Peter heard the other two agree and the noise of getting up and checking weapons. Holding his flashlight along the short barrel of the AR-15, he switched it on and swept the group with automatic fire. It was all over in five seconds. All the would-be terrorists were down. They wouldn’t be building any more bombs.

He remembered there were four RVs and one Ford pickup at the ambush site. He quickly checked to see if any of them could be used. All had fire damage and shot up tires. There was only one good inflated tire in all the vehicles. He found spots of blood in the pickup. No bodies nearby. The blood was on the passenger seat.

Peter thought, Yuri wouldn’t have been driving. It was not his style. Yuri and Horace must have been the only ones in the pickup. Horace sure as hell wasn’t wounded. Not the way he nearly killed me. It must be Yuri who got hit. No vehicles left the valley once our attack started. Yuri must have left on his own. Able to walk but bleeding. Probably not too bad. Felt he could send Horace to have a look around while he waited somewhere along this unused fire or logging road. I may still have a chance to get him. But getting Terry out is first.

Peter slapped a fresh magazine into the AR-15 and started running at a ten-minute mile pace up the valley. The three men he had just killed thought everyone else was dead, but he took nothing for granted and didn’t use his flashlight. He ran straight to the RV near the tents that wasn’t part of the rush to exit the valley. A quick check showed no damage, no bullet holes and no flat tires. He switched on the ignition, leaving all lights off. The interior lights were already covered with duct tape. The fuel gauge showed three quarters of a tank. Using his belt knife, Peter cut out two of the seat belts and put them around his neck. All looking good. Now to get Terry down the cliff.

Peter used the in-place repelling rope to walk up the cliff face. Bernadette was waiting for him. She hugged him when he stepped on the top of the drop off. “God. The gunfire scared me. I was debating coming down when I heard noise around the RV below us. Figured that had to be you. What’s all that stuff hanging around your neck?”

“That, my lady, is the going to be the harness we use to lower Terry down this little cliff. Is he ready to go?”

“Yes. Do we just walk away from both of the campsites?”

“Not much choice. I’ll clean up this one a bit and cover over our fire site. It’s possible no one will find this camp and our observation hide. The other campsite is a problem. I don’t think the police can track any of the things left there to us. But we left a bunch of fingerprints there. Especially on the tarp, cooking pot handles, and packaging of food items. If we don’t get it cleaned up now, it will be too dangerous to go back there later. If it’s found, some smart person will stake it out for a few days. For now let’s concentrate on getting Terry in the RV. Has he been awake much?”

“Not as much as I would like. He’ll wake up when we start to move him.”

“Help me get this improvised harness of seat belts on him. I don’t think it will put any pressure on his chest wound. But I’m worried about pressure on his groin wound.”

“Do your best and I’ll pad it well,” Bernadette said. “How are we going to get him to the edge of the cliff?”

“Fortunately, it’s not far. We’ll put my jacket under him and use the seat belt harness to drag him. He’s too heavy to carry without a risk of opening his wounds. We can move slowly to the cliff’s edge. Once there I’ll come back to the camp site and do some clean up and backtracking.”

Peter squeezed Bernadette’s hand and disappeared over the edge. She heard a few sounds from his descent and then quiet. Peter stayed in the shadows from the flickering dying light from the still burning building and a few RVs. He carried his rifle openly. Everyone still conscious would be wary of anyone moving. They probably believe a force of at least ten people attacked them. They had been professional enough to send out patrols, probably of the most fit. No way to know how many are still patrolling.

He saw one RV parked near the undamaged tent area. Checking it, he found it had the keys in it. He took the keys, checked the tires and moved toward the ambush site. He keyed his radio. When Bernadette responded, he said, “I’ve found a vehicle at the tent area that looks okay. I’m not going to try and start it until I get back from the ambush site.”

“Good! We need to get Terry better care than I can give him.”

Peter crossed the small valley just outside the light cast from the smoldering building. He wanted to retrace the route they used to get to the vehicle track entering the valley after setting the fire. He moved slowly, conserving energy and being careful to pause and listen every 40 or 50 feet. It had been more than 36 hours since he had any sleep. Munching on candy bars and staying hydrated with water kept him moving.

Creeping through the mountain laurel and scrub pine, Peter heard voices and froze his position. The next time he heard the voices he was able to get a direction and began to move slowly toward the voices. He was now close enough to distinguish three voices, all male. Carefully, he crept closer.

