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

by C. G. Cooper

  Cal answered first. “No, sir. Just taking a little walk after dinner.”

  The young man came closer. “Just wanted to make sure. We’ve had a lot of bear activity up that way.” He pointed up the mountain. “Bears are hungrier than usual what with the lack of berries this year.”

  “Lack of berries?” Cal repeated.

  “Yep. This is my first year, so I don’t really know the details, but the old-timers are saying the weather kept the wild berry bushes from growing enough fruit. We’ve even had one grizzly break into a house looking for food. Luckily the family was out of town at the time.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up. I think we were gonna turn around soon anyway.”

  They said their thanks and headed back down to the hotel. Once they were out of earshot, Cal coughed a laugh. “I almost pulled my pistol out when those lights came on.”

  Briggs chuckled too. “I don’t think that kid knows how close he came to having his truck shot up.”

  Now that the tension was broken, they enjoyed the cool night air as they strolled down the hill. It was the last night of calm they’d have for the rest of the trip.

  +++

  “We got eyes on the two guys. You want us to hang out?” the man with the beak nose asked his employer on the phone.

  “Yeah. Get a room at Terra, and be up early so you can stick close. They’ll probably start asking around about their friend. Just make sure you don’t lose them,” Nick Ponder instructed.

  “You got it, boss.”

  “And, Trapper…”

  “Yeah, boss?”

  “Don’t do anything to them until I give the okay.”

  The skinny man known simply as Trapper licked his lips as he thought about the coming confrontation. “I know, boss. You just let me know when.”

  Ponder terminated the call and sighed. He wanted to make sure his team kept tabs on all the guys SSI sent to his backyard. If he knew where they all were it would be easier to take care of them when the time came.

  He’d be paying his boys overtime for around-the-clock surveillance, but it didn’t matter. That would be chump change soon enough.

  Ponder dreamt of his coming riches as he watched the live video of his prisoner. Patel was even now trying to hop to the small toilet in the corner of his cell. Ponder chuckled at Neil’s discomfort. That leg sure had to hurt. He hoped his buyer wouldn’t be too pissed that he’d had to lop the guy’s foot off. It just wouldn’t do to have a tracking implant around once his buyers showed up, and cutting it off had been easier than trying to dig it out.

  Negotiations were still underway for the final payment amount. A small escrow of one million dollars had already been deposited into Ponder’s Cayman bank account. That wouldn’t even pay his mortgage on his multiple homes. No, he was in it for the big payday. Once he delivered Patel to his buyer, life would be a whole lot sweeter. Maybe it was time to ask for more money.

  Nick Ponder grinned as he thought about not only the cash, but also the sweet revenge he was about to drop on Col. Stokes’s company. The old man would probably roll over in his grave.

  Chapter 4

  Hotel Terra, Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

  7:17am, September 27th

  Cal and Briggs had both been up since five am, ready to start the search for their friend. After a quick workout in the hotel gym, they walked over to one of the small cafes lining the village square. Cal paid for the chocolate croissants and coffee as Briggs scanned the area for prying eyes. There were none that he could see.

  “Let’s eat while we walk and then get ready for the rest of the boys to get here,” Cal said through a huge bite of pastry.

  Returning to their room without incident, they took turns showering, and Cal checked his email. No updates from Travis.

  Marine Master Sergeant Willy Trent would be arriving via private jet in the next twenty minutes. Another three SSI employees were accompanying him, including former Navy Corpsman, Brian Ramirez. Along with the four SSI operators, the Learjet was also carrying most of the gear they would need if they had to go exploring in the wild. This time of year you never really knew what kind of weather you might get. It could be bright and sunny with a high of seventy, or cold and blustery with heavy snow. Better to be prepared.

  Cal had hand selected sixteen men to come along for the search. He based the selection on their prior experience with him (Trent, Briggs and Ramirez were all veterans of at least one of Cal’s covert ops), and their training in mountain warfare. Cal wasn’t taking any chances this time around. He also had two more teams of sixteen standing by at SSI’s Tennessee headquarters if the need arose for more firepower.

