Savage Son (James Reece #3) - Jack Carr Page 0,127

he could get to the relative safety of Aleksandr’s compound, he could contact the Russian military across the bay at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky or Avacha Bay and request reinforcements. With the weapons in the lodge, he, Aleksandr, and Sergei could hold off the invaders until help arrived.

Stopping to catch his breath, Vasilievich nervously scanned the path behind him. He’d be easy to track in the snow, and with early nautical twilight not far off, his pursuers would be able to pick up their pace. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and listened.

There, they were coming. Keep going. Get to the lodge!

* * *

Reece and his team charged through the snow, now outfitted in the snowshoes, helmets, rifles, and NODs of their enemy. Reece had warned them that the IR lasers were probably sighted in point of aim, point of impact at twenty-five yards, so anything past that distance would be dicey.

Devan had his eyes on Edo, who pushed forward on the track of their quarry. Reece took point and had his eyes up and out, looking for threats.

It was clear that the Russian was moving toward the lodge, probably to sound the alarm and warn Aleksandr of the approaching hit team. Reece was intent on him not making it.

Devan threw up his left hand, signaling the patrol to stop. He’d seen Edo change his behavior. They were close.

Not wanting to walk into another ambush, Reece gave the hand and arm signal for the two trail SEALs to punch out to the right. Farkus and Chavez would move out and ahead to flank their target, putting him in an L ambush and sealing his fate.

Reece and Devan waited, quiet and listening for any changes in the environment. Eli took rear security.

They’d give their flanking element a solid five minutes and then it would be time for Edo to go to work.

* * *

They’d caught up quicker than Vasilievich had anticipated. How many were there? The Russian knew he would never make it to the lodge in time. He would have to outthink them.

His plan was a long shot, but one that just might pay off. With a dog on his track he’d double back, circling around and run parallel to them, closing the distance while moving in the opposite direction, essentially doing a large U-turn. The dog’s nose would be on the track. If he could make the move before his pursuers noticed he was veering to his right, he just might have a chance. The tubes on these particular NODs were not the best for peripheral vision. It was like looking through two toilet paper tubes. Everything within those tubes was lit up in hues of green, white, and black. To see right or left, his head had to physically turn in those directions. He hoped that because they were exerting themselves to catch him before he got to the lodge, they would be too focused on making time through the snow rather than on the possibility their prey might be trying to outwit them with such a risky maneuver. By the time they figured out he was not going for the lodge, he’d have the drop on them.

* * *

The two Americans and the lone Russian saw each other at the same time.

Farkus was in the lead. His weapon came up quickly, as he took the safety off, finger to trigger, but not fast enough for the Russian coming directly for him, who dove into his first available cover.

“Contact front!” Farkus yelled to Chavez, who immediately joined him online, both operators melting into the closest trees to evaluate the situation.

“He was doubling back on us,” Farkus said, now in a hushed voice.

“You keep him pinned,” Chavez said. “I’m going to punch right. Let’s finish this guy.”

“Roger,” Farkus confirmed.

“Moving,” Chavez said.

“Move!”

Before he could take a step, a Russian F1 hand grenade landed in the snow just shy of his cover.

* * *

Reece, Devan, and Eli heard the explosion.

“Shit, he was doubling back on us!” Reece exclaimed.

Oldest trick in the book, the former SEAL commander thought. Should have anticipated that!

“Send him!” Reece ordered.

Without a second thought Devan said, “Fass”—German for “bite”—and Edo charged toward the enemy.

* * *

Vasilievich angled his head out from behind the tree. He could see that both Americans were down but still moving. He’d finish them and then sprint toward the lodge. The snowshoes were a bit cumbersome but his remaining pursuers would have the same issue, and they just might proceed more cautiously now that he’d shown