by Nees, David
“Meanwhile,” Jason turned to Michael, “you have to get connected to the engineers, the technicians that make things work. If the militia supports the civilian government, you need to show some advancements to solidify yourselves with the general population. They want normalcy and will support whoever can deliver it. That’s how the mob was able to exercise their brand of leadership. Even though they used brutal tactics at times, they made things work, and so everyone put up with them.”
“That’s a tall order,” Michael said.
“You’re a bureaucrat. You know how to work with organized systems. Use that to identify those who make things run, then use that skill to prioritize and organize them.” He pointed at Michael. “You’ve lived a quiet life making a small part of a large system work. Now you’ve been called to a larger task. But it’s the same in kind, just not in scale. Remember that.”
He turned back to Luke.
“Look how Luke is using his skills but now on a larger scale. You do that as well.”
The night passed as the men talked about plans and actions; things that had been done and things that still had to be done quickly to stave off any counter attempts by the mob to regain control. They worked out a “to do” list for both Michael and Luke.
“You two go to work on that list today.” Jason sighed. “I’ve hit the wall and need to rest for now. I’ll stay here. When you get back, we can decide on whether or not Vincent needs to go. I also want you to find out if Roper has departed.”
He had told them of his arrangement with Larry Roper and the warning he had given him at the airport. The men nodded gravely and got up to ready themselves for the day. Jason lay back on the couch and fell into a deep sleep. He hadn’t yet washed up. He’d do that later, he promised himself. The security of the apartment allowed him to relax for the first time in days and he reveled in it. Tonight…or tomorrow, I’ll get back in action.
Vincent immediately met with his crew when he got back to Charlotte. Tony had done well, working the others in the family, making alliances.
“Some of the other capos tried to pin this mess on you,” Tony said, “saying Jason came from our crew, so you’re responsible for Big Al and Joe. I turned that around with some of them. I said you were skeptical of him from the start. Put myself on the line and said I was his biggest promoter. That he fooled me, but not you. I told them that you advised Joe against giving Jason more influence, putting him in charge of the power project.”
“How’d that go over?”
“Like I said, some bought it. It’s mostly true. If you cautioned Joe about Jason then it’s on Joe, not you. He fooled a lot of us. Plus, I said he attacked our crew, killing Gino. And I pointed out that you were the one who went after him with Roper.”
Tony paused for a moment.
“Then I stuck my neck out and asked them what they were doing while you were chasing the son of a bitch down. That pissed some of them off and I got warned about not showing respect. But the point got made.”
“Good job, Tony. I’ll remember that.”
“One problem though, boss. You didn’t get him. Where is he? Did he get away? Do we need to go all the way to Hillsboro to get him? The others will still want revenge.”
“And what the hell are they doing about it? If I get control we can talk about revenge. We can send Roper to Hillsboro like Big Al and Joe planned. Jason’s probably got family there, roots. We’ll get to him through them.”
At that moment Ears burst into the room. Vincent looked up in irritation.
“Sorry to interrupt. A militia guy just came by. Someone took a shot at Roper, out at the airport.”
“Is he alive?”
“Yeah. The shooter missed. The guy said Roper’s freaked out by it. No one knows who did it or where the shot came from. They’re trying to figure it out now. He says Roper mentioned something about a Jason Richards.”
“Damn!” Vincent said in a loud voice. “There’s your answer,” he said looking at Tony. “The bastard’s returned.”
“He wants to kill Roper?” Tony asked.
Vincent shook his head. “No, he’s trying to send him a message. I think if he wanted to kill him, that shot would have done it. They didn’t know where it came from because the guy’s a sniper. Hell, he could have been a half mile away.” He paused to look out of his window. “What the hell does he want? What message is he trying to send?”
He shook his head and turned back to his crew.
“The guy took out our two top men. He wants to cripple the family, get us fighting among ourselves. Probably so we don’t go after Hillsboro. Is that the message he’s sending Roper?”
Vincent got up.
“Ears, we got to go out to the airport and find Roper. The rest of you get out on the streets and keep your eyes out for any sign of him.”
The meeting broke up and Vincent and Ears headed for the airport.
Chapter 54
___________________________________
T he main terminal at the airport was still in a state disruption. Ears drove up to the entrance. The militia had their guns at ready, aimed towards the car when Vincent got out.
“What are you doing?” Vincent shouted to them. “I’m here to see Commander Roper. I’m one of Big Al’s men, put those rifles down.”
The men lowered their weapons and Vincent and Ears walked through them, into the building. They headed to Roper’s office and living quarters. It was located in a section of the American Airlines Admiral’s Club. There was a guard at the door.
Roper opened when they knocked.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Finding out what the hell is going on.”
“You get Jason?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think so,” Roper said.
“Why is that?”
“He took a shot at me this morning. From a long way off.”
“And he missed?” Vincent’s voice evidenced his disbelief.
