Tropical Safeguard (Men Of The Secret Service)

by Stella Kelly

  “Why were they talking about Jimmy that way?”

  “I have a feeling we’re on the outskirts of a hostage situation. Luckily, we have an advantage.”

  “What’s that?”

  “They don’t even know we exist.”

  <><><>

  The two men parked the golf cart and came in through the side door. They wandered into the living room as if they owned the place. Looking around, they noticed their colleague had handcuffed the two women and five men. All were huddled on the couches and chairs visibly shaking with fear. The women and boys sobbed discretely, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to themselves.

  “Well?” asked Red, a tall auburn-haired skinny man as he finished tying rope around Zachary’s hands. “Did you see anyone else?”

  “No one on the beach, no one on the grounds. There’s only one Secret Service agent here. When we asked him before, he told us he was alone and I don’t think he was lying,” said Gatten, the husky man with a dark goatee who’d driven the golf cart. “Where is he anyway?”

  “Locked in the wine cellar.” Red stood upright, staring at the other two men curiously. “But Wilco was told there was two of ‘em.”

  Gatten hunched his shoulders and put his arms out. “Listen, the old agent said something went down yesterday and the other agent took off for the US. Why would he lie?”

  “Beats me,” said Juvie, Gatten’s passenger in the golf cart. He was considerably shorter and younger than the rest and had his eyebrow and nose pierced. “Anyways, no agent out there. This is gonna be easier than I thought.”

  “Since when did you ever have a ‘thought’, Juvie?” The husky Gatten grinned widely. He gawked around the room, making eye contact with the hostages, sizing them up. “Aren’t we a fun bunch!” he smirked. “Just do as we say and no one gets hurt. It’s very simple.”

  “Where’s the boy?” Juvie asked.

  “Holden’s just gettin’ things ready. They’re about to leave.”

  “Things are falling into place. I can almost taste the money now. Won’t be long.” Juvie said slyly, his eyes locking with Secretary Mitchell.

  “Don’t you dare hurt my son,” James Mitchell demanded, tears trickling down his face. “Please, take me instead. Please!”

  “You know what we want and you know how to get your son back. It’s all up to you.”

  <><><>

  Hunkering down and using the landscaping as cover, Cole and Katrina made their way undetected toward the back of the mansion.

  “We have to get onto your balcony,” Cole instructed. “Your French door is open, right?”

  Katrina looked at him apologetically. “Cole, no, it isn’t. I closed and locked it after last night so I could feel safe.”

  “Damn.” Cole thought for a minute. “We have to get in somehow so I can get my gun and phone. I have to see if I can handle this situation on my own or call for backup. I also need to assess Agent Kensing’s condition if I can.”

  “What about your window?”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  Skirting the mansion’s wall, Cole stopped under Katrina’s balcony and turned toward her, gripping her shoulders firmly. “You have to stay here, but out of sight. I should only be a minute, but if you hear gunshots or I don’t come back, I want you to sprint toward George’s cottage over there and call this number.”

  <><><>

  As Cole said the numbers, Katrina tried her best to memorize them, but in the frenzy of the moment, it was difficult. She shook her head and closed her eyes, willing the numbers into her brain. This was a nightmare all over again. Now Cole was putting himself in harms way, and everyone in the mansion was in danger, or worse, dead already. Jacque, Damien, George, the dignitaries, the boys. Katrina felt nauseous as her body swayed in numb disbelief.

  Cole shook her shoulders slightly, his blue eyes piercing her with earnest intensity. “You can do this, Katrina. You have to. I know what you’re capable of and you know it too.”

  Katrina nodded as his words brought her around. Cole put a finger under her chin and kissed her tenderly. She feared this might be the last time this happened. Trembling, her hands gripping his forearms. “Please be careful, Cole. I can’t lose you now, I just…” her mouth fell open and words were impossible. She couldn’t fathom saying goodbye.

