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.