The Project 04 - Black Harvest

should wait a little."
    "You want some distance?"
    "No, that's not it. I'm having a little trouble right now. With what we do. What I do."
    "I know."
    "I'm having nightmares. I think maybe I need to see someone."
    "A shrink?"
    "Or a therapist. Someone to help me sort it out. I'm having these dreams, someone's trying to kill me. I can't see who they are."
    "Doesn't surprise me. I thought it would happen before now."
    "What do you mean?"
    "Everyone gets bad dreams who does things like we do. Soldiers, cops. Everyone. Except the psychos who love it."
    "That's what bothers me. Part of me loves it." She picked up a cracker, nibbled it.
    "That's because of the rush. Being on the edge. At risk. Am I right?"
    She nodded.
    "It's not the same thing as enjoying it the way the nut jobs do."
    "So why the dreams?"
    "When I came back from Afghanistan." He stopped.
    "After the grenade."
    "Yes. They made me talk to a shrink. We talked about this. It's called cognitive dissonance. The mind sets up a conflict between belief and reality."
    "I know about that."
    "We're brought up that killing people is wrong. Then we kill people. We believe we shouldn't do it. Reality is different." He shrugged. "Cognitive dissonance."
    "So we get nightmares."
    "Yup. PTSD is a nice catch all for a lot of different ways it shows up. Dreams is one of them."
    " Doctor Nick. I still think I need a shrink."
    "Maybe." He set his glass down. "I've got an idea for short term therapy."
    "What about living together?"
    "Why don't we talk about that later? After our therapy session?"
    He took her hand and led her into the bedroom.
    " Doctor Nick," she said.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

    Early next morning the team and Korov gathered around a flat table covered with satellite photos of the compound.
    Nick began. "Harker's got the logistics locked down. Transport to Sheppard. Vehicles waiting for us there. That's the easy part. Steph dug up info on the opposition. They provide hard core security in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have been incidents with this group."
    "What kind of incidents?" It was Selena.
    "They shoot first and ask later. All combat vets, former Rangers, Marines, SOCOM. We have to assume they know what they're doing and will respond rapidly."
    "They gotta be there to protect Demeter," Ronnie said.
    "No other reason I can think of."
    "Our weapons?"
    "We'll take all that with us, Korov. MP-5s, side arms, grenades, ammo. Night scopes. You know the MP-5?"
    The Russian nodded. "A good choice."
    "We'll take Thermate-TH3 for the meltdown and C-4 just in case. All our personal combat gear. Vests and the like. Lamont, can you handle a rifle with that arm?"
    "Yeah, with a bipod and a rest. Don't think I'd be much good in a running firefight, though."
    "I'm thinking we take a Barrett .50 and give you an M4 for backup. You stick with the vehicles, set up and give us cover while we go in."
    "That'll work."
    Nick put his finger on the electrical substation at the junction of the highway and the access road.
    "A big transformer fire will make a nice diversion. We'll take it out with a delayed charge and be in position when the lights go out. I'm betting they'll think it's a normal power failure. These guys have been sitting on their ass in the middle of nowhere for months with nobody shooting at them. They'll be dull. That will change pretty quick once they realize we're inside."
    Selena said, "How do we go over the fence?"
    "We don't go over it. We go through it with a plasma cutter. Easier and faster that way." He tapped the photo. "Here. In the rear, away from the guard shack and the barracks. Once we're in, we've got cover between the buildings. We'll get close before the power goes off."
    Korov nodded.
    Nick continued. "They won't see us. There's no moon. Weather says clouds, so no stars either. It'll be black as Hitler's heart out there. We'll approach from the back, beyond the lights. Lamont will set up to cover us with the Barrett. We crawl up close and go through the fence when the power goes down."
    "And if the lights come back on while we're doing that?" Selena asked.
    Nick was in leader mode. "We deal with it."
    "Which building is the primary objective?" Korov studied the photo.
    "Building Four. This one."
    Building Four was in the second from the last row, in the back of the complex. That made it a little easier.
    "Korov, what's your experience with demolition?"
    "Extensive. I am familiar with thermite and with your detonators and explosives."
    "Figures. Okay,