Crissy Chance

by Douglas E Roff

  “Sure,” said Adam.

  “If my plan doesn’t work, you’ll need your men to recover the bodies and take them to the farm for Spring planting. And do we really need James and Raoul’s men? They seem redundant. I’d lose them.”

  “James and Raoul can be trusted.”

  “It’s not James and Raoul I’m worried about. Bring them, but have their men stand down. Too much testosterone in a confined area. We can count on Octavio and the Twins and their men. But you don’t know the Brits. It only takes one who may not be loyal beyond a payday.”

  Misti and Noki looked at Adam. “We told you so,” said Misti. “Just the cousins and the men they served with. We don’t need the others and she’s right; they’re a security risk. Now and later.”

  “All right, I’ll call James.”

  ***

  Eene spoke to the Chief Engineer on the Paraiso Project. “I need one of you boring machines, one of your pipe-making and laying machines, a fine cutter and submersible cutter.”

  “May I ask what for?”

  “No, you may not.”

  ***

  Adam left with Hecate at one in the morning for the eight and one-half hour flight to the farm outside London. A second plane departed at three the same morning, also bound for London. It would land, its passengers deplane and unload its cargo, then depart for another farm adjacent to the forest and lot line of the Manor Estate. A massive tent had been erected fifty yards from the lot line, their presence masked by the forest between them and Manor House.

  The Manor House was a large and stately stone building constructed in the nineteenth century as the country home of a wealthy industrialist. Willow Creek, which ran through the Estate, bisected the rectangular shaped property from top right corner of the Estate to the residence, then took a sharp left. The Manor residence sat about twenty-five yards from the creek bed and water ran quietly and briskly through the property year around.

  It was a country estate that reminded all who visited of an older and more genteel time in the history of Great Britain, though for the poor of London or, for that matter, the world, it was no great shakes. The estate and all its perfectly manicured landscaping, complete with hedge maze, was built upon the backs of the working poor in the age of industrialization.

  Edward and Anna had owned it for some time, brought the residence up to twenty-first century standards and was intended to be their last home.

  In fact, that was exactly what Adam had in mind for both his parents. And Francesca too.

  ***

  Adam arrived to be greeted by Octavio, the Paz Twins and two disgruntled Brits whose gaze at Adam shot darts of death. Clearly pissed off, the Bentley brothers took Adam aside immediately to register their displeasure at the last-minute cancellation of the need for their men.

  “What’s the problem. They’ll be paid in full along with you.”

  “Not the point, mate. Shows a lack of trust and respect.”

  “Which is warranted.”

  “Excuse me,” said Raoul. “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “It means that in the last five years, four leaks have come from your men. This time, if I have to choose between my men and yours, I choose mine. No leaks from our side. I was almost killed in Qatar because one of your men got in a bar fight, drunk, and gave away our location and mission. This time, we go my way or the highway. And your guys didn’t find the escape route for that building in Kensington.”

  “Neither did you.”

  “Your job, not mine.”

  “Easy to say now.”

  “If you’re unhappy, take off. Just know that if anyone tries to warn the folks inside, which we will know, I’ll kill you both and then hunt your men down one by one. I expect to disappear after this, so join us or leave. Up to you.”

  “Your show, your men. Hope this goes well, but without our men, we’re outta here now.”

  “Check will be sent to you right after we finish up here.”

  Adam did not tell the men that communications into the compound were jammed; he wanted to see if either James or Raoul were traitors. It didn’t take long before a communication was intercepted. He would deal with them later.

  Adam assembled the men, discussed the strategy, where the men should be and assigned satellite telemetry duties to men who would be in constant contact with Paraiso and the Tech Center there. They would coordinate old school via walkie talkie on the ground outside the Manor.

  Hecate appeared to Adam. “They’re in the residence and seem to be doing nothing in particular. We can pop them any time you want, collect the bodies and dispose of them over the Mediterranean. I’m ready when you are.”

  “We go at nightfall. We’ll take up positions, send Hecate in alone, then breach the residence from the side perimeters. Cover of darkness should be all we need.”

  “Too much time,” said Octavio. “The Brits tried to contact Edward already …”

  “Can we be sure it was them?”

  “Yes. Came from their office in London. Who else?”

  “One of their men?”

  Adam turned to Octavio. “Check the thermal imaging every few minutes and make sure the animals don’t escape their cages.”

  Hecate said, “Let me pop them now and collect their bodies later.”

  “Better idea. Go ahead and do it now. Better safe than sorry.”

  Hecate disappeared.

  Chapter 60

  Hecate returned a minutes later. “I searched the residence and surrounding area. They’re gone. Can’t find them and the tunnels are clear. They just disappeared.”

  Adam said, “No, they’re still there somewhere. If they aren’t in the residence, then they must be in a rabbit hole. Did you check?”

  “I looked. Found nothing in either tunnel.”

  Adam went into the farm house and to the operator watching the thermal imaging along with Paraiso.

