“Shit, how many are there?” he asked in frustration at a bullet being fired
“More than six!” replied Kyle.
Scott grabbed a pistol from one of the men on the floor and dived into the corridor. The shooter was just a few feet from the door and had not expected anyone to come out. The Unit member scrambled to take the shot at the blur of Scott’s body flashing out of the door but it was too late, Scott already had. The bullet struck him in the centre of the forehead and stopped any concerns about getting a shot off.
“Seven!” shouted Scott from the corridor.
“Nutter,” replied Kirk.
“Grab Ashley, we need to go pay Mr DuPont a visit.” shouted Scott, adding to himself as he covered the hallway. “Every time I think these fuckers can’t piss me off anymore, they do just that!”
Chapter 77
As they sped out towards the Grand Chateau that lined the banks of Lake Geneva, Scott received a call from the Prime Minister which instantly changed their plans. News had come through to him that DuPont and Astor had fled back to the US and were, as they spoke, aboard Transcon jets on their way to New York.
Scott told the driver to head back to the airport while he tried to work out how they could get to the US without Transcon finding out. Commercial was out, every passenger entering the US would be under severe scrutiny and the moment they found which plane they were on they’d just shoot it down and Scott had no intention to make it that easy. The UK didn’t have any long haul jets in the Royal flight. They couldn’t trust anyone from the US. It seemed the President only had two people he could trust.
“We could charter a jet?” suggested Ashley.
“I could chip in $100, Kirk?” said Kyle.
“I could stretch to $200 if we get one I can stand in, Scott?” said Kirk laughing.
“I could maybe manage a bit more. $500,” smiled Scott.
“Very funny, I’ll pay for it,” replied Ashley.
“Beautiful and rich, shame you found her first,” whispered Kyle nudging Scott in the ribs.
“Wait a minute, I’ve got the accounts in Geneva, I never even asked what was in them.”
Scott picked up the phone and dialled the Rothschild bank and asked for Herr Krauss.
“Good afternoon Mr Kennedy, how may I help you today?” asked Herr Krauss.
“Can you give me my balances please?”
“Of course, just give me a second.”
Scott heard Herr Krauss tapping away on his keyboard.
“In the personal account 12 million 869 thousand 241 dollars and 98 cents, and in the savings account, 31 million 154 thousand 33 dollars and 2 cents.”
Scott’s arm began to shake, the most he had ever had in any account was about $8,000 and that was because he had been on an assignment where he couldn’t spend anything for 3 months.
“OK and if I need to make a payment from the account,”
“Just phone me and I’ll transfer the funds, we have a card being made for you and it should be ready for you in a few days.”
Scott put the phone down, dazed at his new found fortune. Who needed Transcon?
“Well?”
“The flights on me!” he announced.
After a two hour wait for a jet to be prepared and the best part of $200,000 worse off, Scott, Ashley, Kirk and Kyle boarded the Bombardier Global 5000 for the eight hour flight to New York.
Chapter 78
With nobody looking for her, Jasmin slipped through the heightened security at JFK with ease. Her passport this time suggested she was from Singapore and her cover story was that she was there on a business trip for a few days. Not matching any of the four mug shots in the immigration officials special watch list, she was passed through.
Within an hour, she was standing on the corner opposite one of New York City’s tallest skyscrapers, with TRANSCON emblazoned above its main entrance. The building although not the tallest was more stylish than most and most definitely more secure than any. Uniformed guards milled around the entrance while other less than discreet undercover security mingled with the public on the street. Inside the lobby large airport style scanners had been installed and every person had to go through the security control before access was gained through small tight corridors. If you did manage to get through the outer ring you’d have to run down the small corridors which Jasmin felt certain would have security gates at either end and shooting holes throughout. These corridors would become prison cells in an instant and coffins shortly after.
Frontal assault was most definitely ruled out and following a quick check of fire exits, it seemed that Transcon was going to be a very tough nut to crack.
Next on the list was equipment but with no plan to speak of, that wasn’t going to be easy. However, the usual wouldn’t go amiss and she called one of the numbers given to her by Scott. She detailed what she wanted and confirmed she would accept similar alternatives if need be. It wouldn’t be easy he informed her but give him a few hours and he’d have them ready for her. With no plans but plenty of firepower, they could at least just go for it and die an honourable death she thought. Her phone rang.
“Hello?”
“It’s me. How are you getting on?” asked Scott.
“Shit, it’s a fucking fortress.”
“Thought as much. The other two are going there too. We’re on our way and should be with you in about three hours.”
“Cool, see you then.”
Both had been careful not to mention any names. Hopefully Transcon were still unaware of their imminent arrival.
Scott opened up one of the complimentary laptops and began to search. He had an idea how to land with minimum fuss but it wasn’t going to be easy. After a few minutes, he made a phone call to one of the President’s men who told him what he needed to do. Scott, under the watchful eyes of his co-passengers, went to speak to the captain to see how much it would take to buy his agreement. Scott was fairly certain he’d be able to cover it with his accounts.
