Sara looked, and sure enough, it was obvious that Clarence had amorous intentions.
Armed with a broom, Rami chased Clarence away from Jezebel.
“Grab him and put him in his carrier where he can’t defile my cat,” Abdel ordered.
Rami chased Clarence around the kitchen, finally cornering him by the refrigerator. He grabbed him as ordered, Clarence hissing, spatting, and clawing all the way to his carrier.
Once inside, he growled, obviously not happy that his tryst had been interrupted.
“See what happens when one oversteps his bounds,” Abdel snapped. “He must be dealt with.”
Sara was amused, seeing a Lebanese terrorist chasing a cat around the kitchen. “Well, as the old saying goes, ‘boys will be boys.’ Now about that potty break.”
“Very well, but I’ll only untie your hands. You can waddle to the bathroom. It’s not far.”
“You’re a prince,” she replied sarcastically.
Abdel freed her hands and helped her to the bathroom. “Two minutes! No more! Then I’m coming in.”
Inside the tiny bathroom, Sara quickly did her business. Reaching for the tissue, she noticed the towel rack had pulled away from the wall. Over time, the screws holding it to the crumbling plaster wall had worked loose. A quick jerk, and she had the metal bar in her hands.
Not much of a weapon, she thought, but what choice do I have. When they learn that the trade is not going to happen, I’m toast.
Gripping the bar, she called out. “I’m through. I’ll need help getting back.”
The moment the door opened, she struck Abdel on the side of the head.
“BITCH!” he yelped, falling to the ground.
Sara stuck him again and hopped over him, falling to the floor.
Rami, hearing his comrade’s scream, grabbed for his gun.
Sara was struggling with her footing, hoping for one good swing, but it was too late. Rami was standing over her with the gun pointed at her head.
Abdel, momentarily dazed, shook his head to clear the cobwebs. His face filled with rage as he reached up to touch the wound on his scalp.
He stood over her and snarled, “Like your cat, you have overstepped your bounds. Now you must be dealt with.”
He slapped her across the face, then dragged her to the chair and bound her hands.
“If Hassan wasn’t trying to trade you for Maalouf, I’d kill you now, but that will have to wait. From now on, no pity. No food, no water, no bathroom breaks. I almost hope there will be no trade. Then you will die, very slowly and very painfully.”
Sara sat quietly, awaiting her fate.
Maggie and I had been driving for two hours. We started at the eastern edge of downtown Kansas City and drove eastward, up and down every street from St. John on the north to Linwood on the south. We had found nothing.
Periodically, we talked to the others, but they weren’t having any better luck.
We were on Elmwood, and had just passed Truman road, when our rubber ducky started talking to us.
“I think we’ve got something,” Maggie said, excitedly.
We followed the signal to a small bungalow in the sixteen hundred block of Elmwood.
“That’s it,” I said, pointing. “Clarence is in there, so Sara probably is too.”
“So what now?” Maggie asked.
Kevin and Veronica were closest to us. “I’m giving Kevin a call. We need backup.”
Ten minutes later Kevin and Veronica pulled up behind us.
“In there,” I said, pointing to the bungalow.
He checked his receiver. “You’re right. He’s definitely in there.”
He turned to Maggie and Veronica. “You two stay here, but keep the cars running. We’re going to take a quick look. If we come running, be ready to roll.”
Maggie grabbed me by the arm. “Be careful. They’re terrorists!”
“I will,” I replied, kissing her on the cheek.
We crept up along the side of the house and peeked in the windows. We found Sara, hands and feet bound, sitting in a chair in the kitchen. Two men were pacing the floor, guns drawn.
We slipped around to the back of the house where an extended cab pick-up was parked close to a dumpster. An alley ran along the backs of the houses on the block.
Kevin motioned for me to follow, and we headed back to the cars.
“I have an idea,” he said, “but we need to get the girls back home. Call the others and we’ll meet at your apartment.”
