by Geoff Wolak
Bob noted, ‘Finding a dirty Colombian Government minister is like finding a rat in the sewers – it’s kind of expected.’
‘His contact worries me.’
‘Yes, a professional. And to have an ambush team behind the ambush team, well, that was just downright clever.’
‘Too clever, he nearly got us.’
‘You warned Moran to look for a trick?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then you’re just as smart as he is. And now he’s out of pocket and hurting. Beside, Echo have eyes in the backs of their heads.’
‘This man seems to have personal issues with me,’ I noted.
‘You spoilt his plans, killed his people, and got the praise heaped upon you. Being like me, and working in the shadows, he would get no thanks from anyone, and he could never admit what he does. Not easy sometimes, working in the shadows, no medals.’
‘I’ll have a medal made up for you: sneaky shit award.’
‘Terry had two mugs made up, No.1 and No.2.’
‘It’s the small things that make the day pass easier,’ I noted.
‘It is, yes.’
‘You have eyes on Kate?’
‘Yes, static and mobile, two good teams and well paid.’
‘I think the MOD would have worried about the cost.’
‘They would, but I see this as a chance to catch whoever they send. And it’s your money anyhow.’
‘Remind me never to have a family, you end up worrying about them too much.’
‘Normal people don’t worry about their families, just the ones operating at a high level, like us.’
‘If they get me, use the money to hunt down everyone linked to Deep State, and kill them all.’
‘I would do, yes.’
At 4pm the Deputy Chief was on. ‘Wilco, the fucking FBI lifted prints from cartridge cases left at the scene where Phillson was shot, and they match Lee Harvey Oswald and J Edgar Hoover! And the only reason those men are in the computerised fingerprint system is to train and test young FBI agents. It smacks of an FBI joke!’
‘I guess people will think there’s some sort of conspiracy going on.’
‘There is! And Phillson was just linked to mob payments to cover up a utilities contract scandal in his home town in Cleveland. Washington Post will run the story tomorrow.’
‘Got to be better than the truth.’
‘More of that tainted cocaine turned up, a panic here.’
‘Only amongst the regular nose-sniffers.’
‘Twenty million of them!’
‘Do me a favour. If you find someone that Phillson was in contact with, someone like us, and very capable, be a love and let me know.’
‘Would he make it to the witness stand?’
‘You better hope not. They’d have you stood next to him protesting your ignorance about ex-employees. Do you … think that argument would wash?’
‘Fuck no, they’d hang me out to dry.’
The next day I flew back, Gay Dave sent back to Tomsk with my thanks, the men all looking at me oddly.
The Colonel tried to hide his smirk. ‘Your body double, he … looks just like you, moves like you even, just that when he speaks…’
‘I know. But when he speaks in Russian he sounds better.’
I sat with Billy and Rocko and caught up for half an hour, then did the rounds, threatening to punch a few men. We had many patrols out, and several teams on the Hueys, but there had been no new contacts.
Crab and Duffy were training the new American Wolves, Echo men assisting. All of the Wolves now had some experience of trench warfare, incoming rounds and mortars, rides in Hueys, and had all undertaken several jungle patrols. From their first day here they now looked better, more relaxed and professional and less worried.
Tinker called as I stood staring down into the valley. ‘We got a match on those three Washington locations, to Senator Phillson, the late senator Phillson I mean. So we ran a proximity check and got some pings.’
‘Pings?’
‘A phone not in use tells the satellite where it is, ready for incoming calls. It just needs to be switched on.’
‘And my own phone chip?’
‘Is sat in a machine behind a metal cage with an armed guard.’
‘Good to know. You were saying?’
‘We got a second phone, and it called some odd places, and we have a house. It pinged at the house once. House is owned by a Selena Gomez, and we did some digging because she’s old and quite rich, and her brother is one Commander Gomez. He was US Navy, signals intel, now attached to the DOD according to some old records we have, but close to retirement age.’
‘Get me her home number.’
‘Hold on … listed here … somewhere. OK.’ He read it out.
‘Try and get a fix on Commander Gomez.’
I called Bob Staines, and we would be on the case with a passion. Next I called the good lady.
‘Hello?’ came the voice of an older lady.
‘My name is Petrov, and I was looking for your brother.’
‘Petrov?’
‘Petrov from Panama.’
After a long pause came. ‘Is he in trouble?’ It was a deep question, and a sad question, from someone who knew what was going on.
‘Was Senator Phillson in trouble? Not any longer. A bullet ends trouble and eases the pain.’
She hung up.
‘Must have been something I said.’ I called Miller and he called back. ‘Mister Miller, how’s your good buddy, Commander Gomez, today?’
‘How … how did you know about him?’
I ignored the question. ‘Where does he sit in the chain of command, and will he be missed?’
‘He’s … senior, yes. What do you know about him?’
‘He left a sloppy trail when he paid a Bogota police chief to organise the heat-seeking missiles aimed at Echo. That sloppy trial will soon reach the FBI, so maybe you should mention that to your boss. Would be awkward if it gets onto CNN tonight, they may look into what he’s been doing these past few years.’
