“We better get moving.” Vernon nodded toward the corridor. “Let’s kick some butt.” He grinned as if doing so would calm her jitters.
Taking a deep breath, Tessa nodded and slung her weapon on her bruised shoulder, trying not to show the pain that shot up her neck.
~ ~ ~
Essid paced angrily as he slapped one of the Global Navigation people on the back of the head. His voice had lost that unnerving coolness. “What do you mean the computer is locked? Fix it!”
“I’m trying,” he stuttered nervously. “Someone has gotten into the main frame and locked me out.”
Essid stopped his pacing and stared at the twenty men and women sitting at the conference table under the watchful eyes of Mansur and Honey Lynch. Half of them were Russian, the visitors that were to celebrate the joint venture with the Americans in creating the lifesaving isotopes.
The others, scientists and board members of Global Navigation, perspired nervously as they appeared to wait for some rescue operation to begin. At first knowing that Global’s security people and lobby secretary now remained in a similar state of control at another location, crushed any thought of resistance. After hearing someone had managed to lock down the computer, the hostages appeared to cling to some ridiculous ray of hope of rescue. He could see it in their sideway glances to each other.
The Haskin boys sat near the frosted windows. Exhaustion and fear had taught them to remain quiet. Their eyes diverted when he looked their way. A smile spread across his face, knowing they now had experienced enough traumas to render them useless to American society. Their plans to make the world a better place probably would never materialize thanks to the fear swallowing them.
Years of American style therapy definitely loomed in their future provided they were alive at the end of the day. He noticed a wet spot on the young one’s shorts last night after he and Honey had their fun in front of them. He had wanted to complete their love making there but Honey insisted on the bedroom. It wasn’t like her to be modest.
Killing the Scott family made her a little crazy he guessed. Hopefully she wasn’t developing a conscious. That trait could get an assassin killed. What a waste that would be.
Essid stepped up behind the bald man at the computer, noticing that he flinched and tucked his head to avoid another slap.
“Well?” He sucked in his breath and let it slowly escape to regain calm. When the middle-aged man slightly lifted his hands in helplessness, it was all Essid could do from knocking him out of the black swivel chair. Fortunately for him, the frosted door swung open and two of the truckers entered with three of the Enigma team.
His heart thumped with pleasure, seeing Nicholas Zoric, the old Jericho Crawley and an extremely beautiful woman with a bruise on her cheek.
“Where are the other two?” he said distracted by Sam’s lovely figure that he eyed openly. As he reached out to touch her cheek, Sam turned away and snarled. Essid laughed good-naturedly. “Spirit. Honey, did you see that? She is like you.”
Sam spit on the floor. “I’m nothing like her.”
Honey grinned sardonically and slid her bottom off the glass conference table, approaching Sam nonchalantly. “You kill, just like me.” Her Irish accent came through all of a sudden. “No difference. You think because your government sanctions the lives you take you are better?”
“I kill only to protect the lives of others.” Sam leaned toward Honey, nearly touching Honey’s nose with hers. “You are one psychotic bitch,” she growled through her teeth.
Honey landed a fist on the bruised cheek, staggering Sam back into the door. Sam resisted touching her jaw, but opened her mouth as if to stretch it back into place.
“I see you ladies have met before,” Essid grinned. “Perhaps I can watch the two of you fight to the death when this is over.” He slapped his hands together. “Yes! I would very much enjoy that. Mansur, my brother, will watch with me,” he said throwing out his arm toward Mansur holding an AK-47 pointed at the hostages. “I think my brother does not like you, Honey,” he said turning his eyes back to the computer man who desperately worked to save the day before looking back at to the truckers. “Do not keep me waiting. Where are the other two; the one they call Carter and the red headed kid?”
The truckers met eyes before stammering a reply. “I came ahead to find you. Carl and Joe took the prisoners.”
Essid stepped toward them suddenly and pushed his face into theirs. “So where are they now?”
