Page 79 of Battle Mountain

It was a trait he shared with the Centurions gathered at the ranch in the nearby valley.

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The vets onhis team were different. He admired them. Like him, they’d all fought overseas in different conflicts: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, the Congo, or Somalia. These vets had signed up to protect their country and had instead been sent to places to fight that they’d barely heard of, all so the Centurions could fly their private jets to Wyoming and play cowboy for a weekend.

Allison, code-named Double-A, who had infiltrated the ranch staff and was fully on the inside, had been at Abbey Gate. She was the de facto commander of the group of veterans, all of whom were male, and they respected and obeyed her.

Bissett, the second-in-command, had received extensive injuries and a prominent facial scar when the MRAP he was riding in was blown up by an IED in Iraq. Two of his buddies had died on the scene, and two others were severely injured. After returning to the States, Bissett had spent years fighting with the Veterans Administration over medical treatment and facial reconstruction surgery, and the fight had turned him from a patriotic ex-soldier into a man passionately antiwar.

Both had been forbidden to talk about their experiences in the military. Both would be getting their revenge very soon in a very personal way on the people who had ruined their lives.

Although he admired the vets on his team, Soledad was wary of them. Unlike the others, who knew nothing, the vets were competent, skilled, and independent thinkers. He was careful around them. He never spoke of his own history except the betrayal by his superiors, which they could understand. Not once did he talk about the things he’d done or the people he’d killed in the intervening years.

Soledad could conceive of a scenario where the vets turned on him.

But if he could hold them together for one more day, he had no doubt they’d complete their assignments.

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Using the tipof his crutch on the projected image to illustrate their strategy, Soledad said, “This is a Google Map image of Battle Mountain and the ranch. We’re on this side of the mountain, and the ranch is over the top in the valley. You can see it here.”

He moved the crutch slowly from the tiny scattered buildings of Soledad City over the summit of the mountain to a ragged white line that ran vertically on the mountainside to the west.

“Here’s the granite ridge that overlooks the ranch. It has enough cover that no one from below can see you. To get there, it’s seven miles of rough country. It’ll take most of the day on foot, and we’ll send along the support ATVs with water, food, and ammo. But you’ve got to move slowly and quietly and stay in the trees. We don’t know about any overhead surveillance, but we don’t want to risk your movement if there is. As you know, the government likes nothing better than spying on its citizens.”

That resulted in a low rumble of support from the activists, Soledad noted. Two of the vets nodded their heads.

“Stay behind the ridge and don’t look over it at the ranch. Keep out of sight. We can’t afford to have some dude ranch cowboy look up and see your head skylined against the sky. Stay hunkered down there until you get the word from me over the radio. Got that? Next image.”

A closer aerial view of the B-Lazy-U appeared.

“Here is the ranch yard layout. Here is the lodge, the cabins, and the lawn. Right here, even though it’s not in this image, is where they put up a stage to welcome the new Centurions into the order. The guests will all be sitting on the lawn watching them and sipping cocktails. There will be loud music, and from what I understand, some fireworks. Donotreact to either.

“We’ll know when the ceremony is over from our people inside,” he said. “That’s when all of the guests will leave the lawn and regroup in the lodge for cocktails and such. Security will be very light—all of their security guards will still be at the checkpointsout on the road. No one will be looking for an attack from the mountain.”

Soledad gestured to the vets. “You’ll lead the attack, as we discussed. Everybody else will follow them down through the trees. Don’t break up or get ahead of them.”

He moved his crutch around the exterior of the lodge building. “There are five doors into and out of the building. Here are the main doors above the front porch. There are also two exits on each side of the lodge and two in back. This is the loading dock, and there’s a door next to that.

“You all know which entrance you’ve been assigned. Make sure you’re with your team and find cover and get a clear view of your door. Once you hear shooting inside, you know to aim at the door and spray anyone coming out. Keep an eye on the windows on the ground floor, second floor, and third floor. It’s possible they might try to open the windows and escape. Don’t let them.”

He turned to the vets. “You’ll be the first in. Two through the front, one through each side door. Our people inside will come from the kitchen in back, so the Centurions will be surrounded on all sides. Go for high-value targets first. I’ve provided you with their photos so you know who they are. Be careful not to get caught in a cross fire, and keep an eye out for guests who might be armed.

“There will be collateral damage, like we discussed,” Soledad said. “Staff, wives, and caterers will be in that crowd. Try to spare them if you can, but don’t worry if a few of them go down. It might not be possible to avoid that.”

“They knew what they were getting into when they took the job,” one of the anarchists added bitterly.

“That’s right,” Soledad said.

To the vets, he said, “Walk the room when it’s over. Make sure you got all the right ones. Double-tap the high-value targets, just to be sure.”

To the activists, Soledad said, “When the shooting stops, you’ll know all is clear. I’ll let you know over the radio as well. That’s when our inside shooters will need to exit the lodge. Don’t get too excited and make a mistake and shoot them when they come out. Our guys will be wearing full body armor, helmets, and balaclavas. Donottake a shot at one of them.”

“Or we’ll kill you all,” one of the vets grumbled.

“Go back to your dorms and get ready,” Soledad said. “Be ready to move at dawn.”

The vets left immediately, anxious to gear up.

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