Barry Kelly's Blog

The first four hours on the trail were hell. Two of the girls were hopeless. Even Shadow’s herding wasn’t enough. The worst of the two girls refused to move until Shadow nipped her and growled. Kelly and Sally had to stay side by side with them, freeing up Shadow to follow the trail. Helping, encouraging, threatening, cursing, and at one time gagging the loudest whiner Kelly and Sally kept their column moving. Carole and Beth got better as the drug wore off with activity. Kelly told Carole that without her help and Beth’s there was no way this gaggle would ever escape. Kelly doubted they had covered more than six miles. A loud rumble radiated from the camp. Kelly stopped the group and looked back and watched. She saw a dark shadow rise above the horizon to the east. Sally said, “What was that?”

“That was Jack,” Kelly said quietly. “There will be no pursuit but we’ve got to get moving. I might shoot Barbara and Allison just to shut them up.”

“They’re scared and lack both pride in themselves and self-reliance.”

“Let’s check their feet and then move out at a faster pace.”

A foot check showed several of the party needed tape over several small blisters from ill-fitting shoes. “Thank God we don’t have several days ahead of us. If we did I’d lose it,” Sally griped.

“Okay, back on the trail,” Kelly said after she’d put the last piece of tape on one of the girls. “At this rate we’re covering a mile in thirty to forty minutes and this is not hard going.” She turned to the group and said, “If you don’t want to go back into that cave, pick up the pace. If those men come quickly they could catch us if we don’t move faster now. Don’t bother complaining or whining to me. If you want to see your families again and continue your previous life, you’d better hurry or those men will catch and punish you and you will be gone from your old life forever. There will be no second chances of escape.”

The pace did pick up as the trail flattened out some and the drugs continued to wear off. Carole trotted up beside Kelly. “Who you are you people and where is the man with that deep, commanding voice?”

“No time for long answers. We are dedicated to destroying this human trafficking ring and to rescue as many young people as possible. That man is the best and strongest man I’ve ever known. Whatever he says I do. He has saved my life a couple of times. Don’t ask questions. It will complicate your life.”

“One more, what is that giant dog doing leading the way? Are we following him?”

“That’s two questions. That giant dog is smarter, stronger, and faster than I am and he knows where we are going. How he knows I don’t know. He’s like his partner, the man who will soon catch up with us. They can both do things that are beyond what people and canines do. That dog found the cave you were locked in. Okay, enough, help the others keep up. Come get me if anyone falls out.”

Jack was now certain there would be no pursuit. There were not the resources or skills left in the camp to even think about pursuit. The one man left wearing a badge is probably running back to Baltimore as fast as he can. As he loped along the trail, now using his flashlight, he thought about the logistics that were left. Four rescued captives, the three of us, and Shadow back at the cabin. Everyone hungry, tired, and cold and not enough food. Plenty of water and firewood. Food is the problem. Police and media are also a problem. Food first. He could always find and shoot an elk or deer. They only needed a few meals. Sort of a shame to kill a large animal for a few meals. Especially if some of them are too squeamish to eat wild game. I packed extra trail mix for any rescues but still may run out. Cell phone service is non-existent from here. The cabin has decent service.

Jack took advantage of a high point on the trail to try and raise Kelly on their short-range communications system. He was sure she would have it on. He was right. When he called, Kelly said, “Great, I was getting worried. I estimate we are only about seven miles from the camp and going as fast as this group can.”

“I’m on a high point only a few miles behind you. There is no pursuit. Face me and wave your flashlight. Yes, I see it. Find a place to camp for the night near where you are. Get a small fire going at least 30 or 40 yards from the trail. Make an inventory of your food and see how much we can use now. I’ll be there in less than 45 minutes.”

Kelly ran up to Sally at the head of the straggling column and told her to find a camping place 40 yards off the trail. They would be camping there for the night. There would be no pursuit. Jack had taken care of that problem. Sally rolled her eyes and said, “Who needs help with him around?”

The hours passed. A light rain fell. An owl on the hunt settled in a pine tree nearby. The sniper did not move. Mind alert and body relaxed. The hardest part of being a sniper was not the skill of shooting. It was the skill of finding and staying patiently in a hide for hour after hour of tense boredom without losing your edge.

