Ten           Keeping their eyes and ears alert to any sound or movement in the brush and pushing aside the low twigs and fronds with their hands, Luca and Street crept quietly through the stand of trees toward the place where Booth had opened fire on them.  They knew he was injured; that cry had unmistakably been one of pain, but there was no way of determining if he was only slightly injured, or if he had been totally incapacitated until they had a visual on him, so the tension was high and both men were alert to everything around them.           Somewhere, on the other side of the meadow, they knew that T. J. was also moving toward the fallen drug dealer, using the trees and shrubs as protection.  With luck, they would have him trapped between them and be able to neutralize him without additional violence.           The valley was quiet, as if the birds and squirrels were watching and listening, waiting safely in the treetops to see what would transpire between the humans.  Even the whisper of leaves in the trees had fallen silent in anticipation of what was to come.           The still air was dripping with humidity, and Luca�s shirt was clinging to his moist skin.  With the back of his hand, he wiped a trickle of perspiration from his brow.  Glancing toward Street, he saw the older man reach into the pocket of his jeans and remove a handkerchief, which he used to mop his face.  Just like Jim, he thought.  Always prepared.           A low groan brought both men to an abrupt halt.  Exchanging a brief glance, they paused for a moment, waiting and listening.  When it came again, they pinpointed the direction and, bent forward at the waist, they crept slowly toward it, careful to avoid making any sound that would announce their presence.           Finally, they saw him lying on the ground near the large tree limb that had broken off the tree during the explosion.  He did not appear to be pinned down by the limb, but it was clear that he was having trouble moving.  Each time he attempted to crawl away, apparently hoping to avoid capture, he sank back with a groan of pain and an occasional low curse.  His hand was pressed to his side, and Luca decided he probably had either broken ribs or internal injuries, probably caused by the explosion or its concussion.  He had managed to recover the Tommy gun or else had somehow managed to hold on to it during the explosion, and he held it in one hand resting against his hip, ready to bring it into firing position.           Looking toward the direction where T. J. was approaching, they saw no sign of him yet.  Knowing that any noise that startled Booth would likely result in a barrage of fire into the brush, they crouched down behind the foliage to watch and wait for their friend to get into position before making a move.                                                      -()-           �There�s someone lying in that creek bed just ahead of us,� the pilot said.           Seated directly behind him, Hondo�s stomach clenched with sudden apprehension as he looked through the Plexiglas windows in search of the person the pilot had indicated.  Below the helicopter, he could see the meandering rut carved into the ground by many years of running water, and the narrow trickle of water that it was now reduced to.  �I don�t see him,� he said.           �I have a better view than you do.  You�ll see him in a moment.�           �Can you tell if he�s alive?�           �Impossible to tell, but he isn�t moving.�           Hondo glanced worriedly at Bob as the pilot banked the aircraft in search for a suitable landing spot.  A moment later, the body came into view.  It was a man, lying in on his back on the gravel shelf in the stream bed near the water.  The SWAT lieutenant pressed his face against the window as they soared overhead, trying to see if he could identify the person.  The shock of unkept blondish hair was unfamiliar, and it was immediately clear that he was much too large and muscular to be any of his three missing subordinates.           �Do you recognize him?� Bob asked, leaning over his shoulder for a look.           Hondo shook his head.  �Never seen him before.�           The helicopter reduced altitude and settled its running blades on the grassy turf a short distance away.           Hondo opened the door, and he and Bob scrambled out and sprinted to the edge of the bank.  It was steep, and they were forced to go down stream a short distance to find a slope that was negotiable.           That feeling of dread was spreading in his stomach as Hondo approached the body.  It was immediately clear that the man was dead; the blank, staring eyes left no doubt, yet he knelt down and placed his fingertips against the carotid artery anyway.  Finding no pulse, he sank back on his heels and allowed his eyes to wander down the length of the body.  He quickly found the torn trouser leg, and reached for it, turning it so examine it.  �Dog bite,� he announced.           �That curly haired boy of yours had a dog with him,� Bob said.           Hondo nodded.  �T. J.  He bought himself a new house a while back and a hunting dog.�  He looked slowly around the gravel bed, seeking clues to what had happened.  It was not difficult to determine that a violent struggle had occurred there.           �I don�t see any blood, but the gravel sure has been disturbed,� Bob observed.  �Looks like a fight took place here.�  Spying a dark object in the water, he stepped to the edge of the stream and reached in to retrieve the rifle.  �Hey, look at this!�  He lifted it from the water.  �Heavens to mergatroid!� he breathed.  �That�s a Tommy gun!  I ain�t seen of these in years!�           Hondo stood up and the two men scrutinized the weapon with critical eyes.  �That�s a lot of firepower,� he said, quietly.  �People don�t carry a gun like this unless they�re up to no good.�           �I�d like to know what the hell he�s doing on my property!� Bob declared with vehemence, and held up the weapon for emphasis.  �Especially carrying something like this!�           Hondo gestured toward the helicopter with a quick jerk of his head.  �Come on; let�s get back in the air.�           Returning to the gentler slope, they climbed back out of the stream bed and jogged back to the helicopter.                                                             -()-           Using the barrel of the rifle to push aside low branches, T. J. crept through the thicket toward the area where Booth was hiding.  He had heard the cry of pain from the last grenade Luca had hurled at him, and knew that the wounding of the man could either be a good thing or a bad thing.  If he was incapacitated, then he would be an easy capture, but if he was not . . . well, there was nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal, and that is how he had come to think of these men who killed without conscience.           The thicket was long and curved, dense in some places, thinned out in others.  Mostly, the trees were young and thin, with only a few mature trees in their midst, most likely the parents of the younger ones.  Some were mere saplings, their long thin trunks stretching toward the sunlight, competing with their siblings for light and nourishment.  Unfortunately, they presented unique obstacles which must be maneuvered to avoid detection, but years of hunting had taught him how to place each step so that he did not rustle leaves or other debris on the ground.           Within moments, his trek through the thicket had brought him to the location of the drug dealer, and he paused a moment to observe him and assess the situation for the best resolution.           Luca spotted a movement in the brush on the other side of Booth and knew that T. J. was in position.  Quickly, he swatted Street against the arm with the back of his hand to draw his attention, making certain there was no sound in the gesture to alert the shooter.           Street jumped slightly on reflex at the unexpected signal, and with a disapproving frown he turned his head toward the younger man to see what he wanted.  Luca pointed, and looking in the direction indicated, he saw T. J.   Apparently, Booth had not yet noticed him, even though he was not fully under cover.  In response to Luca, he nodded affirmatively.           Both Street and Luca slowly rose to their feet, drawing T. J.�s attention to their movement, and their eyes met across the narrow space of ground.  In their haste to reach the shelter of the trees, they had not decided on a course of action once they got there, but T. J. had apparently thought about that already, because he raised his hand with his palm toward them, urging them to remain where they were.  He had the weapon in his possession with the highest fire power, so he would handle it.           Street hefted the pistol and verified that there were still two bullets in the chamber, then quietly worked his way around Booth, placing himself at a position behind the injured drug dealer.  Luca was on the left and T. J. on the right.  He was basically surrounded.  Unable to see T. J. from his location, however, he could only judge whether or not his partner was ready, so he paused for several moments and then stepped into Booth�s space.           With his pistol raised, he commanded, �Lay down your weapon.�           Lying on his back, Booth attempted to turn toward him, and tried to bring his rifle into firing position, but it was an awkward posture and the effort put pressure on his injured side.  He grunted in pain and frustration, unable to take the proper stance to take aim and fire.             While the drug dealer was occupied with Street, T. J. stepped from cover, looking down the sights of the rifle, and approached.  �Don�t even think about it,� he advised.           Booth whirled toward him and started to bring the rifle into firing position.  This would be an easier shot, but he had not forgotten the man behind him with the pistol, and as he was turning, he saw a third man moving toward him.  The rifle stopped, only half-raised.           �You�re surrounded, and both my friends have a bead on you,� Luca told him.  �I�d lower the weapon if I was you.�           Booth was breathing heavily from his injury and from the realization that his was a hopeless situation, but he seemed to be contemplating his chances of getting off a successful shot without getting himself killed in the process.  The young dark haired man was clearly unarmed, but the curly haired one held a rifle of the make and model as the one he held, and he easily deduced that it had belonged to one of his fallen comrades.           �I hope you have more sense than that,� Street said from behind, a reminder that he was still there.            With a sigh of defeat, Booth looked at T. J. with the rifle and glanced over his shoulder at Street with the hand gun, and sank back onto the ground, pressing his hand against his injured side.           Luca rushed forward and snatched the rifle from Booth�s hand, feeling a great deal more satisfied now that he had something more substantial than a rock in his hands with which to defend himself.  The satchel of grenades lay on the ground beside him, and he grasped it by the handle and pulled it out of the criminal�s reach.           �That�s four,� he said, happily.           Street looked wistfully at the rifle that Luca now held, wishing he had been a bit faster, but now that all four criminals were either dead or in custody, things were definitely looking up.  �All right, Booth.  Remove your hunting knife and toss it away.�           �How did you know my name?� he asked as he withdrew the knife from the sheath and tossed it toward them.           �We caught your friend Phipps this morning.  How bad are you hurt?�           �My side hurts bad.  I think my ribs are busted.�           �Okay, we�re going to get help for you as soon as we get back to the ranch house.�  He glanced at his friends.  �I hate to tie him up injured, but we have to make sure he doesn�t get away."           This made Booth angry.  �I can�t even sit up!  How do you expect me to get away?"           �We�ve seen some pretty astonishing escapes in our time,� Luca told him.  �Trust me; we�re being a lot kinder to you than you would be to us under the same circumstances.�  He indicated the handle on the satchel.  �I guess we could use this, like we did with --�  He broke off suddenly, hearing a sound that his friends had not yet heard, and his expression alarmed the other two.           �What is it?� T. J. asked.           �Chopper.�           Silence fell over the thicket as the other men listened to the sounds of the helicopter that approached.  At first it was low and distant, but was clearly gaining on them rapidly, and it was easy to deduce that Booth had summoned them with his walkie-talkie.           �We�re under cover,� Street pointed out.  �We should see them long before they see us, and that gives us the advantage.�           �Yeah, but Willis is a sitting duck out there,� Luca reminded them.  �They�ll see him first.�           �We�ve got plenty of firepower,� T. J. said, lifting the rifle.  �With a well placed shot, I think I can bring it down.�           An expression of rage crossed Booth�s face.  Clearly, he had been counting on a rescue by his comrades, a rescue that would be effectively thwarted if T. J. managed to disable the helicopter.           Luca nodded his agreement.  �Let�s do it.�  To Street, he said, �Maybe you�d better guard Booth.  I don�t think he�s going anywhere, but he�s been trying, and he might just manage to crawl away.�           Street started to protest, but his eyes came to rest on the rifles that Luca and T. J. held, and knew that they were better equipped to deal with the helicopter.  A simple pistol was enough to keep Booth in line.  �All right, but be careful.  All three of us have come through this unscathed.  I�d like to keep it that way.�           �So would we,� Luca agreed.           It was only a short distance back to the open meadow, and T. J. and Luca pushed their way through the brush and saplings until they reached the edge of the thicket.  The sounds of the helicopter were growing more distinct, and they could see it approaching over the tops of the trees on the other side of the meadow.  Although they could not see Willis for the rolling tendencies of the terrain, they knew his approximate location, and it was quickly apparent that the occupants of the chopper had seen him as well, for it was moving directly toward him.  As it neared, they saw the side hatch door slide open, and knew that a marksman would be positioned there.           T. J. raised the barrel of his rifle and sighted down the long barrel at the underbelly of the helicopter, but before he could squeeze the trigger, he heard the sounds of a second helicopter coming onto the scene and he turned toward it.           �Two of them?� Luca asked incredulously.  Making a decision quickly, he said, �Okay, you take one, I�ll take the other.�           They raised their rifles together, and as they steadied their aim, the rifleman in the first helicopter suddenly became aware of the approaching aircraft, and instantly turned the weapon toward it and fired at shot.  The second helicopter instantly swerved to avoid being struck.           T. J. and Luca held their fire, astonished by what was happening.           �Damn!� Hondo�s pilot swore under his breath.  �They�re shooting at us!�           As the helicopter lurched sideways, Hondo spied the two men on foot at the edge of the tree line.  �That�s Luca and McCabe!� he exclaimed, ending with an �umph!� as he was slammed against the door.           �That other chopper will shoot us right out of the sky,� the pilot exclaimed.           The evasive maneuver had thrown Bob sideways onto the seat, but quickly righted himself.  �It looks like there is only one shooter, so try to stay on the side away from that open door,� he said to the pilot, who instantly lifted the helicopter up and over the hostile aircraft.           Unaware that their commanding lieutenant was in the second helicopter, T. J. exclaimed, �I don�t know who they are, but if those guys are shooting at them, then they must be the good guys!�           He could see the rifleman in the hostile helicopter looking upward as the second one moved out of range.  While his attention was direction elsewhere, T. J. raised his rifle again and took careful aim.  He knew he could not hit the fuel tank, for the concussion from the resulting explosion would probably take out the second helicopter as well, so he aimed at the spot where he believed the bullet would damage the engine.  Hoping he was right, he squeezed the trigger.  Had it not been for the sound of the rotors, he would have heard the resounding metallic �clang� as the bullet struck the fuselage, but the occupants inside heard it and felt the result of it.           The aircraft gave an unsettling lurch, and thick black smoke streamed from the exhaust as escaping oil mixed with the heat of the engine.           Playfully, Luca shoved T. J. on the arm.  �Great shot!�           Casually, trying not to look as pleased as he felt, T. J. raised the barrel of the rifle and rested it against his shoulder.  �Well, I could only pray that I wasn�t hitting the fuel line or the tank.�           The crippled helicopter corkscrewed down to the ground with a spiraling trail of black smoke, and crash landed on a nearby knoll.  Following closely, the second helicopter settled gently to the ground nearby.  The door opened, and Hondo Harrelson leaped out, followed by Bob Carver.  Both were carrying rifles, and they approached the criminals with their weapons in firing position.           T. J. and Luca exchanged surprised glances.           �Harrelson?� T. J. asked.  �What�s he doing here?�           The question went unanswered as he and Luca watched Hondo and Carver yank the marksman and the pilot out of the disabled helicopter and slap handcuffs on them.  Then they placed them on the ground beside the helicopter where the police pilot could keep an eye on them, and they moved toward Willis.           T. J. and Luca immediately jogged in that direction as well, and they met at the old buffalo wallow where the terrified Willis had watched the events unfold.  The squatter�s eyes were huge as the two unfamiliar men approached him with their rifles.  Although the muzzles were carried low, he knew they were uncertain of who he was and were advancing with caution.           Midge, still sitting where T. J. had placed her, offered a tentative wag of her tail, as if asking for permission to go to him.  He patted his thigh with his hand, and she jumped up and loped toward him, tail waving happily.           �Good girl!� he praised as he patted her furry side.           Aware of the injured man but more concerned at the moment with the well-being of his own men, Hondo looked Luca and T. J. up and down, apparently searching for signs of injury.  �You boys okay?�           �We�re fine.�           His eyes lifted, searching for the missing member of the team.  �Street?�           �He�s standing guard over a captured drug dealer just inside the trees,� Luca told him, hooking his thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the tree line.           �Drug dealer?� Hondo and Bob asked at the same time, then Bob continued, �On my property?�           �Actually, I guess technically he�s not one of the dealers,� Luca added, glancing at T. J., who nodded his agreement.  �He�s one of the men assigned to guard the drugs, but in the end I guess that�s splitting hairs.�           �We saw the body in the creek bed,� Hondo said, solemnly.  �You boys do that?�           �I had no choice,� T. J. said, regretfully.  �He was like a crazed grizzly trying to kill us.  There�s another body at the edge of the pond.  Not the pond you sent us to, but the other one.�           �And the biggest marijuana patch I�ve ever seen,� Luca said.  �The other body was a park ranger who stumbled on the patch and paid the price.  Willis here is a witness to his murder, and he�d like to testify in exchange for immunity.�           �He wasn�t in on the murder,� T. J. added quickly.  �He was just one of the planters, trying to make some money after falling on hard times.�           �And he�s been a big help to us in getting ----�           Overwhelmed with information, Hondo raised his hand to stop them.  �Whoa!  Slow down a bit!  Let�s take this one step at a time.  Now, you�re telling me that there is a major drug operation on Bob�s property?�           �That�s exactly what we�re saying,� Luca replied.  �Apparently some big time growers discovered that much of the property is wilderness and that there are areas that no one ever goes, so they figured they�d be safe setting up their growing operation out there.�           �Where exactly is �there�?� Bob asked, his face darkening with anger.           �There�s a second pond about an hour�s ride from the one you marked on the map,� T. J. explained.  �The edge of the marijuana patch can be seen from the pond through a gap in the woods.�           �Yeah,� Luca interjected.  �It�s sheltered on all sides by wooded areas, and its well away from all commercial routes, both air and ground.  