1.10 a.m. Jake was armed and ready… he had retrieved his gear stashed in the rocks and was pushing hard towards Abaline Moor. Tonight was darker than it had been for a very long time and he skirted round the hilltops to save time and energy. It would also keep him out of the woods and the bog, which he now knew lay in wait for the unsuspecting walker. But this time he was completely switched on and focused. Jake was back at work and pushing out a terrific pace as the kilometres fell away.
The MP5 felt good in his bare hands and he could feel the adrenaline begin to push its way round his body as he neared his first target area. Why he did it would always remain a mystery to him, but as he moved through the night he felt in his pocket for the small silver heart. Jake had had it for the past two years. It was worth only a few pounds but to Jake it was priceless. He squeezed it in his hand deep inside his pocket. Jake had lost her picture… he would never lose her heart.
Within the next hour, he was there. He dropped off the ridgeline, and silently and slowly moved down the steep hillside, the tension starting to rise. He checked all round with his night-sight. All was quiet and still. The house lay directly ahead. Jake changed direction and moved off to his right, soon finding the cover of the trees at the right-hand side of the house. He lay down and surveyed the surroundings, spotting the bike at the back of the building, just where it had been before. Even with Jake some twenty-five metres away he could hear loud noises coming from inside the house. Something was happening, but Jake didn’t know what. He pushed back into the trees and dropped off his pack. He was ready. Shit! The back door suddenly opened and immediately the light from inside lit up the small lake behind the house.
Jake stepped off the small track that he knew ran all the way between the two target houses. He crouched low and tried to hear the conversation between the three men, but he was too far away and couldn’t make it out. Then Jake saw Riley place his helmet on his head…Fuck, he was leaving…No, he wasn’t!’ In an instant Jake was running back down the track… he had to put as much distance between the house and himself as he could. The small track twisted and turned through the trees and after a hundred metres or so Jake went down and started to feel his way about the ground in the darkness, looking for a suitable weapon. He lifted a large heavy branch; he could just manage to get his hands round it. It was more than sturdy enough for his purposes.
Jake stood behind a large tree, with the track only half a pace to his front and right. He heard the bike roar into life. It only gave him the opportunity to have a few practice swings, which he duly accepted. He pressed his frame hard against the tree and waited. The noise got steadily louder and Jake could see the light on the track as the headlight lit up the small forest. He stepped back with his right leg, keeping it within the shadow of the tree. Jake took a deep breath; the sound from the bike engine was deafening… then he was there… Jake stepped out of the shadows and swung the branch with everything he had. His point of aim was always going to be directly beneath the helmet, and he never failed to hit a target… CRUNCH! Jake felt the blow hit Riley squarely on his unprotected neck. His head flew backwards. He flipped over and flew through the air as the bike carried on for another fifteen metres until it came to a halt against a large tree.
Jake landed straight on top of his target and forced his hands over the still-intact visor. It was just automatic - there was no need for Jake to worry…Riley lay motionless. He would never move again. His neck had snapped and death had been instantaneous. Jake held his breath and listened for only a few brief seconds. Then he switched off the bike’s engine and headlight and dashed forward towards his next target. Jake jumped over the lifeless body, silently mouthing the word
‘One’.
Very carefully he made his way back up the winding track, his weapon staying always in the firing position, safety catch off. Jake was in the highest state of alert and ready for anything… Had they heard any noise? Had they heard the engine being switched off? Had they seen the light go off? All these thoughts were rushing through his head. Jake had to presume they had. But so what? They would all be dead soon anyway. Even if they hadn’t, they’d still be dead. In the blink of an eye Jake reached the edge of the tree-line and crouched behind a fallen tree. All was quiet. There was no noise anywhere, only the sound of Jake slowing his breathing down. He steadied himself as he prepared to take the men inside the house on their last, painful journey.
Jake lifted his weapon onto his shoulder and stepped out. He glanced left and right- there was no movement. He took a number of paces towards the house. Jake was very light on his feet and was soon up against the corner of the building. Slowly he made his way towards the door; the only sound he could hear came from the water to his right as it lapped against the small, pebbled beach. He couldn’t see it in the darkness but he knew it was there, only fifteen metres away. He pressed the side of his head against the wooden slats on the door. There was no sound from within and no lights were on. Jake instinctively placed his left hand on the door handle and pushed. The door gave slightly, indicating to Jake that it was unlocked. Had they forgotten to lock it, or were they just so sure that they would be undetectable up here in the wild wilderness? No matter, it was a mistake that was about to cost them their lives. The old door swung open without a sound. With the MP5 tucked into his shoulder Jake quietly stepped inside.