He jogged into the open, and ran on tiptoe down the side of the van, swinging the butt of his Heckler at the side of Jim Valley’s head as he reached the open door. Out of instinct, Valley bent his head away and deflected the full impact, which was still forceful enough to half tear his left ear from his head.

As Templar went for him, Valley’s leg straightened into a ram, catching Templar in the solar plexus. Templar staggered back and Valley was on him with a left hook that failed to connect properly, followed by a fast elbow. Templar took it on the left cheek and was knocked onto his back. Valley leaped on him, trying for a jujitsu chokehold to the neck, which Templar countered by throwing an uppercut with his right elbow that connected so well it sounded like it broke some of Valley’s teeth. They rolled from one another, Templar’s rifle now lying in the grass. Valley threw a sweep kick from his prone position, catching Templar on the side of the nose, ejecting blood and snot into the air. He shook it off and caught a boot in the mouth, knocking him onto his back. Now Valley was on him, with a hand on Templar’s larynx and a right hand descending fast at his face. Templar got a hand free and deflected the punch with his bicep as he punctured Valley’s left eye with a claw strike. Valley recoiled, moaning in pain, releasing his larynx grip, allowing Templar to throw him off with his hips and roll into a rear-naked chokehold. He tightened his arms around Valley’s neck, positioned his legs against his back and pulled back hard. He felt Valley’s taps on the ground get softer as the blood stopped flowing to his head. Valley was a big, fit man but he finally went soft and Templar immediately cuffed him at the wrists and ankles and slapped a length of duct tape across his mouth.

Templar got on the radio net, telling the team Valley down, and asking for situation reports. Jean-Michel whispered he was approaching the house from the west, no resistance; Brent didn’t answer.