"You worry too much my friend. You hired Herr Stern to make sure your orders are carried out. You've made your wishes clear, have you not?"
Alphonse shifted in his seat. "My son has always been charming. He has a way of growing on someone who doesn't have perspective."
"And you believe Morgen has lost perspective? He's a very capable man, one of the rising stars. Besides we have one of our best men on this problem as well."
"I still worry. The Coalfield's are coming with their friends. That group would have power like we've never faced… power like we've never seen, and concentrated in so few! Maybe we should finally bring the Acero program online?"
The other man sat back in his seat as concern crossed his creased features. "Don't you think that might be drastic? We've never even let them out of their cages except to test. Even the engineers are suspicious of them."
"I didn't expect you to be so wary of ours creations."
"They seemed like a good idea at the time, but they're mindless beasts, only good for destruction."
"If your man fails us, which given his opposition is a likely outcome, we just might need some destruction." The retired Federal Judge DeBraya gained confidence. "I'll be there to make sure everything goes to plan. This must go well or we'll be set back a decade."
"You're so fatalistic."
Morgen Stern walked down the hall barely paying attention to the burly guards who were keeping a close eye on him. They knew better than to interfere. The well dressed German came to his destination and gave the bodyguard a cursory glance before knocking on Martin DeBraya's door to announce his entrance. Morgen Stern walked down the hall barely paying attention to the burly guards who were keeping a close eye on him. They knew better than to interfere. The well dressed German came to his destination and gave the bodyguard a cursory glance before knocking on Martin DeBraya's door to announce his entrance. Martin turned away from his packing for a moment to see Morgen walk in with two steaming mugs of coffee. Morgen looked around the room. It was a mess. There'd never been many comforts, and what little order this hideout bedroom once had was all gone. Clothes were piled in heaps, paper and empty whiskey bottles littered the floor next to plates of barely eaten food. Martin himself was freshly shaven, and scrubbed pink.
"I brought this to help you wake up, but since you haven't slept I guess you don't need it."
"The hell I don't", Martin said and took a mug. "It can help me stay awake. I have to get out of this place today. I'd leave right now if it wasn't day time."
"No, a night escape would be preferable."
"Any escape would be preferable", Martin quipped and managed a chuckle. "I don't want this place becoming my coffin. That's why I didn't get a wink of sleep last night. I have to be ready to go when the time comes."
"You'll be fine", Morgen assured his nominal employer and took a sip of coffee, knowing full well that his words were lies. Martin had every law enforcement agency in Florida looking for him by now, plus his own father wanted him dead.
"That's easy for you to say. You look well rested. Must have slept like a baby, or… maybe you invited that cute little blonde you suggested I hire into your room for a nightcap."
Morgen grinned. "Carri. And if I'd invited her to my bed last night I'd be anything but rested this morning. No, I slept alone and slept well when I wasn't worrying about your situation."
"I don't need you worrying. I'm doing enough of that for the both of us. I need you to come up with solutions. My father said you're a solutions guy." Morgen sipped his coffee and smiled. Martin continued, "Cause I'm at a complete loss. I'm trying to keep my shit together, but look at me I'm a wreck. Usually, I'd at least have some idea how to get myself out of a jam. Sometimes my ideas are bat shit crazy, but now…", he paused and sighed. "Now all I can think to do is run. Run as fast as I can and hope I can get far enough away to keep on living."
"I've been working on that. Ducking local cops and park police on the way to the airport shouldn't be a problem, and once you get out of the United States your options open up nicely. The FBI has bigger problems these days, same with ATF or US Marshals. Interpol shouldn't be a problem either. I'll have the proper forged documents waiting for you on the airplane." Morgen kept talking for a while, but Martin wasn't listening. Morgen might as well have been speaking his native German because every word was gibberish to Martin.
"None of this matters", Martin uttered as if Morgen wasn't speaking.
"Excuse me?"
"None of it. I'm not scared of the Feds or those buffoons at Interpol or a throng of goddamned angels. I'm only scared of one thing."
"I don't understand what you're getting at", Morgen said and Martin sighed.
"I never should've had that Caufield girl thrown from the helicopter", Martin admitted out loud. "I shouldn't have been paranoid about some crap on my hard drive. No, I shoulda taken that Amazon bitch down to Miami and partied my ass off. Who knows I might even have gotten my prick between those long legs of hers and if not so what? I still would've drunk myself into a stupor and fucked someone. Hell right now I'd probably be in Palm Beach on my balcony sipping a mojito and preparing to fuck some dusky Cuban gal. Instead I'm hiding like a rat… no fuck a rat! I'm hiding like a roach! Scared of my own shadow! What the hell kinda life is this?"
"We all make choices, Martin. You made yours."
"I didn't choose to have Ted Matthews locked up at my hideout. I know that for a fact. I wanted Slater to go take care of his old man so it would cover my tracks after I escaped, but why… why of all people did he have to kidnap Ted fucking Matthews and that other guy… Montez? He's Heather Matthews' boyfriend. Did you know that?" Morgen nodded, and Martin threw his hands up.
"Martin, you have to calm yourself. We have an escape plan. It's a good one and its going to work, but it won't help much with you being scared."
"You're damned right I'm scared. I watched Heather Matthews and her sister take out my toughest guards. Then I find out that they were holding back, just using a fraction of their strength while doing all that. That's some scary shit don't you think!?! I can get away from the cops, but after tonight I'll never be able to run away from those girls. So yeah. I have a right to be scared... to my fucking core."
Morgen shrugged and sat back in the overstuffed chair. "You do have something, or someone they want. That's more leverage than you had when they ransacked your home. Give them Montez and Ted. Get them off your back then you're just going up against law enforcement."
"I wish it was that easy, but Slater's made it clear that those two men are his prisoners and he'll do with them what he sees fit."
"You've got to be shitting me! This is your place. These are your men. Kill that little fuck. Hell I'll do it myself. Then haul Matthews in here and get him to call his daughters and make a deal."
Martin's grin looked pained. "I might have killed Slater a couple days ago, but he's not as stupid as he looks. He promised to turn over all the financial documents to me and he did. He just neglected to tell me that all the numbered accounts are pass coded. He told me that he must have accidentally shredded the papers that had the codes on them while trying to safe guard his own inheritance information. Can you believe that? He has balls. I'll give him that. But he assures me that he remembers all the codes. So I need that bastard alive… well alive long enough for me to get access to a large chunk of my money."
"And of course he's not going to give up those pass codes until he's safely out of the United States?"
"Of course", Martin replied wryly. "But by then Ted and Montez will both be dead."
Morgen finished his coffee. "Then it seems like you have a choice to make."
"What, between my money and my life? You of all people know they're one in the same. If I don't have a large bankroll where I'm going I won't be able to afford the security and payoffs. I'll be as good as dead. What's worse, Slater knows it. He's counting on it. The little shit."
Slater stood outside the room and listened to the water fall, imagining where those drops were landing until he couldn't take the waiting anymore. He opened the door and looked to his right, spotting her there naked. Carri spun under the makeshift shower, her eyes closed, lips puckered, and heavy wet hair hanging behind her back as she turned her face the shower head. These damned showers were too short for Slater to take one standing at full height, but they seemed perfect for Carri who rubbed her hands over her breasts, squeezing her b-cups together and rubbing her fingers over her perky nipples. From the side Carri's compact proportions were intoxicating. She spun again this time allowing the water to fall on her back. Slater felt his loins stir. He gripped his crotch and took a step forward.
Carri's legs and ass were so shapely and thick on her petite frame that he could concentrate on nothing else. Slater stepped forward again. Carri spread her legs before spinning towards the shower head once more. Every tiny movement showed a new wonderful muscle shape. He couldn't tell an oblique from a pectoral from a deltoid from a trapezius, he just knew that Carri had all those, and on her they were beautiful. And those muscles weren't just for show. He'd seen her do amazing things, and he wondered if that extended to sex. Without even thinking about it Slater's hands went to his zipper. He hadn't fucked since before Taylor'd bashed in his face, and looking at Carri made every hormone surge. He started to pull down his zipper.