When I called Ox, he was relieved. “I’m really glad you found her,” he said. “We were going to have to call it quits. We just got a call from the precinct. It looks like there’s going to be a big rally at Union Station. People are protesting the president’s immigration policy, and the brass are afraid things might get out of hand, so it’s all hands on deck. We’re supposed to report immediately. Sorry we won’t be around to help. We have no choice. Keep us informed.”
“No problem. I understand. We’ll be in touch.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were all seated back in my apartment.
“We can’t storm the place,” Kevin said. “They’re armed and probably not in a good mood. They were pacing the floor looking like they were ready for action. What we need is a diversion.”
“What kind of diversion?” Dad asked.
“Something that will draw them away from the kitchen and out the back so we can come in the front and get Sara. I have an idea. Walt, do you remember the dumpster out back?”
I nodded.
“It was filled with trash,” he continued. “Their truck was parked close to it. If the dumpster happened to catch on fire, I think that would get their attention.”
“It certainly would get mine.”
“We need to make a Molotov cocktail,” Kevin said. “Willie, do you have anything flammable in the basement?”
He thought for a moment. “Got some kerosene. I keep it in case de power goes out in de winter. Got me a little heater to keep warm.”
“Perfect!” Kevin replied. “Walt, I don’t suppose you could find us an empty Arbor Mist bottle?”
I figured I’d give him a taste of his own medicine. “Do one-legged ducks swim in circles?”
He grinned. “Thought so.”
A half-hour later, Willie, Kevin and I were sitting in front of the Elmwood bungalow.
“Let’s go over it again,” Kevin said. “Willie, you’ll go around back, light the cocktail, and pitch it in the dumpster. Then hide and watch the back door. As soon as you see them come out, give us a call and we’ll go in the front and get Sara. You hustle back to the car so we can make a quick getaway. Everybody clear?”
We both nodded.
“Then let’s go get my mother-in-law!”
We crept up to the front door while Willie made his way along the back alley.
A few minutes later, we heard a ‘FWOOMP.’ Willie had thrown the cocktail.
We were waiting for his call when, ‘KABOOM,’ there was a deafening explosion.
“What the hell?” Kevin muttered.
Willie came on the line. “Damn! Don’t know what happened, Mr. Walt, but we got more dan a burnin’ dumpster. De whole back of de house is on fire!”
“Good Lord,” Kevin said. “They’re terrorists, for chrissakes. No telling what was in that dumpster!”
Willie came back on the line. “Dey’s comin’ out, Mr. Walt.”
“Good! Get back to the car.”
“Let’s do this,” Kevin said.
We both hit the door at the same time and the old doorjamb splintered into pieces.
Sara was sitting quietly, watching the two men pace back and forth when there was a ‘FWOOMP.’
“What was that?” Rami asked, obviously shaken.
Abdel ran to the back door and peered out. “The dumpster has caught fire. Our truck is nearby. We must move it.”
The two of them ran out, and a moment later, ‘KABOOM.’ There was an explosion that rocked the hou
se.
Sara heard a ‘CRASH,’ turned, and saw Walt and Kevin burst through the front door.
“Hurry,” Kevin said. “I’ll get her hands and you get her feet.”
We had just gotten her untied and I grabbed Clarence’s carrier when we heard voices at the back door.
“The whole house is on fire! We must flee!”
“I’m not leaving my cat to burn. You get in the truck. I’ll be right there.”
“What about the woman?”
“She stays. It will be a fitting end for her.”
Abdel came running into the kitchen and came face to face with Sara and her rescuers. He grabbed Jezebel who had made a break for the back door, then pulled his gun.
“Duck!” I yelled, as the terrorist fired off a shot.
We scrambled for cover and Kevin fired once at the retreating figure.
As I was scrambling for cover, I didn’t realize the door to Clarence’s carrier had popped open.
