"I'll take lead," Bo said and eased the door open.
In the alley behind the building, the assault team exited the van and started inching through a maze of abandoned junk outside. A full moon watched over from the west. The team went in two lines with the leader and tail of each sporting Gen2 night vision goggles. In soft black, they were mere shadows.
Bo stepped into the building. The three men made a quick check and found the space empty. On the first floor cables ran across the ground. Gunner traced the spaghetti of wires to a stairwell. Standing in the lobby, Bo and Bang-Bang could hear shouting and random gunfire outside. Sirens wailed in the distance. The production had found its voice.
Bo used his red light to find Bang-Bang. He grabbed and walked him to an office area near the stairwell. Gunner joined them inside. They all extinguished their lights. Bo stood in the dark with his Colt trained on the doorway. All was quiet. No one passed. Bo signaled the others with a flash of red light. They worked their way from the room.
At the stairwell, Bo listened for any sound, moving with his gun as if dancing in the dark. Gunner fell in behind and followed suit. They climbed.
On the second and third floor, they quickly checked the office space and moved on as the wires continued up. The wires turned at the fourth floor and disappeared into the office space. A faint light glowed at the far right end of the space. The group made their way in.
The assault team had covered half the distance leaving another sixty feet. A sniper on the south side of 119th street reported seeing two heads in a fourth floor window. They appeared to be watching the commotion on the street. He was unable to identify the figures.
Ten feet into the fourth floor space Bo stopped. Bang-Bang held as Gunner stepped left. Bo could hear male voices that appeared to be in the same area as the light.
Gunner made a light clicking sound to get Bo's attention. Bo stepped right for cover and focused. Gunner turned his light on himself, pointed fingers to his eyes, and then directed the light to an area farther left.
Bo understood the signaling. He listened then stepped across. He fell in behind Gunner walking with the dim light on the floor. Bang-Bang pulled up the rear.
They came to a chain link fence. Gunner shined his light through and found their goal. Two boys sat inside cuffed, gagged, blindfolded and stripped to their underwear. They checked the gate for sensors and found none. Bang-Bang held the flashlight for Gunner to pick the lock. Bo pulled his second pistol. He rested his left foot on Gunner's and stood watch.
In the scrap yard, Patty occupied a middle position on the right flanking line. Dave Lowman was immediately behind her. She reached back with one hand and tugged Dave’s head close.
“Break off and go farther right,” she whispered.
Dave stared at her in the dark. He had no goggles to lead another line. Dave searched for her back in the moonlight. Patty swatted and pushed his arm right. He complied and veered off.
Bo twice lifted his left foot and Gunner fell still until Bo replaced it. Gunner was slow and purposeful in removing and setting the lock aside. He eased the gate open trying to make as little noise as possible.
Bo went in. Gunner and Bang-Bang moved into a protective position. Bo approached the two and took a knee. He flipped on the red light. Clothed only in underwear, it was clear they were both boys.
He lifted the earmuffs and blindfold of one and searched for Grayson's features. The tone of the light made it difficult. He checked the second boy and came to the same conclusion. They needed to move. Bo would have to wait until to identify the boys.
Outside, Dave tripped a motion sensor twenty feet from the loading dock. A siren cried out down the hall where the male voices were. The three questioned whether they had somehow tripped it.
Automatic weapon gunfire erupted filling the night with noise. Between bursts from multiple weapons, an alarm continued rising and falling. To Bo it almost seemed a flashback to some of the wet work of his past. The gunfire was not directed at the cage holding the boys.
Bang-Bang wanted to run run.
Outside, the rescue team scattered for cover. Bullets rained down on them from the fourth floor. The team requested permission to return fire. Prescott feared shooting a child by mistake. He asked if the snipers had clear and certain targets. They did not. He held the snipers. When the gunfire fell silent, he told the rescue team to retreat to safety.
Inside, the male voices found new heights but ran over one another. Within the yelling, another sound came present. Bo tapped Gunner.
"Grab one," he said.
