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fields.
    The fireball rose above the hill and the
ensuing light gave a good view of the camp to Palmer. It was mayhem as the two
dozen or so men ran around not knowing what to do, not quite fully dressed. At
last, their commanding officer shouted orders and they took off toward the
explosion.
    Palmer didn’t have to talk to the pilot
again since the mission parameters were clear. He had to keep the helicopter
close enough to be heard and make the bandits panic. So now it was time to rescue
Kathleen.
    “This is Hiker 1. Execute, execute,
execute!”
     

Chapter 8
     
    The team was in a half-moon formation
when they emerged from the jungle and ran toward the camp. The place was made
up of a series of old tents and shabby huts and at the moment everything was
still. Nevertheless, Palmer had his men outfit their weapons with sound
suppressors.
    “This is Skyscraper, you have a straggler
on the northwest corner. I don’t have a shot from here.”
    Palmer couldn’t speak for fear of being heard
so he clicked his radio twice to acknowledge. He shouldered his rifle and
rounded a pig pen. Just as predicted, there was a short Burmese man in the
process of lighting a cigarette.
    His eyes grew wide when he saw the
intruder and he dropped his smoke as he reached for his AK-47. He didn’t even have
time to put it against his shoulder when Palmer shot him twice in the chest.
    “Good shot, Hiker 1. You’re clear.”
    From there, they went two by two. There
were only a few rebels left at the camp and they were easily disposed of. Time
seemed to stretch forever, Palmer’s heart thumping madly at the prospect of
seeing Kathleen again.
    The more time passed, the more nervous he
became. It wasn’t just fear that she was dead – she was much more valuable
alive – but rather that it forced him to confront his feelings.
    He was flabbergasted when he realized he
was actually in love with her.
    This discovery did nothing to settle his
nerves or slow down his heart rate. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone in so
long. In fact, he had never felt so strongly about a woman before. It was
catching him by surprise and he didn’t know whether to rejoice or bemoan the
situation.
    He blinked twice and told himself to get
his head back in the game. They continued clearing the camp, walking stealthily
through the night. The sniper directed the mercenaries to a building in the
back. It was sturdier than the rest of the structures. This had to be the
prison holding Kathleen.
    “You have one tango in front,” Skyscraper
said. “He seems more alert than the others.”
    By now, all four men were together. They
were kneeling behind a dark tent. Palmer pointed at his SAS friend and did a
series of hand signals. The Englishman nodded and scurried to the other side of
the tent.
    He fired a few shots into the ground, the
sound muffled by the suppressor, and the guard spun on its heels, startled and
afraid.
    At exactly that moment, Palmer and the
two other men came out of hiding from the other side and shot the distracted
man dead.
    “You’re clear, guys.”
    Palmer was the first to reach the
makeshift jail cell. There was a padlock on the door and he busted it with the
butt of his rifle. He pulled the door open and quickly entered.
    “Kathleen?”
    He clicked his flashlight on and pointed
it at a figure on the ground. Only the person had dark hair and was a man.
    “Who are you? Where’s Kathleen?”
    The man was in his early 20s and he
reeked of alcohol. Palmer understood he had been put in the drunk tank.
    “Answer me, you cocksucker! Where’s the
woman?”
    He kicked him in the stomach and put his
gun in his face. When the bandit was done wincing and moaning, he smiled
defiantly.
    “You too late.”
    “What do you mean, too late? Talk or I
blow your fucking head off.”
    “Too late. Woman dead.”
    The guy started laughing, obviously still
drunk, and Palmer knocked him out with a punch in the face.
    “I’m sorry, mate,” Hiker 3, putting