92. Operation Rescue

Hunter decided to act at two-o’-clock when all are asleep. The sentries should not relieve one another at that time. They had observed the sentries during the day to ascertain the relief schedule. The sentries on the towers and the lookout in front of the barracks where his friends are kept, changed watch promptly every eight hours. So, two-o’-clock would be the best time to make their moves. It will give them more than enough time to pull off their operation.

It is time. Everything is dead quiet. It really seems that only the four sentries are awake while the rest of the camp is in dreamland. The soldiers’ barracks are situated at the back of those of the visitors and the entrance is right in front of the second tower. All seems silent but they will only be sure once they are near that tower.

William watches the sentry in the nearest tower and keeps them posted on their headphones while Hunter visits the fence with his sharp cutter whenever the sentry moves away and that piece of the fence is out of his eyesight. Quickly he cuts an unobtrusive hole before he calls Daniel and Ryan. They quietly slip through the opening while William remains behind, his eyes fixed on the sentry. Hurriedly they slip into the shade of the water tank under the nearest tower out of sight of all the sentries.

Hunter looks up and notices that there is no trap door. Extremely slowly he starts up the ladder like a chameleon. The sentry must not see or feel him ascending. Softly he whispers in his microphone to William when he reaches half stage: “I am almost there. Please keep me informed as to the sentry’s movements. I’m not going to speak again. Just keep me informed!”

William talks in his ear: “He is now looking in my direction with his binoculars, Major. It looks as if he is studying the fence through which you have moved. There is quite an opening now and I wonder whether he has noticed it. Major, you must hurry up before he makes an alarm. Maybe he is suspicious.”

Hunter listens intensely while climbing. Eventually, he peeps into the opening seeing the sentry standing with his back to him. He scrutinizes the man and he doesn’t look like a soldier but rather like a barefoot farmworker in a T-shirt and shorts. Naturally, shit afraid and completely submissive to the Baxter brothers. His radio is away from him on one of the sandbags. The towers are open platforms with a hole in the centre where the ladder gives entrance with a little roof overhead. Sandbags are stacked breast-high for safeguarding the sentry, simple but effective.

Silently Hunter climbs up onto the platform and gets his shock pistol out of its holster. He aims at the man’s bare legs and pulls the trigger. The arrows hit his legs and the wires transmit the high voltage. The poor man’s muscles subtract and he hits the platform like a corpse and lies and shakes while Hunter keeps the button in and comes nearer. When he releases the button, the man lies dead still and unconscious. Hunter gets duct tape out of his trouser pocket and binds the man’s wrists thoroughly together behind his back and then his ankles and eventually, he binds his legs and wrists together. He also put tape over the man’s mouth. Then he licks the back of his own hand and holds it in front of the guy’s nose until he is sure he is still breathing. He leaves him and calls Daniel over his radio to join him.

Earnestly Hunter talks to him: “Okay, remember our plan. You watch the tower sentries from this position and will be our eyes while we take over the other watchtowers. We will do the left one first before William and I will take over the last tower behind the barracks.”

Daniel nods and Hunter talks over his microphone: “William, we’ve got number one. Is, is time for you to join us. Come, we are waiting!”

“Okay, Major, I am on my way.”

William slips through the opening while Hunter climbs down. William joins them. The three of them wait because from here to the next tower they have to cross the open, illuminated yard and they will have to wait for Daniel’s sign.

Hunter calls over the radio: “Daniel, let us know when the sentry turns away from our position and look out from the other side of the tower so that we can run immediately. Just say ‘run’ when you are sure. We only need ten seconds then we are out of sight and from there we can unobtrusively move in the shade to under his tower. Over!”

“Copy, Major, over!”

Anxiously they wait under the water tank ready to run over the yard silently as quickly as possible when the sentry looks away. Touch wood no one will emerge from the barracks and see them, but opportunity knocks but once. At this stage, there is no one at the entrances of either the barracks or the farmhouse.

Daniel’s urgent voice suddenly comes: “Run … run …!”

Like one man they start and silently jog over the yard to the shade of the fence and move to a position behind the tower.”

Daniel’s voice comes again: “Everything is quiet.”

Hunter speaks: “I am waiting for your signal to climb up the ladder. Tell me when the man in the third tower turns and looks away in the other direction.”

Hunter waits a while but the radio remains silent. “Daniel, what is going on? Over.”

“I don’t see any sentry in the third tower, Major. Over.”

“Okay, what about the one in this tower? Over.”

“He is not moving and I am not sure in which direction he is looking. He has some or other hat on his head that makes it difficult to say. I only see his shoulders. Over.”

“The one in the third tower still absent? Over.”

“Yes, Major, I don’t see him.”

Hunter gestures to Ryan and William to wait in the shade and he runs over the danger area. He supposes the man in the third tower is asleep or is sitting out of sight. He just hopes the man doesn’t stand up and sees him, but it is now or never! Once again he ascends the ladder like a chameleon up to the opening. He takes his shock pistol out and keeps it ready while he lifts his head above the platform. This one is another young, barefooted worker in short trousers who stand with his arms folded absentmindedly looking at the stars with his back to the outside world that he is supposed to be watching. He wears a bush hat and Hunter shoots at his legs and overwhelms the poor boy and binds him up.

Hunter looks whether he could see someone in the last tower but there is no sign of him and he talks over the radio: “Ryan, the one in the last tower doesn’t show. Come quickly. Move your ass!”

Ryan runs hastily over the yard and climbs up quickly to where Hunter waits for him. “Okay, you will be our eyes from this position from where you must watch the front of the house and the soldiers’ barracks. Warn us if there is any sign of life. But first, watch the third tower until I have taken it over.”

“Roger, Major.”

Hunter looks quickly but sees no one in that tower and he also peeps over the sandbags to the house and barracks but all is quiet. Nimbly he climbs down and talks to William on his way down. “William, meet me at the bottom of the ladder.”

Together they jog over the open yard reaching the shade under the last tower. Hunter again climbs carefully up the ladder. This one sits and snores against the sand wall where Hunter shoots him with the shock pistol and binds him up. He calls William to join him.

Now for the last one! “Daniel, come in. You are very silent. What is the guy in front of the barracks doing? Over.”

“He is sitting and reading a book, Major. Over.”

“Okay, you must warn me if you see someone at the house or barracks or if he stops reading and rises. It is his turn now. Confirm that you all are ready. Over.”

They all confirm and Hunter hastily climbs down and bravely jogs straight to the entrance of the soldiers’ barracks before he stops past the danger zone at the side of the construction. He whispers over the radio: “Is the asshole still reading?”

Daniel confirms immediately. “Yes, Major.”

Hunter jogs along the side of the barrack around the corner and surprises the man and shocks him so that he tumbles down from his stool. Hunter keeps the button pressed to make sure the man is unconscious. He tests the door and sees the key in the keyhole and unlocks it carefully and opens it slowly. He takes the key out of the keyhole and puts it in his trouser pocket. He drags the man on his boots into the dark barrack and closes the door behind them quietly. He locks the door but leaves the key in the keyhole on the inside.

He binds up the sentry as silently as possible just like the others and tapes his mouth. He then walks down the corridor to the first room. The door is open and he hears heavy breathing and stares into the dark room. He gives his eyes enough time to adjust while he brings the contents of the room all the more in focus.

Two double-story beds on both sides of the room with a built-in cupboard containing a mirror and little space between the beds. On one of the lower beds, someone is sleeping.

Hunter silently stalks the person.