Old Growth & Ivy (The Spook Hills Trilogy Book 1)

by Menard, Jayne

  "Omnes pro uno, Unus pro omnibus," Mathew echoed in Latin.

  Steve had to look away. Tears of gratitude and deep feelings for Ivy and for those three men welled up in him. How much he had changed or how much he had never seen before! Never had he realized how deeply Mathew, Brian and even Moll were committed, not just to the Bureau, but to himself. He decided that Moll would stay with Ivy in the assault vehicle. His blasé attitude would help her through the tense period of waiting until the operation was over. Inside Moll might be tied in knots, but he would keep up that cool exterior and humorous attitude. Mathew and Brian would go into the Fuentes house with him and Lenny, hot on the heels of the SWAT team.

  ***

  They flew out that day on a Bubird to Santa Fe and then spent that evening briefing the SWAT team and the leaders for the mopping up teams. The next day Steve grilled each team on their plans. Even with the fast pace of the last couple of days, back in their hotel room that afternoon Ivy could tell from Steve's demeanor that all was in place. He was edgy, but not worried about details. Ivy thought he was mostly apprehensive about her, as well as Mathew, Brian and Moll.

  The surveillance team confirmed that Cristo followed the same pattern around mid-day as the day Moll followed him. He was now in the Bunker with Eduardo. Ivy wished they did not have to wait another 24 hours to move into position. It would only serve to increase her nervousness. However she had to respect Steve's experience and trust his judgment on timing. She gazed over at him where he was sitting at the desk in their hotel suite. He was staring at his laptop but he was tapping the desktop with is forefinger the way he did when he was thinking. He seemed to be going through a checklist in his brain.

  He took out his cell and dialed. After a few preliminaries, she heard him say to the Chief. "Authorize it. We go in tonight."

  He was silent for a minute, listening. "Roger." Then he hung up and turned to face Ivy. "We put our gear on in the van."

  He dialed again, telling Mathew to round up Brian, Moll and Lenny and to be ready to go in 15 minutes. She knew that one call would launch another bevy of calls. Ivy regarded him with awe. The element of surprise was sure working on her. She jumped up, pulled her devil-may-care hair back into a rough ponytail, put on her shoes, secured her gun in its shoulder harness, and tossed on a hoodie. Just like that, she was ready to go.

  "All our personal creds stay here. I'll run them down to the hotel safe," Steve said. His eyes had taken on that cold intensity she remembered from when they had first met. For the next few hours he would be again the redoubtable FBI agent and not the Steve Nielsen she had come to love.

  Ivy handed him her wallet after fishing out a few twenties, just in case. She slipped her lipstick in her pocket along with the money and then inhaled deeply hoping that a mythical guardian angel would be on each of their shoulders. At that moment Steve surprised her by taking her in his arms and holding her close, then he kissed her forehead and whispered, “For the rest of our lives. For us.”

  Chapter 25

  The four agents had been around Steve long enough to be aware that once everything was in place, he would authorize the sting. Within fifteen minutes of his call, they were all in the surveillance van with him and Ivy. Moll took the wheel, heading down the highway to Madrid. He turned right north of the town onto a back road that circled above the Fuentes property, meeting up with the expanded team where the mineshaft work had taken place. Once there, they switched into an armored assault vehicle. Their plan was for the SWAT team to get through the front door of the Fuentes house, clearing security devices and neutralizing explosives as they went. Moll would then drive the assault vehicle up. Steve, Mathew, Brian and Lenny would jump out, run into the house and make the arrests. At 6:00 p.m., the late fall evening was just beginning. A little sliver of the moon shone hopefully in the sky, but did not give much light, which suited their need for a stealthy approach.

  The SWAT team had its strategy planned to surround the house for an assault, with a second small team going into the mineshaft and down the tunnel at the back of the Fuentes property. It would be slow going at first as security cameras were disabled, the land scanned and agents moved into position. Every ten feet or so an agent would be positioned flat on the ground outside the house. Once everyone was in position, the SWAT team would blast their way through the front door. As soon as the SWAT team was ready to enter the house, Moll would drive their assault vehicle up. Steve, Mathew, Brian and Lenny would pile out on the run. Lenny would be in the lead and they would make their way into the house right behind the SWAT team.

