Pru called the team together. “We’re going on a recon tonight. I don´t want to wait another day. We don´t know what´s happening in Wadi Felucca, and we can´t take chances if Zahlman´s there. It´s 1700 now. There´s food and more water in the ’mobiles. Let´s find a shady place for a short bivouac. Tank up your back packs and find a place to get some sleep. Zaratta, find a place for a latrine.”
“You going to help with the slit trench?”
“We’re not going to be here that long, Zar, and you know it. Or, would you just as soon pee in public?”
“We’ve all done it before. But, hang on. I’ll be back in a flush.”
They all settled down near a thicket of bushes a tree provided a canopy that would hide them. The ’mobiles were out of sight on the other side of the small valley. They talked, ate and lay down to rest first changing into fatigues against the coming desert chill and eventually tried to sleep as the dusk came on.
Before she rested, Pru called Solly. “What do you have on the Wadi?” she asked.
“Nothing new, really, Alpha. We’re seeing a regular change of guard. They should change next at midnight local, though they´re not precise. If you can get your people in place by then, you can get an idea of who´s there. You don´t plan to go in tonight, I hope?”
“No. We need to get the lay of the land. I´ll contact you for an update when we´re in position. Alpha out.”
By 2200, everyone had had some rest; they were anxious to take the next step. The ´mobiles moved quietly on their fields, only occasionally spitting a loose stone out into the surroundings. Jazira drove the lead ´mobile, with Pru at the controls of the second. They talked quietly on their wristcoms.
“Bravo One, I want to ground the ´mobiles about 15 minutes´ walk out. Do you know a place?”
“There´s a good place, but it´s a little further out – about 20 minutes.”
“That”ll do. I”ll check where the perimeter guard is.” She keyed her wrist com. “Solly. Alpha. Is there a perimeter guard on our approach route?”
Solly replied immediately. “I have a signature on your route about 300 meters out from the nearest building and about 500 meters ahead of you. He”s directly in your path.”
“Check, Solly. We”re moving to a base location now. Alpha out.”
Jazira confirmed that her planned base location would not be visible from the guard post. When they arrived, they all piled out of the ’mobiles and assembled closely around Pru.
Pru spoke quietly. “Night goggles, please.” She knelt to draw in the sandy soil. “Here´s what I have in mind. The Wadi is a narrow valley, with hills on either side. We´re here, at the northern end. The village, what there is of it, is about a klick directly ahead. Right, Jazz?”
Jazira muttered an affirmative.
“There´s a guard about 300 meters out from the village, and there is one guard on the ridges on each side. The one on the left is about even with the village. The other one, on the right, is a little further south, maybe 1500 meters from here.
“There are guards in the village, one outside the big building, and two outside the little one beside it – the one where we think Zahlman is.
“I want two of you to go up each ridge, locate the guard and report. Mira and I will locate the guard here and see what happens at midnight. I want you all to stay low and out of sight and observe what happens when the guard changes. It´s 2315; you have 45 minutes to be in position. Keep in touch. Any questions?”
“Bravo One and I will go left,” said Alia. That left Isabella and Zaratta on the right.
“Very well,” said Pru. “Go.”
The four women moved silently away. Only the night goggles revealed their positions, and they soon disappeared. Pru and Mira waited about ten minutes and began moving toward the village, widely separated and keeping to the low bushes that sparsely filled the wadi. In her goggles, Pru could see Mira moving silently and efficiently forward.
In about 15 minutes, Pru´s goggles registered something. “Bravo Two, Alpha. Possible target. One hundred meters. Two o´clock relative.”
“Check, Alpha.” Mira´s voice came back to Pru´s earbug. “I have him. One hundred meters, 10 o´clock relative.”
“Bravo Two, move up five oh meters and go to ground.”
“Check. Two out.”
Pru moved forward enough so that her night goggles gave a clear image of the guard. She lay down on her belly, her stunner in her hand. She checked to be sure the safety was on. “Bravo force, Alpha. Be sure your stunners are on safe.”
