Encountering Evil: Dark Horse Guardians Book Two

by Armstrong, Ava

  The military people at the roadhouse knew Ben was a contractor working for the U.S. government and that he taught at the university, but didn’t know much beyond that. Many assumed he was a bodyguard to someone famous and that was exactly what he wanted them to think. It was an unspoken agreement that his work would not be discussed. They knew that he provided security – he was a guardian – period. That satisfied people and he would invariably change the subject to discuss their lives. Everyone needed someone to listen and Ben was a good audience. He did not make harsh judgments and he did not push his advice. But he would always listen. If someone asked for his help he would offer suggestions. More than anything, Lara admired the patience and kindness he showed to these veterans who were living lives of quiet desperation.

  As for her life, her newly formed renovation business was hopping. Lara was now up to her neck in renovations on the beautiful purple Victorian, now Eric Henderson's home. It was the place Ben once said he would buy for her. They no longer walked by the stunning Victorian on their daily strolls with Einstein. Lara's relationship with Eric was now strictly business. When Ben found out about Eric sending texts and photos to his ex-wife to derail his divorce, he wanted to confront Eric Henderson and beat him to a pulp. But after a lengthy discussion with Lara, Ben reasoned that violence would solve nothing. Lara convinced Ben the best revenge was living well. So, she agreed to do the renovation of Eric's purple Victorian but was charging him double. Eric signed the contract for the extensive renovation and agreed to everything.

  Nevertheless, Lara remained aware that Ben was more than sensitive about her being around Eric. In fact, Ben had launched into a detailed explanation about how guys just don't get over a girl they were in love with. Ben was concerned that Lara never gave Eric the time and distance to emotionally move on. To make the situation more agreeable, Lara made sure whenever possible Monique accompanied her on visits to the purple Victorian. This arrangement seemed to lessen Ben's insecurity about the project.

  Her phone rang and the bubbly voice on the other end was Lara’s intern, Monique, “Bonjour!” Energetic and intelligent, she was a petite blonde girl with a French background, and aspirations to be a famous designer. Filled with enthusiasm, Monique had just finished her bachelor's degree and was starting her master's. She signed a contract to intern with Lara for the next twenty-four months. Lara replied, “Bonjour! What’s up?” Monique ran through the coming week’s appointments in great detail, “Just double-checking everything.” After twenty minutes, the phone call ended. That’s what Lara liked about Monique, she was thorough and always planning ahead.

  The doorbell buzzed and unexpectedly the florist handed Lara a beautiful bouquet of fresh pink Peonies in a cut-glass vase. She softly fingered the delicate blossoms while inhaling the fresh scent. They were nothing short of stunning. Unable to suppress a smile she slipped open the tiny card. "I can't stop thinking about you…love, Ben" was scrawled in his handwriting. He always sent flowers when she least expected them. He was constantly jotting simple little notes to her on the chalkboard in the kitchen. She kept the grocery list there for him, and his replies were sometimes hilarious. "Tonight's agenda: cook dinner and have you for dessert!" These little communiqués always made her smile. Some days she would find a piece of paper folded and tucked into the front pocket of her leather sack simply saying, I love you, my darlin' and it would momentarily take her breath away knowing he was thinking of her the moment he rose before sunrise. There were times when she wondered if it would always be like this with Ben, romantic and exciting. It was as if each day her love for him grew even deeper, if that was possible.

  As Lara gathered the mail from the receptacle on the porch, she noticed an interesting little package had arrived for Ben. She turned the small parcel over to read the return address. Toronto, it was from Ben's son, William. She knew William's handwriting. Ben had been phoning his son on a regular basis ever since the divorce was final. Oddly enough, the divorce actually brought father and son closer together. Father's Day was fast approaching and Lara imagined William might have sent a small gift to Ben. Whatever it was, she knew Ben would open it with curiosity as soon as he laid eyes upon it. She knew he wanted to strengthen his bond with William.

