Black Hawk Day Rewind: An action packed spy thriller (Mark Savannah Espionage Series Book 1)

by Dominick Fencer

  The tables were full, but the people, in order not to disturb the atmosphere, were whispering so that the only sound was that of the piano whose notes accompanied the night.

  "Do you like it? Bain asked her. “I booked a table.”

  "It 's a beautiful place! I didn’t think there could be such a place in Texas… what a nice scent of flowers..."

  Ransley moved a chair to accommodate her and then he sat down, too. He was a perfect gentleman, gentle but firm, and this SkylineP92 could not help but notice with pleasure.

  "What would you like to drink?" he asked her.

  "A Martini with a splash of orange juice would be perfect."

  The waiter was already at their table ready to take their order.

  "Good evening," said Bain. "A Martini for the lady with a splash of orange juice and a gin and tonic for me please. If you could bring us your famous dragées and some orange peel covered in chocolate, thank you and…yes, you have understood me."

  The waiter gave a Duchenne smile, took note and disappeared immediately.

  Anaïs looked at Ransley, he was undoubtedly very charming, polite and attentive without being unnatural, moreover he smelled of male: if it were not Ransley Bain of Biosketch Technologies Inc., a vassal of Walton I. Reed, maybe she would have given it a little thought; he had big and very beautiful hands and for a moment she let herself imagine that everything else was up to the task.

  The waiter returned with a bouquet of pink tulips artfully packaged and he placed it on the table next to Anaïs.

  "I thought you would like tulips…they’re beautiful just like you," Ransley said smiling.

  Skylinep92 was really surprised, the bouquet was the most beautiful she had ever seen. “I love them. But how do you see tulips?" she asked, smiling.

  "Strong but delicate at the same time, sublime colors, stylish but not coy, simple but aware of their beauty."

  She was speechless, that was the nicest and most spontaneous compliment that a man had ever paid her. She looked right into Bain eyes, and he took the opportunity to touch her hand.

  Fortunately, the waiter came back and put their drinks on the table in front of them. On fine porcelain plates he placed the dragées and the chocolate-covered orange peel.

  Anaïs, who had moved away her hand, began to ask him about "Transtem 1.1".

  Bain, to please her and not to be hasty, began to describe the project and after a while, he ordered a second gin and tonic.

  "But Anaïs! You haven’t touched your first drink!" Bain said suddenly, looking at her Martini cocktail.

  "Ransley, I'm slow, don’t worry. It's really good,” she said sipping it coquettishly, “but I like to taste it slowly." Anaïs said slyly.

  "Now tell me about yourself," said Bain, smiling at her.

  Anaïs knew that it was now up to her and that she had to make him drink more, so she started to tell him about the place where she lived in Switzerland, how she had decided to become a secret agent and how she had been recruited by the USA secret services.

  She told Bain she was fed up with dangerous missions, and that the Colonel had promised her that she was going to direct Mayer’s astrophysics laboratory after her last operation.

  Meanwhile, Ransley, who was listening with interest, ordered a third gin and tonic and it seemed he’d reached his tipping point…everything he’d drunk at dinner and now with Anaïs was having its effect.

  Anaïs, still lucid, continued to charm him with her words, and as she carelessly let her left hand, which still held her glass with the first Martini, touch Ransley’s hand momentarily, she felt his electric reaction.

  "Surely to return to an active life for those who have suffered debilitating injuries is like being born again," she said. "Too bad that the project concerns only civilians, for the army it would be a panacea in terms of public image, since the army sends so many young boys to fight in very difficult and dangerous countries...too bad..."

  “And who says they’re not doing it?" replied Bain who was now drunk and still too far away from SkylineP92’s face.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing...I was joking," Ransley said biting his tongue.

  "Come on Ransley. I'm trained, I know you're lying."

  "Forget it. I didn’t ask you anything about the reasons you are here in Dallas, did I?"

