The Last Operation (The Remnants of War Series, Book 1) by Patrick Astre Read Free Book Online Page A

informants remained unaware of each other's existence. Run separately by agents from Mexico City, each agent did not know the existence of the other. The informer inside the house, a kid named Antonio, had failed to show up for his scheduled contact. The other informant owned a combination cantina/bodega often frequented by the men who worked at the Durand compound.
    That second informant was named Carlos Garcia. He was considered reliable because of the amount of gambling money he owed to the Durand's security chief, Miguel Aquilino. The agency had been funneling cash to Carlos, just enough to prevent Miguel from killing him immediately but not enough to raise suspicion. Only problem was that Miguel was a sadistic bastard. It was inevitable that he'd tire of the collection game and kill Carlos and his family, as much for the sheer cruel pleasure as for the debt. Charming individual thought Daniels. Part of the deal was that Carlos would help with the operation and be extracted with his mother and sister.
    For three days the team practiced on the mock up of the compound. They reviewed the plan to exhaustion. They didn't stop until they'd accounted for every contingency that could go wrong.
    Of course Daniels knew it never works that way. What always gets screwed up is what you never expect. In the end you have to rely on your training, experience and the Edge. You improvise, and if you're cunning enough, mean enough and strong enough, and you don't screw up, you survive. If not, you die. It's that simple.

 
     
     
    Chapter 8

     
    The team entered Mexico individually with four separate identities. The passports and documentation would pass any scrutiny because they were genuine, issued by the US government.
    Daniels flew the seaplane to Tampico, a harbor town at the edge of the hook formed by the Yucatan peninsula. After checking in with Mexican Customs, he rented a mooring for the floating aircraft. Daniels was beginning to really enjoy having that machine. He was supposed to be a wealthy business owner looking to take advantage of NAFTA and relocate a shoe manufacturing plant near Guadalajara. With the cheaper labor costs it made perfect sense. Matt and Rollie were the owners of a travel agency setting up helicopter and private plane tours for wealthy North Americans wanting to visit Mexico without mingling with the rabble. Kurt Rhineman was a German tourist and flew directly from Canada to Mexico City. At least that's what his German passport and visa said.
    Daniels rented a Landrover in Tampico and headed for the Guadalajara sector on the National Highway. At exactly one fifteen, he stopped in the town of Leon at a rundown roadside tourist shop filled with potteries and blankets. Waves of heated air rose from the red clay and sand like shimmering ghosts. He'd arrived at siesta time and the solitary clerk, a white haired old man, snored atop a pile of Indian decorated blankets in a corner. Two men browsed on the other side of the shop behind shelves of pottery. One had a waist pouch with a red Nike logo and a Minolta camera slung around his neck by a green strap. That was the ID for the embassy contact man. The other was dressed in a white Mexican shirt with baggy tan pants and sandals. Daniels walked up to them and said the code words.
    "Daniels for extraction."
    "Harvey," said the man with the Minolta. "This is Mr. Carlos Garcia. He is our asset in Zacotacas."
    Zacotacas was the town nearest to the Durand's compound.
    Carlos nodded. The Mexican had dark eyes over a frowning forehead partially covered by long straight dark hair. A bushy mustache jumped amidst the sun-browned creases of his mouth and cheeks.
    "Mr. Garcia brokers things in Zacotacas. It is known that a small North American manufacturer is coming to find a place to build facilities and relocate a shoe manufacturing business. We had the word passed down from one of our business contacts in Mexico City. You can spend the day driving through the surrounding