Redaction: Dark Hope Part III

by Linda Andrews

  “There ain’t nothing stored underneath.” Eddie leaned closer as the other seals disappeared. “The shaft runs at an angle down to the storeroom. Boxes block the view of the shaft but they’re not too close to catch fire.”

  Obviously, the man had explored the area. “Open it.”

  While Vegas and Ray worked the shovels under the plate, Michaelson lashed a rope to a nearby dead tree. His harness jingled as he secured himself. After a few grunts, the cover was shifted to the side, exposing the beige sealant.

  David stabbed the center of the three-foot opening. “Cut her away.”

  Rogers and Papa Rose jammed their knives in the foam and sawed along the edges.

  Robertson raised his weapon and stared down his scope. “I count sixty security forces in the greenhouses, Sergeant-Major.”

  Great. Their chance of exposure just went up. David eyed the opening. Rogers and Papa Rose were almost through. The weight on his knife increased.

  Rogers rolled back to the balls of her feet. Her blades stuck out at an angle. “Done.”

  Papa Rose finished his side. “Done.”

  “On three.” David made sure each was paying attention before counting down. “One. Two. Three.”

  The plug lifted free easily. They tossed it into the snow.

  After picking up the rope, David pointed to Michaelson then the hole.

  The private dropped his pack near Ray’s foot then slid into the shaft, M-4 first.

  Rope slid over David’s gloves. He tightened and loosened to control the descent. When there were two loops left at his feet, the rope went slack.

  “Clear.”

  That was fast. Maybe too fast. Could it be a trap? Nah, Michaelson would have used a different word. One by one, David motioned for his men to enter Wonderland. When it was his turn, he lay feet down and pushed. Just as he picked up speed, he dropped to the floor and folded into a crouch. Well, that was fun. Rising, he moved out of the way seconds before Robertson landed.

  The private’s boots went out from under him and he landed on his ass.

  Grinning, David offered him a hand up.

  Robertson nodded and wrapped his gloved fingers around David’s forearm. Minutes later, their spook attire lay in a heap behind a wall of boxes and plastic tubs. Waders and galoshes were piled nearby. Puddles formed around them.

  The hair on David’s neck stood on end. It was pretty damn quiet for enemy territory. David pointed to his eyes then the curtain.

  Michaelson slipped a scope under the curtain. The image of the dim passage appeared in Rogers’s tablet. Clear. She gave him a thumbs-up.

  David motioned them to move out. With Michaelson in the lead, they swept the hall and headed for the rooms. The first two contained empty beds. In the third, four men slept. Beer bottles littered the ground near their feet.

  Sally and Vegas slipped in and used zip ties to bind their hands and feet. Neither woke. Must have been some party. Vegas stayed tucked inside the room, guarding them. The fourth and fifth room gave up six more men.

  All passed out.

  David hoped they enjoyed it. If he had his way, they would never experience anything like this again.

  Robertson and Papa Rose flanked the branch in the hallway while David and his remaining men relocated their prisoners. Ten down. Twenty more terrorists to go. And not a shot fired. Once secured, David ordered Michaelson to stay with Vegas and hustled down the left tunnel.

  According to the map, there were two rooms on this side. Robertson and Papa Rose entered first. Both men grinned when they came out a minute later. “Uh, Buchanan, I think this is your stop.”

  David parted the curtain, holding it back while the other man walked in. Holy shit. Clad only in bra and panties, Audra Silvestre was bound and gagged to a chair. Bruises marred her skin and rage blazed in her eyes. Thank God, he didn’t have to calm her down.

  Buchanan stormed across the room. Kneeling in front of her, he unknotted the gag. “Audra.”

  “I knew you’d come.” She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. “Have you rescued Tina yet? We were separated.”

  He flipped open a switchblade and sawed at the ropes binding her. His gaze shifted to the bruises then to his work. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “I saw the video.” Buchanan adjusted his grip on the knife. “Did he touch you?”

  “No. I’m fine.” She glanced around then cleared her throat. “A little embarrassed at having to be rescued, but that’s all.”

  He blinked. “Christ.” Shrugging out of his jacket, he draped it over her shoulders. “Sorry about that.”