Carri spit out some water. "I've fucked men for pleasure and for money, Slater, but something tells me I'd get neither of those from you."
"You shouldn't knock me until you try me. I can last for hours."
"Solely for you own ego I'm sure. In all those hours I bet you'd never even touch one of my spots, not that you know where to find them or would even care", she said and opened her eyes to look at him for the first time before shutting them and turning her face to the steaming water.
Slater's face rouged. "You are such a bitch. And you know how to kill a mood."
Carri laughed and turned her back to him. "Mission accomplished. Although, if you want, I'll let you keep staring at me for free, but if you feel the need to go any further than that I'll ask you move to a corner where I can't see."
Slater huffed and turned towards the door. "Just hurry up. I'm tired of waiting. I've got two men to kill." The smile fell from Carri's face as she finished her shower.
Jack was working on his fourth cup of coffee since midnight although sleep hadn't once threatened. There was far too much at stake. His mind was fully engaged, in overdrive even. In the past he'd relished the pressure of planning a seemingly impossible mission, but this was family. This was different. Twice in the last six months Jack had stood at a table much like this one, trying to figure out how to save a loved one, and tough as he was, he wasn't tough enough to fully escape the creeping dread of failure. Six months ago he'd gone to Oklahoma with a team of supremely powerful people to rescue his only natural child, and now his mind was periodically tormented by Katherine's distraught face. His sister loved her husband as deeply as a wife could, and Jack would rather be damned than fail to bring Ted back safe. Then there was Montez, a young man who'd captured Heather's heart in the year and a half since they'd started dating. He'd seen Heather's already bright inner light glow that much brighter when Montez was near. Jack'd want to rescue the young man for that reason alone, but Montez was more even than that. He was an Army Ranger, a Green Beret, a Delta Force operator, in short he was one of Jack's own. He hoped Montez and Ted knew that a group of people were gearing up to come and rescue them, no matter what it took.
He looked at Jan to his right. She still wore the barely there jogging shorts and sleeveless halter top. More than once he'd thought about asking her to change, but she'd spent the last couple of hours compiling data and working on strategy. To her right Alisha and Sara stood around the table, willing to put themselves on the line to save Ted and Montez, not because they knew them very well but because they wanted to help their friend in any way. Both young women commanded power that Jack never would, but this mission was still potentially deadly to them both, yet neither had hesitated to join. There hadn't really been a question really.
Jack looked at Taylor and Heather on his left. Both tried to keep the heartaching terror of this ordeal off their pretty young faces. Jack could see it lurking in Taylor's eyes and in Heather's expressions despite their efforts. This would be a one shot attempt at rescue that by all reasonable estimation should end with both Ted and Montez dead, but they were trusting their uncle, trusting that Jack's legend was more than fiction. It was easier with Jan and her friends because all of them had seen him in action, but Taylor and Heather were taking a leap of faith.
There were a few others in the room as well, logistical staff from the facility along with Special Agent Kevin Bechet, who was on the rescue team only over Heather's very vocal objections. She'd felt that he hadn't done enough to interrogate the only suspect in custody. That suspect did know quite a bit and if it'd been left to Kevin that information would still only be in that suspect's head. Jack had to agree that in some ways Kevin had failed, but the suspect wouldn't even be in custody if it hadn't been for him. Jack reminded his niece that Kevin had skills that could help save Ted and Montez. After a little while she'd relented and shelved her objections.
Jack glanced towards his auburn haired niece to see how she was holding up, but he needn't have worried. Even if she still looked like a kid to him, she was a professional now. She and Taylor had been with Special Programs for nearly a year. That much time as a covert operative would make an adult of anybody. That went for Jan and her friends too who impressed Jack time and time again.
"I wish there was a way for us to see into the building before we enter", Alisha said as she studied the moth eaten blueprint they'd managed to get from archives. "We're going to have those nice head's up displays on. It'd be nice if they actually had some information on them."
"That's what I'm for", Sara said with a half smirk.
"We could use thermals and hook them directly to the computer to update the monocles", Jack began then flipped over the page of the blueprints to the material list and shook his head. "The walls have natural stone, bricks and fill material in between. Composite walls like that are hell on thermals. It's like trying to look through opaque glass."
Kevin cleared his throat. "Well, the modern thermal gear we use today will provide better performance than the ones you used in the past."
All eyes in the room turned towards Jack who grinned. "Special Agent Bechet, do you know what company makes the visual chips for the thermal goggles Special Programs uses?"
Kevin racked his brain. He'd studied every piece of equipment in the inventory and the answer popped into his mind. "CSB Systems", he answered confidently. "We use quite a few things from them. They always seem to make good stuff and those thermal scopes are no different."
Jack exchanged looks with his relatives before turning to Kevin. "I'm pretty well acquainted with CSB Systems. I'm the COO, head of all research, development and testing. My brother's the CEO, and those letters C-S-B stand for the company's forebearer, Caufield Ship Building … late of Baltimore, Maryland."
Kevin was embarrassed. "I… I should known."
Jack slapped the agent on the back. "Don't worry about it. Sometimes it's hard to put two and two together. Anyway, we want to pack as light as possible, but we might need to add a thermal scope to our load out."
"I'm on it", Heather said quickly and started typing on the computer work station next to her. This planning session was moving along smoothly, and as she typed Heather fantasized about throwing her arms around both her father and her boyfriend before the day was over.
The cell was nearly dark. Flickers of light came from two old bulbs hanging from wires on the ceiling and a tiny glow ghostly light found its way down the small ventilation duct. That sourceless light reminded Montez of just how confined he was. He should have felt sorry for himself, a highly skilled Special operator trapped and at the mercy of some punk kid, but he didn't even think of himself. His mind was on Heather, Taylor, and on his own stupid failure. How could he have let Ted risk himself like that in the first place? He'd regret that choice for the rest of his life, however long that turned out to be.
Outside the cell in the short hallway, Carri put her smallish hands on the half wheel that disengaged the six locking bolts from the wall, and started to turn it. Ribbons of muscle sliced up her arms. The old pitted steel groaned. Muscles tightened further, defying the years of rust and neglect. The wheel started to turn. A parade of muscle crossed her upper body from one shoulder across her ripped chest and across to the other shoulder. Flexing muscle fibers danced in the low light as the locks disengaged. Several hours ago Carri's told Slater that there was no way he could have opened this door and at least she hadn't been lying. If it took effort to Carri to turn that wheel a stick of dynamite wouldn't have worked for Slater.
Carri sighed and looked over at Slater, who stood like a child waiting to enter the amusement park. All he could think about was beginning his revenge. Carri pulled the door open and stood to the side. Slater walked past her with his nose in the air and his mind racing with ideas. Carri hung her head. She'd delayed him as long as she could. Now this punk was about to get what he wanted.
Light from the hall splashed across Montez's cell allowing him to see Slater. Carri came in a step or two behind and shut the door. Slater had only bad intentions. Montez had no idea what was coming, but he didn't even look at Slater. He studied Carri instead.
She stood near the center of the room under one of the lights, her hard curves shadowed and dramatized by the strange glow of the old bulbs. She wasn't huge, but seemed to be purpose built to weld the power her muscles contained. She had sweeping muscular thighs with calves thick enough to flow perfectly with those thighs. Her waist was small and her stomach tighter than a drum. Her breasts weren't large, but pert. Her arms, rather long for her short frame, were etched with muscle shapes showing even when relaxed. Her shoulders and triceps were particularly impressive. Her traps weren't overwhelming, but reached partly up her surprisingly long and tapered neck. Her face was round yet defined with prominent cheeks, supple lips, and a squared jaw all working to make Carri look both tough and innocent. Her eyes though… they were cold, almost soulless even when the rest of her face showed no malicious intent.
