Orchid Beach (Holly Barker 1)

“Maybe on the other two gates you could do this: You’re going to need power to open the gates and lower the tire barriers, so after you get word that the preliminary infiltration is complete, cut the main power. Then, during the five seconds before the generator comes on, take the two guards. Say thirty seconds later, after the two gates are open, kill the generator. Then you can run as many vehicles as you want into the place.”

“What about the marina?” Harry asked.

“Jesus, I forgot about that. You don’t want people escaping b

y boat, do you? I think I’d take it from the shore side; the guards won’t be expecting that. Do it first thing, along with the airfield.”

“All right. Ham, do you think you could take the com center with your group? I’d be very surprised if the man on duty there didn’t have some way to wreck the computers in the event of a raid.”

“I bet he doesn’t have the authority to do that without orders,” Ham said, “and if there’s no power, he’s not going to get any orders.”

“There’s radio, but we can jam all the frequencies they use. Still, I’d like him taken out first thing after the power goes.”

“We can do that. I’ll give you odds that when the power goes and his radio doesn’t work, he’ll walk outside for a look around, to see what’s going on.”

“I hope it’s that easy.”

“If it isn’t, we can do it the hard way.”

“Use your own judgment, but take him alive, if you can. I want all the witnesses I can get.”

“Right. You got stun grenades?”

“Yep.”

“That should do it, in a pinch.”

Harry turned to Bill, who was standing behind him. “Pick twelve men and assign them to Ham. Make sure they understand that he’s in complete charge, then have them get the necessary equipment together. Ham can brief them on what he wants to do.”

Bill left the group.

Ed returned, clutching a sheet of paper. “Harry, Miami Center said six international flights came in the day before yesterday, eleven yesterday, and thirty-three more today. They’re from all over everywhere—Europe, the Caymans, Mexico, the Dutch Antilles—you name it.”

“Appalachin,” Holly said.

Harry turned to Holly. “Where do you want to be in all this?”

“At the security station,” Holly replied. “I want Barney, Harry. He killed Chet Marley and Hank Doherty. I can prove it, and I want him for that before you get your crack at him.”

“He probably killed Rita Morales, too,” Harry said.

“You might not be able to make that stick, but I’ve got a witness who can put Barney in the electric chair.”

“I’ll talk to the U.S. attorney about it,” Harry said.

“I want him in my custody from the moment he’s arrested,” Holly said. “In my jail.”

“Okay, done.”

“Then if the U.S. attorney wants him, he’ll have to sue me.”

Harry grinned. “I can live with that. We’ll want to interrogate him at some length, though.”

“In my jail,” Holly said.

“All right.”

“Something we’ve got to consider,” Holly said. “Whatever security people are on duty in the middle of the night are going to be patrolling, so they’ll be loose on the landscape and will have to be dealt with accordingly. I doubt if there will be more than one or two men at the security station, and Barney won’t be one of them. He’ll be at home in bed, and we don’t know where home is, yet.”