job was to keep Argos’s mind on anything but that paw.
CHAPTER 57
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The ride down from the ranger station took a half hour. As they neared the spot where Chase was going to be dropped off, they did a final radio check.
When the ranger brought the SUV to a halt, he pointed to a stand of trees and said, “Fifty yards in is the creek. You’ll hear it before you see it. The path is on the east side. Can’t miss it.”
“Got it,” Chase replied. Gathering up his ruck and his rifle, he opened the door. “See you all down there.”
“Don’t get lost,” said Harvath.
Chase smiled.
Once he had closed the door, the ranger put his truck in gear and drove Harvath and Sloane to their drop-off point. Their approach would be a little more difficult.
When they arrived at their spot, the ranger pulled over and cut his ignition. Coming around to the back of the vehicle, he waited for Sloane before opening the hatch.
She checked the glue on Argos’s paw and then flashed Harvath the thumbs-up. “It’s all dry,” she said.
Harvath told the dog to stay as he climbed out of the back. He didn’t want Argos jumping down onto that paw. It was going to be uncomfortable enough walking on it as it was. He didn’t want to compound it for him.
With Sloane and the ranger helping, they lifted Argos out of the back and set him down. It only took him a few steps to realize there was something aggravating the bottom of his right front paw.
“All right,” said Harvath. “Let’s get going before he decides he wants to sit down and start chewing on it.”
The ranger headed toward the trees and they followed.
The forest floor was soft and made it easier on Argos, but Harvath could already see he was starting to favor his paw.
Soon enough, they arrived at the edge of the tree line. The ranger held up his hand for them to stop, and everyone listened for a moment. Except for the sounds of the forest, it was completely quiet.
“This is as far as I go,” he said. “About three hundred yards down from here is where the property begins. There’s an old logging road. Follow it downhill and it’ll take you right to his front door.”
Harvath and Sloane thanked the ranger and watched as he walked back up through the trees to his SUV.
Removing the radio from his backpack, Harvath unfolded the antenna and established comms with the command center back at the airport. While Sloane kept Argos busy, Harvath gave the team at the airport a brief situation report. Once Chase radioed in that he was in place and the coast was clear, Harvath signed off and packed up the radio.
After doing a final weapons check, he and Sloane headed for the logging road.
About halfway to the ranch, Argos had gone from favoring his paw to a slight limp. By the time the ranch came into view, the limp was pronounced and unmistakable. Even though Harvath knew it wasn’t intense pain, he hated having to put the dog through it. Nevertheless, Argos was tough and kept moving.
As they walked, Harvath scanned for cameras. He didn’t see any, but he could sense they were being watched, so he and Sloane played their act to maximum effect.
Every fifty to a hundred yards they stopped, Harvath bent down to examine the dog’s leg, and then they would start up again. By the time they came in sight of Ho’s ranch house, Harvath was convinced the man had seen all of it.
On cue, they saw a figure leave the house, climb into a Gator side-by-side utility vehicle, and strike off in their direction.
The key to any successful con wasn’t getting people to put their faith in you. It was making them think that you had put your faith in them. The quickest way to do that was to ask for a favor.
Posing as hikers who had lost their way was a lame con. But add an injured dog to the scenario and suddenly things became a lot more believable, especially in a heavily rural area. Farmers and ranchers understood animals. They also lived by the code that compelled them to assist others in need. The favor in this case was obvious.
“Here he comes,” Harvath said.
Sloane had noticed him, too, and nodded in response.
Because their radios were hidden in their backpacks, they had to trust that Chase, dug in where no one could see him,