‘I … have a conversation to have.’ He cut the line.
An hour later an odd number came up. ‘Major Wilco?’ came a rich deep voice, an air of authority about him.
‘Yes.’
‘Senator Delaney. We haven’t met, but I’ve followed your exploits like a kid reading a comic, and I read the book, The Ghost. I’m a big fan, so I was greatly concerned at recent events, and not at all missing the late Senator Phillson.
‘You’ve done an excellent job with the evidence trail, far better than anyone would have expected, and far better that the lame British establishment would ever do, so you have assets and resources that we don’t know about.’
‘I do, yes. And you know what’s really odd, and a paradox?’
‘What?’
‘It was your CIA and military that asked me to look into the cruise missiles. Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing…’
‘Yes, an odd situation to be in. Like a man murdering his wife and then paying the best detective to try and find some evidence left behind. Always a danger that the detective will find something.’
‘So don’t blame the detective.’
‘I don’t, and I’m glad you have the skill set, just that it should be directed into investigating real threats.’
‘Real threats? Rayood was about to poison a great many Americans.’
‘The CDC would have detected the batches, and steps would have been taken, I’m sure of that.’
‘And cruise missiles fired at your own ships?’
‘A grievous error, yes, but as someone said to me recently - are we ready or not, and if not we need to be. I think you were quoted as saying that the fire alarm needs testing now and then.’
‘It does, but in a less dramatic fashion, one where the American public doesn’t want you lynched.’
‘Gomez is being dealt with, his office gone through, his team disbanded. He overstep
ped the mark by a long way, and he kept things quiet, and I was very angry to hear that he targeted Echo. Still, I don’t think your teams make mistakes or get caught out.’
‘They’re not immortal.’
‘No, but you seem to be.’
‘Just luck, Senator.’
‘I’m going to go to great lengths to try and contain this, a few toes to step on, and I want you to know that we want you around and assisting us for a long time yet. We’ve seen an up-tick in recruitment, and in the feel-good factor; you turned around a decline in the military that had us worried. And what you’ve done for the British military has created a great deal of jealousy over here.
‘We’ll fix this, hopefully, and with no fall-out, and I hope you won’t tarnish us all with the same brush.’
‘An octopus with many legs is not a very efficient organisation.’
‘True, and something I say often, which is why we’ll reorganise, do away with the dead wood. Tell me, Senator Phillson’s shooter…’
‘No clues there, sorry.’
‘He left no evidence, just the cartridge cases with Lee Harvey Oswald’s prints on, a clear message about conspiracies. And to use a long-casing 7.62mm, another message.’
‘Let’s hope the message gets through then.’
‘Give us some time to sort this, and don’t lose faith in us.’
‘I never had any faith in you, I simply had no choice who to deal with.’
‘Then … maybe in the future we can build some trust.’
‘Maybe.’
‘You’re not financially motivated, so what gets you out of bed in the mornings, Major?’
‘I like rescuing hostages, I like training soldiers, and I like putting the bad guys in the ground. Little more, I’m comfortable in a hole in the ground.’
‘What’s happening on the ground there?’
‘The FARC surrendered to Petrov, but I’ll drag this out, training scenarios for the teams.’
‘You could be sat on a beach…’
‘I’d get bored.’
‘We’ll meet at some point. Good luck with the training scenarios, Major.’
I updated Bob Staines and Tinker, then called David Finch. ‘Looks like the rats in Deep State that were pissing around down here have been dealt with. I got a few of them, and now their own people are dealing with the rest. Chief arsehole was a Commander Gomez, ex-Navy.
‘And do some research on Senator Delaney, because he seems to be at the top of the tree as far as Deep State is concerned.’
‘He’s the Senate Republican Leader, may run for president in a few years. I’ll get his bio and have a look. Does he openly label himself as Deep State?’
‘Not as such, but if my last conversation had been taped he would be in trouble. Do me a favour, and chat to the Director and see if you have an opinion on if I deal with Deep State.’
‘Given who they are, we’d have little choice; they would pressure the PM for your cooperation. But I think your relationship with them will change, not least because you killed many of their people and wrecked their plans. They’re certainly not all powerful, and now maybe have a healthy respect for what we can do.’
‘I get results because of my friends in low places, and that would be hard to explain to a Parliamentary Select Committee.’
‘Yes, it would, but when it comes to you they know that the public is behind you, so they won’t push too far.’
‘How’s the TV coverage been?’
‘A large segment every night, a few sixty-minute specials, one last night on tainted drugs and their effects. That cruise ship is in port and being repaired, but the insurers are not happy to pay out. And bookings for Caribbean cruises dropped ninety percent.’
I called Harris next, and he would contact the two British ships, Lynx to be flown to me. I prepped Max, and when the two Lynx landed I had 2 Squadron men loaded, doors open as they took off south, cameras rolling.
With a Skyvan landing at 3pm, I distributed cake and fruit to all the teams, plus tins of corned beef, something of a party atmosphere created on our hilltop.
