by Nees, David
That evening Jason said goodbye to Father Gregory and slipped out of the monastery using the tunnel the Abbot had talked about. Father Gregory placed the rope and ladder at the wall to misdirect Vincent and the others later when he let them in come morning.
When Jason exited the tunnel, he was in the cover of the pines. He worked his way around to the road leading back to Charlotte. He had to move fast. Roper had departed earlier that day and was already back in town. It would take Jason all night, running with short breaks, to reach Charlotte. It was going to be an exhausting effort. Complicating his plan was the knowledge that Vincent and his men would be coming up behind him sometime the next day. He needed to be off the road and infiltrated back into town before they arrived.
His gear was packed up; his M110 disassembled and in its own soft case, lashed to his backpack. He had his M4 slung over his shoulder and his 9mm strapped to his side. Running was awkward, but not as difficult as he remembered when in the army, with an even heavier pack.
Upon reaching the highway, he settled into a comfortable jogging pace; one he could maintain for hours and would eat up the miles. It was going to be a long, hard night. Jason’s routine was to run for an hour followed by a five-minute recovery walk, then start the cycle over again. He plodded; his pace did not seem to have the spring it once did. Getting older. He had the endurance but realized his body did not have the peak power it once had. If Father Gregory waits until the afternoon, I should not have a problem with Vincent coming up on my tail. His goal was to get inside Charlotte before anyone could raise an alert. Vincent might or might not assume he was still heading away from Charlotte. Better to be inside the perimeter in any case.
Dawn saw Jason crossing the Catawba River bridge on Rt. 16. Three hours later he was approaching the Charlotte airport. The militia was stationed there, so Jason guessed Roper probably would go there to keep himself safe. Jason had proven he could strike, even in the central part of the city.
He worked his way past the empty warehouses, no longer used, sticking to the woods and brush that was reclaiming the land from concrete and blacktop. At an outlying parking garage, Jason went up to the top level, only four stories high, to locate the nexus of activity in the sprawl of the now unused airport.
When he was in position, he unpacked his M110 and assembled it. After checking the distance to the terminal entrance, he dialed in his scope.
The arms coming off the main terminal, all with an assortment of now derelict planes pulled up to the gates showed little activity. The central part of the terminal, however, showed signs of life. There were militia members moving in and out of the building. Across a runway, the general aviation buildings seemed to house the bulk of the men and vehicles. Jason guessed that the officers had located themselves in the main terminal. Probably creating rooms out of the shops and gate areas. There would be restaurant facilities that could be jury rigged to provide food. Jason settled in to watch and wait.
Two hours later, he saw Roper through his binoculars. He had just emerged from the terminal. He stopped and looked around. Then he walked over to a Humvee and got in. He pulled the vehicle over to the main door and backed it up to the curb. Then he disappeared into the terminal. Preparing to leave? You better be. Jason had no desire to try to infiltrate the terminal and confront Roper up close. He hoped he had made his point. He was about a third of a mile from the entrance; not an impossible shot if he had to take one. What Jason needed to see was Roper packing his vehicle and preparing to drive south. He’d have to hold position until he could be sure Larry was doing what he had told him to do.
An hour later, Roper reappeared. He was with two other men. He spoke to them and the men walked off to get into a Humvee. They headed out onto the runways, towards the buildings that housed the main force. What’s he up to? Increasing his protection? He should be packing up.
Jason slid the M110 over the edge of the garage parapet. He got Roper in his sights. Roper was drinking something from a coffee cup. A call must have come over his radio. He put the cup on the roof of the Humvee and reached for his radio hooked to his belt. Jason brought the rifle to bear on the cup, now sitting on the roof of the Humvee. Roper was talking on the radio.
Jason slowed his breathing and heart rate. The reticle rested on the cup. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, Roper talking. As soon as Roper reached down to put the radio back in his belt, Jason’s finger closed on the trigger. The suppressed rifle gave a muffled whoomp along with a satisfying kick. In the next instance the cup exploded as the sonic report rang out.
Larry yanked his head around to the roof. Pieces of the shattered cup hit him in the face. He stepped back and almost fell. Turning, he ran back into the terminal. Take the hint, dumbass. Jason hoped Roper understood the shot could just as easily have hit him. In a few minutes, vehicles from across the runway had started up and were headed towards the terminal. Jason saw Roper come back out with two gear bags and throw them into the back. Others followed him out of the building.
Jason broke down the rifle and packed it away. He needed to put some distance between himself and the airport. There would be a search of high places fanning out from the entrance. It would take them a while to get out as far as he was, but they’d get here at some point. Time to head downtown again.
Chapter 52
___________________________________
J ason made his way east towards the inner city. He’d have to wait until dark to get into the downtown area; the interstate was too open and wide for him to cross in the daylight. The train tracks that he used to exit on the east side also passed over the highway on the west side. At night they would provide a way in. Jason guessed the bridge would not be manned, but barricaded. He’d have to climb over or around but, with caution, he expected he could get past the barrier. If Larry Roper had initiated a search for him, it would center around the airport since he had made his presence known there in a dramatic way.
