by T K Eldridge
“Bond,” I snapped out a sharp order. “Stand down.”
Gideon’s gaze never left Kit, the hiss of words slid between clenched teeth. “What. Is. She. Doing. Here?” His chest rose and fell with each set of words, fingers gone white where they gripped the frame. “Get her. Out. Of here!”
Kit didn’t move. Whether it was fear or some instinct come to life, she barely breathed as she watched Gideon.
“Gideon, she can’t leave. You need to get it under control. Now,” I said, voice still sharp but pitched lower than normal as I added, “They are watching.”
Gideon jerked and his eyes closed, then he turned and pressed his forehead to the door frame as he struggled for control. “Be…right back,” he choked out and bolted from the room, back down the hall.
Only then did Kit let out an audible breath as she started to tremble herself. I laid one hand, palm up, on the table near her. Kit stared at it for a long moment, then put one of her small ones into mine and stuttered out a soft “Thanks.”
Head bowed, hair over her face once more, she curled in and seemed to shrink into an almost childlike pose of one who sought comfort against my side without a shift from her chair.
It was this odd tableau that greeted Rico when he sauntered in, tousled blond hair in his eyes and hands shoved deep into his uniform’s pockets. “Aww, who brought the dolly to Show and Tell?”
A flash of warning in my eyes was all Rico needed to change his tone. “Hey, sorry. Y’all okay in here?”
“We’re fine. Just a little excitement for the morning. Go check on Gideon,” I said.
“Gideon’s here,” came from behind Rico as Gideon entered once more. The strong smell of mentholated cold rub wafted into the room with him and made everyone grin, even Kit.
Gideon looked over to where Kit watched him, and gave her a sheepish shrug. “Hey, if it works for dead bodies, it should help with this, right?”
It also didn’t escape anyone’s notice that he stayed as far from Kit as possible and took few deep breaths.
“Good boys and girl,” the voice came from the speaker overhead. “Please be seated. Briefing starts in five.”
Silence met the voice of Dr. Jeffers as the group took their places around the table, gaze trained on the blank wall between the doors. A metal panel slid back and the presentation started.
Chapter Two
Coffee in hand, I leaned back and watched the couple in the corner of the cafe. The two held hands and stared into each other’s eyes over lattes gone cold. Myself, Cutter, Kit, and Kane were on a small job where we were to watch a suspected terrorist financier on his visit to DC. So far it had been a weekend of our target enjoying romantic interludes with three different women.
“And you thought you were a ladies’ man, Kane,” I said.
“I am a ladies’ man. This guy is just a man whore,” Kane replied as he sipped his coffee. We sat at a table, a laptop open in front of me and a paper in front of Kane. Outside the cafe, Cutter was in the Explorer, wired up so he could listen and chat while he acted as backup. Kit was at the shop next door at a table out front, a half-eaten sandwich and glass of sweet tea near to hand, a tablet held as if she were reading.
“Don’t you miss being able to just do this?” Kit asked. “You know, sit in a cafe, have a lazy breakfast and watch people?”
Silence met her question for a few long moments before I replied, “Yeah, I do miss it.”
“Freedom isn’t part of the deal,” Kane said. A bitter laugh and he added, “We fight for freedom, but don’t get any. Not exactly what we thought we were signing up for, is it?”
Cutter spoke up. “I’ve been thinking about that quote from Benjamin Franklin a lot lately. Well, pretty much since we last got back from the sandbox. Yeah, I realize he wasn’t talking about national security, but about taxes and money to defend against Indian attacks, but the words fit. He said ‘Those who give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety,’ and I kinda think we don’t deserve feeling all safe and smug because we let our fear and pain guide us into a choice that puts us right where we are.”
It still caught me by surprise when Cutter would speak so clearly and with such intelligence. Just looking at the guy made you expect grunts and monosyllables. “That,” I said, still keeping a watch on the couple in the corner, “is not the whole story. You’re right, to a point, but what we were told and what we were sold – and what we got – are not the same. Maybe it’s time…” a crackling sound had all of us reacting in pain, as I hissed. “What the hell?”
