Storm Clouds Rising: A Chuck McCain Novel

by David Spell

  A year later, Erin was given a small part in one of Golden Age’s films. She had performed well and Nicholson was pleased, promising to give her additional roles. Around this time, Alfie took her to his island for the first time. As the producer showed her around his private Caribbean estate, Erin noticed that almost all of the work was being done by young women. They did all the serving, cooking, and cleaning.

  He slowly introduced her to what he was really doing on the island. Celebrities, rich business people, and even government officials paid Alfie big bucks to come visit his Caribbean estate and hook up with young girls. Eventually, Erin became the go-between that Nicholson’s clients contacted to come for a visit. She also began to help procure the young women who worked for Alfie.

  The producer rewarded her by giving her bigger and bigger movie roles and before long Erin was being spoken of in the same breath with other successful actresses. She was finally living the life that she had always dreamed of. That was, until Alfie had been arrested a few years earlier. She had never considered that they were sex traffickers. The girls might be underage but they were seldom hurt and were paid very well.

  Erin had been terrified that she would also be arrested. Alfie promised her that he would take care of her and he had. Knight had been interviewed by the FBI, but one of Nicholson’s lawyers had prepped her for the interview and sat with her while the Feds tried to get her to say something that would hurt Alfie or incriminate herself.

  She didn’t know what strings he had pulled or how much money he had spent, but somehow, he had kept them both out of prison. Golden Age Production had weathered the storm and was starting to get back on track. Erin had just wrapped up two projects and was scheduled to start shooting another movie in a month. For now, though, she just needed to pick up the girls and get them to the island. Alfie would fly down later today and they would enjoy a few days of quiet on the beach, breaking in their newest employees. Erin and Alfie had been together for eight years now and she knew that he could be forgetful. At the same time, she loved him with all of her heart and would do anything for him.

  The starlet sighed, rolled off the bed and made her way to the mini fridge. Snatching it open, she grabbed two miniature bottles of vodka and dumped them into a clear plastic cup. Reaching back into the fridge, she withdrew a can of Minute Maid orange juice, opened it, and poured some in with the vodka, stirring it with her finger. The actress took a long drink and then another. She didn’t normally start drinking this early, but she also didn’t normally have to sleep in such a dump of a hotel in such a disgusting country.

  Knight popped open her bottle of anti-anxiety pills and swallowed one with her screwdriver. She wasn’t supposed to take the pills when she was drinking, but sometimes she needed a little more of a boost than what the Xanax provided. Within seconds, her head was spinning and she sat back down on the edge of the bed.

  The Hilton Princess Hotel, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Wednesday, 1005 hours local time

  Kevin Clark ran his hand through his short brown hair. He and his team were a floor below Erin Knight’s seventh level, penthouse suite. Things were not going well and Kevin was trying not let the stress get to him. He hadn’t smoked in years, but the former Ranger officer found himself wishing for a cigarette. This entire mission lacked the usual level of planning and preparation that Clark strove for. Even though the CIA had managed to hack into Alfie and Erin’s phones and email, the two had not communicated electronically about when she was going to Honduras so Kevin’s team had been kept in the dark until the very last moment.

  The week before, the Agency had intercepted Nicholson’s texts and phone calls to the dirty Honduran police officer, but Alfie had been vague about when Erin might fly down to finalize the deal. As soon as it had become clear that she was traveling, the CIA team rushed to San Pedro Sula aboard a Federal Express Boeing 757F, managing to get two rooms at the Hilton. The US government had an arrangement with Federal Express and would often charter one of their planes when they needed to slip in and out of a country in plain view.

  Now, the problem was how to take the movie star out. Director Dunning had decided that no more girls would be abused by Erin or Alfie. The corrupt cop would also be eliminated if the opportunity presented itself. Clark had no problem with killing people who needed to be killed; the actress and the police colonel certainly fit that bill.

