Targets of Revenge Read Online Free PDF

lifted the knapsack. He grabbed the night-vision goggles and digital compass and tossed both into the pack, then hurried off into the trees, just in case anyone had been near enough to see or hear the crash and might be coming by to have a look.
    Safely in the thick of the jungle, he sat against the wide trunk ofa large, gnarly kapok, pulled out his canteen, had a drink of water, then took out two 800 mg ibuprofen gelcaps and washed those down with a second gulp. The real pain he would feel was a couple of hours away and he wanted to head it off if he could. He placed the manual compass in his lap and had another quick look at his watch. He figured he had less than four hours before sunrise. In that time he would have to make his way through almost three miles of dense jungle, find Adina, send him to hell, and then make his escape.
    Sandor nodded to himself. He was thinking clearly and ready to get started.
    He removed his earpiece and zipped it into a side pocket of his vest. He was going to maintain total radio silence until the mission was complete—he didn’t want to risk the chance of anyone intercepting even a one-word message letting them know he had touched down.
    His Mark II combat knife, popularly known as the Ka-Bar, was in place on his right thigh. He reached into the knapsack for the S&W .45 1911 automatic in its holster and strapped it on. He placed the two extra magazines in another compartment of his vest.
    He stood and hoisted the pack onto his back. When he put on the PNVGs the entire jungle became illuminated, as if a hazy, green-tinged light had been turned on. Then, compass in hand, he set off in a northeasterly direction.
    ————
    The information developed by Jim Bergenn indicated that Adina’s base of operation was southwest of Barranquitas. It was a typical choice of hiding place for a man like Rafael Cabello.
    Barranquitas was a village of barely ten thousand people, but in medical circles it was famous for all the wrong reasons. Barranquitas has the highest per capita concentration of Huntington’s disease in the entire world, with more than half the population testing positive for the fatal gene. Studies have been made, scientific expeditions undertaken, and the inevitable result, in the end, is that the small town has gained a reputation akin to a leper colony. Although there is no evidence that the misfortune of these inhabitants is in any way contagious to outsiders, people from surrounding areas simply stay away.
    A perfect place for Adina to set up shop, seeking cover behind the misery of others.
    Sandor moved as quickly as he could through the dense vegetation, but progress was slow. The ground was uneven and covered with a network of large twisted roots. The trees themselves were not a problem but the thick vines were. He would frequently have to reverse course and find alternate routes around these hanging obstacles.
    The enhanced vision afforded by his goggles was invaluable as he avoided ditches and small ravines he might otherwise have plunged into, as well as fallen branches and dead roots he would have tripped over. It also helped him steer clear of the occasional curious snake that warily eyed this nocturnal interloper marching purposefully through its domain.
    The backpack was heavy and his protective clothing too thick for the tropical humidity; although the night air was cool, he felt the clammy perspiration cover his skin beneath the microfiber shell he wore. He frequently wiped his face with the back of his gloved hand.
    As he pressed on, Sandor continually checked his compass—he knew how easy it was to move off course on this sort of trek, and that would cost him precious time. After more than an hour of pushing himself through nature’s unrelenting obstacle course, he saw a glimmer of light several hundred yards ahead.
    He stopped at the edge of a small clearing, placed his pack on the ground, and sat. He drank some water, then reviewed his coordinates on the digital