by David Nees
“Go outside and keep watch,” Dan said. “I’m going to talk with Herr Aebischer. Hopefully this won’t take long. How are we doing with the guards?” He asked Warren.
“All looks normal except that I’ve lost the signal in the monitor room. Not sure what’s causing that.”
“Can you still see the guard in there?”
“Never could directly but I could see he was working the monitors.”
“Still see that?”
“Affirmative.”
Marcus went back outside. Dan yanked Aebischer to his feet and shoved him into a chair which he pulled into the middle of the room.
“Who are you?” the banker asked again.
“The man you hired and then tried to kill,” Dan replied.
Aebischer gave Dan a dark look. He sat in the chair, facing the man who would want revenge, but showed no fear.
“I don’t have a lot of time, so I want you to know that your panic button signal didn’t transmit. The wireless is blocked and the phone line is down. You’re cut off. The men outside don’t know what’s going on and anyone coming down the hall is going to get killed by my friend outside your door.”
He paused for Aebischer to absorb what he had just said. “So I have you all to myself.”
“What do you want? I can pay you what you’re owed…and more. I want to keep my involvement in the rescue quiet, so I’m happy to pay you more, a lot more. Just name your price.”
“I want something else.” Dan put his face close to Aebischer. “I want the ledger book you keep here in the office.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Dan stood up and swung his open hand across Aebischer’s face with a violent whack. The blow split the banker’s lip open.
“I know about the book. Both Pietro and Evangeline confirmed it. Let’s not play around, it will only mean more pain for you.”
Aebischer shook his head. “They don’t know what that book is about. It is of no use to you. It’s just some accounting records.”
Dan smacked him across the face again, this time from the other direction. Aebischer’s head flopped to one side.
“Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to produce the ledger for me, quickly, or I’m going to start shooting you, first in the foot, then knee, then hands and elbows. By the time I’m done you will be crippled for the rest of your life and I’ll have the book. So, if you’d like to not be crippled, produce the book.”
Aebischer glared at Dan. His face twisted into a hateful look. “It’s in the safe which has a time lock on it. I can’t open it until tomorrow.”
“Dan pulled out his 9mm and put it to Aebischer’s foot. “Last chance.”
“I’m telling the truth, you—”
Dan pulled the trigger and Aebischer screamed out in pain. The bullet went through his left foot and lodged in the floor. Dan grabbed a roll of tape from his vest.
“I’ll gag you and continue shooting you until you override the system. I’m sure you have a way to do that, so don’t try to give me any stupid story otherwise.”
Aebischer cried out in pain but Dan could see he was working to control it, not wanting to appear weak.
“I can make you experience more pain than you ever caused others. Dan grabbed him by his throat and looked close into his pale blue eyes. His voice was low and deadly. “I’d rather kill you than mess with you anymore, but there are people who want the information you have. If you think you won’t give it, you’re wrong. Everyone gives up what they know at the end. It’s only a matter of time. If you don’t give it to me tonight, I’ll turn you over to people who will take all the time they need to get it out of you. It will be very painful and go on as long as you want to hold out. You won’t die. They’ll make sure of that, but you’ll want to die.”
“You don’t scare me. I’m not one easily scared.” Aebischer’s voice was shaky but he was trying to control it.
“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just letting you know what’s coming. The choice is yours. No one is coming to rescue you.”
As Dan and Marcus stormed the office, the guard in the monitor room called the kitchen guard. He didn’t get an answer. He next called the man roving the first floor.
“Go check the kitchen. My monitor shows Franz sitting there, but there’s something wrong. He’s been eating his sandwich for ten minutes. It looks odd.”
“Okay, on my way,” came the reply.
Two minutes later the guard called back to the monitor. “I don’t see Franz anywhere. Is he still showing on the monitor?”
“Ja. Something’s wrong. Check the front foyer.”
“Should we call Herr Aebischer?”
“Not yet, I don’t want to disturb him in case it’s just something wrong in the system.”
Less than a minute later the guard came over the intercom. “Hermann is missing as well.”
“Head to the office, I’m activating the internal alarm.”
The guard in the monitor room activated the alarm key but again, unbeknownst to him, no alarm rang outside. He left the monitor room and headed to the office.
“The monitor guard has left his room, he may be headed to the office,” Warren shouted over the intercom.
Marcus went to full alert with his M4 at ready. The monitor watchman met up with the first-floor guard in the upper hall. They ran around the corner. Marcus opened fire. The monitor room guard fell with multiple rounds hitting him in his chest. The other guard dropped to the ground and returned fire with his HK M5. Before Marcus could turn his fire to the man on the ground, he was hit in the torso. He flew back, dropping his carbine.
The guard ran forward just as Dan, crouching, opened the door. When he saw Dan’s head, he instinctively kicked out with his foot, not waiting to swing the M5 down. Dan rolled to one side stunned by the kick to his temple.
Aebischer shouted out, “Don’t kill him!”
