Team Work [Sink or Swim Book 2]

Chapter 18 - Deal On

Juliette and Mitch accompanied the four best friends, the band and the two young Ukrainians into the caves below the wooden cabin. Juliette had the Glock pistol and two spare clips of bullets. She hoped she would not be needing them.

"Be careful Mitch." Leanne said as he turned to leave the group. She kissed him on the cheek. 

"Careful is my middle name." he replied. "The idea of over watch is that I don't get seen. The weapons the bad guys have won't reach me until they are close...and if they get that close I really wouldn't be doing my job very well."

Mitch kissed Leanne passionately and left the cave complex.

Barney set himself up in the wooden cabin. A large map covered the bed and his radio and laptop were set-up on the table dragged inside. Mitch popped his head around the door. "All set?" he asked. Barney gave a thumbs up and Mitch made his way up onto the rocks and into the plants and scrub.

Mitch set his position - the modified Accuracy International SR98 sniper rifle was placed through a variety of plants so it could not be seen. He was positioned just short of a mile from the drop location. The expert marksman laid down flat the the ground behind the rifle and placed multiple boxes of 12.7×99mm NATO (.50 BMG) ammunition rounds next to him within easy reach. He set-up a second a gun, a Windrunner M96, as a back-up. The Glock-19 personal side-arm was holstered to his thigh but was loaded and ready for use should it be required. From his hidden position Mitch would be calling the shots.

An hour passed and their was no movement apart from the occasional kangaroo and wallaby. Finches and parrots flew overhead and the familiar sounds of outback animals and birds could be heard in the air.

Suddenly Mitch could see a cloud of dust on the makeshift roadway through the bush.

"All units, standby. Over" Mitch spoke into his radio headset. "We have eyeball on target. Confirmed. We're on. Over."

Mitch gave a running commentary on everything he was seeing. Four SUV's pulled up, they were waiting for something. Another group of vehicles pulled up. They had approached from the opposite direction. A total of twenty thugs were at the exchange.

"The deal is on - all units - I repeat the deal is on. Over." Mitch informed all ASAS strike team and Border Force agents.

"This is actual. You have authorisation. Weapons hot.  Over" The voice of Barney came over the radio waves. "Mike-Romeo Zero-One. Overwatch you have the call. Over."

"Go! Go! Go! All Units!" Mitch called the intercept as he saw Dimitri pass something across to his opposite number standing between two well built and heavily armed men. 

All hell broke loose. The ASAS and Border Force agents emerged from the bushes and rocky outcrops and gun fire started in all directions.

Mitch picked off the two armed men either side of the leader. Then took shots at the vehicles to prevent any possible getaway. "Immobilised all vehicles. All men now on foot only. Over."

After twenty minutes the radio burst to life.

"We have all but one perpetrator detained. Count six - correction seven - down. Twelve men detained. Over." The border force lead agent confirmed the mission status.

Mitch sitting above the action looked back through his sniper scope. He could see the dead bodies laid out in a line together and the remaining suspects laying face down being flexi-cuffed and taken into custody. He searched across the scene carefully. "Can we confirm the missing suspect? Over" He asked.

"Missing person is Dimitri Ivanov - repeat Dimitri Ivanov. Over" Barney had video feed from the scene and had identified each suspect on his computer as the arrests were made.