Date: 2016-10-26 04:00:00+00:00

DARK TOLL

The Shadow Patriots Book Four

Warren Ray

This is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2016 by Warren Ray

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

Chapter 1

Jackson Michigan

Winters pulled into the hospital parking lot and turned the engine off.  He stared across the lot and watched his men hustle the wounded into the emergency room entrance.  Nate put his arm over Elliott’s shoulder and struggled to get inside.  Corporal Bassett carried the twice-wounded Reese in his arms with Amber by her side.  Meeks stayed close behind, limping from the wound he’d gotten in the car bomb.

Winters took in a couple of deep breaths and then exited the pickup.  As he approached the entrance, he looked in the back of one of the pickups and saw some of the dead.  His pulse quickened at the sight of the bloodied bodies and he needed to turn away to regain his composure.  He wanted time to deal with this but knew there was little to spare.  He thought about what Nordell had told him; that losses are part of the job.  The retired Marine was right, of course, but it still didn’t keep him from grieving the loss of fifteen men.  Having such a small force, you naturally got to know all the men, so every loss was personal.

The emergency room ran in organized chaos as the small medical staff shuffled the most serious cases right into operating rooms.  Winters scanned the room and figured twenty of his guys were wounded.  Some lay on stretchers hooked up to IV’s.  Others, with minor wounds, patiently waited their turn.

Winters took another deep breath and decided to visit with them to give each a word of encouragement.  Some nodded their heads, others shook his hand, while some spoke of their resolve to get well and get back into the fight.

He visited with Nate and got an earful as to what he wanted to do with the remaining Jijis.  The wound seemed to reenergize an already energetic man, vowing fervently to skin them all alive.  Next, Winters found Reese lying down with an IV in her arm.  Amber stood by her as they waited for the doctor.

“Hey guys,” said Winters.

Amber looked up and then held out her arms and gave him a long hug.

Winters pulled away and then turned to Reese who gave him a slight smile.  He bent down and kissed her forehead.

“You holding up okay?” asked Winters as he took her hand.

“I’m good.  A little loopy with the drugs they’ve got me on.”

“Well, lucky you.”

A tear fell down her cheek.  “I’m really sorry.”

“Sorry?  Sorry for what?”

“For getting shot up and being in the way.”

Winters tightened his grip on her hand.  “Oh Reese, don’t even think that.  You’ve been a great asset.”  He turned to Amber.  “Both of you guys have been nothing but amazing.”

Amber nodded and gestured to Reese.

Winters sensed Amber had been dealing with Reese’s misguided emotions and figured the drugs were influencing her.

Winters stroked Reese’s hair.  “You’re more of a badass than most anyone here.”

“Really?”

Winters broke out in a smile.  “Oh, hell yes.  As a matter of fact, you need to get yourself stitched up and back out there, cause I’m gonna need ya.”

She lifted her good arm up and Winters leaned in for a hug.  “I love you, Cole.”

Winters laughed to himself and was more convinced than ever it was the drugs.  “I love you, too, Reese.”  He pulled away.  “And on that note, I need to leave you two.  I’ll come back later today, okay?”

Amber reached out for another hug.  “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ve been trying to tell her.”

Winters scooted out into the hall and couldn’t help but break out into a laugh, which immediately put him in a much better mood.  Interesting what a little entertaining moment can do for the soul.  It was just what he needed.

Chapter 2

The sun was starting to rise as Winters gathered Scar, Bassett, and Burns outside the hospital for a meeting.  For the past couple of hours, they had led squads chasing the rest of the Jijis out of Jackson.  They only had a couple of small encounters with the enemy and they felt all the Jijis were gone.

“How many do you think we killed?” asked Winters.

Scar turned to Bassett.  “We’ve been trying to come up with a number.  We think between yesterday, and today it’s got to be close to a thousand.”

Winters tilted his head back.  “Whoa, that many?”

“Maybe even more,” said Bassett.  “Who knows how many of their wounded will die.”

“Yeah, we’ve no idea what kind of medical treatment is available for them,” said Scar.

“So, with wounded, we’re probably talking half of their three thousand force is out of commission,” said Bassett.

“Not a bad night after all,” said Winters.

