‘I’m sorry Jones,’ I said, trying hard to keep my eyes in front of me and not make eye contact. I didn’t know how to deal with one of our soldiers- one of the toughest guys I knew, weeping like a young child.
‘I’m gonna get him. I’m gonna get him so fucking good,’ he banged his fists against the steering wheel, the movement causing his tears to splash in all directions.
Chapter 8
Judgement day
The day finally came. The day that would decide whether we’d be able to soar a flag of victory through the sky, or whether we’d need to bury our heads in the sand. I’d prayed that morning. Not just to the Christian God, but to all the ones I could think of. Did I think that this would work? No. Though neither God nor luck were things I believed in, I knew I could use having every aspect of the universe on my side. I’d dropped to my knees, clasped my hands tightly and raised my head to the bright light positioned in the middle of the bathroom ceiling.
‘God, Allah, Buddha and Brahma. Ah Puch, Anshar, Selassie and all those that I don’t remember or know, please guide us through this adventure we’re about to take on. I know that I don’t pray. I know that I don’t know how to pray. But if you’re there, like many people think you are, then you’ll understand that this matters. Please ignore the fact that some men may lose their lives; that guns are involved and that treacherous actions are about to take place. They have to. And because you’re meant to be understanding, you’ll understand. Right?’
Of course, I knew I sounded like a complete nut job. But if I had to pray to a box of milk to bring my wife back, I would.
Instead of one of the Gods answering my question, Adam’s voice sounded from the outside. ‘You okay in there?’
‘Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute,’ I replied, knowing that he must have heard me rambling on to myself.
‘Great. Jones and Iron are heading out now and I’d say we need to step on it. Can’t afford for any hiccups to hold us back.’
I swung the door open, causing Adam to stumble a bit. The side of his face had been pressed against the door.
‘Sorry.’
‘No worries. You ready?’
‘Yup.’
Adam settled his gaze on my face for a moment. ‘We’re good at what we do Joe. We’ve got this,’ he assured me.
‘Yeah. It’s just hard not to worry. If we fail…’
He shook his head and took hold of my shoulder. ‘We won’t fail. In all the years that we’ve known each other, none of us have had to tuck our tail between our legs and watch victory slip away. We’re the best there is. And just because the president’s team trained the guys we’re about to take out, doesn’t mean that they’re better. We’ve been doing this for longer. We’re going to win. We’re going to get Derrrick Shaw. Okay?’
My mind wandered back to Jones and the great failure he’d told none of the others about; the failure very similar to the one I could have to deal with. ‘You’re right.’ I agreed, trying hard not to speak misfortune into existence.
‘Okay,’ he said, slapping his hand across my back. ‘Let’s go teach some bad guys a lesson.’
Together, Adam and I made our way to the metal door that opened up to reveal stairs and the bottom end of a manhole cover. A click of the button and the cover slid to the side, revealing bright sunlight and allowing a round of the cool fresh air to tickle my nose. In the direction of Adam’s car we headed, looking like a pair of hikers who knew the area like the back of their hands.
‘You seem like you spend quite a bit of time down there,’ I interrupted the silence that lingered between us.
‘Wouldn’t you? That place is great. No neighbors to complain about noise. No wandering eyes to judge what goes on. If I could, I’d freaking live down there.’
‘Do you ever bring girls down there?’ A valid question, I thought.
Adam brushed a few dead leave off his shoe, ‘I have before but it’s not something that I make a habit out of. Most girls won’t go for that kind of thing anyways.’
‘Tell me about it. Would seem like you’re some kind of creeper, bringing them into the deep woods.’
‘Funny story. This girl that I brought down there years ago had a panic attack when she woke up in the morning. I’d blindfolded the crap out of her and so she had no idea where I was taking her. She liked it at first, said it made her feel more adventurous. But you know how it is. In the morning, they don’t want you to know what they really look like, once the makeup rubs off on the pillow case. So they try to sneak out before you wake up, except she had no idea where to go. I walk up on her trying to bargain with the dogs and she’s like, ‘if you’re going to kill me, at least make it quick.’