  “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Cole turned and fluidly climbed the vined wall up to her balcony and scaled the rail as Katrina crouched behind the hedge. She watched breathlessly as Cole stretched over and stood on Jacques balcony before gripping the ledge beneath his own window. His room was without a balcony, so he was forced to hoist his muscular body up and open the window all in one difficult motion. It was as if he’d done it a thousand times before, the window opening silently and Cole transferring his body weight up onto the ledge before disappearing into the opening.

  Katrina instantly felt alone. The breeze from the ocean and the sunny day contrasted the goings-on in the mansion. The appearance of paradise was a betrayal.

  <><><>

  Cole pulled his body in through the window and silently landed on the floor. The door to his room was ajar, an obvious sign it had been checked by the intruders. Looking around, the bed was still made and there were no trace of Cole anywhere…the way he always kept things on assignment. It didn’t look as if they’d checked the drawers where his neatly folded clothes were or the closet where his shirts hung far to the side, out of sight. Cole moved to the door in a flash, carefully looking out into the hallway. He could hear muffled voices in the distance. He buttoned his shirt as he listened but couldn’t hear anything of value. He’d have to get closer. He crossed the room and slowly opened a drawer and changed into boxers and pants. He quickly crossed the room and lifted the corner of his mattress, grabbing his Glock and holding it tightly. He slipped on his earpiece and tried calling Agent Kensing, but it automatically went to the answering system.

  Cole crept over to the door again and listened, ensuring no one was coming. He slipped through the opening and, with his back against the wall and his gun up and ready, slunk down the hallway toward the kitchen. He passed the open doors of the other staff members, their rooms empty. Looking quickly around the corner like he’d been trained, Cole spotted the back of a man dressed in black beyond the harvest table holding up a machine gun defensively. He was pacing and watching straight ahead. Cole tried to look past him toward the living room, but a pillar and his angle made his viewpoint impossible. He would have to reposition himself to get a better look.

  Moving past the bathroom that he and Agent Kensing share, Cole flattened himself against the wall as the man in black turned and walked toward the kitchen. He knew he could take him out right then and there, but he didn’t have enough information to do so. It was too risky for the hostages, wherever they were. From this angle, Cole could hear sobbing from the living room and knew instantly that they were being held there. He heard Secretary Mitchell ask about Jimmy and a man bark for him to ‘shut up already’. Looking past the pillar, Cole’s view was still limited. He would have to exit the building and try another approach.

  <><><>

  Katrina sighed in relief as Cole’s body came out of his window and scaled both balconies in the same way he’d entered. He dropped the distance and landed just in front of her on the lawn fully dressed.

  “What’s happening?” she demanded.

  “Men with machine guns. The hostages are in the living room. No sign of Agent Kensing.”

  “What can we do?” Katrina cringed. “We have to contact the police, Cole.”

  “No police. I have to contact my team.” Cole looked around the grounds and then hunkered down beside her, out of sight. He touched his earphone and said the number he’d recited to her earlier and waited.

  “Agent Hannlon here.”

  “Kirk, it’s Cole. We have a situation.”

  “What’s your status?”

  “Hostage taking. The dignitaries are being held and Secretary Mi
tchell’s eleven-year-old son has been separated.”

  “Damn. Are you hurt, Cole?”

  “No, they don’t know I’m here. But Agent Kensing is compromised.”

  “How many men?”

  “I still have to do a headcount. It’s difficult since I have to stay out of sight. I need backup.”

  “We’re on it. I’ll round up the team.” Agent Hannlon paused. “Cole?”

  “Yes?”

  “Are there any casualties? Any serious injuries?”

  “Not that I can see so far. Like I said, I have to get more info. I’m alone though, and I’m outnumbered and I have one staff member with me.”

  “That changes things a little.”

  “Significantly. Her protection is my priority.”

  “What about the boy, can you get to him?”

  “I don’t even know where they have him yet.”

  “Is Agent Kensing down then?”

  “They mentioned that he was ‘taken care of’ when I overheard two of them speaking.”

