“Well, one of the things I normally do, I’m still going to do. It’ll help you in the long run,” Anna stated.
“You got that barrel in?” Steven asked her.
“Yesterday. I’m going to be finishing the upper today.” Anna hugged her husband.
“What about the suppressor?” Steven asked her.
“Don’t have time for the paperwork. Besides, we want something without numbers. Want to help me break the NFA?”
“Sure!” Steven’s voice was excited.
“I can’t hear this,” Daniels said, rubbing a hand across his face.
“Hey, it can’t be any worse than what I heard,” Rob told him, standing up and taking Harry’s hand. “They kidnapped my wife. Harry’s mom. They can’t allow a little pissant group like ours to thumb our noses at them. This is almost personal. Isn’t it a life sentence for kidnapping?”
“Yes,” Daniels said softly. “Usually.”
“Good. If you can find out where they took her, I can discuss the rest of the plan with the group when you're not around. It’s going to involve life sentences."
Sergeant Daniels, of the Arkansas State Police, listened to what the big man told him. He looked at Kerry, Rob’s aunt, who just nodded. Some things were better off not knowing the details. He had an idea that this might be one of those situations.
“I'll work on finding out exactly where she might have been taken. My first instinct would be Fort Smith, but I'm not sure that would be right. I heard they were getting full there, and most of the rioters and trouble cases were sent to Kelso. The rumor is that it used to be an old fish research station owned by the government. It's right near the Mississippi River.”
“Do you have anybody you trust that could ask around quietly? I'm worried if they find out I'm poking around that they might do something rash. I don't want Angel getting hurt."
“As far as I know, they were just using the camps as holding areas. I don't think there's actually things going on like firing squads. This is America, for God's sake.”
"It used to be America," Curt said bitterly, to the room. "But for the last year or two, I really don't recognize it.”
“Yeah, which version of America makes it legal to kidnap somebody's wife without due process?” Rob’s question wasn’t directed at anybody, but they all went silent.
“All I want to know is that my mom is going to be okay. She's going to be okay, isn't she Daddy?” Harry looked ready to cry again.
“She's going to be fine, buddy. I don't think your mom is going to get herself hurt. We'll get her back to you. I promise.”
Sammy was in a bad mood. They’d made the snatch near the beginning of the evening, but they had to drive all the way across the state. It was almost a five-hour drive by the time they had gotten there. He hadn't packed a lunch, and they didn't have time to stop for food. He was thinking about the grumbling in his stomach more than he was about the sedated prisoner in the back of the van. Two of the other agents that had come with him had fallen asleep on the long drive. It was nearly 11pm when they pulled into a lockdown facility.
Doc Khamenei had worked his way up to the front, in between the seats, when they pulled up to the guard shack. The Homeland Security agent who was manning the guard post looked inside the van and caught sight of Doc. They knew who Doc was, and that he brought in political prisoners from time to time.
“Are they expecting your... guest?” the guard asked over Sammy’s shoulder.
“Yes,” Doc said.
The guard held a radio up to his lips and spoke into it. Sammy glanced over at the doc, wishing he would back up a little bit. Whatever he'd eaten had a lot of garlic in it, and the spook’s breath stank to high heaven. The guard took a step back and held the radio up to his ear, then he spoke into it again and walked into the guard shack. They must have hit the button for the gate because the reinforced chain link and razor wire fence started rolling to the side on squeaky wheels.
“The administrator said to take your guest to section C. Apparently he was anticipating your success in this matter.”
“It was, and thank you for the heads up. I thought section C was where we were supposed to go, but I wasn't for sure. I'll be out of your hair momentarily.”
The guard turned and went back into the shack, out of the cold fall air that was blowing colder. Doc Khamenei turned to Sammy. “Section C it is.”
“I can't wait to get out of here,” Sammy muttered as the other two Homeland agents woke up. One of them groaned and then stretched.
“Hey, do you think they have any food here?” the agent sitting in the passenger seat asked Sammy.
Sammy's stomach growled, he wanted to copy it. All he could think about was food right now. Some Carl's jr., Sonic, or even some Chick-Fil-A. Sammy normally ate pretty healthy, but something about a long road trip made him crave the salty fast food. He wasn't even sure they were going to drive back to their area tonight, so he hoped the camp had food available for them too.
“Hey Doc, are we staying the night here?” Sammy asked in spite of himself.
Doc just nodded, he was hungry himself and had only packed a small bit of food. The men might be leaving tonight, but he was staying behind. There were several people at the camp that had gotten the attention of the company. They weren't exactly playing the game the way they had wanted it to be played. Doc was going to stick around for a day or two, and then take any action that needed to be taken. His handler would let him know once he reported in.
“You guys are headed out on your own after this. Grab some food, grab a hotel, or drive all the way back to the compound tonight. I don't care. Our team is checked out until tomorrow evening when we're due to be off duty.”
“So, are you staying behind?” The agent who had been sleeping next to Sammy asked, suddenly.
“I’m getting some food,” Sammy said as his stomach growled, “here or wherever.”