“But, when you include the cops, we’re still looking at a force of around two thousand,” said Scar.

Winters gave him a firm nod.

“Many of them will be disheartened though,” said Bassett.

“I’ve no doubt about that,” said Winters.  “My other concern is the spy I think we have here.  It was too convenient they targeted the area I was at, plus the ambush yesterday.”

“Nate did say the cop he killed said they knew we were coming,” said Bassett.

“If we can’t find this guy, it’s gonna be pretty hard to move around or even make plans without the Jijis knowing,” said Scar.

“It’s bad enough they know how small our force is,” said Bassett.

Burns, who had been content to listen to the others, offered up a suggestion.  “If we can’t find this guy, we can certainly use him to our advantage by putting out some false information.”

Winters turned to Burns.  “More Sun Tzu?”

“The guy was good.”

Winters liked what he heard.  They didn’t have a whole lot of time to find a spy among all the people still in Jackson.  It was the proverbial needle in the haystack, but the Jijis confidence in their spy could be their Achilles’ heel.

“Still, we’ll have to be careful who we talk to,” said Winters.  “We’ll need to queue in the mayor on this.  Nordell already figures it too, so he’ll have to decide who to include, but even so, I don’t want him to know everything.”

They all nodded.

“What about their wounded?” asked Winters.

Burns looked at Scar.  “What about them?”

“Shouldn’t we go help them?”

“They’re not our problem,” said Scar.

Their cavalier attitude took Winters by surprise.  His mind started racing around on how to respond.  On one hand, he didn’t want any strife between them, but on the other, he didn’t think it was right to leave wounded men on the battlefield.  He looked at each of them and noticed it didn’t bother them.  Each one of them had military experience, so he was confused as to how to respond.

Bassett broke the ice.  “Captain, there is no sense taking any chances.  We don’t know if there are any snipers waiting around or if anyone is playing dead, or maybe they booby-trapped some of the bodies.  Anything could happen.  Believe me, I’ve seen it before.”

Winters gave it a quick thought, and although it sounded harsh, he was satisfied and moved to the next subject.  “Did we take any prisoners?” asked Winters.

“Oh yes, we’ve got ourselves a few,” said Scar.

“How many?”

Scar looked at Burns.  “Like seven or eight, I think.”

“It’s eight,” said Burns.

“Where are they?”

“Taylor’s holding them at an abandoned building down on Brooklyn Road,” said Burns.

“How far?” asked Winters

“It’s not too far.”

“Besides our men, does anyone know we have them?”

They all looked at each other and shook their heads.

Winters gave this some thought wondering what kind of useful intel these prisoners might possess.

Chapter 3

Detroit Michigan

Captain Vatter, the thirty-year-old Detroit station commander, leaned back in his office chair and ran his hand through his head of thick black hair.  His eyes were bloodshot from a lack of sleep.  He just received word that Mordulfah wanted to see him.  A chill ran down his spine wondering if he was about to lose his life because of last night’s debacle.  Even though it wasn’t his fault, Mordulfah might want to take it out on him.  His only job was to lock down the south end of town with his men.  It was Mordulfah’s men, the M and M’s, who got carried away.  They’re the ones who screwed it up by focusing on taking out Winters.  Still, it was his info that got them all fired up figuring a bonus was in his future if they could get Winters’ head on a platter.  Instead, he now feared for his life and thought about getting in his car to drive off.  After a few moments of thought, he decided, he couldn’t leave without endangering his family who still lived in Detroit.

He got up and walked out of his office bumping into Tannenbaum, a twenty-five-year-old cop who sported a splotchy beard on his baby face, which looked odd with his crew cut.

“You going home?” asked Tannenbaum.

“I wish.  No, I’ve got to go Grosse Pointe.”

Tannenbaum jerked his head back.  “Whoa!  Hey man, that’s, ah, not a good idea.”

“Yeah. No kidding.”

“You sure you want to go out there?”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Yeah, you do.  Just don’t go.”

“Then what?  He sends someone to pick me up or someone in my family, like my mother?”

Tannenbaum shrugs his shoulders.  “I guess.  Maybe it’s nothing, you know, I mean, it ain’t like we were anywhere near that disaster.”

“Yeah, well, I know that and you know that, but does he care about it?”

