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

by C. G. Cooper

“I guess these guys don’t want to talk,” Cal mused.

  “Yeah. Any ideas?”

  “Hey diddle diddle?” It was a private joke. Marines were fond of saying ‘Hey diddle diddle, straight up the middle’, to explain a full-frontal assault.

  Brian nodded and put his hands in his pockets. He gripped his weapons casually. “You sure we can’t talk about this guys?”

  The bearded giant spoke for the first time in a heavy Russian accent. “No talk. Now we crush you.”

  “Whatever you say, Ivan Drago. I think…” the words stuck in Cal’s throat as he noticed a figure climb over their attackers’ van and jump down on the two men waiting for their companions. As he fell, the shaggy stranger pointed two tasers at the backs of his targets. Their muted screams and Cal’s gaze drew the attention of the three hulking men. They turned their heads. Cal and Brian took advantage of the distraction and attacked.

  Cal unsheathed his knife and dropped into a squat, simultaneously slicing a clean line through the man’s left knee. The man screamed in surprise and bent to grab his injured leg. As he did, Cal sprang up pulling the man’s head down as he drove his knee up into the Russian’s nose. The man collapsed unconscious.

  Meanwhile, Brian went to work on the giant on the far right. As a combat veteran, Brian knew there was rarely such thing as a fair fight. Use any advantage you can. Instead of trying to reach a swing at the man’s head, Ramirez directed his uppercut at his groin. The man quickly joined his companion on the ground.

  The bearded giant was the only one who had a chance to retaliate. As Cal turned back to the last attacker, the wild looking stranger sprang on the larger man and landed a brutal blow to the man’s temple with what looked like a short billy club. Game over.

  “We need to get out of here,” said the longhaired newcomer. Cal noticed that the man was barely breathing heavy. His posture looked almost animalistic in its grace.

  Not wanting to wait around for the authorities, Cal agreed. “You lead the way…”

  “Daniel.”

  “You lead the way, Daniel.”

  The three men rushed to the end of the alley, replacing their weapons as they ran. Once they got to the van, they squeezed around back and disappeared into the moving crowds.

  +++

  After silently following Daniel for fifteen minutes, the trio approached an old apartment complex. Daniel walked up the only flight of stairs and opened the third door.

  He ushered his guests inside and turned on the lights.

  The apartment was small but spotless. It was sparingly appointed. No pictures, just a small kitchenette, bathroom, an old bed and some books on a shelf. It looked much newer than the exterior.

  Daniel took off his trench coat and placed it on the bed neatly. As he did Cal noticed the large tattoo on the man’s left arm. It was the trademark skull and arrowhead of Marine sniper units with the motto: ‘Swift, silent, deadly.’

  “You’re a Marine?” Cal asked.

  “I was,” Daniel answered quietly as he moved to the kitchen sink and washed his hands.

  “Me too.”

  Daniel didn’t respond except with a silent nod.

  Cal thought of what to say as he studied the other Marine. The young man looked fit and muscular. He probably stood just over six feet with dirty blonde hair and beard. Cal guessed that the guy couldn’t be more than thirty years old. Where’d this guy come from?

  Daniel turned back from the kitchen and spoke. “How’d you get involved with the Russians? Gambling debts?”

  Cal was totally confused. “You know those guys?”

  “I know WHO they are. They’re hired thugs. They split their time between security duty and breaking knee caps,” Daniel explained.

  “Let’s back up a minute, man. First off, I’m Cal and this is my buddy Brian. He was a corpsman so we all call him Doc.”

  The three men shook hands. “I’m Daniel Briggs.”

  “I guess we forgot to say thanks, Daniel,” Brian added. “How’d you happen to be nearby anyways?”

  Daniel took a second to respond. How had he known? How did he ever know where danger was? Some might call it a gift. To Daniel it often felt like a curse. He didn’t know how to explain but he tried.

  “You guys spend any time over in Iraq or Afghanistan?” he asked.