Bo tucked both guns into the rear of his waistband. He reached and lifted one boy onto his right shoulder. His left hand retrieved a pistol. Gunner followed suit. They started from the cage.
"You lead," Bo said to Bang-Bang. "Anything moves or makes noise, shoot it."
They started for the entrance. All three men had their guns pointed at the light.
"We gotta go," said Bo listening to the beeping sound.
As they reached the walkway, Bo pushed Bang-Bang left. "Follow us out," he whispered.
The beeping continued. There was more shouting. Bo held the boy with his left hand and retrieved the white flashlight with his right. He turned it on and surveyed the space. "In here," he shouted wrapping both arms around the boy's legs and broke into a run.
Gunner followed. Bang-Bang lagged behind.
Bo led the group into what appeared to be a large non-functioning walk-in cooler. "Close the door," he said, "Fast."
Bo sat the boy on the floor and hovered over him. A loud noise exploded through the space. A pressure wave shoved the cooler door shut. The building rocked as if struck by an earthquake.
Inside the cooler it was as if the power had returned. Light poured through a small window in the steel door bathing the interior in a yellow-orange hue. It was firelight not electric.
Glass, debris, and fire rained down on the junk yard.
Having a blast is a matter of positioning.
The beeping sound ended with the detonation of the plastique the killers procured from D-Nut. Bo's ears rang from the concussion but the thick walls protected him and the others.
Bo knelt before his boy. He put the white light on the boys face. It was Grayson. Recognizing Bo in the firelight Grayson's eyes exploded with excitement. He leaned into Bo. Bo hugged the boy and sighed. Grayson cried.
"Is there any fire suppression?" Bo asked.
Bang-Bang looked through the small square glass. "Yeah man, there's stuff coming from the ceiling - not water - like hair spray or somethin'."
"Hair spray?" Gunner questioned. He worked on the boy's handcuffs.
"CO2 or halon," Bo said as he removed Grayson's leather strap.
"Whatever it is it doesn't seem to be working that good."
"I imagine the blast blew all the windows out so the wind is blowing the agent away."
"It's spraying pretty good right here; I think we could make it to the stairs."
"No," said Bo, "If it's halon we could but CO2 replaces oxygen."
"And I take it that's a bad thing," Bang-Bang said.
"Only if you want to breathe," said Bo. He peeled the gray tape from Grayson's face.
"How do we know which one it is?"
"Halon works well even in low quantities, CO2 needs to displace as much oxygen as possible to work."
The boy spit a small ball from his mouth as if performing a magic trick.
"Well like I said, this ain't working that well - not that I'm a fireman or anything."
"Watch for it to run out."
"Hey Mister Bo," Grayson said.
"How long's that take?"
Bo held Grayson's neck, his thumb rubbed at his cheek. "Seven floors, could take a bit," he said to Bang-Bang.
"Speaking of firemen, won't they come put it out?"
"Not likely, it was a reactionary explosion, they won't enter the building until the rescue team has swept the building and they won't come in until the fire is out."
>
"Great."
Grayson considered Gunner and Bang-Bang. "Are you one of them?" Grayson asked.
"No son, we're here to take you home," Bo said to the boy. "If anything Bang-Bang, they'll get several ladder companies to dump water from outside."
"So we been blown up and now the fire gas could kill us or the firemen could drown us.?"
The boy seemed scared.
"I promise you Grayson, I won't let anything bad happen to you. You're safe." Bo pulled the boy to him and squeezed him tight. "Your mother asked me to find you. We're going to get you home." He directed his attention to Bang-Bang. "How is it?"
"Better. I think it stopped spraying - still some fire but I think we can make it."
"Then we should go." Bo considered Grayson's cuffed hands. "I'm going to carry you again." He threw the boy over his shoulder and walked to the door.
"Who are you?" Gunner asked the other boy.
"Ryder," he said chewing at his words as if his mouth were dry. "Ryder Gentry."
"Can you walk?"
"I don't think so."
"Okay up you go."
