When they reached the high point of 1,000 feet, Terry asked Bernadette to lay out the next line of march, which she did correctly in quick time. Before they started out, Terry said, “Let’s check our packs. I think I heard some pack noise from my point position.” Terry quickly found the problem in Bernadette’s pack and padded the rattling items. He also put the heavier items on the bottom to make the pack less top-heavy.

Terry took a quick look at Peter’s pack and said, “You’ve done this before. Bernadette, note where Peter is carrying his ammo, right where his left hand can quickly get a loaded magazine. At the next stop we do a foot check and another one two hours later. We cannot deal with bad blisters or turned ankles. We have to be able to move very fast without worrying about a sore foot or painful ankle.”

Bernadette insisted on carrying an equal load. Peter noted she showed no signs of fatigue even though they had been climbing steadily. He thought, this Irish girl is incredible. I didn’t think after my wife was killed that I could ever love again. I was wrong. I love this woman and must protect her. I wish she was back with Jack. So far this seems too routine. I have to keep my edge. Terry is good at this stuff. This is probably a walk in the park to him. Must remember these people are serious and very dangerous.

An hour before the light began to fail, Peter said, “Okay, this looks like decent campsite. I judge we’re within two miles of the training camp. We should be several hundred feet above the camp of the bad guys. I’d like to keep that advantage.

“Tomorrow morning we’ll find the camp and set up our hides. The camp shouldn’t be hard to find. There is a jeepable road into the camp from the east. We’ll be approaching from the west and should not be in their extended training area. I don’t know how their shooting ranges, if any, are oriented. If we stay a few hundred feet higher than their camp we shouldn’t have to contend with any danger from their firing range.

“There is another problem. I’ve no idea what they are teaching in the camp. Logically, they are not teaching standard military skills, such as patrolling, use of mortars, heavy machine guns, or shoulder-fired rockets. I expect they are teaching casing of targets, communications between cells or individuals, recruitment of sources, placement of explosives, maybe bomb making, small arms, and standing up to interrogation techniques. The training subjects make me believe they won’t be roaming in the hills around their camp but they may have lookouts posted. Now a treat. I always travel with some scotch but in this case I have some Irish whiskey. Does anyone pass?”