When the terrorist disappeared out the back, Clarence tore across the kitchen and followed him out the door.
“Clarence!” Sara wailed, and started after him.
“No!” Kevin said, grabbing her arm. “We’ve got to get out of here!”
The three of us ran from the house which was now fully engulfed in flames, and got to the street just in time to see the pickup truck speed away.
Much to our surprise and regret, Clarence was crouched in the back.
CHAPTER 14
We were watching the pickup speed away when we heard sirens in the distance.
“Better make like a hockey player and get the puck out of here,” Kevin said, revving up the engine.
“Just great,” I muttered, as we drove a block down the street. “Now, on top of everything else, we’re arsonists!”
“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Kevin replied. “The place was a dump. If the landlord has insurance, he’s probably grateful. Besides, I don’t feel sorry for him. He shouldn’t have rented to terrorists.”
Then I noticed the welt on Sara’s face. “Are you okay?”
“Absolutely!” she replied, rubbing her cheek. “Just a little misunderstanding. I tried to get away, clubbed one of them with a towel rod, and he took offense.”
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Why do you suppose Clarence ran after the terrorist instead of staying with us?”
“That’s an easy one,” Sara answered. “Did you see the yellow cat?”
“Just a glimpse. I was actually more focused on the gun in his hand.”
“Well, the yellow cat was a female, and judging by Clarence’s reaction, she was probably in heat.”
“Are you saying Clarence was smitten?”
“More than smitten. He was downright horny.”
“That explains a lot,” Kevin interjected. “Remember Eddie Murphy’s famous line in the movie 48 Hours? ‘Lack of nookie make you brave, man!’ Our frisky feline was willing to consort with terrorists in order to consummate his relationship.”
“Actually, that may be a lucky break for us,” I said. “We still have our rubber ducky in the car, and if Clarence stays close to his sweetie, maybe we can pick up their trail.”
“Which way did they go?” Kevin asked.
“Dey went north to Truman, den turned left,” Willie replied. “Dat’s when I lost ‘em.”
“Then that’s where we’re going,” Kevin said, heading north to Truman Road.
We headed west on Truman, occasionally turning up one street and down the next, but detected no signal.
When we reached the outskirts of downtown, we had a decision to make.
“They either turned way north or way south,” Kevin said.
“Or there’s another possibility,” I replied. “Maybe they crossed downtown and headed for the west bottoms. There’s a lot of vacant property down there that would be a perfect hiding place for a terrorist cell.”
“West bottoms it is!”
We turned onto the Twelfth Street Viaduct which led to the old industrial area in the Missouri River bottoms.
As before, we zigzagged up one street and down the other, looking for the tell-tale signal.
“Got it!” I said, as we turned onto Mulberry Street. “The old warehouse up on the left.”
Acme Plumbing was on a faded sign on the abandoned structure. There were no vehicles to be seen.
“Let’s check it out,” Kevin said.
“Don’t suppose you’d have an extra gun?” Sara asked.
I had my .22 and Kevin had his 9mm. He opened the glove box and pulled out a .32.
“Kinda wimpy,” Sara said with disdain, “but I guess it’s better than nothing.”
Finding the door unlocked, we quietly slipped inside into a waiting area and an office. Across the room was a door that led to the open warehouse.
Kevin took a peek. “Nothing. Not a soul in sight.”
Once inside the warehouse, we spotted a single table along one wall.
We were on our way to examine it when we heard a soft ‘Meow.’
Following the sound, we found Clarence curled up with the yellow cat. From the contented look on his face, it was obvious he had succeeded in seducing the lovely Jezebel.
The moment he saw Sara, he jumped to his feet, trotted over and began rubbing against her legs.
“Well, Romeo,” Sara said, “did you enjoy your little soirée?”
He looked up, purred, and I would swear he winked at her.
Not particularly interested in the cat’s dalliances, Kevin had ventured over to the table.
“Whoa! Come take a look at this!”