Dusk found him hiding in the brush near the railroad overpass. He took the time to eat and get some rest. For the moment he was safe in his hide. Word would spread of his being in the city, but no one would know his whereabouts.
After night fell, Jason got up and stretched. He was sore. All the running the previous night had left him with complaining muscles. Loosen up. You’ve got more to do. There was a singular focus in his thinking. Nothing beyond the mission mattered. It was the only way to maintain his drive through this long assault on the mafia and the militia. Remember, you’re one man. You can’t do everything. That small voice kept trying to intrude into his thinking. He kept trying to tamp it down.
Finally loosened up, he left the safety of the brush and started for the rail bridge. It was made of concrete with concrete sides to keep any debris from falling on the interstate highway below. The sides effectively shielded Jason so he could cross in a crouch and not be seen from below.
As he expected, near the end of the bridge, piles of concrete rubble had been placed across the span forming a loose, sloping wall about ten feet high. With limited ability to see, it might be dangerous to climb. He could initiate a slide which, although it might not harm him, would be noisy enough to attract unwanted attention. Jason stopped, took off his pack and studied the situation.
He decided he would have to chance the climb. There were no real handholds on the outside of the concrete sides to allow him to climb around the obstruction. The added instability of his backpack would increase the danger of climbing around the sides. He didn’t want to risk falling to the roadway below, some twenty feet down. Such a fall, if it didn’t kill him, would injure him severely enough to end the mission.
With great care, Jason put his hands on the lower pieces of debris. He tested them to see how easily they moved. If firm, he stepped up on them and proceeded to reach up and test other pieces. Finding handholds and footholds was not the problem, Jason needed to make sure each piece was solidly in place. If he found a piece that seemed loose, he tried to gently move it
down without letting it fall or loosening more pieces. If he moved a piece, the resultant gap gave him a firm place to put a foot and continue upward.
In this painstaking manner he inched upward. He kept as low to the pile as he could so his profile would blend in with the rubble. At the top, he had to reach over and reverse his procedure. A half hour later he was on the rails, now inside the barrier.
Now try to connect with Daniels or Luke. They can give me a good read on the situation. Going to the high-rise was out of the question. Jason really didn’t know where Luke had set up his own living quarters in the building and he didn’t have time to check all forty floors. And he had no idea where Daniel’s lived. His office seemed the best bet, although going there would be entering the hornet’s nest. Jason was pretty sure it would now be impossible to get into the building.
Find a place to hide and keep watch. If Daniels or Luke are in the building, I can follow them when they leave.
He started for the city offices. The grounds around the building had probably been thoroughly searched after he had shot Big Al. Those who suspected he had returned would focus on the airport. Jason was betting he’d be safe enough in the brush where he had hidden on his first foray into the downtown area.
The park-like grounds across from the city building were a dense mixture of trees and thickets. He could worm his way into the brush and not be seen. If he kept still, one would almost have to step on him to discover his presence. It might not be comfortable, but being that well-hidden, so close to his objective, was an ideal advantage for him.
Dawn found him snug in a nest deep in the bushes. He had crawled through the undergrowth, pushing his pack ahead of him—there was not enough clearance for him to wear it on his back. With the daylight, Jason broke some twigs, pulled off some leaves and made an irregular opening, just large enough for him to see through with his binoculars. Through it he could spy on the main entrance across the street. Now he lay back, relaxed as best he could, drank some water, and ate some beef jerky. Time enough to watch when people start showing up.
That morning Jason saw both Daniels and Luke. They walked up together. Luke must be staying with Daniels, wherever that is. Now he would have to watch throughout the day to make sure he saw them when they departed. There were military types around the city building. The way Jason was dressed, neither in a militia uniform, nor looking like a mob member, he risked standing out when he emerged to follow. Hopefully the pedestrian traffic would thin out by the time the two men left the building.
They had come up from the south. Jason decided he would work his way down the street using the overgrown areas to cover him. Maybe when they left, he could attract their attention farther down the block and meet with them. If Daniels could tell him where he lived and how to get into the building, Jason could wait until dark and then make his way there. He smiled. It was a plan. That always helped, even it was a bit sketchy.
By late afternoon, Jason had been able to move south to the next block. He was now hidden in front of a police headquarters of some sort which made him nervous. But he had good cover near the road. He was close enough to be able to call out to the men when they passed without alerting everyone on the street. Now the wait began again.
When people began to emerge from the buildings, Jason went on high alert. He’d have only one chance. It had to count. He watched up the street. People passed by within twenty feet and didn’t see him. Daniels and Luke wouldn’t see him either. They’d have to hear him calling to them. Time passed; it got later; there were fewer people about and dusk was coming. Jason strained to see up the street. Finally, he spotted two men walking together. Through his binoculars he could see it was Daniels and Luke.
They were on the opposite side of the street which put them about fifty feet away from where he hid. Just before they got abreast of his position, Jason called out, “Daniels!”
