The Enigma Series Boxed Set

by Tierney James

  Chapter 28

  K nowing Captain Hunter had compromised his plan, merely by showing up, gave the Libyan pause. Essid usually possessed a deep calm that others considered unnerving. Standing perfectly still, weight shifted evenly between legs that had been spaced about two feet apart, the only part of him that moved was his dark eyes. As they slid around the room rapidly, attuned to every sigh, shift in a chair, or whisper between colleagues, those eyes now began to show concern.

  Underneath the thick lashes, that women found attractive, were dark circles as if he’d not been sleeping. His head bowed just enough to make him look up through eyebrows that met over the top of his nose. The menacing glare finally forced one scientist to ask for her inhaler to ease her ability to breathe.

  Without looking at one of his men, Essid snapped his fingers and pointed to the woman that had her hand on her chest. They had relieved her of it shortly after the takeover. The inhaler, tossed gently to the wheezing woman would seem like a normal gesture on any other day. In minutes the woman relaxed as she tried to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

  “Let them go,” Zoric said coldly unaware his friend had arrived. “The kids too,” he said nodding at the Haskin boys. “They’ve done nothing to you. The woman is not well. Release her as a sign of good faith.”

  Essid turned to Zoric stoically then burst into laughter. “Release to whom? No one knows we’re here but your little ragtag bunch. I doubt you shared that with authorities.” He laughed again as he moved toward Honey. She snatched the mop away from Sam. Essid slipped an arm around Honey from the back, kissing her on the neck while never taking his eyes from the Serbian. “I am hoping your captain appears before I blow this place up.”

  “What about us?” It was one of the Russians.

  Essid looked over at the overweight Russian with a full head of gray hair. His face, pocked by acne as a teenager, was flushed and splotchy. “You will die. Here.” He spread his hand out to the Enigma group. “With them.” He looked at Mansur, his half-brother. “Tie their hands behind their backs. We may need to move fast. I want them to be taken to the blast center so there will be nothing left to find.” Essid smiled as he clapped his hands together. “Now if some of you would like to return to Libya with me and assist in the current programs of great scientific study I will spare your life,” he said with a shrug. “If not, my men will use the women as they wish before I detonate the bombs. The men will be castrated before we leave.” His tease created a smirk as he looked at their horrified faces.

  Jericho Crawley stood and moved toward the women to comfort them with a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Don’t listen to him,” Zoric warned. “He’s a terrorist that wants to put so much fear into you that your brains stop working as they should.” Zoric could feel Mansur pull his hands behind his back and apply the white flex tie.

  “He’s right.” Sam struggled when Mansur jerked her hands roughly behind her. His foul breath tickled her neck. She tried to twist away only to be jerked back against his shirt, damp from perspiration. “They’re cowards.” She nodded toward Honey. “They’ll sell their souls to the devil for a buck.”

  Just then Honey took the mop with both hands and swung it at Sam’s midriff. She pushed back against Mansur then sidestepped so that he took the brunt of the blow on his hip. He grabbed the end of the mop with his puffed-up sausage fingers and jerked it from Honey.

  “Thank you, Mansur.” Sam said over her shoulder with a dazzling smile. “I see your manners surpass your illegitimate brother’s.”

  He shoved her aside and rushed toward Honey who had already begun to back up nervously. Mansur was a stocky man, barrel chested and unattractive on every level. But the strength shown in his doubled fists and sudden stride indicated he wasn’t a man to be treated lightly. Honey stumbled as Mansur grabbed her blouse at chest level, jerking her forward to level his fist in her face. Essid gently laid his hand on his brother’s arm and frowned.

  “Enough.”

  The three women at the table began to cry uncontrollably at the altercation, knowing their fate was in the hands of a madman. They reached for Jericho as he slipped an arm around the frailest with the inhaler. Essid turned to them. “Shut up or I’ll give you to my men right now,” he growled impatiently.

  Sam and Zoric saw that the hostages were putting their captor on edge. They glanced at each other and blinked knowingly.

  “You’re pretty tough with women, aren’t you, Essid. That your Libyan upbringing or the Muslim?” Zoric snarled.

