***
Jill was exhausted by the time they got to the top of the mountain. Entering the clearing she spotted all of their gear. Jack had stowed it near the edge of the clearing where they would be able to get a good view of the Zaragoza compound. She noticed a pile of fresh pine needles next to the stash of equipment.
“What are those pine needles for?”
“Oh, I piled them up for you to lie on,” Jack said. “I thought it would be more comfortable than lying on the hard ground, and maybe it will help you heal faster.”
“How sweet. Thank you.”
“Sure. Here, give it a try while I start setting up our scopes.”
Jack held on to Jill carefully as he eased her on the pile of fresh pine needles.
Jill sank into the comfort of the soft needles and the fresh scent of pine. Oh my. This is almost romantic! She looked up at Jack. He had a slight, but proud, smile.
Jack retrieved her spotting scope from her pile of gear and set it next to her. “You should have a good view of the compound from here. Why don’t you take a look and see if your spotting scope survived the bird strike?”
Jill focused the optics on the front door of the main building and read the numbers in the upper right corner of the viewfinder.
“Fifteen hundred yards.” Jill smiled. She was pleased with her ability to perform this task after getting hit by an eagle at two hundred miles per hour. “Of course you already knew that, didn’t you, Jack?”
He cocked his head sheepishly. “Yeah, I checked it already. And yes, you passed the test. Sorry, Jill. It’s just that I had to know how you are doing. We don’t have a doctor or hospital to check you out. I have to use my power of observation to know if you are going to be up to this mission.”
“That’s okay, Jack. Don’t feel bad. If it’s any consolation, I would have done the same thing if it had been you that was hit by an eagle. In a way, it makes me feel good to know that someone is watching my back. Could you get my notebook and pen out of my backpack?”
Jack walked to her pile of gear and found the notebook and pen. He walked back to Jill. “Here you are.” Jack reached out to hand the notebook and pen to Jill.
“Actually, Jack, why don’t you record the data? You might not be able to read my handwriting. I am still a bit shaky.”
Jack pulled back his hand and set the notepad on the ground next to Jill’s pine-needle bed, and began setting up Betsy.
“Betsy . . . that’s a strange nickname for a sniper rifle,” Jill said.
“Oh, yeah. Betsy used to be an old girlfriend of mine.”
“Is there supposed to be some similarity between them?”
“Betsy was . . . well . . . I’m not sure how to put this. Let’s just say that this fifty-caliber is a big gun, and Betsy was a big girl.”
Jill thought she was starting to understand. “You mean that she was big in all the right places?”
“Umm.”
Jill looked down at her slender body and tried to imagine the voluptuous body of Jack’s previous girlfriend. She wondered what Jack thought of her slender figure. “So you like girls that have lots to offer?”
Jack paused before answering. “Betsy was a convenient relationship that only lasted a short time. We had a few laughs, and then it was over.”
Jill wondered what “a few laughs” meant. Maybe someday she could ask Jack more about his relationship with Betsy, but for now it sounded like she was history and that is all that Jill cared about.
Jack found some solid ground next to Jill’s pine-needle bed and lay down to peer through the scope on his rifle. “It’s gonna be a looooong shot.”
“Jack, you easily made this same shot at the sniper competition. You aren’t nervous, are you?”
“Sniper competition was different. If I didn’t make the shot we would lose the competition, but that’s all. This shot will cut off the head of the snake, and put confusion in the enemy. That will slow their chase after us. If I miss, we will have to run a lot faster.”
Jill considered Jack’s perspective. “I guess we just need to be sure that we don’t miss.”
Jill lay in silence as she looked through her scope for any possible movement on the Zaragoza compound.
At twelve sixteen hours the familiar woop-woop-woop of Zaragoza’s helicopter came from the south. It passed almost directly overhead. Jill and Jack did not move. Their Ghillie camouflage suits prevented detection. After the helicopter landed, Jack made a note in Jill’s notebook and spoke as he wrote, “Twelve sixteen hours, helicopter returns.” Jill watched carefully through her scope to see what was going to happen next. The two rear doors of the helicopter opened and two men got out and walked to the house. One had short brown hair, and the other had a long brown ponytail. They were both in their thirties, well dressed, and in good physical shape.
“Looks like the two brothers are returning from a long hard day at work,” Jill said.
“Two brothers, soon to be only one. I only wish that we had HQ’s permission to kill them both. I hate drug runners,” Jack said.
Jill began thinking about Juan-Carlos. The reality of his brother dying hit her for the first time. Ramiro has only two more days to spend with his brother, then he will be dead, and Juan-Carlos will not have any more family. How sad . . . I would miss my brothers so much if anything happened to them.
