Run! - Hold On! Season 3

by Peter Darley

  “We have no idea where Mr. Crane is. He’s an extremely cautious man. He doesn’t even know if you’re a part of this. All he said to Bolton was that he’d contact us, and not the other way around.”

  Brenham came closer to Adams. “Do you think I’m a part of this?”

  “I don’t know what to think. I never liked Treadwell, but I’d never have imagined he’d do the things he did. When Crane contacts us again, I will be personally securing his protection, just as I’ve secured the information he gave us.”

  Brenham shook his head at the thought of the senate even contemplating he was dirty. “I don’t believe this.”

  “Put yourself in my place, Jack. You’ve just virtually told me that half the damn intelligence community is corrupted.”

  “I need Crane, dammit! I need to talk to him. This is gonna be the most serious operation any of us have ever known.”

  “And that’s exactly why I’m being cautious. We need to work together on this, and I need you to cooperate.”

  Brenham sighed and looked away again.

  “Somehow, I’ll get you talking to Crane,” Adams said. “We have to take this faction and Brandon Drake down.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Wait for my call.”

  “You can count on it.”

  Adams made his way toward the door and paused. “How the hell did it come to this, Jack?”

  “I’ve been asking myself that question every day since this started.”

  They looked at one another ominously for a moment before Adams opened the door and exited the room.

  Thirty-One

  Bragg

  It was almost 4:00 p.m. when Fort Bragg came into sight. Belinda slowed the Porsche and glanced at Emily. “This is it.”

  “I have to say, I’m relieved. There can’t be anywhere safer for us than this. How can you be sure he’ll be here?”

  “I can’t.”

  The tension in Belinda was palpable. She could only imagine Emily was going through the same ordeal. Neither of them had slept for almost two days. They dared not risk it until they were safe. Had they slept, there was every chance they’d never have woken up. Brandon would have killed them without hesitation. Exhaustion had begun to affect Belinda’s vision, often compelling her to snap herself awake at the wheel.

  She pulled up to the base’s front gate. A young soldier dressed in the customary tan, gray, and green uniform of the Eighty-Second Airborne Division approached. She lowered the electric side window to greet him.

  “Good afternoon, ma’am,” he said. “How can I help?”

  “Hi,” she replied. “It’s extremely important that we speak to Sergeant Major David Spicer.”

  The young man frowned. “Is Sergeant Major Spicer expecting you?”

  “No, but he knows us. Do you know if he’s on site?”

  “I’m not sure, ma’am, but I’ll be happy to call it in and check, if you don’t mind waiting.”

  Belinda managed a slight smile. “That’d be great. Thank you very much.”

  “Who should I say wants to talk with him?”

  “Belinda Reese and Emily Drake.”

  “OK, just give me a few minutes.” He smiled at her warmly.

  Her gaze followed the soldier as he headed toward the guard room.

  “Do you think he’ll be here?” Emily said.

  “God, I hope so.”

  The minutes ticked by painfully. Belinda and Emily watched the soldier through the guardroom window. He seemed to be conferring with a slightly older soldier in between repeated phone calls.

  After almost twenty minutes, he came out of the guardroom again. Belinda chewed her hair in anticipation.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, ma’am,” he said. “I’ve had to make a few calls to find the Sergeant Major. The good news is he’s on site.”

  Belinda and Emily smiled in unison.

  “One of my colleagues is trying to find him right now to let him know you’re here. Please move your vehicle to the right so you aren't blocking the lane. And please remain inside.”

  “Sure.”

  Belinda kept the Porsche’s windows down to let in some air. Memories came back to her as she looked through the windshield and beheld the spectacle of Fort Bragg. It was over two years since she’d last set foot on its grounds, when she’d been called in to attend Brandon’s trial. She glanced at the gates on the far side. The vision of all his fans holding placards came back to her as clear as if it were yesterday.