  “I’m sorry. Our encounter in the museum put them on guard. Gavin tied me up when I wouldn’t give him my word I wouldn’t kick his ass.” Her eyes narrowed. “We did escape the first time. It took ten of the assholes to bring us down.”

  “Language, Warrior Princess.”

  David hated to interrupt their reunion but the op wasn’t over. “Audra, do you know where everyone else is?”

  “Tina?”

  Eddie smoothed the hair off her face. “We’ll find her.”

  Swallowing hard, Audra nodded. “I think the women barricaded themselves in the kitchen. The men were getting rowdier the more they drank.”

  “They have booze?” Robertson swore.

  Leaning against Eddie, Audra rubbed her red wrists. “Yeah, Dirk was one of the raiders clearing out the villages around the mine. He stowed cases of the stuff. I think it was why some folks followed him.”

  “Is there any left?” Robertson asked from behind David. “I could use a cold one.”

  Couldn’t they all? The mines had been dry for two months. David rolled his shoulders. Dirk deserved to lose a kneecap for holding out on everyone. David waved him on to check the other room.

  “I don’t know.”

  “How many women are locked up and how many men total?”

  “Eighteen women. Maybe thirty men.” Audra rose to her feet. “It was hard to tell. Everyone wasn’t gathered in one place for me to count.”

  Eddie cradled her head. “You did great.”

  But she wasn’t done yet. They still needed intell. “Where’s Benedict and Jardin?”

  “Holed up in their room counting their money. Or plotting the Fourth Reich.”

  Rogers showed her the map on the tablet. “Where?”

  “Kitchen with the women.” Audra poked the map then skimmed her finger down to another room at the end of the hall. “The fearless leaders without a clue.”

  “I’m sorry you had to come. I should have fought back. I have training, but they had Tina and….” Audra cupped her hand over her mouth. Where was her friend?

  Footsteps sounded outside. A young Asian girl burst through the curtain. She paused at the sight of her friend before staggering the rest of the way inside. “Audra. Oh my God. Are you all right?”

  Papa Rose slipped inside. “We have one man coming. It’s Gavin.”

  David caught Buchanan’s eye.

  Eddie nodded. “Babe, I—”

  Audra planted a hard kiss on his lips and handed him his jacket. She sank back down, looped the ropes her ankles and held her hands behind her back. “Save a piece of his hide for me.”

  David and his men flattened against the wall with the entrance. Robertson unscrewed a few bulbs leaving on the one near Audra on. Tina squeezed under the cot.

  Footsteps pounded on stone.

  The curtain stirred. “Are you ready—”

  Buchanan whipped his gun up then swung down, slamming into the back of Gavin’s neck.

  The actor collapsed to his knees.

  Eddie drove his knee into the man’s face, snapping his head back. Blood gushed from his nose and he pitched over, raising his hand to cover his face. Eddie leapt on Gavin, shoving him to the ground. He pressed his weapon to the would-be president’s temple. “Curtain’s coming down, asshat.”

  “Eddie. You don’t want to kill t
he man.” Papa Rose stared at David before jerking his head at Buchanan.

  David shook his head. No way was he interfering. He’d kill any man who touched Mavis. Besides, Gavin Neville wasn’t a face on the playing cards. He was the joker in the deck.

  Buchanan glanced at him.

  “He resisted.” David shrugged.

  Rogers nodded. “I saw it. Twitching is very dangerous.”

  “Eddie.” Audra stepped closer to him but didn’t touch him.

  “I told you I was a killer, a murderer.”

  Kneeling behind him, she cupped his shoulder blades and curled against him. “You didn’t have a choice then. No one would listen. You have a choice now.”

  He pressed the gun to Gavin’s forehead. “If I kill him, you’ll leave me, right?”

  “No.” She wrapped her arms around Buchanan’s waist and set her cheek to his spine. “No, I won’t leave you. Ever.”

  His lip curled and he ground the muzzle deeper into Gavin. Blood seeped from the cut. The man whimpered and urine soaked his fly. With a sigh, Buchanan relaxed and pulled back his weapon. “Living is going to be far worse than dying.”