“He didn’t miss. It was to warn me. He shot my coffee cup. It was sitting on the Humvee roof. Do you know how hard that is to do from a distance?”
Vincent ignored the question. “What’s the warning about?”
“Not to go to Hillsboro.”
Vincent looked around the room. There were boxes out, some packed, some partially packed. Roper turned back to that work.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m changing my location. He knows I’m staying so I’m changing it.”
“Where are you going?”
“Not sure right now. I’ll let you know after I’ve decided.”
“This all seems a bit hurried.”
Roper stopped his packing and turned to Vincent. “You didn’t get shot at.”
“I can’t have you run off to who knows where. I have to be able to get in touch with you. Your men have to get in touch with you.”
“My men will know how to reach me, don’t worry. As for you, I’d worry more about the other capos than me, if you want to survive. Jason was a part of your crew.”
He stepped up to Vincent. Ears tensed up. Roper put his finger on Vincent’s chest.
“Don’t think you can tell me what to do. You’re on my turf now. I’ll let you know how to reach me and I’ll decide how and when to go to Hillsboro. Got it?”
Vincent didn’t budge. “You better remember who’s in charge. We put you in power, we can take you out.”
“Sergeant!” Roper shouted. “Come in here.”
A burly militia officer stepped into Roper’s room. He was armed with a 9mm sidearm.
“These men were just leaving. Please escort them out of the building and into their car.”
Ears gave the sergeant a hard look which the man returned.
“I’ll be back. I’m going to come out on top and you’re gonna wish you had helped me. It’s not too late to get on the winning side.”
“I prefer to wait and see who actually wins. Then we can renegotiate my deal sinc
e things have changed. Jason represents an escalation in the situation I’m facing…personally. That calls for new terms. You win your fight, come see me. I’ll be waiting. But until then, the militia stays on the sidelines.”
“I’ll be back. Then you’ll sing a different tune.” Vincent and Ears turned to go.
After they had left, Roper finished his packing. He got into his Humvee and drove out of the airport. After putting some random miles between him and the facility, he pulled over to think about his situation.
Jason couldn’t stay around forever. He’d be hunted down eventually. Roper calculated that if he went into hiding for a while, Jason would not be able to find him. He could wait him out. There was still a chance that he could remain in power, but Jason had said that the mob would have leverage over him, something Vincent had pointed out as well.
His officer’s families. If they used them to control his senior officers, they would control his fate. There were six men that were key. What to do? He could head to the storage facility and pull his loot and go. That’s what Jason said to do. Or, he could talk with those key officers and determine the threat the mob presented. Damn. He was under attack from two sides.
If he could neutralize the mob though, maybe he could maintain his position. Jason had to go back to Hillsboro sooner or later. If he changed plans and didn’t attack Hillsboro, maybe Jason would forget about him. It was possible.
But, if the mob did have leverage over his senior officers, that put him under their control; something he didn’t relish. There would be no renegotiating his arrangement and they could even confiscate the loot he had collected.
His loot. Over the year, he’d been given as much scrip as hard value items—gold, silver, precious stones. It didn’t seem like much of a problem when things were going well. He anticipated being able to steadily convert the scrip into something more portable. If he bugged out now, that wasn’t possible. His hard goods would be the only thing of value that he could use on the road.
His mind began to swirl with his options, most of them not very good. Begin with my officers. That was the way to go. He started the Humvee and headed back to the airport.
Later that day, Michael and Luke returned to Michael’s apartment. Jason had rested, washed and looked much more presentable.
“We got a problem,” Luke announced after they had walked in.
Jason looked at him, waiting for an explanation.
“The key militia officers were put on notice that the mob knows all about their families. Some of the mob sat down with them and mentioned each of their wives, girlfriends, children, parents by name. And they knew where they all lived.”
“Did they threaten them?”
“Didn’t have to. The information was threat enough. Now they’re saying they might not be able to stand with us.”
“Jesus!” Jason said in anger. “Don’t these men think? If they support you, the mob can’t do what they threaten.”
“They don’t see it that way,” Michael said. He’d heard the officers’ objections and knew they were scared for their loved ones. “The mob could get to them before things get under control.
They were standing in the kitchen. Jason pounded his fist on the table. “Are these the senior officers? The ones who are supposed to lead troops?”
Luke and Michael nodded.
Jason shook his head in disgust. “What’s going on is an insurrection. We’re starting a revolution. Restoring civilian control back to the city. Get these men to move their families out to the airport and put them under guard. Immediately! They shouldn’t take no for an answer. I’ll go take out Vincent and the other capos, if I have to. Cut off the head and the snake dies. I thought I did that, but if I have to cut more, I’ll do it.”
There was silence in the kitchen. Then Michael spoke up.
“You’re right. It’s time for action. Not sitting on the sidelines.”
“I can tell them what you said,” Luke offered.
