Massive Attack (A Guy Niava Thriller Book 1) by Dana Arama (e reader for manga .txt) 📗

“And you want to tell me that you didn’t do it to get me off the team?” Zorro said.

“Absolutely not!” Laura blushed and added seriously, “I wanted to beat you. The next time I would’ve won.”

There was an amused smile on Zorro’s face. “So you are just an American Puritan…” Then she became serious, leaned towards Laura and with a look that was more than just tempestuous, she answered, “I can still cause you to float… And I don’t need drugs for that.”

The way she looked and moved could cause anyone to float, but I had to intervene before the mission broke apart before my eyes. It was time to create new memories for them both, so I raised my voice to get them focused on the new joint mission, “Do you want to know what the outcome of my phone call was?”

Laura looked at me, and said, “I will be happy to hear how the call went.” I was sure she was mostly just happy to change the subject.

“The photographs of the border area should arrive shortly in my email. They were taken last Thursday.” I looked from Laura to Zorro and added, “We will need equipment for the jungle. How soon can you get it organized?”

“In principle, it shouldn’t take me long.” She leaned back and studied me. “How do you want to parachute?”

I thought about it for a moment and answered, “It depends what the aerial photos show. If we will have a good landing surface, then it will be better to fly higher, it will look like a regular commercial plane, we will parachute at a high altitude and then surf to a suitable landing.”

“And if we don’t get the aerial photos?” Zorro and Laura asked in unison, “And what if there is no clear landing area in the photos?”

“In that case, I would prefer free-fall and then to open the parachutes when we are closer to the ground, so that we will be less conspicuous and spend less time in the open.” I had just finished the sentence when the ping of an incoming email sounded. I opened my inbox and retrieved the very clear aerial photographs of the border area.

The three of us huddled together around my cell phone and looked at the pictures. I played with the zoom, but the picture was too small. “This is my email,” Laura said and turned the computer towards me. “Pass the pictures onto me. We need to find a place where it will be clear enough at night. It can’t be green like the forest. If there are bald patches in the woods, then it should be totally empty of growth otherwise it’ll be hard to tell the difference.”

“Then we should look for a marijuana field that has been burned down or a field that has just been ploughed.” Laura suggested.

“That would work.”

“I am not certain about the ploughed fields, but I am sure there will be plenty of burned fields,” Laura said, “I know that the local police raided the area about two weeks ago and burned kilometers of marijuana fields.”

“Zorro, you haven’t told me how long it will take you to organize equipment for us.”

“My supplier is ready and waiting twenty-four-seven and we just need to get to him. What is your wish list?”

“Without planning too much,” I answered, “I think we will need parachuting equipment suitable for night parachuting: A black chute, an altitude gauge with minimal lighting, stick lights that adhere to the helmets, a bag of equipment with a fold up spade, a helmet with headphones. About the personal equipment, mottled thermal clothing… A tight-fitting top with long sleeves, a belt, comfortable walking shoes, woolen hat and tactical gloves. For survival equipment we will need a commando knife, a drinking backpack bag, fireball, chlorine tablets.”

“A first aid kit, compass, map and GPS,” Laura added.

“Which I’ll keep with me!” Zorro cut her off with a smile. “Because I don’t trust the two of you too much.”

I kept on listing the required equipment without reacting to what she said, “Torch, night vision device, camouflage for during the day, a satellite phone is essential! Gu-chews, goggles, walkie talkies and headphones.”

“What about weapons?”

“We’ll need them too, a gun, a long weapon with a long-range scope and doubling scope and of course a thermal night scope, hand grenades, silencer… and if I think of something else, I’ll tell you.”

“Are you going out to battle?” Laura asked. She got up from her seat and started pacing uneasily in the room, “Because I think we need minimal equipment.”

“He’s right. It is not going to be easy.” Zorro also got up and stood close to Laura, “Even though I am not happy about putting a gun in your hands, or a hand grenade, or a fencing sword, I think we are once again becoming partners in an adventure.” She took her hand and moved a few hairs off Laura’s face, “I hope this time I can trust you…”

We both looked at Laura, who replied indifferently, “I think we should parachute with first light. It will give us a few hours of sleep beforehand.”

“The princess needs her beauty sleep.” Zorro smiled at me, “Take off the list the mirrors and the lipstick.”

“I have to agree with Laura. Both of us haven’t slept much in the last forty-eight hours and the next forty-eight are going to be tough.” I smiled at Zorro, “We don’t have mirrors or lipstick, but we should add a helmet with a face guard.” I looked at both women and stated, “You are going there looking pretty and you should return in the same way.

“We are not landing between the trees.” Laura said quickly, “Let’s find a suitable field and land there.”

“Of course, like it is for certain that sometimes we drift…” I was wondering whether she was regretting her decision.

Zorro must have felt the same way because her next question was,