The Mason Walker Bundle 3

by Alex Howell

  Tessa turned to look at Mason as a tear began to stream down her cheek, “Disappointed and looking for you….”

  Tessa then turned away again and muttered, “But after our deployment you never even knew I existed.”

  Mason surprised himself, by suddenly addressing her with what was previously a term of endearment, “Aww… come on Hawkeye. Don’t say that.”

  But this only prompted her to snap, “Don’t call me Hawkeye…”

  Tessa then continued, “You only came to me when you thought that you needed something Mason… when your daughter was in danger that’s when you called up Hawkeye… But other than that, I was just about useless to you…”

  Mason did care about Tessa, but in his clouded emotional state he could never really say that he ever cared as much about her as she apparently did for him. Nevertheless, he tried to use this apparent affection as a bartering chip as he attempted to persuade her, “But Tessa…. I did care for you…”

  This only provoked her wrath however as she shouted, “Mason! Don’t even try to lie to me! Do you think I’m stupid or something! You never gave a shit about me! There is no point in lying now! Deceit and deception are not going to save you!”

  Realizing his mistake, Mason then tried a different tact and sought to bring her back to the good old days in the SEALS by asking her, “Tessa… do you remember your BUD/S class for the SEALS?”

  This seemed like a good approach to take because it brought Tessa back to some fond memories as she abruptly chuckled, “What BUD/S? You mean hell week? That was the best!”

  Mason laughed, “For you maybe! You were the top of your class! But for the rest of us it was a real nightmare!”

  Mason couldn’t help but see the ridiculous irony that he was joking with his captor about something being a nightmare, when he was tied up in the back of her car living a very real nightmare of a whole other caliber, right at that very moment. Nevertheless, Mason trudged on with his attempt to talk Tessa down.

  He told her, “You were the star back then Tessa, everyone wanted to be like you.”

  Tessa quietly responded, “Really? You think so?”

  During their time in the SEALs Tessa was the resident rock star, it really wasn’t any hyperbole to say that other team members looked up to her. She was considered a rising talent in the navy all the way around.

  And Mason tried to tell her as much as he answered, “Yes, they did! And I can’t believe you would turn out like this Hawkeye!”

  Upon the mention, Tessa’s demeanor flatlined once again, as she flatly informed Mason, “Hawkeye is dead!”

  19

  Just Going for a Walk

  MEANWHILE IN A WAREHOUSE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF WASHINGTON DC.

  Raina Martin is confined in a cage hanging from the rafters of an old Nile Delta Fulfillment center. Due to a potent cocktail of sedatives she has been given she is languishing in a chemically induced coma. But although her body is unconscious her mind is alive and running at warp speed.

  She was dreaming. But as is the case with most of us 99% of the time—she didn’t know that she was dreaming. For her this slumbering world was reality. And in this particular dream she was still searching for the Catholic extremists known as “The Blood”. She had just received some intel from Kyle Garrison that the group was about to unleash a deadly payload of biological weapons on Ellis island.

  Talking to Kyle on her comm link she asked him, “Ellis Island? Are you sure Kyle?”

  New York’s Ellis island had long stood as the gateway for immigrants pursuing the American dream. After air planes became the norm of travel rather than boatloads of migrants. Ellis island became more a symbol of immigration than an actual stopping point for immigrants.

  Besides the symbolism of attacking this monument of immigration, Raina didn’t quite see the point. Kyle insisted however, “Yeah it seems that they want to hit us at our heart strings. Think of all the visitors to the island or even the Statue of Liberty that will be affected by this.”

  Kyle then added with seemingly melodramatic emphasis, “It’s up to you Raina—you are our only hope.”

  If Raina ever began to realize that the series of events floating through her head were just the product of her subconscious mind dreaming, this was perhaps the moment. Why would it all be on her shoulders? She questioned Kyle, “Up to me? What about everyone else?”

  At which Kyle gasped, “What? You didn’t hear the news? They’re all dead!”