  ~ Ben ~

  The services that Ben's Dark Horse Guardians had to offer were highly sought after by several intelligence agencies around the world. Countries surrounding Iraq and Afghanistan were seeking his services to root out several particularly evil terrorist groups. Ben was careful not to take on more than he could handle. His focus was to fight terror on American soil in a quiet clandestine manner. For the past few weeks he’d been busy stocking his inventory with the latest technology. Rusty's bunker beneath the gun range was now filled with surveillance cameras, fake passports, night vision goggles, fixed blade knives, the newest Kevlar body armor, devices to hack and interrupt electronic signals, a wide array of firearms, silencers, ammo, secure digital radios, satellite phones, and M14.7.62 semi-automatic machine guns. These powerful 7.62 rounds had an 800 yard range and a 20 round magazine. He loaded the long guns with all the bells and whistles: lasers, scopes, and grenade launchers. His favorite new surveillance device was a drone the size of a dragonfly. The reconnaissance photographs it provided were high definition and the GPS provided pinpoint accuracy. He wasn't preparing for battle in the Hindu Kush but would utilize many of these tools in his surveillance and elimination of targets on American soil.

  Ben's December trip overseas had given him a wealth of actionable intelligence to work with. Unknown to American citizens going about their daily lives filled with work and leisure activities, there was a dark element of evil continually planning and scheming to do them great harm. These were not news stories or events that would appear in the daily broadcasts on CNN or Fox. These stories were not for public knowledge or consumption. Some things were better kept a guarded secret, quietly dealt with, off the record. And, they would be, for now.

  Ben's real estate properties were owned by a fronted real estate firm with no obvious ties to Dark Horse or Ben. Delightful Realty was actually owned by an investment company, Pembroke International. That company was owned by Irish Financial Strategies LLC, based in Ireland and owned by his brother, Seamus. Ben's brother also handled all Dark Horse financial transactions, moving money in and out of various foreign bank accounts to keep it from the prying eyes of government regulators. Ben paid all of his operatives in cash and kept no records.

  All of the Dark Horse Guardians had front jobs operating a used car rental business. The auto rental occupation gave his operatives the flexibility needed to take on Dark Horse missions and travel when necessary. Plus it gave the men a wide variety of different vehicles to use whenever needed. It was important for their safety, however, to appear to the outside world to have a normal job. The men in the group had no noticeable association. All of their meets were done privately in remote areas and always in disguise using different vehicles and license plates.

  Lara didn't know about the bunker beneath Rusty's gun range yet. Ben decided he would fill her in gradually. There were surveillance and reconnaissance contracts in play at the moment and he was focused on the task at hand. There was one location Ben really didn't want to show to Lara until he felt she was ready. It was a place where people who needed to disappear really did disappear -- a black site. It was a steel storage hut with an extensive bunker underneath. The building was on land owned by a fronted taxidermy company somewhere between Mud Pond Ridge and Wisdom Lake in the heavily forested rugged terrain of Northern Maine. The land was originally an Indian Purchase and was hidden just beyond the Allagash wilderness.

  In this remote location, evidence and other things were disposed of using hydrochloric acid in 55-gallon drums. Being an environmentalist, Ben made sure to handle and dispose of the waste according to DEP regulations. Utilizing the fronted taxidermy company allowed him to gain the proper licensing and environmental permits. The hut was monitored by security c
ameras that he watched remotely and an employee of Dark Horse kept an eye on the building and everything in it. The caretaker was Alvin Nichols, a part-time taxidermist and a veteran proficient with weapons. A loner and severely wounded in Viet Nam, this vet was a man of few words. Alvin needed the work and he was perfect for the job.

