Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset - Military Thrillers

by C. G. Cooper

CAL: Really? I’d say in the next couple of minutes my boys are gonna be coming through that door over there.

  DANTE: Who, the cops?

  CAL: No, asshole. Tell you what, why don’t we leave it as a surprise?

  West stared hard at his prisoner. He honestly couldn’t tell if he was being bluffed or not. This underground facility was his most secure location. Was it possible that it could be breached?

  DANTE: You know why I don’t believe you?

  CAL: No, why?

  DANTE: Because I designed this place myself. Oh, I forgot. You were passed out when we passed through not one but three doors built like bank vaults. It’ll take days to cut through that shit.

  It was Cal’s turn to look confused. Was Dante telling the truth? Either way, one of them would be right. Cal could only hope that his friends would find him soon.

  Chapter 22

  Main House, N.O.N. Compound, Williamson County, TN

  MSGT TRENT: Six, this is Big Dog.

  TRAVIS: Go ahead, Big Dog.

  MSGT TRENT: We’ve got a little issue here. We got enough of a hole cut to see through the other side with our fiber optics. Looks like there’s another door on the other side some ten feet down the passageway.

  TRAVIS: You’re kidding me.

  MSGT TRENT: You know I wouldn’t do that, Six.

  TRAVIS: All right, keep working and we’ll do the same. Let me know if you have any other ideas. Six, out.

  Travis looked to his companions and gave them the news. West was surprising them at every turn. What looked like a straightforward mission now felt like a complete cluster-fuck.

  TRAVIS: Anyone else have any bright ideas?

  ANDY: I think we need to start by getting half of your teams roaming the countryside. Who knows, they may get lucky and find the tunnel exit.

  NEIL: What about the toy I gave Cal? You think he’ll use it?

  TRAVIS: I’d think he would’ve used it by now.

  ANDY: OK. Then let’s keep sweeping the countryside and see what we find.

  The companions fell silent and continued to look out the windows with their night vision goggles. Each kept toggling back and forth between normal night vision and heat register. Nothing yet.

  + + +

  West had gone back to preparing things in the room. Cal was curious about why his captor hadn’t called his goons yet. Maybe they worked off of cell phones and the signal couldn’t penetrate the underground lair.

  Cal had one more ace up his sleeve: the weapon Neil had given him. The problem was that its deployment would be tricky. He somehow had to get West to use Cal’s cell phone. That would take some coaxing. Think, Cal, think.

  An idea popped into his head like a lightning strike. His plan wouldn’t be easy and he’d have to feel some pain first. No matter. It was his only option. Cal gritted his teeth and steeled himself for the upcoming torture. He knew from talking with former POWs that everyone broke eventually. The body and mind could only take so much.

  He would have to use that to his advantage.

  CAL: Are you gonna get started or do I have to torture myself, you pussy?

  DANTE: Almost ready, white boy. You may wanna watch your mouth and enjoy the last few minutes you’ve got.

  CAL: Whatever. Any second now my guys will be busting in that door over there.

  DANTE: Not likely. The back exit to this place is impossible to find. Plus, this won’t take long. I’ll be leaving your body in here to rot after I’m done with you.

  CAL: So are you going to tell me why you want to torture me?

  DANTE (grinning): At first it was all about revenge. You see, I can’t let the asshole that put me on the radar and killed my boys get away with it. The second reason came to me a minute ago while you were running your mouth. I’m curious about these so-called secrets you say you have. It might be a good investment of my time to do a little digging.

  CAL (to himself): BINGO!

  Dante moved back to the dolly and pressed his pistol to Cal’s temple.

  DANTE: Now I’m going to unstrap you and take you over to the bedspring. You try anything, I’ll shoot you. You got me?

  CAL: Yeah.

  He released Cal slowly, never removing the gun from Cal’s head. When finished, he ushered his prisoner over to the bedspring that was now connected to the two car batteries. West methodically strapped Cal to the metal frame with zip ties on his ankles and wrists. Cal was spread-eagle, glaring at West and prepared for pain.

  DANTE: I’ll start with a low setting. I just want you to get a little taste.

  West switched the machine on and Cal heard the buzz of electricity. Next, Dante grabbed the power knob and turned it to the first setting.

  Cal’s body seized and his eyes shut involuntarily. This wasn’t going to be fun.

  + + +

  TRAVIS: All the teams just checked in. Nothing from the guys scouring the farm. Neil, are you finding anything in those property records?