‘That’s a good one.’ I forced a laugh. On any other day, I might have found his story stomach crampingly funny. But today, even with the distractions I was trying to pull through conversation, my mind just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. Harry hadn’t called yet and if he didn’t, I’d just be sitting around with a wanted man in my car, not being able to give him to his rightful owner. I wouldn’t be able to get Lila back. Just when I was about to really start panicking, my phone started to beep. I retrieved it from my pocket to see what I should have known. In Adam’s bunker my phone had no reception and so, the three calls from a private number which could only be from Harry that now popped up on my phone weren’t able to come through.
‘Shit,’ I exclaimed.
‘What?’ Adam turned around rapidly, his hand positioned on the gun that now peeked out of the waist of his pants.
‘He called.’
‘Well call him back. We need to get the location figured out but whatever you do, make sure he comes to you.’
‘He’ll call back,’ I crossed my fingers. ‘I haven’t got his number. But as far as the location is concerned, I’ll see what I can do.’
‘No,’ Adam demanded, ‘this whole shit will go up in flames if we’re on his turf. Have him meet us where we discussed, in the woods behind the hardware store.’
‘And if he says no.’
‘If he says no, you make him say yes. He’s got leverage, but so do you. Remember that.’
‘He’s a tough cookie to crack.’
‘Well. We’re made of Kevlar. If you can’t handle it, just pass the phone over to me and I’ll show that bastard who’s in charge.’
‘I can handle it fine,’ I intentionally curled the corners of my mouth, mimicking a smile. Could I handle talking to Harry? Absolutely. However, I knew that he was a different kind of crazy and that meant I needed to tread lightly. He’d done this before and there was no way of knowing that he wouldn’t do it again- just blow Lila to bits and start over from scratch. Guys like Harry were impulsive- typically acting first and thinking later. The fact that he didn’t know that the president had other plans for his brother meant that he wasn’t aware that an expiration date was carefully pinned to his plans.
We walked for a couple more minutes. Just as the car was in clear sight, my phone began to tone.
‘Joe,’ I answered, stating my name.
‘How nice that you picked up this time,’ came Harry’s rustic and sadistic voice. ‘I was starting to get worried. I must have called you a million times and I was thinking that maybe it was time that I gave you a little push. You know, in the form of, let’s say, Lila crying a little more than usual. I bet you’d kill for a voicemail like that.’
‘Yeah, well. I picked up now. Didn’t I?’
‘And that’s why you’ve saved her a tooth or two.’
I hated how much he enjoyed this and if nothing else, being reminded of just how disgusting this beast was, made me want to win- to carry out this plan so impeccably that he’d feel the urge to applaud me for his suffering.
Adam moved closer to me and pressed his ear against the phone to tune into the conversation. ‘I’ll have your guy to you today.’
Harry cackled like a hyena high on antelope. ‘That’s what I like to hear.
That’s just what I like to hear. You know, I had so many people telling me that I couldn’t count on you. But there’s something about you Mr. Chandler. I just had that feeling that you were the right one for the job. Just don’t fuck it up because I really, really, don’t like being wrong. No, what I meant to say was, people really, really don’t like when I’m wrong. So, unless you’re willing to handle the repercussions, you better be bringing your best.’
I ignored his little rant and went on to give him the address. ‘That’s right behind the hardware store?’
I crossed my fingers, in hopes that he wouldn’t object to the location. Things seemed to be falling into place all too well.
‘Yes. As I said. Right behind the hardware store. You’ll have to drive through a whole bunch of shrubs and crap and then you’ll be there.’
‘Guess it wouldn’t be the best time to take the Ferrari out then. Would it?’
‘I personally, don’t give a fuck what kind of vehicle you feel like taking. Send me a text, so that I’ve got your number and once all is said and done, I’ll let you know it’s time to meet.’