After a few hours, Jack heard footsteps on the path. In front of the cave a flashlight switched on. A man went inside, a very big man. Jack knew the man must be Jim Marshall. If he took Jim now, the chances of the girls getting away would be greatly improved. He drew his .22 High Standard semi-automatic back up and followed Jim into the cave. Jim was intent on checking the wooden door and must have seen something on the dirt floor that bothered him. Without saying a word, Jack shot him twice in the head with two hollow point rounds. Jim fell in his tracks. Jack thought, I told him if I ever came back he wouldn’t see me. Going through his pockets, Jack found the keys to the doors. Opening both doors, he dragged Jim inside and relocked the doors. He cleaned the blood and scuff marks on the floor and hurried back to the building containing the dynamite and small arms ammunition. He cut off 70 feet of wire to connect the sticks, grabbed blasting caps out of an unlocked chest and a small electrical detonator off a shelf and hurried back to the cave. Inside the first chamber of the cave, near the entrance, he used his KA-BAR knife to carve several small chambers large enough to hold three sticks of dynamite. The excess dirt was put inside between the doors. He used water from his canteen to soften the earth enough to make mud to conceal the dynamite. The charges were placed to bring down tons of overhead dirt and rock. After wiring up the blasting caps, he brought the wire down the wall, concealed in a crevice he made to the floor, buried the cord along the bottom of the wall and across the path to his concealed hide. All he had to do now was wait. When Jim didn’t show someone would come looking for him. Jack hoped more than one would come. In the second hour, he heard Bobby calling her husband. Jack saw lights coming down the path. The lights stopped outside the cave. Jack could see Bobby and two men talking outside the cave.

“He may be inside with the girls,” Bobby said. “Come in and help me with the heavy doors and to make sure the girls aren’t causing trouble.”

When the last shape disappeared into the cave, Jack waited a few minutes and pushed the detonator switch. He was up and running as the explosion blew half of the cliff down. The dirt and rock swept across the path. Jack ran out of a cloud of dust. He knew no one would be coming out of that cave alive. They may never be found. After the explosion stopped and the dust settled, he went back and luckily managed to find the detonator. He decided it would be nice touch to put it back were he got it.

There wouldn’t be any pursuit. Only one of the badges was left out of the three he saw. No sense hanging around. He turned up the ridge and started after the group of rescued young women. Using a light, he could overtake them in three or four hours of a steady lope.

Jack eased the door open and slipped inside, followed by Kelly and Sally. The room was lit by a battery-powered single bulb that cast a dim light throughout the 15-by-15-foot cavern. The high ceiling was rock and at least 12 foot high. Several cots were in the room. Only four of them were occupied. Jack stepped back and let Sally and Kelly move over to the bundled forms on the cots. They woke each one separately. None appeared to be debilitated but their responses were slow. Kelly told Jack they were all under drugs, probably to keep them manageable. They were still dressed in whatever they wore when taken. Only one woman was wearing suitable hiking shoes. Kelly and Sally walked them around and in ten minutes of activity they could see them begin to focus. One of them hugged Kelly and said, “Who are you? Please don’t punish me anymore.”

“We’re here to take you home. You must be quiet. We have to sneak out of here and we have a long walk to freedom.”

The woman said, “My name is Carole Hopkins. I was a graduate student at Colorado University. I’ve tried to avoid the drugs. I think they put it in the desserts. The others will come along soon. Keep them moving.”

Sally came over and said, “The boss said five minutes. Let’s get some of the lightweight tennis shoes we brought on them and move out. Carole, can we count on them being quiet?”

“The girl in the green track suit is tough. She’ll be okay and can help. The other two are basket cases and will be problems. Their names are Barbara and Allison. They spend most of their time crying. The girl in green is named Beth and she is up to anything. But who are you people?”

“Who we are is not important,” Jack interrupted. “Getting out of here now is. Do you know if a guard comes by here during the night?”

“No one comes in here after the night’s meal but the big man who abuses the girls. Also, I have heard noises outside late at night.”

“That settles it. We’re out of here now.”

Carole helped put the shoes on the women who needed them. Sally picked up the cast offs and put them in her pack. Jack said, “Take them out and get on the trail to the cabin. No lights the first hour. Shadow will guide you once he understands where you’re going. Be rough and tough if you have to keep them moving and quietly. Gags and tied hands are okay. If they make noise or hold you back, you could all die. Make them understand. Let them eat and drink on the trail. Now go!”

Jack helped them outside and part way up the ridge. He sent Shadow with them. Back at the cave he cleaned up the tracks leading out and locked both doors. Then he moved 30 feet up the ridge, selected a good ambush site, and merged into the foliage. He heard a few sounds of the journey up the ridge. Then quiet. Kelly and Sally needed at least a five-hour start before they would be out of danger.