Slater snatched up an empty bucket from the corner of the room and stood in front of his Montez. He looked down at the dirty, bruised, and sore Spec Ops soldier with pure contentment on his face.
"Hiya doin down there", Slater mocked. Montez didn't respond so Slater slung the bucket at him. Montez managed to put his shoulder up to block it, but the plastic bucket hurt even still. "Don't try to play the tough guy on me", Slater warned after seeing Montez grimace. "I can make it fucking hard on you!" Slater tapped the handle of the pistol in his waist.
Montez had already seen it. Every fiber in his being wanted to go for it. He could snatch that gun from Slater's pants and put two shots into that asshole's brain before the punk even knew what happened. Montez's eyes cut towards Carri. He'd already felt Carri's ungodly strength and knew what a single punch from those arms could do. She'd promised to keep him alive long enough to be rescued, providing he didn't do anything stupid. One more look into Carri's spookily lifeless eyes made Montez decide to play by her rules. Slater frowned and stole a quick look over his shoulder, then turned to Montez.
"Don't fucking look at her!", he yelled. "She's not the one you need to be worrying about. I own you!" Slater raised kicked Montez in his tender ribs and stomach. Carri winced, knowing how much damage she'd done earlier. Slater kicked until Montez coughed up droplets of blood.
"Your life is fucking mine. You live because I want you to and you're going to die when I say! Got it?!?" Slater put his hand on his gun. "Nobody's coming to save you. No fucking Hollywood rescue for you. You're all alone until I blow your goddamned brains out and throw your broken fuckin body on the street so your little sweetheart Heather will get to see all the shit I did to you!" Slater reared back and slapped Montez across his jaw then spit in the middle of his face.
Slater's face twisted up in a rage when Montez didn't respond again. "You're so fucking tough aren't you?", Slater observed with a dismissive head shake, but he didn't try and meet Montez's stare. He forced a laugh and turned towards the door. Carri quickly opened it and followed him out. "That was fun!", Slater exclaimed and Carri sighed. "Oh damn I forgot to ask him about my twenty thousand bucks."
"You want to go back in?", Carri asked, hoping the answer was no. She relaxed a bit when Slater shook his head, but that feeling didn't last long. He walked to Ted's cell and said, "Open it." Carri hoped this promised rescue happened quickly.
Ten people were going on the rescue mission. Jack had hoped to have about fifteen, but he would take what he would get, plus Jan, Taylor, and Heather were worth platoon of men each. They could only be in one place at a time however and DeBraya had a lot of men. This plan was going to work though. Jack had a good feeling about it even if it was a little thin on contingencies. He'd done more with less. Now it was just time to put on the finishing touches.
"There's no moon tonight. We'll be working in the dark", Alisha noted as she checked the weather forecast.
"I've already added a night vision kit to our load out", Heather said and double checked the terminal to make sure. "Yeah these are great. I've used them before."
Jack nodded and leaned over the packed table. Stacks of paper covered most of it, and the blueprints took up the rest. They'd ripped the thing apart and laid each sheet out so the entire thing could be seen at one time. Maps covered a small part of the blueprints and Jack looked down to study them for a moment. "See if you can dig up a sightseeing map or something", he said and looked up. "This printout doesn't show much."
"No problem", Alisha said and quickly started clicking away at the keyboard before the computer screen flickered, jumped, then went blank. Heather's screen had gone out too. They both looked up as the door burst open. Men in black urban assault uniforms rushed in with sub-machineguns. The men fanned out with practiced quickness and in a matter of heartbeats every person in the operations room had two guns aimed at them. Everybody, including the girls, raised their hands, hoping to show these strange men that they weren't resisting… yet.
Once the room was secured another man walked in. He was neatly dressed and authoritative in a bureaucratic type of way. This man was plainly the boss. "Well done gentlemen", the man congratulated the black clad gunmen.
"What's this about?", Taylor demanded but was uncharacteristically ignored.
The man in charge just glanced in her direction before turning his head slowly to look at everyone else in the room. "I'm not sure what this misunderstanding is", Jack began then turned slowly to face the man in charge. "We're all working on something very important here."
"Correction Mr. Caufield, you were working on something important. This unlawful operation is mercifully over before it can begin. All of you are under arrest."
Slater tapped his fingers to his chin as he watched Carri opening this door. Fucking with the fake hitman had only been an appetizer. Ted was Slater's real focus, and he just couldn't wait. As soon as Carri retracted the bolts from the wall, Slater stepped forward and took hold of the handle. "This time you stay out here", he ordered and started to pull the door open. "You fuckin cramped my style."
"I don't think that's a good idea", she countered.
"What you're my nanny now? I've got this", Slater boasted and patted the pistol tucked into his waistband.
Carri shook her head. "And what will you do after he overpowers you and takes that gun away?"
"Over powers me!?! I had that fake hitman shakin in his boots", Slater boasted. "And this guy's old and fucking beat up. I can handle him too."
"Just like you handled his daughter right?" Slater frowned and Carri shrugged. "Look, I'll stay by the door, and I promise I won't get in your way. I just don't want to have to report to Mr. DeBraya that you're dead and we have a prisoner loose in his building."
"Fuck you", Slater said but didn't protest when Carri walked in behind him. "WAKE UP!", Slater yelled as soon as he came in.
Ted snapped out of a daze at the sound of Slater's voice. He had no idea what that little piss ant had in mind, but Ted was more than sure he wouldn't enjoy it. Whatever it was, Ted was determined to meet it like a man. "I am awake", he grumbled from the darkest corner of the room. "Come here to finish me off you little prick?"
"Oh you're going to regret calling me that."
"I doubt it", Ted mumbled and sat up straight. His entire right side ached horribly but he had to keep his head clear. He looked up as Slater came into view, swaggering with inflated arrogance. He did have a gun though, and those things tended to tilt things in their owner's favor.
"Stand up!", Slater yelled. "I'm going to have some fun with you!"
Ted slowly got to his feet, struggling through the pain to reach his full height. At 6'3" he towered over Slater. Ted wasn't quite as big as Jack, but he was a formidable looking man in his own right. Slater's bravado had caused him to forget how big every member of Taylor's family was. He swallowed a lump in his throat and eased his right hand towards his gun. Ted kept his eyes on that pistol grip, knowing that he'd have to make a move, but Slater didn't pull it. He laughed instead. "Fuck me, all you Matthews are oversized!" Then without warning he sent a solid punch to Ted's stomach. The bigger man doubled over and clutched at his stomach nearly going to a knee. "I guess I'll just have to chop you down to size." Slater laughed as punched Ted again. He looked over his shoulder at Carri to show her that she'd been wrong. He landed another blow then shook his fist. "Fuck that hurts, but not enough to get me to stop." He drove his fist into Ted's head again. He'd never felt so powerful in all his life.
At the same time, the neatly dressed man stood with his hands clasped behind his back while his men split into teams of two. One man kept a gun trained on a target while the other moved in with either regular handcuffs or specially designed restraints for those with enhanced strength. Heather struggled lightly, and Taylor gasped at the shock of being grabbed. A man snatched her arms behind her back, pinning them with one hand while slipping on the special restraints with the other. Taylor heard the first lock click into place and felt as if she were in a horrible nightmare. It had taken hours to come to terms with her father's abduction and now these men, these terrible men, were trying to stop the rescue attempt. Taylor looked to her uncle, begging him to do something before she took matters into her own capable hands.
"Excuse me", Jack began calmly, not wanting to get shot. "Before we get off on the wrong foot, could I ask who you are and why you're attempting to disrupt us?"
