Chapter 231: Pirate Hunter

Once Jen had left we had our first short meeting. I let Martin carry the ball, since he was the only human in touch with the source of our intelligence. His was for sure pretty much filtered. I expected that Eve's would have a different set of filters, but filters none the less. I expected hers to be more electronic. Whereas th the intel from Swamp Thing might likely be more in depth stuff. It was going to be my job to balance it all. I hoped there would not come a time when I had to over ride Martin's decisions...

"You have gained some weight, since I saw you last," I said to Martin over a cup of really awful coffee.

"You seem to have lost some," he said.

"Well I have kept busy, since last we met. You look as though you have gone to seed," I said.

"Gone to seed is it?" he asked with a grin. "When this is over, I will show you gone to seed." I knew that true pros kept there screwing around till their minds were clear. After the mission was finished all bets were off. As they used to say, "Lock up you women and children." Now that there are so many women like me, I guess it should be "Hide your virgin sons. as well."

"So we are all freelance operatives here for a reason. When the mission goes we need a single commander. One to point out the obvious and make decisions which will effect us all. It is no secret that I have access to black bag intel." Martine said it as if it were all a positive thing.

"But that also obligates you to the source of that intel. I vote we use your intel and make our own decisions on the ground. Too many bad decisions are made in an air conditioned office, then phoned to the battle," I said. "So Martin can you do that?"

He knew that I wasn't questioning his ability, but where his loyalties lay. "No, I work for Swamp Thing as you guys call it. I am loyal to them above all else. But I have been told to put everything I have into this mission, That's how important they see it."

"It is my opinion this is a first response mission. The guys uptown don't want to let the fact that we know about Estavante's plan to challenge and corrupt our local governments to go unanswered. To them we are the first of many messages. The message is simple, you are never going to be totally safe again. It is my opinion that they don't care if we live or die, so long as we create hell on earth for Estavante for a few minutes," I said.

"I agree with Maxine, seal missions take serious planning and training, This thing is just a thrown together operation," the new boy Smith said. "I don't doubt you Martin or The Admiral. I just think she is right, we are a throw away. I don't mind raising hell for this guy, but let's keep our options open as a team."

"Martin, I think you are going to lose this one," Vlad said."If you will be our intelligence operator and coordinator, I think that would be for the best. Almost all of us have been operational with Max. I for one trust her judgment.

I know she is more than willing to put her life on the line for the team. I also know she owes her allegiance first to the mission, then to her friends and thats good enough for me," Anya said. "She has my vote. By the way hello there Max good to see you again. I was beginning to think you were just a ghost voice on the phone." Since I didn't want to break the anyone, s chain of thought, I just nodded.

"Then Max to make the decision and me to provide the intelligence and logistics," Martin said. He didn't appear to be upset and that was good. Do you want to take over?"

"Hell no., you know a lot more at this point than I do please go on," I said. "As a matter of fact why don't you lead all the briefings and we will all just toss in shit as we go along." Martin nodded.

"Basically Estavante operates from a walled villa outside of a fishing village on the gulf coast of Mexico. It is back in the interior about three miles into the jungle. He has a yacht anchored off shore and a speed boat at the dock to take him to it. Those two are easy targets and low risk targets." Martin said.

"But what would be the purpose?" Vlad asked before I could. "If we are after the the head of the snake why chop of the tip of the tail just because it is easy."

"Ah if we attack Estavante and he escapes, he will head to that yacht to escape. It has always worked for him before." Martin said.

"From other thugs maybe, but what will he do if a real, in force, attack were to take place." Smith asked.

"There is a small landing strip cut out of the jungle," Eve whispered to me. I passed it on to the others as if it were my own information.

"Yes there is," Martin said a little surprised. He might well fly out, if he thought he was under serious attack. Since he has an army of mercenaries surrounding him, I just don't see him running from six people."

"We are going to need a hell of a lot of air support for a real attack," I suggested. "I expect we are going to be rather limited there."

"Very limited," Martin agreed. "What we do have going for us is Estavante will run at the drop of a hat, if he is under a real attack."

"So if we can just make him think he is under attack, he will leave the villa." I suggested.

"He will also no doubt have a large contingent of Mercenaries with him," Vlad said.

"So since we can't chopper in the first air calvary. We just have to make him think that we are the 1st Air Cavalry, then catch him on the road?" I asked. "Is that the plan."

"Yes it is pretty much that," Martin said.

"Let's sleep on that," I suggested.