Cutter replied, “Looks like the recorder just accidentally fried itself. Shame the home office won’t be getting today’s audio files.”
I glanced out the window and gave a thumbs up to the Explorer before I turned back to the laptop. “Well, then. Now that that is taken care of, as I was saying. Maybe it’s time we made some different choices. If I can figure out a way to get us out of this situation without a violation of honor, are you in?”
There was no hesitation. Each one spoke up, almost in concert, with an “I’m in.”
“Roger that. Soon as there’s an opening, we’ll put together a plan.” I closed the laptop and slid it into a messenger bag I hung from a shoulder. We rose, gathered our trash and headed towards the trash can. The target and his current amour had risen from their table. I watched as the man helped the woman with her shawl with a bit more attention than the public venue warranted. I stared at the two, then adjusted my sunglasses before I stepped out onto the sidewalk. “Yer up, Kittycat.”
Kit got to her feet and tucked the tablet in her bag before she walked past me towards the couple.
“Aceil! Is that you? Darling!” Kit gushed as she moved towards the man with a bright smile, air kisses offered to each cheek. A green silk sheath dress and gold Louboutins gave Kit the appearance of an exotic model.
Confusion marred the man’s face and anger flushed the creamy complexion of his companion.
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember?” he flustered.
Kit gave a light, bubbly laugh. “Oh, dahling!” she gushed. “It was just a few weeks ago in Monaco. Don’t you remember? The Princess’ event?” Kit leaned in and pretended to whisper, but spoke easily loud enough for the woman on his arm to hear. “Oh, the hours we spent in your suite? Magnificent, darling. Simply magnificent.”
Aceil al-Harithi’s chest puffed out and he wore a smug expression as he patted the hand of the woman who clutched his arm. “Ah, yes, well, I would be memorable. Of course. How grand to see you again, dear woman.”
The woman on his arm huffed indignantly, then pulled away as she chided him in rapid Arabic before her hands flew up in the air in disgust and she turned and stormed away.
A dismissive wave of his hand and al-Harithi turned back to Kit. “Well, beauty, shall we catch up over dinner? I have a suite at the Four Seasons.” He offered Kit his arm and inclined his head as he waited for her to take it.
“I would be honored, Aceil. And please, call me Jessica. After the time we’ve shared, we should both be on a first name basis, oui?” Kit’s hand slid over the silk of his coat sleeve before she moved along beside him.
“Score,” Cutter said. I just grinned as Kane and I climbed into the Explorer and watched Kit get into the town car parked three spaces ahead.
“All she has to do is plant the nano-tracker in his drink, download his phone and get out without him suspecting. Cutter, you get to go in as the disgruntled boyfriend and pull her out if she can’t get away. He might recognize one of us.” I said.
The traffic light changed as the two vehicles pulled out, our Explorer two cars back. We followed the couple of blocks to the Four Seasons and pulled over as the town car stopped in front of the hotel. Aceil got out and offered his hand to Kit who curled against him as if she needed the support to make it inside.
“She’s really playing it up,” Kane noted.
“That’s part of the plan,”
I said. “Al-Harithi is a Yemeni with ties to AQ, and he isn’t above skimming a little to make life very comfortable for himself. He’s also supposed to be one of the top financiers for terrorist activity out of Yemen and Syria, with some possible assets in Egypt as well.”
“That’s more than we’re usually told,” Cutter said, gaze still on the couple as they headed up into the hotel. Once they were inside, he pulled out of the parking spot and drove down into the hotel’s garage, making his way up to the top level before we parked.
“Yeah, well, I did a little digging while I was on that laptop. With ISIS working in Syria, his connections have been more in demand, and his empire is growing,” I said. I took a moment and stretched before I got out of the vehicle, doing a quick check of my earbud and weapon. “Leave the keys with Kane and head on in, in case Kit needs you.”