The two brothers walked into the front door of the house. A half hour went by without any movement outside the house. Jill took turns with Jack observing the activity. She watched for a half hour, then Jack. That way neither experienced optical fatigue, and they felt alert and fresh. It was now Jill’s turn to watch. She saw some servants exit the house and begin setting a large dining table that was in the middle of the front yard. The servants were going to a lot of trouble to make the table look inviting. They put on a red and white cotton tablecloth. Two candles in holders were placed, but not lit. Two vases full of roses were placed on the table. Fine china, expensive looking crystal, and silver place settings were added. Then five large leather chairs were carried out to the table and arranged next to each plate. Finally one large leather and wicker chair was placed at the head of the table. A few minutes went by, and then the food was brought out. Individual salads and rolls were placed at each table setting; and two large silver warming trays were placed at the head of the table. Finally, pitchers of beverages with ice cubes were placed on the table.
“I wonder if they do this every day,” Jill said.
Jack was lying on his back relaxing. He rolled over to his stomach and peered through his scope that was mounted on Betsy. “I never ate like that. Now I know what money will buy.”
Jill and Jack both watched as the six servants lined up in a row. They were all dressed in white, and had white cloth napkins draped over their left forearms. They stood still in the warm sunshine and waited.
“How long do you think they will have to stand at attention in the sun?” Jill asked.
“Ha, not as long as I did in basic training,” Jack said.
Two minutes passed. Finally people started walking out of the house to the table and sat down. The brother with short hair sat in the large wicker and leather chair at the head of the table.
Jill checked her watch. “It’s twelve forty-seven hours and Juan-Carlos is taking the seat at the head of the table.”
Jack picked up the notebook and pen, and started taking notes as Jill narrated the events.
The brother with the ponytail sat next to Juan-Carlos.
“Ramiro is sitting to his left,” Jill said.
A well-dressed and attractive lady with two children—one boy, one girl—sat to the right of Juan-Carlos.
“Juan-Carlos’s wife, Tonya, and their two kids—Juan and Lupe—just sat down on his right,” Jill said.
Jack kept writing as Jill continued her narration.
“You did your homework pretty good. You even memorized their names.” Jack was impressed.
“I have a thing about reme
mbering names. I struggle with faces, but not names.”
“I can’t imagine. I am just the opposite,” Jack said.
The five sat at the table. It was clear that they were waiting for the sixth person.
“They are waiting for Ramiro’s girlfriend.”
“What is her name?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know. He has a different girlfriend every couple of days.”
“You really did do your homework.”
Finally a young lady came out to the table. She was dressed in a short red dress with a low cut neckline.
“The last member of the party just arrived. I take back what I said about her name. I think her name is Betsy,” Jill said.
Jill’s tone of voice sounded like she was jesting, so Jack peered through his scope at the latest arrival. “Yep, big in the right places . . .”
“Back to work, Savage,” Jill intoned.
Jack smiled as he finished writing in the notebook.
“How are you feeling, Jill?”
“Mentally I am feeling pretty good. Physically, I think the pain has finally peaked, but it is not too bad if I don’t move.”
“The bruise is spreading. It now reaches from the top of your lip to the top of your forehead. You look terrible,” Jack said.
“Why Jack, that is the nicest thing you have said to me in a long time.” Jill smiled.
“If you need any pain killers, let me know,” Jack said.
“Actually, I was thinking about some coffee.”
“Hmm, that sounds good to me, too.”
Jill watched Jack get out his survival stove and a couple of fuel tabs. He set Jill’s metal mug on the stove, filled it with water, and lit the fuel tab. In about eight minutes the water was boiling. Jack added some instant coffee.
“Would you like some chocolate in your coffee?” Jack asked.
“Chocolate? You have chocolate? Yes, certainly!”
Jack broke a piece off a chocolate candy bar and dropped it into the coffee. He pulled out a spoon and stirred it a couple of times. Then he handed it to Jill. “You’ll need to stir it a little more.”
Jill wrapped her hands around the hot cup and smelled the steam. “So far, the service at this hotel is five-star.” Jill tossed Jack a smile as she took the spoon and stirred the hot drink some more.
Jack made a cup of coffee for himself, and also added a piece of chocolate. They both were silent while they stirred their drinks and looked through their scopes at the compound.
After several minutes, Jill broke the silence. “They seem so normal, in a weird sort of way.”
“Yeah, a typical family of murders, misfits, and drug dealers.”
“Right. But besides that, Jack, they are experiencing the love between a husband, wife, and children. And they are also experiencing the uncertainty of a relationship between two young lovers. Sort of like a soap opera,” Jill said.
“Well, if you close your eyes to the more obvious issues, then yes, I can see what you are talking about,” Jack said.
