by S. K. Lessly
Bring it on, fuckers!
18
Shane
“Do you see her?” I asked Junior, yelling over the heavy rotor blades of the UH-1D Bell helicopter. The UH-1D, better known as a Huey, was a large helicopter capable of carrying at the most twelve people. Typically, a Huey would be equipped with one M60D door gun. This particular Huey was fitted with two guns, one on both sides. They were currently manned by two of my men. I wasn’t playing around tonight.
The Huey coasted over the Atlantic Ocean, traveling down the west side of Dewey Beach, heading toward Misty's last location. Six members of Tango team and two from Gulf team were riding with me, armed to the teeth with AR15s locked and loaded. The pilot and co-pilot were searching the area for anything out of the ordinary as well as manning the camera feeds from this bird. I also had two manning the M60Ds, searching the horizon for any threats.
Honestly, when I’d instructed Tango and Gulf teams to be ready to move, I hadn’t expect we’d hit resistance. All this was supposed to be was a pickup. However, I was glad I was a paranoid SOB. We were ten minutes away from her location, when Junior told me about the company heading toward Misty’s location from the street and beach. Tightness seized my chest immediately. I may have been pissed at her, got damn livid, but there was no way I would let anything happen to her. Thank fuck we found her when we did. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if we hadn’t.
I had no idea how they found her. There was no way to track her. In fact, we couldn’t even track her. Now, they were hunting her. No matter. They had no idea I was coming and Hell was riding shotgun.
“Yes, I found her,” Junior announced, cutting into my thoughts. “She’s running into the woods across the street from the house. I sent the images to your tablet.”
I tapped on the tablet in my hand and studied the footage Junior sent. “Show me the live feed from the camera on this bird?”
Junior did as I’d instructed and the image quickly shifted to an infrared view of the area underneath us. I widened the view and found multiple figures merging onto a densely populated area. It must be the woods Junior had mentioned.
Bryant, the commander for Tango team, was leaning close to me reviewing the screen. He pointed to the screen and said, “That has to be her. She moving fast.”
I agreed but didn’t reply. I widened the view further, pulling the image back so I could see more of the area and spotted a prone figured diagonally to Misty’s left. At first, I squinted at that figure, trying to figure out what he was doing. Then it hit me. My eyes went wide and I shoved the tablet toward Bryant, climbing out of my seat, and shifting toward the opening of the Huey.
I reached under the seat and pulled out a M110 semi-automatic sniper rifle. I tapped my earpiece to send Comms to the pilot and looked over my shoulder.
“Get me closer to those woods directly across from the house. Ten o’clock.”
“Roger that,” the pilot replied in my ear. I turned and faced the night sky. The view of houses flying by was replaced with darkness that could only be the wooded area. When the Huey shifted, I settled the rifle on my shoulder and placed the scope to my eye.
The scope was enhanced to read thermal imaging, which meant I would see heat signatures, distorted red, yellow and orange figures, representing the living. I surveyed the area first, trying to locate the threat I had seen. I clocked a massive, indistinct heat signature slowly moving through the woods. I searched deeper into the woods and found a lone figure heading north, zigzagging their steps, changing directions. Misty. She wasn’t moving as fast as she should have. They would catch her soon. I lifted my head and stared out into the night. I could feel her anguish, her fear, her need for me.
My own burning need to protect her roared fiercely through me. I searched the area again, looking for the sniper I had seen minutes ago. It took two passes but I found him.
“There you are you son of a bitch. Good fucking night.”
I removed the safety from the rifle aimed and breathed out slowly. This wasn’t going to be an easy shot. My perch wasn’t exactly stable. The winds were swirling around the Huey, which would throw off my shot. Still, I concentrated on my target. I visualized him searching for Misty through his scope, lining up his sights to take a shot. Would he kill her outright or would he toy with her? Did Emily want her alive or dead? I figured she would want her alive so she could torture Misty herself before she killed her.
Not on my fucking watch.
“Get me closer, Rosco,” I called to the pilot. “Keep it steady. That’s it. Hold your position.”
It was now or never. I took the shot, firing once, twice, and watched the heat signature fade to black. The sounds from the shots were drowned out by the sound of the helicopter, which was in our favor. I knew the police would be merging on this area soon, I didn’t need them reporting shots coming from a helicopter overhead.
I lowered the rifle and turned to the team, the need to get to her growing stronger.
“Alright listen up. King has some heat merging on her quick. We’re going to spilt up and meet in the middle. I have no idea how many are following her, but it’s one too many in my opinion. I have no idea if she’s armed, either so we need to neutralize the threat quickly. Rosco will get us as close to the woods as possible, about one hundred yards. Rules of engagement is to kill on sight. They will not leave this area alive, understood?”
I received a bunch of hell “yeahs” and “hoorahs” in response. I tapped the comms for the pilot. I gave orders to hover over the woods, a few yards back from Misty’s location. This wasn’t a stealth insertion. I knew they heard us coming. We needed to move quickly.
