Rex Chase: A Novel

by Tim Wheat

  He stood in the doorway, examining the room, while adjusting his collar around the bandages. They served as a reminder to him, and his guard was up. Hoff moved toward the table where his pilot’s severed head sat. Its stench permeated his nostrils and he grinned as he flipped on the lights.

  “You can’t hide forever, Angela,” he said while investigating the ceiling with his eyes. Noticing no possible avenue for escape, Hoff focused his attention on the private washroom. Moving past the foot of the bed he continued. “Perhaps you needed to clean up after getting my blood on yourself. Trust me, I’ve forgiven you.”

  The door to the bathroom was closed and Hoff turned the gold handle. He had spared no expense on his prized flagship, and the washroom in his private quarters was no exception. At two hundred and seventy-five square feet, the room was spacious. As he entered, to his left was a massive mirror, a custom carved golden frame outlining its length and width. A large tiled shower area dominated the right rear corner of the expanse, and a claw foot tub with golden handles sat nestled in the left. It was a large, open room, with little place to hide. Hoff looked to his right, and the maniacal grin resurfaced. When he had designed the room he had built a platform, with a wall, surrounding the toilet.

  “My dearest sister-in-law” he spoke in a voice that made Angela Sarff shutter. “Please come out from there. We need to get moving.”

  Though Hoff had been alert, he had not been careful enough. He leaned around the corner of the short wall, expecting to see Angela huddling there. Instead, she greeted him with a surprise attack from behind.

  ***

  Angela Sarff had awoken, and her sister had no longer been in the room. Knowing she could not leave, she had planned her next move with care, and it had begun with finding a weapon. Hoff’s body guards had done an excellent job confiscating items that could be fashioned into killing tools, but within minutes she found her salvation. Dangling under the reservoir tank of the toilet was a three foot piece of chain, a pure gold handle attached to its end. Removing it had been simple, and upon hearing Hoff outside her room twenty minutes earlier, she had hidden in the large bedside stand. Her muscles had begged her to move, but when Hoff had returned she held her position. When her quarry moved past, she readied her weapon, and now attacked with the ferocity of a wolverine.

  “Die you Nazi piece of scum.” she screamed in a shrill voice.

  Angela’s every fiber protested the sudden movement after being glued in position, but her body executed fluid movements nonetheless. She leapt through the air, circled the large man’s neck with the chain, and held on for dear life, using her weight as leverage. Dietrich Hoff’s entire body tensed and he did something she hadn’t expected. Instead of fighting, he let her weight take him down backwards, and they tumbled to the floor. Losing both the element of surprise, and her tactical position, Angela tried to regroup, but Hoff was faster. Before she could press the attack, he had recovered, turned to face her, and now held the upper hand.

  “Naughty, naughty.” He wagged his finger in the air, a look of extreme confidence on his face. “This is why I don’t have nice things.”

  Hoff separated Angela from the chain with one hand, while grabbing her around the neck with the other. She attempted to stop him from taking her only weapon, but had failed. He lifted the petite woman into the air, pinned her against the large mirror, and snarled.

  “I ask that you please accompany me to the bridge. If you do not comply of your own free will, I am quite enthusiastic about using force.”

  It had just been a few seconds, but the lack of blood flow to her brain had Angela seeing stars. Bright flashes of light seemed to be dancing everywhere, and her head pounded, begging for oxygen. Almost imperceptibly, she managed to nod her head.

  “Good,” Hoff muttered as he set her down. From his pocket he removed an odd shaped key, slid it underneath each of her cuffs, and removed them. “Please follow me.”

  Angela followed Hoff through the maze of corridors and stairwells for what seemed an eternity. Time seemed to slow, and she focused her attentions on an escape, though none seemed likely. Her mental faculties returned from their oxygen deprived state, but the spirit of defiance seemed altered. She no longer possessed a compelling will to fight.

  “Here we are, my darling.” Dietrich Hoff opened a door which led up a short stairwell onto the main bridge. “It is from here we will be departing.”