The man gave Jack and his team a pity filled smile. "I think we're already on that wrong foot, Mr. Caufield. I'm Robert Joelstine, Regional Director of Domestic Operations for the National Security Council. And this is one of MY facilities." He sighed deeply and looked at the faces around the table. "You people have violated so many laws I'm not quite sure where to begin with the charges. I can barely wrap my head around it all. The special prosecutor will have to sort this out. I do hope punishment is swift however."
"You don't understand", Heather began before being cut off.
"Oh I do understand, Agent Matthews. I know about the abductions. And I know that this facility has basically been hijacked by you people for the last several hours. The staff has been ordered around and cowed into silence. A detained suspect was even given an illegal interrogation. This is close to inconceivable. Any and all information from that interrogation will be destroyed." Joelstine's men started grabbing papers from the table. Sara moved to her left to knock a man away from the notes she'd painstakingly made only to have the muzzle of a machinegun pressed to the base of her skull. Sara backed down, hoping this situation could be savaged.
"Please don't do this", Taylor pleaded. "I was the first one to come here. Everyone else just followed me. I'll take all the blame. Just let us rescue my father and Montez, and you can charge me with whatever you want afterwards."
Joelstine walked closer to Taylor, hiding his fascination with her otherworldly beauty. Before now, he'd only seen a photograph and even that hadn't done this fine creature justice. In person she was breath taking, even when distraught. "No deals Agent Matthews. You lost that ability when you thought you could ride roughshod over the law. Hundreds of people go missing every day and dozens are abducted. You seemed to think it was okay to come here an assault my facility staff and do tens of thousands of dollars of damage that tax payers will have to repair."
"I'll pay to have the damaged wall and door fixed!", Taylor nearly shouted. "Just arrest me. Let the others go on as we planned."
"Don't be pathetic, Agent Matthews. You're already arrested, and you'll have plenty of time to think about the crimes you've committed this night."
"Mr. Joelstine this isn't necessary", Kevin tried. "We might have bent some rules, but these people are..."
"Criminals! And you just might be the worst of the lot, Special Agent Bechet. You're the ranking agent here and you let all of this happen."
Kevin looked physically hurt. "But sir, I…"
"No excuses. At the very least you have shirked your duty and shown incompetence. You even let these people to bring their family here!"
"The family didn't stay", Kevin said in his defense.
"Oh really? Then why is there a kid sleeping in the dormitory upstairs?"
"Thomas!", Jan shouted and forced herself towards Joelstine. "You better not have done anything to him! Anything at all!"
"Calm yourself Miss Caufield. I didn't see any reason to wake a sleeping kid. I'll make a call to the local child services department soon and let them deal with the juvenile since the rest of you are going to be detained", he said rather smugly. A change came over Jan's face as she allowed her raging power to escape the bonds. It flowed through her body, fueling her strength.
"These won't hold me!", Jan warned and pulled herself away from the man trying to haul her back. He reached for her again then hesitated. Muscles ripped under her flawless skin as this tall young woman rolled her shoulders back to allow her shoulders to assert their full strength against these special restraints. Veins fluttered to the surface as her growing muscles demanded more oxygen. Her lats flared wider, making her tight tank top rise up revealing her eight pack abs. Her biceps grew thicker and higher. The restraints popped and clicked when Jan's rising biceps met her flaring lats forcing her wrists apart and she hadn't even tried to move yet. Despite the millions spent on these specially engineered restraints, the once spherical device began to warp. Everyone in the room knew that Jan was only a pull away from turning those restraints into shrapnel.
Joelstine held his ground. "You're an intelligent young lady", he began. "I read your file on the way over here. You even make good grades in school, and you're much too smart to go through with this. You know it won't work. It would only be a further delay." Joelstine got a small amount of satisfaction when he saw his words' affect on Jan's face. Her resolve may have even wavered for a moment that didn't last long. She kept up the pressure on the restraints. The once perfectly round bonds were egg shaped from the tremendous pressure Jan's talon like deltoids were producing. A hairline crack appeared along one side as Jan's muscles throbbed in anticipation.
Joelstine stepped closer. "If you and your family want to start a war with me go ahead. I have plenty of firepower at my disposal. This isn't even a sampling." Joelstine met Jan's stare with one of his own. "My men won't hesitate to use everything we've got to maintain order and the rule of law. You should go with my men peacefully if you know what's good for you."
"Whatever happens after this is your fault", Jan hissed as her triceps grew bigger and more ripped. Around the room fingers curled around triggers. The air was toxic with apprehension.
"Do what you believe you must, Miss Caufield, but before you act, just think about your poor uncle, all alone and at the mercy of brutal men." Jan's mind raced with indecision, but her muscles never let off. They tightened increasing the pressure on the restraints exponentially with each tiny flex.
Blood flowed from Ted's nose after the stinging shots, but he wasn't seeing double anymore despite Slater's best effort. In the middle of Slater's next punch, Ted spun away and snapped a jab right between Slater's eyes. The younger man froze, allowing Ted to load up and hit Slater with a hook that sent him to his ass. Slater looked so surprised that Ted actually smiled, until he heard a slow clap coming from the shadows near the door.
Ted's head snapped to the right. He relaxed a little when he saw Carri. He remembered her promise from the day before and hoped she planned to live up to it.
"That was a nice combo", she commented.
"Hey, who's side are you on?", Slater demanded angrily.
Carri laughed. "I'm on the side of the guy who's winning. Not the guy who fights like a bitch."
"You want to show me how it's done?"
Carri held up her hands. "Nope. You're running this show. Remember?"
Slater jumped to his feet. Ready to show this old man what he was really made of. He circled Ted but wasn't dumb enough to rush him again. Ted was trying to protect his right side, and Slater just waited for the right moment to pounce. He faked to Ted's left, then struck as hard as he could, driving his own shoulder into Ted's injured right shoulder. Ted tried to pull back but slammed into the wall hurting himself even more. Slater saw the pain on Ted's face and bore down, wailing on Ted's injury without mercy.
Jack was at a loss. His mind searched for ideas and found none. This situation was already spiraling out of his ability to reign in. He kept falling back on the idea of violence, but Jack new that they'd all be walking through a door that they couldn't easily walk back through again. Attacking a government official wasn't the easiest thing to explain away. "Director Joelstine, this isn't going to end well. Imagine your father captured by dangerous men, and you have both the strength and the skills to rescue him. Would you allow anything to stand in your way?", Jack asked. Joelstine turned.
"Mr. Caufield, you are grasping at straws. My men are trained to deal with this sort of situation, and we have this well in hand."
Joelstine wouldn't listen. Jan worked hard to hold herself back, hoping someone could save this situation, but that hope was fading fast. Jan could burst through the restraints in a flash, and Jack was sure that Taylor would follow her cousin's lead a millisecond later. These armed men wouldn't stand a chance.
Jan's face set. She'd made up her mind. Her muscles gave away the thoughts running through her head. Her traps rolled and her lats thickened. Joelstine sighed, realizing that a fight was moments away. He drew a breath to order his men to fire, but a noise from outside the room made everybody turn their heads towards the door just before it opened.
A woman in a stylish overcoat came rushing in past Joelstine's hall guards. Jack didn't recognize her, but everyone else in the room knew Martha Worthington, including Joelstine.
"Bob what in the hell do you think you're doing interfering with the planning of an ongoing operation?"
"Ongoing operation!?! Martha this is little more than a vigilante gang. Half the people in this room aren't even supposed to be here. This is my facility Martha, and I'm going to enforce the rules. I know you and your people kowtow to these gifted people. You think they're so important, well I've got news. They have to operate within the same lines as everybody else."
"Bob that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth, and that's saying something." Martha put a hand to her hip then turned to face the table. "You men let these people go right now before you get hurt. The only reason any of you are still standing up right is because these girls are good natured, but if you push them too hard, you'll push them over the edge. I've seen every one of these girls in action and that wouldn't be a pretty sight." A couple of men got some sweat across their brows, but kept to their duty.
Joelstine laughed. "Do you think I'd come in here unprepared."
