The Koda Files Boxed Set - Books 1 & 2

by Ivan Bridgewater

  I popped open my laptop on the kitchen table, and typed in her name. She was nineteen, and in seconds I knew all about her. At least, as much as the internet knew.

  Her parents were killed in a bad accident according to the net. The car appeared horribly mangled and burned in the pictures. Of course, that wasn't my problem.

  I said, "Please give me one reason not to just kill you, and dump you in the river."

  She told me, "I have twenty thousand dollars. I’ll pay you if you just let me go."

  I leaned over to the junk drawer, and pulled it out. Taped to the bottom of it, was $50,000. I pulled it off the drawer, and tossed it on the table as I told her, "I have twenty million in a Swiss bank, and more money laying all over the place. Try again!"

  There was a look of shock on her face. I could tell that was her last hope. Her get out of jail free card, and it didn't work here.

  She stuttered "Wh.. What else do you want?"

  I sighed. This was just too sad. Young kids today. It's all about money and sex. I asked, "Are you any good at cleaning homes?"

  She sat there with a dumbfounded look on her face for a second, and then said, "You’re kidding, right?"

  I stood there looking down at her, and then told her, "I'm only half kidding, but yeah… I guess I'm kidding."

  Of course, I’d have to make up my mind soon. It would be daylight in a few hours. It would get to be daylight, and I wouldn't be able to get rid of the body down at the river without a risk of being seen.

  I was really tired. Ever since the wife died, I had been having problems sleeping. I suspected my problems with my heart were a little more serious then I liked to admit. Right then, I felt just worn out.

  I sat down in a chair thinking about this. I sat there looking at her, and finally, just worn out with it all, reached over, snatched up a steak knife, cut the straps, and set her free. She sat there frozen for a minute, and then pulled her arms forward slowly till her hands were free and clear. Then she leaned forward in the chair and asked, "Are you all right?"

  I really didn't feel good, but I was pretty sure it would pass soon. It always did. I told her, "Just get out, and don't come back!"

  She stood there looking at me, and slowly started toward the door. Then she stopped and asked, "Can I have my gun back?"

  I half tossed it at her, and she still managed to catch it. I felt sick at my stomach, and just wanted her to leave. Again she asked, "Are you alright, mister?"

  I yelled, "Get the hell out!" I heard the back screen door slam as she took off.

  I went to the bathroom, and took one of those stupid little pills the doctor gave me. I hate pills, but the pain gets so bad I can't stand it if I don't do something. I just wish it would get it over with. I hate prolonged pain.

  Of course, the pain let up after a minute. It always does after I take a pill. I staggered back up to bed, and went back to sleep. I just didn't care anymore. Let her kill me. Who cares?

  I woke up the next day, and just laid there in bed. It was late, but it didn't matter. I've been retired for over a year. Ever since my better half died. Today would be just like yesterday. They're all the same.

  I fixed breakfast, and read the newspaper. Then I went for a walk, just like every other day.

  I was gone for about three hours. Just walking around down by the river, and the trails along the backwater. It was a beautiful day. I should have been happy to be alive. Oh well.

  I came home, and knew right away someone had been in the house. I have several alarm systems. None of them are normal. I went over to my shed, and pulled out the UZI I keep there wrapped in oilcloth rags in the old tool box.

  I went into the house looking for trouble. What I found was dinner going in a slow cooker, and a house that was all sparkly clean. I knew who had done it right away, and went looking for her.

  I found her upstairs asleep on my bed. She was fully dressed, and sound asleep with a blanket over her. I walked up, stood next to the bed, and yelled, "What the hell is this?"

  Koda sat straight up screaming. That scared the hell out of me. I started going Shhhhhhhh, but it wasn't helping. Then I slapped her.

  Boy! Let me tell you, that pissed her off. She came off the bed after me so fast that I had a hard time staying out of her way. In the end, I sidestepped, and shoved her hard as she went past. She went across the bed, and onto the floor on the other side.