  She had spent much of her recent time in the dark, and though she had experience a modicum of light exposure in the belly of the aquatic ship, the brilliance of the sun caused her to wince. Within seconds, and as her eyes adjusted, she began to take in the surroundings. The bridge was a mass of electronic equipment. Her father’s lab had been a technological wonder, but what Dietrich Hoff had was on a different level.

  Men worked at a number of different stations, and the bridge buzzed with their endeavors. She recognized one of them as the guard who had dropped off food before. Then, it hit her. Tricia had not returned with Hoff.

  “What have you done with my sister?” He had prodded her along, but she came to an abrupt stop. “I will not move until you tell me.”

  “I sliced the slut open and watched her bleed to death,” Ice seemed to form from his words as he forced her to continue walking. “Unless you would like a similar fate I suggest you stay in compliance with my wishes.”

  Before Angela had a chance to grieve, question, or even respond, they came upon a small man giving orders. She noticed he seemed to be in charge, but thought little of it, as his appearance was quite unimposing. Just as Hoff delivered his awful news, the small, weasel like man turned, instantly turning as pale as if he had seen a ghost.

  “Y, y,y,y,y,y you’re dead. I saw you die. I, I, I, shot you.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Hans” Hoff said. “Your mother, my wife, has a twin sister. We killed her in order to bring compliance from our captives. They must know we possess strength, and they possess weakness.”

  “Of course,” Hans’ demeanor changed as Angela Sarff burst into tears, mournful weeping dominated her demeanor. “Our preparations for departure are complete.”

  “Excellent,” Dietrich Hoff beamed as he patted his adopted son on the shoulder. “We are so close my boy, so close. I almost forgot. Did we hit something?”

  “No.” Hans glared at the men working around him, who all failed to meet his gaze. “I had business out on the deck when these imbeciles didn’t run us into the plane. At least they swear they didn’t. I almost got thrown into the ocean.”

  “It is of no matter. Anything else I should be made aware of?”

  “I took the liberty of sending three guards down to keep watch on our prisoners. I believe they could become a problem for us in the future.”

  “You worry too much. My force fields are impenetrable to them as long as they wear those bracelets. I doubt Chase will be able to saw off his best friend’s feet to remove them. It seems that would not help their situation.”

  “Of course you are correct,” Hans nodded as he took notice of his mother’s wounded leg. She had on shorts and an expert bandage. “I still think it prudent to kill them.”

  “If I need your advice, I will ask for it,” Hoff scolded in an annoyed tone of voice. “I will use Ahiga to control Chase. It’s the young physicist’s mind I wish to keep.”

  “I understand his brilliance, but I have watched him perform the impossible. Aren’t the scientists we have enough?”

  “They are quite good, but if Chase is anything like his father or his father’s partner, he exists on a different level,” Hoff said. “If it will make you feel better, I’ll have them under twenty-four hour guard. I’ll put two men on Chase in the lab when he works.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know if that is enough. I’m telling you, I witnessed him drive a car sixty miles per hour while hanging out the window and drilling me in the face with a baseball. Oh, and don’t forget about when he pretty much jumped over that enormous Lincoln.”
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  “Trust me,” Hoff’s voice turned menacing. “I have not forgotten how often you have failed me in recent days.”

  “You trust me.” Hans’ eyes burned with intensity as he met the glare of his father. “These men are dangerous. You underestimate them as I no longer do, and it could cost us both our lives.”

  Moments passed as the two men glowered at each other. Hans had never shown Hoff such defiance, and the elder made a decision. Perhaps Hans was correct.

  “Tread light,” Hoff’s demeanor softened though he gave the warning. “We are on the same side, my son. I agree with what you say. We will treat our prisoners with the utmost respect for their resilience in the face of certain defeat. Do you think that one man killed my entire elite team?”

  “It appears that way,” Hans responded as he nodded his head. “Then, he took the place of another man in our next detail. He executed quite an ingenious plan.”

  “Never mind all of that,” Hoff changed the subject. “I am ready to leave. Is everything in order on the ship?”

