Shadow Men – 57 – Anders and Grant

"Grant," Anders growled, "pay attention, damn it!"

Grant jumped as he tried to get his nerves back under control. It was one thing to have to face attacks while in a car, as had happened on their way to the city. It would be quite another to be on foot in a place as huge as Anders had told him Central Park was while trying to stay out of the Colonel's, and the Senator's, clutches.

"Got your attention now, I hope." Anders pointed to the map, tracing his finger along the route they'd be taking to get to the meeting spot. "It's all densely wooded, which is good for us, but in the case of someone showing up who shouldn't, also good for them."

"Not making me feel any better here, Anders," Grant muttered.

"Not trying to. I want you to understand exactly what we might be facing. It's for sure they know we're in the city by now. It's possible, in fact probable, they know about this place as well."

"Then why are we still here?"

"We won't be once we leave tonight," Steele told him.

"Back to the subject…" Anders went on to show Grant and Steele how he planned for them to arrive at the meeting place without being seen. When he'd finished and gotten Steele's approval for the plan, he moved on to the next subject on his agenda—Grant and how he'd be armed.

"Knives?" Grant wanted to back away when Anders handed him two of them in sheathes that obviously were meant to hold the weapons to his arms or calves.

"Knives, as well as your gun. I don't expect you to do more than slash and stab as best you can if it comes down to it. Knife fighting's an art and there's no time for training right now. The main point to remember is it's better to slash, it does more immediate damage. If you do stab, then twist the blade to make the wound larger. Do not try hand-to-hand fighting; they're one hundred times better at it. Shoot first if you have a target, use the knives if you can—otherwise, run like hell."

"To where?"

"Good question." Anders studied the map. "Here. It's an arch so you can't miss it."

"Yeah, sure. In the dark, with someone chasing me, bet me."

Steele clapped a hand on Grant's shoulder. "You're better than you think you are. You've proven that already. All you need to remember is that what we're doing is important not only to us but to the people who'll suffer if we don't get this information to someone who will do the right thing with it."

"I'll try." He looked between the two men and took a deep breath. "One thing, well, two actually. I'm a small cog in all this. If it comes down to it, leave me behind. I don't think I could handle knowing that you tried to save me and died in the process. And second, if that happens, take care of Nicky."

"It's not going to happen," Anders replied quietly. "We're going in together; we're coming out the same way."

"Truth," Steele said with a tight smile.

Grant prayed they were right.