  Kevin had not started off with the CIA. He had gone into the Army as an enlisted man, completing the rigorous Ranger training and earning the coveted black and yellow tab for his uniform. A few years later, he went through the Officer’s Training Course, coming out as a second lieutenant. After multiple combat deployments to the Middle East, Kevin had eventually attained the rank of major. He and Scotty Smith from McCain’s team had actually served together for a time in Iraq.

  After retiring from active-duty service, the former Ranger had been offered a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the Georgia National Guard. That allowed Kevin to continue serving without having to leave the country. He was also able to impart his vast knowledge to the troopers who served under him.

  When the zombie virus had been deployed, the guard had been devastated and the chain-of-command had broken down as society had fallen apart for a time. Clark did what Rangers do best: improvise, adapt, and overcome. He organized several squads of soldiers under his command to continue the fight in and around Atlanta. After moving their families and loved ones to a safe location, Colonel Clark and his troops took the war to the enemy, eliminating thousands of zombies, along with a number of ruthless gangs that were trying to take advantage of the chaos. The former Director of Operations, Jonathan Williams, had been so impressed by Clark’s work that he had recruited him to join the CIA.

  “Wow, girl! Slow down,” Gabriella Vargas commented as she stared at the video footage coming out of Knight’s room on one of her two laptops.

  Jimmy Jones chuckled, having just watched the movie star pour two vodka miniatures and some orange juice into a plastic cup, stirring it with a finger, and then gulping it.

  “Plus, she just popped a pill to go with her morning screwdriver. Maybe now’s the time to do it, Colonel,” Jones observed. “She looks like she’s feeling no pain.”

  Clark walked over and watched the attractive woman on the screen sit down quickly on the side of the bed, her eyes unfocused and already glazed over. Jennifer Hughes and Hollywood Estrada had slipped into Erin’s and her bodyguard’s rooms the night before while she was meeting with Colonel Bonilla, installing several micro cameras. At the same time, Ricardo Gonzalez and Jimmy had placed GPS trackers on both the cop’s car and Erin’s rental.

  On the flight down to Honduras, he and his team had come up with several possible scenarios. Kevin had wanted to take Knight and Bonilla out last night. The problem with that was it would have alerted Alfie, and made it more difficult for Chuck’s team to complete their own mission. If they couldn’t get to Erin in the hotel, Clark’s people would have to launch their assault out on the highway before they reached the young girls whom the actress had come to pick up. A public assassination created a number of other problems that Clark did not want to deal with.

  McCain had texted him thirty minutes earlier, letting him know that Alfie Nicholson was dead. If they were going to do it, they needed to get going, Kevin thought. Bonilla was supposed to be at the hotel in less than half an hour. Of course, he was probably operating on Honduran time but they couldn’t bet on that. Ricardo was keeping watch outside to let them know when the Honduran Federal Police colonel showed up.

  “Gabby, what’s happening in the hallway? Is one of the goons still sitting outside her door?” Clark asked.

  Vargas was one of the CIA’s best computer experts and she had easily hacked into the Hilton’s security cameras. In seconds, she had footage from the hallway on the left screen, and the inside of Erin’s room on the right. Gino Rafanelli sat in a chair outside Knight’s room, staring at his phone. He and the other bodyguard h
ad been taking turns guarding the movie star’s suite for two hour shifts. Their own room was right next door to hers.

  “Yes, sir, still glued to his phone.”

  Kevin looked over at his youngest team member. “Jennifer, you ready for this?”

  The attractive woman had only been with the Agency for three years but Hughes had already proven her worth working for Clark. In her case, looks could definitely be deceiving. While Jennifer barely looked old enough to buy alcohol, she held black belts in judo and Wing Chun kung fu, and was currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

  “Oh yes, sir,” the agent purred with a sultry voice, standing in front of the mirror, applying a thick coat of red lipstick and checking her blonde hair, clearly going for the Gwen Stefani look. “If I can’t get Gino to help out this damsel in distress, I’ll turn in my woman card. And,” the petite woman continued in her normal mid-western accent, “I’ll have these two with me,” pointing at Jimmy and Alejandro “Hollywood” Estrada.