  Briggs walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. “Any word from Mr. Haden?”

  “Dude, I told you four times already, his name is Travis,” scolded Cal.

  “I know, I know. Old habits die hard, Cal. He is the CEO of our company.”

  “So how come you don’t call me Mr. Stokes?”

  “‘Cause you’re just a dumb grunt like me.” Daniel smirked.

  “Whatever,” Cal returned mockingly. “No update from Trav. We’re kinda dealing with a needle in the proverbial haystack.”

  Briggs didn’t say anything as he threw the towel back in the bathroom and got dressed. “I’ve got an idea I wanted to run by you.”

  Cal looked up from his laptop. “What’s that?”

  “Call me crazy, but I still think those two guys from the bar last night were keeping tabs on us. I was thinking about finding them first and seeing if we couldn’t…extract some information out of them.”

  Stokes thought about it for a minute. While he didn’t doubt the sniper’s abilities in the least (they called him Snake Eyes for a reason), the tiny cautious part of Cal’s subconscious still wasn’t sure about making a scene. “So you’re sure those guys were following us? I know I don’t have to tell you this, but the last thing we need is a mess right in the middle of Poshtown.”

  Briggs shrugged his shoulders. “You have any better ideas?”

  Cal didn’t, and he hated it. They were really just waiting for word from Travis before they could do anything. Apart from doing the street cop thing and knocking door-to-door, Stokes didn’t really have anything better.

  “Okay, tell me what you had in mind.”

  +++

  Trent ducked his near seven foot frame under the Learjet’s exit door. He stretched to his full height as he stepped out onto the top platform of the portable steps. MSgt Trent was a black man with the muscular build of an NFL linebacker. Not only was he a professionally trained chef, Trent was also lead instructor for SSI’s hand-to-hand combat training course.

  “Enjoying the view, Top?” The question came from behind him.

  Trent turned around to face Brian Ramirez. “Sure thing, Doc. That, and I’m trying to get the kinks out. My big ass gets a little cramped even in the nicest jets Cal puts me in.”

  Ramirez laughed as he and the two other SSI operators followed Trent down the stairs. In comparison, his five foot nine body fit comfortably in the luxury jet they’d just spent close to four hours on.

  “I’ll bet you loved spending time in AAVs,” ribbed Ramirez.

  “Hell no! I prefer humping to wherever I need to go, Doc.”

  The four SSI men gathered the gear that the airport staff was now unloading off the back of the plane. As requested, there were also four pushcarts already standing by for them to pile everything on. Within minutes, the bags and boxes were stacked neatly on their respective carts and the small team headed for the terminal.

  They passed under an arch of antlers and Trent pointed up. “What the hell animal do those come from?”

  “They’re elk antlers. I hear they’ve got a big elk preserve just down the road. The Boy Scouts and some other groups go out there and pick up the antlers and give them to local craftsman. In that book I was reading about Jackson Hole they had some pictures of downtown Jackson where they’ve got four huge
arches made out of the damn things. Pretty cool.”

  Trent whistled in admiration. “Can’t imagine how much the things weigh.” He shook his head as they continued on into the single story terminal building.

  Fifteen minutes later they’d loaded all the gear into the two rented SUVs. It was a tight fit, but they’d manage to cram it all in. Trent picked up his phone and dialed Cal.

  “You guys on the ground?” Cal asked.

  “Yeah. We’re loaded into the vehicles and headed your way. Any updates on Neil?”

  “None. Travis still has the tech boys doing background checks on the people at the conference. We’re trying not to alert anyone that he’s missing yet.”