Now he could make out words.

“Never mind looking around. I say let’s get out of here now.”

A more modulated voice said, “There may be wounded here and back in the valley. We need to find them. If we can’t help them, we kill them. If any of them are captured, it will be the end of us. Our Soviet friend has already left. Horace is out patrolling somewhere. Did you ever see such a big man move so quietly?”

The third voice said, “No and I hope I never see him again. I think if he comes back he’ll kill all of us. He’s very close to that big-shot Soviet. We’ve all seen the Soviet guy and know the target.

“Funny, he had just briefed us a few hours before the whole place went to hell. Must have been 20 or 30 people in the assault group. Maybe they left because they think we’re all dead.”

“Bullshit! Those people were professionals. They left because they were done. They weren’t the cops. No attempt to arrest anyone. Just destroy the bomb factory and pour heavy automatic weapons fire on us as we tried to get out of this rotten valley. They won’t be back but the State Police will get here and lock us all up. That’s why I say let’s go now.”

The first voice said, “If we leave now, where will we meet?”

“Meet? Are you crazy?” The third voice said. “I never want to see any of you again. Period.”

“We have to meet again. We’ve got all the casing of the target done. All we have to do is build another bomb and we’re back on track.”

The modulated voice said, “I’m certain we are the only ones alive. No more patrols are out. The Soviet big shot is gone, and Horace is still out there roaming around. If we’re still here when he comes back and we tell him we’re through, what do you think he will do? I’ll tell you. He won’t hesitate one damn second. He’ll kill all of us. We know all about driving the RV bomb close to the Old Executive Building in Washington and that the KGB and IRA are working together. No one who knows what we know can walk away. It’s run and hide now or go on with the plan. Me, I vote for making tracks right now. Who’s coming with me?”

Peter stopped his musing and focused. The forest was quiet. The chirping crickets had stopped their endless chorus. His night vision gear was marginal with the dying batteries and he slipped out of the cumbersome gear. He needed all his senses at full alert. Minutes passed, and he heard a faint footfall, followed by more. He could now hear the faint sound of fabric brushing through the scrub pine trees. The sounds were coming from his right. Focusing on the faint game trail, Peter could make out the slowly moving form of a man, stepping and pausing. He let the first man pass. When the second man passed and he was sure there were only two, he shot the second man in the back of the head. He went face down on the trail.

As he swung his rifle to take the other searcher, he saw the man had spun and launched himself toward his hide. Before he could get a shot off, the man landed on his rifle, knocking the weapon out of his hands. Without a pause the man grabbed handfuls of Peter’s ghillie suit and pulled him face down in the tangle of the clump of mountain laurel.

Peter sensed his attacker was a professional and would soon have a knife in him. He feinted a roll to his right and when he felt his opponent resist, he rolled with all his speed and strength downslope to his left. The quick movement put the attacker under him. He knew by the power and size of the man that it was Yuri’s huge partner. The man’s arms closed around Peter’s chest and began to tighten. The pressure was incredible. Peter slammed his palms against the attacker’s ears. The man winced but kept tightening his hold.

Peter repeatedly struck the giant’s temples with vicious middle finger knuckle strikes. He felt the crushing grip loosen and then tighten more as the giant thrust his head under Peter’s chin, forcing his head back and arching his back. Peter felt his focus slipping and a darkness enveloping him. He tried to fight more but nothing would respond.

Suddenly, the terrible pressure lessened, and he heard the giant thrashing and sputtering. The weight on his chest was gone and a warmness spread over his neck and chest. As his full consciousness returned, he realized he was being gently cradled in Bernadette’s arms, who was wiping blood from his face.

She said, “Don’t try to talk yet. Have a drink of water. The fucking giant is dead. I rolled him over the edge.”

Peter sat up, taking another long drink from his canteen. He said, “That was too close. I’ve never been overpowered like that. What did you do?”

“I heard your shot and moved fast toward the sound. I nearly fell over the one you killed. You and your friend were making a lot of noise. He was so intent on breaking your back, he never heard me. I used my knives to cut both of his carotid arteries at the same time and pulled him off you. He had a knife in his belt, but I guess he wanted to kill you with his bare hands. If he had used his knife, you would be dead.”

“How is Terry?”