  “What happened? Word is they’re gone. You didn’t catch that?”

  “They’re there. Look at the imaging. Three images and moving around. They’re there all right,” said the tech.

  “Hecate?”

  “Must be a trick. They’re gone.”

  Adam got on the phone with James. “What do you know about this. You and your brother?”

  “Nothing. We’re still on the road back to the office.”

  “A call came from your office. Who’s there?”

  “Nobody. The men were sent home. All I have is my cell.”

  “Anyone visit you recently? From our team?”

  “About a week ago,” said Raoul. “That tech of yours. Alana McCarthy. She was in our offices doing some tech prep. Had an email from you saying what she needed to do for a planned assault later in the month.”

  “You let her run around your offices?”

  “Got an email from you too. Same message. ‘Let her prep the tech.’ So we did. Are you saying you didn’t send her?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I never sent her. Why didn’t you check with me?”

  “For what? She had your email and I did too.”

  “She fucking gamed you. She has your email, Sat phones, regular phones, fax; everything.”

  “Fuck. Sorry man. I thought she was on your team.”

  “Me too.”

  ***

  Adam gathered the troops.

  “OK, we officially have a problem here. It appears that Alana McCarthy has switched sides and planted bugs in the Bentley brothers’ offices. Somehow, she knew we were coming and that we had a plan just not our day of arrival. Thought it was scheduled for later in the month. I’m surprised they didn’t clear out sooner. But they must have misjudged our arrival or are trying to ambush us. They may be tired of running and think they can fool or trap us.”

  Octavio said, “Now what?”

  “Well, they aren’t there, as far as we know. I think we wait, and if they are hiding and hiding their heat signature, we’ll find them when we make a move. I probably ne
ed to bait the trap by showing myself and trying to draw them out.”

  “Sounds like a bad idea.”

  “If they’re still here it’s the only way to make them come out. Octavio, get your troops in place, and then come with me. We’ll assault the residence and force them out, even if we have to burn the place down. We’ll meet Hecate there.”

  He turned to Hecate.

  “Go to the residence and search the place thoroughly. Then return to me and update. Look for cameras and tech. Not sure how they got word. Could have been James, could be Alana. Doesn’t matter. I think they’re still in there and this is a trap.”

  ***

  Edward was ecstatic. Everything was going according to plan, his plan and pretty soon he would have Adam in his house, captured and under his control. He would force Adam to send everyone away, then make him reveal the location of the Cache. Then, Adam would no longer required after they made their escape.

  Alana had been helpful, but not very specific about when Adam was coming. She conjectured possible dates weeks away but was skinny on details. Edward wasn’t sure Alana could be trusted, but Alana was out of the loop and alone; she was up front that what she knew was dated and unconfirmed. She checked with Adam, but he was also hazy on any firm plans or details.

  The bugs in the office proved fairly useless as not much went back and forth by the media she had hacked. Alana was unsure just how they communicated, but if something was imminent, she was unaware and in the dark. Adam for his part was ambiguous with the details he gave Alana; he supplied her with vague notions about what they knew and when they might act. If she was in communication with Edward, it would not be helpful except to the extent that she would inform Edward that Adam was looking for him. Adam never shared with Alana that he knew where they were.

  Edward had hired consultants to help mask his heat signature, installed tech and waited for Adam to approach. The three were hiding in a room on the main floor with a security detail in a hidden space waiting at the ready. People had come and gone over the previous few days; five would enter, and four would exit. Once they had Adam, they would have all the leverage they needed.

  Edward knew there was risk, and Anna and Francesca had wanted to bolt immediately. The women felt that Edward’s strategy rested on a premise that they could capture Adam. Edward disagreed. There had to be a showdown and he was tired of running. One would walk away, the other would be dead. Had to be that way. Once Edward confirmed that Adam was at the Estate, he would bait his trap, use his tech, and mousetrap Adam. Adam would come to the Manor House himself, knowing he was both bait and trap.

  Adam spoke to Hecate who swept the grounds. “Didn’t find anyone, but I felt a presence. Someone is in there, just not certain who or where.”

  Adam turned to Octavio. “Everyone in place?”

  “Ready. Both tunnels covered as are all major exits. If they’re there, we’ll smoke them out.”

  Adam and the team entered the Manor House through front and rear entrances. They swept the ground and upper floors and found nobody. Adam returned to ground floor and looked for the three but found nothing again. He sent Hecate to search the two tunnels again, looking for an exit or a third tunnel. She left, as did Octavio and the Paz twins, fanning out to look for warm bodies. As Adam went door to door, he was caught unawares by Edward, as he stepped out of a closet from an adjacent safe room, with a gun in his hand.

  Edward was pleased. “Hello son, how are you?”

  “Hi there, Dad. Your wife and the other psychopath with you? I’d have thought you’d have cleared out by now. Flown to somewhere safer.”

  “Nowhere is safe with you in this world. Thought it best to deal with you, once and for all. Now, down on your knees and hands above your head.”

