by C. G. Cooper
+++
Cal and Brian called Neil as soon as they left Daniel’s apartment. He’d get them another suite at the Venetian by the time they packed their gear. It was a little farther away, but owned by a friend of the company.
“The reservation will be under your Alpha aliases,” Neil instructed. Each operator at SSI was assigned three aliases (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie) for contingencies. “I suggest you boys get some rest for tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Cal retorted. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Neil.”
He replaced the phone in his pocket and followed Brian through the door at the Cosmopolitan.
“You still happy you tagged along, Doc?”
“Who me? I’m used to your crazy adventures by now, man. What’s next? Naked stripper assassins parachuting through our glass windows at the Venetian?” quipped Brian.
“I sure as hell hope not. You’d be too distracted by the naked girls to defend yourself.”
“Very funny, jackass.”
They got in and out of their room quickly. There really hadn’t been time to unpack so grabbing their bags was easy. Cal put the Do Not Disturb sign on the outside of the door. They’d let the reservation run its course for the next two days, just in case.
Cal led the way down the back staircase and headed for the service exit.
+++
Daniel Briggs knelt next to his bed. The adrenaline finally seeped from his system; he was exhausted but happy. He took a moment to say a quick prayer. When he finished, he stripped down to his boxer briefs and fell right to sleep.
Chapter 17
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:08am, September 17th
Congressman Zimmer and MSgt Trent arrived late the night before. It was a bright morning that promised to be clear and beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky.
Zimmer padded into the living area just after 7:00am wearing some gym shorts and a t-shirt. Trent had to admit that the man didn’t look like a pansy. He seemed to be in good shape. Maybe in another life he could’ve been in the military.
Trent was shirtless but already dressed in gym shorts and running shoes. He’d sprawled his massive frame over the long couch overlooking the outdoor pool. Creeping up on the big four oh, Willy Trent was still as fit as any professional athlete. At one time, he’d been drafted into the NFL. He soon found another calling with the Marines.
“You sleep okay, Top?”
“Just fine, sir.”
“You ready to hit the gym in a few minutes?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll throw on a t-shirt and we can go.”
Both men finished getting ready then headed to the workout facility.
+++
An hour later, they headed back to their suite.
“I don’t know about you, Top, but I needed that,” stated a completely sweat-soaked Zimmer.
“Yes, sir. Always nice to start the day off with a good workout.”
“What time are we meeting Cal this morning?”
Trent looked at his watch. “He called while we were in the gym and pushed it back an hour. Apparently they had a little situation last night. He’s trying to get a read on it before we meet.”
“What kind of situation?” asked Zimmer.
Trent shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell me over the phone. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”
Getting back to their suite, each man split off to their respective rooms to shower and change.
Brandon was putting his pants on when his personal cell phone rang. He looked down at the caller ID.
“Hey, Dad.”
“How are things going, Son?”
“We got in last night. We’ll be meeting Cal soon.”
“Good. Any progress on their investigation?” the Senator asked.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll know more after we meet, I think.”
“Now you remember, Son. Let those boys do their job. From what I hear, they’re very good at what they do.”
“I know, Dad. I’ll behave.”
“Call me when you know more,” Senator Zimmer instructed.
The line went dead. Brandon tucked the phone into his pocket and finishing dressing. Zimmer hoped it would be an uneventful day.
+++
MSgt Trent led the way down to the lobby. He scanned the area and ushered the Congressman toward the main exit. Just as they were about to step into the revolving doors, someone called out.
“Brandon!”
Trent and Zimmer turned around. Ishi Nakamura approached with a pair of security guards. Zimmer plastered a happy look on his face and waved to his old friend.
“Hey, Ishi.”
Nakamura walked up and hugged him. “How come you didn’t call me when you got in? I would’ve sent up some champagne or something.”
“It was late when we got in last night. I didn’t want to bother you.”
“You’re never a bother, my friend. Remember, you are MY responsibility.”
Trent detected a slight flare of a threat in Nakamura’s tone.
“God, I’m sorry, Ishi. I forgot to introduce you to my new bodyguard. Willy Trent, this is my old friend, Ishi Nakamura.”
The two men shook hands. “Good to meet you, Mr. Trent. Can I call you Willy?” Ishi asked pleasantly.
“Mr. Trent would be just fine, sir.”
Ishi’s face fell for a split second. He recovered and said, “Once a Marine, always a Marine, eh, Mr. Trent?”
“That’s right, sir. You can take the man out of the Marines, but you can’t take the Marine out of the man.”
Ishi laughed. “Ha! I like that. Either way, welcome to Las Vegas and let us know if the hotel’s security team can help in any way.”
Ishi turned to Congressman Zimmer. “Brandon, I’ve got some people I’d like you to meet later today. They’re big donors and are helping with the planning for the Democratic National Convention. How about we grab dinner tonight?”
Zimmer looked to Trent who nodded. “Sounds good. What time should we meet you down here?”
“Let’s make it seven thirty.”