“I’ll tell ya what, I wouldn’t go out there without some kind of gift or something.”

Vatter rolled his eyes.  “A gift?  Like flowers or candy?”

“I don’t know, something man, anything to smooth things over.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“Hey, just trying to help you out, man,” said Tannenbaum in a raised voice.  “It’s your hide, not mine.”

Vatter didn’t respond.

“Whatever,” said Tannenbaum, as he turned and walked down the hallway.

Vatter walked outside, not feeling any better after chatting with Tannenbaum.  In fact, he was feeling worse than before.  He got in his squad car and sat there for a couple of minutes thinking about what might happen and what his options were.  Mordulfah would surely punish those responsible for last night’s failure by taking their heads.  It was the one way he could show strength while putting fear into the ranks.

Vatter had seen the videos coming out of the Middle East showing the beheadings of Christians and how horrific it was.  It was never one clean sweep of a sword.  No, it was more like sawing the head off, which was a much more painful process.  The thought made him shudder with the chills.  Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and started to run down his cheeks.  His breathing quickened and he needed air.  He started the car and pushed the windows down.  The fresh air helped calm him, but then he realized he had just over an hour before he needed to be in Grosse Pointe.  He tapped on the steering wheel, thinking about his conversation with Tannenbaum and then an idea hit him.  A slight smile formed on his face the more he thought about it.  It was perfect.  He threw the car in drive and tore out of the parking lot hoping his cousin would be home.

Chapter 4

Jackson Michigan

It was a short trip from the hospital to the abandoned building down on Brooklyn Road.  The brick building looked like it used to be a small manufacturing plant and had a back parking lot with a loading dock.  Bassett was the first to jump up on the dock, followed by Winters, Scar, and Burns, albeit a bit slower than the spry Corporal had been.

The back door opened and Taylor walked out in a foul mood.

“These little sons of bitches think I’m their man servant.  They want food and sodas.  They even asked for a lawyer.  Can you believe it?  A friggin lawyer in the middle of a war!”

“Just what we need here, lawyers,” laughed Scar.

“I had to gag them just to shut them up.”

Taylor showed his companions where he was holding the prisoners.  Winters looked through the window and observed eight Jijis sitting on folding chairs.  They were all bound, gagged, and blindfolded.  Winters thought about what to do with them.  He knew they needed to interrogate them for any intel they could provide.

“Can we get them in separate rooms?” asked Winters.

“Don’t see why not,” said Taylor.

Winters turned to Bassett.  “So, how should we go about this?”

Bassett looked at Scar and then back to Winters.  “That all depends on how far you want to go and how much you think they might know.”

Winters knew what Bassett was implying and wasn’t sure about it.

Scar saw the look on Winters’ face.  “Captain, why don’t we get a feel for it and see where it goes?”

“Fair enough.”

Scraping sounds echoed through the room as they pulled the tilted folding chairs backward and dragged the men into separate rooms.  One tried to wiggle his way out of the chair.  Taylor cuffed him upside the head and yelled at him.  Another sobbed as they dragged him out of the room and down the hallway.

Winters looked at Scar as the sobbing man passed by them.

Scar shrugged his shoulders.  “He should have thought about this before joining.”

Winters turned to Bassett.  “You have experience in this?”

“Not directly, but I’m aware of the techniques.”

“I’ll leave you in charge of this then.”

“Anything, in particular, you want to find out?”

Winters took a moment to think about the question.  These were his first prisoners and he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to know besides the obvious, troop strength and Mordulfah’s plans.

“Just the usual stuff,” said Winters hoping he didn’t sound stupid.

They entered the first room and Bassett ripped the blindfold off the Jiji.  The man was an American, but his immediate praise of Allah identified him to be a true believer.

Muslims had been coming to Michigan for a number of years, most settling in Dearborn, Michigan.  Little by little, the Muslim population grew so big that the town essentially cut themselves off from the rest of the state.  It was a well-known secret they practiced Sharia law and the state of Michigan ignored it for fear of being labeled racist or Islamophobe.

Bassett started the questions.

“My name is Mohammed and that is all you’re going to get from me.  I’m an American and I know my rights.”

