did you manage to capture him?”

  “Right place, wrong time. He happened to be in my way, and I sure wasn’t going around him.”

  Kane said, “What I want to know, General, is where that intel came from. That was a set up if ever I saw one.”

  She nodded. “I’ll get someone onto it. You’re right. This was meant for us. Someone doesn’t like you at all.”

  “And I figure I know who,” Cara said in a dry tone.

  “Are you thinking Montoya?” Reynolds asked.

  “Yes. Who else would it be?”

  “But when we got the intel he was still behind bars,” Thurston pointed out.

  “If he can organize a breakout as he did,” Cara said. “he can sure organize something like this.”

  Thurston stared at Cara. “Let’s go and find out, shall we?”

  The man was tied to a chair in a spare room. He had been stripped down to his waist and was being watched over by Brown. Directly in front of him, a few feet away, there was a camcorder on a tripod.

  Three of them walked into the room. Thurston, Ferrero, and Kane. They stood before the sweating man and waited in silence.

  Ferrero spoke first. “Who are you?”