  David smiled. Good choice. “I’ll have a man outside. Guard him.”

  “We will.” Audra picked up a length of rope. “Do you know what hog-tied means, Gavin?”

  The actor’s eyes widened above his bloody hands.

  Buchanan slowly rose. “Thanks, Sergeant-Major.”

  Withdrawing, David, Rogers and Robertson backtracked. The two rooms they passed were packed full of crates. David recognized the missing ammunition and boxes of MREs but didn’t see any water. How did the fools think to heat their food?

  “Robertson. Maintain position.”

  “Yes, Sergeant-Major.” Robertson propped a shoulder against the wall to Audra’s room.

  David followed Rogers and Papa Rose. The passage was empty. They turned toward the kitchen.

  A shot rang out.

  Chips exploded from the rock, cut David’s arm. Shit. “Fall back!”

  Ray set his bags on the ground and planted himself behind David and sifted through the ammo. Johnson stayed behind the munitions mule, M-4 resting on his first aid kit. Rogers and Papa Rose hovered near the corner. Papa Rose stretched out on his stomach. Rogers squatted next to him.

  David set his scope. Anything with a red dot dies. He nodded and peeked around the corner.

  Two more shots hit the wall near him.

  A dozen armed men charged toward them. A man with a swastika tattooed on his head unleashed a rebel yell.

  David aimed. A red dot pierced the man’s forehead. With the pull of a trigger, his skull exploded out the back of his head.

  Papa Rose scooted forward. Rogers quickly followed. Targets were acquired; then they fell. Shoulder wound here. Chest wound there. Metal casings tinkled to the ground. Smoke and cordite fogged the air. Nine bad guys leapt over their fallen comrades.

  Another volley.

  Muzzles flashed piercing the smoke. Six remained. “You ain’t taking us alive!”

  Fine with him. Pain blazed through David’s left arm. He ignored it and fired again.

  The three men dropped their weapons and tossed up their hands. “Don’t shoot. We surrender.”

  Four women ran out of the kitchen. Cut bottles in their hands.

  Another round and only one stood. She dropped the bottle. It shattered in a shower of brown glitter.

  People moaned. Someone cried, “We surrender.”

  “On the ground. Now!” David rose and stepped forward. They still had to capture the Ace of Spades and Queen of Hearts. With all this racket, Benedict and Jardin were bound to rabbit.

  The remaining terrorists dropped and laced their hands behind their heads.

  Ray inched closer in a clank of metal. A Marine-issue SAW hung from his meaty arms and a rope of bullets draped his shoulder. “I’ve got you covered, Sergeant-Major.”

  Yes, he did. Except if he fired the weapon while David and the rest were in front, they’d be cut in half with the terrorists.

  Papa Rose pushed to his feet and jogged between the bodies. Rogers leapt over a few people to take the lead.

  Well, shit. David raced after them. They better not be planning to go off the Res. He turned the corner in time to see Rogers charge through the curtain.

  A shot rang out.

  A woman screamed.

  Ah fuck! David plunged inside a roomful of boxes. A knife lay on the floor by the two cots pushed together in the center.

  Dirk knelt in a growing puddle of piss on the stone. “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”

  Blood seeped from between Bonnie’s fingers.

  “She was going to stab him, Sir.” Rogers smiled. “In the back.”

  Right. And the Easter Bunny was delivering Christmas presents this year. David kicked the knife away. “Understood.”

  Everyone needed a little revenge. But the woman had a purpose to fulfill before she died.

  “Bonnie?” Dirk glanced up.

  Papa Rose kicked him to the side and faced Bonnie. “You poisoned my kids, bitch. You want to beg for your life?”

  Bonnie smirked. “I imagine your pathetic leader wants me taken alive, wants to show the people justice will be done.”

  David lowered his weapon. So she wanted compassion, did she? He’d deny her for the moment. “Actually, no. Doctor Spanner sent us here to mete out justice as we see fit.”

  Bonnie’s smirk faded. “That’s impossible.”

