by Nees, David
“That’s more like it.” Luke grinned at him. I can certainly do that.” He got up. “I spent some time with Michael this morning. Got me an official pass into the building. Things are going well. I think I’m going to be a big help to him.”
“He say anything about Roper, the militia commander?”
“Said he would find out if he’s here, downtown, and get back to us this afternoon if he can. He’ll probably leave his office early. I’ll be going back there to pick up Suzy for our date.”
“We may need to talk about that.”
Luke looked at Jason with concern. “You planning on doing something tonight?”
“I thought you didn’t want to know.”
“I don’t unless it involves me or makes things dangerous for me.”
“We’ll talk about it later, maybe when Daniels gets here.”
Jason walked over to the large couch and lay down. He took a deep breath, stretched his legs out and let the tension flow out of his body.
“After I eat, I’m going to take a rest. Wake me in a couple of hours, okay?”
“Sure boss, anything you say boss.”
Jason gave Luke a dismissive look but didn’t answer.
It was early afternoon when Jason awoke. Luke had just come back into the office with Daniels.
“I left early today. Wanted to give you the latest news,” Daniels said as the two sat down with Jason.
“I thought you wanted to stay clear of here, use Luke as an intermediary,” Jason said.
“I did. But things are different today. All hell has broken loose. Nicoletti’s wife showed up. She told Big Al that someone ambushed Joe this morning and killed him along with his two body guards. Right in front of their home. She saw the man from her front door.”
“She get a good look at him?” Jason asked. He kept his voice calm.
“Not really, just that he was about your height and build. She knows enough about guns to know the shooter used a silencer.”
“What did Big Al do?”
“He called Roper, me and some other mob bosses in, along with our mayor. Said we have to be ‘all hands on deck’ and find the killer. He’s convinced it’s you.”
“But he isn’t sure.”
“He doesn’t have to be sure. It all fits. You disappear, free someone from the coal camp, kill Gino, head back to town—they followed a trail to the Catawba River before they lost it. Then two sentries guarding the downtown get killed. Then Joe gets killed at his home.”
“Quite a list of events,” Jason said.
“That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. All this is being ascribed to you. Now everyone, and I mean everyone, including the militia, is out looking for you. Big Al figures you’ve got all the bosses home addresses. He’s told them to not go home tonight. Stay here in one of the hotels or stay at their offices. Everyone’s on high alert.”
“Did you whack Joe?” Luke asked.
“Does it make a difference whether or not I did?”
“Mmm, probably not. But you said you were going to sow chaos and that seems to be what is taking place.”
“And you and Michael should get ready to take advantage of that fact.”
“Hell, we haven’t had time to even begin to think about things. This is happening too fast,” Michael said.
“Then move fast.” Jason stood up and began pacing. “Find allies. Go to the mayor. He may be powerless right now but he has connections, all politicians have connections. Sound him out if you need to. I’m guessing he’s frustrated at being put aside. Get him to work with you, at least to give you access to connections. He’s got to have some support from the remnants of the police. How about the militia? They can’t all be completely loyal to Roper. He was a corrupt captain in the army. Now he’s leapfrogged all the chain of command to become the head of the militia? He’s got to have some enemies there.”
“You know Roper?” Daniels asked.
“Yeah. He was driven out of Hillsboro. He’s a failed con man, basically.” Jason looked at both Michael and Luke. “You understand what I’m saying? Make connections. You don’t need commitments right now. You need to get people thinking about possibilities. Things are going to get more chaotic which will help your position.”
“How do we not get caught?” Luke asked.
Jason turned to him, his eyes flashing in anger. “Damned if I know. Where’s the Duke? Where’s this man of action and influence? Michael’s going to be doing most of the leg work on this. He can run under the guise of doing what Big Al instructed, corralling all the resources to find me.” Jason thought for a moment. “Maybe you should go out to your old neighborhoods. You’re the Duke of East End. Prove it. Get some people to support change when you trigger it.”
He turned back to Daniels, “You two work on multiple fronts.”
The men thought for a long moment. For once Luke didn’t have a flippant reply.
“You might have to cancel your date for tonight,” Jason told him.
Luke looked over at him. “I guess you’re right.” He took a breath. “I’m in. Are you?” He turned to Michael. “Remember we’re living on borrowed time.”
“I’m in, Michael said. “I can use that point with some of my connections.”
“Good,” Jason said. “That’s your plan,”.
Michael and Luke stood up.
“Before you go. Is Big Al staying downtown tonight?”
“I don’t think he’s going home,” Michael said. “He’ll be at his office late, but probably go over to the Omni for a meal. After he’ll probably come back to his office. He’ll be heavily guarded each way.”
“But they think I’m outside the inner city, right?”
Michael nodded his head.
“And what about Roper?”
“He was at the meeting. He’s working with his officers. I don’t know if he’ll be downtown all night or not.”
“Okay, thanks. You guys get going.”