  She heard the guardroom phone ring and the soldier who’d greeted them answered it. “Guardroom. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I’ll let them know.” The call ended and he called to Belinda and Emily. “That was Sergeant Major Spicer. He’s on his way over.”

  Belinda and Emily sat back in their seats, sensing all of the tension leaving their bodies.

  After fifteen minutes, a casually-dressed man, apparently off duty, stepped into the guardroom.

  Belinda became emotional at the sight of the man who was, quite possibly, their only hope. “Oh, thank God. David.”

  “It’s OK. I’ll take it from here,” she heard David say. He came out of the guardroom and walked toward the Porsche. “Hi. It’s good to see you again,” he said. “Look, let’s go back to my place. It’s less than a mile past the base, and then you can tell me why you needed to see me. Is that all right?”

  “Absolutely,” Belinda said.

  Spicer turned his attention to the Porsche with a curious expression. “Is this yours?”

  “No, it’s Tyler’s.”

  He looked at her with a compassionate stare. He didn’t know what the issues were, but his eyes told her everything she needed to know. She and Emily had come to the right man.

  Belinda followed David a short distance from Fort Bragg, pulled up outside his apartment, and stepped out of the car with Emily.

  David climbed out of his car and gestured to his front door. “Come on in.”

  “Thank you, David,” Belinda said, unable to restrain a hint of emotion in her voice.

  They entered his residence, and Belinda immediately noted how spotless it was inside. The carpet was freshly vacuumed, the surfaces were polished, and nothing was out of place. It was quite surprising. Surely, he had more important matters to occupy him than making his home meticulous. Perhaps there was more to the lavish interior than met the eye. She couldn’t fail to notice a female touch to the ambiance.

  He turned to them and tilted his head warmly. “It’s great to see you guys again. But are you gonna tell me what this is all about?”

  “Oh, David,” Belinda said, “I don’t know how I’m gonna say this.”

  “What?”

  “Brandon . . . is alive.”

  His expression darkened. “That’s not possible.”

  “You’ve got to believe us, David. He’s trying to kill us.”

  “But how?”

  “The night before last, we were standing as close to him as we’re standing to you right now. He killed my mother right in front of us.”

  “It’s true,” Emily said.

  David sat down on his couch. His chin fell into his hand in a contemplative manner.

  Belinda and Emily sat opposite him. He looked at them attentively as Belinda relayed the story Jed Crane had told her about Wilmot faking Brandon’s death and, most likely, restoring his original personality. She explained that the massacre at Faraday Ranch had been Brandon’s handiwork, and implored him to understand the danger they were in.

  “We had nowhere else to turn, David,” Belinda said. “You’re the only one I know who can help us.”

  Finally, his expression brightened. “You did the right thing. I can’t tell you how sorry I am for the loss of your mother and what you’ve been through. But there isn’t anywhere on earth you could be safer than right where you are.”

  A warm sense of security filled Belinda’s heart, but questions plagued her. “David, I believe they’ve turned Brandon into The Sco
rpion again. I just didn’t know him. He was crazed, like he wanted to kill me, but couldn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I could see it in his eyes. He hated me, and yet every time he made a move toward me, he fell down. There was a terrible pain in his eyes. Do you think there’s some of the Brandon I knew still in him?”

  David raised his hands in surrender. “I have no idea. All I can tell you is what I know, and I sure as hell knew The Scorpion.”

  “Would you tell us? What was he like back then? There’s no way he could’ve known where we were heading, but he was already there when we arrived. What are we up against?”

  He looked at them reservedly, and was to reply when there was a knock at his door. “Would you excuse me for a moment?”

  “Sure.”

  David walked out of the living room and opened the front door. A petite blonde woman, wearing Eighty-Second Airborne Division fatigues, stood on the other side. She saluted. “Sir.”

  “At ease, Sergeant,” he said. “Come in.”