Twelve
The effects of the sedative had worn off Angel thirty minutes before the van had pulled up to the gate house. She knew right away she was in trouble, and suspected she'd been kidnapped. Quick peeks through squinted eyes had given her a brief glance of the back of the van. She had some kind of medical monitor taped to her chest under her shirt, and a man was sitting beside her. He had mostly been staring at the front of the van, talking with some guy named Sammy. She'd gone very still and relaxed as much as she could when they pulled up to the guard house. She couldn't see it, but she could hear them talking, all of them talking.
Angel was furious. She had already figured out their reasons for snatching her. They’d probably called Rob and instructed him to betray the group and let a team of them in. She knew he wouldn't go for that, and when one of the agents sitting next to the man who'd been monitoring her moved, she got to look at his uniform. Department of Homeland Security. Then there was another government goon in black ripstop BDUs and a tactical vest.
The van moved past the guard shack, but without any windows to look out of, she had no idea where she was. She hoped she could figure that out, but she knew she was not going to willingly get out of this van and be incarcerated. Would they shoot her? She didn't know. Her bladder was screaming for release, but she held still right up until the moment the van turned off and the back doors opened. She was able to barely open one eyelid and see that the back of the van was surrounded by the three Homeland agents.
“Excuse me, can you help us get you out? I know you've been awake.” Doc Khamenei’s words were soft.
“What did you knock me out with?" Angel asked, moving slightly side to side. "I feel like I've been out drinking all night and my head is killing me."
"Just a sedative, the effects should wear off soon. We can carry you out of here, but I think you'd rather walk.”
Angel opened her eyes and got her first clear view of Doctor Khamenei. He was a kindly looking man in his sixties. That's when she realized he'd been the one who’d tried to help her at the store. That startled her, but
she just gave him a nod of acknowledgement. He pulled the probe wire and it popped off, leaving a sticky patch on her skin.
Sammy held out a hand, and Angelica slid out of the back of the van until her feet touched the ground. She let her legs wobble a little bit at first, then she got her weight back on her feet. It was only half an act; she reckoned there was probably some sort of muscle relaxer mixed in with the sedative. She felt slow. Looking around, she saw a steel building with a metal roof over top. This was one of many in a line of buildings, with guards posted on either side of the doors going in and out.
Military looking vehicles were parked here and there, with no semblance of order. There was a low hum of humanity coming from the building straight across from her. The Homeland agents stood there, and Sammy dropped his arm when he saw that she was steadier on her feet after a few moments. They had been instructed to get her there unharmed and undamaged. He wasn't aware if the Doc had any other orders, but Doc wasn't on the same payroll as them.
The agent that had been sleeping next to the driver decided to give her the once-over. Angelica’s skin crawled as he looked at her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable. She decided she was going to hurt him first. Angelica moved so fast that it surprised the three agents and Doc. Her movements were smooth, her first strike almost a dance move. She spun to the left to distract him and then planted a knee right in his groin.
The agent let out a surprised gasp as the pain took over. Sammy started to move his way, and she turned in a snap to kick at his head. She wasn't tall enough, but the kick hit him square in the vest near the neck. A surprised Sammy fell backwards, and a third agent rushed Angel from behind. He grabbed her in a bear hug and tried lifting her off her feet. Kicking her legs straight up in front of her and as close to her head as she could, she got the agent off balance. Swinging her legs down quickly and under her, the agent toppled forward. She rolled with him, and landed two quick jabs in the throat before rolling to the side and getting up in a fighting stance.
Doc just looked at her and smiled. “They told me you were a wild one. What was that? Kenpo, Krav Maga?”
“I don't think it matters. Only thing that matters is I'm about to stomp your candy ass. I'll make you my bitch and skull fuck you so hard…”
Angel's words trailed off when she saw the agents she had taken out starting to get up slowly. Cursing to herself, Angel looked at the three men, changing her stance.
“You're going to pay for that," Sammy told her.
Doc Khamenei moved in towards her, and she ducked a kick that would have knocked her out. Doc’s kick had forced her to move in closer to Sammy, who had murder in his eyes. He took a swing, a big haymaker that would have taken her head off. Angel knew she wasn’t as strong as these guys, but what she did know, was that she probably had a lot more training in hand to hand than most of them. She wasn’t sure about the old guy though, his kick had looked serious.
Ducking the haymaker, Angel stepped in and under the blow. She got her right leg behind Sammy’s right leg (on her left side) and shoved. Off balance, Sammy went staggering backwards, not quite tripped. Seeing movement, Angelica jumped to the side just as Doc Khamenei snapped another kick at where she had been. Sammy cursed and charged, getting between both.
He ate the palm strike that was meant for Angel. The man who was choking on the partially crushed windpipe managed to get a hand on Angel’s ankle and pulled her down. Her air left her in a rush as she hit flat on her back. Fighting to get it back, she kicked out, hitting the agent who’d shoe stringed her, in the head once, twice. Sammy tried to fall on her, but she’d shook her ankle free and rolled to the side, getting to her feet.
Doc Khamenei snapped another kick at her, opting to go for speed over power. He got through and the force of it was almost too much for Angelica. It hurt, and the breath she’d managed to get back went out in a rush. She backed off, putting her back to the van as the three men who remained in the fight started closing in on her.