“Better than I expected. He’s very weak and lost a lot of blood. If he doesn’t get an infection he should live if we can get him proper care in the next 24 hours. I’m out of antibiotics. I’ve been saving a little morphine to use when we move him.”

“How big is the other man?”

“I only stumbled over him. I didn’t measure him. Why?”

“If I can wear his clothes, carry his weapon, and know his name, I can make a quick trip into the valley before the sun comes up and they find the giant’s body at the bottom of the cliff.”

“I still say why.”

“I want to find Yuri and kill him, and I want to see if any of the vehicles down there can be made to run. Getting Terry proper care means getting one of those RVs running or trekking back to our truck and bringing it into the valley. The only other way is to hope the authorities of some kind get here tomorrow, and we turn Terry over to them. I really don’t like that plan. Getting him back may be very hard with all the bodies lying around.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Like always, keep saving me. Stay up here with your radio. Protect Terry, but don’t give your life away. Terry is a warrior, he would understand. I’m going to repel to the valley from here and probably come back to this place. If I find a vehicle that can run, I’ll alert you to get Terry ready. We’ll lower him down right here, put him in whatever I got running, and get out of here. The Russian is probably gone by now. I may have to shoot any terrorists down there who can put up any resistance. Try to follow me using Terry’s rifle. The night vision gear is finished. Commercial stuff just isn’t up to military specs. I love you and you need to be very careful. Do not expose yourself. Move like you know someone is trying to find you. Give me three of your magazines.”

During his watch Peter thought about tomorrow. We can try to save Terry by bringing our truck into the valley. A time-consuming operation. I don’t know where the track that comes into the valley begins. The only way to find out is to follow the track out of the valley. Most likely on foot. It would save a lot of time if I could get one of the shot-up vehicles to run. Probably some terrorists still alive down there. Have to deal with them before trying to get a vehicle running. I’m sure Yuri and the big thug are still alive. They would have stayed out of the firefight and right now are thinking how to get themselves out. They will check all the vehicles first and if none can be used, will plan to walk out, probably down the track they came in on. Also he will know the people who set up the ambush are gone, and they will have seen the light up here on the ridge.

Yuri will be thinking about coming up here. By now he knows the U.S. Government personnel were not the attackers, and the attackers were not strong enough to conduct a clean-up operation. Yuri and the huge guy with the whistle will be up here tonight. I’m lucky if the night optics batteries last another hour. Bernadette and I should get into our ghillie suits now.

Peter moved over to where Bernadette was sleeping and gently awakened her. When she sat up, Peter whispered, “Put on your ghillie suit and check your weapon. I think we’re going to have visitors, the Russian and the huge guy with the whistle. They know we are a weak force, otherwise we would have stayed in the valley cleaning up.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Put out the fire and get in a concealed position where you can protect Terry and watch for movement along the way we came back here. I’m going to the spot where we repelled down the cliff and retrieve the rope. I’ll set up right there. Except for that small sector, you can fire anywhere.”

“Terry is holding on. His color is better and the bleeding is stopped but he is still very critical. He will need more expert help than I can give him, especially out here. I think his best chance is to move our truck into the valley.”

“Yeah. I had the same thought. The biggest problem is that there are still some shooters alive and the worst of them is Yuri and his sidekick. We have to secure the valley before we can even try moving Terry back to the valley. If the Russian and his partner do not show up here tonight, I’ll have to go down and look for them.”

“Not without me.”

“You need to stay with Terry.”

“No! Terry may not live, and he will have no chance if anything happens to you. I can’t deal with two wounded men and I can’t move him by myself. So I have to watch your back. Discussion over.”

“No time for more talk! Okay. I’ll come back shortly after first light. I won’t go down into the valley without you.”

Peter pulled on his ghillie suit and moved back to the clump of mountain laurel and retrieved the 175 feet of nylon rope. With the green face paint and camouflaged suit he was nearly invisible as he settled in to watch the trail.

By the dying flames of vehicles and the block building, he could see some movement through the scope on Terry’s rifle. Most of the movement was at the ambush site. He couldn’t see any purposeful activity, like clearing the blocked road or working on an RV. Either they have left the valley or are hunting for us. They still outnumber us. I’m sure a few of them survived the firefight.

