Page 29 of Zane

“Good boy.I’ll be around,” she said winking at Blake.

Ham just rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the table.He knew he couldn’t fool Mama Irene and he wouldn’t be able to pull one over on her, nor did he really want to.

She was right about one thing.Sending in Luke, Gaspar, and Trak was equivalent to sending in an entire team of regular men.He’d never sent a ‘ghost’ into battle but then again, he’d never had the opportunity.

“Just so you know,” said Blake, “The Komodas and the Boa both offered to come as well.They might be helpful.”

“No more animals,” said Gator.“We can’t afford to lose one or put them in danger.I won’t do that but please express our appreciation.”

“I definitely will,” she nodded.

They heard the familiar footsteps that indicated there was going to be a problem.Turning slowly, they saw the two faces that would deliver the news.AJ and Hiro.

“We have a problem.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“Coop’s team has been relaying information to us to help pinpoint the exact location of Rodriguez and his camp.This dude has done nothing to attempt to hide it.That only makes us believe that someone knows exactly what he’s doing and is looking the other way.”

Hiro opened the map on the overhead screen, the massive image of the jungle appearing.He narrowed the view and began pointing and talking.

“These three buildings are where he is processing the drugs.We know that by the fact that people go in wearing only their undergarments, a face mask, and hair nets.In these two buildings, the bundles are stored in air-conditioning and packed for shipment around the world.

“If you look over in this direction, you can see the cages lined up for the animals.Some are full, some are not, indicating he is still waiting on other species.The cages are not large at all.This Rhino,” he said narrowing the view, “looks as though he might just barge through at any moment.I’d like to point out that those cages are titanium.You won’t be able to just bend the bars.”

“How do we open them?” asked Ham.

“G.R.I.P. has some equipment that will cut the bars for us.It will take a few minutes but you’ll be able to get in and get the animals out.Roughly four miles east, is his mansion.I should say castle.Again, not doing anything to hide it.Turrets, cellars, or dungeons, take your pick, a moat, everything.This dude has serious power issues,” said AJ.He nodded to Hiro.

“If we go two miles northwest, we see the coliseum,” said Hiro.

“Holy fuck,” muttered Cowboy.“That’s a real fucking coliseum.He’s crazy.Look at that.Like ancient Rome with all the modern conveniences.I’m guessing that the guests will arrive by boat?”

“That’s right.Multiple docks, supporting multiple boats of different sizes and if you look closely, the walkways are cobbled walkways.I’m telling you, this man has some serious power issues and perhaps a tiny dick.”

The men all smirked, nodding at AJ.

“How in the hell do they get all those animals to the coliseum if they’re so far away?” asked Kev.

“We believe that their intention is to get them to the coliseum once it’s completed.There may be some beneath the current structure now.If you look closely behind the cages, there are railroad tracks.He’s got a private train that loads the cages, takes them the short distance to the coliseum and comes back.”

“Okay,” nodded Ham.“So, in theory, we could load those cages on the train.”

“No,” said AJ.“There’s no outlet for you.It only goes to and from the coliseum.You’re going to have to let them loose and guide them to safety.”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” frowned Ham.

“Ham, it could be worse,” said Cowboy.He nodded and then turned back to Hiro.“How many men are we looking at?”

“Right now, including construction crews, close to a thousand.”

“A thousand?Fuck me,” muttered Gator.“That’s a lot of men, Ham.We need to use everything we have.Maybe we start with the drones.”

“Maybe,” he nodded, “or maybe we take them out a little at a time.Provide a little sabotage that will slow them down.If we use our stealth abilities, we can send a team in, cause a collapse of parts of the coliseum, and keep them busy.”

“I’d recommend causing chaos at the drug lab and storage first,” said Matt.“That’s his bread and butter right now.If we disrupt that, he’s got no cash flow.Does it operate twenty-four-seven?”

“No,” said AJ.“It was something we noticed right away.At precisely nine p.m., the guards search all the workers one-by-one, hose them down, and send them on their way, locking the doors behind them.You’ll have between a hundred and a hundred and fifty guards patrolling the property but again, if you’re using the stealth netting, you won’t have any issues.”