  “Good idea. I’d rather catch whoever’s behind this by surprise,” Trent growled. He and Neil had become close over the years. Although their backgrounds were completely different (Neil came from a rich Indian family and Willy came from the streets of Atlanta), they both respected the other’s talents and often spent their time off together. Trent couldn’t wait to get his big hands on whoever was behind Neil’s disappearance.

  “Slight change of plans. Briggs caught a couple locals tailing us. Just to be safe, we rented a house next to Teton Village to stage everything. It’ll be a little cramped with all our boys, but at least we can secure it.”

  It sounded like a good plan to Trent. “I call dibs on one of the real beds.”

  Cal was always glad to have the crusty Master Sergeant around on ops like this. He had a way of keeping things light even in the face of imminent danger.

  “You got it. The new place has six bedrooms, so you can take your pick when you get here.”

  Cal gave him the new address, and Trent relayed the information to Ramirez to plug into the vehicle’s GPS.

  “See you in thirty, Cal.”

  +++

  Just under thirty minutes later the two SUVs pulled into the driveway of the vacation home.

  “Cal sure likes to travel in style,” Brian commented as he looked up at the huge single-family home.

  “I think he finally realized that not spending his money wasn’t an option. Besides, you know he likes to take care of his troops.”

  The former Corpsman nodded. It was one of the main reasons he’d accepted the invitation to join SSI. The place was like home. SSI was a group of warriors that took care of each other no matter what. That philosophy came from the very top starting with Travis Haden and Cal Stokes. They would die before seeing one of their men suffer. Their approach ensured absolute loyalty amongst SSI employees. Staff and operators were taken care of and expected to perform at the highest levels. They were an elite team dedicated to making America safer while at the same time taking care of their brothers on their left and right.

  Cal lived frugally by habit. His father had done the same. Both Marines spent their time and money ensuring the well-being of their troops. One of the perks of having a highly profitable company was that Cal could fly his people first-class when appropriate and put them up in the nicest accommodations. He figured it was a very small price to pay for men who’d put their lives on the line for years and continued to do so. He could finally give back to the men who meant so much to him.

  As they piled out of the vehicles, Stokes and Briggs walked out onto the second story patio.

  “You guys need a hand?” Cal asked.

  “You kidding? Did you not see all the shit you requested?” Trent answered in mock indignation.

  Stokes grinned and headed down to the first floor to help their second group of guests unload the cold weather, hiking and mountaineering gear he’d ordered from SSI’s logistics division. There wasn’t much a grunt liked more than a new piece of gear.

  Chapter 5

  Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming

  11:55am, September 27th

  Nick Ponder had yet to visit his prized guest. There was too much else to do. Coordinating his buyer’s arrival had been a real pain. His contact was starting to get a little attitude about the pending acquisition. They were starting to balk at the rising purchase price. During their last conversation he’d stretched the truth by telling the guy that he had two more buyers waiting with offers. It wasn’t true, but after thinking about it for a while Ponder was starting to realize the possibilities. What communist country or terror organization didn’t want the brilliant mind of a resource like Neil Patel?

  As he continued to mull over his options, he pulled up the latest weather report on his desktop. Shit. The updated report was calling for a huge snowstorm. He’d only been in the area for one other early winter, and it’d made the normally unflappable mercenary more than a bit uncomfortable. The remoteness of his property had its advantages, but a heavy snowfall could easily hinder his plans. If he didn’t get the buyer in and out in the next day or two, they might have to wait another week. He needed to buy some time. Luckily, he had a couple contingency plans.

  He logged into one of his many email accounts and composed a message that would remain waiting in the drafts folder for the only other person who knew of the account’s existence.

  +++

  Terrence Zheng took another gulp from his Diet Red Bull. The higher ups at SSI had him doing triple work since Neil’s disappearance. He had barely stopped for the last two days.

  Taking a quick break from the background check he knew would be fruitless, Zheng got up from his chair and walked to the restroom. He stepped into the large handicap stall, sat down on the toilet and pulled out his smart phone. Tapping on the appropriate application, he opened the browser and clicked on a bookmark labeled ‘Vacation.’ The email provider’s website popped up a second later and he logged in.