“Joe took them to the john.” Carl tried to sound confident.
Essid threw up his hands in frustration. “Idiots. You better hope that is all they did.” He saw Zoric grin like the devil he portrayed before guiding Mr. Crawley to a seat. “You. Why do you smile?”
Zoric reached for Sam and pulled her to his side. She did not resist. “You’re screwed. Leaving Carter and ‘that kid’, as you call him, with your brainless trucker was the beginning of the end for you and your little fiasco.” This put Essid on edge.
Essid frowned and grabbed his radio to contact the four guards below. A soft crackle then a jovial voice came across the airways. “Joe here. On my way up. Sorry about the wait. Had to knock some heads to get them movin’.”
Essid clicked off and let his narrowed eyes move to the other truckers. He pulled out a nine-millimeter from inside his black vest. The truckers took a step back as sounds of shock came from his hostages. “I hate incompetence.”
“Hold on there,” Al said lifting his hand up level with the barrel of the gun as if doing so would magically protect him from a bullet. “Joe said they’re on their way up.”
“Your stupid trucker friend is not capable of controlling special agents of the United States government, especially if they’re working under,” Essid looked over at Zoric and Sam, “Captain Hunter. Am I right, Honey?”
She took a step back, knowing what would inevitably take place. The room exploded with screams, chairs being shoved back and a few sobs of terror when Essid pulled the trigger, blowing a hole in Al’s chest.
Carl, the other trucker caught his buddy in his arms by accident before slinging him aside to try and escape the room. Another blast rattled the room as he too, fell victim to Essid’s twisted sense of reprimand. Two guards standing outside the door kicked the door open, ready to defend their leader if need be. Their dark eyes went from the bloody corpses on the floor to Essid lowering his weapon to his side.
He nodded at the dead impatiently for their speedy removable as he turned his attention back to the bald man at the computer, who now hunkered down by his chair. With only one lifted eyebrow, Essid forced his hostage back to work at the terminal.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said looking painfully sad at those coming out from under the table. “Good help is hard to find in this country. In Libya there are many who will work all day for practically nothing, without complaint, I might add.” He sighed as the second dead body quickly disappeared out the door. The sound of dragging and display of blood annoyed him. “Honey, get someone to clean this up.” He watched her move stealthy out the door only to return moments later with a bucket and mop.
She walked over to Sam, throwing the mop at her. “Give me a reason to blow your face off. Clean it up,” she growled through a clenched tooth smile.
Zoric put his bony hand on Sam’s forearm. “Easy.” He felt the tension in Sam’s arm relax slightly.
Essid narrowed his eyes at Sam as she began to remove the signs of death. “Be sure to keep your gun on her,” he advised to Mansur with an amused look. He placed both his hands on the shoulders of the computer man just as the screen revealed a view of the lobby. “Empty?” he snapped. “Where are my men?” he yelled in frustration.
Zoric grinned. “Dead or incapacitated would be my guess.”
Essid whirled around violently. “And your captain? Where is he?”
“Last time I saw him he was headed into the fire you started. Probably didn’t make it.” Zoric continued to grin de
vilishly. “But then again…” He let his words fall sarcastically.
Essid addressed one of the guards who Zoric recognized immediately. “Jamaal, take the two guards outside and look for them. You,” he said pointing at one of his hired guns from the trucking company who appeared to know his way around a group of armed thugs. He had barely flinched when Essid shot the two drivers. “Check to see if your people have finished unloading the trucks.”
Jamaal, recognizing Zoric from several days before understood he’d been played, made to look like a fool in front the woman with the face of an angel. He slinked closer to make direct eye contact with the Serbian. When Zoric glared, unafraid, then smirked, Jamaal started to ram his weapon into the hostage only to have Mansur cut him off with his large body.
“Do as you’re told. If you screw this up too, I’ll let this worthless piece of Serbian trash eat you alive,” Mansur growled impatiently.
A nod of acceptance forced a speedy exit.