Bo looked through the window over Bang-Bang's shoulder. "Let's go," he said. "Hope we don't find any snipers."
"Snipers?" Bang-Bang questioned. "What fuckin' snipers?"
"FBI - on the surrounding buildings watching through their scopes for any movement."
"You know this place right here, it's looking better and better."
"Knuckles for nuts," Gunner said, "Knuckles for nuts."
"You two damn sure got the nuts part right. We the fuckin' rescuers and we have to watch for bad guys, explosives, fire gas, firemen, and snipers."
Bo laughed for what felt like the first time since Katie phoned.
Along 119th Street, the faked emergency had quickly become an actual one with the police commander, fire captain and Prescott discussing their next course of action. The fire commander refused to send any personnel into the building until the HRT or police cleared the building. The bomb squad refused to enter until the fire was out. They agreed to contain the building and the blaze from the outside.
Bo, Gunner and Bang-Bang made their way to the basement and through the tunnel. When they reached the other building, Bo took the boys to the restroom. Gunner removed Grayson's cuffs. They cleaned the boys up and had them drink from the faucets.
Bang-Bang released the guard from the utility closet and asked if they had a lost and found.
"You and your friends pull a gun on me, lock me in a closet and now you want to rob the lost and found? What kind of criminals are you?"
"The best kind my man," Bang-Bang patted the man's broad chest. "We need shirts."
The guard pulled a box from beneath a counter. He stood at the lobby desk when the others exited the restroom. Grayson and Ryder were still in their underwear.
"Oh no," the guard winced and moaned, "You guys are perverts too? Seek salvation in the Lord folks. Seek salvation."
"Winston. Winston," Bang-Bang said reading the guard's name tag. "It's not what you think. You know those rich boys gone missin’."
"From the news?"
"These are two of them."
Gunner walked over and examined the box contents. A large marijuana leaf tee was the only shirt in the box. Bo removed his shirt and put it on Grayson. Gunner slipped the tee over Ryder’s head.
"You're the killers? The news said they were thinking it could be more than one person. They seem like good boys. What you got against them?"
"No Winston. We saved them from the killers."
"You did?"
"I swear we did. Watch the news tomorrow."
"Oh thank the Lord. I thought maybe y'all was one of them weird cults we hear about in ministry."
They exited the building. Gunner ran to 119th Street and looked west. He pointed big and forceful. "Fire Rescue," he yelled. Gunner ran back and scooped Ryder into his arms. He headed off for the firemen. Bo lifted Grayson and followed. Bang-Bang met them at the ambulance.
The call of having two rescued minors went out over the radio. It shocked the airwaves and invigorated the crowd.
"I'll go find that FBI guy and let him know where we are," Bang-Bang said to Bo.
"Thanks." Bo nodded. He turned to Gunner, "Can you call Katie?"
"I can stay with the boys if you want to do it."
"No. I'll stay. You go."
Bo recited the Wiseman's home phone number as if it were his own. Gunner jogged away.
"We have Ryder Gentry and Grayson Wiseman," a paramedic announced over the radio. People rushed through the confusion to find the ambulance. To witness with their own eyes, the spectacle and miracle of two live boys. Somewhere in the night, Prescott's voice spoke through the countless radios. "Bo Boson," was all he said.
The news flashed across Chicago faster than the 1871 fire kick-started in Mrs. O'Leary's haystack. With saving only two of four, Prescott asked the Indiana State Police to search the area around Wolf Lake. They found the body of Clifford Bennington. Miranda Presley remained missing.
Closed cases do not closed caskets always make.
Bo was happy the final casket was a generic wooden box the city provided. They shipped the broken and charred collection of body parts to Washington. Forensic Pathologists at the FBI Lab would analyze and attempt to identify the men. Bo was also happy to have traded the remains for the lives of Grayson and Ryder.
The boys spent the night at St. James Memorial on a closed and heavily secured wing. Bo slept alone and at peace. As long as no more children went missing, the police were happy to consider the case closed. Patty and Dave went back to their missing persons. Over breakfast, the murders stuck in Bo's craw.
