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“Where’d you snag those?” Eddie asked as he got out.
“A couple of teenagers decided to make a quick buck by selling them to me at a steep markup,” Linc answered. “Now we don’t have to wait in line.”
“You’re full of good ideas.”
“Full of something, all right. Were you able to get in touch with the Senators’ families?”
Eddie shook his head. “They put their phones in a locker. Understandable in a waterpark.”
According to their intel, Senator Gunther Schmidt of Iowa and Senator Maria Muñoz from Florida were attending the summit. Emily Schmidt and teenage son Kyle were enjoying the free day at Ocean Land with Oliver Muñoz and his fifteen-year-old daughter, Elena.
“How do we find them? It’s a big place.”
“We may have to let Sinduk lead us to them.”
They walked to the entrance next to a family so they wouldn’t be conspicuous. Sinduk and his men checked their surroundings frequently, but Eddie and Linc studiously kept their eyes off their target. The terrorists took Raven through the bag check and metal detectors without incident.
Before Eddie went through security with Linc, he briefly looked out to sea. A fishing boat was the only vessel he saw, but he knew the Oregon was hiding on the back side of the island, which felt reassuring. He hadn’t seen the ship since a walk-through when it was still being built in the dry dock, so he’d never gotten a full view of it. He was eager to finish this mission and get properly acquainted with his new home.
First, however, his team had to live through the rest of the afternoon, and they had to do it unarmed.
He and Linc scanned their wristbands in the security line and entered the park, staying at least thirty feet behind Raven and Sinduk. MacD was nowhere to be seen.
“MacD, you there?” Eddie said into his molar mic.
“Ah have eyes on you and Raven,” MacD replied. “Just let me know when to move.”
“Will do.”
The main promenade was jammed with tourists, most of them in swimwear, some of them carrying towels and bags. Staff wore distinctive yellow polo shirts and shorts, and cheerful music blared over the loudspeakers to mix with the screams and shouts echoing from the numerous rides. Everything smelled of chlorine and suntan lotion.
In the distance at the end of the broad walkway was the park’s premier attraction, the Crazy Eights waterslide. The ten-story-tall octopus-themed ride had a wide central staircase around which eight tubular slides painted like blue tentacles snaked and coiled, leaving riders unsure where they would come out, which was part of the fun.
When they were halfway along the promenade, Sinduk stopped and spoke to two of his men, who peeled away and headed toward a walled-off section of the park that had a sign written in both Indonesian and English. It read “Coming soon. Feel the rush of Raging Rapids.” A rendering showed thrilled riders on an eight-person raft careening down a white water course.
Sinduk pushed Raven forward with the remaining two men. The strays went through a door to the construction area that said “Employees Only.”
“Where do you think they’re going?” Linc asked.
“That must be how they snuck the weapons in,” Eddie said. He keyed his mic. “MacD, Linc and I are heading into the Raging Rapids. We’ll let you know what we find.”
“Acknowledged. Ah’m on my own.”
Eddie eased the door open and peeked through. No one was on the other side. He and Linc went in and found themselves on the pathway for the ride that was divided into two lanes, one for the majority of the attendees, the other for those who’d paid extra for the Super Pass.
The ride seemed nearly complete, with vines, fake trees, and artificial rocks adorning what was supposed to mimic a remote canyon. Eddie could hear water roaring just out of sight, which meant the ride was being tested in preparation for its opening.
A short way up the path, they crossed a bridge and could see down into the false gorge. An empty raft with eight barred seats around a flat center area was adrift on the seething water. It bounced and spun as its rubber sides slammed into the walls, soaking the craft with a gush of water every time it dipped over another mini-waterfall.
As they got closer to the ride loading area, Eddie could hear several men speaking rapidly in Indonesian. He and Linc climbed over the path’s railing and crept along the concrete simulated rocks until they found a hidden spot in the bushes where they could see who was talking.
Four bodies were lined up beside the control room. All of them were dressed in the characteristic yellow park uniforms, as were the terrorists, who must have secured their own supply of uniforms. Bullet holes were stitched across the dead men’s shirts.
Huddled around two large metal boxes were six men, the two they’d been following and four more. One box was already opened and contained seats to be installed on more rafts. The other box was being pried apart. A pile of white towels lay on the floor.
They finished prying open the box and pulled out six submachine guns from between the seats, which they handed around, tucking them into towels so they could carry them out into the park unseen. Eddie recognized the weapons as Daewoo K7s. The South Korean–made guns were equipped with noise suppressors and were popular with the Indonesian military.
Eddie looked at Linc, who nodded. He’d noticed the same thing. If one box had room for six weapons, then the other opened one meant six more K7s might already be out in the park.
