Bill and the Sting of Death

by Gary McPherson

  Bill scowled, “So, like a Joel Olsteen thing.”

  Harold replied, “Nothing like that. I feel this way on the cabin cruiser when I go out fishing. I like the yacht because my friends and family can experience this with me.”

  Joshua said to Bill, “Maybe this will allow you to reflect. I understand we have some time before we get to Crossroad Key.”

  Bill asked, “How far is it?”

  Harold answered, “Not as far as you’d think. Darla and Garcia want to make sure the ship can’t be tracked. So, we take a few days and meander around the ocean. Satellites are tracking the ship and any craft around us. The underwater microphones that the U.S. put on the seafloor during the cold war listen for underwater craft.”

  Bill said, “That must keep them busy. We’re in the Caribbean; boats are coming and going constantly.”

  Harold only nodded.

  Joshua spoke up, “I almost forgot, Darla said after you’re done introducing your brother to your beloved up here, she wants you all down on the main deck. We’re meeting at the aft dining table to discuss our plans.”

  Bill asked, “Again?”

  Joshua nodded, “It’s training. When your brain doesn’t need to think about your actions, you’ll make the right decisions even in the worst of circumstances.”

  Harold rolled his eyes, “Because these meetings with Chuck always go according to plan. Well, let’s go.”

  The three men headed down the spiral staircase and then down a second set of stairs to the main deck. Maria, Darla, Garcia, and Alice all sat waiting. Harold pointed Bill to the seat next to him. Joshua joined Maria.

  Joshua spoke up first, “I still don’t like my wife being here.”

  Alice responded. “Your lovely wife educated me on the way she has been left behind on every operation. There’s no reason she can’t stay on board ship while we are on the island. She’ll be in no danger.”

  Joshua responded, “What about when we are transporting Chuck?”

  “We’ll have ships in the area. Of course, that’s assuming we take Chuck alive.”

  Garcia said, “Hang on, I thought this whole operation was to bring Chuck in.”

  Alice responded, “It is. However, things happen in the field, especially at that location. I’m not going to risk any of you. If Chuck gets too unpredictable for my liking, I’m going to put a bullet in his head.”

  Bill said, “Then why not let me kill him?”

  Joshua asked, “You don’t have any regrets about killing those other men?”

  Bill was silent.

  Darla spoke up, “Let us handle the violence. This isn’t something you signed up for. Your job is to get Carol out of harm’s way. Now, tell me exactly what you’re supposed to do.”

  Bill started to mindlessly drum his fingers. “I wait next to Harold. Chuck will likely be armed, so I shouldn’t move until I’m told, or he’ll kill Carol. Carol and I will meet halfway between Chuck and Harold, and I take Carol back beyond Harold towards a foxhole that’s out of sight.”

  Alice said, “Perfect. Harold, what do you do?”

  “I walk to Chuck and pretend to go willingly. The first chance I get, I go for the gun because Chuck likely won’t shoot me. After I remove the gun, you, Garcia, and Darla will swoop in to save the day.”

  Darla said, “Darling, don’t sound so cynical. Alice will be spotting through her sniper scope. We will have no problem coming sooner if there’s a need.”

  Bill asked, “What if Harold can’t get the gun?”

  Harold smiled, “I force the situation.”

  Bill asked, “How?”

  “Darla’s been training me. I’ve learned all my rage does me little good if I don’t do a better job at directing it.”

  Bill answered, “But, when I went berserk, I was able to shoot like a marksman, and I haven’t had any training.”

  Joshua answered, “We still don’t know what causes this condition and why it only shows up in some people regularly. The rush of adrenaline, the hypersensitivity, and honestly, perhaps some divine intervention worked in your favor.

  “I’ve watched over Harold during his training with Darla. Proper defense training is as much about self-control as it is attacking. Harold can focus his energy better.”

  Harold spoke up, “It’s helped me not only fight better but work better. I’m always evaluating how I’m spending my time, and if the solutions and ideas I come up with for PDS are worth pursuing.”