"No, Bob I don't. You're smarter than that. You've probably got these guns loaded with the new sedative the boys at the labs have been working on."
Joelstine blanched. "Martha, you're stepping over the line. That information is privileged."
Martha dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "I know all about that stuff. The fastest acting sedative known to man. It would probably knock both Jan and Taylor out cold, and it might even be fast enough to work on Heather, but how long would it last? Not long enough, let me assure you. These girls are trying to save a loved one, and you're going to force them to become outlaws. They can get away from you, despite the sedative and your trained agents, trust me. You men have only seen Class 1 and Class 2 enhanced personnel. All of these girls are Class 3's. We're even thinking of revamping the coding method because these girls are nearly off our scale. They can free themselves from those restraining devices and snap a man in half in a matter of seconds. Sara doesn't even need her hands free to turn every man in this room into paste, and Alisha… Hell I doubt she's even restrained in the first place."
"I'm not!", Alisha shouted and finally allowed everyone in the room to see that she wasn't meekly standing next to Sara with special handcuffs on. Those cuffs were sitting on the table and the men were just holding air. In reality Alisha was standing at the head of the table near Jack, with a pistol pressed against the skull of the agent who had his gun pointed at Jack's heart. "You guys don't think I'd let my friend's father get shot do you?", she asked and looked directly at Joelstine.
Joelstine's face turned red as fire and he lost his cool for the first time. "You see! This is what I am talking about! The willful disregard for authority! These girls are breaking the damned law! And they aren't above it! Nobody is above the law!"
"No Bob", Martha said almost quietly. "They aren't and neither are you. Which is why you have to let my operatives go, all of them." Martha reached into her pocket and pulled out three badge wallets. She handed the black one to Alisha and tossed tan ones in front of Sara and Jan. "Those three were reinstated to full status as of midnight, so they're Special Programs operatives too."
Joelstine was so mad he could barely see straight, but he had to let them all go. One of Joelstine's men took Taylor by the arm to hold her in place while he unlocked the restraints, but she pulled away from him and plastered him with a withering stare. He knew better than to touch her again. He carefully put the key in the lock and followed the sequence to free her. Across the table the man working on Jan's restraint was having some problems.
"I can't get the key to turn. I think the mechanism is bent or something." His partner urged him to keep trying, but Jan spun to look at them. "Just back up", she warned and tensed her muscles like she hadn't even been flexing earlier. Her triceps flexed like angry beasts. Her forearms corrugated and her pecs separated and striated. The restraints didn't stand a chance. Jan's muscles cracked the sphere open in less than a second. Jaws wagged as Jan casually pulled her hands to her front and one by one broke the individual locking bars holding her wrists in place. Completely freed from the restraints, Jan took one broken half and set it in the other then handed it to the man who'd put it on her in the first place. She smiled now that she was free until she looked at Joelstine. His face was twisted up in rage as he moved towards Jack.
"You! You'll have to answer for this yourself. It's fitting since you've been the one giving most of the orders trying to lead this vigilante operation. So unless Martha has a badge in her pocket for you too, I'm personally placing you under arrest."
With all respect Regional Director, I have more experience at planning an operation like this than anybody available." Two of Joelstine's agents stood near Jack waiting on an order to arrest him.
"Mr. Caufield, I don't care if you're George Patton himself. You have no business being in this facility. You are going to have to go before the magistrate in the morning."
Jack threw up his hands. "The morning will be too late!"
"That, sir, is just too damned bad."
"Take it you fucker! Take it! Take it!!!", Slater screamed in fury as he punched Ted over and over again. Punching so quickly that he barely had time to load up a new punch before sending it on its way. He took out all the pent up fury and on Ted because Slater couldn't do this to his daughter. He knew he'd have to settle again, settle for killing Taylor's father. At least this time he'd make sure it was done.
Lava flowed through Ted's veins instead of blood. Every one of Slater's punches fell like a jackhammer's blow, creating waves of pain and sapping Ted's strength. What Carri had started in that hospital parking lot, Slater seemed intent to finish, but Ted hadn't given up yet. He had one play left in him. Ted raised his foot a little, nearly losing his balance, but spotting a target. He brought the heel of his loafer down on the toe of Slater's shoe. The young man hopped backwards and howled in pain. Ted grabbed Slater by the hair and drove the punk's head into a rising knee. Slater's eyes got glassy and he stumbled, but kept up the fight. He threw a wild punch at Ted's head that missed high. Ted pushed back hard. Slater regained his footing then charged. Ted smiled.
He danced away and extended his fist. Slater ran right into it. Drops of blood fell from Slater's nose as Ted snapped two more quick jabs. Slater staggered and fought through moist eyes to attack Ted, but the larger man was the balls of his feet again, peppering Slater until driving a powerful blow to Slater's gut. Spit and blood flew out of Slater's mouth in equal measure. Ted bounced around like his idol Ali then backed up, loaded up, and delivered a left hook that even Joe Frazier would have been proud off. It lifted Slater off his feet and twisted him in the air. The crunching sound of the blow echoed in the cell even as Slater landed on the ground in a heap.
Carri bounced off the wall and casually walked over to Slater who lay motionless. "You like left hooks don't you?", she asked and bent down to check on Slater.
Ted's hands were on his knees while he sucked in deep breaths. He grinned anyway. "I'd have finished him with a right if I thought I could throw a punch with that arm."
"Where'd you learn to strike like that?", the tough girl asked as she opened Slater's eyes to check his pupils.
"It's ancient history I know, but believe it or not I was Army heavyweight champ and Armed Forces runner-up in'73 and '74."
"Judging by those jabs and that left hook I'm inclined to believe you. So you couldn't bring home the hardware huh?"
Ted spit out some bloody phlegm before he answered. "I lost to the same guy as a matter of fact, a Marine named Sims. Should have been a fucking pro, but he went into landscaping once he mustered out."
"And I see you still train."
"I spar when I have the time", Ted answered and tried to wiggle his right shoulder to see if Slater had done more damage.
"I suppose you could have told Slater that before he tried to fight you with his fists", she offered and looked up at Ted with a smirk.
"That boy's got an attitude problem."
"No arguments there", Carri said with a sideways grin.
"I mean, my oldest daughter beat the hell out of him, and my younger daughter beat the hell out of the goons his father sent after her. Who did he think gave them their first lesson?"
"I guess it was you."
"Yeah, we thought boxing and combat training would help my oldest deal with her aggression. My younger daughter just wanted to train because her sister was doing it", Ted reminisced and finally stood up straight. "After a while though they really took to it, starting training with their uncle then on from there."
"So your daughters are pretty good then", Carri asked as if it wasn't a big deal, but Ted's face got serious.
"They're very good. And it would make my oldest mad to hear it, but my niece might be better than either of my girls. But all of them are good enough that when they come you shouldn't try to fight them. Just let me loose and I'll tell them that you helped me and Montez."
"I can hold my own", Carri spoke up for herself then looked up from Slater. "You better just hope these daughters of yours come soon. When he wakes up he's going to be pretty fucking pissed."
"Oh they'll be here", Ted said confidently, trying to assure himself more than anything else.
Carri's face told him that she hoped he was right before she looked down and slapped Slater on the cheek. "Come on wake up. Play time's over." She lifted him up and started dragging the semi-conscious pugilist towards the door.
"Wha--- what happened?", he murmured as she carried him out. Ted managed a smile as the door closed and locked. That smile didn't last long. He collapsed to the floor, knowing he needed a rescue to live out this day, but having the nagging feeling that it wouldn't come in time.
"I need a secure phone", Jack announced before they put cuffs on him.
"No phone until after debrief", Joelstine spat, but Martha ignored him and tossed Jack her special cell phone. Joelstine scowled but didn't attempt to take it away. Jack quickly dialed a number and waited. The person on the other end picked up, and everybody in the room got to hear one half of a conversation.