Taylor chimed in.  “Sonny, you may be an American and you may think you know your rights, but you gave up that privilege when you attacked us last night.”

Mohammed spat in Taylor’s face and cursed him in Arabic.

“Oh, screw this!”  Taylor responded by smacking him across the face with a closed fist.  “You’ve mistaken me for someone who gives a crap about you and your phantom rights.”

Bassett let out a small chuckle at Taylor.  He was more convinced that nicknaming him “Honey Badger” was by far his most accurate name and started wondering if perhaps he shouldn’t let him have his way with these guys.  He seemed to be up for the job and was without a doubt, full of piss and vinegar this morning; then again, he was always like that.

“Now, sonny, you can answer our questions and be treated fairly or your stay here will be full of misery.  Starting with you being part of my morning workout program.  You see, I’ve been looking for a new punching bag to work out my aggression and you look like a good fit.”

Mohammed’s face turned sour with the realization that this old man meant every word.  “I don’t know anything of value.”

“Sure you do, Sonny, everybody knows something.  You shouldn’t think so little of yourself.”

Bassett turned to Winters who was standing off to the side.  He gave him a slight grin and decided Badger was going to handle all the interrogations.  He certainly had a way with words.

Taylor continued.

“Why don’t you start with who you’re working for,” asked Taylor already knowing the answer.

Mohammed took a moment before answering.  “Prince Mordulfah is our great leader.”

“And how many men does this Mordulfah have?”

“I’m not sure.”

Taylor moved in and wound up for another whack across the face.

Mohammed screamed out.  “I swear I don’t know!  I’m not with the main force!  Me and the others were never in Grosse Pointe.”

Winters raised his head in interest.

Taylor saw him and then returned his attention to Mohammed.

“Where were you?”

“In Parma.  It’s just west of here.”

“How many are there?”

“We have like three hundred.”

This was news to Winters.  He wondered if this three hundred was in addition to the three thousand he thought Mordulfah controlled.

“How come you were never in Grosse Pointe with the others?” asked Taylor.

“We were kept out of sight as a reserve unit.”

“Are these experienced men?”

“Experienced how?”

“Military experience you dumb-ass.”

“I’m sorry, I’m nervous.  No, none of us has any military experience.  I’m a college grad, as are most of us.”

Taylor shook his head in disbelief.  “What?  The American dream too much for you to handle?”

“But you are infidels and I’m required to kill you.”

“What was your major?  A bachelor’s in Hate America Studies?”

“Middle Eastern Studies.”

“With a minor in stupidity.”

“I’m faithful to my religion and willing to die for it.  It is all that matters.”

“Spare me the martyrdom for someone who gives a damn.”

Winters motioned everyone to leave the room.

They met out in the hallway and Taylor walked out last, shutting the door.

“I don’t think this idiot knows much more than this,” said Taylor.

“What do you think, Corporal?” asked Winters.

“I doubt he has much to offer.  We’ll keep them separated and see where the others are from and then work the intel between them.”

“This guy is as soft as the other ones,” said Taylor in disgust.  “I mean they were seriously asking for lawyers.  It won’t take much to get what we can from them.”

Winters nodded his head in agreement.  “Get what you can.  I’ve got to get with Mayor Simpson and make plans.”

Winters jumped in an SUV and pulled out of the parking lot.  He didn’t hold out hope they would get any valuable intel from this bunch, especially if they were all from the same group.  He had bigger problems to deal with than to sit there and have a nice chat with some brainwashed college grads.

Chapter 5

Detroit Michigan

Sweat continued to drip down Vatter’s forehead as he drove to his cousin’s home.  The thought of losing his head was unnerving and again he began to question whether he should even go to Grosse Pointe.  If he didn’t go, then all his family would have to be taken out of town, which wouldn’t be an easy task.  Besides, they had no place to go.  The more he thought about his plan involving his cousin, the more it made sense.

He pulled into the driveway and saw a car under the carport.  A sense of relief washed over him, but then he needed to psych himself up for the next step.  Gripping the steering wheel, he started to take in heavy breaths.  “You can do this, Mike, you can do this.”