  Alice said, “Alright, let’s get back on point. Once Chuck is taken into custody, he will be brought to the yacht.”

  Harold interrupted, “I still don’t see why it has to be my ship.”

  Alice looked him in the eye and continued, “He’s being brought to the yacht because we have some questions that need to be answered in open waters. We’ve designed a cell, excuse me, stateroom below that will be able to hold him.

  “The doctor will then assist us in our interrogation. Once we have the answers we want, we’re off to Guantanamo Bay to drop Chuck off at his new residence.”

  Maria spoke up, “I don’t like you using my husband’s talents for torture.”

  Joshua protested, “It’s not torturing. I’m going to work with Darla. The CIA’s drugs won’t work on a man like Chuck, but their drugs and my understanding of hypnosis may be enough to get us the information we want.”

  Maria asked, “What if he refuses to talk?”

  Alice gave Maria an icy stare, “He’ll talk.”

  Maria glared back at Alice, “Torture.”

  Alice answered, “Chuck has killed thousands in his lifetime and helped groups like ISIS get access to explosives and drones. Tell me, whose life should I save, Chuck or a ten-year-old child who is being sex trafficked to perverts in an ISIS offshoot?”

  Maria waved her off, “I’ve seen this growing up. One day you’re torturing a cartel member, and a week later, it’s a political rival.”

  Alice answered, “That’s not who we are.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Garcia chimed in, “Are we all set then?”

  Alice looked over at Garcia. Garcia murmured, “Sorry, I’m used to running the team.”

  Alice looked around the table. “I know things are tense. They always are before an operation. Bill, take some time to get to know Harold and Garcia a little better. These meetings sometimes go awry, and the more we trust one another, the more likely we’ll all come out alive the other side.”

  Bill nodded.

  Garcia turned to Alice, “May I?”

  Alice nodded.

  Garcia said, “Meeting adjourned.”

  Chapter 19

  Hot water ebbed and flowed against Bill’s chest. When the hot water receded, his skin felt sticky in the humid air. The low-hanging sun was still hot, and his once pale skin looked darker and redder. Bill reached for his cocktail. The chilly fruit juices with a splash of rum felt cool against his throat.

  Harold sat across from him in the round hot tub. His eyes were closed, and his head tilted up towards the heavens. Harold’s face and head were mostly a mass of red hair, protecting him from the slowly sinking sun. The yacht gently rocked in the water and had appeared to put his brother to sleep.

  The sound of footsteps coming up the ladder made Harold raise his head. Garcia appeared in a teal and yellow bathing suit with surfers printed on it. He had on his sunglasses and held what appeared to be two rum runners in large glasses.

  “Mind if I join you, boys?”

  Harold waved him over and put his head back against the railing. Garcia eased into the water. He put one drink on the decking near him and swallowed down half a glass of the other before setting it down.

  Garcia said, “Frank sure knows how to make a good rum runner.”

  Harold spoke without raising his head, “What brings you up here? You don’t wear those sunglasses without reason.”

  Garcia responded, “The sun’s bright.”

  Harold lifted his head, “It’s almost su
ndown. Please don’t tell me you’re interrupting a little quiet brother time for no reason.”

  “I didn’t realize I’m intruding.”

  Bill said, “You’re not.”

  Harold caught Bill’s attention by raising his index finger from the rail where it rested. “You may be sorry. The last time Garcia and I had a quiet chat, I couldn’t drink coffee for a month.”

  Garcia said, “That’s not true.”

  A grin poked out from Harold’s hairy face.

  Bill said, “I take it that’s an inside joke.”

  Both men nodded.

  Bill asked, “What’s the deal between Maria and Alice?”

  Harold answered, “Oh, you don’t cross paths with Maria. I grew up with her. She was like the older sister most guys loved and feared. She would cover my tracks when it would keep me out of trouble with my parents, but if my friends and I did anything she didn’t approve of, she would either go to Mom and Dad or face off with my buddies.”

  Bill asked, “Did Alice do something to you?”

