Page 39 of Casualties of War
“None,” Adán said. “Captain Rey is a formidable officer.”
“Not formidable enough to keep Minnie off the damn boat,” Nick growled.
“She’s a grown woman, Nick.”
“And you’re old enough to make your own decisions, too,” Nick said, his toneone of agreement. “You’re wasting your talents, piloting a boat. With the USA shutting down on us and Olivia distracted…” He drew in a long slow breath. “Never mind,” he said. “Forget I spoke.”
“Calli said the White House was not talking to her,” Adán said. “I don’t think you should read anything into that, Nick. They’re preoccupied at the moment.”
They were moving into the camp area now. Spotlightswith their own generators bathed the area with light.
Adan shook his head. “Maybe I’m missing something, Nick…”
Nick glanced at Adán and this time, Adán saw the indigo blue of his eyes and the speculation in his stare. “What would that be?”
“Forgive me for second guessing. It is sheer effrontery, I know. Only, if the Insurrectos are expecting you to cross the straight at the narrowest part,why do you not land on the main islandanywherebut there? You could come in behind them and cut them off…”
Nick shook his head.
Adán shrugged. “Perhaps I’m missing something?”
“Itwouldbe a good idea, except for a couple things,” Nick said. He held the flap of a tent aside for him.
“I’m listening,” Adán said, hiding his surprise that the great Nicolás Escobedo was speaking freely about hisbusiness. Nick always kept things to himself, even before the war.
“Coming in around behind them would be tactically brilliant,” Nick said. “It would corner them. I would give my…” He grinned. “I have nothing left to give, anymore. Yet to be able to squash them against a two hundred foot drop…my God, I would pay my last peso to do it. Only, that’s what the Insurrectos are expecting us to do.”He grinned. “Every now and again, we run one of the boats up around the coast on either side of the channel, to give their sentries something to panic about. Pretend we’re scouting.” He winked.
Adán laughed. “You want them distracted.”
“And thinned out. While they’re watching their backs, they’re not watching their front line as well as they should.” Nick gripped his arm and drew him into thetent.
Adán dropped into the folding chair Nick indicated.
“The hurricane didn’t just destroy every building on the Big Rock except the smelter,” Nick said. “It also totaled all but a dozen of the boats we used to get here. If we were going to try a beachhead landing, then it would take a dozen return trips to put everyone on the beach. While the boats were getting a new load, the troops on thebeach would be sitting ducks. Even the Insurrectos couldn’t miss.”
“Oh,” Adán said.
Nick’s smile was grim as he picked up a silver hip flask from the camp table and held it out to Adán. “Wehaveto go across the strait. Head-on, no flanking.”
“Damn,” Adán breathed. He gripped the flask and drank. Mescal. Spiced and good. He blew out his breath and wiped his mouth. “Isn’t that the hardest wayto do it?”
Nick grimaced. “It’s the only way.”
* * * * *
When the little cabin emptied, Duardo drew Minnie down the steps. He settled her beside him on the long, cushioned bench lining either side of the cabin, beneath the tiny portholes. He picked up her hand.
“Before you get all mad at me,” Minnie said quickly, “you should know I won’t do this again. I wanted to help. One last time. I wantedtoseethe difference I can make.”
Duardo’s grip tightened. His dark eyes, in the dim cabin, were steady. “The risk,mi amor…” His gaze dropped to her belly.
“War is high risk for civilians anywhere,” she replied. “What’s stopping Serrano from landing a crack team on the beach below the big house and taking us all out while you’re sitting here on the Big Rock?”
He flinched. Then he drew ina steadying breath. “What is stopping Serrano from doing that is a complete lack of anything resembling a crack team. However, I see your point.” He brushed her hair from her face. “Very well. I will not be mad.”
“Thank you.” She kissed him, meaning only to brush his cheek. He caught her face in his hands and turned it into a real kiss, one that heated her and made her middle melt and her thoughtsto leap ahead to images of hot, naked flesh and slick contact.
Then he groaned and let her go. “I can’t let down my guard, not even here,” he said, apologetically.
