CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Coop’s team has been relaying information to us to help pinpoint the exact location of Rodriguez and his camp. This dude has done nothing to attempt to hide it. That only makes us believe that someone knows exactly what he’s doing and is looking the other way.”
Hiro opened the map on the overhead screen, the massive image of the jungle appearing. He narrowed the view and began pointing and talking.
“These three buildings are where he is processing the drugs. We know that by the fact that people go in wearing only their undergarments, a face mask, and hair nets. In these two buildings, the bundles are stored in air-conditioning and packed for shipment around the world.
“If you look over in this direction, you can see the cages lined up for the animals. Some are full, some are not, indicating he is still waiting on other species. The cages are not large at all. This Rhino,” he said narrowing the view, “looks as though he might just barge through at any moment. I’d like to point out that those cages are titanium.
You won’t be able to just bend the bars. ”
“How do we open them?” asked Ham.
“G.R.I.P. has some equipment that will cut the bars for us. It will take a few minutes but you’ll be able to get in and get the animals out.
Roughly four miles east, is his mansion.
I should say castle. Again, not doing anything to hide it.
Turrets, cellars, or dungeons, take your pick, a moat, everything.
This dude has serious power issues,” said AJ. He nodded to Hiro.
“If we go two miles northwest, we see the coliseum,” said Hiro.
“Holy fuck,” muttered Cowboy. “That’s a real fucking coliseum. He’s crazy. Look at that. Like ancient Rome with all the modern conveniences. I’m guessing that the guests will arrive by boat?”
“That’s right. Multiple docks, supporting multiple boats of different sizes and if you look closely, the walkways are cobbled walkways. I’m telling you, this man has some serious power issues and perhaps a tiny dick.”
The men all smirked, nodding at AJ.
“How in the hell do they get all those animals to the coliseum if they’re so far away?” asked Kev.
“We believe that their intention is to get them to the coliseum once it’s completed.
There may be some beneath the current structure now.
If you look closely behind the cages, there are railroad tracks.
He’s got a private train that loads the cages, takes them the short distance to the coliseum and comes back. ”
“Okay,” nodded Ham. “So, in theory, we could load those cages on the train.”
“No,” said AJ. “There’s no outlet for you. It only goes to and from the coliseum. You’re going to have to let them loose and guide them to safety.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” frowned Ham.
“Ham, it could be worse,” said Cowboy. He nodded and then turned back to Hiro. “How many men are we looking at?”
“Right now, including construction crews, close to a thousand.”
“A thousand? Fuck me,” muttered Gator. “That’s a lot of men, Ham. We need to use everything we have. Maybe we start with the drones.”
“Maybe,” he nodded, “or maybe we take them out a little at a time. Provide a little sabotage that will slow them down. If we use our stealth abilities, we can send a team in, cause a collapse of parts of the coliseum, and keep them busy.”
“I’d recommend causing chaos at the drug lab and storage first,” said Matt. “That’s his bread and butter right now. If we disrupt that, he’s got no cash flow. Does it operate twenty-four-seven?”
“No,” said AJ. “It was something we noticed right away. At precisely nine p.m., the guards search all the workers one-by-one, hose them down, and send them on their way, locking the doors behind them. You’ll have between a hundred and a hundred and fifty guards patrolling the property but again, if you’re using the stealth netting, you won’t have any issues. ”
“We could use the condors again,” came the deep baritone voice at the door. Every man in the room jumped, gripping their chests. Even Trak’s grandsons jerked in surprise.
“I swear one day you are going to get shot, Trak,” said Ham shaking his head. Trak just shrugged. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard it and it wouldn’t be the last. He took one step into the room and rolled his eyes as Alec and Tailor pushed in behind him.
“What are y’all doing here?” asked Cowboy.
“We’re bored,” frowned Alec. “We want to have some fun.”
“This isn’t fun! It could be war,” said Ham. The two massive giants grinned, fist-bumping one another. “Y’all are children. Fine. And using the condors could be helpful, you’re right.”
“Whatever you say, you’re in charge,” grinned Trak.
“Am I? Am I, really? Because it damn sure doesn’t feel that way,” frowned Ham.
“We mean no disrespect, Ham,” said Tailor.
“You’ll feel this one day yourself. There will come a day when you’re technically retired but still have the feeling that you can be useful, helpful, and can make a difference.
We’ve been to this part of the world more times than you can imagine.
Let us help and we just might make things a little easier for you. ”
“Fine. Fine, you’re right. We can use the help. But do me a favor,” he said staring at the three additional team members, “at least do me the courtesy of telling me what you’re going to do before you do it.” Trak smirked at him, nodding.
“I’ll do my best.”
They all watched as the three men left the room, smiling at one another and shaking their heads. They knew they most likely wouldn’t tell them a damn thing.
“Alright,” nodded Ham. “We’ll wait until we get more intel from Coop and his team and start finalizing plans. In the meantime, gather the weapons and explosives we’re going to need. Gather your own gear, anything that you know you’ll want and need. Hiro?”
“Yep,” he said spinning around.
“Get with G.R.I.P. and take anything they’ll give us.”
“Victoria and Marilisa are already on that. They’re crating everything now for the boats to be brought to the air strip.” He nodded, staring at the others.
“Then let’s plan for everything.”