by C. G. Cooper
“I’ll talk to Cal.”
“Thanks, Top. You won’t regret it,” Zimmer smiled.
+++
11:47pm
Cal put his phone down and closed his eyes in frustration. Another wrinkle.
“Okay, guys, one more change. That was Top on the phone. Seems as though the Congressman got himself invited to the party. He’ll be at the convention center during the rehearsal tomorrow morning, too. I told Top to stick to his ass like glue.”
Brian and Daniel looked up from their card game. “So who’s going with you tomorrow?”
“Andy called back and said he could only get two passes from the Secret Service. No offense, Doc, but I think I’m gonna take Daniel with me.”
Ramirez waived off the apology. “No biggy. That means at least one of us can sleep in tomorrow.”
“You cool to come with me?” Cal asked Briggs.
“No problem. I guess we won’t be taking any weapons.” It was posed as a question.
“Yeah. We can leave them out in the car. I’ll bet they’ll have that place pretty buttoned up before the big show. I’m more worried about tomorrow night. Why don’t you guys hit the sack? I’m just gonna go over that new list Neil gave us. I want to memorize as many faces as I can.”
Daniel and Brian finished their game, cleaned up, and went to their rooms. Cal watched them go, wishing he could do the same. It was already midnight. He’d be up for at least two more hours, poring over the files Neil kept digging out of the Ichiban network.
+++
1:25am
Cal had just dozed off when a natty-looking Neil Patel tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hey, what’s up?” Cal asked groggily.
“I just found something I think you need to see.” The earnestness on Neil’s face shook the fuzziness from Cal. He followed Neil to the computer station.
He watched as Neil pulled up a file. “So, earlier I found the original video file of the murder scene. Remember that in the one posted to YouTube, no one else was shown and the girl’s face was blurred? Well, this one I’m about to play was put together not only with clips of the Congressman, but also with a full view of the woman’s face. You ready to watch it?”
Cal knew they’d find some video like this, so he wasn’t sure why Neil was being so damn serious. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“I need you to watch the video first. Then I’ll tell you what it all means.”
Cal knew Neil wouldn’t waste his time, so Cal nodded to his friend. Patel pressed the Play button.
Cal watched as the cameraman walked around the body. It was similar to the shots he’d already seen online, but this time it showed a full view of the woman’s face. She was undoubtedly beautiful. She actually looked peaceful, despite not having any of her limbs attached. She must’ve been drugged, Cal thought.
Next, the camera panned over to Congressman Zimmer. He was lying unconscious, naked, and covered in the woman’s blood. The sharp knife had obviously fallen out of his bloody hand and sat inches from his gory appendage.
Holy shit!, Cal thought. He couldn’t imagine waking up to that. It reminded him of the iconic horse head scene from The Godfather. But this was different. This was a dismembered person. Maybe I need to cut Zimmer some slack.
The video finished and Neil looked up at his friend. “So what was your takeaway from that?”
After pausing for a moment to gather his jumbled thoughts, Cal replied. “First thing is maybe we can find out who that girl is. I also just realized Zimmer really went through some crazy stuff there. I’m surprised he’s not in the nut house after that.”
Neil agreed. Working with SSI, he’d seen some gory crime scenes. This was something different though. You could almost feel the detached brutality and evil of whoever had killed, then cut the poor girl up. It reeked of someone who had absolutely no regard for human life.
“You’re right about finding out who the girl was. I ran her through the FBI’s facial recognition system...” Neil had a way of hacking into any government agency he needed at the moment, “…and I got a match.”
“Just tell me the punch line, Neil,” ordered Cal impatiently.
Neil hesitated, “Her name was Patricia.”
“I thought Zimmer said her name was Beth.”
“Apparently, she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.”
“What’s her last name?” Cal asked, totally intrigued.
“Waller.”
“Waller? Is she related to President Waller?”
Neil nodded. “She’s his daughter.”
“Oh shit!”
Chapter 36
Las Vegas, Nevada
1:30am, September 19th
Cal hesitated before grabbing his phone. Who to call first? He was in completely uncharted territory here. Should he call President Waller first? Should he call Travis and get his opinion? His sluggish mind struggled to come to grips with the latest information.
How in the world had she just happened to run into Congressman Zimmer? And, more importantly, why did she call herself Beth? Was she part of a larger Japanese plot?
It was too much for his tired mind to unravel alone. He needed help.
Reluctantly, he grabbed the secure phone and placed a call to SSI headquarters. He asked the man on duty to patch him through to Travis’s encrypted line.
Ten seconds later, Travis was on the telephone, voice heavy with sleep. “What’s going on, cuz?”
“We just got some news that I don’t know what to do with. I need your help.”
Travis was suddenly awake. It was rare that his cousin called to ask for anything. This must be big. “What’s up?”
Cal told him about Waller’s daughter.
“You’ve got to be shitting me! Have you told him yet?”
“No. That’s why I’m calling you! What am I supposed to tell him?”