  The words echoed in her helpless mind as her dream quickly became a nightmare. Normally this would have been the cue that would have woken her up in a cold sweat. But since the chemical drugs she had been given held her bound into unconsciousness, she would not have release from the mental terrors that beset her as she slid into one bad dream after another.

  MEANWHILE, BACK AT CLARA’S HOUSE ON THE STANFORD CAMPUS.

  Clara sat alone on the couch in the house she shared with her three other roommates. It was early, and her roomies hadn’t gotten up yet. She poured herself a bowl of cereal under the pretense of eating it, but found herself simply staring off in space. She had woken up to an alarming message from her father.

  He was a wanted fugitive for accidentally killing a man that broke into their Baltimore hone. He told her not to worry, that it would all be straightened out, but that she couldn’t contact him or anyone else at Onyx in the meantime.

  She had never had her dad act like this before. The fact that he had ordered her to silence was the worst of it. She had already seen the news feeds and she knew that her father’s situation was indeed a precarious one. Most were already saying that he was a cold-blooded killer out on the lamb. She didn’t know what her roommates knew about it yet—if anything.

  But she desperately wanted to keep them from knowing the details of her dad’s recent brush with the law. As she pondered these thoughts and attempted to put a soggy mouthful of sugary cereal into her mouth, she heard Serena’s footsteps bouncing down the stairs followed by a cheery, “Hey Clara! Already awake huh?”

  Clara cleared her throat and attempted to regain her composure as she smiled, “Hey Serena—yeah I’m just hanging out.”

  Serena then trotted right over and sat down on the couch next to her. Looking at the cereal Clara was eating, Serena remarked, “Cocoa poofs? I don’t know how you can eat that stuff, its loaded with sugar.”

  Clara taking another mouthful, shrugged, “It tastes good.”

  Serena sighed, “Well my dear, there is more to life than taste.”

  Without saying another word, she then grabbed the remote that was sitting on the coffee table in front of them and flipped on the television. The TV powered up, and to Clara’s distress it was on CNN. At first the morning news hosts were bantering back and forth about the latest political scandals and contrivances. For the moment there was no word about her father.

  But then when the hosts decided that they had their fill of the political banter, one of them turned to the camera and announced, “We now want to take you to Baltimore to follow a breaking story of brazen murder that we have been following.”

  Clara knowing that the story could only be about her father, suddenly put her cereal down on the coffee table and stood up from the couch staring at the screen. Serena surprised by the sudden move, asked, “Clara—what are you doing? Are you alright?”

  Clara continued to look up at the TV and was shocked to see that the screen then shifted to the outside of her father’s residence. She was thankful that her roommates had never been to her home to know it was hers, but she knew that if Serena continued watching she would soon hear all about it.

  Wishing to avoid the inevitable, Clara suddenly turned to Serena and offered rather lamely, “Hey—uh… it’s a beautiful day today, you want to go for a walk?”

  Serena chuckled, “What? No—I just got up…. Besides I’m watching the news.”

  As the news cast started to deliver more details about the story, Clara grew desperate. Getting up as i
f going out the door, she pretended to trip over the table and as Serena shouted, “Clara!” she tumbled onto the ground yanking the TV plug out of the wall with her.

  The whole thing no doubt seemed contrived, because it was, but Serena couldn’t figure out why. After Clara got up and looked at her expectantly, she shrugged, “Okay—geez Clara, I guess you must really want to walk. Alright, let’s go.”

  The two then stepped outside onto their porch and headed down the sidewalk outside of the house. As they passed the next-door neighbor’s house Clara happened to look down and see a freshly thrown newspaper in the middle of the sidewalk with the headline, “Ex-Navy Seal Turned Murderer Goes on Bloody rampage in Baltimore”, with her father’s face on the cover.

  Clara feeling like she was about to lose her mind, kicked the paper to the side and grabbed Serena’s arm as she extolled her, “Come on—forget walking, let’s run.”

