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Patch launched his body down into the ravine between the two ridgelines. He crashed thru the brush taking great twenty foot leaps. He could hear his teammates crashing down the hillside behind him. It was four hundred yards to the brush choked bottom. Patch squatted down to wait for the others to catch up to him.
“Let’s put our com units on,” Bill said, taking his out of a pocket in his cargo pants. The other three did the same and they could hear LT trying to call them from the top of the ridge.
“Go ahead LT we read you,” Bill murmured into his com unit trying to stay quiet.
“I have Brady on his way with the helicopter. He’ll help to hunt the son of a bitch with the FLIR.”
“Roger that, how is Carlos doing LT?” Bill asked, showing the concern he felt for their friend.
There was white noise for a few seconds while I fought to get the words out. “He didn’t make it,” I whispered shakily. “Stay on his trail and don’t give up on that asshole or he’ll be back again.”
“Don’t worry LT, he won’t be able to disappear on me, I’ll find him,” Patch promised me.
“What’s your plan Patch, how do you want to do this?” Brian asked from his squatting position.
“I’m going to go down the bottom in that direction,” Patch said pointing the way. “I want the three of you to spread out and go over this ridge and straight down the other side. Don’t give the sniper an open shot. Either stay in the brush or keep it between you and him. At the end of the ridge I’m going to go like hell and get in front of him and allow him to come to me. Don’t be afraid to make noise. It’ll make it harder for him to hear me going past him.”
“How do you know he’ll go straight off the back of this ridge? Sam asked quietly.”
“That’s easy, because it’s what I would have done. Stay alert, I don’t think he’ll slow down and fight. I think he’ll just quietly try to slip away to fight another day.”
“When Brady gets here the helicopter will drown out any noise you’ll make in the woods Patch,” Bill said.
“I’m counting on that,” Patch said. “I’m out of here, just keep pushing him.”
Patch traveled quickly down the ravine to the east. He wasn’t worried about being spotted by the sniper. He was sure the man had left the ridge behind him as soon as he’d made the shot. He traveled about a half mile before the ridge flattened out and ended. In the back ground he could hear the helicopter approaching.
“Chris, you’re with me,” Brady said as he ran for the helicopter and started to take the tie downs off.
Chris ran to catch up to him. “Why, what’s going on Brady?” Chris questioned the pilot.
“Your brother called, a sniper just killed Carlos. We’re going in to help with the hunt for him. I need you to monitor the FLIR. You’re the only one other than Patch that’s done it before.”
By now Chris was helping take off the tie downs. “Oh God, that’s going to tear Rick up. What about Carlos’s son? He’s lost both parents in the last three weeks.”
“I know it. Juan’s had a hard life. He’s had more pain in his eleven years than most old people have in a lifetime. Jump in, let’s get out there where we can do some good.”
Bill, Brian and Sam, spread out putting a hundred yards in between them as they worked their way up the steep slope. The three crested the top and went across the flat top of the ridge. Brian passed by the tangled logs. “I think I found the sniper’s nest,” he whispered into his com unit.
They started down the other side crashing thru the brush making noise on purpose. They heard the approaching helicopter and looked behind them spotting it as it raced to their location.
“Ground team this is the Sea Hawk, how do you read me over,” Brady said into his com unit.
“Sea Hawk this is ground team we read you five by five. We are on the back side of the second ridge heading north. We think the sniper is headed in that direction. Start your search there,” Bill instructed.
“Roger that, we are on the scene now and are activating the FLIR,” Brady told them.
“Brady, this is Patch, when you find the asshole don’t take him out with the Gatling gun. This asshole is mine.”
“Roger that Patch, we’ll locate your playmate for you so you can entertain yourself,” Brady said. Brady looked over at Chris, “I would not want to be that sniper right now.”
With the helicopter on site to help with the search and making a huge amount of noise Patch knew he could travel fast and not worry about being heard. He knew from studying maps of the area that there was a swamp up ahead of him. He thought about what he’d use as an escape route as he ran all out thru the forest. He’d get to the edge of the swamp and use the transition area to slip out.
“Turn on the FLIR Chris, we’ll sweep the area. We’re looking for a man traveling alone,” Brady told him.
Chris flipped on the infrared unit and watched the monitor as Brady flew the helicopter.
“Brady, we’re coming off the back of the ridge now still heading north,” Bill said, a little out of breath.
“Roger that, we’re working in front of you to the north of your position,” Brady told the group.
Patch was still at an all out run. The branches and the thorn bushes were cutting at his exposed flesh and clothing as he forced his way ahead. After a two mile run Patch came to the end of the forest and the edge of the swamp. The edge of the forest was choked with brush and he soon found out why. There was a stream of water in between the swamp and the forest. It was fifteen feet wide and slow moving. It was the perfect escape route. As Patch slid his body into the stream he heard Brady call from above.
“Ground team, be advised we have your man on the FLIR he is still heading north,” Brady informed the group. “You still want dibs Patch? I could take him out real easy from here.”
“Back off Brady, he’s mine,” Patch growled. “Keep your distance, don’t spook him. Just tell me where he’s heading.”
“Right now he’s a hundred yards from a stream of water on the edge of the swamp. It looks from here like he’s heading right for it,”
“That’s what I figured. I’m already waiting for him in the water. It’s just a matter of what direction he goes in once he gets to the water.”
“He is squatting down looking back at us. I’m going to back off a little bit so he doesn’t think he’s been spotted, stand by.” Brady said as he banked the helicopter back around.
Patch waited in the tepid water wondering if there were poisonous snakes in Cuba. If there were this water would be a prime spot to find them in.
“Patch your target is in the water heading in your direction, enjoy” Brady said as he backed off but stayed in the area just in case the sniper evaded them.
Patch pulled out his combat knife and slid over to the edge of the stream where the brush was the thickest. He lowered himself under water so only his nose and eyes were above water and waited.