  There was silence for a second, and I heard, "I give up!" I stood and waited. After a moment I heard, "Can I stand up?"

  "After you tell me why you're here." I replied

  From the floor I heard, "People are looking for me. I need help."

  I told her, "That is not my problem!"

  I heard her start crying. I hate that more than words can say. I turned, walked out, and went down to the kitchen. There was a beef stew of some sort going, and I have to say it smelled good. I sat down, and sat thinking about what to do. After a minute, Koda came in the kitchen. I said, "One thing! No tears! Okay! I hate that damn shit."

  Koda quietly said, "No tears, no problem!"

  I told her, "Sit down here, and tell me who is after you." I pushed a kitchen chair at her. She sat down, and just sat there quietly. I finally growled, "Start talking! Who were the guys at the boat?"

  She looked at me for the first time tonight. She whispered, "They killed my mom and dad."

  She was under control. She stated it as a fact. She believed it anyway. Who was I to doubt her? "Will they follow you here?" I asked.

  Her eyes were locked on mine. "Who the hell are you?” she asked. “You kicked my butt, and that's not easy."

  I said, "I'm just an old guy waiting to die. That being said, I would just as soon you didn't rush things along."

  Koda rolled her eyes and exclaimed, "Yeah! A silenced pistol and $50,000 cash, and your just some old guy." She peered around me and asked, "Oh yeah, and who's got the UZI here?"

  I was a little caught off guard by that. I told her, "I'm an American! I can own a bazooka if I have a permit. I got a permit!"

  She looked down and told me, "I don't have anywhere else to turn."

  I knew better, and told her, "I believe they're called police. You pick up a phone, and in a minute you’ll be safe."

  Our eyes locked again, and she noted, "Two of those guys last night were cops."

  Well hell! There goes the neighborhood. When two cops turned up missing, a search would be coming through here, and I didn't intend to be here to see it. It was time to move shop.

  I pulled a cell phone out of the kitchen cabinet. I always keep a couple of unused generics handy. I dialed in a number, and said, "Activate 224." Then hung up.

  After a few seconds, Koda said, "Okay, I give up. What the hell was that?"

  I was already packing stuff from the kitchen. I told her, "That means I'm leaving, and not coming back. You just brought the cops here, and I hate cops, so I'm leaving!"

  Koda thought for a moment, and then asked, "What about me?"

  I snorted and said, "What about you! You’re not my problem! Stay here or go. I don't care."

  She was trying hard not to cry. Silent tears were running down her cheeks. They're the worst kind. She was doing that choking thing people do when they cry, but she was being real quiet about it.

  This wasn't working out well at all. I don't know what I was thinking. I had been alone for a long time. I heard myself saying, "Get your shit if you’re coming with me!"

  I packed two duffel bags of stuff in about ten minutes. I dropped everything at the door, and did a walkthrough of the house. I snagged the slow cooker, and threw it out the back door. The neighbor’s cats would love it.

  Koda yelled, "Hey! That was dinner!"

  "We won't be here," I replied.

  I walked around back, and kicked off the breakers at the circuit box. Then walked back through the house, and picked up my bags. Koda had a bag smaller than a cat. I gave her a look and said, "That's it?" She just looked down at the floor, and
didn't say anything, so I walked out.

  I had lived here a long time. The place was full of memories. I kinda just hoped to die here, and bring the bullshit to an end, but now that wouldn't happen. Life always screws you over. Have ya ever noticed that?

  So we got to the car, and Koda asked, "This is your car?" She left the nasty comment drop.

  I drive an old Buick. It's really old. It's kind of a mess. I suspect Koda really debated about getting in it. She looked smart enough to at least think about it.

  I said, "Show me where you live."

  She hesitated and told me, "I can't go back there."

  "We're not going to stop. Just show me the place," I explained

  Five minutes later we drove by the place. It was a quiet two story home on a back road. No real traffic. I made a couple of mental notes, and left for the safe house.

  The safe house was about an hour away. We were about halfway there, when Koda said, "You never told me. Can I ask your name?"