  Essid tried not to be baited. “Nice try, Serbian. Considering how many Bosnians you raped and murdered I would think you’d feel at ease with us.” He motioned for Mansur and two other guards to tie the hostages to their chairs. “I’ve changed my mind. They are too much trouble. Bind the feet of the men and just the hands of the women.” He tilted his head and smiled at the woman with the inhaler. “I’m sure that my men won’t want to waste time cutting the women loose.” This brought on another round of frightened sobs causing Essid to chuckle like a child.

  One of the women, older and American, tried to resist only to receive a hard slap across the side of her head knocking her from the leather and chrome chair that flipped over on top of her. The guard jerked her up by her frosted hair, slamming her body against the table. After forcing her hands behind her and securing them, he took pleasure in rubbing his body up against her. Jericho stepped toward the man and pushed only to suffer a punch to his gut, collapsing him to the floor.

  “Hmmm,” Essid said as if examining a news brief. “Who knew the old man had it in him. By the way, Mr. Crawley, where is that pretty little neighbor of yours? I nearly forgot about her.”

  He watched the old man crawl on all fours toward Zoric. Lifted up by one arm, the same abusive guard hauled him to his feet before shoving him into a chair. Essid’s eyes went to Honey. “Ah that’s right. She’s with Captain America.” He thought he detected something in the assassin’s eyes although the glazed expression never changed. “Mr. Crawley, what do you think? Is she still alive? Can I expect yet another untimely interference from your rescuer?”

  “Go to hell,” Jericho choked as he tried to straighten his oversized Grateful Dead tee shirt Zoric had loaned him earlier that day at the motel. “You’re not fit to even breathe the same air as her.”

  Essid grinned. “Someone has a crush. Perhaps you can watch my men have their fun if she shows up.” He watched him fidget. “Better yet, maybe you can watch me. I rather like an audience. Right boys?”

  He directed his comments to the Haskin brothers sitting silently restrained in the corner of the room on the floor. He chuckled happily as their eyes shifted nervously away from him. Suddenly he picked up a glass water pitcher and hurled it across the room at Zoric and Sam who dodged the impact. He turned to the computer person. “My men, where are they? Do you have a visual?” He nodded and rolled his chair to the side to let Essid come in close to the computer. It helped being out of striking distance of Essid’s angry fists as well.

  He watched his men leave the elevator unconcerned and looking up at the high ceiling like they’d never been inside a modern building before today. Essid felt his frustration swell knowing his men were poorly trained and unprepared. Just then he saw the backs of two other men step out and begin shooting. In seconds his people were down. He watched as the Grass Valley housewife moved to the side of Jamaal and lowered her blonde head to his mouth. Then he died holding to the infidel’s hand. Essid felt Honey at his side watching curiously. The bodies were dragged away as the housewife disappeared for the second time into an alcove.

  “Where is Trevor? Didn’t he go with them?” Honey asked, confused.

  The next images were of Chase and Vernon raising their hands, slowly turning to face the camera. Another figure stepped into view revealing the back of the man called Trevor, one of Essid’s American hires.

  He had to admit the Americans knew how to train their people. He obviously had refused to follow J
amaal into the elevator knowing that he couldn’t control what would be on the floor when the doors opened. Essid watched Vernon lay down on the floor after scooting his weapon to the side.

  “Just shoot the captain before he has time to form a plan, you idiot!” Essid said as his arms doubled across his chest. Then he watched in surprise as Tessa Scott innocently stepped out into the corridor to create more havoc. Unconsciously, both leaned in closer to the screen to watch the unexpected.

  ~ ~ ~

  Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, Carter and Joe ducked into the third floor. Waiting for the steps to pass, Carter then stole a glance out the door window to see a huge military type carrying an impressive weapon. He wasn’t Libyan so he surmised the man was another gun for hire. Unfortunately, there seem to be more and more of those since the wars in the Middle East kept bringing men and women home to unemployment. Possessing marketable skills forced some into the protection business or like this guy, the biggest bang for your buck.

  “See what you can find in these labs, Joe.”