Travis had no clue. In the military, trained teams were sent to the homes of troops killed in action. Luckily, during his time with the SEALs he’d never had to pull that duty. How in the world do you tell an ex-President that his daughter was murdered and now being displayed all over the Internet?
“This is a big fucking mess, Cal.”
“Tell me about it. So what do I do?”
“I think you need to call him and request a meeting right now.”
Cal couldn’t think of anything better. If it had been his daughter, he’d want to know right away as well.
“Okay, I’ll make the call.”
“Let me know if you need my help.”
Cal killed the connection and dialed Waller’s number. He picked up after one ring. Apparently, he was used to calls in the middle of the night because he sounded wide awake.
“Hey, Cal.”
“Hello, sir. I’ve, uh, got some news that I need to share with you,” Cal started hesitantly.
“Can you tell me over the phone?”
“No, sir. I think I better head over to your place, if that’s okay.”
“You think that’s safe?”
“I’ll bring a couple of my guys with me. If you can just make sure your detail knows we’re coming.”
“No problem. I’ll see you in a few.”
The call ended and Cal gazed out the window. He could clearly see the happy crowds enjoying the warm night air, hopping from casino to casino. Cal wished he were with them. Instead, he had to deliver the worst news possible to a President of the United States.
+++
2:13am
He’d woken up Daniel and the two met up with three guys Gaucho sent over. They hurried down to the parking garage and loaded into the rental car. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived outside Waller’s hotel. Cal and Daniel hopped out and headed in.
Waller met them at his door and let the two Marines in. The three men were alone, the security detail stayed right outside the suite. Waller’s wife was asleep in the adjoining bedroom.
“So what’s going on, Cal?” President
Waller was in an expensive blue robe. Even past one in the morning, the man looked put together.
“I think we better sit down, sir,” Cal requested.
“I take it by your tone and the fact that you’ve forgotten to call me Hank that this is pretty serious.”
Cal merely nodded and took a seat on the large sectional. Waller had weathered more crises than most men will ever have to endure, but the look on Cal’s face sent prickles up his spine.
“Sir, we found out who the girl is in Congressman Zimmer’s video.”
By the look on his face, Waller was starting to put the pieces together. “Just tell me, Cal,” Waller asked quietly.
“It’s your daughter Patricia, sir.”
Waller stared at Cal blankly. He hadn’t seen his daughter in almost a year. She’d left for Los Angeles almost three years ago to pursue a career in acting. He and his wife had scattered contact with their only child. In fact, it’d been almost eight months since they’d last talked.
Shortly after arriving in L.A., Patricia had sent her security detail home and refused any more money from her parents. She was going to make it on her own. A part of Hank Waller was proud of his daughter for stepping out and being independent. It was often hard for the children of well-known politicians to have real lives. Waller was happy she’d chosen her own life.
He allowed her to live without the bodyguards, but still secretly kept tabs on her with a private security company. A few months after her independence, he’d received word from the owner of the company that his daughter had fallen in with a disreputable crowd of young actors. All played wholesome characters on TV and film, but in their private lives gorged on heavy drugs and explicit sex. Waller was crushed. He’d thought his daughter would have better sense.
Upon receiving the news, Waller and his wife hopped on a flight to California. They’d tracked down Patricia, who’d by then taken up with a local movie producer twice her age. It was obvious that she’d taken to the drug lifestyle, her skin hanging loosely from her pretty figure. Hank Waller almost cried when she’d first come to the door. He was losing his baby.
Her parents confronted the issue and threatened to have her committed. The intervention hadn’t gone well. Patricia stormed out of the house and disappeared. For weeks, the security company couldn’t track her down. Then three months later, Patricia had shown up on their doorstep completely out of the blue. She looked clean and healthy. He almost didn’t recognize her at first. She’d grown into a beautiful woman. Hank and his wife cried as they hugged and welcomed her home.
Over lunch, she’d told them the entire story. In short, she’d fallen in with the wrong crowd and allowed them to manipulate her. She was embarrassed but owned up to her shortcomings.
“Most of all I’m sad that I worried you guys,” she’d told her parents.
The weekend was perfect. They’d cancelled everything and spent time as a family. That had been eleven months ago. Then she’d apparently gotten a job with a Hollywood PR firm. Traveling extensively, contact had been rare, minus the occasional quick text hello. They’d wondered about the lack of correspondence, but just figured she’d been busy.
Hank Waller put his face in his hands. “How could this have happened?” he asked to no one in particular.
Cal didn’t know what to say. Once again, he was in completely unfamiliar territory.
“Is there anything else I can do, sir?”
Waller looked up, the misery plain in his watery eyes. And yet, a spark of anger seethed. “You find whoever did this to my little girl, Cal, and I’ll help you destroy them.”
+++
2:33am
Cal and Daniel left the President with his quietly sobbing wife.
“You think they’ll be okay?” Daniel asked. He hadn’t said a word in Waller’s posh suite.
