Commit To Violence

"Hello, Monika," CeCe said when she answered the door. She led Monika through the house and out to the pool. When they got outside, Black was with playing in the pool with Michelle.

While Monika took a seat at poolside and set up her laptop, CeCe got in the water to play with Michelle and Black got out to talk to Monika.

"Y’all just one happy family here," Monika mused.

Black looked at her then continued to dry himself. "What you got for me?"

"For last three months, I’ve had an operative in El Peronil keeping an eye on your boy Cristóbal. He lives on a three acre compound," Monika said and pointed to the satellite image on the screen. "It’s surrounded by an electrified fence, and he’s protected by a militia of at least thirty men."

"Okay, how do we get to him?" Black asked.

Monika zoomed in on the image. "On the back side of the compound there is a heavily wooded area. That’s how we’ll make our approach. The trees will give us enough cover to get to the main house without being detected."

"How close?"

"We’ll clear the trees about two hundred yards from the house." Monika sat back in her chair. "Now, once we clear the trees there is a foot patrol we need to neutralize and two guard towers. Once that’s done we’ll approach the house, go in, and get Cristóbal."

"How many men in the house?" Black asked.

"No way to be sure how many will be in the house at any given time."

"Sounds pretty formative, but you wouldn’t be here unless you had a plan, so let’s hear it."

"My team will fly into Santiago Pérez Airport in Arauca, Colombia. From there we will make our way by car to the border, enter Venezuela and head for El Peronil." Monika took out a map. "This road will take us close to the property here," she said and pointed. "Then we’ll continue on foot for ten clicks to the penetration point at the fence. We’ll make camp there, because I plan on taking them at four-thirty a.m."

"What about the fence?"

"My operative will deactivate that section of the fence so it looks to anybody that’s monitoring like it’s still active. We’ll cut the fence and go in. Like I said, once we clear the trees, we’ll neutralize the foot patrol and two guard towers, go in, and get your boy."

"What about the militia? How are you gonna handle them?"

"They’re housed in this building here. At the time we plan on hittin’ them, they should be asleep. I want to be in and out without them knowing. But I got a plan for them if it becomes necessary."

"I know you’re not planning on hiking ten miles in the dark when you’re done, so how we getting outta there?"

"Of course I have an exit strategy. We got a thirty-minute window to complete the operation. At five o’clock my operative will pick us up at the main gate and take us to an airfield where he’ll have a plane ready."

"Who’s your team?"

"Me, Nick and Travis."

Black shook his head. "I’m going with you. And so is Bobby."

"For some reason, I knew you were gonna say that." Monika laughed. "You sure you two, Bobby especially, are up to it?"

"He’ll complain the whole way, but he’ll be all right."

"But it’s a ten-kilometer hike through heavy brush in one hundred degree heat."

"We’re going. Make it happen," Black said and got back in the pool with his girls.

"Yes, sir," Monika saluted and packed up her laptop.

Two weeks later the team arrived at Santiago Pérez Airport in Arauca, Colombia and was met by one of Wei Jiang’s men. He provided them with a van and weapons. From that point, they headed for the border.

When they got to the woods at the rear of the compound, they broke out weapons and machetes and proceeded to the objective. Along the way, as expected, Bobby complained the whole way. If it wasn’t, "It’s hotter than a mutha fucka out here." It was, "Are we there yet?" until Monika had enough.

She turned around and held up her machete. "Bobby, if you say one more fuckin’ thing, I swear to God I’ll cut your fuckin’ head off."