Page 78 of Freedom Fighters
“You were sent to secure our safety, first,” Garrett said. “If you don’thave a fix on your general, then you must have come through the back way…except thereisno back way. There are only the front doors.”
“We made a back way.” Duardo shrugged. “You can put those two back on the floor and come with us.”
“To where?” Carmen asked and let go of her captive. He sagged to the ground with a painful wheeze. Quickly, she transferred the Browning to her other hand.
“Thesmelter,” Duardo told them. “It’s the only building likely to stay standing through the hurricane. Come along.”
“I need to talk to you about that,” Carmen said urgently.
“The building or the hurricane?”
“Neither. Both. Do you remember the hurricane of 2009? The one that took out the north end of the main island?”
Duardo nodded. “I’m from Pascuallita,” he said shortly, then realized why shewas recalling that particular storm. “Tidal waves…” he finished.
She nodded.
He looked around the room, remembering the flat, low land that made up most of The Big Rock. He felt exposed and vulnerable, despite the walls.
“Is the smelter the big building with the concrete walls?” Garrett asked.
“Yes.”
“It will survive a wall of water,” Carmen said. “We’re more to the north of the island, here.By the time the wave gets here, it will have lost a lot of power.”
“Then the plan doesn’t change,” Duardo said.
“You might have to step it up a bit,” Garrett told him. “Carmen figures the wave will hit when the eye does.”
That made things urgent. Duardo turned and headed for the door and heard a soft grunt. When he looked over his shoulder, the man who Carmen’s fighter friend had been holdingwas lying on the ground.
Valentin and Trajo stood aside, waiting for the pair to follow Duardo as commanded.
He walked up the passage to the front doors. Adjuno and Emile had contained the reception area. Five Insurrectos laid on the floor, their hands over the back of their heads. Each team member had a supply of zip ties. The Insurrectos had one each ratcheted tightly around their wrists,holding them in that position. Unless they were fit, it would be impossible for them to get up quickly when tethered that way.
Duardo stayed out of the sightlines through the glass panels in the front door. He moved to the side of them to peer through.
The compound was a chaotic swirl of Insurrectos and Loyalists. General Flores had arrived on schedule. The fence on the other side of the compoundwas split apart and shoved aside to make a twenty foot gap.
All the Loyalists wore plastic safety goggles to protect their eyes and let them see. They were roped together in pairs and threes and fours, everyone bent forward to fight the power of the wind. They staggered, but the weight and anchor of the man next to them kept them on their feet.
Duardo watched as two Loyalists stepped sideways,the rope between them stretched taut. They took an Insurrecto off his feet with the rope. There were others using their rope as lassos, or as tripping devices, looping them around an Insurrecto’s ankles and pulling him off his feet.
There wasn’t much shooting happening. The wind would destroy everyone’s accuracy.
“Line up!” Duardo called.
Adjuno, the heavyweight, stepped up behind Duardo andclapped his shoulder with his left hand. The others assembled behind him. Duardo looked at Garrett and Carmen. “You, too,” he said flatly. “Somewhere in the middle.” He wanted Jasso on the end.
“What about the Insurrectos still in this building?” the man demanded sharply.
“They can take their chances with the storm,” Duardo said. “We’re making for the only safe building on the island. Leavethem be.” He pulled out his Glock again. “Ready?”
Everyone lined up, their non-dominant hand on the shoulder of the person in front, their hand weapons in the other. Carmen Escobedo could not raise her arm. Garrett put her in front of him, then pushed forward to puthishand on Rickardo, who stood in front of Carmen. Carmen held the Browning in her right hand with a competent grip.
Duardo pulledthe door open and staggered as the wind pushed at him with horrifying force. No wonder everyone staggered, out there. The wind had picked up since they had stolen into the admin building.
Adjuno’s hand on his shoulder kept Duardo on his feet. He pushed forward, moving out the door at an angle that would take them by the shortest route to the big gray concrete smelter. It was only two hundredyards away, but that two hundred yards would be a challenge, every single step of it.
