“What do you think?” Tom said.

The last rays of sunlight reached over the mountain tops to the west. The few clouds in the distance reflected red light into the valley. On the mountain face, shadows dominated from the ground to the heliport ledge.

“Like I said, it’s doable, but it will be slow going.” From his perch on the closest hill next to the mountain, Al looked closer at the camouflaged hangar doors. “I don’t see any cameras or guards up there.”

“It would surprise me if there were. The locals know better than to be here, and no one in their right mind would think to climb up there at night.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“True that.”

“Let’s give it another half hour before we move. It should be fully dark by then, and the moon won’t be out for another two hours or so.”

“When we get up there?”

Tom sighed. “We’ll play it by ear. It’s a recon, but who knows.”

“Flying by the seat of our pants again.” Al handed the binos over and lowered himself from the highest point of the hill where they had observed the heliport.

Tom slid down on his butt next to Al. “You know, I really wish Julia had granted me that last wish from a dying man.”

“You’re a frigg’in dog.”

An amused hiss issued from between Tom’s tongue and teeth. “And that, my friend, is why I have four exes.”

They both chuckled.