| |
“BOSS, WE’VE GOT A PROBLEM,” Coolio said as Ringo and Kruger reached the peak of the terrain while making their way to the coastal extraction point.
Kruger stopped and took a knee with Ringo. “Go ahead, Oracle.”
“After Cowboy made contact, I located his position using his satellite phone. It looks like the home he was in was raided by North Korean soldiers,” Coolio said.
Coolio had reported the news of Cowboy’s contact as soon as the call ended. Tuna and Sierra were working on verifying whether Cowboy was under the care of an agency asset or if Tuna’s suspicions were correct and Cowboy had fallen into the hands of Chinese operatives.
“Do we know if they have him?” Kruger asked.
“The phone was powered off, so I couldn’t track it,” Coolio replied.
“What about Woody and the prison Cowboy told you about?”
“We’ve located it, but we think Woody was taken to a hospital in Kaesong first. Tuna is working on an extraction plan,” Coolio answered.
“Copy, keep me updated.”
“Will do, boss. Heads up, in the village ahead, there’s a North Korean patrol, but they seem to be preoccupied. You should be able to skirt the northern edge without issue.”
“Raven copies,” Kruger replied as he stood.
Ringo followed Kruger as the two started down the terrain toward the ocean. They were less than half a mile from the coast and could see the village and water in the distance. They would easily make their rendezvous with the SEAL team and be headed back to Osan soon.
They made their way down the rugged hillside without incident. As they neared the village, they saw the North Korean patrol that had surrounded a house. Kruger stopped as he watched a soldier dragging a woman toward a vehicle followed by another soldier carrying a small child that was screaming.
“Bloody awful,” Ringo commented.
They took cover in a group of trees just to the north of the village as they watched the final soldier drag an unconscious – or possibly dead – man from the house. Kruger unslung his sniper rifle and viewed the soldiers through the scope.
“What are you doing, mate? We’ve got no time for this,” Ringo whispered.
“Observing the threat,” Kruger replied.
“The soldiers seem to be busy. You’re clear all the way to the coast,” Coolio reported.
“I see them,” Kruger replied.
He slowly attached the suppressor to his CheyTac rifle and put the man he assumed to be the officer in charge in his sights. He watched as they tossed the man in the back of their jeep and then one of the men drew his handgun. He pointed it at the screaming little girl’s head as the woman appeared to plead with the soldiers.
“Kruger, this isn’t like you,” Ringo pleaded in a hushed tone. “We have to keep going, mate. We can’t get involved with the locals.”
“They’re pointing a gun at a kid, bub,” Kruger growled.
“One of many,” Ringo replied. “This isn’t our fight.”
“Whose fight is it?” Kruger asked, as he rested his rifle on his forearm and knee in a modified sitting shooting position.
“Listen, mate, I get it. What we saw back there with Natasha was horrific. But the only way to make things right is to get safely to the extraction point. We still have to get Cowboy and Woody out of this godforsaken country, and the team can’t do it if we get rolled up and they’re having to come get us too.”
Deep down, Kruger knew Ringo was right. All of the rage and sadness and despair he felt as he watched the woman he loved executed in the most gruesome of ways had bubbled to the top. He felt helpless watching these North Korean soldiers threaten a mother and small child. He didn’t know the backstory, but then again, he didn’t need to. There was no valid reason for what he was witnessing.
Kruger kept his sights on the man holding the handgun. It was just over a three-hundred-yard shot. The soldiers were close enough that he could easily take out the first threat and move on to the second before any of them realized what was going on.
“I’ll support whatever you do, mate, but just realize what kind of hornet’s nest you’re going to kick if we get into a firefight out here,” Ringo added.
Kruger flexed his finger against the side of the rifle and then inserted it into the trigger guard, gently resting it against the trigger as he contemplated squeezing the trigger and sending the assholes harassing the family to hell.
“Raven this is Oracle, are you guys okay?” Coolio chimed in over the radio. “I don’t see you moving.”
Kruger said nothing, still focusing on the man aiming his weapon at the child.
“Raven?” Coolio asked again.
“We’re good, mate. Standby,” Ringo replied finally.
“Copy,” Coolio replied. “The SEAL team is en route. ETA fifteen minutes. And I have news about the Russians.”
Kruger froze.
“What news?” he asked.
“Their plane just took off from Sunchon,” Coolio replied.
“Going where?”
“Flight plan says Moscow,” Coolio answered.
“Has Sierra talked to them?” Kruger asked.
“No, I was waiting for you to-”
“Copy, we’re moving,” Kruger said as he slung his rifle and stood.
He started to move through the trees and Ringo followed. They crossed the road and heard screaming followed by a single gunshot as they made it across.
Kruger froze, resisting the urge to look back.
“You did the right thing, mate,” Ringo said.
Kruger took off in a jog toward the last wooded area before the coast. Ringo followed, scanning for threats as they quickly made their way through the woods and emerged on the other side.
As they arrived on the beach, four U.S. Navy SEALs emerged from the water with extra breathing gear for them.
“Your chariot awaits, sir,” the leader said as he handed Kruger a rebreather and flippers. “Hope you boys know how to swim.”