Jack found Shadow sitting just off the trail. The light from a half moon showed only a dim trail leading off to the south. He was sure Bobby and her guard turned left off the path. Six feet off the path was a thick wall of pine trees. Jack stepped toward the pines and motioned for Shadow to go ahead. Shadow pushed his way through the pine branches with Jack right behind him. A fairly steep cliff face confronted them. Shadow plunged into the brush on the cliff face and disappeared. Moving slowly behind him, Jack found a cave opening and feeling with his left hand he felt that it was big enough to walk through upright. Once inside, he cupped the lens of his flashlight with the palm of his hand and switched it on. In the dim light he could see the cave extending back into the cliff side. Jack removed his hand from covering the lens and flooded the small cavern with light. There was evidence on the dirt floor of foot traffic. The cavern angled right. Jack and Shadow followed the turn. Jack checked for trip wires, beam light alarms, pressure sensors. He found none. He thought, They must believe this place is so secure they don’t need to trap it. Following the cave around another angled corner, they were faced with a heavy wooden door blocking further advance. An old padlock locked the hasp. Jack mused. This lock must be an antique. It took him only seconds to pick it open. He paused before opening the door to check for alarms and get ready for what may be behind it. Possibly a guard. Easing the door open, Jack peeked in. Six feet in was another door, this one made of steel. Again checking for alarms or traps, he found none.

Positioning Shadow to guard the first door, Jack set about picking the more complicated lock in the homemade steel door. The first door looked as if it had been there for years. The steel door looked more recent. The lock was an external padlock that secured a sliding bolt mechanism. It took Jack five minutes to get the lock open. He wished Kathy was here. He removed the open padlock and carefully slid the bolt open. Jack was sure women prisoners were held behind the door. How many, he had no idea. Deciding to move cautiously, he put the bolt and padlock back in place, re-locked the wooden door and fastened a short note to Shadow’s collar and sent him back to bring Kelly and Sally with their packs. Shadow raced off up the ridge. Jack figured it would take at least twenty minutes for them to get here, so he decided to check out the trail leading east.

The moonlight was even brighter and he made good time. The path stopped at another low building. It, too, was padlocked. Again Jack picked the lock open and stepped inside after a quick check for traps or alarms. He was in the Marshalls’ storeroom for ammunition, gasoline, and a cabinet with sticks of dynamite. Jack took several sticks and relocked the door. He hurried back toward the cave. Kelly and Sally should be there already or in a few minutes.

Shadow heard Jack coming up the path and went to meet him. Kelly and Sally were standing off the path blending with the pine branches. Jack touched Sally’s elbow and said, “It’s me. Follow me closely. No talking yet.”

Jack led them into the cave, leaving Shadow to watch just inside. He knelt in front of the wooden door and picked the lock again. He said, “Okay, we can talk here. Inside this door is another steel door. I can open the lock. There must be captives on the other side. I’ve no idea how many or what shape they’re in. My plan is to move quickly in with them, assess their condition, get them to trust us and get them ready to get out of here. I want to be on our way in no more than 15 minutes. Kelly, you and Sally get them going back to the cabin. Try to make it before nightfall tomorrow. Use your flashlights only in an emergency after you get over and down this ridge. After an hour turn on your flashlights and speed up. Use the same trail back. Take Shadow with you. He will actually herd the women and not let anyone fall back. Give them rest when they need it. I’ll catch up with you after I slow down the pursuit because they will be coming after you. Each woman means very big bucks to them. No mercy. They are slavers and killers. If you get to the cabin and I’m not there, call for a pickup and move down the fire road to meet your ride. I’ll make other arrangements. Just remember the slavers are out-matched and will probably end up dead. Okay, I’m going to open the door. Remember there is no need to let the captives learn our names or any other identifying information.”

Jack went over the top of the ridge and disappeared. When Kelly and Sally were close to the top of the ridge, they went low and slowly crawled up to where they could see Jack’s boots. Shadow moved into the brush and lay down. With Sally on one side of Jack and Kelly on the other, they took in a panorama of the camp. Jack told them it was 150 yards away. He pointed out where he wanted them to set up in a good concealment. He passed out short-range communications gear and said, “Use this stuff sparingly. Can’t be worrying about low batteries. The guys down there probably won’t have any intercept capability but let’s be safe and keep our messages short. Stay here until I get a good look at the people in camp. Remember to keep your binoculars lenses out of the sun.”