“I have a thought,” Michael said. “Instead of you doing more killing, if we convince these officers to act, I’ll have the mayor order the arrest of Vincent and the other capos. Five men in all. That cuts off the rest of the head. The crews will be leaderless. They’ll still be dangerous, but not able to threaten the town’s leadership anymore.”
Jason looked at Michael. “That’s pretty good for a bureaucrat. Sends a message that law and order are back.” He paused for a moment. “Better put the mayor and all the council members who side with him under protection along with their families. They should be sequestered at the airport like the militia families until the violence dies down. Then the mob won’t have any targets.”
“We’ve got to go see the mayor right now. I know where he lives,” Michael said. “Jason, you should come with us. Then we have to get to the officers. We can put this into action tomorrow if we can get everyone on board tonight.”
“Going to be up all night,” Luke said. “I guess this is how revolutions work. Never participated in one before.”
“They’re dangerous,” Jason said. “You unleash chaos, destroy order, and then try to keep control over events that are moving too fast. The goal is to be able to reestablish order on the other side of the chaos. Often things go wrong in the middle and the outcome is not what was expected.”
“So, the faster we move, the better chance we have to maintain some control.” Michael said.
“That’s right. Now before the night’s over, I have to pay Vincent a visit.”
“You’re not going to kill him, are you?” Michael asked.
“No, but I have one piece of unfinished business to attend to. He should be arrested, like you said.”
Chapter 55
___________________________________
T he visit to the mayor went better than Jason had expected. He was a cautious man, but if the three of them, Jason, Michael, and Luke could get the militia fully committed; and, if they could provide security, he’d be on board and get his council members to stand with him.
“If we create a no-risk situation, the stalwart mayor will come on board,” Jason said with some irony later. “I’m sure after it’s all over, he’ll be talking up how brave he and his council were to stand against the mafia and regain control over the city.”
“Like you said, he’s a politician,” Michael said.
“Jason, you have to come with me to talk with the militia officers,” Luke said.
“I thought you were going to handle that.”
“I was, and can. You know by now that I enjoy the spotlight. But it’s too important to not bring everything we can to make our case. And that means you. You’re the catalyst that started this. They need to hear from you.”
“I have to agree,” Michael. “You’ll have to delay your meeting with Vincent.”’
“That means going out to the airport?” Jason asked. “If so, they may have been informed that I tried to kill Roper. That message I sent to him will be interpreted as an assassination attempt.”
The men fell silent for a moment.
Finally, Luke spoke up. “We’ll get around that. Roper is an outsider in the sense of not coming from Charlotte. We can vouch for you, especially since you took out the mob leadership. They now know the mob is a threat to them.”
“All right, let’s go,” Jason said.
After his meeting with the senior militia officers, Roper left the airport. He headed to the storage warehouse. There he loaded all the gains from his time in Charlotte. It was two suitcases of gold and precious stones. He looked at a third suitcase holding the scrip he’d been given. A sour grin crossed his face. He picked up a handful of the paper, worthless outside of Charlotte, and scattered it on the ground. The gold and jewels would have to do.
If he couldn’t maintain control over his officers, he couldn’t control the larger events he saw brewing, and he didn’t know how to evaluate the threat of Jason. The man seemed to be an unstoppable force. Roper wouldn’t put it past him to remai
n in Charlotte, eluding capture, to ensure he left. He wasn’t going to remain exposed like that. Jason’s threat felt formidable.
He didn’t have family here. No roots. It was time to go. At least he had more than the last time he was forced out.
Roper loaded his suitcases in the Humvee. The fuel tank was full and he had ten, five-gallon jerry cans full of additional fuel. He could go a long way. He had weapons, ammunition, fuel and valuables. Was it enough to make his way out of the country? He didn’t know, but it was time to try.
He got into the Humvee and headed out on the highway, south, to an uncertain future.
Jason, Daniels and Luke drove out to the airport. There was a security checkpoint in place. Jason sat in the back and Michael covered for everyone using his FEMA credentials to get them through. Luke and Jason were explained as assistant and personal security. Roper hadn’t given anyone more than a verbal description of Jason and now, in civilian clothes and cleaned up, he passed without notice.
“I know where the officers are quartered,” Luke said. He directed them to the main terminal. Again, Michael’s explanation got the three past the security at the terminal doors. Luke led them to the left, past the Admiral’s Club that Roper had abandoned earlier that day. They walked towards the far end of the wing which expanded to include shops and restaurants. There workers had subdivided the space into apartments. Small, but well appointed, with the luxury of a full working bathroom facility in the vicinity. The quarters were close to the Admiral’s Club which not only housed Roper, but the militia Command Center and meeting area.
“Roper stays there,” Daniels said as they passed the entrance to the club. There was no guard at the door. “He’s probably not there. Usually there’s a guard at his door.”
“Hiding…or departed,” Jason said.
“Wait here,” Luke said to Jason when they got near the end of the corridor. “Michael, come with me. Let’s round up the officers.”