“What I am thinking is that their life is truly weird from our point of view. But that doesn’t prevent them from experiencing some of the things that a normal family experiences. Someday one of my brothers could bring home a girlfriend like Ramiro’s, and my folks would have to try to seek a peaceful relationship with her.” Jill began sipping her coffee mocha while pondering the Zaragoza family.
“Sometimes I wonder what a normal family is supposed to be like,” Jack said.
Jill suddenly remembered Jack’s plight as a child and wondered how she could be so careless as to talk about normal families in Jack’s presence.
“Jack, I didn’t mean to refer to your situation. I know you had a unique—”
“I took no offense in what you said. I came to terms long ago with my situation and I am at a point now that I can talk about it freely.”
“I am glad you aren’t mad at me. I wouldn’t purposely make any offensive statement about you or your past.”
“I know you well enough to realize that you have no vendetta against little orphan boys.” Jack smiled at Jill.
“You make yourself sound so . . . innocent.” Jill tossed Jack a friendly smile.
Jill quietly observed the lunch as she sipped her mocha coffee.
“Hey, we got movement.” Jack’s tone of voice became serious.
“Looks like lunch is over.”
Jill and Jack watched as Ramiro and his girlfriend got up and walked to the house. Juan-Carlos and his wife got up and began a long walk around the compound. Their children got up and went inside the house.
“Thirteen thirty hours Juan-Carlos takes a walk with his wife,” Jill narrated the event, and Jack recorded it in the notebook.
Time passed slowly as they waited for the next event. Recon was always boring. Fourteen minutes passed, and Ramiro and his girlfriend came out of the house. She had changed into tight jeans, a snug fitting blouse, and brown leather-riding boots. They walked to the barn and saddled two horses. Then they rode into the woods on a horse trail.
“Thirteen forty-five Ramiro goes horseback riding.” Jill narrated for Jack to record. “Jack, did you ever ride a horse?”
“No, I am afraid of horses.”
Jill stopped looking through her spotting scope and turned toward Jack. Her eyes opened wide. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not kidding. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just didn’t think you were afraid of anything.”
“Jill, everyone has a fear of something. I have plenty of fears.”
“Such as?”
“Besides the fear of horses, I have a fear of small spaces, a fear of heights, a fear of public speaking, a fear of dying. Is that enough?” Jack’s tone was serious.
“I never imagined that a tough Army sniper like you had any fears.”
“Sure. And I suppose that you don’t have any fears.”
Jill took a deep breath before looking Jack in the eyes. “I have a couple.”
“I am listening.”
There was a long pause. Jill didn’t want to open up, but she realized that Jack was willing to talk about his weaknesses, so finally she spoke. “If I am in rough water that is over my head I quickly panic. Also, I am not afraid of death itself . . . but I am afraid of dying.”
Jack understood the water panic issue, but wasn’t sure about the difference between death and dying.
Jill became alert. “We have more movement. It’s fourteen ten. Juan-Carlos and his wife have finished their walk. She has gone inside the house, and he is walking through the flower garden. He is watering the roses.”
“I am going to enjoy putting this note in the notebook: ‘Fourteen ten, Prissy little drug lord waters his flowers.’”
“Yeah, the people back at HQ will get a laugh out of that!”
Jill noticed that she and Jack seemed to be getting along better than when they first met. She knew they were quite different, but she also was learning that they had a lot in common.
Juan-Carlos spent a long time in the flower garden. He was only distracted by the arrival of the mail carrier.
“Fourteen fifty-five, and the mail carrier just arrived.”
“Got it. Fourteen fifty-five. Prissy little drug lord picks up the mail,” Jack said. “Isn’t it time you took a break and let me watch?”
“Sure, have a go at it.”
Jack rolled over on his stomach, handed the notebook and pen to Jill, and began peering through his riflescope.
“Have you always been afraid of the water?” he asked.
Jill paused again, but quickly convinced herself that it was important to have an open relationship with her sniper partner. “It started when I was six years old. My family was at the beach, and my brothers and I were jumping the waves. Mom and Dad were on the shore, and they had instructed my three brothers to keep an eye on me. Well, the three of them got to splashing each other and horsing around. Next thing I knew I was caught in the undertow. I cou
ldn’t even come up for air. I was sucked down and out to sea. When I finally did surface, I was out of their reach. I couldn’t swim, and I started screaming as loud as I could. They heard me, but instead of coming to my help, they swam away from me. At the time I thought they were abandoning me. They went ashore as quickly as they could and told my parents. Dad dashed to the edge of the breaking waves. He dove in and swam full speed to my rescue. By the time he got to me I was almost dead. The worst part was the scar it left.”
“Scar? What do you mean?”
“Psychologically I was scarred pretty badly. I had never experienced fear before that, and I didn’t know how to deal with it. I started to withdraw, and my personality changed overnight. I had to go to therapy for two years to get straightened out. Even now, I still cringe when I am swimming in rough water that is over my head.”
