He was in a warehouse in the port of Salalah that looked like many of the other ordinary buildings but was in fact a front for an illegal arms ring. Independent businessmen from the Black Sea smuggled weapons in with legitimate goods before housing them here as a temporary storage site. They were then trafficked across the border into Yemen where they were sold to the highest bidder. The businessmen didn’t care which side won, only which side was willing to pay.
Novikov was also willing to pay handsomely, not only for weapons but for information and services as well. After following Wilde and his team to Suez and watching them board a ship, it was a simple matter toget the itinerary for the trip. They would be passing along the coast of Yemen and he had no doubt they meant to disembark in the war-torn country. They were making a play for Saudi Arabia, and they didn’t possess his underworld contacts to come in through Oman.
Wilde had bested him twice now, and it would not happen again. Novikov had called multiple contacts and cashed in favors. As a result, he had a team of twelve former Spetsnaz soldiers who were meeting him here in Salalah within the next day. The black marketeers would not only supply them with vehicles and weapons, but also ensure safe passage across the border into Yemen. Once there, his suppliers would put them in contact with the local Al Qaeda cell.
While Islamic fundamentalists were ideologues, many of them were also realists. He would pay them for information, money that could be used to finance their fight against the West, the Houthis, or whomever. It didn’t really matter to Novikov, so long as they could provide him with the location of his quarry. If Al Qaeda killed them first, that was fine. If not, he and his team would clean up the mess.
It was not a cheap affair, and as it stood Novikov was almost breaking even on this job. After the expenses, as well as paying his squad of mercenaries, there was little profit left. But his reputation was at stake, and he was not going to ask his employers for further assistance. He needed to maintain his value in their eyes or there would be no future jobs, or worse, he might be considered a loose end. But if he avoided calamity, perhaps a bonus would be in his future.
The former Russian soldier hated the desert. He had served in the Middle East many times over and done quite a bit of killing in Syria before leaving the military, but he never grew to like it. Having been born and raised in Yakutsk, Siberia, he was much more acclimated to the cold. It never bothered him like the heat did. It was only his mental toughness that allowed him to endure the unbearably hot weather, butstill he despised it. It was one more reason he was going to make Wilde suffer once he finally caught him.
Novikov checked the rest of the equipment, which included additional AKs with crude suppressors and AGM Rattler V2 thermal rifle scopes, and Tokarev TT-33 pistols, as well as vehicles. Everything seemed in order. He paid in full without the need to reiterate his threat to the suppliers. At the moment, his reputation was still one that inspired fear and loyalty. He smiled to himself. This time tomorrow, the hunt would be on.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The Gulf of Aden
Four Days Later
Nate awoke with a start and realized that Ana was shaking him. He looked blankly up at her beautiful face before noticing her look of concern.
“What is it?” he asked. There was a siren going off somewhere on the ship.
“I don’t know,” she said, as she quickly got out of bed and threw on his button-down shirt and a pair of shorts.
It was several days into their journey and Nate had spent the last few nights with Ana. In between planning the expedition, preparing equipment, and hanging out with the rest of the group, the two had gotten to know one another well and had come to really enjoy each other’s company, both in and out of the bedroom.
Nothing in Nate’s life had ever felt so easy as talking to Ana, and he opened up to her more than he had any other person, save maybe Tim. He talked about growing up and growing apart from his father, his graduate studies, and his time in the military, though not about what had happened in Yemen. Not yet.
And she truly listened. Nate had never had a relationship like this, nor had he ever wanted to connect with a woman on such a deep level. With Ana, it was like breathing. It came naturally and he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. It conflicted him, though, because he was both happy that she was along for the ride yet concerned about her safety.
Nate rolled out of bed and put his pants on. He couldn’t find his socks and so he pulled his Vasque boots on over his bare feet. He spun in a circle looking for his gray Kuhl button-down shirt before realizing Ana was wearing it. She read his face and looked down, giving an expression that saidI’m sorry. There was a bang on the door and Nate rushed over to answer it. Shane was outside.
“Looks like pirates,” he said, momentarily confused at seeing Nate in Ana’s cabin. The two had not made their ongoing relationship public. Shane looked past his friend and saw Ana wearing Nate’s shirt. He grinned at her and winked at him.
“Alright,” Nate said, pushing him back out the door. “Let’s go.” They ran out of the superstructure and down onto the deck where Wally was conversing with Tim.
“Alright, gents,” Tim yelled, “time to earn our keep!”
He started handing out AK-47s, which were freshly cleaned and oiled and looked almost brand new. Nate inserted a magazine and chambered a round as the others did the same. Tim stood locked and loaded with the PKM, a belt of additional ammunition hanging around his neck.
“What do we got?” Nate asked him.
“Two skiffs off starboard. They’ve fired a few warning shots, and they’ve ordered the ship to stop the engines.”
Nate moved to the railing and peered over. He could see the two small boats several hundred meters away. He’d thought they wouldn’t clear the Red Sea and make it into the Gulf of Aden until this afternoon,but judging by the widened channel and the pirates, they must have been ahead of schedule.
“Well shit,” Shane said. “That’s not going to be much of a challenge.”
“No, mate, it sure isn’t,” Wally agreed as Ana made her way out onto the deck, now fully dressed, though still wearing the button-down shirt. Nate looked in her direction.
“Stay back, Ana,” he said, waving her away. She nodded and walked back to stand beside the containers.
“Okay, boys,” Tim said, clearly back in his element, “hold your fire until they get closer. These aren’t exactly precision weapons we’re working with, and there’s no sense in wasting ammo.”
One of the skiffs broke ranks and started moving toward the ship as the engines stopped. Nate could make out six men on the boat, only a few of whom appeared armed.Like lambs to the slaughter, he thought. These men had no idea what was waiting for them. He almost felt bad for them, as it was likely desperation that had forced them to choose this profession. Then again, life was about choices.
“Get ready,” Tim said as the craft approached. When it was within a hundred meters he yelled, “Let ’em have it!”