  She stepped inside and fixed her gaze upon him, adoringly. “God, I’ve missed you.” She reached her arms up, placed them around his neck, and kissed him deeply.

  He broke away reluctantly. “I have guests, babe. Actually . . . I really need your help.”

  “With what?”

  “Follow me.”

  He led the woman into the living room and turned to Belinda and Emily. “Belinda, you asked me what Drake was like when he was with us. The lady by my side knows more about Brandon Drake than probably anyone else. I would like you to meet Sergeant Rachel Martoni.”

  Thirty-Two

  Yesterday’s Prey

  Belinda and Emily sat before David and Rachel in anticipation.

  “I’m not sure I follow you,” Rachel said. “Why do you want to know about Brandon Drake?”

  “I’m sorry, Rachel, I forgot,” David said. “You guys have never met before. This is Belinda Reese, Brandon Drake’s girlfriend, and his sister, Emily.”

  Rachel lightly slapped her forehead. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize. David has spoken of you both. I just . . . don’t know what to say to you. I know you knew a completely different Brandon Drake to the one I served with.”

  “Believe me,” Belinda said, “we’ve seen The Scorpion. He killed my mother and the security personnel at the ranch where we live.”

  Bewilderment came across Rachel’s face. “What?”

  “He’s alive,” Emily said.

  “But how is that possible? He died in an explosion in L.A. David gave the eulogy at his funeral.”

  Belinda shook her head. “No. We were made to think he died. A brainwashing experiment turned him from The Scorpion into the man I loved. They then faked his death and turned him back into who he was before. Emily and I are here because he’s hunting us. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”

  “Oh, God.” Rachel paced the room pensively.

  “He found us in a place he couldn’t possibly have known,” Belinda said.

  “That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Rachel said. “He was brilliant at anything like that. He had it all—the fighting skills, the engineering skills, the fearlessness, and incredible resourcefulness. I remember Colonel Woodroffe not liking him. Drake even got away with punching the colonel out. No soldier gets away with striking his commanding officer, but Drake was released from the brig.”

  “How come?”

  “We never knew, at least not at the time. We’ve pieced much of it together over the years.”

  “What did you piece together?”

  “In the beginning, Drake seemed like a reluctant soldier. He didn’t want to be there, and he didn’t want to socialize with the other soldiers. It was like he was just using the battlefield to vent his frustrations. I can assure you, he was extremely useful, but he wasn’t popular.”

  “What happened afterward?” Belinda said.

  “During the last two years he was with us, he changed for the worse. He became cocky and more arrogant than ever. After he punched out the colonel and was released from the brig, we knew something was wrong.”

  Belinda noticed Rachel was becoming emotional. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

  “He became a monster. He was consumed with power. We just didn’t know where it was coming from. He . . .”

  “He what?”

  Rachel raised her head, almost stoically. “He raped me.”

  Belinda gasped, unable to grasp what she was hearing. How could this have been the man she’d fallen in love with? “He raped you?”

  “Many times. He blackmailed me with telling the men that I was lesbian. You have to understand, back then the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ regulation hadn’t been overturned for that long. It would’ve been hell for me.”

  Belinda glanced at David, and then back at Rachel. “I’m sorry, I know it’s none of my business, but I couldn’t help catching a glimpse of the two of you in the doorway. I’m confused. Are you . . . bisexual?”

  Rachel gave a light chuckle. “No. I’m straight. What Drake threatened me with was a false accusation. But with the army mentality back then, doubt is all it would have taken. Like I said, he was a monster.”

  “So, what have you figured out since then?” Belinda said. “What gave him this kind of power?”

  David replied through gritted teeth, “Treadwell.”

  “Treadwell?”

  “Yeah. Treadwell recruited him when he was in the army, obviously offering him rewards far beyond what the army could. He was already volatile, but with someone in Congress backing him, he had free rein. He’d get sent to the brig and Treadwell would get him out. As far as he was concerned, he was invincible.”