  Clark nodded. “Gabby, how long before you’ll have that video loop working so the front desk can’t monitor what is happening on the target’s floor?”

  The computer whiz’s fingers were flying over the keyboard and she didn’t answer right away. A moment later she looked up, her right index finger poised over the “Return” key.

  “Just say when, Boss. I hit the key and all they see downstairs is a loop of our boy Gino watching dirty movies on his phone. I also set up a loop of our empty hallway so they can’t see us coming or going.”

  “Great work. Hang on just a second. You three get ready to go,” he said, nodding at Jennifer, Jimmy, and Hollywood. Clark plucked a walkie-talkie off the table and pushed transmit. “Alpha One to Alpha Two.”

  “Alpha Two, go ahead,” Ricardo’s Puerto Rican accent coming through, loud and clear.

  “Any activity outside, Alpha Two?”

  “Negative activity, Alpha One. The parking lot is quiet. There’s not even that much traffic on the road.”

  “10-4. Be advised we’re launching scenario two. Let us know when that cop arrives and we should be able to take him as well when he goes upstairs.”

  “Alpha Two’s clear.”

  Kevin looked back up at rest of his team. All eyes were on him, waiting for the signal. He nodded.

  “Hit that loop, Gabby. You three, let’s get this over with and make it as clean as we can.”

  The elevator door opened onto the top level of the hotel. Thankfully, due to the high price of the bigger and more luxurious rooms, Erin and her two bodyguards were currently the only ones occupying the seventh floor. Jennifer took a deep breath, stepping out of the elevator. She was wearing a short black skirt, complemented by a tight white blouse with the top two buttons undone.

  Knight’s room was about halfway down the hall, Gino still occupying the chair next to her door. He didn’t look up from his phone until Hughes was almost to him. The beefy Italian glanced up, quickly doing a double-take, his eyes roaming up and down Jennifer’s lithe frame, before flashing her a toothy grin.

  “And, how you doin’? You lost? You don’t look like you’re from around here either.”

  Jennifer looked down shyly before glancing back up at the muscular man who had stood, towering over here. She gave an embarrassed smile.

  “I’m sorry. I was just hoping to meet Ms. Knight and get a selfie. I didn’t know she was going to have security.”

  A cloud crossed the bodyguard’s face. “How’d you know Ms. Knight was here?” he asked suspiciously. “That was supposed to be a secret.”

  Hughes acted intimidated. “I know. I’m sorry. I haven’t told anyone. It’s just that I’m here on business and when I was checking in, I heard them talking about it at the front desk. I’m one of Erin’s biggest fans. I’ve seen all of her movies and when I heard she was here, I just had to try and meet her. I slipped the clerk a twenty and he told me which room she was in.”

  Gino stared at the good-looking young woman, processing what he had just heard. That sounds about right, he thought. In a poor country like Honduras, it’s hard to keep secrets when a cutie like this throws money at you.

  “Yeah, well, he shouldn’t have said anything. Ms. Knight is here scouting a location for a movie and doesn’t want to be bothered,” he said, reciting their cover story.

  The blonde’s face registered her disappointment. She nodded and started to turn away. After taking a step, she turned back and looked up into Gino’s eyes.

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” the agent said, seductively.

  “Excuse me?” Gino thought his ears must be deceiving him.

  Jennifer took a step closer. “I know you’ll probably get in trouble for letting me meet her, but I just want a picture to show my friends back home. I’ll make it up to you if you can help me out,” she said, softly, licking her lips, and touching him lightly on the chest. “I meet Ms. Knight and get a pic with her, and then we can duck into your room or you can come down to mine.”

  Gino’s eyes widened. “Well, that sounds real nice and all, but I’m having to work here.” He paused a moment. “I tell you what. You seem like a really nice girl. I’ll see if I can get Ms. Knight to the door. She always likes to meet her fans. After that, I’ll get my partner to cover the rest of my shift and you and me can get to know each other a little better. How’s that sound?”