“That’s awful. I suppose there is something to be said for being forced to deal with fear at a young age. As a result, I never had a traumatic experience that I couldn’t handle,” Jack said.
“The upside was how my relationship with my brothers changed,” Jill said.
“How is that?”
“They suddenly realized that their job was to protect me. We still did fun things, but they were always cautious that I was safe and never had to experience a fearful situation like that again.”
“Your brothers seem like genuine guys. I liked being around them.”
“They liked you, too. And Mom and Dad liked you, especially Mom.”
“Hope likes me?”
“Yes . . .” Jill paused again as she wondered how to explain. “Mom was really upset when I decided to go into the Army. She knew that it would be rough for me, competing with guys and all that. But most of all, she was worried about me being in combat. She tried to talk me into seeking a non-combat role, but I just couldn’t agree to that. The reason I joined the Army was because I wanted to kill bad people and make the world a better place. So, Mom and I had a really big disagreement about it. She finally agreed reluctantly. But, she was so happy when she met you because you remind her so much of my brothers that have taken such good care of me ever since the swimming incident.”
“Your mom thinks I am your guardian angel?”
“Jack, don’t take it so seriously. She is just relieved that I have a decent partner that I can count on when things get a little sticky out here.”
“I felt something special about your mom when I was talking to her, but I am not sure what it was,” Jack said.
“She is special. She is the core of our family, and each of us loves and respects her for that.”
Jack became quiet again. He began looking through his riflescope. He finally spoke in a quiet tone. “I think you are lucky to have a normal and loving home life. I wish I had a family like yours.”
Jill didn’t know how to respond to Jack’s comment, so she quietly stared through her scope at the compound.
“Jill, we have movement,” Jack said. “Do you feel up to taking some notes?”
“Sure, I’m feeling much better. I think the coffee mocha cleared my mind.”
“Wonderful. Fifteen thirty-two, Ramiro has returned from the horseback ride with Betsy—I mean his girlfriend. They both went inside. He just came back out with a big shotgun. He is setting up a clay pigeon thrower. Yes, he is going to do some target practice.”
“Fifteen thirty-two, Ramiro has target practice,” Jill recorded the event.
“Have you noticed the compound sentries?” Jill asked.
“I see the four that are covering the immediate perimeter. It looks like there are also four sentries patrolling the woods outside the perimeter, but they don’t penetrate the woods this far. They shouldn’t cause us any problems. Anyhow, I figure that if they do come out this far, you can shoot them with your 22-caliber pea shooter,” Jack chuckled.
“Savage, you may someday be glad I brought my ‘pea shooter.’”
“That reminds me, Jill, I am curious where you got a .22 with a silencer. Silencers are illegal for civilians, and the .22 doesn’t look like a military-issue pistol.”
“I shouldn’t go into details about this; on the other hand you are my partner . . .” Jill hesitated and carefully thought about whether she should talk about something that could get her father in trouble. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Jill, if you want me to keep quiet, I guarantee that it will not go any further than you and me.”
“Okay, here is the story. My dad, Shooter, was really concerned about me being in combat. I think he was more upset than Mom. He and I talked a lot when he found out. He tried to talk me out of the military but I wouldn’t have any of that. Then he tried to talk me out of combat, and again I wouldn’t listen to him. So, finally, he said that I could join under one condition. He wanted to have a special pistol made for me by some of his Special Ops buddies. They sometimes use these when extreme stealth is needed. He figured that it was small and lightweight, which was good for a small framed person like me, and he knew that it was very quiet. It seemed to give him peace-of-mind that he could do something for me that would help ensure my safety.”
“It sounds like your dad really loves you.”
Jill thought about Jack losing his father at a young age, and wondered what it must be like to grow up in orphanages and foster homes. “Yes, and it worked out really well because ever since the day Dad gave me the pistol, his attitude has been totally different. It’s as though he doesn’t worry anymore about me. I suppose that he does, but he certainly doesn’t show it. That is a super big deal because it helps my mom relax. She figures that if Dad doesn’t worry about me, then she shouldn’t worry too much either.”
“So it is a win-win situation, and you get a cool little toy to play with.”
“Hey, Jack, don’t go calling my 22-caliber a toy.”
“Ha, there you go, talking tough again.”
“Jack, could you pass me that water bottle?”
“Sure, here. Getting warm, isn’t it?”
“I noticed you haven’t been hydrating. Are you okay?” Jill asked.
“I’m fine,” Jack replied. “We have movement again. This time it is Juan-Carlos. He just came out of the house and he is going for a swim in the pool. The time is sixteen eleven.”
“Sixteen eleven, Juan-Carlos takes a swim.” Jill made the entry in the notebook.