  “So there are at least two.”

  “I’ve counted four so far, but there are more.”

  “We’re on it. I’ll keep you posted. And you gather as much info as you can and let us know.”

  “Will do.” Cole looked at Katrina who was hanging off his every word.

  “And be safe.”

  “Thanks.”

  Cole clicked the phone and scanned the grounds again.

  “We have to get a better view of the hostages and the captors. I have to take a head count and determine the hostages condition so I can report it.”

  “What can I do?”

  “Stay close to me, be my shadow. I’m busy looking around to make sure no one sees us. You have to make sure to keep up with me, okay?”

  “Yes.” Katrina pulled herself together. This was happening whether she wanted it to or not and Cole was relying on her. He grabbed her hand and they ran along the side of the building, through the hedges and kept close to the mansion. As they came around the far south corner, Cole saw movement and ducked. Katrina automatically did the same. They saw Jimmy being led out the front door toward the SUV by two men clothed entirely in black toting guns. It wasn’t Damien driving this time, but a burly man in a black hooded shirt that partially covered his face. He jumped into the drivers seat as a younger, thin man in a black baseball hat pulled low led the boy toward the vehicle and shoved him into the backseat. Cole saw that Jimmy’s hands were tied with rope. The young man shut the doors and drove away. Cole memorized the license plate as it did.

  “We have to find out where they’re taking Jimmy. I have to get more information. Stay close.”

  Cole crouched his way past the front entryway, avoiding the surveillance cameras as best he could. That was the advantage of knowing the property so well – he could use this knowledge to his advantage. On the north side, Cole decided that Katrina would have to be placed in a safer location so he could do some investigating without having to worry too much about her. He led her down a path that was relatively secluded from view of the mansion and pulled her down into the brush. Still wearing a damp bikini, Katrina grew chilled despite the warm sunshine.

  Cole pivoted on his feet and faced her as they crouched. The cedar hedge was high enough that they could stand, but somehow being lower seemed safer. “I want you to stay here. It’s too dangerous to get any closer. That’s my job. I need your help though.” He thought it best to give Katrina a role so she would stay focused and stay alert.

  “Anything,” she waited.

  “I need you to cover me. Be my eyes at a distance. If you see anyone coming, you have to signal for me by waving an arm.”

  “I can do that.”

  “I’ll be back. And like I said before, if there’s a problem, you run to George’s cottage, call that number I told you, and get off the property as quickly as you can and find a safe place to hide until help arrives. Got it?”

  “Got it.”

  Cole asked her to repeat the number once more just to make sure and then he kissed her for strength and reassurance. “You can do this.”

  Turning, he ran toward the house and crouched beneath one of the open windows of the study. It was the sound of muffled voices that drew him to this particular window. Taking a quick peek, he noticed three men before ducking down again. Cole’s heels dug into the soft earth of the flowerbed as he waited patiently for information. He was not disappointed.

  “Sure, Wilco, whatever you say.”

  Cole could feel the vibration of a large man’s footsteps as he lumbered away and slammed the door.

  “What an idiot,” Wilco chuckled to the other man. “Lets round up the women and put some fear in them. Make em’ think we’re going to do something nasty to them so they stay quiet. I love to see the fear in someone’s eyes just before something bad happens. There’s nothing better.”

  “You’re a sadistic bastard, Wilco.”

  “Yeah, Gatten, I am. My time in solitary confinement led to some vivid fantasies, things that’d make even you cry like a baby.”

  “Hey, I could take anything you throw at me.”

  “Good. I obviously picked the right team.”

  Cole heard a phone ring.

  “What?” Wilco answered on the second ring. “Gatten, get out.”

  As discretely as possible, Cole peered through the window and saw the back of Gatten as he opened the door and left, closing it behind him. Cole could now confirm that Gatten was the man with the dark goatee from the golf cart.

