Free PRIMAL Inception by Jack Silkstone Page B

over.”
    Ice moved closer until he found a gap between the trees that he could use to zoom in on the building. In the Marines, they called it loopholing. He set the camera up on a mini tripod, draped the scrim netting over it, and lay behind. A moment later, Vance joined him.
    “What’ve we got?”
    “The SUV Barishna was driving is parked out front along with two trucks. We’ve got at least three guys unloading boxes.”
    “Probably a smuggling hub.”
    Ice snapped a dozen shots of the transfer. “We need a closer look.”
    “That’s too risky, bud.”
    He adjusted the focus on the camera. “You know these guys, they don’t bother with sentries. I’ll be in and out in a couple of minutes.” He tapped his earpiece. “I’ve got you on comms.”
    “Fine, but this time I haven’t got any Viking raiders to bail you out, just me.”
    Ice grabbed his Mk18. “They won’t see me.” He left Vance with the camera and stalked toward the concrete-walled factory.
    He didn’t remember it being so big. Kneeling behind a tree, he pulled out a compact spotting scope and scanned the upstairs windows. Most of them were boarded up. Shattered during the assault over two years ago.
    He heard the clatter of a diesel engine and his earpiece crackled. “Hey bud, another SUV pulled up. Bunch of mafia looking dudes. They’ve got two girls with them.”
    Ice moved forward. He was thirty yards out when he crouched and scanned for another hole through the trees. Unable to see, he moved another ten yards closer. He heard Albanian voices but his view was still blocked. He slid to his stomach and crawled through the undergrowth until he had eyes on.
    Barishna’s black SUV was parked directly in front of the open loading dock. It couldn’t fit inside because the loading area was blocked with crates. He pulled out the scope and confirmed the markings on the crates. Weapons.
    There was a shriek and a girl stumbled out of the loading bay. Ice winced as she tripped and fell. Every instinct he had screamed to run out and help her.
    Before she could climb to her feet two leather-jacketed thugs grabbed her under each arm and hauled her to her feet. For a split second, she stared straight in Ice’s direction. He swore she knew he was there.
    His earpiece squelched, “Steady, brother. Go charging in now, and we’re screwed.”
    Ice had the red dot sight of his Mk18 superimposed on one of their heads. He’d already flicked the safety off and taken up the slack on the trigger. He exhaled slowly releasing his finger.
    The men dragged her inside.
    Ice’s hands started shaking and he crawled back from his position. “I’ve seen enough. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
     

CHAPTER 9
     
    Ice gazed out the window as Vance drove them along the highway back to Pristina. Burned out buildings and abandoned homes flashed past. All that remained of the Serbian families who had fled from Albanian reprisals now that ‘peace’ had arrived. His thoughts drifted back to atrocities he’d investigated; girls raped to death, women and children executed in cold blood. Smiling faces in old photos, now rotting corpses dumped in mass graves.
    “You OK, bud?” Vance asked.
    “Huh, yeah I’m good.”
    “You’re too calm for my liking. That asshole Zahir and his weaselly little bitch just tried to kill you, brother. We need a plan to strike back.”
    “We’re going to kill Zahir.” Ice turned his attention back to the window.
    “No shit. So what’s the plan?”
    “Huh?”
    “Listen bud, you’ve got to snap the fuck out of this. They just tried to bag and tag two CIA officers. These cats are playing for keeps. That power hungry douche-bag wants to run this country, and if he does it’s going to hell in a hand basket. So we’re going to war. We need to be cocked, locked and ready to donkey punch them at every turn. We need contingencies and we need pipe-swinging, heavy-hitting ninja fuckmasters to take these bastards down.” Vance thumped the