  The young woman’s face lit up in a bright smile. “Okay! Thank you so much, mister…”

  “Gino. Just call me ‘Gino.’ What’s your name?”

  Clark’s team had done their homework. “Marie,” Jennifer answered.

  “No! That’s my mother’s name. What a small world,” Gino grinned again, turning to face Erin’s door. He knew he wasn’t supposed to bother Ms. Knight but sometimes the reward justified the ass-chewing he would get later.

  Fifty feet away, Jimmy and Hollywood waited inside the stairwell, listening to Jen’s and Gino’s interaction through the door that Jones held slightly ajar.

  “Man, that girl’s good,” Jimmy whispered.

  Jones had not started his career with the CIA, either. The five-ten African-American had gone to the University of Alabama on a track and field scholarship. After graduating he had entered the Marine Corps, completing two combat tours in Iraq, one as a lieutenant, the other as a captain. After his second deployment, he found out that his mother had terminal cancer.

  Jimmy left the Marines to be with her during her last year. After his mom had passed, the former Marine joined the Alabama Highway Patrol. Before long, he was one of the department’s leaders in locating and arresting drug traffickers and fugitives. The trooper eventually decided to go federal and attempted to join the FBI.

  At the time a new agency, the Centers for Disease Control Enforcement Unit, was being started to counter the bio-terror threats confronting the nation. Jimmy, Hollywood, Scotty, and Andy had all worked there under Chuck McCain’s leadership. The CDC Enforcement Unit was actually a front for the CIA to continue its war on terror in the United States. When McCain was promoted out of the CDC to an Assistant Director of Operations at the Agency, it was not surprising that several of his teammates wanted to follow him.

  Estrada had grown up in East Los Angeles, hence his nickname of ‘Hollywood.’ He managed to stay out of a gang and as soon as he graduated from high school, Alejandro had joined the army. His military occupational specialty had been Military Police. After five years, he left the army to work for the Los Angeles Police Department. Several years later, Hollywood started the application process for the Drug Enforcement Agency but was also recruited to join the new CDC enforcement wing. Both men were enjoying their roles as CIA agents.

  “Yeah, I’m glad she’s on our side. I bet she’s broken a lot of hearts,” Hollywood commented, quietly.

  They had heard the entire conversation because of the wire Hughes was wearing. The sound of Gino knocking on Knight’s door carried down the hallway. The two men tensed, prepared to move as soo
n as the actress opened her door. They both wore black windbreakers over their 9mm Glock Model 19 pistols, which they hoped they would not need. They also each had a taser in their jacket pockets and wore small backpacks containing other useful items.

  Ricardo’s voice came over their earpieces. “Alpha Two to all units. The police officer just arrived. His driver let him out at the front door. I estimate he’ll be upstairs in less than five minutes.”

  “Alpha One clear. Alpha Three, do you need to abort?” Clark asked Jimmy.

  Jones looked at Hollywood, who just shrugged. He would follow Jimmy’s lead.

  Gino’s voice carried down the hallway to the two men. “Sorry to bother you, Ms. Knight. Can you open the door for just a second? I need to ask you for a small favor. There’s someone here who really wants to meet you.”

  The former Marine stepped back from the doorway. “Negative, Alpha One. We’re about to be in. What’s the status on the other goon?”

  “Alpha Three, Vinnie appears to be napping in his room.”

  The sound of a door opening prompted the two men into action.

  Jennifer’s earpiece was almost invisible, pushed deep inside of her ear canal, but she heard the conversation between her team members and knew that things were about to heat up. At the same time, she tried to stay focused on what was happening right in front of her. It took several knocks before a muffled voice came from the other side. Jen slipped her left hand behind her to where the taser was holstered at the small of her back. Next to it, her 9mm Glock 43 pistol was waiting, if needed, to be accessed by her right hand.

  “Who is it?” the slurred voice answered.

  “Sorry to bother you, Ms. Knight, it’s me, Gino. Can you open the door for just a second? I need to ask you for a small favor. There’s someone here who really wants to meet you.”