The stillness of the night settled in. He could hear the chorus of crickets breaking the silence. An occasional popping sound came from the valley floor as the dying flames suddenly ignited a small pocket of trapped vapor. Voices from the tent below him brought him to alert. There were three separate voices from snatches of conversations he could hear in his hide.

Peter knew he had to kill anyone hunting for them. People with the courage and know-how to hunt an unknown enemy at night in a forest were too dangerous to leave alive. He doubted Yuri would not be part of any group hunting the attackers. Yuri would know it was time to save himself. He would not expose himself to more risks. He wasn’t trained that way. By now he was already on his way out of the forest. Somewhere he had a rendezvous point and a waiting vehicle. His work at this camp was over. His huge companion who ran the camp would be left here to destroy anything or anyone who could provide evidence the Soviets were involved.

After midnight, Tuesday, September 1977

 

“Why not stay here and make sure the Russian is finished?”

“Terry’s been hit and needs our help. He’s more important than our Russian.”

“My God! Let’s go! What can you tell me?”

“Not now, we have to focus to get out of here. There are still shooters out there just waiting for us to make a mistake. Fire your magazine and follow me close.”

The smoke from two more burning RVs helped cover their withdrawal. It was a quick climb out of the valley. The surrounding cliff was not as steep on the eastern end of the valley. Once on top they made good time and in 15 minutes found Terry.

Bernadette cut off the clothing surrounding the two bullet wounds. A glance at the groin wound and she knew it was the most serious. “Peter stop the chest wound from bleeding. I don’t think that wound is critical. Stand by to help me with the gunshot in the lower right abdomen. That one is the problem.”

Bernadette had learned years ago that if you don’t have what you need in a crisis, it is too late to get it. Her first aid kit was lightweight but extensive, including forceps and two pints of plasma. A syringe of morphine helped Terry to stop thrashing around. A plasma drip was next. With Peter holding the light, she probed for and found the bullet in the abdomen and was able to clamp off two of the major bleeders. Next she extracted the bullet in the high chest wound. She left a cut off plastic tube in the lower wound, and then she stitched up both wounds and gave Terry a big dose of antibiotics.

“My God! Bernadette, that was wonderful. Where did you learn all that?”

“Some because I had to, but I did have some real training from an IRA doctor with a lot of battlefield experience. If you can keep focused and cool, have the right stuff, a lot of luck, and a strong patient, they sometimes recover from worse wounds than Terry has.”

“What about moving him?”

“No way tomorrow. Maybe a short distance the next day. He has to be kept warm, dry, and hydrated. I know people will be swarming all over this valley before he is ready to move.”

“That’s what worries me. I’m sure some bad guys are still alive down there. I’m going to push the two Terry killed over the cliff. Better they are found on the valley floor than up here. It’s very likely that the fire, small explosion, and our firefight will have been heard and reported by someone. If so, the authorities will be here tomorrow.

“The light from our flashlights and fire to keep Terry warm can be seen from the valley or the surrounding ridges. We’ll have to be alert tonight. I’ll take the first watch. You try and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard day.”

Terry was getting ready to move fast toward the road at the far end of the valley when he heard voices and the noise of people moving through brush. He knew the patrol was between him and the planned ambush site. It would be suicide to try to move through or around the patrol. Probably two people armed with automatic rifles. He had the advantage of concealment, fire cover and surprise. When you have the advantage, don’t give it up for no gain.

The two people will probably walk between me and the steep drop-off into the valley. When they get there, I’ll take them. At a time like this I would like to redo my choice of a shoulder weapon. This rifle has a five-round magazine. Fine for the slow, steady fire of a sniper, but not ideal for close in fire fights. Too late now. I’m not even carrying a handgun. In my ghillie suit, I’ll be hard to see until I shoot.

The noise of clothing rubbing against brush and scrub pines was growing steadily louder. He smelled cigarette smoke. Now, using his night-vision optics, he could see two green shapes moving along within 15 feet of the drop-off. One looked like a woman. Damn, I’ve never killed a woman. Maybe I can shoot the male and capture her. Time for thinking is over.

Terry shot the male, who went down hard. He called out, “Drop your weapon! You’re surrounded by police! You have no chance!”

The woman yelled, “Fuck you,” and emptied her magazine in a sweeping 180-degree arc. Terry fired one round that caught the woman in the chest. Two of the bullets from her weapon hit Terry in the groin and high on his right side. He fumbled with his radio and raised Peter who answered while firing to take out the leading vehicle. Terry heard the firing and said, “I’m hit hard! Near our cliff top hide. Killed two on patrol. One was a woman. I gave her too much slack. Take care of Bernadette. Kill the bastards!”