If we hadn�t stumbled on it, there�s no telling how long they might have stayed out there.�           �What about this other body, the park ranger?�  His ice blue eyes darted to the injured man, who was lying on the ground gripping his obviously fractured let.  �You say this man is a witness?�           �Yes,� Luca replied.  �The body is lying partially in the water of the pond.  They dumped it there after shooting him.  Like we said, Willis was a witness and he�s willing to testify.�           �What made you boys decide to go there instead of fishing in the pond I told you about?� Bob asked.  �There should be a ton of fish in it.�           T. J. and Luca glanced at each other again, both reluctant to inform him that a man had been trespassing on his land since the previous fall.  �Well, it�s like this,� Luca began when T. J. remained silent.  �After Willis witnessed the murder, he sort of went into hiding to keep them from finding him.  He�s been living in a cave all this time, fishing in the pond for food.�           �Yeah,� T. J. agreed.  �He pretty much emptied it of fish.  We didn�t know that at the time, so we rode on over to the other pond we saw on the map.  That�s when we found the body.�           Bob�s eyes fell on the man, noticing the way he was looking at him through somewhat narrow eyes.  �So, you�ve been living on my land all this time?�           �Had no choice,� Willis answered, somewhat shortly.           Bob�s brow creased in a frown.  �I�ve seen you before.�           �I used to lease some land from your papa.  I was a farmer, and I always kept up my payments until that dry spell some years back.  He kicked me out.�           Bob scratched his chin, pensively, his brow still knitted in a thoughtful frown.  �I remember Pop talking about that incident.  I tried to talk him out of evicting you.  It certainly wasn�t your fault that the drought destroyed your crops.  But he was hard up for cash, and he needed the money from all his renters.  The drought hit the ranch hard too, and he had to buy hay and grain from out of state for the livestock.  It was a bad time for everyone.  He leased it out to someone else.�           Willis�s expression seemed to soften just a bit with the realization that the elder Carver had not evicted him out of spite.  It did not solve his problem, but at least now he knew the truth.  �Well, I guess it�s in the past.�           Luca spoke up again, �After getting evicted, he fell into some hard times and was desperate enough to take the job when they offered.  All he did was cultivate the crops.  We promised we�d do everything we could to help get him immunity for testifying against those guys.�           �If this operation is as big as you�ve indicated, I�d say a judge would probably be willing to grant immunity for his testimony,� Hondo said.  �Well, I guess we�d better get a team of investigators up here to take a look at that pot crop.�           �We�re also going to need to organize a team to help us find the rest of the shooters,� Luca said.  �We killed the one in the creek bed, but we captured two more besides the one Street is guarding.�  He glanced sheepishly at T. J.  �Unfortunately, we�re not exactly sure where we left them.�           Hondo lifted an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue.           �They attacked us on the trail, one by one, and we had to leave them tied to trees, but we�ve been walking so long and in so many directions that I�m sort of turned around.  They were carrying these,� he said, holding up the Tommy gun for them to see.           Hondo took the rifle and examined it.  He gave a low whistle through pursed lips.  �These boys meant business.�           Willis groaned softly, a reminder that he was in need of medical attention.  �Are you boys gonna stand there flappin� your jaws all day, or are you gonna get me to a doctor?�           �Sorry, Willis,� T. J. apologized, quickly, then explained, �We were attacked by grenades, and he broke his leg.�           �I�ll radio for a paramedic and the police,� Bob said.  Turning, he sprinted toward the helicopter.           Hondo observed his young subordinates with respect in his eyes.  �Looks like you boys had an eventful camping trip.�           �How�d you know to come looking for us?� Luca asked.           �Bob called me this morning when his horses came back without you.  I scrambled to find a helicopter and get out here to search for you.�           �I�m glad the horses made it back okay.  We were hoping they would.�           �So, you boys took down a major drug operation all by yourselves,� Hondo teased.           �Well, not quite, but we did round up all their guards and secured their weapons,� T. J. said, modestly.  �And you got the shooter in the helicopter.�           �Only after you shot the helicopter out of the sky.�           �That was some mighty fancy shootin� there, boy, takin� that helicopter down like that� Willis said through clenched teeth.  �Ain�t never seen nothin� like it in all my born days.  Oh, and that man in the helicopter?  That was Hart, the guy who oversees and trains those sharpshooters.  He�s as mean as they come, and he�s in this drug operation all the way.  He�s your shooter, boys.  He�s the one who took down that park ranger.