"George, hey this is Jack Caufield how you doin? Long time. How's Ginny and the kids? Well, man all your kids can't be jocks like their old man. One of 'em was bound to like musical instruments. Hey, George I've got something serious to talk to you about. I'm in Florida with a bit of a situation. You know a Spec Ops operative on loan to counter-intel named Montez Jefferson? Yeah, he's made an impression on me too. Well he's gotten himself captured along with my brother-in-law. I have a top flight rescue team assembled, but there's a National Security Council regional director down here who says that I lack the proper status to lead this rescue. He's being a hard ass about it, but I have to admit I agree with him. Long story short George, I need to go operational.
"Yeah, I know what it means, and yes I remember the arrangement. Look I'm going to be a little busy so could you call Billy Granger at the Agency to let him know I'm back? Thanks George I owe you one. Okay okay you're right. I owe you two. What's whose name? Ohh… Robert Joelstine." Jack pulled the phone away from his ear and extended it to Joelstine. "He wants a word."
"Who is this?", Joelstine demanded once he had the phone but straightened up quickly. "Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I understand completely, sir. Have a nice day sir."
Joelstine's face was unreadable as he stoically handed the phone back to Martha and looked up at Jack. "Mr. Caufield all the assets of the South Florida region are at your team's disposal. If there's anything I can assist you with, please bring it to my attention", Joelstine forced himself to say evenly.
He motioned for his men to wrap it up. Joelstine rarely tasted failure, and this one was particularly bitter. He'd failed people who didn't overlook it. He tried to hold his head up even though he felt like a dog with his tail tucked as he started towards the door.
While Jan watched the agents leaving she leaned over to her father and whispered, "What the heck just happened Daddy?"
"I called in a favor Pumpkin."
"Yeah, but from who?"
"That's from whom." Jan gave her father a cruel look and he chuckled. "General George Parker, Deputy Director of National Intelligence and an old dear friend. Back in the day we ran ops all over the world together."
"Didn't he used to lead Spec Ops at Fort Benning?"
Jack grinned. "He got promoted."
Jan sighed and looked down before looking back to her father. "Does that mean you just rejoined the CIA?"
"Yeah among other things, but it's just temporary so we can go get your uncle out legally", Jack assured his daughter, but she knew there was more to it than he would say right now.
Joelstine stood by the door allowing his men to file out. Jack's team couldn't wait for the lot of them to leave, but Jack himself had other ideas.
"Excuse me Director Joelstine." The man turned around. "You said to let you know if there was anything you could do to help us. Wouldn't you know, I just thought of something."
Joelstine stopped and turned slowly, dreading what sort of humiliation this man had in mind. Jack and his gang had already won. There was no need to twist the knife in deeper, but Joelstine would have to face this indignity just like he'd have to face his betters and tell them that he'd failed them. "What can I do for you, Mr. Caufield?", Joelstine asked professionally.
"I'd like you and your men to stay."
Several of Martin's security chiefs scoffed at the idea of Morgen coming around to inspect their preparations. He was supposed to be their boss' right hand man, but they hadn't seen this blond pretty boy get his hands dirty once. He walked around in his expensive suits never interacting with the grunts who actually held guns to protect this place. Instead he spoke only to the chiefs and even then only to give what he called 'suggestions' that were of course orders about how things should be done. The rank and file resented the German even if some of his suggestions were helpful. He knew more about the foes they'd be facing. He made suggestions that those guards with enhanced strength be concentrated rather than spread out to provide maximum resistance should an attack happen. He wanted the halls and corridors of the armory to become massive killing zones, and he tasked men with a task that got some guard's talking and others to realize that this guy might actually have some balls. Morgen knew that these guys didn't like him, but they didn't have to. All they had to do was listen, and if they did some of them might actually survive the night.
"Let me get this straight. You want the men who were about to arrest you to stay?"
Jack grinned. "Mr. Joelstine, I can't afford to hold grudges. The men you brought with you obviously have skills or you'd have left them at home. All I need is access to the database so I can review their personnel jackets."
Joelstine looked at the ground and shook his head. "I just don't know about this."
"Look, up until now I just planned to rescue Ted and Montez and sneak the hell back out, but with you and your men aboard we have a chance to do something much bigger. With your help we can bring DeBraya's entire operation down. We'll have to liase with several agencies before and certainly after our raid, and your connections would be essential."
"You seem plenty connected to me, Mr. Caufield. This plan sounds like a job for the people you have assembled and not for my men."
Jack stepped closer. "I don't think you're seeing the full picture, Director. I'm covert and so is Special Programs, but you aren't. You can save face and hell, even salvage a win out of this slap down. I've never cared who gets the credit for success. On the other hand, your bosses just might like a Regional Director who can rid South Florida of a domestic terrorist group." Jack extended his hand while Joelstine's mind worked and a smile grew.
"So Director Joelstine, what do
you say?" Joelstine shook Jack's hand. "Alright get your squad leaders
in here so we can get them up to speed on the plan so far and integrate
them into the team."
Taylor simmered as she moved over to make room for Joelstine's men around the planning table. Even if the guns had been stowed, the tension hadn't abated. The change wasn't easy for Joelstine's men either, but they tried to make the best of it. Jack tried to get people to forget their mistrust and unease. He used every little trick and tactic he'd learned in all his years in both government service and the private sector, but nothing seemed to work.
Jan looked around wondering if she could do something to help the mood. She was drawing a blank until she happened to open the tan wallet that Mrs. Worthington had tossed to her several minutes earlier. Once she looked down her beautiful face took on a mischievous grin.
"Umm I think I might have a problem", she began and squinted to look closely at the words on the credentials inside the wallet, as if she needed to squint to see better. Every head turned to look at Jan, who wore a quite concerned look on her face. "It might be a big deal. I'm not sure. The badge in here looks fine, but these credentials stay that I'm really 5'4". And if that isn't bad enough they say I'm blonde."
Alisha snickered and Sara huffed. Sara opened the wallet in front of her then snapped it closed. She stomped from her spot at the table to Jan's and snatched the tan wallet from her tall friend's hand and simultaneously tossed the other one on the table. Jan opened this wallet; studied it, then let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh this is so much better. I was worried there for a minute. I could almost live with being 5'4"… almost. But me, blonde?", Jan shuttered and Taylor's eyes narrowed. Jan's naturally blonde cousin was always touchy about dumb blonde jokes.
Jack sighed in relief watching the huge block of ice break. He gave Jan's shoulder a squeeze then looked to the group. "Okay, folks let's get to work."
Morgen made his way back to Martin's room after inspecting the security arrangements. He was prepared to give a report to Martin, who had other things on his mind.
"Tell me something Morgen", Martin began and took a drag on a cigarette, his first of the morning. "What would make you and your father stop talking to each other?"
"That's not even a story worth telling", Morgen deflected and looked at his watch.
"Sure it is", Martin countered. "Why do I want to hear about gun placements or explosive detonators when I'd rather hear about the people around me? The people I trust. Hell, you already know all about my fucked up family. It's your turn."
"My father and I were never really on the same page", Morgen started speaking before he was even sure why. "He was a high East German official and I was his wannabe playboy son trying to bring down the Iron Curtain just so I could cavort on forbidden beaches and fuck all those Western girls with loose morals. I had no idea what the West was actually like, but I liked the idea of being whoever you wanted to be. That's how I got into this business, trading secrets and expertise for more secrets and more expertise. I traded secrets to Western spy agencies for years, and I always got the good stuff. They didn't think a punk 15 year old kid could get anything juicy, but when I gave a British agent the troop movement schedule for an entire war game simulation they started taking me seriously. Anyway it was all fun and games to me, high drama cloak and dagger stuff until my mother found out what I was doing.