In the morning I received word of senior American officers to arrive. I considered trying to clean-up the teams, but that would have been futile. And I didn’t actually give a shit right now. I had suffered from the British establishment trying to kill me, and now from Deep State trying to kill me.
A Hawkeye finally touched, but then seemed to reverse back down the strip to the end and halt. Doors open, steps down, and familiar faces appeared, but now in combats, men armed with M4s as guards.
The group walked up, the Wolves captain and NCOs saluting, and our top brass visitors met me near the command area, the Colonel and Major Morgen saluting and welcoming them. I saluted with Billy as they approached, General Boltweir at the head.
We shook, but my face could not smile. ‘Welcome to The Nam, sir.’
He smiled as the Hawkeye droned behind them, ‘Does look like it, yes. And the TV news shows the Hueys here a great deal.’
‘My men like playing around in the Hueys, sir, shooting down. All kids at heart.’
‘Very few wounded here…’ he noted.
I led him away a few steps. ‘Stage managed, sir, and your Navy bombed the fuck out of the FARC. When we spotted targets we let your Navy get the credit.’
‘So I’ve been piecing together from Admiral Mulloy. And the captured FARC men..?
‘Stage managed as well, sir.’
‘The fighting here over?’
‘Yes, sir, I struck a deal with the FARC leadership.’
‘You … struck a deal?’
‘I am in command on the ground here, sir, and … I have the back channels.’
‘And this deal?’
‘Best left off the records, sir. It never happened.’
He nodded. ‘So you’ll be pulling out?’
‘Hell no, we’ll milk this for weeks.’ He laughed. ‘This is a great place to train the teams, and the new American Wolves, perceived dangers and actual dangers.’
‘And the first batch of American Wolves?’
‘Some are shit hot, good enough to join Echo, all will run down the enemy.’
‘And Colonel DeHavilland?’
‘A good man, sir, I’ll want him along on my next job, with Major Morgen.’
‘And the other American personnel?’
‘Your medics are a total shower of shit, sir.’ He blinked. ‘They arrived looking lost, then complained like girl scouts about no toilets, and then complained that they were in danger.’
He glanced at the medics tents. ‘That is … very disappointing.’
‘Navy medics did well, got on with it, but this bunch and the first lot at La Ninga, they didn’t want any dirt under their nails.’
‘Well they’ll get a tonne of shit now,’ he threatened. ‘And the Navy?’
‘Admiral Mulloy’s team are all shit hot, sir, they all sound like computers when I talk to them on the phone. And it was no one’s fault that the civilian plane was shot down.’
‘Hell no. If I’m on a ship and a plane is coming at me at 400knotts just above the waves I shoot!’
‘It’s Drug Runners Alley, sir.’
He nodded, and took in the view. ‘Reminds me if Vietnam. I was twenty one, a new young officer. One tour, and the war ended before I could go back.’ He faced me. ‘The ex-CIA men involved here…’
‘What do you know, sir?’
‘Not as much as I would like to know.’
‘And do you like a good conspiracy novel, sir?’
He studied me. ‘You take calls from Deep State I hear.’
‘And what about you, sir, do you take their calls?’
‘We chat.’
‘Then you need to chat less, or maybe chat louder, because some of their people were financially motivated, and if caught … the American people would want to lynch them, and anyone associated with them – like you.’
He stood looking shocked.
‘The
y were not acting in anyone’s best interest, certainly not in the best interests of America, nor of the military. They employ people, and people have faults and prejudices, and people get greedy and make mistakes.
‘And if what really happened here gets out then the American people, the voters, will never trust the establishment ever again. And there’s plenty of evidence floating around, so some clever reporter might someday tie it all together.’
‘And what was really going on here?’
I considered my answer. ‘At the start of the Vietnam War, your own people staged attacks and set off bombs to blame the VC, to get the folks back home all riled up and backing a war. Same thing happened here, a desire to get the folks worked up, a war started with the cartels so that some grubby little shits could make money from selling drugs.
‘But they fell out amongst themselves, plans got altered, because they’re just people, and people don’t think like computers, and people make mistakes, and people certainly like the idea of having a few billion dollars to play with. Temptation leads to sin, so they say.
‘And the man at the centre of it, his mother died when he was aged ten, from drugs, and so he had no issues with attempting to poison millions of American drug users. If that’s what Deep State is there for, and you support them in their actions, then I have a long-casing bullet with your fucking name on it. Sir.’
He recoiled, shocked. After a moment, he took in the view. ‘I had no idea. But I do now, and … things will change. And Senator Phillson?’
‘Might have stood trial, and named names, and you’d be back where you were after the Kennedy assassination. Your military would have been tarnished, since Deep State had many former military officers working for them, men of senior rank, yet complete fucking arseholes with their own private agendas.
‘A former colonel was selling drugs and trying to poison Americans, a former Navy commander spending US tax payers money to try and kill me and my team. Your recent spike in recruitment would have seen a total collapse, your own rank and file officers disgusted that they were in the same service as these men.
‘If what these men did gets out, your military will be diminished so badly you’ll take fifty years to build back up.’
He looked suitably horrified. ‘I have some thinking to do, some work to do as well. But will it get out?’