“You going to stay here?” Luke asked. “Even if the search is working outside the downtown, there’s still a lot of militia on the streets here. It could be dangerous for you out there.”
“I may not be here when you get back. But you should plan on working most of the afternoon and night. Remember, you’ve got to get things set up fast to take advantage of what’s happening and what’s coming. The time to sleep is later.”
Chapter 39
___________________________________
A fter Luke and Michael had left, Jason took out his M110 and spotting scope. After checking the rifle over, he went up to the roof. It might be a long wait, but from what Michael had said, he was confident his target would show. He made himself as comfortable as he could and settled down to wait for either of the two men to emerge from the building.
Two hours went by. Jason drank some water, ate some sausage, but stayed at his position. The day progressed into afternoon. He was aiming south, and the winter sun would be setting in the southwest; not quite in his eyes. There’d be no reflection from his scope to worry about.
The entrance to the building was swarming with soldiers. Lower level workers started exiting, walking home for the evening. They either didn’t know of the threat or felt they had nothing to fear. Whoever killed Joe Nicoletti was hunting for bigger, more important targets than they presented.
I’ll take whoever comes out first. Jason figured there’d only be one chance. And when the search outside of the inner city didn’t turn up any results, the troops might begin a more thorough search of the downtown. There were enough militia to do both, if Roper decided the threat might still be downtown. Jason couldn’t assume he was safe in the high-rise for any length of time. Act on the first opportunity, then get the hell out. He’d figure out his next move after that. Improvising was always called for. With so many variables, he couldn’t pre-set his next steps.
Another hour passed. He still had good light and hoped Big Al was not going to work late or, worse, stay in the office for
the night.
Then an older sedan drove up. Three men got out. It was followed by another one, a Ford as near as Jason could guess. Five men got out of that one. Jason switched from the spotting scope to his rifle and watched, now on high alert.
The entrance to the city building opened and a dozen militia members with what looked like M16s emerged and fanned out, rifles ready. The men waited outside the door with the militia forming an outer perimeter spreading out from the doorway. Everyone was scanning the area in front of them. Checking by sectors. Each one responsible for spotting threats in an assigned field of view. This went on for a full two long minutes. They think the threat still might be near-by. They’re focused on a close-up attack. Big mistake.
Then one of the civilian men, inside the circle of militia, pulled open the front door. Jason swung his scope to the door. He could clearly see Big Al emerge, flanked by some of his capos.
There was little hesitation. As soon as Big Al came out, the men formed a protective shield around him and began to move to the waiting vehicles. Fortunately for Jason, Big Al came by his nickname for a reason. He was a good head taller than the men around him. Jason slowed his breathing, his heart rate. He was the hunter. He locked down the deadly link to his prey.
When they started down to the street, Big Al was more exposed as the men in front began to step down. Jason paused his breathing mid-exhale, and squeezed off a shot. The M110 gave a muffled bark along with a solid kick to his shoulder. Big Al’s head exploded in a burst of blood and brains at the same time the supersonic crack of the bullet rang out at the building entrance. He collapsed to the concrete. The men and militia around him brought up their weapons and looked around. The civilians all dropped to the ground or started running back towards the building to get inside.
Jason sat back from the M110. The bodyguards and capos around Big Al were good targets, but there was no sense telegraphing his position further by taking more shots. The militia could be at the building in a minute if he gave them an opportunity to pinpoint his location. He began to dismantle the rifle and pack it away. Before leaving the roof, he took a look through the spotting scope. Big Al lay in a heap, hardly recognizable from the head shot. He saw Michael appear at the top of the steps and look down. When he saw the body, Michael looked in Jason’s direction and then went back inside.
After throwing the table and chair into a corner of the roof, Jason hurried down to the office suite. It wouldn’t take someone familiar with ballistics long to figure out the general direction of the shot. Then a massive hunt would begin. They had their killer, here in the downtown area, possibly trapped. They wouldn’t let him escape easily. He had to move now.
He packed up his gear. Exchanging the M110 for his M4. He went around the suite and cleaned up any evidence of his presence. Don’t want to get Luke into trouble. Then he shouldered his pack and stepped out into the hall. He walked briskly to the stairs and started down the forty flights. He let gravity propel him at a run, being careful not to trip, but moving as fast as he could go. Getting caught in the building would be certain death. Once on the streets he had the possibility of fight and retreat. He hadn’t seen Roper, but he knew the man would be on the scene and probably direct the search himself, even if from the safety of the building.
Michael was coming down the stairs in the city-county building when he heard the sound of the shot. He stepped out of the door and saw Big Al lying on the sidewalk. Everyone was shouting and looking around. Michael looked down the blocks to the high-rise. The roof could be seen clearly from where he stood but he could see nothing through the metal curtain on the top of the building. He turned his gaze away and stepped back inside.