  Garcia interjected, “Not to Harold. Joshua and Maria were at the orphanage studying your case, and Maria hit it off with the orphans. We had to pull them out of the area when our sting with Chuck went sideways. That woman does not like to be kept at home or anywhere she doesn’t have work to do.”

  Harold interjected, “Don’t forget Haidar shooting Darla. Thankfully, it was a flesh wound in the shoulder. Unfortunately, once Maria considers you family, she takes any sort of attack very personally, even when it doesn’t involve her.”

  Bill asked, “So, she blames Alice?”

  Harold answered, “Not without cause. Joshua has been involved with most of our work before and after the orphanage. That only made Maria angrier. She feels like a third wheel, or at least unappreciated. Alice made the mistake of talking with her. Let’s just say Maria found their first conversation a little condescending.”

  Garcia asked Harold, “What’s the temperature today in the tub?”

  Harold answered, “I have it down to one hundred, so we can stay in here as long as we like.”

  Garcia answered, “Good. I wanted to talk to Bill, but you’re welcome to stay. It’s about Chuck, Joshua, and yourself. You already know the story.”

  Harold laid his head back on the rail, “I like a good bedtime story.”

  Garcia turned his sunglasses to Bill. “I know you’re wondering how you ended up here. I can provide you some of the answers if you want them.”

  Bill leaned forward, “Are you kidding?”

  Garcia said, “I’ve known about you and your brother since Harold was adopted as a toddler. I was a friend of Richard Brown, his father. Well, it was an assignment, but we became friends. I had asked for a job stateside. The CIA basically gave me babysitting duty over Richard and Barbara, Harold’s mom. We were still in the cold war, and anyone dealing with nuclear weapons was a high-security risk.

  “Richard and I hit it off, and he confided in me that he was planning to adopt a son since they couldn’t have kids. I told him I might have a lead for him in North Carolina. Before he was at the orphanage, Joshua worked in Army Intelligence. He mostly profiled various terrorists and Soviet spies. He hated the work, but it gave him some practical experience while deciding what he wanted to do with his life and education.

  “So, Harold was adopted by the Browns. After they brought him home, Harold begged them to adopt you. However, there was a problem. Harold’s biological father.”

  Harold interrupted, “Sperm donor and rapist.”

  Bill said, “What?”

  Harold raised his head and looked at Bill. “My uncle raped our mother, and I was the result.”

  Garcia jumped in, “It’s true. To make matters worse, he had tried to get custody, but the courts obviously said no. Harold’s biological father got nabbed a short time later for smuggling drugs. He jumped bail and has been missing ever since.

  “We hid Harold’s adoption from his biological father by changing his given name. California seals the adoption records, so we knew Harold would not be traceable. However, we were afraid that if the Browns adopted you, you would lead Harold’s father right to the Browns. For security reasons, I couldn’t let that happen.”

  Bill asked, “Why couldn’t you just change my name?”

  Garcia answered, “Your mother, Rachael, wouldn’t give up custody. Although she initially hated Harold because of the rape, therapy and time had softened her heart. She didn’t want to lose another child. If Richard, Harold’s father, had fought Rachael in court, the adoption would have gone through a drawn-out legal drama. Given Richard’s stature in the community out west, it would have made the news, at least locally. That could have attracted the attention of Harold’s, um, sperm donor at some point. I worked with Adam and Joshua to make sure the two of you were separated.”

  Bill asked, “So that’s why Joshua thought Harold and I might be dangerous if we were brought together?”

  Garcia answered, “Somewhat. He was also concerned with Harold’s outrage and your previous episodes before he hypnotized you. In any case, I couldn’t allow the adoption to keep Richard safe.

  “This past year has been one misstep after another. I feel like we’ve all been one step behind Chuck. He was involved with the men who blackmailed Harold’s dad with fake evidence of an affair. After Richard killed himself, Chuck backed away. John Richmond decided he would try and take Parabolic Defense Systems himself, and the rest is history.”

  Harold nodded.

  Bill rubbed his forehead, “What does that have to do with Chuck, and me? I think we still have some pieces missing. Chuck should be under a rock living the retired life, thanking God, he made it out alive.”

