On a hillside above a remote cabin, Yellowstone National Park
“Come on, man! What can you see now?”
Kyle shifted his body and again peered through the scope. As he zoomed his view through the window, his shoulders tensed. “Oh shit! She’s there! There’s a man with a knife. He’s cutting at her clothing!”
Cade started to jump up but Kyle wrenched him down.
“Get off of me!”
“Cade, we have to take him by surprise. I barely have a view of him. And there might be others in that cabin with her.”
“But they’re going to hurt her!”
“Listen, and do exactly as I say. As quickly and as quietly as you can, get down there and get onto the porch by the door. You can’t be detected. Once you’re there, wait for the shot. If I get an opening, I’ll take the son of a bitch out, then I’ll come charging down the hill. You get in there as soon as you hear me fire.” He pulled Cade’s face close to his. “You up for this?”
Cade pulled out the Glock. “You just do your part. I’m going to rip out his liver and eat it with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
“Good. Time to meet the dragon.”
Cade slid down the hill and crept onto the porch, then leaned against the plank siding.
Kyle drew in several deep breaths, then exhaled in a long, slow action. His cheek never lifted from the rifle stock.
He glanced at Cade, who nodded back.
Cade heard a chilling scream come from inside the cabin and his adrenaline raged. He whispered, “Come on, Kyle. Shoot, dammit. Shoot.” He looked up at Kyle and moved in front of the wooden door. “Shot or no shot, I’m going in.”
Up on the hilltop, Kyle could see bits of motion through the glass, but he had no clear line of sight. He couldn’t even tell what he would be shooting at. But as he heard the scream, he knew. He had to risk it. Then a flash of motion popped into view and he touched off a round. The rifle recoiled against his shoulder and he leapt to his feet and tore down the hill.
Cade kicked the door so hard it burst open and dislodged from one of its hinges. He saw Jana tied to a chair and a dark-haired male covered in his own blood, standing back up. The man raised a handgun and fired at Cade, and Cade fired back. Both men spun sideways as the force of the bullets hit home. Rafael rocked backward, fell against the table, and collapsed to the ground. He then glared at the two bullet holes, one in his upper chest, the other in his hip.
Kyle burst through the open door just as Rafael raised his gun again and fired. Kyle took the full force of the bullet in his abdomen, then flash-fired his rifle at point blank range. The bullet struck Rafael’s forearm, causing the handgun to spin across the floor. Kyle stood, then looked around the room to ensure no other terrorists were present. He towered over Rafael and clutched a hand against his own ribs.
Jana screamed. “Cade! Kyle! You’re hit. You’re both hit!”
Cade looked at his right shoulder to find blood streaming down. The pistol dropped to the ground from a hand which no longer seemed to have the ability to grip the handle. He went to Jana and began pulling against the bindings on her wrists. “Are you okay?” he said.
Her face was flush and blood dripped from the side of her mouth and neck.
“Yes.” She looked down at the torn bra that barely covered her. “The son of a bitch.”
Rafael watched from the floor as he applied pressure to his chest. Frothy, red blood spurted from one of the bullet holes. It was a lung shot.
“He won’t be hurting you any more, Jana,” Kyle said as he stood over the man.
“Cade, are you all right? Can you untie my hands? He was going to,” she started to cry. “He was going to . . .”
Rafael laughed at her until he coughed.
“I know,” Cade said as he fought her bindings free, then applied pressure to the wound on his shoulder. “It’s all over now. Like Kyle said. He’s not going to touch you now.”
“So amusing, your country,” Rafael said.
Kyle placed the muzzle of the rifle onto Rafael’s temple and pushed. “Amusing? How amusing do you think it is now?”
He peered at Kyle through the sides of his eyes. “You will not hurt me. You are a police officer.”
“Federal agent, dickwad,” Kyle said.
“You are bound by your laws to get me medical care. I’ll be in a hospital. You will save me so I can stand trial. What a wonderful country you have. But make no mistake, you will not stop him.” He laughed and blood dripped down the side of his mouth. “You will not stop Jarrah. It is too late.”
Jana stood and rubbed her wrists.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up?” she said.
Cade slumped to the ground and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
“Cade!” Kyle yelled. He dropped down to Cade and began to apply pressure to his wound.
But Jana grabbed Cade’s Glock off the floor and discharged three rounds into Rafael’s chest.
Kyle recoiled. “Jana!” he yelled and began to reach out to her.
But it was too late. Rafael was dead. She looked at Kyle with eyes of cold steel and said through gritted teeth, “Fuck him.” She stood atop the carcass. “After all, he has the right to remain silent.” She fired another round into his chest. “He has the right to an attorney.” She pumped a round into his groin. “If he cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for him.” She squeezed the trigger in repetition until she had emptied the magazine into his chest and groin area. Brass shell casings littered the floor and the smell of gunpowder and blood hung thick in the air.
She yelled at the dead man, “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THESE RIGHTS?”
Jana let the gun dangle from her fingers but otherwise stood tall.
Kyle’s mouth hung agape. “Jana . . . that was an unarmed suspect. You killed an unarmed man.”
“Got what he deserved!”
Kyle bent over into the pain of his own wound but otherwise kept pressure on Cade’s.
“Cade’s hit badly,” he said
“Me?” Cade whispered through closed eyes. “I’ll be fine.”
“Keep pressure on his shoulder, Kyle. What about you? Let me see that.” She lifted Kyle’s Kevlar vest and uncovered an entrance wound just below the vest in his lower abdomen. “Here, put pressure here.”
“Hey, pull that chair over here, will you? We need to elevate his legs.”
Jana moved the chair while holding one hand over her exposed chest. She then wiped the blood from her face. “I’m going after him.”
“Jana,” Cade coughed. “You can’t shoot an unarmed—”
“I said he got what he deserved! I don’t want to hear another word about it. You got me?”
Jana walked toward a pile of her own clothing, then glanced back at their wounds. “I said keep pressure on this. Right here.” She pointed to Kyle. “And with him, blood is spurting out with each of his heartbeats. The bullet clipped an artery. Don’t move your thumb from that bullet hole. If you keep pressure on it, he won’t bleed out.”
“Jana,” Cade said as he reached for her. “Don’t leave me.”
Kyle looked at her. “He doesn’t stand a chance unless you get help. Get to the lake, the ranger has a medical kit in the plane.”
“What time is it?” Jana said as she quickly finished dressing.
“What time is it?” Kyle replied as he looked at his watch. “It’s zero nine sixteen hours. Why?”
She yanked against the broken wooden door and wrenched it out of the way. “No time for that. He detonates in two hours.”
“Cade needs help, and you don’t even know where Jarrah is going,” Kyle said. But Jana was already out the door and down the porch steps.
She didn’t turn back, but said, “Yes I do. I know exactly where he’s going. I overheard their conversation.”
“You can’t face him alone!” Kyle yelled to her.
“I have to face him alone,” was her solemn reply.