As usual, I hung up once I’d said all I needed to say. Before putting my phone in my pocket, I pressed my fingers against the off button and listened as it shut down. The last thing I needed was to have my ring tone blow my hiding spot.
‘He sounds like a clown,’ Adam said before retrieving his car keys from his coat.
‘That would be putting it nicely. The man’s a fucking nut. Makes you wonder how it’s the biggest idiots who get away with shit like this.’
‘Because they’ve got nothing to lose. I wouldn’t say they’re much different from us or at least, much different from how you were before Lila.’
‘But we had a purpose.’
‘Not always good ones.’
‘Sure, but we didn’t have the most important man in the world as our enemy.’
‘We’re about to,’ he shot back faster than expected.
‘But not for long. If part two of our plan goes accordingly, then we’ll be fine. We’ll be just fine.’
‘But the president’s got a temper and you have to remember that he’s got all his important buddies in town for this event and now, one of their prized possessions is about to be stripped away.’
‘Shall we get in,’ I said to Adam who was still fiddling with his car keys. I wanted to stay positive. I needed to know that everything I had planned would work and though I knew that Adam didn’t mean to put a damper on my expectations, his words were starting to make me feel like I’d failed even before I tried.
‘Yeah, of course,’ he replied, finally clicking the open button on his transponder key.
I took a deep breath before steadily placing one foot and then the other into Adam’s freshly scoured car that wreaked of leather cleaner.
Off we went, into the center of what could very easily turn into a disaster. My heart pounded frantically as I anticipated what was to come.
Chapter 9
I couldn’t decide if the tingling in my leg was a result of my anxious nerves or if some insect had claimed it as his temple. On my stomach, I laid, the prickling of the grass kept away by my thick camouflage jacket. I’d been in that position for over an hour- gripping onto the rope as though my life depended on it. I needed to be ready to react. There was no room for error, no time that could be wasted. With each second that went by, I hoped more and more that the vehicle would arrive- the vehicle that would change things, hopefully for the better. The more I waited, the more I worried that something would go wrong; the more I contemplated the possibility that they’d taken another route. My ears were ready to hear the purring of an engine. My nose was ready to sniff the fumes from the exhaust. My hands were ready to pull. Another fifteen minutes went by with the only thing heard being the whistling of the wind and the shuffling of the trees. Laying and waiting was something I hadn’t done in a while; something that no longer felt natural.
Back then, when we were just agents working under the commands of the president, waiting was a game we played quite often. Being in charge of taking out men who were dangerous either in their actions or in the way they thought, meant that a lot of planning and of course, a lot of waiting needed to be done. So, there I was, reliving a past that I thought I left behind a long, long time ago. Waiting. And then, just as I was about to let go to scratch an itch that had presented itself upon the nape of my neck, the sounds I needed to hear filled my ears. The itch was forgotten and my mind was focused on the only thing that mattered.
‘Eyes open, black SUV approaching’ Jone’s voice toned through the radio. He’d been keeping watch at a point down the road, to alert us of when it was time to react.
‘Copy that,’ I replied. My eyes followed the vehicle. My nose smelled the smell. My hands pulled the rope, sending the spike strip to do its job. Slowly but surely, the vehicle slowed as with each meter the driver drove, more and more air seeped out of the tires. Soon enough, they came to a stop, evident by the screeching of tires and the trail of smoke left behind. I got to my feet, grabbed my gun which I’d placed beside me on the ground and sped through the bushes- dodging trees and jumping over piles of twigs. Adam, Iron, and Tony waited further up the road to take care of the men.
Upon arriving, I noticed that two men laid flat on the ground. Another two were perched over their seats in the vehicle. And then my eyes landed on the person who caused this all, Derrick Shaw. With his hands carefully secured around his back by a set of handcuffs and his legs unable to break free from the same restraint, he fought hard to untangle himself from Adam’s grasp.