  There was a message waiting for him in the Draft folder.

  Chapter 6

  Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

  12:17pm, September 27th

  They now had three quarters of their sixteen-man team sitting around the large dining room table. Cal had ordered pizza and everyone was eating their fill. Briggs had just run them through the plan he’d devised to flush out the bad guys.

  The last team arriving was led by one of Cal’s new go-to guys. He was a short Hispanic who everyone called Gaucho. Eccentric in his own way, the small Mexican-American wore a braided goatee and commanded his men with flair and daring. As a former Delta commando, Gaucho was no novice to covert operations. He was the first man to volunteer to accompany the expedition despite his dislike of the cold environment.

  Gaucho’s group of four was even now pulling into the quiet ski village. They’d be at the rental house any minute.

  “Hey, Cal, make sure we save a couple pieces of that jalapeño pizza for Gaucho. You know what’ll happen if you don’t,” MSgt Trent joked to the room. The men laughed because they knew it was true. Gaucho was the first one to make fun of himself and his ancestry, but beware to the person that got in the way of him and spicy food. Despite the gravity of the situation, Stokes always enjoyed being with these men. There wasn’t a guy present that wouldn’t give his life for another. It was a hard thing to find outside of the military.

  “So, is everyone good with Daniel’s plan?” Cal asked.

  Everyone nodded. Briggs knew what he was doing. Besides, the plan only entailed finding and possibly capturing two guys. It was a stroll in the park for these operators.

  +++

  Gaucho and the last three team members pulled into the long driveway twenty minutes later. It didn’t take Cal long to brief the newcomers and get them something to eat.

  “Thanks for saving me some jalapeños, Boss,” Gaucho said through a mouthful of greasy pizza.

  “You’re just lucky I didn’t put Top in charge of the pizza,” Cal quipped.

  “You messin’ with my pizza, Willy?”

  Trent waived his hands in mock fright. “No way, hombre! You know I wouldn’t get in between a Mexican and his hot peppers.”

  “Very funny, Top. I could say the same thing about you and some fried chicken,” the small H
ispanic smiled.

  “Now don’t be talkin’ about Mama’s fried chicken. Besides, I don’t just eat fried chicken, I eat HOT chicken,” Trent added, rubbing his six pack abs.

  “That’s right I forgot about that. Some spicy shit, right? You sure you don’t have some Mexican in you, Top?”

  “Not that I know of, brother. But who knows, maybe you’re a brother from another mother.” Trent smiled wide, walked over to Gaucho and gave him a big bear hug.

  The tough little Hispanic wiggled out of the giant’s arms and just managed to save his slice of pizza from falling on the ground. “Okay, Willy. I know how you boys in the Marine Corps like to hug but save that for Doc over there.”

  Looking up from his bag, Brian Ramirez gave Gaucho the finger.

  “Whoa, whoa, watch where you stick that thing, Doc. I’m here for business not a medical exam.” Gaucho was now snickering along with some of the other men.

  “All right, ladies,” Cal raised his hands in surrender. “As much as I’d love to see where this thing ends up, let’s get all the gear staged. I just got a weather update from HQ and it looks like we’ve got a big snowstorm moving in. The cold weather gear we brought along might be coming in handy sooner than we thought.”

  Gaucho groaned. “You’re kidding me right, Boss? You know how much us Mexicans hate the cold.”

  “Really? Why don’t you just hitch a ride on Top’s back? I’m sure he can keep you warm,” Cal offered innocently.

  The remark elicited a middle-fingered salute from the former Delta man and MSgt Trent.

  +++

  “What have you got for me?” Nick Ponder asked Trapper.

  “They haven’t left the hotel. I’m thinking they gave us the slip.”

  Ponder’s temper flared. The last thing he needed right now was an enemy force snooping around in his territory.