I held up three fingers and pointed to Bryant, the lead commander, and three others. They nodded back, checked their weapons and began preparing to repel down from the Huey. We all were already strapped with a safety belt, harness and tether. Each of us pulled on gloves for the descent, helmets and goggles. Four climbing rope bags were dropped out of the side of the bird, the bags used as weights to keep the ropes steady. The Huey wasn’t big enough for all of us to jump at the same time. So, I instructed the team to split up on each side. Four would descend together, then supply cover while the final two made their way down.
Once the four was ready, meaning their tethers were connected to the rope and they double checked their connection was secure, they inched their way to the openings on either side of the Huey. Each man swung their legs to the outside of the chopper and placed their feet on skids, the legs upon which the chopper landed on.
Each man pivoted 180-degrees facing the inside of the chopper. They all looked to me and I gave them the hand signal to descend into blackness. Myself and one other man covered them with the door guns as they made their way to the ground.
After a few seconds, Bryant sent two squawks indicating they were down. I looked at my repel partner and signaled it was time for us to go. He and I prepared ourselves for the descent and ten seconds later we were all fanning out looking for Misty and the targets.
Adrenaline pumped through my veins with the impeding gun fight. Actually, I knew it wouldn’t be much of a fight. I was more concerned with finding Misty. My need was turning into a whole lot more. I could feel her calling to me. I moved faster, my eyes searching through my scope ready to take down the first mother fucker I found. I found two coming toward me and I didn’t hesitate. I took them down without breaking stride.
I’m coming, baby. Hang on. I’m coming.
Kenya
My heart hadn’t eased since the moment I saw my husband being thrown into that panel van. I hadn’t had another panic attack, but my heart was heavy and my chest ached.
My extraction from the panic room unfolded uneventfully. I had changed into a long maxi dress, packed my computer and waited for my bother to come get us. It didn’t take long for them to arrive. Curtis told me there wasn’t anyone waiting outside, but he must have forgotten there were cameras outside. I saw what he and Jesse did to the
m. It wasn’t pretty.
The area around my house was surrounded by fire and rescue. They had extinguished the remaining embers, everything Josh and I owned was gone in a matter of seconds. I couldn’t care less about material things. It was my husband that had my chest tight and my heart ready to burst.
Once the area was secured, I exited the panic room from a side door, far away from the house. We took a circuitous route back to the road, using the darkness for cover from the first responders who were working frantically trying to figure out if my house had been occupied before it blew up. We piled into an armored vehicle and hauled ass back to the office. On the drive, I had asked Curtis about my security detail. There was a car outside the house with four guys surrounding the area. I hadn’t seen them on the security feed. There was no car sitting idle as we drove away.
I asked the question again and again I was met with silence. Tears sprang to my eyes as the unspoken words hit me. God, how would this night end?
Once we arrived in the office, I quickly made my way to the brain center of our floor, placed Jay in a playpen next to my station, and looked at my counterparts.
“Do you have anything?”
Junior looked up from his monitors. “Nothing yet. We found the panel van, but it was abandoned at some warehouse. The warehouse is empty. We think there was another vehicle waiting for them.”
“Were you able to figure out what Emily said to her team?”
“Yeah, it was something about wanting to be seen taking Josh but not getting caught. Also wanting “her” to find them but not make it easy. We assume the “her” is Misty, since she thinks you died in the fire. So far, we haven’t found anything that would lead Misty to finding Emily, but we’re looking.”
Panic tried to seize my heart in that moment but I stamped it down. I didn’t need to freak out just yet. I would once I had my husband back and Misty and Malcolm were safe. Speaking of…
“What about Malcolm and Misty? Have they been located?”
Junior and Nickels both looked at each other solemnly before bringing sad eyes to me. I slumped in my chair, my heart going double time.
“What happened?”
Nickels took a deep breath and told me about Malcolm. I brought my hand to my mouth as tears began to fall down my face. Malcolm had been shot and was holding on for his life. God, what was happening? I closed my eyes and prayed that he’d be okay, that God would see it in his heart to heal Malcolm. He was the heart and soul of his family, of our family, we couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Not ever.
“Misty?” I asked on a whisper, holding my breath and praying hard silently.
“She’s being hunted by some unknown force.”
“Oh no!”
“But,” Nickels cut in and smiled. “Shane is on the ground and making his way to her. He won’t let anything happen to her. She’ll be fine.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank God.”
Junior smiled at me. “We have also sent a team with Malcolm to the hospital. They will make sure he’s safe. I think your brother-in-law sent a team too. Everyone is covered.”
“What about us?” I asked, turning on my laptop and logging on.
“We’re covered here too. We have security on high alert. Curtis, Jesse, and Jacks are here too. Everyone is manning the security cameras making sure we stay safe. They’re also on high alert waiting for us to locate Josh so they can get moving to save him.”
I sent a nod to Junior. “Well, we better get cracking. I want my husband back from that bitch.”
Junior had been scouring the many cameras in the city trying to find where Emily had gone. My contacts also came back with nothing. It was as if she disappeared.
I didn’t let that get me down. There was something here. I could smell it.
“Did you run the plates from the van?” I asked, lifting my head and looking at Junior and Nickels.