  NEIL: Nothing. Obviously no plans were ever submitted to the local commissions for the building. Looks like he really did it on the sly.

  TRAVIS: What about the police records? Any complaints for noise or blasting?

  NEIL: Already checked that and no. Besides, this property is just shy of a thousand acres. They could get away with a lot without ever being seen or heard.

  BRIAN: What about the topography?

  TRAVIS: What do you mean?

  BRIAN: I know there’s a lot of land in the hundred year flood plain around here. I would assume that if West wanted a long-term facility he would’ve factored that in. Maybe we can find out which way the tunnel leads by taking away certain portions of the topography.

  TRAVIS: Good idea. Neil, pull up all the topo maps with elevation and flood plain data. It’s the only lead we’ve got right now.

  + + +

  West had just shocked Cal for the third time. He had yet to ask a single question. It was obvious he was just enjoying seeing the pain register on the former Marine’s face.

  Cal, although in extreme pain during each shock, was starting to finalize his plan. It was a strange talent he’d uncovered while on the battlefield in Afghanistan. He’d found that in times of extreme pain and duress, his mind became hyper-focused instead of losing its edge and wandering into the fog. It was what had allowed him to keep going even after being wounded multiple times.

  Within this clarity, he remembered hearing stories from former POWs from the Vietnam War and World War II. They’d survived by only divulging snippets of the truth. They’d survived by effectively weaving lies within the truth. Cal was about to try the same tactic.

  CAL (panting): Are you gonna ask me any questions or just get your rocks off watching me shake?

  DANTE: Man, you must really have a death wish. You ready to die already?

  CAL: No. I’m just ready to be done with your bullshit.

  DANTE: Still hoping your buddies are coming to save your ass, huh?

  CAL: That’s right. And when they do I’m gonna strap you to this fucking thing and let you go a couple rounds.

  DANTE: Hate to tell you this, boy, but that ain’t gonna happen. How about we just get down to the questions. This time we’re gonna play a new game. If I think you’re not telling the truth, I turn on the machine again. If I REALLY think you’re bullshitting me, I’m only gonna beat on you a little bit.

  Dante picked up a steel baseball bat from the corner and demonstrated practice swings. His grin returned.

  CAL: What, no knives yet?

  DANTE: Oh, those will come soon enough. So, let’s get to the questions.

  + + +

  MSgt Trent pulled at the heavy steel door with all his strength. They’d finally cut around the locking mechanism. Sweat beaded on his brow as the door finally separated from the last bit of steel holding it to the lock.

  The door swooshed open and the assault team quickly jumped into the space, guns at the ready, panning for targets.

  ASSAULT TEAM LEADER: All clear!
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  MSGT TRENT: Does it look like the same kind of door as the first one?

  ASSAULT TEAM LEADER: It does, Top. You want us to start cutting again?

  MSGT TRENT: Do it.

  The team leader nodded to his demolitions expert and the man moved quickly to the next door his cutting tools already in hand.

  MSGT TRENT (into his mic): Six, this is Big Dog.

  TRAVIS: Go ahead, Big Dog.

  MSGT TRENT: First door breached. Moving to breach door number two, over.

  TRAVIS: Roger. Let me know as soon as you have an idea of what’s on the other side.

  MSGT TRENT: Roger, out.

  Trent was praying that there wouldn’t a third door.

  + + +

  West had begun the interrogation with some basic questions: date of birth, home address, sexual preference, etc. It was obvious that West was building some kind of rudimentary baseline to see if he was lying; sort of a voodoo version of a lie detector test.

  DANTE: Time for some real questions. How did you find out about me?

  CAL: My company.

  DANTE: What do you mean your company?

  CAL: I own a company.

  DANTE: What kind of a company?

  CAL: A consulting company.

  DANTE: This is your one and only warning. Stop trying to drag this out. You answer me or I’ll make you answer me. You got me?

  CAL: I thought I was doing damn well, asshole.

  Without warning, West picked up the baseball bat and took a quick swing square into Cal’s gut. Cal tried to dodge and somehow absorb the blow. His head sagged as the wind was knocked out of him.

  DANTE: You’ve got thirty seconds to catch your breath and then you start answering.

  Cal could feel his recent gunshot wounds throbbing and threatening to bleed again. He had to stay focused and buy more time. But how much more could he take? Hurry up, Trav.

  + + +

  ANDY: The best I can see is that the tunnel has to run this way under this ridge line. Any other way, they risk going into or at least skirting the flood plain.

  TRAVIS: I’m still not totally sold on the idea.