  "That's true, but you have already told me that soldiers are involved. I’ll not tell Reed, I promise you. Besides this evening will remain between the two of us, you know the procedure well. We work for the same organization, and as an operative I am obliged to communicate any new relationship for the personal safety of the person involved, and to ensure they don’t interfere with my job."

  "There are two, two separate projects,” admitted Bain. “The one placed under military secrecy is called ‘Brainexe’. All the soldiers have a micro transponder RF-ID tag inserted under the skin in the neck. A real success, my dear: we have created the perfect soldier even if there is a bit of a mess at the moment…you are so beautiful double..."

  Anaïs pretended that the information was of little value and she began again to talk about her life as an agent of Colonel Reed. Ransley Bain tried to touch her hand. He was completely drunk, and so she let him take her hand while her knees were touching his.

  "Ransley, how about I take you to the hotel? It's late and you seem very tired."

  "Do you want to take me back? That’s great..."

  They got into a taxi and Anaïs let Ransley rest his head on her shoulder. When they arrived at the Sheraton, she accompanied him to his room and made him lie down on the bed; at that point Bain tried to kiss her but Anaïs withdrew herself classily saying:

  "Ransley, you're completely drunk. I'm not a one night stand...sex and that's it! Now you have to try to sleep, you’ve had a busy day."

  "Sorry, sorry...” Bain muttered, soon he was fast asleep.

  Anaïs left and went back to the Ritz-Carlton, she put the bouquet in water, flung off her heels and undressed preparing for the night.

  While half asleep lying in bed, Anaïs thought it had been easy with Bain and in the end she regretted having made fun of him; in fact, he had behaved like a gentleman even when he was in the room, even when she had hinted at being available. Anaïs had never risked anything with him and of this she was absolutely grateful. She would call him the next day to say hello and thank him for the evening.

  Skylinep92 fell asleep while she composed the puzzle of her ideal man, and in the puzzle, which she could never complete, inserted the pieces of Bain’s education and charm. He was the only man who had ever given her a very special compliment, and if he had not been a clone of that bastard Reed, probably she would have started dating him.

  100

  Ransley Bain woke up the next morning with a severe headache. He went into the bathroom, thinking about the night before. “Asshole,” he said to himself, looking at his face in the mirror.

  That same day, he would go back to Biosketch Technologies Inc. in the New Mexico desert, he had nothing more to do in Dallas.

  He was knotting his tie when the phone rang: it was Anaïs Degann.

  "Hello Ransley, how are you this morning?"

  "Like an idiot with a hangover...I must apologize to you."

  "Instead I wish to thank you for the lovely evening last night."

  "But...well...did I do anything I shouldn’t have…?"

  "If you're asking me if we went to bed together then don't worry, no."

  "Oh, thank goodness, I don’t remember anything... I mean, I didn’t mean that...oh my goodness, what am I saying? I wanted to say that because I don’t remember anything, I would be sorry if...and not to remember anything about it.”

  "Ransley, I understood what you meant," Anaïs said, laughing. "Don't worry, you were a gentleman."

  "When can I see you again?" he asked her.

  "I don’t know, Ransley. I have to complete my last operational mission which will take me away from New Mexico, and then once
we’re back at HQ we can’t do more than say hello to each other briefly."

  "I totally understand, but you’ll come to say hello?"

  "Yes, of course, so…see you soon."

  "Goodbye Anaïs. Always watch your back, please!"

  Anaïs hung up and thought that Bain was a son of a bitch but terribly charming and that he, like her, was in search of his life partner.

  She left the hotel after having spoken with Jago C. Green, and headed to the station to examine the recordings of the cameras in search of clues about Savannah.

  As she walked, she brooded over the situation, and after ten minutes lost in deep thought, she decided to dial the phone number that had appeared on her screen two days before.

  "Any news, Anaïs?" asked Mark Savannah without even greeting her. He was another type altogether, nothing in common with the refinement of Ransley Bain.

  "Savannah, good morning, eh?"

  "Rewind, sorry, in reality I didn’t think you were going to call me back, Anaïs. Good morning. How are you?"