  Both men nodded.

  “You ever have a hard time sleeping?”

  “I don’t, but I have plenty of friends that do,” Cal offered.

  “Same here,” Brian added.

  Daniel paused again, praying that he was doing the right thing in telling these strangers about some of his darkest secrets.

  “Well, I’m one of the ones that couldn’t sleep. Tried alcohol for while. Didn’t take. Neither did the prescriptions. Then I found God. Now I help other people.”

  Brian and Cal looked at each other. Who was this guy? He’d obviously had some post-traumatic issues. They both knew that a lot of returning veterans had PTSD symptoms. Some of the most successful found healing through counseling and religion.

  “So what are you doing on the streets of Las Vegas?” Cal asked.

  “Long story short, I felt led here. I’m from Florida. Hopped on a bus one day. Vegas was where my bus ticket ran out. I’ve spent the last few months doing odd jobs during the day and walking the streets at night. I make sure tourists aren’t getting taken advantage of. The thieves and con artists are pretty easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for. I’ve just been waiting.”

  “Waiting for what?” Cal and Brian asked at the same time.

  “Something else. I know God will tell me when it’s time to move on.”

  Cal respected the man’s conviction. “So what about those guys tonight? How’d you know they were coming after us?”

  “Vegas is actually a pretty small town. Once you’ve been here for a spell, you start to know the characters. I’ve seen these guys on collecting duty before. They work for that Japanese-themed hotel behind the Bellagio. Usually it’s just two of them. When I saw them tonight, they looked like they were on a mission. I decided to follow. You know the rest,” Daniel finished.

  Cal and Brian stood silent for a second. So they’d been detected at Zimmer’s hotel. But what was the motive? Questions started rolling around in Cal’s head. How’d they pick out Cal and Brian? Why come after them now? Who told them? Cal had a sneaking suspicion that Congressman Brandon Zimmer had opened his big fucking mouth. He’d have to have a little talk with the arrogant prick.

  Cal filed away his thoughts for later. Back to Daniel Briggs. What do you say to a guy that looks like a crazy mountain man and spends most nights playing hero on the streets of Sin City?

  Both friends were obviously curious about the man’s past.

  “So you were a scout sniper in the Corps?”

  “Yeah. I’d never picked up a rifle before boot camp. My drill instructors said I was a natural,” Daniel explained without a hint of arrogance. “Once I finished up the School of Infantry in Lejeune, I got picked up to go to sniper school.”

  “How many tours did you do?” asked Brian.

  “Iraq once and three times to Afghanistan. Spent some time with MARSOC too.”

  So this guy had been around the block a few times. Cal would have to find out some more details from his contact at Headquarters Marine Corps.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what was your PTSD trigger?” Brian asked.

  It didn’t look like Daniel minded the question. If he’d already admitted to having sleeping issues, Brian figured he’d probably open up about the rest. It didn’t hurt that Cal and Brian had similar backgrounds: brothers-in-arms.

  “It wasn’t the killing. I never had a problem with that.” He paused to gather his thoughts. “The guys we took down were bad dudes. Most were insurgents from across the border. Some of the best shooting I ever did was over-watch for battalion. I knew I was saving Marines’ lives. It was my last tour when things went to shit. Some of our teams were gett
ing attached to special ops groups. They wanted to double the number of snipers they were taking into the zone. So we’re on this op in the middle of shitland Afghanistan. Real nasty urban area. Full of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters. We’d just inserted with a team of four SEALs. As soon as we fast roped to the ground and the helo banks left, insurgents took it out with a couple of RPGs. The SEALs told us to find some high ground to get a better vantage point, and they took off for the insurgent position. We tried to get indirect fire or close air support, but higher wouldn’t allow it because of the large civilian population. Me and my spotter got into one of the compounds and found the best view we could. We watched as those SEALs leapfrogged all the way to the enemy pos. It was pitch black, but we could see that two of the guys were already wounded. Those brave sons-a-bitches kept assaulting and cussing out higher over the radio. I’d just setup my Barrett .50 cal as I watched all four SEALs get mowed down by a truck-mounted machine gun. I started unloading on the fuckers. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. They kept streaming out, trying to get the bodies of our SEALs.”