‘What the fuck is this supposed to be?’ he barked as I approached him. His face had more scars than a soldier who’d found himself in the midst of a crisis. His hair was slicked back but not from some fancy hair moisturizer- from the filth that had undoubtedly been building in it for years on end. The cell he was being held at wasn’t a place where showers were able to be taken at one’s leisure. Everything was planned; scheduled. The men held in Block 8, didn’t have the luxury of tending to the most human needs.
‘Harry sent us,’ I said flatly.
His dark eyes lit up and his brown and yellow teeth revealed themselves. A smile bigger than any smile I’d ever seen before swept across his entire face. He felt safe.
‘Nah. Y’all have gots to be kidding me. I know Harry bad, but he ain’t that bad. Now tell me, who really sent you lovely folk here?’ The smile hadn’t yet left his face. Even though he insisted on questioning the authenticity of what we said, he truly believed it to be true. He believed in Harry.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I made my way closer to him, gesturing to Adam to allow me to take over. Between the links of the handcuffs I inserted my hand, rolled it around as tightly as I could and yanked his frail body to the side of the road. Adam, Iron and Tony moved back, maintaining their silence.
‘Y’all ain’t so friendly, nah?’ He smiled again, cringing as the pain from the handcuff being squeezed even more tightly against his hand, travelled through him.
No one replied.
‘Come on, y’all. You know how long it’s been since I’ve had people on my side. People who truly understand the way the world works and shit. We’re gonna do great things together. I can just see it already. Like that one over there,’ he pointed to Iron. ‘Just look at him. Looking all pissed off and shit. Who did you something? ’ Iron’s eyes said enough for him to change his target. ‘What about you?’ He nodded in Adam’s direction. ‘Sorry for head butting you, by the way. But I’m thinking we’ll get along just fine. You seem like the forgiving kind. All the other ones here, they look kinda mean, but not you, you look like the kinda guy I would kick it with.’
Adam smiled but behind that smile I could see all the awful things that he wanted to do to Derrick Shaw.
‘Oh, for crying out loud, just shut the fuck up already.’ I’d had enough. All this talking combined with the stench of his breath and his awfully unattractive t
eeth was getting to me. Each time the wind blew his breath in my direction, I felt my nostrils tense.
***
We waited for what seemed like minutes, for Jones to come to our rescue. Derrick Shaw was shoved into the back of the truck, like the true piece of junk he was. Adam took the front seat and Iron, Tony and I settled ourselves in the back.
‘All good,’ Jones turned around to meet my gaze.
I nodded. Though the others seemed oblivious to the fury in his eyes, I could tell that he was itching to get his hands on Derrick Shaw, and dying to get his hands on Harry.
‘To the woods behind the hardware store, you said?’ He asked, turning the vehicle around and keeping his eyes on the road. We drove past the bodies that were stretched across the entire street.
‘You got it,’ Tony replied.
‘Yup,’ I confirmed.
I reached inside my jacket pocket. My shaking fingers took grasp of the cell phone and pulled it out. The annoying music chimed in as the phone turned on and a message popped up on the screen. Harry Peterman’s telephone number. I held my breath as the phone rang, willing him to pick up. Finally, the ringing stopped and heavy breathing tuned through.
‘Now. We have him,’ I said, hanging up before he had time to reply.
Again, I set my phone to the off position. The streets were lonely, as expected of an early Sunday afternoon. Outside of a few cars that rolled past, there was nothing to be seen. No people walking. No bikes whizzing by. Just the trees swaying from side to side and the clouds blocking out any heat from the sun. I closed my eyes, envisioning how things would go. My fingers unintentionally crossed themselves, prompting me to believe in luck; to give luck-or perhaps God- credit for such a smooth takedown. However, there was still a great deal of work to be done. With a character like Harry, there was no telling just how much difficulty we’d face in getting Lila back. We didn’t have a plan for what to do if he’d showed up solo or sent one of his goons to carry out a one sided exchange. ‘Think positive Joe. Everything is going to go as planned,’ I told myself.
Presidential Cleaning: A Psychological Suspense Novel Page 5