  "Ok, you were right. The project under military secrecy is called "Brainexe"."

  "And all the transplant soldiers have a micro-transponder grafted in their necks...and there are problems, right?"

  "Affirmative, what do you know about it?"

  "Enough to not stand by and do nothing," answered Savannah.

  "Bain, however, didn’t tell me anything else, even though he was drunk he controlled himself."

  "Bain? Direct to the source, huh?"

  "It's not what you think, tell me what you know."

  "Do you take me for an idiot? You're Reed’s favorite pet, you meet with Bain, you have Green behind you, you want to terminate me and I should tell you what I know so that then you can report it to your friends in Biosketch Technologies Inc.?" ventured Savannah, who as a good psychiatrist knew how to touch the strings people’s weak points.

  "Who knows, but how the hell do you know about Green, too..."

  "They’re hiding a lot of things from you and they are keeping you away from New Mexico at this time. Haven’t you noticed?"

  "I'm not part of the project, why they should inform me about it?" Anaïs, in fact, knew that Savannah was right.

  "I need you."

  "What?" That phrase, point blank, sent a shiver up her back; she couldn’t tell if it was the tone of his voice or the words, but her breath broke in her throat.

  "I need your help." Mark repeated in a firm voice. "The situation is very serious and Reed is the author of what’s happening. There is no one else who can help me to stop them. They are ready to industrialize "Transtem 1.1" with all the consequences that you can imagine."

  "I listened to Bain’s press conference, but I'm not going to help you. You are a murderer, a cleaner, an expert manipulator and I have a task to accomplish."

  "What about meeting each other on neutral ground? I'll show you why you have to trust me...Alva Regional Airport, tomorrow, 4:00 pm at the bar. I'll arrive in an Aviat A-1C Husky. If you kill me, you'll never know what’s really happening. By the way, call Mayer. Reed hasn’t told him anything!"

  Mark hung up without waiting for an answer from Anaïs. He was playing a dangerous game and could only hope that she, intrigued by his bluff, would come to find out the truth.

  "Professor Mayer? How are you? This is Anaïs Degann. I’m well, thanks. Did Colonel Reed tell you about me? No? Ah! Well, then I’ll inform you in advance of the call.

  “Colonel Reed has granted my request to come and work with you...I'm glad that you're happy... Thank you, I accept the direction of the lab with great pleasure...I don’t know...I have to carry out one last task and then I'll be with you. No, you can wait for his call. The Colonel is very busy at the moment, so don’t worry if he doesn't call soon. I wish you a good day, professor, and thanks again!"

  Anaïs was furious, Savannah for the second time had been right. Reed had made fun of her without the slightest scruple. At this point she would go to the meeting Savannah had proposed for the next day at Alva Regional Airport.

  Anaïs spent the rest of the day at the station with two Interpol agents viewing the photographic material, but as usual she found nothing.

  101

  SkylineP92 left the Ritz-Carlton at 9:00 am, and headed in her car to Wiley Post airport. There she would rent a plane for four hours, she would have a nice ride and then she would land at Alva Regional Airport.

  By 2:00 pm she was at Wiley Post, and this time she chose a Cessna 182 Skylane; she felt uneasy but couldn't wait to fly. She was curious about what Savannah would say, seeing as he had paradoxically made an appointment with the person who was hunting him down, telling her that he needed her help.

  It was an absolutely surreal situation, Savannah could be arranging a trap for her, but on the other hand she could kill him easily if she communicated the location of the appointment to Green, who would immediately organize a team.

  She paid at reception, went to the hangar, carried out all the routine checks and then boarded the plane. The weather was CAVOK, it would remain so for the next six hours and Anaïs was eager to take off and return to her favorite element.

  She started off towards the taxiway, called for permission and after a few moments began take-off. As always, her adrenaline peeked as the plane left the ground, and the feeling of pleasure began when, after having become familiar with the plane, she enjoyed maneuvers and looking down at the landscape below.