  “Like what?” he whispered as his body pushed up against the wall making him look like a cartoon character with an exaggerated belly. “More glass cleaner?”

  “No. First aid kit, cord, candy bars, anything we might use if we find hostages. They’ve got my people too. Hard telling what’s become of them.”

  “I don’t think Al would hurt them, Carter.”

  Carter looked from the window to his new trucker friend with callous indifference. “Your buddies are most likely dead, Joe. Better be prepared for that.”

  “What! Why?”

  “When you didn’t go upstairs with me and Vern, Essid would have come unglued. He’s not exactly a forgiving man with Americans.”

  “Whoa,” he said shaking his head in fear. “And your friends?”

  Carter shrugged. “The old man is tough but he’s had a rough few days. They’ve beat and starved him then left him to die in a parked car. If Tess, I mean Melanie hadn’t come along he wouldn’t have made it.”

  “And the others?”

  “They can take care of themselves, but for how long I’m not sure. We need to get them back. Now go see what you can find and I’ll make sure our storm trooper doesn’t return unexpectedly.”

  He watched Joe push off with enthusiasm only to lumber away like a beach ball with legs as he tried to pull up his sagging jeans. The door to the lab had a clear window so between looking into the stairwell and over at Joe, Carter tried to formulate his next move. Cracking the door he heard the faint distant sound of rapid gunfire echoing up the stairwell.

  “Vernon,” he gritted through his teeth. The guilt of leaving such a mild-mannered kid to face a military grade gunman blinded him momentarily with rage.

  He liked Vernon. Even though he was nearly twenty years younger than himself, he found Vernon both wise and brilliant beyond his years. After all, he’d out smarted the Pentagon and Langley’s’ spooks on numerous occasions just for fun. Director Clark constantly threatened to tar and feather him if Chase didn’t get him under control.

  But when you wanted a genius to stop the world in its tracks, just put Vernon Kemp in front of a computer and let him do his magic. His unassuming personality and shyness around women gave him a more human persona. With his long shaggy red hair and surfer attire, he looked more like a beach bum than the artificial intelligence officer at Enigma.

  Carter was a dare devil but when Vernon took him snowboarding at Squaw Valley he realized the kid had nerves of steel and a total lack of the respect for gravity. Carter spent most of the day on his butt until he decided to play it safe and ski. Vernon didn’t seem to notice the terror in Carter’s eyes the first time he did a double flip and offered to show him how to do one.

  If anything happened to that kid someone was going to pay.

  “Carter, I found this stuff,” Joe said pushing the door of the lab open with his elbow so he wouldn’t drop his treasure. He moved up beside Carter. “First aid kit. One Snickers. And,” he fished in his pockets after sitting the items on the floor, “these.”

  Carter looked down at the two black cell phones in Joe’s pudgy hand. “Joe, I could kiss you.”

  Joe took a step back. “Hey, I never figured you for a…”

  Carter took the phones after he handed the gun to him. “It’s refreshing to know that there is at least one person who isn’t aware of my womanizing ways.”

  “Oh. You was kiddin’.” He said simply. “Hmm. You and that tall woman you were with ever…” he let his sentence fall, embarrassed he’d even ask.

  Carter tapped on the smart phone and smiled over at Joe. “Ever chance we get. She’s pretty freakin’ awesome, Joe. There are times when I think I’ve died and” Carter cocked his head slightly as a voice answered on the other end of the phone. “Director? Carter. We’re in, but we have a problem.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The captain is going to be angry with me again, Tessa reasoned as she tried to talk herself out of trying to help the Enigma men. What could she do that could possibly make a difference against a man with a gun? One wrong move and they might be killed; not something she wanted on her conscious. But then again if she didn’t do something they’d probably be shot anyway. Where could Carter be? Was he close enough to have heard the explosion of gunfire? Should she wait? Should she hide? Her stomach growled so loud she grabbed it in fear that the new threat would hear. In the end she decided being safe would mean being sorry. Dear God, just one more time. Please, she prayed.