Jack watched the activity intensely and then motioned for the girls to come in closer. Once they were close, keeping his voice low, Jack said, “First complication, three of the men down there don’t belong. Their footgear, clothing, even their jackets and hats, wouldn’t be worn by any respectable hunter or mountain hiker. Now the kicker, they’re wearing what I think are badges on their belts. I can’t make out the badges but those are not local cops and certainly not sheriffs. They are probably from the east and I would bet on Baltimore where the head or at least the regional head of the kidnappers is a Baltimore chief of a police unit.”

Kelly asked, “Can we shoot a cop?”

“Not unless we have to. Those cops are bad. No way a legitimate chief would send three detectives to a Montana shooting camp. We can’t wait them out. They’ll be here until the captives are shipped onward and/or Jim closes the place up and moves out. They might not even be cops. We’ll have to watch for the doughnuts.”

Sally said, “Don’t make me laugh out loud. I’ll wet myself. I’m struggling now.”

Jack smiled. “It will soon be dark enough for secret pissing. An old problem for snipers lying motionless in a hide. While we have the light, memorize the camp layout. We’ll move tonight or tomorrow morning early. Move out to your locations. Be alert for Bobby and maybe one guard going to check on and maybe feed the captives, if any. I’m sure they’ll carry a light. Before we move I want to know if there any captives and where they are. We need to locate all the guards. They may not believe we would be here yet so they may be careless. I like our odds. Jim is the only one to worry about. He can shoot, has and will kill, and has good outdoor tracking and moving skills. The other three will probably just get in his way. You’ll probably never hear me say this again, shoot to wound the cops. A wound or two will stop all of them. Did you hear that, Shadow? Bite but don’t kill.”

Shadow, lying like a lion ready to pounce, looked at Jack and then turned back to watching the camp. Nightfall came and the activity and the players on the stage went inside. An hour after dark, Jack heard the back door to the lodge open and bang shut. In the light spilling from inside he could see two people. One is certainly a woman, most likely Bobby. The other is too small to be Jim and must be one of the eastern cops. Jack asked Kelly and Sally to stay put and watch the lodge and call him if anyone else came out. When Bobby and the guard passed in front of Jack high on the ridge, he and Shadow kept pace with the light. A slightly used game trail ran along the top edge of the ridge making the going easy, even at night. No need for any night vision optics. Twenty minutes later the light stopped and went out. Jack moved until he and Shadow were directly opposite where the light disappeared. Shadow’s ears perked up and, focusing, Jack could hear some sounds coming from the darkness below them. Jack took out his compass and shot an azimuth down the ridge to the activity below. All was quiet for ten minutes, then the light appeared headed back to the lodge. Jack waited and Kelly’s voice said, “Both of them are back inside.”

Jack stroked Shadow’s head and said, “Let’s go big guy.” Shadow led off down the ridge. Jack could hear him maneuvering through the brush. He knew Shadow would find the exact spot where the people moved off the path. Jack thought, They can’t be dumb enough to have a path leading directly to their prison. It must keep going somewhere else. We need to know where.

Shadow was already looking for the release signal so he could check out the area. Kelly let him go. He ran to the end of the cover, stopped, and looked over the scene with eyes and nose. Then he moved quietly and slowly to the stream bank. He didn’t drink until Sally filled the canteens and started back.

They were almost in the clearing before they smelled the faint smoke and coffee. Jack had a small fire of dry wood that gave off little smoke. When they were sitting around the fire as darkness fell, Jack said, “There is much to teach you if you’re going to follow this line of work. So I’ll be telling you bits and pieces of lore that you may already know and telling you more often than you might like. Neither one of you has anything in your pack to cut wood. On a short trip like this you could get by. Most people will pack a hatchet or ax. A fine tool for chopping. But chopping makes a lot of noise and leaves many marks. A small saw like this one is quiet. Leaves marks easy to conceal. Is lighter and packs better than a clumsy ax and won’t need frequent sharpening. In a forest, dry wood for starting fires is not found on the ground. Note that on tall pine trees, the lower branches die and dry when the larger overhead ones cut off the sunlight. This wood came from within 20 feet of where you are sitting. Few other details. We all need a good rest tonight. Shadow will keep watch. When we leave this campsite, I want it to look like no one was here, especially recently. Okay, let’s get supper going.”