Stokes knew Waller was a strong man. You can’t be President without having an extra gear. Still, the man was human. He wondered how it would affect Waller’s performance at the convention.
“I’ll think they’ll pull through.”
“I’ll pray for them.”
Cal nodded. He appreciated having Daniel’s calming influence around. In response, Cal also said a silent prayer for the Wallers.
+++
3:07am
They finally made it back to the Bellagio after fighting through the drunken crowds. Everyone was headed to the closest food joint before heading in for the night.
“Thanks for coming, Daniel. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”
Briggs patted Cal on the back and headed off to get what sleep he could.
Cal took one last look out the large panoramic window. The lights of The Strip shone brightly in the dark desert. He hoped the morning would be uneventful.
The Marine set his alarm and fell back onto the over-sized couch. One of the benefits of his time in the Marine Corps was the ability to sleep anywhere, anytime. Cal was asleep in less than two minutes.
Chapter 37
Las Vegas, Nevada
5:02am, September 19th
The First Sergeant had just called Capt. Andrew’s room to wake him. Andy kicked his legs off the bed and walked to the bathroom. The details of the day’s performance were already aligning themselves in his brain. It would be a very busy day.
+++
5:42am
Cal’s alarm went off just as he slipped into one of his recurring dreams. He’d just found out that his parents had died and he was running to the Marine recruiting office. Problem was, in his dream, he just kept running and running. He never got close to his final destination.
He shook his head and looked up to see Daniel sitting across from him, apparently ready to go.
“How long have you been up?”
“Since five-thirty. I’m showered and ready to go.”
This guy was good. He’d have to remember that. “Alright, give me a minute to rinse off. You mind making me a cup of coffee?”
“No problem.”
Cal trudged off to the spacious bathroom and turned the shower to cold. He needed to shock his system. Today would be a long day and Cal needed a clear head. He held his breath and stepped into the frigid downpour.
+++
5:49am
“Are your men in position?” Kazuo Nakamura asked his compatriot.
“Yes, Nakamura-san. They are prepared to die a warrior’s death,” the man barked earnestly to his master.
“Hopefully, it will not come to that. We will need many men when we take back the empire. Have you made arrangements for myself and my son?”
The man relayed the plan. Nakamura was satisfied. They would have a front row seat to the coming carnage.
He examined the Nambu pistol in his hand one last time. It was a gift from his father. Somehow, he’d been able to keep it hidden from the authorities. He’d told young Kazuo that the pistol had served him well in the Great War. Many enemies had lost their lives to the simple weapon. Nakamura’s eyes flared as he imagined using it against his enemies. Yes, today would be a day to remember.
+++
5:56am
Capt. Andrews looked at himself in the mirror. Even though it could be a royal pain sometimes, he still loved his dress blues. It made him feel like a Marine. As an afterthought, he walked into the bedroom and grabbed the shopping bag Cal’s friend Daniel had brought. He’d given it to Andy just before leaving.
“Don’t let Cal know, sir, but I thought you might need these.”
Andy had looked into the bag, and found a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, along with two replacement magazines full of ammunition. He silently thanked the sniper for his forethought.
Taking the weapon from the bag, he placed it uncomfortably in his back waistband. There wasn’t much room inside the form-fitting uniform, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going in naked. Andy deposited one magazine into each of his front pockets.
After looking at himself in the mirror one last time to make sure his weapons weren’t obviously visible, he made
his way out to the waiting vans.
Chapter 38
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:15am, September 19th
The Marines filed into the convention center, carrying their rifles at port arms. Andy wished they’d been able to bring ammunition for the damn things. He still had a really bad feeling about their upcoming performance. It felt like they were walking into an ambush.
He chatted with the two Secret Service agents at the main entrance, waiting for Cal to arrive. Two minutes later, Stokes walked up dressed in black t-shirt, sport coat, and designer jeans. So that’s Cal’s new uniform, Andy thought. Cal had offered his good friend a position at SSI, but Capt. Andrews wasn’t ready to leave the Corps. He came from a military family. His father and grandfather both retired from the military. Andy figured he would probably stay in for one more tour and then get out. After all, he did have bright prospects as a civilian. SSI was a good place for a warrior to end up.
“Hey, Andy!” Cal called cheerfully, Daniel walking smoothly beside.
Andy handed Cal and Daniel their visitor passes as the Secret Service agents did a quick frisking of both men. “Easy, boys. Your mama know you do that at work?” Cal asked.
The large agent chuckled as he finished frisking Cal with a hard smack on the ass. “Have fun, jarhead.”
“Army?” Cal asked the muscular man, rubbing his rear.
“SEAL.”
“You know what they say, sailor…?”
“What’s that, knuckle-dragger?” the agent asked with a grin.
“What happens in the Navy, stays in the Navy,” Cal commented innocently.
The agent’s partner laughed and ushered the two Marines into the convention center after taking their cell phones for safekeeping.