Both Peter and Bernadette were firing on full automatic. All the windshields were blown out and some of the tires on all the vehicles were flattened. Some of the terrorists had managed to get out of the RVs and were using them as cover to return fire. They hadn’t pinpointed the location of the attackers and their fire was ineffective. From their crossfire positions, Peter and Bernadette were steadily cutting down their opposition.

The lead RV was burning. The Ford pickup was partially hidden in the blowing smoke. Peter was sure the pickup was disabled. He knew Yuri and his huge companion were not going to stay around in a firefight. At the first chance they would disappear. Knowing when to break off a firefight is a useful art. Peter knew it was time to leave this one. He took advantage in a lull in the shooting and raced across the road to Bernadette’s position. “We’ll each fire one more magazine and then withdraw east to the valley wall and head back to our original position.”

Ten minutes later they were through with setting the stage for a powerful fire. Peter was backing toward the door leaving a trail of gasoline as he went. Bernadette slipped out the door to provide covering fire for Peter, in case anyone was lurking in the area or saw Peter run out leaving the door wide open.

Bernadette saw the flash of light from the gasoline fire just as Peter ran out the door in her direction. When he joined her, Bernadette said, “Let’s get out of here.”

“Right. Run hard for the wood line on the edge of the valley. Once under cover of the forest, slow down to a steady run and move to the end of the valley where the road comes in. We had no time to disable vehicles. So there will be a lot of action at the ambush we’re going to set up. I hope Terry is already there.”

They heard a loud whoosh, followed by a flash of light. Both turned to look back from a high point and saw the building engulfed in flames. Flames were rising above the roof. Bernadette said, “Chalk up one wiped-out bomb-making plant.”

Peter said, “Pick up the pace. There is movement around the vehicles in parking area. Ease out of the wood line. We need to make time. Get to level ground where the footing is better and we can run harder. We’re only a 100 yards from the road entrance. Check your rifle. It looks as if we’ll have to begin shooting as soon as we arrive at the pass out of this wretched little valley. I haven’t been able to contact Terry.”

Bernadette, showing her youth and athletic ability, pulled slightly away from Peter in their race to get to the road entering the valley. She reached the road first and ran up to where the roadway narrowed on a rutted uphill stretch and settled in behind a tree. Seconds later Peter took up a position opposite Bernadette. Looking back toward the burning building, he could see vehicle lights starting down the valley.

Peter called out to Bernadette, “Here they come. Concentrate on the Ford pickup when we get the road blocked with vehicles. Let the first one get close before we fire.”

Looking down from his position, Peter saw they were in an ideal position to stop the flow of recreational vehicles streaming down the valley. The road into the valley was slightly wider than a one-lane country road. The Ford pickup was third in line as the scurrying vehicles entered the uphill climb.

As Peter was picking his first target, he heard gunfire in the distance. It sounds like Terry is in action with one of the patrols he saw earlier.

At the cliff’s edge, Peter said, “I’ll go first. As soon as I tug on the line, start down. Do not hesitate to shoot because they are civilians and we’re in West Virginia. These are very bad and dangerous people. The man I saw from Russia is not to be underestimated. He can shoot, think fast, and will have a plan to counter us as soon as he sees what is happening. Use the radio if you have to. We’ll keep the volume very low. After leaving the building, we’ll disable some vehicles and then hurry to the other end of the valley and set up a roadblock and ambush. Terry, get there when you can. I don’t want the Russian to escape. If you get a clear shot, take it. At least stop the vehicle.”

Standing on the valley floor waiting for Bernadette, Peter judged the cliff to be 90 or 100 feet. For them both to go back up the rope would take too much time if they were being pursued.

Bernadette slid to a stop at his side and said, “I like your kind of repelling. Buildings are harder and steeper.”

“Okay. Check your weapons quietly. Walk on my left side. Fire at targets only on your half of the circle. If it gets chaotic, shoot anywhere you have a target. It’s a good 100 yards to the cement block building. Let’s get started. If anyone questions your accent, just growl IRA and tell them to back off.