He was pushed aside by Larry Roper who stopped at the door. Someone opened it and he peered out to look at the body but didn’t step outside. Must be worried about being a target himself. Michael stayed back and watched the action.
Roper said something to a man next to him. The man ran out to the body and kept anyone from moving it. He shouted some orders and the militia fanned out to secure the full plaza in front of the building. When that was done, Roper came out. He bent down to the body and examined the entry point of the bullet. It was at the left temple between the ear and eye. The lower right backside of the man’s skull was blown out in a bloody mess with the neck damaged as well.
He stood up faced forward, as he guessed Big Al had been doing. He put his finger up to his head at the same point of entry, then turned to an officer near him.
“The shot came from up the block.” He pointed north along the street. “Can’t tell how far away. I want a hundred men assembled here. You check every building along this block. I can’t tell the height, but all we need is the direction.”
He pointed up the street. “The killer is up there somewhere. Get the men together to search every building and get more troops to seal off six blocks in that direction.” He turned and started back inside.
One of the mob associates stepped in front of him.
“You was supposed to protect him. And Joe.” The man looked aggressive. “What kind of protection is that?”
The other mobsters assembled around him. Some of Roper’s militia saw the confrontation and shouldered their way next to their commander.
Michael watched. The chaos was beginning to happen. Is this the start? A split between the militia and the mob?
“You find your next-in-command and send them to me. I’ve figured out where the shot came from. Have you?”
The man didn’t respond.
“I didn’t think so. Now get out of my face. This isn’t the time for any of that crap. This is the time to catch the shooter. We know approximately where he is, so don’t get in my way while I’m trying to catch him.”
With that, Roper pushed the man aside and stepped back into the building.
“What are you looking at?” Roper said to Michael. “Don’t you have anything useful to do?”
Instead of cowering, Michael responded. “I wish I did.”
“Go talk to the fucking mayor. Find out if there are any keys to the buildings along this street. We need to check them all out.” He pushed past Michael and started up the stairs.
Roper’s command sounded like a good opportunity to begin what Jason had talked about; Michael headed off to talk with the mayor. There might be keys, maybe with the fire department. If not, the militia could just smash doors. But he’d take his time finding out. He had more important things to discuss with the mayor.
Michael was getting a sense of how unstable the situation could become. Roper might use his militia to try to take control of the city. That would exchange one dictator for another. Now was the time to get the mayor moving. Maybe he’d had enough of the results of his decision, two years ago, to turn control over to the mob.
Chapter 40
___________________________________
J ason emerged from the high rise on a side street. He was shielded from any visibility to the city building. His immediate problem was that he had to cross the street that went straight past the city government center, which would expose him. It was only four blocks away. But he had to get east in order to get to Joe’s car.
He turned north and ran down an alley. Put more distance between me and the shooting, then cross and head east. He went west a half-block and turned north, moving at a fast jog. The dense, high-rises petered out after two more blocks. There were a few civilians about but they only cast furtive glances at Jason as he ran by. After covering four more blocks he turned back east.
Now he was far enough away to be hardly visible. There were a few pedestrians on the streets. He hoped he would look like one of them from the greater distance. As he crossed the street he looked to his right and saw the troops coming north. They were jogging forward, passing all the buildings along the way.
They figured out where the shot came from. Going to set up a perimeter, then hunt through each building. Jason gave a sigh of relief. He had a chance to stay outside the
cordoned-off area. He allowed himself to slow to a quick walk. Try not to attract too much attention. There were other militia around as well as city cops. Not being noticed would be hard. He had the M110 in its padded pack strapped to his backpack; all making a large load on his back. His .223 rifle was slung over his shoulder His 9mm was in his coat pocket. He looked odd and out of place.
Everyone in the downtown area dressed in a style more like one saw before the attack, as if the city was trying to recreate a normal, pre-EMP look. He stood a good chance of being stopped by a patrol even if they hadn’t heard of the shooting. Can’t pretend to be a hunter for the city. They don’t show up downtown.
While he was thinking about his appearance, two policemen crossed the street to intercept him. The police had been partially merged with the militia, in that Roper had ultimate authority over them. Below Roper, they got their orders from a police chief who was controlled by the mob. In that sense the mob ran the police department. While the militia did city patrols, as they got ready to go through the countryside to pacify the smaller towns, the police were left alone more and more to deal with city issues.
“Hold up there,” one of the officers said as they approached Jason. “Who are you and what are you doing downtown?”
“You don’t look like a hunter. And hunters aren’t allowed here,” the other said.
Jason stopped. He sized up the two men. They weren’t in full alert mode, so an attack on them had a chance due to the surprise factor. Still, he’d try to talk his way out of the situation.
“I got my card in my coat pocket,” Jason said. He pointed to his right-hand pocket. The officers tensed. He pulled out his mob ID card, the one that let him into the downtown area, and handed it to the first man.
They both looked at it carefully and then Jason. “It’s got a name on it, but no picture. How do we know this belongs to you?”