  “Of course,” Belinda said as the realization dawned on her. “Brandon wouldn’t have known about any of this because Treadwell wiped his memories. But Treadwell had to have known him before. Why didn’t I think of that?”

  “Obviously, he became a problem for Treadwell too, which is why his ‘nice guy’ personality was created,” David said.

  “How long have you known about what he did to Rachel?” Belinda said.

  “Since soon after he was assigned to Mach Industries.”

  Rachel said, “It was one of the best days of my life when he got transferred.”

  Belinda turned back to David. “I remember the day I first met you in North Carolina. You were so cold toward him. This is why, isn’t it? It’s because of what he did to Rachel.”

  “Partly. I can’t even tell you what kind of a bastard he was. It was relentless.”

  “If he’s on the loose now,” Rachel said, “with nobody to answer to, and nobody to offer him anything, you’re in serious danger, Belinda.” She looked at Emily ominously. “Both of you. This is a man who has no conscience. He’s a psychopath. I was yesterday’s prey, but you are today’s. You can’t leave here. You have to stay with David.”

  David stood and headed for the door. “I have to get back to the base. I’ll only be a couple of hours. You guys help yourselves to the kitchen and make yourselves coffees or whatever. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Rachel, would you mind staying with them for awhile?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Thank you.”

  Belinda looked at Emily despairingly. “Oh, God, Em. I can’t believe it’s come to this. And I am so tired. How about you?”

  “Very sleepy.”

  Emily’s sad-but-sweet tone compelled Belinda to throw her arms around her. “Oh, Em. You heard what Rachel said. We’re in the safest place possible.”

  “How long has it been since you two slept?” Rachel said.

  “Two days,” Belinda replied.

  “OK, well I don’t think David would have any objection to you crashing on his bed for awhile.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Rachel smiled. “As Sergeant Majors go, he’s the coolest of the cool, and I know him as well as anyone. I’ll stay here with you while he’s out
.”

  “That’d be great, Rachel. Thank you so much. But first I really think we should call Tyler. He won’t have a clue what’s happening.” Belinda reached into her jacket pocket and took out her cell phone.”

  David walked up to his car beside the Porsche. When Belinda had parked, he’d been walking facing the other way. There was no way he could have seen what was stuck to the back of the Porsche.

  He slowed his pace and knelt down to look at a familiar, half-moon shaped device stuck to the metal on the underside of the bumper trim. Brandon had used one just like it over two years earlier at Cherry Mountain Plain. He’d thrown it onto the car of the kidnapper who’d taken Belinda—a magnetic homing device. He instantly knew Drake was tracking her. “Oh, my God.”

  Thirty-Three

  To Snare a Scorpion

  You and me, together again, this time we’ll make it, this time we’ll win, we’re gonna blast off, blast off, no way to stop . . .

  Tyler sat in the booth at A & Z Records. His mind was on other things as Nikki Hawke sang her lungs out on her most recent album inclusion, Blast Off. Under Tyler’s recommendation, her newly-founded melodic rock band, Hawkeye, had only just decided to adopt a particularly unusual gimmick.

  Rob Jacques entered the booth looking bemused. “Ty?”

  “Yeah, hi Rob. What do you think?”

  “What’s with the glockenspiel?” Jacques’ expression did not convey approval.

  “It’s a gimmick,” Tyler said. “We needed something that’d stand out. The ice effect on the keyboard does the job, but who else is ditching it in place of the real thing?”

  “Yeah, but . . . an actual glockenspiel?”

  Tyler stood, anxious over the issue with his brother, and it came out in his voice. “Look, I’ve taken advice on this and researched the hell out of promo gimmicks. There was a band in Canada who gained some notoriety simply by replacing an electric guitar with an electric mandolin. It still sounded like a prog-rock band. I’ve run this by Alex Dalton, my dad’s marketing whiz. He says I have my finger on the button. Now, do you want this to succeed or not, partner?”