  “Yes, sir. Our scientists already await in the plane, and are prepared to apply the formula to the weapons. I am told only minor changes need to be made and they have wired instructions to our other installations. We will leave a security team of twenty-five on the boat.”

  “Excellent. I counted twenty-two men working in here right now. Shouldn’t we commit more to our prisoners?” Hoff smiled as he teased Hans, but the response he received was clear and concise.

  “We have a skeleton crew, and this is how many men it takes to keep us from smashing the float plane. I have already given orders for all to follow once we depart. Everything is as it should be.”

  “It sounds like you have everything all taken care of. Shall we go?”

  “Pass. I just flew psycho airlines.” Angela Sarff’s tearful sobbing stopped at the sound of the voice. She didn’t recognize it, but there was just one person it could be. “The food was terrible, the pilot was headless, and when I tried to lodge a complaint the insanely hideous stewardess jumped out the window.”

  *******************

  57.

  Chase had searched the ship for fifteen minutes when he got his first break. He had passed the same galley three times, and he knew a way out must be nearby, but the labyrinth had confused his sense of direction. None of the rooms on this level had windows, while rooms on the levels below did.

  He performed a thorough search of the galley but found little out of the ordinary. Someone had left a bit of sandwich, and spilled a glass of water, but otherwise everything appeared in its place. A room with a severed head would normally be considered strange, but today normalcy didn’t exist. The boat seemed to end on this floor, but then he saw it.

  A tiny drop of blood on the ornate handrail in the hallway caught his eye. He focused his attentions on minute details then, and within seconds, picked up a blood trail that stopped twenty yards from the galley. Another five minutes passed as he searched the small area.

  One spot on the wall seemed to bother Chase’s eyes, but his mind couldn’t process what was out of place. He studied every millimeter of the wall when the minute difference hit him. The metal plates of the wall, which were seamless throughout the entire ship, had a very slight gap.

  Stepping back a few feet, Chase noticed the distinct outline of a door. He had moved past too fast before, and had been standing too near now. Upon stepping back, though, the existence of a passageway became quite noticeable.

  “You know, if you stare at something too long, you’ll go cross eyed.”

  “That’ll be better than the blindness you’ve been working on since we were ten. You are a ghost.”

  “Nah,” Chief shrugged off the insult and the compliment. “You’ve been up here making all kinds of noise. It ruined my nap, so I decided to join ya.”

  “Stealth isn’t my forte,” Chase answered without taking his eyes from the door. “Whatya think about helping me figure out how to get through here?”

  “Get out of the way, super genius,” Chief smiled as he pushed past Chase, bumping him with his shoulder. “Haven’t you ever read a spy novel? Secret doors always have a button, or a book or something.”

  “I’ve read more spy novels than the zero you’ve read,” Chase teased. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”

  “Maybe I just heard about these on the radio then.” Chief was ten feet past the opening, leaning against the wall, an ear to ear grin on his face. Every bulkhead had a letter “H” emblem on it. He pulled down on the one his left hand rested upon, opening the door. “After you, Master Chase.”

  Both men stepped through the doorway into a different kind of boat. The previous sections of the ship focused on comfort. Upper levels, though, focused on functionality. They searched a number of rooms, finding all different kinds of electronic and scientific equipment, but no Dietrich Hoff.

  “Wait.”

  Chief stopped in his tracks upon receiving the instructions from Chase. All of his senses snapped to full alert, and he felt as if he could hear the beating of his best friend’s heart. Nothing seemed amiss, however, so he spoke.

  “What is…”

  “Shhhhhhhh.”

  They stood in silence for thirty seconds until George heard what sounded like voices.

  “Where do you think they’re coming from?” he whispered.

  “I’m not sure,” Chase said, “but it seems to be louder when I point my ear in that direction.” He pointed to his left, and both men began studying the wall again.

  “OK. I don’t see any ‘H’s’ on the wall up here. Whatya think?”

  “I think you’re lucky to be here with a super genius.” Chase pressed his ear to the wall and listened with intent before straightening. “You ready to do a little battle?”