“You’re going to regret that,” the creeper who she’d kicked in the nuts said.
“Hey assholes,” two agents said, walking up. “Just fucking shoot the bitch. This ain’t Cobra Kai. We can’t let the fucktards in the building get any ideas.”
“Back off,” Sammy snarled as he threw another punch.
Again, he over-extended and Angelica got out of the way. His knuckles crunched as they made impact with the van, denting the sheet metal. He pulled his hand back in surprise, the fingers of that hand spasming. Angel moved quickly, pulling the agent's good arm behind his back in an arm bar, and pressing up on his wrist. Sammy screamed as something in his shoulder popped.
“You’re right, I should just shoot the bitch…” Doc Khamenei said to the cursing guards.
“But you’re not going to, right?” Angelica said, getting the agent’s sidearm halfway out of his holster.
Something hit the side of her neck. Pain exploded and she let go of the arm bar and brushed the side of her throat. Something warm and wet was dripping down her skin. Angel pulled the gun out just as her body hit the ground. She hadn’t had the opportunity to pull the trigger, but her sluggish brain was trying to fix that. Angel struggled to get the Glock pointed. The DHS agents were close, so close. She let out a breath like Rob and Anna had taught her, and tried gently pulling the trigger.
A swift kick knocked the gun out of her hands and a kick to the head was the last thing she saw before the darkness took her.
Thirteen
It took two days for Daniels’ information to come through. No new prisoners were being sent to Fort Smith. They were using that area for testing only now. With military transport closer to it, it made more sense to usher scientists in and out along with their materials. Likewise, none of the bases near Fort Smith were taking anybody in. That left Kelso. The rumors Daniels had heard were that Kelso was where the hard cases were sent. He relayed all of that to a very busy Kerry.
“Thanks babe, I’ll let them know,” Kerry told him. She was standing at the front gate, guarding the market.
“I’ll let them know, I have to do some shopping myself,” Jeff told her and gave her a goofy grin before getting lost in the crowd.
“You know, I’ve never known you to keep a gentleman around for any length of time,” LeBaron commented to her.
It had been a more and more common occurrence that Kerry, Goldie and LeBaron made up the groups ad-hoc membership committee, because they literally knew everybody that lived in the area. The problem they had been having, was others outside of the area had heard about the farm and the markets that actually had food.
“He’s a good one. Although you’ve yet to dip your toes back into the dating pool,” Kerry teased.
“That you’re aware of,” the old solicitor just laughed and watched as Daniels made his way to Dante.
Roscoe was worried. His big alpha was in pain. Instincts told him that made him vulnerable, but the big dog didn’t think any challenges would be coming, from anybody. The big hairless monkey smelled of anger, whiskey, and blood. He rarely spoke to Roscoe lately since his mate hadn’t come home. He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong, but he had been busy. The big green machine and truck that caught the yellow stuff had been running almost nonstop, except for today.
Ranger walked up to Roscoe who was watching people and rubbed the side of his head against Roscoe’s. He returned the gesture, ensuring all canines and hairless monkeys alike knew they were pack. Then he stretched. Ranger looked at where the eggs were, and Roscoe followed the look. The man in the uniform who smelled like the bang sticks was talking to the rest of his pack.
Ranger chuffed, nudging Roscoe, and started the walk over there.
“Where’s Rob?” Daniels asked Leah.
“He’s working on some projects. He might be out later.”
“I think I have a lead on our missing friend,” Daniels said softly. “Tell him Kelso. I’m almost sure of it.”
“How almost sure?” Leah ask
ed.
“My contact said the camp near Fort Smith isn’t taking anybody in who isn’t a part of the virus studies, and all political cases are being taken there on the east side of the state.”
“But we’re so close to Oklahoma, how do we know they didn’t stash her in another state in this FEMA district?”
“Because of the Governor’s assassination of the district lead. I guess they’re keeping people as close to home as possible. Until a new guy is appointed, they have slowed down grabbing folks.”
“So, you’re pretty sure about this? Because if we’re wrong, we might be unleashing hell on the wrong people.”
“I’m having a hard time figuring out who the good guys are any more. Howdy,” Dante said to Daniels, holding his hand out.
“Hiya. Yeah, I hear you. I was being flippant when I berated those Homeland and USDA agents, but it looks like things are about to get crazy. With the governor gone, the state police are getting their orders from the Lt. Governor, and he’s a yes man, getting his orders from somebody else.”
“I don’t know what scares me more; the fact that a policeman can’t figure out who the bad guys are, or that this collapse happened so fast that everybody is a potential bad guy,” Leah mused.
“Collapse?” Daniels asked Leah.
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re going through a slow burn economic collapse. Mix that with the civil unrest and an election year between the president and some guy who can’t remember to zip his fly… things are collapsing around us. Inflation has gone through the roof since the stock market crashed—”
“They are calling it an extended banking holiday,” Daniels interrupted.
They paused the conversation as a few customers purchased eggs before Daniels stepped closer to Dante again.
The Farm Book 3: Behind The Curve Page 7