Essid suddenly felt the need to pace with his hands clasped behind his back, fidgeting his fingers. He stopped next to several Russians, older and heavier than himself. He faked a punch at the middle-aged scientist. The scientist dodged so quickly, he fell out of his chair.
A grey-haired Russian slammed his fist down on the table. “Why are you doing this? This material will save the lives of thousands, even many Libyans. It can be of no use to you. Time is of the essence. The life of this material is critical to production. I beg you. Let these people do their jobs.”
Essid frowned and kneeled down next to the Russian. “There’s no one to do the job,” he smiled. “Most of the people were sent home when the fire started. The party was canceled and the caterer sent back to Sacramento before anyone in this room knew there was a problem. Besides,” he said standing up and stretching. “This whole place is going to blow sky high soon. So, you see, I am merciful.” He stood and straightened his clothes.
“Creating a few isotopes will be the least of your problems. I’ve left plenty of signs that the Russians are behind the attack. Did I say ‘Russians’? I meant Chechens.” He chuckled as a confused look came over the Russian’s face. Essid couldn’t resist a laugh before continuing “Mother Russia has imported her problems to the United States, or at least that is how it will be perceived. The president will be forced to invade your land and take care of these terrorists.” He slapped his hands together so loudly that everyone jumped at the table. “Like Afghanistan, I think. You couldn’t take care of them either as I remember. How do you feel about a little shock and awe in your country?”
Zoric stepped forward. “You would have us go to war because of your dead woman?”
Essid snapped his head around, focusing on the dark looks of his enemy. He smiled with condescension. “You are a Serbian. I remember you with Captain Hunter. I heard about your family.” A slight glint of surprise flickered in Zoric’s bloodshot eyes then disappeared. “Oh yes, I have sources too.” He looked over at the sour look on Honey’s face. He extended his arm toward her so that she could slip it around her shoulders. “I know all that you found were pieces of those sweet little girls.”
“Shut up,” Zoric spat. “I don’t need you to tell me about my family.”
The bald computer man cleared his throat to draw Essid’s attention. He was there instantly. “Yes?”
“We’re back on line, but only limited. I can only open up the cameras in the lobby, the loading dock, and this hall. The others have been so scrambled I think they may have been destroyed for good.”
“What’s that?” Essid said pointing at the screen. But he already knew.
Chapter 27
L earning to become invisible became second nature if you were a member of a Special Forces team living in the mountains of Afghanistan. Something like pebbles slipping could jerk a combat soldier to attention in a heartbeat. A shift in wind direction could help or kill you. It paid to absorb details of your surroundings. He learned to observe without moving anything but his hooded eyes.
Chase often found himself pausing even before pulling out into traffic on the rather docile streets of Sacramento. He could sleep standing up and eat just about anything. Blending in became second nature for a number of years before he returned to the states.
Assimilation into civil society where everyone knows your business and expects to participate in your life posed problems for the captain when returning from the war. Sometimes he had gone for days without saying a word due to the isolation of his outpost. Even his men rarely uttered a word, fearing that doing so might give the enemy a heads-up advantage.
Then there were times when he lived amongst a village, becoming one of them by adopting their customs and habits. A few tribal leaders thought of him as a brother giving him respect and further training to survive a common enemy, the Taliban. Sometimes a nod or the sharing of a cup of tea spoke more than a litany of promises and threats. After returning home, Chase often craved that solitude he experienced with his tribal family. He let Enigma fill in the holes of loneliness left by war and tragedy.
Now someone else had fallen into his life that made him feel anxious. A new war began to stir deep inside him. What weapons did a soldier use against emotions he’d never felt before?
He had watched anxiously as Tessa approached the guards at the gate. Second thoughts nearly caused him to run after her, knowing Essid’s men would be less than respectful. Focusing on the big picture kept his feet rooted out of sight. She put on quite a show, maybe too much of one. Even from where he hid, Chase could see that the guards assisted her inappropriately with their dirty hands.