******************************************

First light came as Jack had coffee on the fire and Shadow’s favorite kibble on a flat stone. The girls awoke slowly. Jack handed each of them a cup of hot black coffee and said, “Good morning ladies, I hope you enjoyed your beauty sleep. It will probably be your last long one for a while. Here, take this trench shovel out to your latrine area. We’ll have some hot oatmeal and honey and get on the trail. Sally, take the point for a bit. Kelly can give you some pointers. Even a girl raised in this state can learn a few things about walking point. The closer we get, the slower and more carefully we move. For the first hour we can move fast. A good foot check before we start. You too, Shadow.”

For the first hour Kelly walked behind Sally giving her Jack’s way of walking point. She said, “Sally, walk like no one else is here. It is up to you to see and hear everything in front of you. You are in charge. When you stop, we stop. If you step off the trail, we all do. Speed up or slow down, we follow. Think like the bad guys. What would they do to kill us? Check out the likely ambush sites. Making good time is not the total goal. Staying alive is. Now you know everything Jack taught me about walking point. I’m dropping back. You got it.”

After four hours Jack passed the word for Sally to find a safe place for a rest stop. Sally took them 20 paces off the trail behind a clump of boulders. After packs off and a foot check, Jack said, “We’re within a couple of miles of the camp. Lunch is trail mix and chocolate bars. Empty your bladders and hydrate. From here on we move slowly and quietly off trail. I want to approach from the south. Begin to camouflage your clothes, especially the hats. All we need to do is break up the lines of the body and provide coloration to blend into the environment. Check your pockets and packs for any thing rattling or making noise when you move. Rifles locked, loaded, and safed. Carry them across the front of your body or in your right hand. Nothing shiny on clothes. I’ve enough camo stuff for your hands and face. Use it. Skin can glisten and reflect. Okay! Get ready. Inspect yourselves and each other, including me. I’ll take the point from here. Nice job, both of you. Good team work. I like it.”

Jack swung his team to the southeast for nearly an hour then straight north to the Marshalls’ shooting camp and prison for kidnapped young women. Jack still had a hard time believing that Jim Marshall’s character flaws had been so well hidden from him and his father. Well, Jim, now it has caught up with you. These young women with me are deadly and smart. That’s a good combination. You are probably in the last day of your life. Jack smelled smoke and heard the sound of gunfire. He figured they must be within a quarter mile of the camp. On the current compass azimuth they should come out slightly to the east of the camp on the high ridge overlooking the complex. Jack decided late this afternoon or early tomorrow morning they would make the rescue.

Kelly and Sally had first picked up the scent of smoke and then the sound of gunfire in the rhythm of a firing range. The going got steeper and Sally could feel she needed more conditioning. She was looking forward to resting in a sniper hide. She looked to her left and saw Shadow keeping pace with her. Sally reached down and held Shadow’s loose-fitting collar. Shadow dug in and Sally felt herself being dragged up the slope. She thought, How can so much power be packed into a 120-pound body? Kelly moved up close behind her and said, “Keep going, you can breathe later.”

The next day at noon, Buck Dawson and his nephew co-pilot had the Lear ready to go. When the Lear reached its cruising altitude of 30,000 feet, Jack gathered Kelly and Sally around the conference table. Shadow was in a seat across the aisle trying to sleep. Jack said, “I know you must have some questions, but let me go over the general plan first. Kelly, I’ve made a few changes since our last trip to Big Timber. It’s a very small place. I doubt the daily air traffic at the airport gets too many planes like this one outside of hunting season. The airport could be watched by a friend of the Marshalls’. A simple phone call from a mechanic would be enough to give us problems. So Buck is landing the Lear at Billings and renting a Cessna to take us to Big Timber. A rented car in Buck’s name will be waiting for us. Buck will wait in Big Timber for our pick-up call. Then we retrace our steps. Go to Billings, pick up the Lear and our co-pilot, Elliot. We avoid leaving a record of being in Big Timber.

“Once on the ground in Big Timber, Buck will drive us to within a four-hour walk of a remote cabin Kelly and I used on our last trip. If someone is in the cabin we’ll have to adjust. If not, we move immediately overland to the Marshalls’ camp. Both Kelly and I know the trail. We’ll try to get within a couple of hours of the Marshalls’ before we camp for the night. The next day we want to be able to observe the camp from a concealed area at least two hours before dark. Maybe we’ll move against the Marshalls and rescue any captives then or wait until the next day. I would like to find out where the captives are or were being held the first day we reach the camp.”