It took more than he thought. Pilots weren’t easy to bribe, particularly when they believed what they were doing would potentially destroy their careers. To assure him that was not the case, the President would probably give him a medal. That cost Scott double the amount, trying to use the President just made the pilot think it was even dodgier than he had initially thought. Rather than lose his licence, visions of imprisonment for drug running or worse flashed through his mind. However, for $500,000, the pilot was happy to do and risk whatever. All upfront and therefore after a call to Geneva and confirmation that the transfer was complete, the transponder was switched off and they took up position just above a nearby Jumbo Jet on course for JFK, close enough to hide their image from radar and just far enough not to alert passengers of their presence.
As they neared their final approach, the smaller jet began to slow and fall under the mass of the huge airliner. Just before they came into sight of JFK’s tower and comfortably below its radar, they banked sharply to the East and lined up for their landing at New York’s first municipal airport, Floyd Bennett Field, officially opened on the 23rd May 1931. Although closed for many years, thanks to recent airshows the runway was still maintained and with a runway length of just under 5000 ft, the Bombardier Global 5000 landed with plenty to spare and once refuelled would have just enough room to get airborne again.
Ashley, Scott, Kirk and Kyle stepped out of the aircraft and onto the tarmac and into the US. By the time the nearest police officer arrived on the scene, they were long gone. Leaving the pilot to bullshit his way out of trouble, a fuel truck had been arranged before they landed and fortunately the police officer didn’t consider a fuel truck at an abandoned airport as out of the ordinary. The pilot explained how an engine leak had forced him down and how if he flew any further, he could have blown up over a populated area. Fortunately they bought it and left the pilot to tinkering with a spanner in the engine. As the cop left, the fuel truck finished and moved away. The pilot put the cover back on the
engine and two minutes later was powering down the runway as the immigration officers came tearing down the runway after him. They were too late, his wheels were up and his next stop was Geneva. He had made it and $500,000 to boot.
Chapter 79
Jasmin gave the details of where to meet her. Fortunately, it wasn’t far away. A small workshop in Brooklyn. On arrival, Jasmin whisked them through the door and into the large workshop area dominated by a black Chevrolet Suburban which had recently been delivered with all the weapons and equipments they had requested.
Scott didn’t waste any time.
“OK, what have we got?”
Jasmin laid out a number of photos she had surreptitiously snapped of the building and highlighted the security she had seen.
“Shit, it’s not going to be easy. Any sign of DuPont or Astor?”
“No, but there’s a helicopter pad on the roof, it’s highly unlikely they’d come by road,” replied Jasmin.
“We could just fly a chopper onto the roof and come in that way,” suggested Ashley.
“Nah, if they’re that secure down here you have to assume they’ve got stingers up there. They had them in London,” replied Scott. “Can we make it from the ground?” he asked.
“We may as well have flown the plane straight into the building. We’d definitely die but at least with the plane we’d have a chance of taking them with us.”
“So we have to come from the top, without knowing what’s up there.”
Kyle and Kirk smiled. “Excellent! Helicopter tour.”
“Yep,” replied Scott.
Two hours later, the group were enjoying the highlights of the New York skyline although with high powered binoculars their focus was on one particular building. The security was just as they had feared. Tight. A small bunker sat on top of the huge structure next to the helipad and from the activity, it appeared there were at least ten men stationed there with heavy weaponry up to and including stingers. It was the tallest building in the area. No building overlooked it, other than the Empire State building and that was over a mile away. Even then, the bunker would offer excellent cover to any sniper good enough to shoot over that distance.
Back at the workshop, morale began to drop.
“There must be a way to get to them. The fuckers can’t get away with what they’ve done,” said Jasmin angrily.
“How about a Transcon helicopter? We’d maybe get in on that,” suggested Kyle.
Scott considered the suggestion, it was one of the best so far but it was still too risky. Even in their own livery, if it wasn’t expected, they’d probably shoot it down.
“Jesus, that’s it. Guys get your kit ready, we’re going tonight.”
Scott picked up the phone and made a call. Afterall, he had said anything he could do to help. He then called John Butler-Jones with the instruction.
“Get the papers ready, tomorrow we go to court. I’m going to get my father’s company back.”
Chapter 80
Ernst took the call and passed it through to Freeman immediately before he left for the evening. He needed some space,. The three Transcon bosses were acting like scared little children and were doing his head in with their constant need for reassurance that they were safe.
Freeman took the call and immediately hushed his colleagues who were chattering in the background as he tried to hear the caller.
“Mr President, of course we’d be delighted to see you. I didn’t know you were in town.” After a few seconds of listening, he added “Yes of course that’ll be fine, I’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Who was that?” asked Peter Astor.
“Dan Mitchum, he’s in town and was devastated to hear what happened to Charles and wants to come over and pay his respects.”
“Has he ever visited before?” asked a suspicious DuPont.