  In his personal life, Ben's most recent focus was trying to keep a somewhat normal schedule with Lara. He had the summer off and planned to continue teaching at the university in the fall. It proved to be the perfect cover job. He still stayed up all night sometimes working on tactical plans for Dark Horse missions. Lately, he tried to cut back on his night hours to spend more time doing ordinary things with Lara. She particularly loved riding the 1940's Indian Motorcycle, going to restaurants with friends and family, or hanging at the roadhouse playing pool or dancing on Saturday nights. He kept his appointments with Rusty and Lara at the range to keep their shooting skills sharp. Visits to the dojo with Don were sporadic and less frequent and Ben missed the martial arts matches with Lara. But Ben knew that Don had hired a new part-time instructor, Randall Bettencourt, and Lara enjoyed tossing him onto the mat once in a while. Ben often ran into Bettencourt at the roadhouse. In fact, it was Ben who introduced Bettencourt to Don and recommended him for the job. Bettencourt was in Ben's platoon in the Navy and the two had served as frogmen together in several combat missions in Iraq.

  Ben ran his hand over the stubble on his face. He decided not to shave for now, but moved into the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower. He had business to mull over. Unknown to Lara, Ben was searching for a piece of residential property to purchase just outside of Portland. He wanted a homestead that had some acreage and a barn. He didn't want to include her in the house search just yet. It was his custom to investigate things first then present a variety of choices. It wasn't that he wanted to leave Lara out of the process, but he didn't want to bother her with trivial details. This practice was part of his military DNA.

  He wanted Lara's design studio to be separate from their home. He needed to keep things at home locked down due to the nature of his consulting work. His major concern was security. Even though his condo in the pink Victorian was a convenient place to live, they needed more space for storage and work. The condo was fine for now, but he felt vulnerable even though he installed an elaborate security system. Owning a property would allow him to install more sophisticated safety features. Ben was thinking of the future with Lara. They both wanted children. He knew they would need an extra bedroom or two, and a place to store some of his equipment.

  ~ Lara ~

  While Lara and her intern visited one of her renovation projects in the fashionable West end of Portland, she heard a strange sound next door. The home she was renovating was an enormous John Calvins Stevens colonial revival on a perfectly landscaped lot. But today, once again, Lara heard female screams coming from the stately manor next door. Today when she met with Diana Farrington, the owner of the home she was renovating, she decided to ask a few questions. Standing in front of the stately brick mansion, Lara rang the doorbell. The contractors' vehicles were there in the driveway and she knew Ralph Perkins, her general contractor, would most likely answer the door. "Come on in," Ralph appeared as expected. "I think you'll be impressed with the progress we've made in the past few days." Lara entered the elegant foyer of the 1800's mansion. The elaborate trim work, baseboards and moldings had been meticulously sanded and stained to their original glory. Okay Lara, close your eyes…” Ralph guided Lara into the kitchen with his hands on her shoulders, "Now open them! What do you think?" his smile was infectious. For a long moment Lara's eyes took in the details of the hand-crafted cabinetry and butler's pantry. "Perfect!" she smiled back.

  Ralph Perkins was her go-to guy for renovations. Lara actually borrowed him from Eliot Stone and hadn't returned him. She had forged a strong relationship built on trust and mutual respect with Ralph during her internship. Ralph Perkins was married, in his 40's, with two children. He had a master journeyman's background and he, too, was a war veteran. He had served two tours in the Army Reserves during the Iraq conflict and seemed to be happy with his lot in life. Although Lara's projects were not as prolific as Eliot Stone's yet, Ralph took the chance and signed contracts with her. He was an independent contractor, but he promised to prioritize her projects above anyone else's to help get her new firm off the ground.

  In Lara's Dark Horse Renovation folder on her computer there were now ten residential projects in various stages of transformation. She was much busier than she anticipated, but happy that her business had such a successful launch. No doubt Eliot Stone's assistance was responsible for her immediate success. She had been invited to every soiree at his mansion and he introduced her to many potential clients, always showering her with compliments making her blush. She would be stopping by his estate today to view the renovation she was heading up there. It was her number one project at the moment, very large in scope and challenging for two reasons. First, the house was built in 1925, so it had issues to address because of its age. But secondly, the project was challenging because Eliot Stone was her former employer and a trusted friend. One who Ben detested, but she needed to keep a professional relationship with him for business reasons.