  “I mean, all I have are these.” Chief lifted his fists into a fighting stance.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got this under control.” Chase withdrew the iron rods from his pockets, and pressed his ear to the doorway again as he whispered. “Just stay behind me. This doorway is opened from the inside using scalar magnetics. We’re in luck though because I’ve got the keys.” He lifted the two iron pipes, showing them to Ahiga.

  “Perfect, we can run some water to them in case they’re thirsty,” George smiled. “You want to let me in on your little secret? I doubt the guys on the other side of this door will greet us with horns and confetti. We need some weapons or we’ll get slaughtered. You’ve never killed before. It’s not so simple.”

  That’s when it hit Chase. He had killed three men downstairs, and they had been the first of his life. Nothing about their deaths had registered until just now, and his reaction stayed muted.

  “I killed three guys downstairs.” His eyes seemed dead, and George noticed the thousand yard stare he had seen in many soldiers. “Now is the time for you to trust me. You won’t need a weapon. Do as I say and stay behind me.”

  George nodded and Chase moved a slight distance away from the door. He touched the iron pipes to the top of the door, and then traced the outline of the entryway, meeting again at the bottom. An audible click followed, and the door swung open into the corridor. Thirty feet away stood Dietrich Hoff and Hans, their backs turned, looking out the front of the boat.

  “Remember, no matter what, stay behind me,” Chase whispered.

  George nodded his head, but doubt flooded his mind. Rex Chase was a lot of things, but a seasoned warrior was not one of them. All eyes averted to their position as Chase spoke, but George didn’t listen to his best friend’s words. Every man in the room possessed an automatic weapon, and they brought them to bear, even as Chase still spoke. It was going to be a bloodbath.

  ***

  Surprise was evident on the faces of both Dietrich Hoff and Hans as they spun to face the voice. Hoff clutched Angela by the hair, and she whimpered at being thrust behind a console. What they saw both astonished and confused the father and son. Rex Chase stood in the secret doo
rway, a smug smile on his face, and behind him was Ahiga. Hoff collected himself, and was the first to reply.

  “I have yet to receive my thank-you card for saving your life. I could have left you in the clutches of the Atlantic.”

  “You should have.” Said Chase. “Now we are here to kill you.”

  “Maybe you haven’t taken notice of the situation gentlemen,” Hoff replied. “Every single man in here boasts a full automatic weapon. You will be dead as soon as I give the order. Once again, I’ll accept your gratitude at your earliest convenience.”

  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to hold onto that gratitude for just a little while longer there, Rick.” Chase emphasized the shortening of Hoff’s first name. “Do you mind if I call you Rick? I used to know this guy named Rick. He could do the coolest magic tricks. One day I saw him…”

  “Silence. Your insolence is disturbing, especially considering this.” Hoff drug Angela Sarff from the floor by her hair, revealing her to Chase and Ahiga. George almost followed his instinct to bolt across the floor, but Chase met him with a calm hand on the chest.

  “I’ll rip his head off with my hands,” he growled into Chase’s ear.

  “You’ll stand behind me friend, because you must. Trust me.” Chase said in a calculated and measured tone. No sign of shock or surprise was evident as he addressed Hoff. “How long did it take your errand boy to figure out you’ve played him for a fool most of his life?” Hans shifted his weight and Chase observed. “Never mind, I can see he still doesn’t understand.”

  “Maybe you should fill him in.” Hoff’s voice remained steady, and his maniacal grin surfaced.

  “I know he developed his English in the States, so I assume you kidnapped him sometime between his sixth and twelfth birthdays. He was a little too young to realize that Anelie, or should I say Tricia, was not old enough to have mothered all of those children, but by the time he was old enough to understand you pretty much had him brainwashed.” Hans’ eyes moved between Chase and Hoff, but the other two men stayed locked in a stare as Rex continued. “I don’t know what your wife did to fall from your graces, but I still don’t think it made sense to kill her in front of us. You could have used the twin sister thing to bait us for a long time.”