Moving from the Lear to a Cessna six-seater didn’t bother Buck. He put the Cessna smoothly on the ground in Big Timber. Shadow wasn’t happy with the cramped space and yipped a complaint a few times. Jack said, “Shadow, be quiet. The whole world is not first class.”

Buck pulled the Jeep Wagoneer rental up to the Cessna. Kelly got in beside him to give directions to the fire road. Sally, Jack, and Shadow sat in the back. Thirty minutes later Kelly showed Buck where to pull over. Shadow was first out and ready to go. Jack helped Buck do a tight three-point turn in the jeep wagon. By the time he was out of sight, the Brandon team had melted into the growth of scrub pine bordering the fire road where they paused to load their weapons. Jack and Shadow took the point and Kelly brought up the rear. They made good time, reaching the creek crossing point in less than four hours. After a short rest, they moved quietly and slowly across the small creek below the cabin, Jack stopped them below the steep bank. He scanned the cabin with his binoculars. He saw nothing and handed them to Kelly, who carefully searched the cabin and surrounding area. It was cool enough for a fire but no smoke drifted out of the chimney. Jack nudged Kelly and said, “Cover us. Shadow and I are going to check the cabin out.”

Shadow scrambled up the bank and waited for Jack. Jack released him and Shadow bolted up to the cabin, sniffed at the door and ran around to the back. When he reappeared, Jack said, “Good boy, Shadow, go get Kelly,” and pointed down toward the stream. Shadow ran down and greeted the girls. When they came up to the cabin, Jack was already inside. It looked the same as it was when they left two weeks ago. Kelly said, “I don’t think anyone has been here since we left. Wonder if Jake Morgan’s body is still on the steep slope behind the cabin?”

“I hope not,” Jack said. “We’ll see on the way up the ridge. We’re not going to cover much of the trail today. It will be dark in three hours. I’m counting on using this cabin on our way back if we have any rescued women. It’ll take us two full days to get here if we are traveling with rescued captives. Okay, first a weapons check and then a foot check.” All three were carrying SOCOMs sidearms. Jack and Kelly carried Stoner SR-25s. Sally selected a .30 carbine. She knew the weapon and had fired it frequently. Its range was limited to less than 200 yards. When Jack was satisfied with the weapons check, he said, “Time for the foot check. Kelly, you and Sally check your feet. You know the drill.”

Sally said, “My feet feel good. I’m okay.”

“Off with the boots and socks, girl!” Kelly said anyway.

Kelly took one look at Sally’s left foot and reached for the tape. “You got a nice blister starting on the outside of your big toe. Don’t take this piece of tape off until we get back on the plane. I’ll check your tender feet after two hours on the trail.”

After the foot checks were completed, Kelly and Shadow led off. From Jack’s rear guard position he could keep an eye on Sally who hadn’t done much distance hiking since leaving her home state of Montana. Going up the ridge, Kelly noticed the remnants of Jake’s body and clothes mostly concealed by the scrub pine growth. It was obvious the animal inhabitants of the forest had been at work. She didn’t point out the scene to Sally. Sally was tough but she didn’t want to push her now. Everyone needed a clear head focused on the target. She was pleased Jack put her in the point position. Kelly had a clear recall of their reverse journey on this trail to the Marshall camp. She used her compass but really didn’t need to. Two hours had passed and Kelly moved them into a thick growth of pine surrounding a small clearing. They shucked their packs and Jack checked with each of them to see how they were doing. It was also time for another foot check. Jack kept watch on Shadow’s legs and feet. A thorn or small pebble stuck between his pads could cause a problem. Shadow saw Jack coming toward him with a small rag in his hand, flopped down, and rolled over with his feet in the air. Jack laughed and asked, “Where did that come from?”

Sally said, “He got that from Gideon, who must have learned that when he was on the dog show circuit. Shadow saw Gideon do that when Kathy was cleaning his feet before he came inside.”

Jack said, “I guess Gideon has some things he can teach Shadow. Even old dogs, if they’re as smart as Shadow, can learn. I think there is a small stream about 60 yards down this slope. The water should be good. It’ll be dark in an hour. We might as well set up camp here. Good choice, Kelly.”

“Same as last time, no fire?”