“Alright, we’ll see you then.”
The two men shook hands again and went their separate ways. As Nakamura passed the concierge desk, his phone buzzed. He picked it up.
Ishi answered in Japanese. “Did you see your target?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Make sure he’s taken before my dinner with the Congressman. I want no mistakes.”
“Yes, Nakamura-san.”
Ishi ended the call and continued to his office. It’s time to teach Brandon a little lesson.
+++
Trent hailed a cab and held the door open for Zimmer. Five minutes later, they were getting out in front of Caesar’s Palace. During the ride, Trent spotted two vehicles following them from the hotel.
“Sir, I’m gonna need you to do exactly as I say,” Trent murmured to Zimmer.
“Huh? What’s going on?” he whispered back.
“Just keep walking toward the main entrance over there. Don’t look around. We’ve got a tail.”
“Is it someone from the hotel?” Zimmer asked calmly.
“Yes. Now we’re gonna do a little extra walking. Follow me.”
Trent slipped in front of Zimmer and started weaving his way through the morning crowd. Brandon followed closely.
Willy pulled out his phone and dialed Cal.
“Yeah?” Cal answered.
“We’ve got extra friends trying to wreck the party. Let’s move to the backup location.”
“I’ll see you there.”
Trent pulled his phone away from his ear and walked faster. Zimmer was having a hard time not running just to match the Marine’s long stride. They walked quickly around the curved drive. Trent walked up to a cab and hopped in, Zimmer right behind.
Willy instructed the driver to go to Circus Circus at the north end of the The Strip.
“What the hell is going on?” Zimmer whispered.
“I think your friend Ishi
sent some of his goons after us. Not sure if it’s just to keep an eye on us or what. I didn’t want to take any chances.”
“Should we even go back to the hotel later?”
“What choice do we have? Let’s focus on getting to this meeting first. Maybe Cal will have something for us.” Trent continued to watch behind them. He couldn’t pinpoint anyone following, but that didn’t matter. He’d learned long ago to trust his sixth sense. Right now it was blaring like a foghorn.
Ten minutes later, the cab pulled out of the congested corridor and pulled up in front of the aged Circus Circus. Trent paid the driver then followed Zimmer over to the front entrance.
“We’re supposed to meet Cal and Brian in front of the Krispy Kreme stand in the Slots of Fun side of the casino. Stay close now, Congressman.”
No sooner had they stepped off towards the entrance that they both felt a pinch on their necks. At first, Trent thought it was a horse fly bite. That was until Zimmer collapsed to the pavement. A large limousine pulled up beside them. The last thing Trent saw before he fell unconscious was the rushed steps of four men running his way.
+++
“Where the hell are they?” Cal thought out loud.
“Have you tried calling him again?” Brian asked.
“Yeah. Three times. There’s no way Top left his phone in the hotel room.”
“Want me to go outside and take a look?”
“No. Let’s both go. Maybe they just got caught in traffic.”
As they walked, Cal texted Neil to track the GPS locator in Trent’s phone. All SSI phones were rigged for tracking.
They stepped out into the sunlight and looked around. No sign of Trent and the Congressman. Cal’s phone buzzed.
“What did you find, Neil?”
“The locator says Trent is standing right in front of the main entrance to Circus Circus.”
“Hold on. Let me walk that way.”
Cal pushed past a group of drunken gamblers and headed to the front of the casino.
“Do you see him?” Neil asked.
“Not yet. You sure you’ve got it right?”
“I’m showing a full signal. No way this thing is wrong.”
Cal started jogging. His anxiety increased as he reached the sidewalk leading into the building. Both men looked all around.
“Cal, look!” Brian was pointing at the ground.
Lying on the ground next to a pair of broken sunglasses was MSgt Trent’s cell phone.
“Holy shit. Neil, message Trav and have him send in the contingency team.”
Cal ended the call and sprinted to catch a cab.
Chapter 18
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
12:16pm, September 17th
Travis Haden addressed his three closest advisors: Todd Dunn, Marge Haines, and Dr. Higgins, SSI’s resident psychologist. He’d just run through the details from Cal.
“So, Cal just called for the contingency team. I think we better prep for the worst. Any questions?”
Marge Haines started, “What do we have on books as far as Trent’s security with Zimmer?”
“I can answer that,” Todd Dunn said. “We tasked him out as a VIP security contract. By the way, I just got confirmation that the contingency team is in the air.”
“Good,” Travis nodded. “What else?”
“Who else knew about the security arrangement?” Haines asked.
Dunn shrugged. “We’ll have to assume that Zimmer’s immediate support staff knows. Senator Zimmer is also in the loop.”
Dr. Higgins raised his hand. “Have you thought about a possible leak, Travis?”
“I’ve thought about it, but don’t have a clue who it could be.”
“I think it’s fair to assume that the operation has been compromised and we’re dealing with a larger threat than we initially believed,” Higgins intoned professionally.