  “Sweetie,” Tessa said stepping out in the open as she rubbed her eye. “My contact lenses slipped. Can you help me?”

  Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion, or she would remember it later like that. The big man with the gun shifted his eyes to her and his gun slightly lowered her way. Chase leaped toward the man, knocking the barrel of the weapon up so that when he pulled the trigger bullets sprayed upwards. Vernon rolled toward his downed rifle, secured it easily and pushed to his feet, where he quickly put himself in front of Tessa for her protection.

  Chase could feel the powerful muscles of the gunman swing around and hit him in the side with the butt of the gun. Momentarily his ability to breathe escaped his body when a jolt of white hot pain threatened to down him. But in that split second, he saw the man flinch with a satisfaction of victory.

  Lunging forward with all the strength he had left, sent the gunman up against the wall with a grunt of surprise. Although Chase’s body, tired from escaping a fire, jumping off a cliff and a strenuous hike, demanded a reprieve, he forced his fists into the gut of his attacker. The gun fell, leaving the giant of a man with two free hands to fight back, which he did with a furiousness that nearly overwhelmed Chase.

  The blows to his jaw and chest propelled him backwards. With each blow he felt as if darkness would soon overtake him. Then he turned his head slightly to see Tessa step out from behind Vernon, horrified at the beating. Remembering the time, she’d out foxed him, Chase reached for the vest of the attacker and jerked him forward enough to ram his knee into his groin. With a sudden growl of agonizing pain, the big man stepped back half bent, covering his privates. Chase doubled his fists and slammed them down on his neck sending him sprawling face down on the floor before giving him a swift kick to the ribs. Falling on the man’s back, Chase finished the man off by twisting his neck so fast he barely heard the snap of death. Staggering to his feet, he turned toward Vernon and Tessa and tried to take a step.

  Tessa ran to him and managed to slip under his arm to support him around the waist just as he stumbled. Vernon slung his weapon to his shoulder and did the same.

  “Chase!” was all she managed to say. Blood trickled down from his nose and his cheek had already begun to swell. “You need to sit down. Let me get some water for those cuts,” she said as if mothering one of her kids. “What were you thinking fighting somebody so much bigger than you?” she scolded as she eased him down on a blue cushioned stool in the alcove where she h
ad waited. She tore off the ripped hem of her blouse before running it under the spout of the water fountain. As Tessa touched his cheek with the coolness he flinched and grabbed her hand.

  “What would you have had me do?” he said taking the wet scrap of cloth from her trembling hands and wiping his nose.

  “Shoot him,” Tessa said flatly as she put her hands on her hips.

  Chase looked up at her in surprise as a chuckle came from Vernon. His one eye that hadn’t begun to swell shut shifted to Vernon. “Good idea. Why didn’t you shoot him, partner?”

  Vernon’s eyebrows went up along with his shrug. “Didn’t have a clear shot. Besides, I thought you could take him.”

  “Thanks.” He frowned as he let Tessa take the cloth and rewet it. “And you.”

  Tessa handed him the cloth. “Don’t start. I know I took an awful chance, but he didn’t know I was here so I thought…”

  “Did you call me sweetie?” he interrupted.

  Vernon nodded. “She did.”

  “Maybe. I don’t remember really,” she lied. “Besides,” she assisted Chase as he tried to stand.

  “You are a dangerous woman, Tessa Scott.” He shook his head and tried to stand tall to make sure he towered over her enough to make her stop fussing over him. “You’re not very good at taking orders, are you?”

  “What orders?”

  He looked at Vernon. “This is why I’m not married.”

  “Oh, I thought it was because…” Vernon stopped when his boss leveled a dangerous look his way. “Never mind.”

  “Do we need to tie that guy up or something? I would hate for him to get a second wind,” Tessa said pointing out into the corridor.

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Chase said through clenched teeth. He watched the reality of his kill dawn in Tessa’s wide blue eyes as his hand went to his side to examine the spot on his left side where he’d been punched. He raised his shirt to have a closer look when Tessa suddenly put her hand on the bruise. Sucking in his breath at her cold touch forced him to take a step back. “Woman, your hands are like ice.”