  Moll cruised around to the bottom of Fuentes driveway, lights out, turning off the motor and letting the assault vehicle stop quietly on its own. The SWAT agents were already making their way up the drive on foot, cautiously sweeping the ground and shrubs as they went. They were moving low and slow and then crawling. Agents fanned to both sides of the house, surrounding it and cutting off any possibility of the Fuentes escaping through a window or a back door. The house sat silently in front of them with only a single shard of light showing through a crack in the window coverings. They waited through the long minutes that ticked by, seeing only shadows moving here and there.

  Steve was watching the action through night binoculars, noting how the security devices were disabled and cameras blacked out. He looked impatiently at his watch -- 7:00. Right before they were ready to power through the front door, the SWAT leader signaled the van. Moll drove up fast and the four men jumped out, leaving Moll to manage the audio connection with Steve and to guard Ivy. Both Ivy and Moll sat at the alert, guns drawn.

  The SWAT team was quickly in the front door and running. Steve's team gave them one second and then Lenny burst in followed by Steve. Brian fanned a little to the right, Mathew to the left, running half-backward to make sure no one was sneaking up behind them. They all had weapons drawn. Ahead of them, they heard, "FBI! Put down your weapons. You are under arrest."

  They jogged through the living room and into a wide arched doorway to the dining room. Cristo was on his feet. Eduardo sat at the table with the remains of their meal around him. Cristo had his gun out and showed no sign of lowering it.

  "Drop it Cristo!" Steve bellowed as he ran in, barreling past Lenny and confronting the two Fuentes brothers.

  Eduardo said in that asthmatic high voice of his, "Cristo, I can't . . ."

  Cristo spun quickly to face his brother, getting off three shots, then swinging back and shooting Steve twice in the chest before the agents gunned him down. It took only a couple of seconds from start to finish. Cristo had been smacked back against a heavy sideboard. Eduardo was half-slumped off his chair. The two Fuentes were dead

  Steve was thrown backward, clutching his chest through the protective vest, his face shocked and his mouth open. He keeled face down onto the floor. Mathew stood aghast, paralyzed with fear that Steve's protective vest had failed. Brian quickly knelt down next to Steve, yelling for medics. He rolled him over and tore open his vest. No blood, but no heartbeat either.

  Brian grabbed Steve's headset, "Ivy. Moll. Get in here. Steve is down."

  Two medics ran up and began to work on Steve, giving him cardiopulmonary resuscitation -- chest compressions and assisted breathing. They moved methodically yet fast. On their faces, the concern was visible. Steve was not responding. He had no detectable heartbeat or breath.

  Ivy and Moll ran in right when one medic pulled out small paddles to attempt to shock Steve's heart back into action with a defibrillator. The two medics worked rapidly, aware that their time to bring the big agent back to life was short. Ivy dropped down by Steve's head, putting her hands on both sides of his face and calling his name. Steve remained unresponsive.

  Within seconds, the defibrillator in voice mode instructed, "Stand Clear." Brian pushed Ivy back and took her hands off Steve.

  "Hit the Red Shock Button," came the next command.

  One medic checked the pads and the defibrillator controls, then he nodded to the
other one who pressed the shock button. Steve's body barely convulsed and he didn't come back to life. They all stared at him, unable to believe what they were seeing.

  "Shock Dispensed."

  The medic checked for a pulse and shook his head at the other one.

  "Analyzing Vital Signs."

  The machine checked for a heartbeat and gave another "Stand Clear."

  Ivy began calling Steve's name, her voice shaking in fear and desperation. Mathew dropped down beside her. The medic checked the paddles again.

  "Hit the Red Shock Button."

  The medic nodded, Mathew pulled Ivy back and a second jolt hit Steve.

  "Shock Dispensed."

  Steve's body again showed a minor reaction, but no sign that he was alive.

  "You may touch the Patient. Check Air Passage. Check Breathing."

  The medic checked Steve, but did not detect any breathing.

  "Begin CPR."

