all this. Eventually, their absence was going to be noticed. Apparently, though, by that time it wouldn’t matter, which could only mean one thing. The attack was about to happen.
When the Carlton Group’s jet landed in the resort town of McCall, Idaho, about thirty miles northeast of Indian Valley, an FBI command center had already been established at the airport.
A helicopter would transport Harvath, Sloane, Chase, and Nicholas’s dog, Argos, to a ranger station in the Payette National Forest. The ranger knew where Ho’s ranch was and was fairly certain he could get them right up to the property line and drop them off without their being seen. From there, they would be on their own.
The plan was for the helicopter to return to the airport to pick up a team of HRT shooters, while everyone else, including local law enforcement, would approach in SUVs via two unpaved roads.
Harvath had only two rules—nobody did anything until he gave the go-ahead, and Ren Ho was to be taken alive at all costs. Once the radio codes were established, gear was parceled out, and everything was settled, they launched.
While Argos might like Harvath, he didn’t like being separated from his owner. According to Sloane, he had exhibited the same nervous behavior at the NCTC when Nicholas had taken Draco inside and she and Chase had taken him back to the Carlton Group offices.
Harvath tried to reassure the enormous animal by scratching his neck and behind his ears. Eventually, the beast put his head down on his huge front paws and seemed to relax.
Chase looked at Harvath and said via his headset, “That dog is going to hate your guts by the end of the day.”
Harvath shook his head and looked out over the rugged landscape. He had always thought Idaho was one of the most beautiful states in the Union. It contained lots of space with very few people to bother you. If he was right, and the Chinese were planning to collapse the U.S. with a series of EMP devices, Idaho was definitely one of the places he would consider making his stand. If you had prepped enough in advance, and didn’t have any major medical conditions that required hospital visits, you could probably ride it out somewhat comfortably.
The helicopter pilot radioed the ranger station once they were in range and then, after circling the clearing to get a visual, flared and came in for a landing.
Opening the door, Harvath hopped out first, followed by Argos and then Sloane and Chase. Once they had retrieved their gear from the cargo compartment, they retreated a safe distance away and flashed the pilot a thumbs-up.
It took only a moment for the giant bird to lift off and fade from sight beyond the soaring pines. Once it was gone, the thundering sound of its rotors was replaced by something else—total silence. It was amazing how quiet the forest could be.
The ranger introduced himself and led the team to his SUV. On the hood, he had laid out a detailed topo map. He explained where they were, where Ho’s ranch was, and the route he would be taking to deliver them to the drop-off point.
“You all ready to go, then?” the ranger asked.
Chase looked at Argos and then at Harvath. “What do you say, Dr. Doolittle?”
“Help me get him in the truck,” Harvath replied.
Walking around to the back of the SUV, they opened the tailgate and coaxed Argos to jump inside. Once the dog was in, Harvath leaped up and joined him. He had the dog lie down and then took his giant head in his lap.
“All right, let’s do it.”
Chase removed a tube of Derma Bond—the medical equivalent of Krazy Glue—and Sloane produced the small stone they had selected at the airport.
Nicholas had shown her the sensitive pocket of tissue on the dog’s paw, between the pads, and that’s where she placed the stone. Pinching the lips of the pocket together, careful not to get any on her fingers, she held everything in place as Chase covered it in Derma Bond. As they did that, Harvath tried to keep the big dog distracted.
Argos looked over at Sloane and Chase once or twice, but didn’t seem to be terribly interested in what they were doing. He was more interested in the attention he was getting from Harvath.
When it was done, Sloane nodded and then she and Chase closed the hatch and climbed into the SUV with the ranger. For the duration of the ride, Harvath’s