  “Pretty soon they realized where our shots were coming from. They turned their fire on us. I have no idea how long I was shooting. My spotter, Grant, got hit in the shoulder almost right away. He kept calling out shots though. Finally some fucker gets smart and they start lobbing mortar rounds at us. We started pulling back into one of the only two story buildings in the area. Grant was wounded but still doing okay. Then he got hit with an AK round in the leg. Went right through his femur. Blood everywhere. I lugged my .50 cal on one shoulder and dragged Grant under the other arm. We get in the bottom floor of this building and all hell broke loose. It sounded like two or three mortar tubes thumping rounds onto us. We somehow got to the lowest part of the building before it collapsed.”

  “I don’t know how I didn’t get crushed. Grant did though. His other leg was completely smashed under the rubble. Grant tried not to scream as his leg pumped more and more blood onto the dirt floor. I applied a quick tourniquet and tried to make him comfortable. I remember telling him that someone would be there soon. Man, was I wrong.”

  “For the next two days we listened quietly as the insurgents searched the rubble pile. I don’t know how they didn’t get to us. I could even hear the fuckers cheering. Found out later that they’d mutilated the SEALs’ bodies and hung ‘em up outside where we were trapped.”

  “Our radio got lost in the explosion, so we were shit out of luck there. I kept telling Grant that we just had to stay quiet and some of our boys would be there soon. He was delirious with pain for a day. I tried to keep him awake but he finally passed out. A day later, I couldn’t find a pulse.”

  “He died in my arms. We’d been friends since boot camp. I was the best man at his wedding. I barely had a scratch on me. A day later, I heard a lot of firing and then troops talking English. I screamed and screamed until they pinpointed where I was. They brought in the engineers and got us out. I found out later that the enemy had been waiting for us. Apparently some American politician had opened his mouth and word got to the right people on the other side. We didn’t have a chance.”

  “I spent a lot of time afterwards wondering why. I’d drink my way into a dark tunnel and wonder: why not me instead of Grant? Why did he have to leave his wife and kid? Why do politicians leak secrets? The answer I found was simple: It’s not up to me. The Man upstairs has some kind of plan. Maybe he was saving me for something. All I can do now is try my best and live up to the second chance.”

  Cal and Brian stood quietly, digesting the story.

  “So how do you sleep now?” asked Cal.

  “Like a baby most nights. I still have bad dreams every once in a while. Mostly they’re memories of Grant slowly dying in my arms, repeating his wife’s name over and over. He looks more like an angel in my dreams now.”

  “I appreciate you telling us. We’ve been in the shit a few times, too. How about you come have a drink with us so we can thank you properly?” asked Cal.

  “I don’t drink alcohol anymore, but sure. How about tomorrow night?”

  They exchanged contact information and Cal promised to call Daniel the next day to confirm. Cal and Brian said their goodbyes and walked outside.

  “You think we should change our hotel room now?” Brian asked sarcastically.

  Chapter 16

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  9:30pm, September 16th

  The large bearded Russian stood almost at attention. Ishi Nakamura paced back and forth in front of the giant.

  “How is it that you let these two men get away?” Ishi asked once again.

  “I told you, Mr. Nakamura. We were not expecting the third man. We aslo did not know the capabilities of the targets. That information could have been useful. I now have two men in hospital,” grumbled the hired thug.

  “I don’t care about your men, you idiot. We pay you a lot of money to take care of such simple tasks. I still can’t believe five military-trained men couldn’t take down two targets,” Ishi continued as he paced.

  “Technically, it was three m…”

  “Shut up! Just shut up!” Ishi screamed. “Now I want you to be ready the next time I call. If you need to find more men, do it. Meanwhile, I’ll clean up this mess.”

