Chapter 13

The Commander was sitting at his desk contemplating, with some irritation, the pile of paperwork he had found when he arrived that morning. This was one of the duties that, while necessary, was often distasteful and almost always irritating. He preferred and fondly remembered his past in the field. While dangerous, it had never been boring.

When the discrete knock on his door sounded, he breathed a sigh of relief. Any disruption to his morning tasks was welcome. “Come.” He called out.

The man that came into the room was one of his lieutenants. A capable man, sometimes headstrong but always reliable and trustworthy.

“Yes, Michael, do you have something for me?”

“Yes, Sir, we have been contacted by our associates to the south. They have a request of us.”

“Really? And what do they want now? More guns, another submarine?”

“Sir, this is a modest request, but they are willing to pay handsomely for it.”

“Very well, it doesn’t cost anything to listen. What do they want.”

The Lieutenant passed over a folder to the Commander. “Well, Sir, they had a contract with the criminal group currently in power in Reno, Nevada. It was to locate and deliver a subject our associates badly wanted.”

“If I remember correctly, aren’t our southern friends quite adept at spiriting away people that they desire? And that group in Reno has their own experience in operations of that sort.”

“Correct, Sir. Unfortunately, for both groups, they don’t have the expertise or personnel to operate in the necessary locations.”

“I find that hard to believe, but go on.”

“There is a further development in the situation. That is why I brought it to your attention. One of the involved parties is Matt Reynolds.”

The Commander sat back in his chair with a thoughtful look. “Reynolds, I seem to remember somebody with that name.”

“Yes, Sir, according to our files, He was involved in a failed operation a couple of years ago. His file was flagged for possible future action, and his name popped up when we processed this request.”

While Michael was speaking, the Commander had been reading the report. “I seem to remember this one.”

Michael continued, “Yes, Sir, we were attempting to recruit an individual that we felt could be useful to us in the Middle East. It seems he had a history with a local warlord who might have become a client of our services. We had to take more proactive action when an outside group attempted to disrupt our plans.”

“Yes, I can see that.” The Commander was examining several maps and satellite photos. “That other group, what is their status?”

“They have been eliminated, Sir. There will be no further interference from them.”

“Very well, and our southern friends, what do they want from us?”

“Sir, they wish to have a child turned over to them. Apparently, she is the daughter of a former employee who was misappropriating their funds.”

“They do tend to be brutal with their revenge.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And their reasons for getting us involved?”

“As you can see, Sir. The terrain in question is quite mountainous and forested. The client states that they have insufficient trained manpower available for those conditions.”

The Commander sat and thought about the situation. “Other than the child, do they have any instructions concerning collateral damage?”

“No, Sir, they just want the girl.”

“OK, contact our friends and accept the contract. Then, assemble a team. I don’t think we’ll need a large group. A squad or possibly a fire team. Make sure they have mountain experience.”

“Very good, Sir.” Michael turned and started for the door.

“And Michael”

“Sir?”

“I’ll be going on this one also. The opportunity for a walk in the woods appeals to me.

There was concern on Michael’s face. “Is that a good idea, Sir? It could be quite strenuous.”

“I don’t think I’m so old that I can’t handle a little hike, Michael. Besides, we might have another use for Mr. Reynolds.”

“Yes, Sir.”

After Michael had left, the Commander looked closely at the maps and photos. Muttering to himself, “And if not himself personally, I think we’ll have a very good use for all this delightful land.”