  I debated, and then just said, "You can call me Mike. Mike Rutger."

  We rode along for a minute, and she finally asked, "Will you help me Mike?"

  I felt irritated, and not in the mood to talk. I told her, "I guess it's kind of late to say no!"

  She was faced away looking out the window, but I could tell she was crying.

  God I hate that shit!

  A little while later we got to the safe house. It's a little duplex I bought years ago when I worked for my Uncle. I fixed it up special in case a day like this ever occurred. Now it was time to use it.

  I parked across the street, and walked over to my place. I used the key, opened the door, and walked in with Koda in tow. We shut the door, and the fun began.

  A small box came out of the wall, and a male voice instructed, "Place your palm down on the glass please!"

  I did, and a bulletproof steel door rolled back. I was home.

  Koda appeared in shock. This place was a fortress. Everything was armored, and bulletproof. There was a bank of monitors at one end of the room, and a kitchen at the other end. I started bringing up the computers, and the house security systems. Then pointed down the hall and told her, "There are two bedrooms in back. Go pick one. The other one is mine."

  Koda disappeared for a minute. When she came back she said, "I took the one on the left."

  The house systems were all on line, and I had Koda put her hand on the scanner. A minute later I said, "Now you can unlock the doors without my help." Then I walked back to the weapons room, and palmed the door to open. The lock cycled, and the vault popped open. I stepped in, and dropped one of my duffel bags there. Then I walked back, and dropped my other bag in my bedroom. As I turned and walked back up the hall, I found Koda standing at the door to the weapons room. Her mouth was hanging open, and she asked, "What's with all the guns."

  "I used to use them at work," I replied

  I walked past her, and behind me I heard, "Who the hell are you? I've never seen so many guns."

  I yelled back, "Then don't touch anything!" I pulled up a chair at the computer console, and started logging into more of the house security systems. Koda came in, rolled up a swivel chair, and just sat watching.

  The house, and all its systems seemed on line, so I rolled back my chair, and said, "It's story time."

  She looked at me with her big blue eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"

  God that pisses me off. I told her, "Don't act stupid! What are you into! Tell me what is going on!"

  I heard, "Oh!" She paused, thinking, and then continued, saying, "My dad knew that an important man was stealing money from the government. He was killed to shut him up." I heard the tears in her voice, but she kept going, "My mom was in the car, and they were burned up." She paused to catch her breath, and sat silently for almost a full minute. In a shaky voice, she whispered, "Then they came for me."

  I asked her, "Where did you learn to fight like that? You kicked ass on the boat."

  Her face lit up, and she looked me in the eyes again. She said, "My dad was in the military. He paid for me to take lessons. My teacher told everybody I was her best student."

  I could believe it. I told her, "I need to leave for a while. I want you to go take a nap. Don't go outside. Don't answer the door. Just stay quiet, and stay down. Got it?"

  I saw the fear in her face right away. She said, "Please don't leave me!"

  I wanted to, but I knew I wouldn't. I'm old, and have a thing we used to call honor. Now people call it being a sucker. Yeah, I'm stupid enough to help a stranger. Stupid old fart. Too dumb to run away! I said, "Just stay quiet. I'll be right back! Four hours tops!"

  She nodded her head yes, but I could tell she didn't like it. I didn't blame her. I didn't like it either.

  I left her there, and went back to my old house. My home. The one place I had been really happy.

  God I miss my wife!

  I knew I had to focus, but it just wasn't that easy. You slow down as you get old, and you have to take that into account. I stopped the car a few blocks from the house, and walked up the back way. The alarms showed all clear, and I went on in. I picked up some trail cameras, and set the trip lines. Then I locked up, and left for what I figured would be the last time.

  I went outside, walked across the street to the woods on the other side, and set two cameras up to watch the house. Then I walked around back and did the same.

  After one last look at the place, I walked back to the car, and threw the rest of the trail cameras in the trunk. Then drove down by Koda's house. In short order I had set camera's up there as well. The extra cameras went in the trunk, and I headed home.