  As Adam did as requested, Francesca appeared and bound him with plastic ties, hands forward. Then she placed a device in the small of his back with cord attached to a small switch which Edward held. The device was secured in a fanny pack that was sealed.

  “The device I attached is explosive and if I release this switch, which I will do if shot or killed, then you die with me. Understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Good. Then let’s get moving. While we walk, please inform your men to stand down and exit the residence immediately. If anyone appears suddenly, or threatens us, you’re dead. No tricks, nice and easy.”

  “OK. What then?”

  “We leave. How does her tech work? Where is she?”

  “Who?”

  “Your ghost.”

  “Not here. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Get moving, Adam. We have a little ways to go.”

  Adam called the team and told them his situation, and to stand down. He was going with Edward but would be fine.

  Edward said, “I don’t think you will be when we’re done. But, you’re an optimistic guy, I guess.”

  Hecate entered Adam’s mind, who instructed her to enter Edward’s and find the escape route.

  In his mind she relayed that there was a third tunnel, there were two electric motorized bobsleds that would take them off property about a mile away to a waiting car.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, everything was under control.

  “How?”

  “No time. Trust me. We’ll be done very soon.”

  Adam was pushed to a small elevator behind a false wall, and the four were quickly down to a hidden tunnel with two vehicles, the bobsleds, waiting.

  “Get in the rear sled,” said Edward. We’ll be in front; any tricks and we release your vehicle, which is now attached, and blow you up. We have a wireless backup so you’ll be dead and we’ll be gone. Understand?”

  “I do.”

  “Good. Get in.” Adam did.

  As the three entered their sled, both vehicles began moving down the track. Suddenly, a huge solid gate slammed down, separating the two vehicles in the tunnel. The vehicles had suddenly detached, but his fanny pack did not explode.

  Hecate appeared. She appeared in physical form, cut his ties, and freed him.

  “Time to go. Let’s get out of this tunnel and fast. There’s about to be a problem down the line, and I don’t know if our nanite tech will hold under water.”

  “What?”

  “Let’s go.”

  They were up on the main floor quickly and out of the residence and out the front gate fast. They got in a 4 x 4 and lit out for the farm. They were there in minutes and were met by his contingent.

  As he got out of the vehicle, he asked, “What just happened?”

  Hecate looked at Adam, and said, “Why don’t you ask the ones responsible? It was their plan.”

  Eene and Beata suddenly stepped forward.

  Eene said, “Hi daddy. You look yummy. Not as yummy as the Paz twins, who make me think very naughty thoughts, but yummy still. But boys, sadly I’m taken. He may not be as handsome or sexy as you, but he’s rich and hung. Definitely the new sexy. Or is it the old sexy?”

  The twins smiled and laughed. Too bad, they thought, Eene was cute and not alone with naughty thoughts.

  “What happened?”

  “Beata and I brought boring machines from Paraiso, used the tech to slice the ground vertically around the house. That gave us the location of the third tunnel which was hidden and impervious to detection. Better living through tech! Then we bored and laid pipe to the tunnel, put a barrier in place that would shield Wi-Fi from your fanny pack explosive device, and cut any connection if wired. We released your car from theirs, and in a split second the barrier came down. Once that happened, Beata hit a computer key and the water from the creek flooded into the third tunnel through new ducts, and by collapsing, temporarily, the creek bottom thus trapping the car Edward and the ladies were in. Hecate checked. They’re dead. They are permanently encased in water and will remain in their tomb until eventually discovered. The entrance to the elevator is now sealed, and I doubt they’ll be found any time soon. If they are, it will appear to be a d
esign flaw, and their deaths a tragic accident. That’s it.”

  “Holy shit. That was amazing.”

  “What do we get for saving your ass?”

  “What do you want?”

  “Let’s s discuss terms on the flight home. Say goodbye to your troops and send them home. It’s a long flight and I’m … itchy.”

  They said their goodbyes, then Eene, Beata, Adam and Hecate boarded the jet for the flight home. Hecate disappeared for a few minutes, returning to the jet after letting everyone in Paraiso know that their nightmare was finally over.

  “Let’s go home,” Adam said. “Now what exactly am I obligated to do, Eene?”

  “Beata and I have it all worked out. We have eight and one-half hours, give or take, to get home. If you press this button, you’ll activate new seating arrangements.”

  Adam pressed the button, and a new cabin wall appeared and inside the new space was a bed.

  “I love this tech. Now step into our office, you too Hecate dear, and let’s discuss how long you are allowed to have clothes on.”

  “Punishment?”

  “Maybe, and, yes, there may be some corporal involved. The kind you like.”

  “Eight hours with you alone?”

  “Eight and a half. You’ll need your rest by the time we get home.”

  “Please be gentle,” said Adam, laughing.

  “Since when?”

  “Since there are three of you and only one of me.”

  “Request noted, you big baby. And denied.”