Page 12 of Jake

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Our meeting completed, I made my way to the front of the plane and turned to address the men who had become silent as I’d headed down the aisle.

“I know you were informed that Jake was found on the airstrip and that he’s barely alive after a brutal beating and torture.”

“Who did it, Boss?”

“Find the fucker and wipe him off the surface of the planet!”

“Who the fuck hurt him?”

“Blow him to Hell!”

I raised my hand to quell the outbursts.

“I know you’re all wondering what the hell is going on and are itching to get out and take down the bastards who injured Jake. After speaking with Herias Nobilumo, who you have all heard of and who some of you have met, I can now give you more information on the situation. The arsehole we are dealing with is a man by the name of Romano Russo. He is an Italian mafia boss who intends to take over all of PNG. He has already gained control of Bougainville. By threatening or killing the locals and our contacts, he appears to think he has taken New Britain from the Kumuls.”

“Like fuck he has!”

“Who the fuck does he think he is?”

“Let us at the bastard, Boss.”

Comments flew at me thick and fast, showing the men’s loyalty to our cartel. I raised a hand and they quieted.

“The fucker is using Nobilumo’s fifteen-year-old daughter as leverage to ensure he tells us nothing.” I glanced at Herias, who stood beside Quinn at the rear of the cabin. “Fortunately, they underestimated Nobilumo’s loyalty to Jake and he is putting his faith in our ability to recover his daughter unharmed. We will not let him down. He’s told us everything he knows about the compound and I have drawn up a detailed diagram of the location and layout. I want everyone outside and I’ll go through what we’ll be doing.”

There was loud shuffling while the men geared up once again, and I stood back while the men left the aircraft. Some carried extra guns and equipment that would be needed by Herias’ men. Herias would inform them of what was about to take place while they got ready.

Once the others had left, I spoke with Father, Alex, Logan, Daly, and Quinn, who were the only men left onboard.

“Are you confident with our plan?”

Everyone nodded before Father spoke. “Your plan is solid and we should be in and out in no time. We have the element of surprise and Russo’s belief that we will leave the country without causing trouble in our favour. His arrogance will be his undoing.”

“I agree,” Don Bonello added.

“Quinn?” I needed my brother’s input and any suggestions he might have.

“The plan we discussed is solid, Connor. I said everything I needed to down the back. We need to get this done and get to Jake because I’m not letting that fucker give up and die because we’re not with him.”

CHAPTER FOUR

CONNOR

Quinn, Logan, Daly, Herias, and I led the five groups and approached the Russo compound via different routes. We would stay in contact by using walkie-talkies with the sound turned down low to not alert anyone in the area. Father accompanied Quinn; Don Bonello joined my group. We were a total of thirty-six, so each group had seven men, except mine, which had eight.

My group would approach the compound’s centre, where Herias had said the main gates were located. Unfortunately, he wasn’t aware of an alternate entry as it had been the only one he’d used when summoned.

Quinn would approach twenty metres off to my right, Herias, the same distance on my left. The other two groups, led by Logan and Daly, would be twenty metres away on each side of them. We would cover a distance of eighty metres in total.

The rainforest was thick leading from the airstrip, offering us plenty of cover. When we reached the road leading from Rabaul into the mountains, I glanced off to my left and noted the track that led to the compound that Herias had drawn on the map. I spoke quietly into the radio.

“Positions?”

Every leader radioed back that they had reached the road as we’d planned and had the track in sight.

“Five minutes.”