  Figuring the adrenaline might actually do her some good to get her mind off of the circumstances her family had been dealt, Clara then bolted down the street as Serena followed after her shouting, “Ok—wait up Clara! Wow! I didn’t know you were this much of a fitness buff!”

  20

  Turbulent Times

  MEANWHILE BACK IN DC’S CENTRAL PARK.

  Tessa Rogers was preparing to put her master plan in motion. She stepped out of her van, and opened up Mason’s door, as she ordered him, “Alright Mason, the fireworks are about to start— it’s time to get out.”

  Staring down at his restraints, Mason all but laughed, “And how the hell am I supposed to do that? I’m tied up remember?”

  Tessa muttered as almost an afterthought, “Right…”

  She then opened up the door on the other side of Mason, and pulling out a pair of scissors, cut off his leg restraints. With his legs free, Mason was able to bring himself to a sitting position in the car.

  Upon seeing this, she again ordered, “Now get out!”

  Mason was then able to put his feet down on the ground outside the van and stand himself up. Once he was out of the van, Tessa pulled out her gun and pointed it at his head, as she warned, “Now just don’t try anything stupid. Because if you do, I’m going to put a bullet in your brain. Don’t test me on that!”

  She then pointed toward the nearby nature trail and instructed him, “Come on! We’re going for a little walk!”

  The two then walked several feet down the trail until Tessa suddenly shouted, “Stop!” She then directed him, “There is an opening in the woods, right to your left, go ahead!”

  Mason nodded and dutifully stepped into the clearing. Here he found himself staring at a strange contraption. It was about the size of a small car and looked like a big metal box. At first, he thought that it might be some sort of generator, but he just wasn’t sure. Staring at the device, Mason finally muttered, “What the hell is all this?”

  Tessa stepping in front of the metal box with her gun still pointed at Mason, grinned, “This—this Mason Walker is judgement day and this is my doomsday weapon. We are at ground zero here.”

  Mason gasped, “What?”

  Tessa, her face contorting in what appeared to be complete hatred, barked at Mason, “Now shut up—and stand in front of the altar.”

  Mason stared the upright metal bar that was apparently the “altar” Tessa was referring to, not quite comprehending what it was that she was attempting to do.

  But as Tessa halfcocked her gun, she warned him, “I don’t know if you have ever gone to the altar during a church service Mason, but I’m going to make you go to one now.”

  With Tessa’s gun trained to his head, Mason knew he had no choice, and so stepped over to the strange metal pillar.

  Tessa then instructed him, “Okay—now put your back to the altar.”

  In the SEALS Mason had been taught to never give up his autonomy to someone else, but he felt absolutely powerless here, and that he had no choice but to comply.

  Now that he was standing up with his back to the pillar, Tessa then pulled out some kind of blood red tape and began to wrap it around Mason and the metal object, binding him to it. Mason began to struggle against his new restraints, but it was futile.

  This was apparently not your ordinary tape, he quickly realized that it must have been some kind of heavy-duty Nano tape that had fastened and held him in place. The more he struggled against it, the more the Nano fibers seemed to hold him down almost like living muscle, keeping him bound right in place.

  Mason again asked, “Why are you doing this?”

  After considering the intel he received about the group in the past, he charged, “Are you wishing to wash away the worlds sinners through a baptism of blood? You don’t really believe any of that nonsense, do you?

  To which Tessa bluntly replied, “Be quiet Mason—just sit back and enjoy the show, because you are about to find out everything that you need to know.”

  Tessa then tapped the lens of the glasses she had been wearing and a hologram projected out of it right in front of them, forming a blue holographic screen about the size of a human hand, with two visible sides.

  On this screen a face suddenly emerged, to Mason’s shock it was none other than General Fanelli who beamed, “Tessa my dear! You Rang?”.

  Tessa then motioned toward the device and Mason’s prone form restrained against it, and the General seemed very pleased indeed, as an immensely satisfied grin filled his face and he shouted, “You got the bastard! Good job!”

  Tessa responded, “Yes sir, this lamb is ready for the slaughter.”