  She was utterly alone for about forty minutes, the sky was clear and at last, for a short while, her troubled soul could enjoy the flight without reproaching her for anything, and then she turned the plane sharply towards Alva Regional Airport.

  She was almost downwind when she saw an Aviat A-1C Husky enter her field of vision, she decided to turn and circle round to see if it was Mark Savannah.

  Anaïs had done aerobatics for many years, and it wasn’t at all difficult for her to place herself side by side an amazed Savannah, to travel a short distance beside him and then to move away to go first into the final leg. They both landed and headed to the parking lot.

  Anaïs got out of her plane first and got down and walked toward Mark.

  Savannah watched her approaching him, he didn’t feel under pressure, he had two guns on him, but he was sure that he wouldn’t need them. The woman, who was walking fast and securely towards him, still seemed strangely familiar to him. She was certainly as beautiful as he remembered from the first time he had seen her in New York. She could not be an ordinary sniper.

  Anaïs on the other hand couldn’t tear her eyes from Mark’s green eyes; and even if she considered him a brutal murderer, she knew she had an inexplicable soft spot for him.

  She had two guns, one tied to her ankle and another under her right armpit, but she was convinced that she wouldn’t need them.

  "Are you alone, Savannah?" she asked.

  "I like parties without party crashers. Hi, Anaïs, and are you alone or did you bring the cavalry?"

  "If my cavalry knew that I was here without having informed them, I would have to disappear just as you have the last few weeks. I guess you don’t sleep often Savannah and when you do, you sleep with one eye open," Anaïs answered directly.

  "In fact, I sleep very little, but now that’s a habit. Come on. Let’s go up to the bar."

  The two went up a flight of stairs and found themselves on a large balcony.

  "This is where you spied on me from while I landed, right, Savannah?" SkylineP92 asked with a smile.

  "Yes, and, as I said, you were incredible," he replied.

  "I’m a general aviation pilot with many flight hours and I’ve done aerobatics for years."

  "While I practiced and enjoyed bush flying, because of my job, which is also yours."

  The two sat down at a table and ordered coffee and orange juice, there were several people in the room and therefore they went unnoticed.

  Mark looked at her face for signs that might have remained from that day i
n Aisha’s house.

  "What are you looking at?" Anaïs asked curiously.

  "Nothing, I'm sorry," he replied, sipping his coffee.

  "You left no marks on me, if that was what you were looking for."

  "Better like that," Mark unexpectedly cut her short.

  Anaïs didn’t speak, waiting for him to do so first, she felt a strange feeling, a kind of lump in her throat and, moreover, Savannah didn’t seem to show any interest in her; he was the only man that hadn't paid her a compliment in the first ten minutes face to face with her, except that of being an incredible pilot. But it wasn’t that kind of compliment that she was used to hearing.

  Savannah didn’t speak, his pale eyes were scanning her, looking for some unknown confirmation and Anaïs began to feel uncomfortable.

  "I didn’t come here to kill you, trust me," SkylineP92 said, breaking the ice.

  "Neither did I," and as he said those words, Mark’s hand, taking the glass, inadvertently touched that of Anaïs: he instantly withdrew his hand, leaving Anaïs in disbelief.

  "I have to show you something, if I don’t compromise myself over this, you won’t believe this...I really need your help." Mark went on.

  Again, a feeling of uneasiness went through her; right at that moment her instincts told her to stand up, take him by the collar of his shirt and kiss him until she ran out of breath. But how was that possible? She waited until he put his smartphone on the table, then she picked up the glass with the orange juice she had ordered.

  Unexpectedly, Savannah sought her hand, he removed the glass and held her hand in his: "Look at this carefully."

  Some frames of the Battle of Mogadishu appeared on the small screen and a man, Richard Reed, with an RPG on his shoulder, blew up a Humvee: it was 1993 and Mark's father, Turner C. Cooper, lost his life.

  "But I know him!" said Anaïs.

  "He killed my father, Anaïs. It was in 1993, during the Battle of Mogadishu, at the same time as the first Black Hawk was shot down."