“A few years ago, fairly similar, dropped by when he was in town. We are his biggest contributor.”
DuPont relaxed.
***
As the President replaced the receiver, he called through to his secretary, one of the few people he felt he could still trust.
“Janie, if anyone calls asking where I am, I’m in New York, OK? Anybody, oh except for Gerald or Agent Jennings.”
“Will do, Mr President.”
As she considered the request it was something that the man had suggested he’d be interested in. Any strange requests by the President, things that seemed out of the ordinary, any discussion involving other politicians, or presidential candidates. All she needed to do was text him the details and for that her mother would enjoy the benefits of one of America’s premiere retirement homes for the rest of her life, all on him.
She withdrew her cell phone and making sure nobody was watching, typed in the message and sent it to the number. What harm could it do? Afterall, it wasn’t hard to find out the President wasn’t in New York.
***
Not knowing anywhere better, Scott arranged the meet at Floyd Bennett Field. With a fuming Ashley behind the wheel, they drew to a stop just two minutes before the allotted meet. Only Scott, Kirk, Kyle and Jasmin would be going on the mission. Ashley would stay behind, much to her disgust, and drive the car to the building just in case they needed her. She, of course, knew this was bullshit and it was simply because the other four were used to working with each other. Well that and the fact that they were much better fighters than she could ever hope to be but she certainly wasn’t going to admit that to them. Those fuckers had also killed her parents.
As the lights began to descend towards them, they climbed out of the Suburban. All were dressed smartly in suits and wore shades, despite it being night time. Kirk’s previously strapped arm hung limply, in an attempt to hide his injury. They each carried a H&K MP5SD sub machine gun and a Sig Sauer 229 pistol fitted with a silencer. As the VH3D Sea King helicopter came into land, the first thing they noticed was the livery, the familiar olive green body with white top and the United State of America written down the tail and the final clue to its occupant, the seal of the President of the United state of America was on the door. Of course this was one of nineteen such helicopters but then the only time people ever saw it was when the President was in it.
The K Squad boarded and waved goodbye to Ashley as the helicopter took off. The pilot turned round and asked for a destination. Scott explained. The nose dipped and within minutes, they were circling over the top of the Transcon Tower, as the pilot judged the wind direction and best approach to land.
With only seconds to go, Scott, Kirk, Kyle and Jasmin cocked there MP5’s and hoped that none of the guards spotted that they were carrying SD models. The secret service would normally carry shorter KA4 variants. As the helicopter touched down, the four exited the aircraft and as would be expected from Secret Service agents, surveyed the location before allowing the President to exit.
***
The text came through not long after Ernst had left the building. Having missed the point of the President’s call initially, it made no sense and he thought nothing of it. The woman was always sending useless information and he was beginning to wonder who was getting the better deal, him or her.
However, on a call to Baker a short while later, all became clear. Baker had told Ernst of the President’s surprise visit and thought perhaps he should return to the office just to keep an eye on the three stooges. But when Ernst had broken the news of the text, it seemed obvious that the whole thing was a set up. Baker quickly explained what Ernst had to do. The opportunity was not one to be missed. Ernst immediately returned to the office and got everything in place and as Marine One was landing on the roof, he made his second exit of the day.
***
The guards did exactly what Scott expected, looked on as the four of them scanned the roof for threats. With a wave, the pilot much to the confusion of the guards, did exactly as instructed, took off and hovered a thousand feet above them.
As the guards’ eyes followed the ascending helicopter, t
hey shot the men where they stood. There was no time for mercy. All received double taps to the head. As the last four bodies were still falling to the ground, the four were off and moving, guns up, ready for any eventuality. As they made their way down the stairs, two more guards were taken out. The door onto the main reception area for the top floor lay ahead. Scott pulled it open slightly, three guards waited by the elevator doors. Scott held up three fingers and pointed the direction.
Three nods told him they were ready. He pulled the door wide open and Kirk, Kyle and Jasmin each dropped one each, Jasmin from a lying position, Kyle squatting over her and Kirk standing behind. The reception area was empty. Scott held his arm up, something was wrong. He held them back.
“If the president was coming to see you, would you wait in your office for him?” he whispered.
All three shook there heads in the negative.
Scott told them to cover him as he ran in the crouched position across the reception area. The door to the boardroom was closed and a Do Not Disturb sign was in place. Scott didn’t like it. That was not how you prepared for a visit by the US President. Scott pulled out a small retractable mirror, normally used for looking round corners and placed it under the door. The wires attached to the door handle would ensure anyone turning it would have a seriously bad hair day. He couldn’t see all the explosives but could see enough to know that the top floor of the building would be two floors lower after the explosion.
It also explained why so few guards were in position on the top floor. They knew they were coming. As Scott began to retract the mirror, the angle changed and he caught sight of a face sitting in one of the boardroom chairs. It was Andrew DuPont, only his tanned complexion had taken on a somewhat greyer hue. They needed to get into the boardroom, without triggering the explosive.
Scion Page 31