  “How’s the money transfer going on your end?” Wilco paced a little, his back to the window. “What do you mean delays? I want this wrapped up so we can disappear fast. I promised these guys they wouldn’t be heading back to jail if I could help it. Promised them they’d be living on an island like this one soon.”

  Wilco turned and slowly walked toward the window, looking out at the crystal blue that stretched ahead of him endlessly. Cole brought himself down and pressed his back into the stucco, acutely aware of the man standing just above him.

  “Don’t ‘David’ me, you can’t treat me like a child. Yes, I know these things take time, but make it happen. You got me into this. I’m doing this for us. You told me your plan was foolproof and now who’s the fool? Maybe it’s me.”

  Cole wondered who it was. An inside person? The mastermind behind the crime? He inched closer, straining to listen.

  “We told each man they’d get a hundred grand. I don’t want them knowing what the amount the ransom payout really is. You know how they are; they’d probably turn on us and rob us blind. They have to be kept in the dark,” Wilco ordered.

  Cole could hear the man pace, the vibrations drawing close and then retreating repetitively. The pause was lengthy, the person on the other end obviously talking considerably. When Wilco finally spoke again, his voice was lower than it had been and Cole had to lean in closer to the window and strain to hear.

  “It takes time, but I’ll do some harm if I have to. Trust me, I’ll do anything for five million, even kill a kid as long as I get away with it. Means nothing to me.”

  Cole swallowed hard as he thought of Jimmy.

  “Yes, I trust you. I just don’t want to go back to the slammer for this. I’ll be in there for life. I don’t want to start killing people around here either, but like I said, if I have to…” Wilco’s voice grew hard with an edge of exasperation. “Yes, let me know. I’ll be waiting.”

  Cole heard the phone snap shut and the man let out a long slow breath. There was silence, but he could sense the man standing at the window, perhaps thinking as he admired the view. “Bitch better get it done,” he muttered before turning with purpose away from the window, his footsteps receding as he left the study. Cole pivoted on his heels again, still crouching as he looked toward Katrina’s hiding place. He lifted a finger indicating that she should stay put and he’d be back in a second.

  Staying low, he skirted the building behind the thick brus
h and approached another window. This one was closed, but it would offer a clear view of the living room. Cole raised his eyes to pane level cautiously. He glanced quickly, taking in the scene. Helene and Edward Greenbaum were huddled on the plush white leather couch with Noah and Zachery between them. Cole noticed their pained expressions. They were watching a tall man wielding a submachine gun pace the floor in front of the large window. As the man switched direction, Cole ducked below the sill and held his breath. Again, he could feel a slight vibration from the heavy footsteps and sensed the man was looking out the window.

  The footsteps receded and Cole brought his eyes up over the sill again. He noticed another man with a gun standing at attention at the back wall. Three here, one in the back room. He assumed it would just be the two men with Jimmy. So six men in total. Should he risk taking them all out himself? That would jeopardize the hostages. But, he could focus on Jimmy. Yes, that’s what he would do. The boy was in the most danger since there were no witnesses to his treatment. With the volume of hostages here, there was power in numbers and the captors were likely to be more cautious. But for Jimmy, it was anything goes and he was vulnerable.

  ‘But there in lies the problem,’ Cole thought. How would he find out where they were keeping Jimmy? While trying to reason it out, Cole noticed movement to his right and in the distance he saw a seventh man dressed in black sauntering down the flagstone path in Katrina’s direction, gripping his machine gun confidently.

  Cole knew that if he emerged from his present location, everyone in the living room would see him and his cover would be blown. He would have to double back. Pulling out his gun and running low, Cole ran back toward the study and then crossed the path in Katrina’s direction. As he approached, he saw the man leading Katrina out of the bushes with her hands raised. He nudged her bare rib with the point of the gun.

  “The boys are gonna love what I’ve found. A nice little prize hiding in the bushes.” The man eyed Katrina in her bikini. “You’ll offer a bit of entertainment while we wait for the cash. Get moving.”