  ANDY: I think West would’ve thought about this. The guy went through Hurricane Katrina and probably the flood of 2010 here in Nashville. He doesn’t strike me as a guy that would take any chances.

  TRAVIS: OK. So where does the tunnel dump out?

  ANDY: I say we start right over here by the Harpeth River. We might--

  NEIL: I just had another idea!

  TRAVIS: What?

  NEIL: Let’s assume that West is using this place as some kind of drug manufacturing center. Even if he’s able to mask the heat of his power source, he’ll still need to have some kind of exhaust.

  TRAVIS: Explain that.

  NEIL: It’s like a car engine. All that heat has to go somewhere. The intake and exhaust help keep the engine cooled. If West is using heat lamps, for example, that hot air has to go somewhere. It would be crazy expensive to have a self contained system like they have in a nuclear sub. I’m betting they had to build vents to get the hot air out.

  TRAVIS: Then shouldn’t we see them with our heat vision?

  NEIL: Not necessarily. The scopes we use are calibrated to see obvious variances, like the difference between a person’s body temperature and the ambient air temperature.

  ANDY: But then how do we see people at night when we use the same scopes in the desert?

  NEIL: There’s still a difference between your body temp and the air temperature. It’s just that the air’s warmer.

  TRAVIS: So how do we find these vents?

  NEIL: Let me see if I can patch into the helo’s infrared system and recalibrate it for much smaller variances.

  TRAVIS: All right, but do it fast. The longer we take, the less I like Cal’s chances.

  + + +

  West was getting more and more excited as the interrogation went on. He’d already found out about SSI and Cal’s stake as owner. Cal, through extreme willpower, had skirted questions about SSI’s covert wing. Who would’ve thought he’d catch the heir to a billion dollar company? The options started to whirl in Dante’s head.

  Maybe he could ransom Cal.

  Maybe he could exchange his prisoner for money and weapons.

  The possibilities were endless.

  DANTE: You’re in luck, rich boy. I’m thinking that you might just make it out alive today.

  Cal looked up through puffy eyes and spit more blood onto the floor. His insides were on fire and his tongue felt like a puffed up marshmallow. Every time he got shocked, he swore he’d bit off another piece of his tongue.

  DANTE: What’s wrong? No more smartass comments?

  CAL (thickly): What do you want me to say?

  DANTE: How about you give me the number to someone I need to call at your company? Maybe I can talk to someone sane there.

  CAL (thickly): I don’t know the number. It’s on my cell phone.

  Dante glanced down at his pants pocket as if he’d forgotten the missing cell phone. He pulled the cell phone and battery out.

  DANTE: How do I know they won’t track me as soon as I put this battery in?

  CAL: Aren’t you the one that told me cell phones don’t work down here?

  DANTE: True.

  CAL: So how the hell would they track it?

  DANTE: OK. So what’s the phone number?

  CAL: Call my cousin Travis. It’s under T. Or wait, you can read can’t you?

  West shook his head and looked back down at the phone. He replaced the battery and turned the phone on. Cal watched, expressionless, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal his surprise. He wondered if he’d even be able to reach the trigger Neil attached to his right molar with his tongue.

  Neil had instructed him to tap the molar three times and the miniature flash bang he’d installed within Cal’s cell phone would detonate. The problem now was getting his swollen tongue to react at the right moment.

  Cal moved his numb tongue around in his mouth and spat another gob of blood and phlegm onto the floor. He looked back to Dante.

  DANTE: This thing is asking for a password. What is it?

  Cal gave Dante the access code and instructed him on how to retrieve the correct phone number.

  CAL: You may want to try making the call from the phone. It’s got enhanced signal strength and could work.

  DANTE: I thought you said it wouldn’t work down here.

  CAL: It’s worth a shot. Might get you through faster, unless you have a better idea.

  DANTE: What the hell.

  Dante speed dialed Travis’s number and held the phone up to his ear. Just as it reached his ear, Cal carefully tapped his molar three times and the cell phone exploded with a shriek.

  West collapsed to the floor, his hearing in his left ear thoroughly wiped out. He lay unconscious as Cal tried to find a way out of his restraints. Neil had been very clear on the last point. West would only be incapacitated for a maximum of three minutes. Cal had to hurry.

  Chapter 23

  Above N.O.N. Compound, Williamson County, TN

  The team on the helicopter waited anxiously as Neil patched into the onboard system and clicked away.

  NEIL: I’ve almost got it. There.