“No, we can have a small, near smokeless fire for coffee and hot soup. You two top off our canteens. Take Shadow with you. He’ll need a drink. One of you keep watch from cover while the other fills the canteens. Those precautions probably aren’t needed here. But, I want you both to learn them and realize that it is easier, quicker, and safer to always apply careful procedures than to guess whether they are required. Don’t worry about being paranoid. Being careful is good.”

On the way down to the creek Sally asked, “How does he know there is a creek 60 yards down this slope?”

“Jack has very heightened senses. He may have heard it or saw birds dipping low or remembered it from a topo map. Even a game trail running down the slope would have caught his eye. I’ll bet there is water down there. Any bets?”

“Not from me. I’ll never forget Shadow and Jack moving down the ladder of the kidnapper’s boat. They were like streaks of darkness swarming over the guy who was trying to kill me. He never had a chance. I think he died without knowing it. Also I’ll never figure out how he found me below decks in a luxury cruiser hundreds of miles from where I was kidnapped.”

“When they were holding me in that pit under the barn floor, I kept thinking, ‘if he found Sally, he can find me.’ That thought kept me going. Come to think of it, I wasn’t even surprised when he pulled the blanket off my head and helped me up.”

“What do you think happened to those people?”

“I don’t know but I do know they will never kidnap or imprison people again. The Brandon law of justice is hard, not many shades. You’ll note with my reputation of having a smart, quick mouth, I never opened my mouth when Jack was lecturing me unless asked. I know if I make another bad mistake, I’ll be benched big time.”

“I know about the second mistake. What was the first?”

“I went someplace without any backup or weapon. It was a real dangerous situation and I messed up. Kathy came just in time to save me. She explained to me in choice words how dumb I was. Speaking of mistakes, let’s tighten up here. Less chatting and more looking. I think I hear running water.”

Jack and his canine friends were back from the cabin before nightfall. Jack asked Kathy if she could sit in on a pre-mission planning session with the girls, including Storm.

“Yes, if you do it right now.”

“See you in the conference room in ten.”

Jack got Storm on the intercom and asked her to get Kelly and Sally and come to the conference now.

Kathy was waiting as the others filed in clutching cups of coffee. The girls were looking a bit puzzled. Kelly was trying hard to act normal after hearing Jack’s critical remarks last night. Jack said, “I’m leaving for Montana in the morning. Shadow, Kelly, and Sally are coming with me. Storm, I want you to do a quick research on these people and their business, include some satellite images of their shooting camp and maps of a half-circle 15 miles out to the west and south of the camp. I want to get in and out without a paper or digital trail. Kelly and Sally, 40-pound packs with everything you need. Your favorite rifle, handgun, and 50 rounds each. Include enough trail food for three days for yourself and up to four captives. Include extra blankets. If there are captives, they may not be able to walk out. We’ll need to establish a safe campsite where they can rest and we can get what they need to move on. Remember, it might be cold and wet but no tents, just tarps we can put up. I’ll carry what Shadow needs and any extra gear like medical kits and short-range person-to-person communications. Sally, follow Kelly’s lead. She’s done this before. That’s it, let’s go.”

On the way back to their rooms, Sally said, “We need to get three or four pairs of light shoes. If we find captives, they will need shoes. They’ll still be wearing what they were wearing when grabbed off the street. A good chance those shoes won’t hold up for an all-day walk in rough country.”

Kelly said, “Okay, you get the shoes. I’ll start getting the other stuff together.”

After a good night’s sleep, Kathy felt like a new woman. Still in her bathrobe, she went down the hall to see Jody. The door was ajar and looking in she saw Gideon on the bed. Jody was still asleep with her arm around the big pup. Gideon saw her and raised his head but made no move to get up, as if saying, It’s okay, I have her. Kathy turned and went to the kitchen where she found Mrs. Minh drinking a cup of green tea. Kathy thought, This is one tough woman. I’m glad she is on our side. In the kitchen, running the house, or in a gunfight she could more than hold her own. Mrs. Minh had been fighting the Viet Cong at an age when most kids were in the sixth grade. Her husband was no different, except a few years older.

Mrs. Minh got up and poured Kathy a cup of freshly brewed French roast. Kathy asked her to pour one for Mr. Brandon then carried the coffee back to their bedroom and found Jack shaving. She perched on the edge of the tub and told him what she knew about Jody. When she finished, Jack said, “I’ll ask Lou and Storm to find out what they can. Obviously she’ll have to stay here for several weeks to get her health back. Once we know a little more about her, we can find things for her to do. Otherwise she’ll go bonkers.”