He found a difference between the murder of Harold Haverly and the others. In being a copy of Leopold & Loeb, the first had motive. The others were like a copy of a copy of a copy all from a wonky Xerox machine. Each one looked less like the original. The only consistency was inconsistency.
The ransom request for Grayson was also different from Harold. In the three days they had Grayson, he had maybe two meals. They had no plans to keep him alive to collect a ransom. They were making him weak to be an easy kill. The details made no sense to Bo.
When they last spoke the night before, Gunner said he would stop by early in the afternoon to get the reward money so he could deliver it and return the rental. With time to spare, Bo fell back asleep on the sofa in his office.
He awoke a few minutes before noon. When Gunner arrived, Bo prepared his favorite sandwich and one for Gunner without the mayo and pickles. He had Gunner grab drinks and a large bag of chips. At seventy-two and sunny, they enjoyed the odd Indian Summer day on the back patio.
They ate and discussed the murders.
"The paperwork you got from Prescott on Grayson's kidnapping," Gunner said.
"Yeah."
"You have descriptions of the two bums?"
"Nothing specific, why?"
"Ah okay."
"What?"
"Nothing, I'm looking for a couple of guys. I can't see them being involved in a kidnapping though."
Bo excused himself and went inside. He returned with a brown, button and string envelope. He laid it on the table next to Gunner.
"Rewards and payroll," he said patting it.
Gunner looked to him as he sat. "Rewards I know, what's the payroll?"
"What I owe you for your effort and hazard pay for last night."
"Bo I,"
"Gunner I don't want to hear it today." Bo leaned forward. "Those boys would not be alive if not for you." Bo's eyes watered. "Grayson would." Bo turned away.
"Okay, okay," Gunner accepted.
Bo collected himself. "What you owe the data collectors is in there and something for your friend Bang-Bang and his crew."
"Oh he'll love you forever for that."
"You have enough to cover the car rental, gas and other expenses with the first money?"
"Yeah and a little more."
>
"I just want to be square."
"You're more than so."
"Gunner." Bo rubbed at his face. "I expect you should prepare yourself for more."
Gunner shook the envelope at Bo. "Beyond this, I will not take another fucking dime from you."
"Not me - Katie - and you should expect it to make mine seem like pocket change."
"Great, I can get that Ferrari and country club membership I always wanted."
"Hey, you can play golf with Walter Freeman and tennis with Abigail Fitzgerald."
"Fuck you Bo."
Bo laughed. "I hate to leave such good company but I'm meeting Katie for a late lunch."
Gunner's head bounced between Bo and the empty plates. "Lunch?"
"Late lunch, Katie lingo for drinks."
"Oh, gotcha."
While seeing Gunner out, the phone rang. It was Prescott. He called say they had completed the sweep of the building. Miranda Presley remained missing and the caged area was completely decimated in the explosion.
He also said the bomb squad discovered a group of claymore mines not more than ten feet from where the rescue team had reached. If Lowman had not tripped the motion sensor, most of the team would have died.
"Patty Jameson phoned me earlier to rub my face in it as it were," Prescott said.
"How's that?"
"She said I was wrong about you."
"Oh yeah?"
"She said you had clearly entered the building. I told her she was clearly kissing the wrong end of the dog."
Bo laughed.
"She asked what the fuck that meant and I told her she was asking the wrong question."
"Right."
"She said I told her you would not go in without permission. I said yes and he went in. Phone went silent for what seemed like ten minutes. Then she says, are you saying someone gave him permission, who would have given him permission? I told her that was the right question. And I hung up."
"Wow. That's great. I need to run out here."
"Okay Bo," Prescott said, "Oh, we spoke with the Fitzgeralds."
"And?"
"They claimed no knowledge of the men or why they were using the building. Said it's scheduled to undergo renovation for a new client soon."
The Wolf Lake Murders (A Bo Boson Adventure Book 1) Page 19