  Ishi dreaded the next conversation with his father. Nakamura-san would not be amused.

  +++

  Cal and Brian called Neil as soon as they left Daniel’s apartment. He’d get them another suite at the Venetian by the time they packed their gear. It was a little farther away, but owned by a friend of the company.

  “The reservation will be under your Alpha aliases,” Neil instructed. Each operator at SSI was assigned three aliases (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie) for contingencies. “I suggest you boys get some rest for tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Cal retorted. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Neil.”

  He replaced the phone in his pocket and followed Brian through the door at the Cosmopolitan.

  “You still happy you tagged along, Doc?”

  “Who me? I’m used to your crazy adventures by now, man. What’s next? Naked stripper assassins parachuting through our glass windows at the Venetian?” quipped Brian.

  “I sure as hell hope not. You’d be too distracted by the naked girls to defend yourself.”

  “Very funny, jackass.”

  They got in and out of their room quickly. There really hadn’t been time to unpack so grabbing their bags was easy. Cal put the Do Not Disturb sign on the outside of the door. They’d let the reservation run its course for the next two days, just in case.

  Cal led the way down the back staircase and headed for the service exit.

  +++

  Daniel Briggs knelt next to his bed. The adrenaline finally seeped from his system; he was exhausted but happy. He took a moment to say a quick prayer. When he finished, he stripped down to his boxer briefs and fell right to sleep.

  Chapter 17

  Las Vegas, Nevada

  7:08am, September 17th

  Congressman Zimmer and MSgt Trent arrived late the night before. It was a bright morning that promised to be clear and beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky.

  Zimmer padded into the living area just after 7:00am wearing some gym shorts and a t-shirt. Trent had to admit that the man didn’t look like a pansy. He seemed to be in good shape. Maybe in another life he could’ve been in the military.

  Trent was shirtless but already dressed in gym shorts and running shoes. He’d sprawled his massive frame over the long couch overlooking the outdoor pool. Creeping up on the big four oh, Willy Trent was still as fit as any professional athlete. At one time, he’d been drafted into the NFL. He soon found another calling with the Marines.

  “You sleep okay, Top?”

  “Just fine, sir.”

  “You ready to hit the gym in a few minutes?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll throw on a t-shirt and we can go.”

  Both men finished getting ready then headed to the
workout facility.

  +++

  An hour later, they headed back to their suite.

  “I don’t know about you, Top, but I needed that,” stated a completely sweat-soaked Zimmer.

  “Yes, sir. Always nice to start the day off with a good workout.”

  “What time are we meeting Cal this morning?”

  Trent looked at his watch. “He called while we were in the gym and pushed it back an hour. Apparently they had a little situation last night. He’s trying to get a read on it before we meet.”

  “What kind of situation?” asked Zimmer.

  Trent shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell me over the phone. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Getting back to their suite, each man split off to their respective rooms to shower and change.

  Brandon was putting his pants on when his personal cell phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “How are things going, Son?”

  “We got in last night. We’ll be meeting Cal soon.”

  “Good. Any progress on their investigation?” the Senator asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. I’ll know more after we meet, I think.”

  “Now you remember, Son. Let those boys do their job. From what I hear, they’re very good at what they do.”

  “I know, Dad. I’ll behave.”

  “Call me when you know more,” Senator Zimmer instructed.

  The line went dead. Brandon tucked the phone into his pocket and finishing dressing. Zimmer hoped it would be an uneventful day.

  +++

  MSgt Trent led the way down to the lobby. He scanned the area and ushered the Congressman toward the main exit. Just as they were about to step into the revolving doors, someone called out.

  “Brandon!”

  Trent and Zimmer turned around. Ishi Nakamura approached with a pair of security guards. Zimmer plastered a happy look on his face and waved to his old friend.

  “Hey, Ishi.”