“Over here the IRA has a tougher image than they’ve earned in the last several years. Bombing civilian targets indiscriminately is not a thing to be proud of, no matter what the enemy has done. Killing non-combatants on purpose to deliver some kind of a message is pure terrorism. Later we can talk, but I want you to make a complete break. The cause is lost. Prior to the bombing of civilians, the IRA had a proud reputation. Now they are terrorists and thugs. Am I getting through to you?”

“Yes, but it’s more complicated than you seem to realize.”

“Let’s drop the subject, but keep chatting, makes us look more normal.”

“The building has no windows. How are we going to get in?”

“The lock is probably a good-quality dead bolt. I should be able to pick it.”

“Well, if you get into trouble, call me. I’ve some skill in the fine art of opening things.”

“Noted. We must fit in. At least five people have seen us reasonably close in the light provided by the pole lights on the perimeter.”

“Yes, I hear the generator loud and clear. When we get to the door, I’m going to unscrew the light over the door. Stand behind me. When I pick the door open, I’ll hood my flashlight and look around inside the door area. If I see nothing I’m going in. Back in behind me, close the door, and lock it.”

When Peter opened the door and stepped inside, Bernadette, following, softly closed and locked the door. There was no ambient light. Peter’s hooded flashlight created a small puddle of moving light. When they stopped moving, there was no sound. Peter whispered to Bernadette, “I think we are alone.”

“I’m not sure. It feels to me someone is in here besides us.”

Suddenly a loud voice said, “Who are you? You know no guns are allowed in this building. Don’t move. I’m turning on my flashlight. But first I want to hear you put your rifles on the floor. Do it!”

Bernadette put her rifle down loudly on the floor and said in a soft voice, “Put it down. Trust me.”

Peter’s rifle clanked on the cement floor. He noticed Bernadette had moved to his right a few paces. When the flashlight beam switched on and swung toward them, Peter saw that the man had a handgun pointed in their direction. The light and handgun centered on Peter. Just as he was going to say something, he heard a whirring noise and the flashlight clattered to the floor. Its owner was clutching his throat as he fell hard. A knife handle was protruding from the center of his throat. Peter switched on his light and said, “Where did that knife come from?”

“I told you I was good with a knife.”

As Peter watched, Bernadette walked over to her victim, pushed him on his back with her foot, pulled out her knife, and wiped it on the dead man’s jacket.

“You’re better than good. You’re phenomenal. Where do you keep the knife?”

“Up my sleeve or down my back just below my neckline. In this case I eased it out of my-behind-the-neck sheath as soon as this would-be guard opened his mouth. I could have taken him in the dark but I wouldn’t have been so accurate. The difference between a target just over six feet and one or several inches under six makes a difference. In the dark I couldn’t be sure.”

“How could you know you wouldn’t miss a quick-kill area?”

“Simple, I don’t miss.”

“You’re one scary lady. Remind me to never make you mad. Now, let’s see what is here. Stay with me. I don’t want to split up. This is a big building to search without good lighting. Did you hear what the dead guard said about no guns in here? Why would he say that?”

“You know why. They make bombs in here. This building has little or no ventilation. Probably afraid a gunshot would ignite the fumes that build up when making a bomb in an enclosed area.”

“What do you know about making bombs?”

“Never made one. Never been a part of a bombing operation, but I have heard stories.”

“What have you heard?”

“Getting ready-made explosives is very hard. So terrorists turn to making their own bombs. Fertilizer and diesel fuel are the principal ingredients. The hard parts are the detonator and timer.”

Back against the north wall they found more than a truckload of bagged fertilizer and a large above-ground tank of diesel fuel. Some distance away across the open-floored building they discovered a well-equipped electronic workbench with a number of remote devices. A further search turned up a gasoline-driven generator large enough to run the lights and power tools and a small ventilator fan high in the wall.

“Any ideas how to destroy this building and not us?” Peter asked.

“Fire. Spread some of the diesel around the fertilizer and use the gasoline to set it off as we get out of here. The fire and possible explosion will alert everyone minutes after we are out the door.”

Peter said, “Okay. Let’s do it. There are at least six five-gallon cans of gasoline near the generator. We’ll dump two on the fertilizer, one on the diesel tank. Without power for the tank’s pump, I don’t see how we can get the diesel fuel to flood the floor.”

“Not to worry. The gas is enough. The heat will ignite the diesel when the fire gets going.”