A nod from Cutter as he pulled a silk scarf around his neck to dress up the black leather trench coat he wore to hide his gun.
“That doesn’t make you look any less like a thug,” Kane said to Cutter. “Just like one with expensive tastes.”
“Bite me,” Cutter replied, then tossed the keys to Kane before he headed inside.
I just shook my head at the two and leaned against the Explorer as I listened to the chatter in my earbud.
“She’s good,” Kane said, voice low while he kept watch around us.
Listening to Kit flirt and charm al-Harithi amused me.
“Of course, dahling. I’ll be one moment. Just need to freshen up.” Kit’s voice came through the earbud and then the sound of a door closed and water running. “I’ve got the phone. Copied in three…two…” The sound of a heavy knock on the door vibrated through the transmission. “One moment, dahling!”
The sound of a door as it slammed open and a choked cry. Both Kane and I stiffened and started to move when we heard a laugh. “Aceil! You need to be more patient.” The low rumble of Aceil’s voice could be heard, amusement in the tone, then the door shut again before Kit sighed. “Phone done. Tracker swallowed. Get me the fuck out of here, will ya?” Then the door opened and they heard her laugh brightly. “Now, you have champagne, yes? Where’s mine?”
The next thing they heard was the door to the hotel suite being opened and Cutter speaking to Kit. “Wife, you are in for it. Again.”
“Wife?” Aceil’s voice rose as he pushed to his feet, champagne forgotten as he looked between the two. “You are his wife, yet you come here to me?” Anger and disgust could be heard in his voice.
Kit turned to Aceil and drained the expensive champagne in two swallows, then handed the glass to Cutter. “Husband, you did agree that I could have my own friends. Now look what you did.” A dramatic sigh and Kit picked up her purse then blew a kiss to al-Harithi before she sauntered to the door. “Next time, Aceil, I’ll make sure he has his own playmate so we won’t be interrupted, oui?”
Cutter didn’t say a thing, just set the glass down on a decorative table as he followed Kit out of the room. Just before he stepped out, he glared at Aceil as he sputtered, then Cutter pulled the door shut.
Once the door closed behind them, Kit and Cutter hurried to the elevator and down to the garage.
The Explorer slowed enough for the two to get in and pulled away before they’d fully taken their seats. Kit laughed so hard she could barely speak as she pulled off the Louboutins and slid her feet into sneakers. “Oh, my gods, Cutter. The look on his face was priceless.”
“What happened when he came into the bathroom?” I asked as I handed Cutter the tablet. Kane slid into traffic and slowed to blend in as Kit spoke.
“He was being impatient and wanted to share a champagne kiss. That’s how I got the tracker into him,” Kit said. “Almost caught me with his bloody phone though.” She pulled the thumb drive out of her purse and handed it to Cutter before she settled back and buckled in. While Cutter uploaded the data to the tablet, and thus to the Facility, Kit looked over at me. “What’s this I hear about a new full-team mission for tomorrow?”
“Yeah, briefing at eighteen-hundred after we get back and turn in the gear,” I said. “Stateside, full op with a backup from Potter’s team from Block M. The little bit I’ve heard, it’ll be like the Berlin embassy job from two years ago.”
“No survivors, huh?” Kane sucked in a breath between his teeth. “Hate those. We’ve not done one of those stateside before.” He took his eyes off the road long enough to give me a look, then his gaze was back on the traffic.
~Doesn’t sound kosher. Time to make our move?~ The thought passed clearly from Kane to me with the other two passengers in the car none the wiser.
~May well be. Let’s see what the details are before we decide. When we do this, we need to make sure we have a good public story to back it up. Not killing a US. citizen on home turf plays well with the media.~ I sent back, my gaze on the traffic and my attention on our silent conversation.
~Time to cut the apron strings, brother. We’ve paid our debt, in spades, if you ask me.~
I nodded slightly to the message Kane sent and sighed. ~And then some. But don’t fool yourself that this will be easy.~
The two of us shared a solemn look before continuing the trip back to the Facility in silence.