  After Ralph gave her a tour of the Farrington place, Lara pulled him aside. "Have you heard a lot of noise from the house next door?" Ralph leaned toward Lara, "Funny you should ask…the crew and I watched a very loud argument take place on the back porch today…it was the father and daughter. They're a well-to-do family from Pakistan, I think. Strict theology, if you know what I mean." Lara was immediately concerned, "What exactly happened?" Ralph shook his head, "We didn't want to get involved…but I think the father was upset because his daughter has a boyfriend. We saw him hit her several times. It looked like she was getting slapped around pretty badly." Lara's face took on an expression of alarm, "Ralph, we've got to report this…it’s a physically abusive situation…" Ralph shook his head, "I've been in Iraq, Lara. This is how these folks live. The father runs the show. The women are beaten into submission. And, if the women go against anything the father wants, they will pay for it. It's a different culture." Lara countered, "I know it's a different culture, but these people chose to live in America and we have laws against that sort of cruelty."

  Lara couldn't stop thinking about a young woman being abused and no one doing anything about it. She immediately called Randall Bettencourt when she got back into her vehicle. Lara simply said, "We need to talk…" His voice was soft but serious on the other end of the phone, "Stop by the station, I'm here right now finishing up some paperwork." Lara drove to the police station to talk with Bettencourt. She planned to go to Eliot Stone's to check on the renovation progress after reporting the incident to the police.

  ~ Ben ~

  On the phone with Claire, his realtor, Ben was adamant about seeing two properties as soon as possible. One was a twelve acre farm about twenty minutes outside of Portland. And, he found a small bungalow for sale or lease in Portland that would be perfect for Lara's renovation business. The bungalow was in a good location and he knew it would sell quickly. "Okay, Claire, when can I get in to see the place?" Ben's tone was insistent. There was a brief silence on the other end of the line as the realtor viewed her schedule. "Let me make a phone call and get right back to you, okay Ben?" He agreed and ended the call. Five minutes later he picked up the ringing phone, "Hey Ben, I can meet you at the farm today at 1:00 and you can see the bungalow for Lara at 2:00…how's that for efficiency?" Ben thanked her and hung up.

  He sent a text to Lara letting her know he was off on an errand, but didn't say exactly what it was. It was a warm sunny day and he opted for a short sleeve T-shirt and light cotton pants. Revving the Indian motorcycle, he slipped his helmet and goggles on and coasted down the main road heading in the general direction of the farm. As he enjoyed the breeze whipping around him, he suddenly felt a twinge of regret for not bringing Lara along on the excursion
. Chastising himself, he knew being married involved decision making with his new wife. Respect. He didn't just want it to be a word he used when taking an inventory of his feelings for Lara, it was something he truly felt for her. He stopped on the edge of the road and sent another text to his new wife, "Can you go with me on this errand?" She messaged back, "I'm with Bettencourt at the station…and I have an appointment after this." He sent a final text, "OK see you for dinner," then, continued on his journey to the farm on the outskirts of Yarmouth Maine.

  Claire, the realtor, met Ben in the gravel driveway and he slowly walked through the farmhouse with her. Claire was an older woman with substantial knowledge and experience. As he did with any project, Ben asked questions to gain as much information as possible. "What year was this built?" Ben asked Claire. She read from her iPad, "1940…and it does need work, but there are four bedrooms, Ben, that's what you wanted." Ben examined the exposed beams throughout and immediately liked the simple feel of the place. It was utilitarian in design. The kitchen was almost completely original with an antique wood-burning cook stove, which Ben found charming, but he surmised Lara would want to renovate. The large attached barn and screened side porch were of interest. He imagined Lara lingering on the screened porch on a warm summer night reading in a porch glider.

  He took great care going through every room and examined the barn with particular interest. It would be the perfect place to stash his equipment and lock it down. "How much would they be willing to take for this place, bottom line?" he asked Claire with a serious tone. "Not a penny less than $750,000." Ben hesitated as he performed a mental calculus factoring in Lara's potential renovation. "It's a possibility…" he exhaled and smiled at Claire, "Let me talk with Lara about it. I'm pressed for time. Let's see the other property."