Page 6
“Yep. I just said I wouldn’t lie about this.”
“So how big was your, I mean, is your family?”
“Thanksgivings are massive. I have eleven brothers and five sisters.”
“You’re shitting me, there’s seventeen of you?”
“Yep. Dad took projects all across America and the world, and Mom had the biggest heart in the universe. Bruno and Gustavo were eight and four when Mom saw them at Curitiba’s church shelter where she had us all volunteering. Before then, they’d been living by themselves in the swamp for over a year. Prior to that, they’d lived with their grandfather who’d died, and no other relative would take them in because of Gustavo’s cleft palate. Bruno had been taking care of him.”
“So that’s how you ended up in the swamp so often?”
“Yeah, they’d go back to this shack that sat a little bit on the shoreline, but mostly floated in the swamp. Every fucking time they went back, Bruno would have to sneak on board to make sure that no Anacondas or jaguars had taken up residence. When I explained that to dad, he always made sure I was armed. I swear to God, I was more scared of checking for critters than Bruno ever was. Especially the time I found a damned anaconda.”
Ryker just looked at him incredulously. “Where are they now?”
“Gustavo is a surgeon. Not surprisingly, he worked a few years with Doctors Without Borders, but he’s stateside now. Has a couple of rugrats. But Bruno? Well, Bruno is Bruno,” Jase said with a shrug.
Ryker knew there was a story there, but he didn’t push. Anyway, there was no time, they had to track down Zed.
“Well, since I now know you’re as much of a swamp rat as Sebastian, teach me, oh wise one.”
“Rule one, don’t fall into a sinkhole,” Jase grinned.
Ryker was pretty embarrassed that he’d fallen into one of the damn things let alone the second one. He knew how to toe the ground before stepping, he’d just jerked when he saw a gator.
Dumbass!
“Thanks, I figured that one out on my own.” Ryker really wanted to take off his boots and pour out the water. “When I said yes to being the second tracker on the team, I didn’t know it would mean Camp Rudder,” Ryker griped again.
“And that’s why our lieutenant, in his infinite wisdom, knew enough to send his little boy who only knows the sand and the ocean to someplace new, like a swamp.”
“Fuck you, Drakos, this isn’t my first time here, or even my second.”
Ryker rolled his shoulders and hefted up his backpack which had to weigh ten pounds more because of the extra water and mud weight it was now carrying. At least he’d had the common sense to pack most of his shit in plastic. Yeah, he might be dumb, but he wasn’t dumb.
“If you’ve been here so often,” Jase said with a shit-eating grin, “then that must mean you like falling into these sinkholes.”
“Again. I’ll remind you, my rifle works.”
Jase’s laugh had a flock of herons taking flight.
“You know, you probably just warned Zed that we are on his tail,” Ryker grumbled.
“This is a training exercise. Zed’s the prey. He knows we’re on his trail.”
“He didn’t know we were this close,” Ryker protested.
Jase laughed again. “Jesus, I’m going to have to put in for PITA pay. Zed’s so far ahead of us that he’s probably circled back and is following us now.”
Ryker gave Jase a slow smile. “So, what you’re saying is, you’re not that great of a tracker after all.”
“I’m not saying that. If I didn’t have to babysit your happy ass, I’d already have Zed snagged and bagged.”
“Bullshit.” Ryker coughed the word, and Jase’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you saying I couldn’t have found Zaragoza?” Jase asked menacingly.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Everybody knows Zed’s rep. I think every SEAL team across the country has tried to recruit Zaragoza. You’re not in his league.”