‘I should have thought of that sooner,” she reproached herself.
She lay there for long, slow minutes, watching as the guard moved restlessly back and forth at his position. It seemed almost too long before she heard Jazira report from the left ridge, still longer before Zaratta reported from even further south. Her wristcom told her it was nearly midnight.
“Solly, Alpha.”
“Alpha.”
“What have you got?”
“I have all of you. Each of your groups is about 50 meters from target. Nice work.”
“What do you have around the buildings?”
“Same as before.”
“Let me know when they move. I´ve got an idea.”
“Check, Alpha.”
“Localnet,” Pru said, cutting Solly off. “Bravo force, I want to see if we can get a closer look. Bravo Two, when this guard is relieved, move to your right and follow him in. Watch for the guard returning from the hill on the right. The rest of you, have one person watch to be sure she isn´t intercepted. I want to know if there are any obstacles or problems in the village. Don´t take any chances of being seen.”
“Check. Bravo Two out.”
Solly´s voice came in her earbug. “Saying ‘localnet´ doesn´t work for you, Alpha. Sorry I didn´t tell you. Risky idea: if she´s seen, you´re blown – but it may be worth it.”
“How do I cut out the local net?”
“Use my name.”
“Solly,” she said, to block the local channel, “Bravo Three is an experienced tracker and a local native tribeswoman. She shouldn´t have trouble.”
“I hope you´re right. I notice she´s moving around to get behind your target. Say ‘localnet´ again to get back to your people.”
“Okay, thanks. Solly, why haven´t we queried the IDs of these guys? That´d tell us where the target is. Didn´t we get a warrant, and if not, how come we´re here at all?”
Solly chuckled. “Yes, we got a warrant. But, don”t forget, when you query the implants, a remote somewhere beeps. We don´t want to alert these guys.”
“Right, I forgot about that. Alpha out.”
Pru listened carefully on the local net, but no one had anything to report. The guard in front of them moved to a bush and urinated.
“Movement. Change of guard leaving the main building.” Solly´s voice said in the earbug. Almost immediately, Jazira and Isabella reported the same thing. They waited more long, slow minutes. Eventually, Pru saw a second figure appear near the guard in front of them. They talked briefly, and the first guard turned to move away. Pru saw Mira´s image move silently away, following him and well off to one side.
“Bravo Two, Alpha.”
Mira clicked her tongue in reply.
“Don´t take any chances. Try to get a look at the layout and get back here. Don´t approach closer than 50 meters. Alpha out.”
Mira clicked again.
It took almost ten minutes before the returning guard reached the nearest of the buildings and went out of Pru´s sight. She could catch occasional flashes of Mira as she moved up.
“Solly here.”
“Alpha.”
“That guard stopped just around the corner of that building. He seems to be waiting.”
Pru returned to her local net. “Bravo Two, Alpha.”
Mira clicked.
“Hold where you are. The guard went around a corner and stopped. He might have seen you. Be a rock.”
Mira clicked.
Solly´s voice spoke again. “He´s gone inside the building.”
Pru waited. Her wristcom said it was five minutes.
Solly said, “He´s out again and heading for the main building. The satellite´s losing you.”
“Bravo Force, Alpha. Report location of right side returning guard.”
“Bravo Five. He´s just past the nearest building. Can´t see him.”
“Bravo One. He´s heading for the main building.”
“Bravo Two, Alpha. Proceed with caution to the edge of the nearest building, take a look around and return.”
Mira clicked.
“Bravo One and Five. Hold until Two gets back to my position, then return.”
It was nearly 0200 when they met again at the ´mobiles. Pru gathered them together. “Nice work, all of you. Anything special to report? If not, we´ll debrief back at the house.”
Mira spoke up. “That first house was a latrine, by the smell. But, when I got close to it, I could look at the main building. I´m sure it had a com antenna of some kind on the roof.”
“Solly,” Pru said, “did you get that?”
“Check, Alpha. We´ll run special surveillance in the morning. Good work.”