“Alpha deployed two days ago to the area northwest and northeast of the cartel camp. Here and here. They’ve got close enough to suggest that you will encounter armed resistance, but nothing that you won’t be able to handle. You will approach from the south.” He moved the pointer and played the light over an area notable only for the emerald green of the jungle and the blue swipe of the river that ran through it. “You will drive out of Medellín in the chicken truck until you get to the swap point, here. The road gets more difficult at that point, so you’ll transfer to three Land Rovers that Alpha have secured. You’ll drive on as far as you can and then go on foot through the jungle until you reach this staging point here”—he flashed the pointer—“where you will wait for the signal to attack. The narcos use emergency guidelines to get them out of the jungle at night. Your job is to push north and flush them out. Alpha will be waiting for them to the north of the camp, at the end of the guidelines. Their orders are to shoot anything that moves.”

“Fish in a barrel,” one of the soldiers observed.

“Fish might have a better chance.”

“What about WITCH?”

“She’ll be with her personal security detail. We don’t know anything about them, but we can assume that they will be dangerous. The source suggests that she is followed by a Scandinavian ex–special forces operator.”

“A merc?”

“That’s what we think. He’s supposed to be big and nasty—one to look out for. The goal is to capture and exfiltrate her, but, if that isn’t possible, there is approval to use deadly force. She’s coming out of the jungle tonight—I’d rather it was in cuffs, but I don’t particularly care if it’s in a box.”

The men all nodded that they understood.

“Now,” the commander said, “you’ve got guests coming along today. Special Agent Ellie Flowers has been running the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of Ambassador Cochrane. Ellie—put your hand up, please.”

Ellie did as she was asked, nodding to the men as they turned to check her out.

“And over there, behind Ellie—put your hands up, guys. That’s Luis Miguel and David Fuentes. They’re DEA agents and they’ve been on WITCH’s trail for the last six months. You want to add anything, fellas?”