A sense of urgency drove him forward when she distracted them. He’d have to go in through the loading dock and make his way back to Tessa before any harm came to her. If America was producing women like Tessa Scott across the cities and countryside the world just might become a safer place to live. Although scared out of her wits most of the week, she never ceased to amaze him with her tenacity and ability to switch gears when the situation demanded change.
A brilliant sunset began to form through the layers of smoke and ash drifting across the sky. Nothing like pollution to bring out a little beauty in nature he thought fleetingly as he pushed himself up against the corner of the building where the loading dock housed three eighteen-wheeler trucks. Only one guard with a rifle stood watching the other men completing the transfer of Molybdenum 99 barrels to the cavernous storage facility.
Other weapons leaned against the concrete wall. Some appeared to be AK-47s and didn’t look to be in the best of shape; more than a little dirty and banged up. He made a mental note to avoid those. After taking another quick glance Chase leaned on the exterior wall some three or four feet from the men offloading the small barrels. Chatter, an occasional laugh muffled by some solemn circumstance they probably didn’t grasp, lifted like the translucent smoke filtering the fading light of a red sky.
The last yellow container passed through the double doors as Chase eased his body from the corner of the building and carefully lifted one of the automatic rifles propped precariously against the wall.
Stepping back, he quickly checked to see if the weapon was loaded. It was. He heard their heavy, clumsy steps of indifference echo off the corrugated metal that lined the ceiling of the loading dock. His thoughts raced to Tessa. Too much time had passed.
As in times of battle, things either sped up or went into slow motion mode. He preferred fast. The smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils even before the first round left the chamber. The rat-a-tat-tat of a killing machine silenced any second guesses, knowing Tessa faced terrible danger alone.
With an aggressive lunge, Chase appeared before the unsuspecting soldiers of terrorism, pulling the trigger to spray rapid death into their chests. The five unarmed men fell with surprised chokes of pain. Blood pooled so quickly that Chase never noticed the splatter of body tissue dripping from the concrete wall.
He stormed quickly, seeing that the sixth man with a gun stoo
d frozen behind a John Deere bobcat. Feeling the rifle jam, Chase swung the rifle around to use as a club. The surprise confrontation gave Chase the split second he needed to rush him. Just as the sixth man stepped out and lowered his weapon, Chase yelled like a banshee, swinging the butt of his rifle against the man’s weapon as it began to discharge.
Startled the man dropped his gun and staggered backwards only to have Chase jump him with his full weight, slamming him to the ground. Chase felt the air gush from the man’s lungs just before he rammed a fist into his Adam’s apple. The death gurgle began as Chase bounded to his feet then secured two more working AKs before entering the storage area.
Quickly, he moved through the holding area. He unconsciously swept the space for other men prepared to use lethal force, before slipping through double doors that led into several rooms. He found a way into a long corridor. Hearing whispers and feet trying to make quiet, forced Chase into a small lobby off the main corridor where a fountain bubbled peacefully.
Surrounded by tropical plants and deep blue cushioned stools, he guessed it was a place to catch up on emails or read a book. A place like Global Navigation probably tucked several more of these respite areas along the corridor to offer a Zen-like feeling to their employees. Chase plastered his back against the granite wall, pulling his weapon tight to his chest. He prepared to take out the next person who dared interfere with his rescue of Tessa.
When he knew they were but a breath away he swung out with his rifle leveled, only to see Vernon and Tessa collide into each other trying to escape what they thought might be one of Essid’s men. Lowering his weapon, he watched Tessa stop cringing and spring toward him. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to extend his right arm and pull her body into his. He felt her arms wrap around him and squeeze. She looked up at him with a conquering smile.
“You’re safe! I worried.” Tessa seem to realize she’d thrown herself at him and shyly took a step back. “The isotopes materials?” she asked hurriedly.
The Enigma Series Boxed Set Page 30