The two men looked around.
“Daniels! To your left,” Jason said a little louder this time. He couldn’t keep shouting for too long without attracting others.
Now the men looked over in his direction.
“Cross the street. I need to talk with you.”
The looked at one another and walked across the road.
“Come forward ten feet and stand around as if you’re talking with each other,” Jason said, now in lower voice. “Don’t look into the bushes.”
“Is that you, boss?” Luke said.
“Not so loud,” Jason replied.
“What do you want?” Daniels asked in a low voice.
“I need to talk with both of you. Tell me where you’re staying and how to get in your building. I’ll make my way there tonight.”
Daniels looked around. The few people walking past were on the other side of the road and paid no attention to the two men.
“I’m in an apartment building. It’s three blocks west of here up next to the ring road. It’s large and white. You can’t miss it,” Daniel said.
“How do I get in?”
“There’s a parking garage underneath. Go in the south end. I’ll jam open the door nearest the car entrance. I’m on the fourth floor, number 457.”
“I’ll be there. It’ll be late, wait up for me.”
“What else would we do?” Luke asked.
Daniels grabbed his arm and they started walking again.
Chapter 53
___________________________________
M ichael Daniels opened his door when Jason knocked on it. He stood there for a moment as if in shock. Jason pushed inside and Daniels closed the door.
“My God, man. You look terrible,” he said.
Jason gave him a sour look.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that…well, look at yourself in the mirror.”
He pointed to the wall of the living room area where a decorative mirror hung.
Jason walked over as Luke entered the room.
“Hey boss,” he said in a loud voice. “Wow, you look like you’ve been through the ringer.”
Jason didn’t answer. He stared at his image. His hair was sticking out at odd angles, dirty and unkempt. His face was not only reddened by the cold and wind but covered in grime. He had dark shadows under his eyes which gave him a haunted look. His clothes were rumpled and stained from grass and mud from sleeping outside and crawling on the ground.
“You look like you’ve been through hell,” Luke said. “Or delivering hell.”
“I have some large plastic buckets of water,” Michael said. “You can wash up.”
“Thanks.” Jason took off his backpack and coat and sat down on the couch, happy to be off his feet. “First tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s only been five days since you left, but we’ve made some progress,” Michael said. “I’ve got the mayor on board and he’s rounding up the council members who he thinks have the courage to try to step forward in opposition to the mob. Luke here has been a surprise. He’s quite an orator. He’s worked his way through the militia and talked with senior leadership. He’s convinced many of them of two things. One, that Roper is an outlier, not a Charlotte native and so may not have our city’s interests at heart. And two, that Roper is under the thumb of the mafia which means they are as well. Those two facts are not sitting well with the local officers. They’re mostly home-grown and have a loyalty to the city. He’s been quite convincing…and subversive.
“Michael wanted to send me to Atlanta to get help from FEMA,” Luke said. “The last thing I wanted to do was go out on the road with lots of supplies and gas. I’d be a target for every highway bandit out there.”
He broke into a broad smile. “Besides, that would have wasted my true talents.”
“You are the showman,” Jason said.
“He’s more than that,” Michael said. “He goes on about loyalty to our city. How Charlotte’s nickname is ‘the queen city’. How gracious and beautiful it is and that we should live up to our name. Do we want our fair city to be a den of thieves and mur
derers? Or do we want our city to lead the way towards the rebuilding of the country? He’s gotten people thinking about where this ends with the mob running things. And, he’s sown doubt in the minds of many of the officers about Roper.”
“Questions were raised about the assassinations,” Michael continued. “We said we don’t know who did it, but we saw the opportunity to take back control. Hell, Luke even stiffened the backbone of our mayor.”
“Imagine you, influencing the mayor,” Jason said. “Quite a change from being the Duke of East End.”
“Hey, that’s no small thing. Plus, it gave me my training. The mayor wants me to help out as his spokesperson. He’ll want to take all the credit, but, if we turn this around, I’ll have a position of influence throughout the whole city.” Luke now beamed at his sudden rise to fame.
“Looks like shaking things up is working for you. Let’s hope it works for everyone.”
Michael now looked serious. “Vincent Bonocchi may be a problem. It seems like he may emerge as the strongest capo and take over leadership. If the mob reorganizes quickly it’ll start rooting out the opposition. We’ll be uncovered and the support from the politicians will evaporate.”
“It’s all going to come down to the militia,” Jason said. “They have the firepower. Which side they support will determine who wins.”
He hunched forward on the couch. The other two men grabbed chairs and pulled them up.
“The militia was probably directed by the mayor before. Even after the mob got control over him, they did what they were told. Now you’ve introduced doubt in their leadership. What you need to do is get your mayor to man-up and meet with the officers. Tell them that the mafia has to go. That Charlotte has to go back to civilian control. He’s a politician, so he’ll be able to come up with some story as to why he let this happen. He can also position himself as the crusader, the savior of the city.