Jay started fussing and I reached over and picked him up. I bounced him up and down gently trying to ease him. When he started to cry, I stood and started rocking him. I had always said that my son and his father had some type of connection. Jay was always fussy and didn’t sleep well when Josh was away on a mission. But Mama Joe believed Jay received his anxiety from me. Well, if that was the case, he wasn’t going to settle down any time soon. I was teetering on the edge of sanity.
I looked at Nickels, waiting for him to answer while ignoring the loud crying coming from my son.
“Uh, yeah,” Nickels replied, looking from me to the baby and then back at me. “It was a dummy corporation. Nothing there to follow.”
“What was the name of the corporation?” I asked over the now inconsolable Jay.
Nickels began tapping on his keyboard, shaking his head as he worked.
I kept bouncing my son in my arms, trying to calm him. I spoke softly to him, telling him it’s going to be okay, kissing him on his dampened cheek but he only screamed louder.
Curtis came into the room frowning at me.
“What the fuck did you do?”
“What? I didn’t do…”
Curtis took my son from me and brought him to his broad chest. He began patting him on his back and wouldn’t you know? My son calmed down. “It’s okay, little man. Uncle C’s got you.” He looked over at me and his frowned deepened. “You get back to work. I’ve got little man.”
I shook my head. “You can’t do that and—”
“I said I got him. You find my boy, yeah?” And with that, he walked out of the room.
I stood there, mouth gaping, for a few seconds before I shook off my shock and plopped back down in my chair.
I looked over at a now smirking Nickels and gave him the finger. “What do you have?”
Nickels chuckled. “The company is called Hamlin and Piper Industries. The company looks good on paper. They’re a goods and merchandising company. They gather such things as grains of rice, wheat, various fruits and vegetables and ship them to areas that have been torn apart by natural disasters or areas that have been victimized by violence. So far, this company has sent aid to various countries all across Mexico and South America.”
“A humanitarian company?” I asked.
Nickels shrugged. “Looks that way on the surface. However, when you dive deeper into their finances and structure, shit doesn’t add up. There are names of board members that, underneath the surface, don’t exist. The financials are legit but some transactions don’t make sense either. Thousands and thousands of dollars went to Brazil for instance to cover an area decimated by mudslides. However, I swear the time of year the funds were sent, wasn’t the rainy season. There are other anomalies that don’t add up also.”
I sat straighter in my seat. Finance was my field of expertise. If there was anything there, I would find it.
“Okay, send me what you’ve found so far. I’ll dive deeper and see if I can find something. In the meantime, we need to go back the beginning with this case. Find a connection between Simon and Perchenko.”
“There is a connection. Dennis Simon was Perchenko’s nephew.”
My eyes widened. “Seriously? Who told you that?”
“Shane. He confirmed what Misty said about Simon working for the CIA as an informant. He told them he was Perchenko’s nephew.”
That son of a bitch. I knew he was holding out on me.
“What else did he say? Did he have a location for Perchenko?”
“No, and I don’t think he gave up anything else.” Nickels glanced at Junior and I could tell there was more but I knew I wouldn’t get it from these two. They were like my husband in that regards. They only gave what was relevant. If I didn’t have a need to know, they wouldn’t tell me squat.
“Okay,” I began, bringing their attention back to me. “We know that they’re related. We also can assume that Perchenko funded Dennis’s operation too. What else can we extrapolate from what we know?”
“So far, shit.” Nickels looked up at me briefly then returned back to h
is screens.
I breathed out a sigh and rubbed my belly. My back was starting to ache and I tried to stretch it out. I needed to get my mind right and all I kept thinking about was Josh.
Was he okay? How bad was he hurt? Where in the fuck was he?
I growled out my frustration and started pacing.
Think, Kenya, think.
I closed my eyes and emptied my mind. I thought about everything I learned about Perchenko, Dennis Simon, and the ONW bank. They were connected. Had to be. Hamlin and Piper Industries… that name sounded vaguely familiar. She hinted at leaving something for Misty to find her and all they had was the van. The CEO’s name was bogus. Good enough to pass inspection from the SEC and maybe the IRS, but that’s it.
Hamlin and Piper…
Hamlin and…
Suddenly, I gasped loudly, stopped pacing, and stared at my computer screen.
“What?” Junior asked looking up at me curiously.
I looked at him.
“Do a search on Hamlin and Piper.”
Junior banged on his keys for a few seconds then informed me, “Nothing really on Hamlin. The name of a NASCAR racer pops up. And there is an actor by that name, a U.S. Representative, a school—”
“Okay, okay. What about Piper?”
“Let’s see. There’s Piper aircraft, a Youtuber, a bag piper… a—”
My eyebrows shot up and I snapped my fingers and pointed at him.
“That’s it! Oh my God! That’s it.”
“What’s it?” Junior, confused looked from me to Nickels who was also smiling, then back at me. “What?”
I wobbled to my chair and sat down, rubbing my back before I took my seat.
“Don’t you see it? The Piper as in the Pied Piper? You know the fairy tale about a guy who rid some town of rats? I only remember because I recently bought a book on old folk fairy tales and the story was in it.”
“Yeah, I remember that one. And…” Nickels typed on his keyboard then grinned up at me. “The tale took place at some town in Germany called Hamlin.”