“I think you’re right, Doc. First, Cal tells me about getting attacked by these giant Russians. Now, Top and Zimmer are gone. I think we need to alert the Council and start putting some more pieces into play.”
“Is it time to involve the authorities?” Haines asked.
“Let’s give Cal a little time. I find it hard to believe that this Japanese group would dispose of Zimmer so soon. I think something else is brewing,” Travis said.
“I concur,” agreed Dr. Higgins. “It looks like our new enemy is taking extreme measures to keep us out of the picture. Do we have any thoughts on their motive other than to blackmail Congressman Zimmer?”
“Neil’s working on it right now. I think Cal said he was close to getting into the Ichiban system,” answered Travis.
“Seems like a long time for Neil to crack the code,” Dunn noted.
“Yeah. I think these Ichiban guys have some serious horsepower under the hood. I’m not liking it,” answered Travis. “Let’s meet up again in an hour. Maybe we’ll have some good news from Vegas by then.”
+++
Congressman Zimmer woke up to a splitting headache. He tried to open his eyes but realized they were covered by a blindfold. His arms were numb and bound to the chair he was tied to. Where the hell am I?
He tried to shift into a more comfortable position and heard a chair squeak.
“Hello?” Zimmer croaked. He noticed his throat was bone dry.
“I thought we talked about expectations, Brandon?”
“Ishi?”
“Yes. I don’t think you understand the position you’ve put me in. We saved you from public embarrassment and possibly life in jail. You repay us by ignoring our rules and taking advantage of our friendship,” Ishi explained smoothly.
“What the hell are you talking about, man?”
“Let’s start with your bodyguard. If you were worried about personal security, why didn’t you contact someone within your government?” Ishi asked.
“No one listens to a first-term Congressman. They’d think I was just being paranoid.”
“Okay. So why didn’t you ask us for additional security?”
Zimmer almost laughed. He might be a little naïve, but he wasn’t stupid.
“Look man, I know I owe you guys a lot, but this is ridiculous. I’m sorry if I broke the rules. If I’d known how much of a problem it would be, I wouldn’t have hired Trent.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about Master Sergeant Trent anymore.”
Brandon’s stomach went to his throat.
“What did you do with him, Ishi?”
“Oh, you’ll see him soon enough. He’s being employed in a more…entertaining way. Are you almost ready for dinner?”
“Tell me where Trent is, Ishi.”
“ENOUGH! I’m not the little punk you knew at Harvard, Congressman. You can’t push me around anymore. From now on you do exactly as I say. Is that understood?”
Brandon knew he couldn’t win this fight. He decided to keep his mouth shut and bide his time. At the moment, his own safety didn’t seem so important. His main thought as Ishi untied his arms was: Where is Willy Trent?
+++
MSgt Trent opened his eyes. Where was Zimmer? He quickly surveyed his surroundings. His prison cell was a small windowless room. The space was about ten by ten, the floor concrete. They’d laid him on an old cot with a thin, musty mattress. Trent struggled to his feet. His head pounded. What the hell had they knocked him out with? He remembered the last seconds before passing out. He remembered Zimmer going down. Where the hell is he?
Once his mind cleared, he realized they’d taken his clothes. The only thing covering his extensive frame was a stylish loincloth. His captors had also attached a thick collar around his neck. What the hell? He flexed his neck and felt around the edges of the leather collar. It felt completely locked in place. Trent thought he detected a small antenna on it as well.
Take a deep breath and think, Willy.
Over the years he’d been in some strange situations. This one was definitely taking the cake. He must look like an overgrown Zu
lu warrior right now. What was next? A spear and shield? Someone’s gonna pay for this shit.
As he pondered payback, a robotic voice sparked to life from a hidden speaker.
“In ten minutes, you will be escorted to the weapons room.”
“Say what?” Willy yelled back at the faceless voice.
“Prepare yourself.”
There were no further instructions. Trent stood baffled. What the hell was going on?
+++
Congressman Zimmer’s clothes were waiting for him. Following Ishi’s instructions, he changed and used the bathroom to clean up. They’d given him five minutes.
Five minutes later a Japanese man, dressed in a butler’s uniform, entered the room.
“Congressman Zimmer, Nakamura-san has requested your presence.” The man bowed waiting for a response.
“Okay. I’m, uh, I’m ready to go.”
Zimmer followed the man through a short maze of doorways. He occasionally glimpsed a window. The night outside was pitch black. The building felt part industrial part high-end hotel. Where were they? He never saw an exterior door. No easy way out.
Reaching the end of the hallway, the butler opened a heavy oak door. He held it for the Congressman who stepped in alone.
“Ah, here he is!” Zimmer recognized Ishi’s voice in the dimly lit room. He looked around and found himself in an elegantly appointed dining room. A group of older Asian gentlemen were gathered near a large plate-glass window.
Brandon put on his best politician smile and stepped into the gloom. “Hey, Ishi.”
The men in the corner stopped talking and stared at the freshman Congressman from Massachusetts. Who are these guys? They were giving him the creeps with the way they looked at him.