  The two medics began a second CPR routine, checking Steve's breathing intermittently. The medic doing the chest compressions was counting quietly to be sure he was getting well over the required 100 pumps per minute. Seconds ticked by, stretching to a minute. The medic kept up the steady chest compressions.

  Ivy looked bewildered. "This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be safe. How could he be . . . "

  Lenny said guiltily, "He barged past me. It’s my fault he was hit."

  Mathew shook his head. "Not your fault. He was like a steamroller coming in here. None of us could have stopped him. He was so used to being in the lead, I’m not sure he even realized that he charged ahead to take over."

  "5, 4, 3, 2, 1; Stop CPR," came the voice from the defibrillator.

  The medic stopped the chest compressions and checked the unit.

  "Stop Now, Hands Off the Patient."

  The medic moved back slightly.

  "Analyzing Vital Signs."

  A moment passed.

  "Stand Clear."

  Ivy stared in horror at Steve who remained unresponsive.

  "Hit the Red Shock Button."

  Steve's body convulsed slightly more this time.

  "Shock Dispensed. Analyzing Vital Signs."

  They waited.

  "No Shock Advised."

  Ivy looked wildly from one medic to the other, not understanding, then she stared back down at Steve. Was he dead?

  No! She saw movement. He was breathing on his own! His head jerked once, but he did not seem conscious. The medic pushed an oxygen mask on his face.

  "He may not come back right away. Some go into a coma state," the medic said quietly, glancing quickly at Ivy.

  She took hold of Steve's head again, caressing his cheeks. Steve's eyes fluttered open, and slowly focused. He tried to sit up but the medic pressed him back down.

  The medic listened to Steve's heart and gave a huge sigh of relief. "And sometimes, they come right back."

  Ivy was cradling Steve's head in her lap. She asked the medic what happened.

  "With these vests, the impact of a direct hit to the chest can make the heart stop, even though the protective vest keeps the bullets from penetrating the body."

  The bruise on Steve's chest showed that the two bullets had been a direct hit. Mathew leaned over and pressed first Steve's hand and then Ivy's. He scrambled back to his feet, watched Steve for a few moments to make sure he kept breathing, and then nodded at him. As much as he wanted to stay, Mathew now had to take on Steve's role.

  More SWAT team agents swarmed in, securing the inside of the house. Although it was evident that the Fuentes brothers were dead, Mathew first checked their bodies. Steve would have personally verified that each one was deceased. Mathew counted -- Cristo had at least ten bullets in him. That would be one for every agent in the room, plus a couple of extras, likely from Lenny. Eduardo only had the three that Cristo had fired. Both men were definitely dead. That done, he moved behind the SWAT team, stepping deeper into the house and seeking the door to the basement or the old mine tunnel. In the kitchen he met up with the SWAT team leader and the senior agent from the D.C. office who would take over the case, exchanging information on Steve and on the search of the house.

  SWAT agents methodically secured each area by searching for and disabling any explosive devices before the other agents could enter it. Brian ran back to check on Steve, while Moll continued on with Mathew. Steve pulled off the oxygen mask and weakly asked Brian for an update. Then he broke loose from Ivy and the medic, pushed himself up against the wall, got his cell phone out and called the Chief, updating him on the situation. His voice was unsteady as he reported in.

  Ivy grabbed the phone from him and told the Chief that Steve was hurt and that Brian or Mathew would be giving him more details. She handed the phone to Brian who ran it to the kitchen, talking with the Chief until he met up with Mathew who was waiting by a set of blast doors that the SWAT team had just secured. Beyond them, a winding staircase led down to a lower level that was likely completely underground. The SWAT team was proceeding cautiously down the steps, sweeping for explosives.

  The medic forced Steve to take more oxygen. Steve stayed in a sitting position, holding his chest, uncertain what to do next. Ivy examined the darkening bruise that was dead center on his torso. She buttoned his shirt back up and partially fastened the vest back in place. Steve grimaced with any touch to the big bruise. The medic draped a blanket over his shoulders.

  "Have to see the bank," Steve said weakly. Ivy nodded and told him to wait until the agents had it secured. Moll ran back to check on Steve.

  "Is there an elevator to the basement?" she asked. Steve had come this far; he needed to see bank.