  “Who better to decide your fate than a father with three sick kids? Kids that are sick because of your poison.” David watched her pale. Good. He got her attention. “If I were you, I’d make her suffer.”

  “You can’t do this!” She fell against the headboard.

  “Save something for me.” Rogers bounced on her heels. “She killed Lister.”

  “She did?” Dirk blinked from his place on the floor. “I didn’t know anything about that. I swear I didn’t.”

  “Oh, shut up you pathetic worm.”

  Papa Rose closed the distance. “You know, I’ve never hit a woman before.” He raised his hand.

  Bonnie turned her cheek and squeezed her eyes closed.

  “But you’re not much of a woman.” He pulled zip ties out of his breast pocket and secured her wrists behind her back.

  David pulled the walkie from his pocket. “Send in the clowns. The party’s over.”

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Mavis stood on the stage in the dining hall. Once again a crowd packed the room and people ringed the back to get a view. On the right, the remaining cabinet members stood in a show of support. Only Jake Turner, as legal counsel, stood by her side.

  It was a hell of a show.

  On the screen on her left, twenty prisoners stood in a clump outside in the forest, including the sole surviving gold miner. Hands bound, guarded by the Security forces and their M-4s.

  Bonnie Jardin and Dirk Benedict stood apart.

  Mavis cleared her throat. Turning on the microphone, she stared at the audience not the camera. This was about the people here, not the outsiders looking in—judging her and her actions. “As you’ve seen, Dirk Benedict has affirmed that Bonnie Jardin planned the botulism poisoning and shot Lister.”

  Mutters rippled through the crowd. The four men who’d nearly killed Justin shrunk inside their skin and sidled toward the entrance.

  So much for their fifteen minutes of fame.

  “Our security forces have found the vial of the toxin in the slops pot with her fingerprints on it.” She nodded to Manny in the audience. “Mr. Saldana has also testified to seeing her use the toxin and has testified to the quantity that remained. In addition, we’ve heard how Ms. Jardin organized the raids on the gardens and ordered their destruction.”

  Grim faces stared back at her. Fists were clenched.

  Bonnie didn’t know how lucky she was not to be in this room. Of course, her luck would be short-lived.

  “Dirk ha
s admitted his part in the thefts, in stealing enough weapons to kill every man, woman and child in this room three times over as well as planting the bombs that nearly killed us all.”

  The crowd shifted.

  Now for the hard part. To ask for leniency while their blood practically boiled. “Not long ago, I stood in front of you and pronounced sentence on a man who murdered his wife and others in cold blood. I granted him mercy that day and banished him because I believed it to be in our best interest. It is our future, I’m concerned with.”

  On the screen, Sally glared at Bonnie.

  “Kill the bastards!” someone shouted from the back of the dining hall. Many nodded.

  Mavis shifted. Maybe she shouldn’t have dismissed her security guard so easily. “Today, I am again granting mercy his remaining followers.” She eyed the lone gold miner who remained. No point in mentioning his crime. She couldn’t afford for anyone else to get gold fever. “They will be banished from our community, given a bus with limited fuel and a map but no food, water or supplies.”

  Murmurs rose from the crowd. Rage. Confusion.

  “Why?” A woman with red-rimmed eyes cried out.

  It was a valid question. One that defied quantification by logic. “Blood is shed for all births, whether it is a child, a society or a nation. And blood was spilled this morning. Eighteen people are dead upon my orders.” Mavis met the eyes of the people in the front row.

  Two men glanced away.

  “They deserved it.” A woman swiped at her eyes. “They all deserve to die.”

  A few heads nodded.

  “Yes, they do.” Mavis walked to the edge of the stage.

  One of the prisoners fainted. Her compatriots propped her up. Fear made them collapse in a tight knot.

  “But we deserve justice more.” She spoke to the woman directly, meeting the hatred in her eyes and accepting it. She’d known her decision wouldn’t be popular. But the right thing wasn’t always the most popular. “And justice is not the same as vengeance. It requires wisdom and faith and a thousand other things that vengeance ignores. To stoop to vengeance would put us on their level and deprive us of a future. We are better than that. For the sake of our children and their children, we must rise above the greed, envy and hatred that drove these people.”