  It was a long drive alone. I walked in, palmed the key lock, and went in the main house. The security system told me that the only person in the house besides me was asleep in the back on her bed. I sat down, and went to work.

  I guess I sat there all night. Before I knew it, sunlight started showing on the security monitors. Behind me, Koda sleepily said, "Good morning!"

  Talk about scare the hell out of me. I about jumped out of my skin. After so many months alone, I had forgotten what it's like to have another person in the house."

  Now, I'm really old. In spite of that, by the time Koda finished the word "morning" I was standing with a knife in my hands. She backed away quickly, and I knew I had overreacted. Dropping the knife onto the computer, I mumbled, "Sorry!" under my breath. I sat back down, and tried to pretend like I hadn't just almost gutted her like a fish out of reflex.

  Yeah, I'll make a hell of a roommate.

  I tried to go back to work. Koda went into the kitchen, and started cooking something for breakfast. It had been months since I ate breakfast. The next thing I knew, Koda was sitting down a plate full of food in front of me. I ate everything on it, and turned to find her watching me.

  She observed, "You eat like some starved animal!" Then pushed her plate at me and said, "You need this more than I do."

  The funny part was, she was right. I ate everything on the plate, and still asked for two more pieces of toast. I guess I was starving.

  As the food started to work on me, I realized I needed some sleep. I had been going for over a full day, and I needed to get some rest. After a few minutes, I got up, and practically staggered to bed. I slumped down, and fell straight to sleep.

  Chapter 2

  Doctors House Call

  I woke up, and it was late afternoon already. I had slept the day away. I realized Koda had thrown a blanket over me as I slept.

  Note to self: Tell her to stay the hell away from me.

  I went out to the front room, and found guns everywhere. Koda was sitting at the computer reading up on pistol silencers. She had several books from my library out, and my silenced .357 Mag laying on the desk. She saw me walking in out the corner of her eye, and smiled up at me. It seemed so weird seeing this sweet young girl buried in weapons. My wife hated guns. She was a smart lady. She never needed a gun once in her entire life.

 
I on the other hand, felt naked without a gun. I also felt weird about somebody else touching my stuff. Especially my guns. I walked over, pulled up a chair, sat down, and said, "We need to have a talk about messing with my stuff."

  I believe it hadn't occurred to her I’d be pissed. She sat up and said, "I'm sorry Mike. This stuff is awesome. I was just reading about..."

  She stopped as she realized I was giving her that look. When she stopped talking, I patiently explained, "When I say we need to talk, I mean I talk, and you listen." She just nodded. I continued, saying, "Leave my shit alone. If you want to touch something, say, may I touch this, and I’ll let you know."

  I could see she wasn't used to being talked to like this, but she took it well. She just nodded her head, and sat there. I noted, "That’s a .357 Mag with a silencer. It's only good for one thing. Killing people! Best done at close range. You don't want to know about that."

  She stared at me and husked out, "Yes I do!"

  I trained killers for years. I’ve even trained a few women. Never anybody like her. The very thought of her with a gun was kind of scary. Yet at the same time, I saw how she would be one hell of a shooter.

  I said, "For now, just be my guest, and stay out of trouble. Okay?" I saw the irritated look that crossed her face. She never uttered a word, but I could tell she was pissed. After a second, I continued, saying, "Look, clean this mess up, and I’ll start to teach you when I have time. Okay?"

  She was all smiles now. She almost skipped out to the kitchen, and started banging around. Then she briefly stepped back in, and loudly inquired, "May I touch your kitchen?"

  I hate houseguests. Have I ever mentioned that?

  In twenty minutes, the place was back in order, and I ate breakfast again. One thing for certain. I’d get fat if I kept eating like this.

  I logged onto my camera systems, and brought up the trail camera's I had left behind. Hunters use them all the time to take pictures of game trails, but mine were a little different. They were modified to send the pictures to my security computer systems using 4G. I had set the cameras for motion, and there were pictures on one of them.