Dan was reaching out to grab the man’s legs and pull him down when the guard reversed his weapon and struck Dan behind his ear. Dan’s vision went black and he collapsed unconscious.
Chapter 41
___________________________________
B ack in the van, Warren relayed what had happened to Jane.
“I’m going in,” she called back to Warren as she left the van.
Evangeline pulled the side door open and jumped out after her.
“Stop!” shouted Warren.
“Nein,” Evangeline replied. “They need me in there. I know the house better than anyone.”
She sprinted across the road and through the brush. Jane was just disappearing down into the tunnel. Evangeline followed.
“Go back,” Jane ordered. “This is no place for you.”
“It’s my home. I know it best. I can help.”
Jane shook her head. At the bottom of the ladder, she adjusted her M4. Evangeline came down the ladder behind her. “You’ll jeopardize the mission.”
“But I can help. I know the layout better than anyone. And I know this man. He won’t expect me to be here, it will throw him off.”
Jane waved her arm in dismissal, “I don’t have time to argue. Stay behind me and don’t get in my way.”
The two women felt their way down the dark tunnel. When they came to the door, Jane turned to the right.
“The stairs will take you to the front foyer. If anyone comes in from outside you can shoot them. You go up the steps and to the right to Aebischer’s office.”
Jane nodded and moved forward. Evangeline turned left. She hunted along the wall. She was looking for a hidden latch. It opened a panel to reveal an elevator door. The elevator came out in Aebischer’s office.
The guard ran over to Aebischer and cut his cuffs. Then he dragged Dan to the chair Aebischer had vacated. The banker hobbled back to his desk and sat back against it. His face was contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. The guard tied Dan’s hands behind him. Dan regained consciousness and looked up at a face full of
hate and fury.
“Now mister assassin, we shall see how tough you are. You talked about pain? I am an expert at it, although in quite a different context. Still what I’ve learned can be translated to you. In the end you will lose your manhood as well as be crippled, similar to what you threatened me with.”
“And you expect me to tell you something?”
Aebischer shook his head and let out a harsh laugh. “No, I expect you to suffer and me to enjoy your torment. It will be for my pleasure, a measure of compensation for the trouble you’ve caused me. And when I’m tired of it, you will die.” He leaned forward, close to Dan’s face. “You will not be able to relieve your torment. There will be nothing you can give me or tell me to make it stop. It is for my pleasure only. You have no hope.” He leaned back with a gleam in his eyes. “You have entered hell, my hell.”
Aebischer nodded to the guard who swung his fist into Dan’s face. He began to pummel him on his head and torso. The pain in his ribs lit up causing him to cry out.
“Ah it seems we’ve found a sore spot on your body. Wounds from your previous encounters? We will exploit that as we go forward.”
Aebischer turned to the guard. “How many guards are left?”
“I think they killed Franz, Hermann, and Max along with Nils outside your office.”
Aebischer just nodded.
“Should I call in the guards from outside?”
“No. We don’t know if there are any others trying to get in. Tell them to be on full alert. I don’t know how these two managed to get past them.”
“I think the security system is compromised, maybe jammed. Max said there was something not right about the video links.”
“This man said our communications are cut off, so we’re on our own. We will take him down to the basement. I have a special room for him. After you secure him, go help the other guards and all of you keep watch. Have you tried your phone?”
The guard nodded. “I’m not connecting although the system says there is a signal.”
“That indicates it’s jammed. When morning comes we’ll leave with the cars and gather some men to clean up.”
“What about your foot?”
“I have bandages downstairs. It will be okay until tomorrow. Right now I want to introduce my assassin to his future. Soften him up.”
The guard hammered more blows on Dan who grunted with the intense pain. It was worse when the blows landed on his torso than on his face.
“Now I’m taking you down to your hell.”
He turned to limp over to the wall that concealed his elevator when the panel opened. Evangeline stood in the opening. She had a wild look in her eyes and a 9mm in both hands pointed in front of her.
Aebischer stood there, too stunned to move.
“Evie,” he said in surprise.
The guard was bending over Dan to drag him to the elevator. He stood up and reached for his machine gun which was on the desk. Evangeline saw the movement and swung in his direction. She held the pistol out in front of her, remembering Jane’s words about pointing it like a finger. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she pulled the trigger twice. The guard fell back against the desk and hit the floor as the rounds hit him in the chest and arm.
Aebischer stepped forward.
“Halt,” Evangeline said as she swung the pistol back to him. He stopped.
“Evie, you’ve come home. I’ve missed you so much. Please put the gun down. You’re back now where you belong.”
“I’m not back. Do you think I would come back to a monster like you?”
“Evie, please. I sent this man to rescue you. Then he didn’t return you. I was trying to find out what happened. But you’re here. We can make this right. You belong home, with me. We belong together.”
“You killed my mother…my sister. You made me a freak and then you killed the only person who loved me.”
“I love you. I’ll take care of you. You’ll never want for anything. Just come back to me. Let us be together.”
“You can’t give me what I want. You can’t give me my mother back.”
