Page 104 of Dead Fall

As he took a sip of coffee, he asked the old woman if she had enough to make a pot that he could take out to his men. She told him to eat his breakfast and she would check.

As he was finishing his omelet, she returned and set a pot of hot coffee on the table. He thanked her again and she took his plate back to the kitchen. He then went outside to join his men.

Filling their cups, he asked, “Everyone get enough to eat?”

They all nodded and, setting the pot down, he retrieved his map and spread it out on the picnic table where Hookah and Biscuit had been eating.

“I’ve got good news,” he said. “And I’ve got bad news.”

“Bad news first,” Biscuit replied.

“Okay, bad news, then. I was unable to get any information on troop movements and where the next push might come on the front lines.”

“Can you blame them?” Krueger asked. “That’s some of the most closely guarded information the Ukrainians have.”

Harvath nodded. “Knowing that the Ravens shift as the front lines shift, it could have helped us get ahead of them, but I don’t blame the Ukrainians for not sharing.”

“What’s the good news?” asked Jacks.

“The good news,” he replied, straightening the map, “is that we’ve narrowed down where we think the Ravens’ base of operation is. We’ve also learned a little bit more about how they operate.

“They like to hit their ultimate target around nightfall. Along the way, they’re opportunistic. Sometimes, they’ll pass through towns and villages without stopping. More often than not, however, they’ll pick them clean as they go.

“And if they have too much time on their hands, that’s when things really get brutal. The unlucky locals who haven’t hidden or fled get rounded up, tortured, and exterminated. Their depravity knows no limits.

“They move in a six-vehicle convoy. One Humvee in front and one in back, both with what sounds like .50-cal machine guns. In between are two four-by-fours, as well as two large cargo trucks capable of carrying additional men, as well as whatever art and other items they’re looting.

“The four-by-fours are outriders, like motorcycle cops blocking traffic for a motorcade. One secures the entrance to the village while the other handles the exit. As the rest of the phalanx rolls in, the gunners in the Humvees put rounds on anything that moves.

“In the towns or villages where there has been art to recover, one Humvee will accompany one cargo truck to the target. The remaining Humvee and cargo truck will pillage shops and houses. In other locations where there isn’t a predetermined target, it’s a mad dash to grab whatever they can.”

“These guys really are animals,” said Hookah.

Harvath nodded. “Animals, with just a little bit of training, which makes them all the more dangerous.”

“Are we sure they actually have training, or are they just being told what to do by somebody who has experience?” asked Jacks.

“Good point,” replied Harvath. “We actually don’t know. In fact, once unleashed, they show a lot of indiscipline. Which brings us to their leader. According to witnesses, there’s always the same guy in charge. Some big, muscle-bound, baldheaded asshole. He barks out the orders and everyone reports to him.”

“How many is ‘everyone’?” Krueger asked. “Any further clarity on their troop strength?”

Harvath shook his head. “By all accounts, the number hasn’t changed. Still somewhere between twenty and thirty.” Tracing his finger along the map, he added, “As far as I can tell, these are the routes they’ve taken over the last several days.”

“Which means,” said Hookah, drawing a circle with his own finger, “they’re likely to be based somewhere in this area.”

“Agreed,” Harvath replied. “Our question now,veryspecifically, is where?”

“What’s left on the list?”

Harvath pointed to three spots on the map.

“Is there anything unique about them?” Hookah continued. “Anything that might suggest who’s next to get hit?”

“We don’t know who’s next or even when,” said Harvath. “But we’ve got a network of informants now.”

“Which will only tell us when they see these motherfuckers roll by,” said Krueger. “We’ll still be playing catch-up. We won’t be out in front of them, prepping the battlefield, and tilting the situation to our advantage.”

“Unless,” Harvath replied with a smile, “we turn chasing them to our advantage.”