  Garcia continued, “When we first engaged Chuck, he was interested in buying weapons on the black market from Harold. We had led Chuck to believe that PDS was about to go bankrupt and Harold was desperate. On the day of the sting, things turned ugly. Chuck detected a faulty computer chip and discovered our trackers. All hell broke loose. The only reason we survived was Darla and Harold. They had previously saved Chuck’s life from an employee who tried to kill him.

  “Chuck got away. He led us to believe he wanted revenge, to prove to people he was still in charge. This entire time we thought he was targeting me and possibly Alice if he found out about her. Now, we don’t know what he wants, and we don’t know why.”

  Bill asked, “Could any of this link to Harold’s father?”

  Harold interrupted, “Sperm rapist.”

  Garcia answered, “Possibly. I just don’t know why he would be doing this now?”

  Bill asked, “Do you know his name?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is it?” asked Bill.

  Harold mumbled, “Monster.”

  Garcia answered, “That’s need to know.”

  Bill asked, “Does Harold know it?”

  Harold jumped in, “No. It’s probably just as well. I might kill him if I met him.”

  Garcia continued, “I just wanted you to understand a little bit of what’s going on. Harold has wanted to be with you since you were kids. I know you’ve lost the family you were hoping to have, but you do have a brother who loves you. No matter what happens with Chuck, Harold is still your brother.”

  Bill sighed. Garcia finished off the other half of his first glass and started on the second.

  Bill finally answered. “I appreciate that. I just want you to know, my anger with Chuck isn’t about all of this. It’s about Lori. Chuck took away not only my wife to be but my child. No offense to my brother, but he can’t replace them.”

  “None taken,” said Harold.

  Garcia took off his sunglasses, placed them next to his empty glass, and looked Bill in the eye. “I can appreciate what you’re feeling. I’m protective of the people I love too, but you need to remember this whole thing is greater than you. Chuck is the only person who knows why he wants your brother. It could relate to anything. Nukes, convent
ional weapons, maybe it’s even someone seeking revenge for what happened with John Richmond. We don’t know.

  “If you kill Chuck, we may not find out, and your brother and his family could still be in danger.”

  Bill slid his hands under the water and stared at his palms. He finally looked up, “I’ll do my best, but if he tries to hurt Carol, all bets are off.”

  Garcia slid his sunglasses back on. “Fair enough. I’ll see you at dinner, gentlemen.”

  Garcia pushed himself out of the hot tub, threw a dry towel over his shoulder, grabbed his two glasses, and went dripping down the staircase.

  Chapter 20

  The sea spray burned Bill’s eyes, and the Kodiak bumped against his butt mercilessly. He looked back over his shoulder and saw Harold smiling at the controls of the outboard motor.

  Bill hollered over the roar of the engine, “Do you have to hit the top of every wave?”

  Harold hollered back, “Sorry, it’s a little bumpy.”

  Bill turned and faced the front. The image of the yacht had long since disappeared. Harold had sworn the island would appear soon, but Bill was beginning to think Harold might have an issue with his sense of direction. The cold, wet wind permeated his jacket and skin.

  Bill closed his eyes for a moment and spoke quietly under the engine’s cacophony and the Kodiak slapping against the waves.

  “Maybe you are there. I don’t know. Please, don’t let anything happen to Carol. She is the only person left who understands me. You’ve taken everything else from me. Please don’t take her.”

  Harold hollered, “There it is.”

  Bill looked up. A small dot on the horizon began to take shape. The few palm trees on the key started to emerge, and then the rest of the island started coming into view. There were at least three boats on the beach. Harold slowed their craft slightly until the unmistakable figure of Darla emerged from a small hill. Harold opened the accelerator, and Bill nearly fell over backward.

  The engine cut off a few feet from the beach, and Bill leaned back before Harold said a word. They slid up on to the sand and made an abrupt stop. Garcia walked up wearing his usual tan and white with a wide brim straw hat and sunglasses as the men were getting out of the boat.