Greathouse Peak

Boris and I followed as Leroy led us through the surrounding conifer forest. My instincts told me this was not some kind of ambush; Leroy was not sending off any telltale signals of the sort I’d come to expect in such circumstances. On the contrary, he seemed far more worried about our being detected as we made our way to the firing range. We didn’t talk—just moved as quietly as we could, avoiding patches of underbrush, trying our best to stick to the soft concentrations of pine needles that had accumulated beneath stands of conifers. It was clear we were ascending a gentle but continuous slope as we proceeded. I imagined we’d soon reach a high enough elevation that if it weren’t for the trees we’d probably be able to look down on the resort’s buildings. I glanced back to reassure myself Boris was handling the climb without becoming overly fatigued. He smiled knowingly and gave a thumbs up. Finally, we emerged from the forest onto a natural clearing where the stony soil hindered the natural growth of trees, leaving the surface covered by a thin growth of various grasses—a sort of mountain meadow. At the upper end several fallen trees, shorn of their branches, had been dragged into a line perpendicular to the general axis of the meadow. Carcasses of shot-up beer cans that lay scattered near the logs twinkled brightly as sunshine caught their uneven facets. Dru and Mike were seated there, awaiting our arrival. A prodigious litter of ejected shells marked the firing line. I was in no doubt this was the work of the men down at the lodge—men who chose to use some of their idle time testing out their own and each other’s weapons. Their evident refusal to police their own brass said much about the lack of discipline I’d already detected during my short time at the ski resort. No one said a word as we walked past the firing line then proceeded up slope towards where the beer can targets littered the ground and where Dru and Mike now rose to greet us. We all shook hands, then Boris and I looked expectantly at the three veterans. “We wanted to let you know Minter and Sid are planning to take the two of you out sometime before the meet-up called by Bailey,” said Leroy in his deep voice. “You could have told us that back at the place where you intercepted us,” I said. “Why make us hike all of the way up here?” “Because we needed to talk in private: we’re offering to serve as your security detail,” replied Dru in his gentle, southern-accented voice. “We don’t like the way things are progressing around here,” added Mike grimly, “and we think a change in command would be an improvement. If Minter succeeds in putting you out of commission or chasing the two of you off the mountain then we’re stuck with a deteriorating situation.” “So that’s our offer, Church,” said Leroy matter-of-factly, “are you willing to take us up on it?” I looked over at Boris to get his reaction. “It’s a generous offer,” said Boris kindly, “but having us shadowed by the three of you simply mimics the defensive posture of Minter who relies on Sid and the others to watch his flank. No, I’d prefer that Church and I use the “head’s up” you’ve so thoughtfully supplied to enable us to seize the initiative.” “What have you got in mind, Boris?” I asked. “Well, let’s suppose,” began Boris, “that Minter sounded out all six of the men we believe support him and they agreed. He’d need someone other than himself to lead the attempt and I’m betting Sid would be the one to volunteer for the job. What if Church and I managed to isolate Sid, disarm him and squirrel him away someplace…wouldn’t it make Minter hesitate to proceed?” The three vets looked at each other, turning Boris’ idea over in their minds, before finally acknowledging with an affirmative shake of the head that the plan made a good deal of sense. “So, you think Minter would react the way Boris suggests?” I asked them. “Yeah, we do,” replied Dru gently. “He’s not a guy who’ll take on the two of you without serious backup.” “Okay,” I said, “let’s figure out the best way to isolate Sid and take him into custody. Does he have more sentry duty scheduled today…somewhere off by himself?” “No, he’s already pulled his watch for today,” replied Mike. “He usually spends any free time he has in the afternoon in his room watching videos.” “Well, we can’t attempt to take him while he’s there,” said Leroy. “Peter, Minter, Rolfe and Ed all have adjacent rooms…one of them would surely hear the commotion and raise the alarm.” “That leaves us with a window beginning now and ending at the time he generally finishes lunch and goes to his room,” I said, looking at my watch. “Can one of you manage to work it so he leaves the dining room in your company.” “I think I can,” replied Leroy. “He’s anxious to drum up support for Minter and he knows I’ve not been overly enthusiastic so if I hint at a change of attitude and suggest we take our conversation outside I think he’ll grab at the chance.” “Okay…that’s good,” I said. “So while the others head directly for their rooms you and Sid will step outside where Boris and I will be waiting.” “Yeah, but you’ll need to make sure the two of them leave by the southeast corner exit, not the main entrance,” said Mike. “Otherwise the others who might be crowding around the elevators after lunch might see something.” “I can do that,” replied Leroy. “Where do you plan to keep him, and who’s going to keep an eye on him?” asked Dru. “Good question,” I said, looking over at Boris. Boris shrugged, “We can’t drag him into the lodge and up to one of our rooms, and we can’t risk marching him across the clearing and into one of the condo complexes, but there’s a utility shed at the base of the southwest ski run we could probably use.” “And I think I can persuade Anne to ride herd on him, pleading a headache for why she’s absent from her father’s late afternoon meeting,” I said. “We’re talking about keeping him incommunicado for up to five hours,” interjected Leroy. “You think she’s up to it?” “Maybe it won’t be necessary for her to handle the whole period,” I said. “Once we’ve got Sid we’ll make him tell us what Minter’s plan was to take us out. Knowing that, we can ensure we’re where Minter expects us to be when the strike is planned to occur. During that time we’ll need you to stand watch, Leroy. At other times Boris and I can take turns watching Sid. Only during the meeting is it critical that Anne holds down the fort.” “Won’t that make Anne a target?” asked Boris. “That is a problem,” I admitted ruefully. “Why not blindfold him?” asked Mike. “I can supply some dressings from the clinic that’ll keep him from seeing her.” “Yeah, but he’ll smell her perfume,” objected Dru. “We’ll tell her to remain absolutely quiet and to stay far away from him…and maybe also ask her to keep the shed door open a crack to let in a steady amount of fresh air,” I replied. The five of us remained quiet for a time, thinking through the planned operation…making sure we couldn’t think of some other objection. Then I turned to the others and said, “Okay, let’s do it!”