"She worried, and I promised her I'd stay safe. I was never completely safe and she knew that, but I always thought she'd have my father to keep her even, to take her mind off worrying. My father's a rock. Kids would stop their mischief at the sight of him walking along the street even if they didn't know who he was, and those kids who did know spoke his name in hushed tones out of respect.
"But for all the secrets I knew about governments all over the Warsaw Pact, I had no idea my father was working with Western agents to help bring about the end of the very government he served. My mother knew. She worried about both her husband and her son day and night, yet there wasn't a soul alive who she could confide in. My father and I kept right on doing what we were doing. That night when the Wall started to fall it was my father who convinced the Chairman not to send in the army to crush the demonstrators. He's something of a hero in Germany these days.
"He was given an honored place on the dais during the Reunification ceremony, but it was all hollow because by then Mother had already died. She had a heart attack the day after my 23rd birthday. All those years of stress and worry were too much for her. My father blames me for her death and I blame my father. My sister hates us both." Morgen reached past Martin and grabbed up a bottle of whiskey. He poured his mug with a double shot and downed it before even looking up.
"You were right Morgen. Maybe I didn't want to hear that story. Now I'm even more fucking depressed. I was just a fucking disappointment to my father, at least you had a cause", Martin added.
"For all the good it did me in the end. I'd gladly spend the rest of my life under the Stasi's thumb if I could spend just one minute more with my mother." Morgen's voice trailed off at the end, and he stared a spot on the wall as if it held the answer to a question he hadn't yet asked.
Alphonse pushed his sunglasses higher on his nose. This bumpy road threatened to bounce everything out of place even his wits as the former Federal judge once again reconsidered the wisdom of bringing the Acero to the hideout. They'd been created to wreak havoc and it took a strong hand to control them. If he's still trusted Morgen to do what had to be done then perhaps he'd have let him in on his plans to bring the Acero in, but that wasn't to be. Alphonse figured that he would be that strong hand.
The guards on the roof turned the other way as the big truck wound its way towards the massive brick and stone armory building past the front door to the west side of the building. The swamp was only a few yards from the big rolling doors that slid open when the truck turned towards them. Alphonse ordered the driver to back the large box truck to the loading dock and shut off the engine. Alphonse had a black suitcase in his hand as he climbed down from the cab. He took the keys box truck keys and ordered everyone to stay away from the truck. The truck driver left in one of Martin's pick-ups while Alphonse sought out one of the numerous abandoned rooms in the building. He made up a pallet and stretched out like he'd done in his youth. He couldn't escape the feeling like he was on an adventure. Even senior citizens had to get their blood pumping every now and then.
The plan changed quickly once Joelstine's began to speak freely. They were all well trained and eager, even if some of them had less experience than Jack would have liked. There was no time to rehearse this mission, so he was counting on know-how that some of these men lacked. Soon it didn't matter. Taylor came up with an idea that solved that problem; she devised a way to split the men so that every aspect of the assault team had some experienced agents. For an hour or so that had seemed like a huge problem until they finally came to the one problem that they'd been kicking down the road all day. How in the world were they going to get to the armory in the first place?
"Fuck!", Alisha yelled, echoing the feelings of everybody in the group. "We can't use any roads or trails to get within five miles of this place without the damned guards on the roof seeing us. I mean at first I could have shielded the smaller rescue team, but now we have so many more and we're going to spread out. I can't make us all invisible now!" She slapped her hands down on the table in utter frustration. Mrs. Worthington gave Alisha's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, but Alisha just ran a hand threw her long dark tresses and turned away from the table. She was giving herself a headache thinking about this. Whoever had picked this place as a hideout was either a genius or the luckiest asshole in the world.
Jack sighed. "I'd like to come with two groups through this swamp here to the north then split into the three, but hell there aren't trails, roads, or nothing. There aren't even accurate maps since the swamp changes over time. We'd end up in Tampa as easy as at that damned armory."
"We could get a satellite image from today and map our way through the swamp", Kevin put in and Jack considered it.
"How long would it take to get an image shoot tasked even if they agreed to do it for something like this in the first place?" Everybody knew the answer to that question… too long.
The room was quiet while people racked their brains for a solution. Taylor allowed several ideas to come and get shot down within her own mind while she idly twisted the Seminole bracelet around her wrist. Jan was standing right next to her father almost directly across from Taylor, trying hard to find a solution. Her eyes idly looked around the room while she pondered until they settled on Taylor's bracelet. "Oh my God!", she exclaimed. "I know how to get us there!" Jan quickly explained and some smiles returned.
"Alright everybody pack it up. Time to get this show on the road. Oh and Jan go wake up Thomas. Tell him we're ready to move out."
Martin's trusted bodyguards stood around him and yet he felt completely alone. Morgen had gone out to check the defenses and transportation again, not that his presence would have helped either. Martin felt like a hunted man standing at a fork in the road. Death nipped at his heels and still he stood there unable to make up his mind. Martin knew that death, a slow one or a quick one, could wait at the end of either fork he took, but he knew he couldn't stay still, not forever. "Which is my best bet?", Martin asked aloud. His personal guards turned when he spoke, but quickly looked away. Their boss had a lot on his mind and a little thinking out loud wasn't even troubling.
Those girls were coming and they'd not be denied he was sure. Then Martin understood what Morgen had told him days earlier. Real power, the kind that these Caufield girls had, couldn't be escaped. There was no hiding from it and no reasoning with it once it was focused on you. No armor could stand up to it for long, and no deception could mislead it for long. If Ted Matthews' daughters and niece came looking for Martin they were going to find him no matter how deep a hole he climbed into. Martin exhaled deeply as if a massive weight had fallen off his chest. He snapped his fingers and looked to his chief bodyguard. "Go get one of the enhanced guards. I need you guys to fetch something for me."
"Where should I put this doll in the case?", Wayne asked his grandfather.
"Put it on the bottom shelf so little children can see it and beg their parents to buy it", Otis replied from the back room then laughed.
Wayne grinned and slid open the mirrored showcase door. He was just propping up the handmade doll when the bells above the store's door dinged. "Be right with you", Wayne called out without looking up, but he didn't need to. He could see the bright glow reflecting off the floor, so bright it looked like stage lights. He knew power like that was rare, but he peeked through the glass to make sure his suspicion was right. Through the glass he glimpsed a pair of absolutely perfect legs, so long and graceful that it boggled the mind. Perfect gams, coupled with natural power so great he couldn't fathom had to be only one person in the world. "Miss Jan", he called out as he shut the showcase. He stood up with a smile that fell away quickly. He'd expected to see a tall, impossibly beautiful young woman standing in his store, and there she was one, but she wasn't Jan.
"Umm, I'm sorry", Wayne stammered when this veritable goddess turned to look at him, or at least he thought she was looking at him. It was almost as if she were looking past him or through him. Then her deep blue eyes settled on him and she smiled.
"No, I'm Taylor. Jan's cousin", she said in a soft clear voice.
"Oh I remember you", Wayne said and grinned at the other worldly beautiful young woman standing in front of him. "I see you're wearing the bracelet you bought. It looks great on you." He didn't add that anything would look great on Taylor. He didn't have to say it. She already knew.
"Here comes Jan now", Taylor said and pulled out her phone, once again looking detached even if she wasn't.
Wayne turned to see Jan walk in holding a neatly folded stack of clothes. "Ah there you are, Miss Jan."
"I got mistaken for you again", Taylor began without looking up from her phone. "I don't know what to think about that", she deadpanned but Jan laughed.
"I… I didn't mean anything by it", Wayne stammered. "It's just that you look so much alike."
"Don't fall into Taylor's trap. She's just kidding. She knows we look alike."
Wayne nervously glanced over to Taylor, who looked at him with a perfectly straight face, using that otherworldly beauty and aloof haughtiness to twist the knife into the unsuspecting father of three until she gave him a wink. He laughed and turned to Jan.
"So, what brings you guys out here? And I know it wasn't to bring back my daughters old tee and shorts."