  "Yeah. The ninjas are clearing it now."

  "Ninjas?" Ivy echoed, a bit puzzled, "We have them too? I thought they were Asian."

  "BuSpeak for a fully equipped SWAT team member."

  Ivy asked the medic to get a wheelchair or a stretcher or something to move Steve through the house. He wanted to get Steve in an ambulance, but she told him that could happen later. The medics found a rolling chair and helped Steve onto it. Steve grumbled and said he could walk, but Ivy shook her head.

  "I'll get you downstairs in the elevator, but you go on that chair with both medics," she ordered. "As soon as you see the bank, you are off to the hospital.”

  The medics forced Steve to keep using the oxygen and kept a heart monitor on him. Slowly they rolled him into the kitchen, found the elevator, pushed him in, and then rode down with him. Ivy and Moll took the stairs.

  The basement appeared to consist of one large room filled with computer gear, an array of flat screens, a huge wall-mounted TV, a line of arcade games, a pool table and a one-lane bowling alley. On the far wall was the kind of door used on bank vaults, surprisingly left ajar. In front of them, the team of agents started to secure the computer equipment for transport to the FBI Albuquerque office it would be thoroughly analyzed.

  A SWAT agent was going over the vault door, checking first for incendiary devices, and then examining the locking mechanism. Six team members made their way cautiously into the vault, scanning for additional explosives. The team coming in through the mine tunnel was holding beyond the back of the vault, having encountered the same type of door, which was locked.

  Inside the basement the six of them waited, listening to the team inventory the computer equipment, checking out the telecom links and reviewing the surveillance control panel. The Special Agent from the Albuquerque FBI unit, in conjunction with the new team leader from the D.C. office, directed the activities. Every few minutes, one or the other of them would confer with Mathew. Ivy stayed with Steve. Once she sensed his frustration at being sidelined on the chair, she had him pushed up next to Mathew.

  The agent examining the vault door turned and nodded that it was safe to enter. Mathew stood back and told the medics to roll Steve in, wanting him to lead them into the vault. Right behind him filed Ivy, Mathew, Brian, Moll and Lenny. They all stared at the row
s of metal racking that lined the perimeter of the vaulted room which Mathew estimated to be about fifteen feet square. Around three quarters of the shelves housed long flat metal boxes stacked five high on each shelf.

  Taking Moll and Brian with him, Mathew walked over to check out the metal boxes. Each one they opened was packed with currency. The total in the box and the type of currency was written on the outside. They quickly saw three foreign currencies, but most were U.S. twenties and hundreds. On a far rack were thicker metal boxes. Brian went over to check those out. Each one contained stacks of gold bars. Several cartons, labeled "Dell" were sitting on a handcart.

  After conferring with the team leader from Washington, they decided to keep the far door to the tunnel closed and locked. Photos were taken of the vault and its contents. The new D.C. FBI team leader initiated the inventory, starting with one of the Dell boxes. It contained gold bars packed in styrofoam. Each bar weighed 27.5 pounds. Doing a quick calculation, Brian guessed that each box held 20 bars valued currently at $1,300 per bar. There were ten boxes, likely what Cristo drove in with that day -- something over a quarter of a million dollars. Emptying the vault would take a number of armored cars to transport all of the cash and gold secured there.

  Ivy gazed around the room in awe, then knelt down next to Steve and kissed him on the cheek. "You have done well, Nielsen."

  "We, all of us," he said hoarsely pointing around the room at the SWAT team and at the other agents. "Did the right thing and did it well."

  Mathew conferred again with the head of the Albuquerque office and the new team leader from the FBI. He took some quick photos with his iPhone, emailed them to the Chief, and called him again. After his update, he handed the phone to Steve who spent a couple of minutes talking with the Chief.

  As a group, the six of them made their way back upstairs and out to the assault vehicle and the waiting ambulance. They watched as Steve was loaded up and Ivy jumped in beside him, along with one of the medics and to their surprise, Lenny leaped in with his semi-automatic weapon in hand, squashing himself against the wall. As the ambulance pulled out, Moll climbed behind the wheel of the assault vehicle and made sure Mathew and Brian were settled in before starting the motor.