  ‘Lamb ready for the slaughter?’ Mason reeled at the thought. When he took his oath to be a SEAL and all throughout his military career and everything that he did afterwards, he never imagined that it would all end up like this. But he hadn’t given up completely yet, and he still had one thing left to try.

  Something told him that no matter what Tessa had said or done at this point, she was a highly conflicted person. He knew that if he just found the right way to reach her, he could get her to respond to him. And as such he still held out the hope that he could somehow talk Hawkeye down from the ledge that she was perched upon.

  Tessa Rogers attempted to fix her countenance with a cold and callous expression. But as Mason Walker looked into her eyes, he thought that he saw something completely different from the malice and contempt that the musculature of her face attempted to convey.

  Mason after all, knew Tessa Rogers better than most, and he always could see through her poker face. And so, it was, that completely undetected by Fanelli, as Mason gazed into Tessa’s deep brown eyes, he thought he saw the hint of a great and profound sadness that had taken shape.

  Nevertheless, General Fanelli only focused on his evil mission at hand, proceeded to order her, “Now Tessa! The virus! Set it off!”

  He then turned to Mason and laughed as he addressed him directly, “Yeah I see you there, buddy. You better just get ready for the show. The fireworks are just about to start.”

  Glaring at the holographic image of General Fanelli, every fiber of Mason’s being wanted to spew forth a litany of profanity. But knowing that such an act would accomplish him next to nothing—he held his tongue. He knew that his best hope still resided within the confines of Tessa Rogers conflicted mind.

  Without a response from Mason, the General turned back to Tessa and informed her, “Make sure he is the first to die! Sacrifice him on the altar for atonement!”

  21

  The Decision has Been Made

  BACK AT BALTIMORE, ONYX HQ

  Kyle was staring at the screen, trying to track Mason’s last known GPS position. Mathew Benton and Marshal Oliver were nervously standing over his shoulder. As he perused the data, Kyle remarked, “I don’t know guys…. It’s like he suddenly just switched his signal off… The last read out I got was just outside of DC. If we don’t hear from him soon…”

  Mathew Benton then spoke up, “If we don’t hear from him soon, I’m going in.”

  Mars
hal Oliver placed a hand on Benton’s shoulder however as he cautioned, “Easy there, buddy, we don’t even know what has happened here, for all we know it’s a trap.”

  Marshal paused before continuing, “I mean, just think about, we’ve already lost Raina, then possibly Mason… we can’t lose another vital member of the team…”

  Marhsal Oliver’s cold calculation provoked a violent reaction from Benton as he jerked away from Oliver shouting, “Mason isn’t lost damn it. And I’m going to find him!”

  Marshal Oliver again warned him, “Just listen to reason Benton, we don’t know what’s going on over there. At the moment you are much more valuable to Mason here than you would be walking into the jaws of the enemy.”

  It was this remark that caused Benton to scoff, “I’ve walked into plenty enemy encampments in my day, and I walked out unscathed. Why do you think that they call me the Ghost?”

  Mathew Benton was of course referencing the old nickname that had been given him back when he was in the SEALS. They called him “Ghost” because of his seeming ability to slip in and out of hostile situations with barely anyone even noticing that he was there.

  Marshal wasn’t impressed however, and blunt in his rebuke, “That was a long time ago Matt. I wouldn’t push your luck.”

  Benton becoming more and more incensed, glared at Marshal Oliver almost as if he wanted to strike him, before abruptly spinning around and marching right out of the conference room.

  Marshal Oliver called after him, “Matt!? Damn it! Matt!!

  MEANWHILE IN A SECLUDED SECTION OF DC’S CENTRAL PARK.

  As the transmission with Fanelli cut out, Mason realized that he had just been strapped to an alter heavily laden with weapons of mass destruction. In horror at what was about to transpire, he struggled against his restraints with every muscle of his body. But it was no use, the more he struggled, the more the Nano fibers that held him bound, flexed their relentless grip.