"Did you see that light flashing?" Des pointed to the library window.

"No. I was watching those two by the truck."

"There!"

"That's Morse code. That Gretta is one sharp person." Jessica took out her flashlight and signalled back.

"What are you saying?"

"Told her there were three men still here. She says she and Arny will draw them to the front door while we secure the truck."

"I don't really think I can shoot anybody."

"Then try not to." Jessica wave her forward, and they moved in a crouch closer to the drive.

Inside, Gretta explained what they would do, and told Arny to go to the front door and draw attention.

"Attention! Don't you mean fire?"

"Just be careful, lover." She made a shooing sign with her hand.

He went reluctantly to the vestibule and faced the door. She has a plan. She always has a plan. He stood to one side and opened the door.

"Anybody out there interested in talking this over?"

A fusillade of bullets ripped through the open door, ricocheting off the marble stairs and sending Arny into a tight ball on the floor.

Outside, under the cover of the gunfire, Jessica and Des subdued the man by the truck, bound him tight with his belt, a gag, and the gun strap then rolled him into the bushes. Gretta, meanwhile, had stolen out the library door and come up alongside the shooters, firing a short burst into the air and suggesting they drop their weapons.

"You drop yours, lady. How about that?"

"I think her idea is better," Jessica said from behind them.

Gretta called to Arny that it was safe to come out and to get the others, including Forrester.

"I was hoping you'd think diversion, and not that Parker would really take off." Jessica said, as they tied up the two men and shoved them into the back of the truck. Des dragged the other one from the bushes and, with help, stuffed him in with his pals.

"I was hoping it was a diversion," she chuckled.

Arny came out, looking all stormy, helping Miller with a limping Forrester. They pushed him into the truck as well and then prepared to hurry to the airport.

"Next time, you get their attention and I'll stay home – where we should have been all along." He slipped behind the wheel and started driving.

"C'mon, lover, you were great. Wasn't he great?" Gretta turned to the others.

"Great."

"Yeah, definitely."

"The greatest."

Arny frowned. "Didn't hear you, Miller."

"An admirable display of potential sacrifice."

"There you go, we all agree. Now let's talk about what we do when we get to the airport." Gretta, gave him a wink.

"Des sent our signal to Parker, so they know we are on the way."

"Okay. We're all armed now so a quick refresher on the use of the weapons."

****

"They've stopped just up the road," Parker said. "I saw the truck lights."

"Okay, if we read the signal right, there are six out there, and the three at the house have been neutralized." Hart went to the door and flashed his light at the plane.

Jeff flashed back and then he and Verna crouched behind the plane's wheels.

"They're here. You okay?"

Verna nodded. "What if they start shooting at us?"

"I doubt they'll want to damage the only way off this island, but just in case, stay close – and please don't shoot me."

"Cavalry's coming." Parker called down to Hart.

Hart flashed another signal to let Jeff know.

"Okay. Listen up, people. Parker will work from the tower where he is, Deb, you have that office window, and Gordon, the door."

"What about you?" he asked.

"I'll be outside by the fuel drums."

"What! Are you nuts?"

"It's the only cover outside across from the plane."

"But if they should get sloppy, it could mean we all go up."

"That's a myth. The tanks won't explode even if a bullet does pierce the metal . . . maybe if there was a spark . . . but there isn't enough heat, long enough to ignite the fuel. They'd need some kind of incendiary shells, which they aren't using."

"Well, I hope to hell you're right."

"Right then, lights out and keep a sharp eye." Hart darted out the door and ducked behind the fuel tanks.

****

Arny slowed the truck down, shut off the engine and the lights, and coasted as close as he dared. About two hundred feet ahead they could see the shape of the truck on the road, against the sky. Gretta, Jessica, and Arny left the truck and started down the road. Billy, Miller, and Desdemona waited with the truck and the prisoners.

"Arny, you stay with their truck and make sure they don't get it back if we miss any."

"Right . . . just don't miss any." He watched the two women melt into the darkness, and gave an involuntary shiver.

Jessica raised a fist and pointed. One man was hunched down behind a tree, night vision goggles were strapped to his head, and he was scanning the runway by the plane. They spread out and studied the bush all around then, satisfied he was alone, removed him from the board in silence.

Jessica tied him tightly to the tree, gagged and mortified. Gretta put on the goggles and touched Jess's arm.

"There are two crawling toward the tower near the fuel drums." She whispered.

They edged closer through the brush and stopped. Gretta pointed toward the plane.

"Three more, moving to flank the plane. I can see someone behind the closest wheel, they'll be sitting ducks." She gave Jessica the goggles and let her assess the situation.

"I think we need to stop those three. The gang in the tower should be able to take the other two."

"I agree. You go left, I'll go right."

****

Hart heard the crunch of dry twigs before he saw anything, and he lowered himself to the ground and crawled quietly to the side of a fuel drum. At the edge of the pavement he saw the man removing a grenade from his belt, and his whole body tingled from a nerve alert.

He wouldn't use a grenade here, surely. He must know these are fuel drums, he thought, and crawled closer, bringing his gun up to aim.

The man set himself to lob the grenade and Hart fired. There was a surprised yell and a shout. The grenade fell on the ground and rolled away a few feet from the fallen man. Hart dove back behind the drums as bullets tore up the ground where he had been. Did he pull the pin? Another burst of gunfire, this time from the tower and silence.

Hart counted to ten three times and let out a huge breath. He stood slowly, and saw the two bodies close together. Up in the tower Parker was waving and giving a thumbs up.

The pin was still in, and Hart picked it up as if it was red-hot, placing it carefully in his pocket.

****

Gretta silently eased her way toward the right side of the plane, and slipped behind the two mercenaries getting set to surprise Jeff and Verna.

"Party's over, boys. Lay down those weapons and keep your hands where I can see them."

"Gretta!"

The sudden shout startled everyone and there was a burst of gunfire from the other side of the plane. One of the men she had covered dove for his weapon, and she fired instinctively, shattering the rifle on the ground, along with a few fingers. He screamed, rolling around in agony while at the same time another burst of gunfire tore up the asphalt around her feet.

The burning sting told her she was hit, and she rolled aside, firing back blindly. The other man she had covered threw himself at her, and they wrestled awkwardly on the runway, each frantically seeking a purchase. Several more short bursts sounded over some yelling, and then another shout of her name was the last she heard, as blackness overtook her.