“I’m glad you came to the same conclusion,” Kathy nodded. “Gideon has adopted her as his charge. I peeked in her room. She was sleeping with her arm around Gideon. He raised his head and gave me this look like, ‘I got it.’ So I left him there. With us gone so much, with the Minhs and Gideon she’ll have some friends here.”

“Speaking of being gone, before Jim Marshall can disappear with his blood money and perhaps some female captives, I have to go out there. Please stay here with Jody and run the place while I’m gone. We need to get the office space Storm and Lou will need set up. We also need a dependable smart lawyer. You know, Sally McGovern just might like to fill the lawyer slot. Think about it. I’ll take Shadow, Kelly, and Sally with me. Kelly is shooting almost as well as her mother and Sally is coming along. I read Kelly the riot act last night over her walking to her parked car by herself. She needs a chance to redeem herself.”

“Okay. I’ll stay. I hate staying and worrying. With Jody here, there is little choice. Promise you will call every day.”

“Sure, but before I go I want to empty this house of everything incriminating. I’ll take the Flex into the garage and load nearly all our arms and ammunition and sniper stuff and take Shadow and Gideon to the cabin. No one should be able to associate it with us. The hidden room there would be hard to find. I can be there and back in nine hours. Anything you think should go to the cabin put in the garage and I’ll load it. I’ll need another throwaway cell. I don’t want any phone records of me being in Montana or in the area of the cabin, especially when we take the Marshalls and their prison down.”

Kelly and Sally almost bumped into Lou on his way out. Jack gave them both a hug and black coffee. He thought, What could be wrong with a woman who drinks her coffee black? Kelly took the coffee gratefully. “We are wiped. I thought those girls would never settle down. They were still frightened and afraid to be alone. They all crammed into one room. No trouble at the motel. They were happy with the business. The girls were dubious about not calling the police. I gave them the talk about an ongoing investigation and their own safety. Plus all the negative notoriety and without any evidence some people would not believe their stories. They were all a new batch of prisoners. The longest anyone was a captive was five days.

“I told them those people would never bother them again. Sally told them she was once a captive and was rescued by the same team, who are a very small, special, super-secretive government unit. She followed their advice and was glad she had. Testifying before an open court can be very dangerous when dealing with a ring of kidnappers. Sally’s story calmed them down and they all managed to convince loved ones they would be home the day after tomorrow and asked them for no media or police. It’s almost too good to believe. So I don’t. Some parent, sibling, or friend will tell the media or the police. I see why you wanted them to have no way to reach or identify us. One more thing. One girl was from Philadelphia and she asked for the lab Sally brought from the farm. We gave it to her. I helped her with a rental car. She left this afternoon for Philadelphia. Fortunately, some of her documents and credit cards were in the stuff you and Kathy picked up.”

“Good job, both of you. Now the lecture. Do you remember me telling you to stay together? I meant exactly that. You both, especially you Kelly, showed bad judgment. You knew about the dangers of being alone in a parking lot. When is the prey the most vulnerable? Not when parking, unless you park in the same spot all the time, the hunters have no way of knowing where you’ll park but they do know you will be coming back. To come back alone, probably carrying packages, not thinking about the danger and not being ready with your weapon is a serious lapse. If you’re going to be careless how can I trust you with my back or Kathy’s?”

Kelly said, “I’ve no excuse. Sally even asked me if it was okay if she watched the packages and I went to get the car. It was dumb.”

“If you want to stay on this team and do the work your mother did, you must, and starting now, use your head. This business isn’t only about bravery and skills. It is mostly about judgment and details. In your case it is also about following orders. You do not yet have the necessary experience to act on your own. You are a boot, a new recruit, and you will have to work hard to move up the chain. Understand?”

“Yes. I can do better.”

“Okay. Listen carefully. No more mistakes. This is the second serious one. If you didn’t have so much potential and if this wasn’t mostly my fault for pushing you along so fast, there would be no more chances. Normally I would not critique you in front of Sally, but I wanted her to hear me. It may prevent a future problem. Now tell me your story.”

For the next hour Kelly told Jack and Sally what had happened to her, starting with the stun gun in the parking lot. Jack praised her for her actions after she was taken. When she was done, Jack nodded and they left. Jack hoped he hadn’t been too hard on Kelly. Her mother died in his arms from taking a bullet meant for him. He had promised his dying friend he would take care of her daughter and he was going to do just that. Even at the cost of her friendship.