Sara and I joined him.
There were three neat piles of clothing on one end of the table, and three opened boxes on the other end.
“Looks like our terrorists made a quick change,” Kevin observed.
I examined the boxes. “Oh crap!” I muttered. “These are from Brookfield Uniforms. That’s where I got my uniforms when I was a cop. Our three terrorists are impersonating policemen!”
Sara picked up an empty box from several under the table. “And if I’m not mistaken, these were filled with cartridges for an automatic pistol.”
“Sara,” Kevin said, “by any chance did you overhear any conversations while you were tied up?”
She thought for a moment. “They made several calls. One was to see if Homeland Security had agreed to the trade, but of course, they hadn’t. After another one, Abdel seemed excited. He told Rami that their timetable had been moved up and they couldn’t wait to hear back from Homeland Security. It was shortly after that, you guys set the house on fire.”
“So,” Kevin said, “if something was going down today and they needed cop uniforms ---.”
“UNION STATION!” I blurted before he could finish. “The demonstration there! That’s why Ox and Judy were called away. Ox said they were expecting hundreds, maybe even thousands, and it was all hands on deck. There will be cops all over the place controlling the crowd. It will be total chaos. Nobody will know or question three more men in uniform. What a perfect place to wreak havoc. Three men with automatic pistols, close range --- hundreds could be killed or wounded in a matter of minutes.”
“And the other cops will be their first targets,” Kevin added. “Once they’re down, there will nobody to stop them.”
“We have to warn Ox,” I said, “then get over there. Sara, you’re the only one who can ID these guys.”
We packed Clarence and his paramour into the carrier and headed to the car.
As soon as we were on our way, I called Ox.
“Walt,” he said. “Not a good time to talk. It’s nuts down here.”
“It’s going to get a lot worse if you don’t listen,” I replied. “You’re not alone. Three terrorists are dressed as cops and they have automatic pistols.”
“Jesus!” he muttered. “There must be fifty or more cops here, and they’re from all over the city. There’s no way to tell the good guys from the bad guys.”
“Actually, there is,” I replied. “Sara knows two of them by sight, but we’ll never get close enough to them without your help.”
“Gotcha,” he replied. “We’ve set up a command post in the west parking lot. I’ll meet you there and wave you in.”
On the way to Union Station, I thought about calling Mark Davenport. This was a Homeland Security case after all. But then I realized that by the time he went through all the bureaucratic red tape in Washington to get a team on the ground in Kansas City, the carnage would be over.
As promised, Ox was waiting for us at the entrance to the west parking lot, otherwise, we couldn’t have gotten within a half-mile of the place.
Hundreds of people waving placards and shouting filled the parking lot and blocked the street in front of the station.
The police had formed a line, keeping the crowd from entering Union Station itself.
“How do you want to do this?” Ox said.
I had been thinking about it on the way over. “Let’s burrow through the crowd and get as close to the police barricade as possible. Sara will stay behind you. Just make sure your big body is between Sara and the line of cops. She can recognize them, but they can recognize her as well.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Getting through the crowd was like running a gauntlet. There was pushing and shoving, and it seemed everyone was yelling at once. People with differing views were facing off, ready to do battle.
“The First Amendment in action,” Kevin grumbled, as we wormed our way through the teeming mass. “Ain’t it great!”
As we approached the police barricade, Sara took quick peeks around Ox’s massive frame.
Suddenly she stopped and whispered in his ear. “There! The one just to the right of the tall guy. That’s Rami.”
Sara turned her back as Ox made his way to the barricade. He slipped through the line several cops over from Rami and quietly approached him from behind.
Rami tensed when he felt Ox’s automatic pressed into his back. Ox beckoned to the officers on each side and showed them the automatic pistol hidden under Rami’s vest. Quietly, without fanfare, Rami was led away.
[Lady Justice 26] - Lady Justice and the Cat Page 9