Chapter Three
Gideon brought the chopper down in the field and we all jumped out before the skids hit the ground. He was back up in the air in seconds to take our ride home out of range of the mission. We got into the trees and checked our gear before we headed down the trail towards our target. The goal was a mansion set in the middle of about thirty acres of forest. We’d been given just enough information to plan the assault. The main point being that these were human traffickers bringing women from Eastern Europe and selling them along the US Atlantic coast. There were supposed to be anywhere from four to twelve men in the house, waiting on a delivery of women due to arrive in a few days.
The only thing we had to be wary of was the security system and the weapons the house’s occupants might have set up. I had brought a jammer that would disable the security grid for a few seconds – long enough for us to get inside. The team could handle armed combatants, particularly when it was a ‘no survivors’ mission.
It was evening and the house was lit up like there was a party going on. We got to the top of the wall that wrapped around the property. I gave the signal, hit the jammer, and we flooded across that lawn like an oil slick on water.
“Got one in the shadows on the upper balcony,” Cutter whispered into our ears.
Rico paused and a faint pop sound was heard. “He’s down,” Rico said.
We hit the front and side entrances of the house simultaneously, set the explosives and blew the doors in before those inside could register that they had company. Silenced rounds hit a guard by the back door and one by the side.
“There are kitchen staff here, preparing food. I’m not down with killing innocents,” Cutter said.
Kit spoke up, “I’m good with taking their phones and shoving them out the door.”
“Do it,” I said. I wasn’t down with killing innocents either. What the folks back home didn’t know, wouldn’t kill them. Or us.
Rico, Kane, and I had already downed eight in the three front rooms we cleared. There had been lights on upstairs, so I started up the staircase, ready to shoot anything that moved. Kane came with me and turned the knob as I pushed into the room. First few rooms were empty, then we hit one with a sleeping man – and killed him before he stirred. The next room was in the back and when we stepped inside, I lowered my weapon. Two steel cages were inside the room with three women in each cage. A door was open between this room and the next, and Kane went through the door, then lowered his weapon.
I tapped my mic. “Guys? We have victims up on the second floor. Two cages in my room with three each.”
“Three cages in here, with three in one, two in the other two,” Kane said.
“So, thirteen women we weren’t expecting,” Cutter replied. “Great.
”
“Can you come up here and open these?” I asked Cutter.
“On my way,” Cutter replied.
Kit came up with him, took one look at the girls and started going room by room, opening doors and drawers. She came back a few minutes later with sweats and yoga clothes that looked like they might fit the women, and a box of worn pairs of slip-on sneakers. “This stuff might fit.”
“Good job,” I said and looked at the cage Cutter was working on. The doors had electronic locks and Cutter could usually brute strength those things. This time he’d tried something new. A thin metal card was jammed into the lock, with a ribbon cable and keypad attached. He pressed a button and the lock hissed and popped, then clicked open. I went over to the cage and pulled the door wide.
“Do you speak English?” I asked the three women inside.
One nodded and got to her feet. “I do. I am Yelena.”
“Hello, Yelena. My associate here has some clothes and shoes for you and the others. Why don’t you help everyone get dressed and we’ll get you out of here. Sound good?”
Yelena didn’t speak, just dropped to her knees, grabbed my free hand and kissed my glove. I tugged her to her feet. “No, you don’t need to do that. Just help get everyone dressed and we’ll get you out of here.”
She turned and spoke to the other women in what I think was Ukrainian, and they all slowly moved towards the clothing and found what would cover their half-dressed bodies. Kit took them in groups to the bathroom and they got ready a lot faster than I expected. Rico and Kane led the way down the stairs, and Cutter made sure the rest of the upstairs was empty.
Cutter came down a few minutes later with two large duffel bags over his shoulders and a smaller backpack in his hands. He brought the backpack to Yelena and handed it to her. “I think that’s got some of your passports in there, and a few things that will help you when you get out of here.”