“Your mother was unstable. She wanted to expose us all. It would have led to you being taken away from me. I couldn’t allow that. Sarah was suicidal. You know what she did.”
Evangeline was shaking at this point. Dan watched carefully not wanting to divert her attention. Aebischer was close enough to reach her if she shifted her gaze away from him.
“I was there that night. I saw you. You did things to her while she was tied up on the bed. Now I know what those were. I’ve learned all about those dirty things. But then you smothered her.”
Evangeline’s voice began to break. Dan kept thinking, don’t break down, don’t give him the opening. Our lives depend on that.
“And then,” she paused to get control over her emotions without much success. “And then…you hung her up!”
Evangeline began to sob. Aebischer lunged forward. Evangeline pulled the trigger and a bullet slammed into his shoulder spinning him sideways to the ground. Just then Jane burst through the door in a crouch. She immediately took in the scene, two men down, one was Aebischer, Dan tied up in a chair, and Evangeline sobbing with a gun in her hand.
“Evangeline put down your gun,” she ordered. “I’ve got everyone covered. Go untie Dan.”
Evangeline set the gun carefully on the floor. She went over to Dan.
“You’re hurt,” she said through her sobs.
“The knife. Cut the rope,” Dan said between gasps. It was hard to breath and harder to talk.
Jane cleared away the weapons.
“The guards outside are moving. They’re coming into the house, the front door.” Warren’s voice came over the com link. “They must have heard the shots.”
“Can you watch Aebischer?” Jane asked Dan.
“Yeah.” His voice was barely audible. She gave him the 9mm.
“I’m going to take out the guards.”
“Wait until they’re all in the front hall, then use full auto. You don’t want any of them sneaking around to come at us from another entrance.”
Jane nodded and ran from the room.
Dan turned to Evangeline who was standing in shock. She stared at her father, the man of her nightmares, the man she shot.
“He’s not dead?”
“No. But you saved us all by not letting him get your gun. Now I need you to do something.”
Evangeline walked over to Dan.
“Take my knife, go out in the hall and find Marcus. If he’s alive, cut some cloth, from the other guard’s shirt, and stop his bleeding. We have a chance to save him if he’s still with us. Can you do that?”
Evangeline nodded.
Jane waited at the top of the stairs. She lay on the floor looking around the corner and over the edge of the steps. Her M4 was cradled in her arms. Let them all get inside.
“How many are outside?” She whispered to Warren.
“Three of them. The two at the house and the front gate guard. He’s running up to the door. They’re waiting for him to enter.”
Jane calmed her breathing. She had not been involved in field work for over a decade, but she kept herself current with weapons. She had not killed before, but now it was time to use those skills in a life or death situation. Dan was injured, Marcus might be dead; it was now up to Jane to give them a chance to evacuate the house with their prize.
The front door opened. No one appeared. Then a head showed around the corner of the doorway, down low. Jane held still. She knew they couldn’t see her at the top of the stairs. One man came through in a crouch and took up a defensive position to the right. The next one went to the left. They both scanned the area on the main floor with an occasional glance up the stairs. The third guard entered and all three advanced towards the steps.
Now was the time. Jane slid her rifle forward and opened fire on full automatic. She moved the rifle from left to right, sweeping across the men. They were separated but the confines of the
room meant they were still close to one another. One of the men returned fire, the shots going high into the ceiling. Then it was quiet.
Her magazine was empty. Jane immediately ejected it and pulled another one from her vest. She inserted it and ran down the stairs. Two of the men were moving. Without pausing to let herself think about, least she shrink from the task, she fired a short blast into each of the downed men. Then she turned and ran back up the stairs.
Evangeline was clamping a shirt over Marcus’ wound. He had been hit in his side and shoulder. Jane looked at him. He was conscious with labored breathing.
“We’ve got all the guards and Aebischer. Now we’re going to get out of here with you and get you some help. You hang on.”
Marcus gave a nod of his head. He looked at her. His eyes gave away nothing. He didn’t look panicked, just fatalistic, as if accepting that he might have bought the farm this time.
“Please don’t die. You have to stay alive until we can get you to a hospital,” Evangeline said, her voice pleading with him.
“Stay with Marcus and keep pressure on the wound. Don’t worry about the shoulder, it’s not dangerous, but we have to keep him from losing too much blood from the lower wound.”
Jane ran into the office.
“Can you walk?” She asked Dan.
“Yeah. Help me up.”
Aebischer lay on the floor. He was wounded in his left foot and shoulder. He would need help walking. Marcus might not be able to walk at all.
“Warren,” Jane called. “We need you in here right now. Everything’s secure but we’ve got to get Marcus and Aebischer out and they need help. Dan’s injured but he can walk but he won’t be much help carrying anyone out.”
She heard Warren take a deep breath. “On my way.
Jane stripped the belts off of the two guards, the one injured in the office and the one dead outside in the hall next to Marcus. Next she shoved the injured guard on his side and cut off his shirt.