Jan sat the stack down on the counter, and before she could speak Otis came from the back room. He took good looks at both Jan and Taylor standing next to each other, the faraway look returning to his eyes as Jan threw her arms around the old man's neck and hugged him tightly.
"You're looking quite well", Otis observed before Jan's hug even ended. "Much better than last time."
"Well, I feel much better. I want to thank both of you again. I can't thank you enough."
"It was my honor, Jan. When you came in through the back door I'd never seen someone with such great power in all my life until your cousin came in through the front door."
Taylor looked horrified, but Jan just grinned knowingly.
"I thought you could see my gift. And you could see Taylor's, but how in the world did you know we didn't know about each other?"
Otis gave a grandfatherly smile. "Miss Jan, if your cousin had known about your power she wouldn't have been nearly as worried about you as she was."
The bell above the door rang and Heather stepped in looking innocently hot as she usually did. Wayne and Otis were awed once again, not just with her looks but with the powerful glow of Heather's gift.
"Another one?", Wayne breathed, unable to take his eyes away.
"Gentlemen this is Heather, my cousin. Taylor's younger sister."
"Umm… hello", Heather said slowly, wondering why these two were staring at her like that.
"They can see your gift", Jan explained.
"Oh okay", Heather accepted with a shrug then turned to Taylor and Jan. "Hey guys Uncle Jack wants to know if you're ready."
"Sure tell everybody to come on in." Heather turned and hurried out to the parking lot. Otis and Wayne had no idea what Jan was doing, but their questions changed when the bell dinged again. Sara and Thomas walked into the store. Looking at the two of them Otis and Wayne were overwhelmed. The light shined so brightly it blocked out everything else. It was hard to tell where Sara's aura stopped and Thomas' began. They didn't get a chance to find out before Heather walked back in this time with Jack, whose aura was normal, and Alisha whose wasn't.
"I… I've never seen anything like this", Otis gasped in awe. Wayne had to support his grandfather to keep him upright. "Your powers are so strong that your auras shine like stars", he exclaimed with wonder that turned into confusion when his eyes fell on Alisha. "Your aura is… is."
"Strange", she answered for him. "It's in constant flux. I know. Hold on I can fix that for you." Everything around Otis and Wayne shimmered for a moment before Alisha's aura disappeared along with all the others. It was like someone had snuffed out the sun itself and replaced it with a candle.
"What did you do?", Jan asked at seeing the two men's reaction.
"I just made us look completely normal. So now you guys don't have those fancy shiny auras and I don't have one that morphs all the time."
"You need to save your strength", Jan chided her friend, and Alisha let go of her illusion allowing everything to once again show as it really was.
"There is so much power in this room that the air crackles with it. How in the world could two humble men like us help a group like this?"
"I think I can shed some light on that", Jack punned then stepped forward, taking time to introduce himself and shake both men's hands. He went on to explain about the abductions and about their rescue plan. "But we don't know this wilderness. We can't get to our destination unseen. We hope that you know a way to get that old armory building without using the roads."
"We know the place", Otis answered and Wayne nodded. "There're routes through the wetlands that could take you right where you want to go, and we both know them."
"Would you be willing to help us?"
Otis got a sly smile. "Mr. Caufield, my grandson and I would be willing to help you on one condition."
"Name it." Otis did and Jack agreed.
"I can't believe you fucking let me get knocked out." Slater threw the ice down from his face. "What the hell were you in there for!?!", he yelled at Carri who stood with her arms folded.
"I was there to make sure Ted didn't take that damned gun out of your pants, blow a hole in your head and try to escape. I did my job. It's not my fault you can't fight. I don't know why you think you're so tough in the first place."
"Because I have to be!", Slater yelled then pulled back when his head started throbbing again. He'd already vomited twice. "I'm going to be living underground for the rest of my life. I've had my way with a few chicas, but I have to gain respect or I'll be a loser around all the tough guys… like you."
Carri looked skeptical then stepped close to Slater and allowed him to see her relax. "People like me always flock to people like you. You have money, so you don't have to do anything. You give the orders, and me or somebody like me will do what you want. That's just the way it is."
"It's not that simple", he paused and wiped his sore face. "I can't do what you do, but I'm not stupid. Would you kill those bastards if I ordered it?"
"I guess I'd have to", she replied with a shrug.
"The fuck you would!", Slater accused. "I've seen the way you look at both of them. You admire them."
Carri grinned. "Maybe I do. They have guts, but I don't get to have morals… well I can't live by them anyway. I knew what I was getting into when I chose this life."
Slater seemed unconvinced. "What if I told you to beat the shit out of them!", he demanded then grabbed her upper arm, squeezing with all his might only to feel the resistance from her ultra dense biceps and triceps. "What if I told you to use these muscles to break every bone in their bodies then rip their fucking arms and legs off legs then let them bleed to death in agonizing goddamned pain!"
A bead of sweat rolled down Carri's otherwise dry neck and she refused to look Slater in his face. "Like I said", she began with a suddenly dry mouth. "People like me don't get to have morals. I'd do it." She stopped then and looked Slater full in the face, matching and even besting his intensity. "But it doesn't mean I might not come back and rip your spine out afterwards", she warned in a small voice.
Slater grinned and retrieved his pistol from the table. "That's why they're some things I have to do myself." He opened the door and started out into the hall. "Coming?"
Carri followed, knowing what was about to happen. She'd been at the hospital when Slater had blown his own father's brains all over the wall. He had the same look in his eyes that he'd had then. Carri's true boss, Morgen Stern, didn't want Montez or Ted killed so she thought of ways to prevent their near certain deaths. She worried that she'd have to break cover and ruin Morgen's plans, but she smiled when she realized that she wouldn't have to.
"What the fuck is this!", Slater screamed when he saw a group of Martin's personal guards leading Ted Matthews towards the living quarters. "That son of a bitch is mine! He's my prisoner!" Slater rushed towards the group and made it a few steps before one of the guards stopped him with a hand to the chest while another came from the side and took the gun from Slater's waist.
"Let me take that before you do something stupid, Mr. Hastings."
"Don't Mr. Hastings me. You can't take him!", Slater yelled. "He's my prisoner! He's mine!"
"I understand. However Mr. DeBraya wants to talk to him", the professional security guard explained calmly.
"I don't give a shit what he wants", Slater yelled then turned to Carri. "I thought you had the only key to those rooms."
"Apparently not", Carri said and shrugged.
"Ted Matthews belongs to me! I'm going to kill this bastard!"
"Calm yourself. This entire place belongs to Martin DeBraya, and everything in it."
"I don't!", Slater screamed. "And he can fuckin kiss the rest of his money good-bye. I'm not giving him anything!"
The bodyguard sighed. "Threats and pronouncements aren't going to benefit you, Mr. Hastings. You're speaking from anger and frustration." The security professional extended the pistol to Carri. "Hold on to this until he settles down." Carri took the gun and the group walked away with Ted grinning.
"Aren't you going to do something?", Slater shouted towards Carri.
"Like what?"
"Stop them! You're stronger than all of them put together."
"My life isn't worth much now, but if I get a rep as a girl who bites the hand that feeds her, then it would be worth even less."
"FUCK YOU!", Slater screamed at the top of his lungs, fully expecting his petulant outburst to have no effect on the dangerous Carri. Instead he saw a wave of hurt pass across her rapidly flushing face. "I'm sorry", Slater changed his tune and paced in a short path while running his hands through his hair. "I'm fucking pissed, but not at you. I've been trying to get better at that."
"Apology accepted", Carri said.
"What the hell am I going to do now!?!", Slater yelled in exasperation. Carri shrugged. "Give me back my gun", he ordered and held his hand out.
"Not if you're going after Ted."
"Just give me the fucking gun."
to be continued...
Recent Chapters:
comments and critisisms welcome: dem2@hotmail.com