Humanity Unlimited 1: Liberty Station Read Online Free Page A

canopy.”
    “Keep looking,” Nathan snarled. “I’m not dropping into the water and hacking my way through the jungle. I need a place where you can pick us back up.” Carrying an unwilling guest through this would be a nightmare.
    His second in command, a bruiser named Jake Farley, jerked his chin toward the open door. “Why not drop in on top of them? We can rappel into their camp and get this over with.”
    Nathan gave him a steady look. “Because this isn’t going down like the job in Syria. There’s far less paperwork for me if we don’t kill everyone that might recognize the helicopter or us.”
    “It’s easier for me,” Jake said indifferently.
    “Right up until one of the local guards shoots you while you try to get untangled from a tree. We do this my way.”
    The man shrugged. “Whatever.”
    Nathan really needed to get some new blood on the team.
    The pilot circled around the ruins at a distance. The jungle would dampen the sound of the helicopter rotors to a soft murmur. Technology couldn’t completely eliminate the noise, but it was a lot better than it had been around the turn of the century. In his line of work, getting in and out quietly made the high cost of the equipment a no-brainer.
    He finally caught a break about ten minutes later. A tree-covered hill rose above the canopy. The area it shaded from the sun had a relatively bare spot they could rappel into. He tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed. “We’ll go in there. How long for you to get here when I call?”
    “About ninety minutes. Add half an hour to get the bird ready.”
    “Bullshit. Keep the bird ready to roll. When I call, I want you in the air in ten minutes.”
    The pilot’s acknowledgement was more than a bit surly, but Nathan knew the man would do what he’d told him. He’d seen firsthand the kind of pain Nathan could inflict on those who failed him.
    It was already late in the day, so Nathan would get them settled in and wait out the darkness. Under other circumstances, he’d prefer to attack at night, but it would be far too easy to break legs and fall into holes stumbling through the wilds of Guatemala. Or be eaten by something. They’d strike out at dawn, locate the camp, and take the woman.
    The pilot brought the helicopter to a hover over the bare patch and Nathan tossed his rope out the open door. He watched it fall to make sure it didn’t kink. That could cause someone to lose their grip and fall right to the ground. That would be their problem, of course, but he didn’t want to have less than a full team when he got to the camp.
    Nathan checked his harness, took off his headphones, and stepped out onto the helicopter’s skid tube. One last check below and he kicked off, using his braking hand to control the speed of his descent. He slowed to a crawl just above the ground and landed lightly on his feet.
    It took only a moment to disconnect his D-ring and raise his weapon to cover the landing zone. He stepped away from the rope and watched as his people come in with mild satisfaction. All six of them made it to the ground safely.
    They spread out to watch every approach to the LZ as the crew chief pulled the ropes back up. The helicopter turned and headed back for the airfield.
    Nathan led the way into the jungle. It stank, and there must’ve been a million different creatures making suspicions noises in the gloom. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would choose to live in a shithole like this.
    The already faint light dropped off to almost nothing under the canopy. The way became congested with undergrowth so thick he had to put his rifle away and draw his machete.
    This job was going to be a real pleasure. Thank God he’d fought hard for a bonus.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    The rented boat dropped Harry and his team off at what he might charitably call a dock just after dawn. It only extended into the river far enough to allow a shallow-drafted craft to use it. That was just barely enough, but it