Carol answered the door.  She was Mike Vatter’s first cousin on his father’s side.  Despite being the same age, they didn’t see each other very much growing up, because Carol’s parents divorced and her mother wanted little to do with that side of the family. Funerals, weddings, and an occasional church function were where they would bump into each other.  That changed when they attended the same high school and shared a couple of classes together.  She was much smarter and helped him with some of his studies.

“What do you want?  Why are you here?” asked Carol, who was dressed in workout clothes and held a bottle of water.  She wiped her face with the towel that hung around her neck.

“Well, hello to you, too, cousin.  Is that any way to greet me?”

She eyed him suspiciously.  “I’ve not seen you in what, three months?  And now, out of the blue, you show up.  So, yes, you want something.”

Vatter smiled.  “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“After you tell me what you want.”

“Yes, I need a small favor.”

“Hmm hmm.”

“Hey, after all I’ve done for you?”

“Ah, so there were strings attached.”

“Hey, it takes a lot of money to keep the family supplied with everything it needs.  The least you can do is hear me out.”

She opened the screen door and let him in noticing the sweat on his forehead as he walked past her.

Vatter walked into the oversized kitchen and leaned on the granite-topped island.  The cabinets were cherry and the stainless steel refrigerator stood on dark yellow ceramic tile.  Carol didn’t own the house but moved in any way.  The owners were more than likely living in a warmer climate or were dead.  Regardless, they weren’t coming back anytime soon.  Many houses in the area were empty and up for grabs.  The nicer ones were the most coveted.  This one was tucked away on a secluded cul-de-sac with only two others on it and both were still in the construction phase.

“I do like your choice in homes.  Did you get all the food supplies I sent here?” asked Vatter, wanting her to feel obligated.

“Yes, I got them.”

“Good, good.”

“Are you going to tell me what you want?”

“I do need a small favor.”

“How small?”

Just then, Carol’s identical twin daughters walked in.  Both were still in their pajamas and appeared to have just gotten up.  The fourteen-year-old twins seemed surprised to see Vatter.

“Hey girls, how’s it going?”

“Good,” they both responded simultaneously.

“Okay, let me guess,” said Vatter pointing his finger.  “You’re Vanessa and you’re Violet.”

They both giggled and nodded.

“You girls get those video games I sent?”

“Yes,” said Vanessa.  “Mom, we’re hungry.”

“Grab some cereal and go play a video game.  Mike and I need to talk.”

Carol helped them get situated and waited for the girls to leave the room.  “Now get on with it.”

Vatter looked at his watch.  There wasn’t much time left before he needed to be on the road.  “I’m in a bind and I need some help.”

Carol didn’t respond.

“I need some cover, someone to accompany me on an errand.”

Carol looked puzzled.  “Where do you need to go?”

“Grosse Pointe.”

“Grosse Pointe?  To the Ford Mansion?”

Vatter nodded.

“You have to go see that Prince, don’t cha?”

“I do indeed.”

“I can’t just drop everything and go with you.”

“It’s not you that I want to go with me.”

“Who then?”

Vatter looked across the kitchen into the living room where the girls were playing video games.

Carol’s eyes grew when she realized what he wanted.  She backed up to the counter and slid her hand toward the butcher knife lying on the cutting board.  She grabbed it and swung the big knife around at Vatter.  The large knife gleaned across his cheek slicing through the skin.  Blood splattered and he let out a scream.  Carol lunged at him.  Vatter raised his left arm to defend himself.  The knife slashed across his forearm as he stumbled sideways.  He yanked out his 9mm with his right hand and fired two shots as Carol leaped at him again.  Both hit their target.  The knife dropped from her hand as she looked intently at him for a moment before collapsing in a pool of blood.

The twins ran into the kitchen and stared at their mother in horror.  They turned to Vatter and saw blood pouring out of his arm.  He still held the gun on Carol, but then aimed it at the girls shouting at them to get on the floor.  They fell to the floor sobbing uncontrollably.  Vatter grabbed his handcuffs and cuffed them together.  He then got up and wrapped a towel around his forearm to stem the flow of blood.  His breaths came in rapid gasps as he gawked at the bloody corpse.  He couldn’t believe he just murdered his cousin, a family member he promised his mother he would take care of.  His mother held a soft spot for the twin girls and she didn’t want anything to happen to them.  A strange sensation swept over him at the reality of his first murder and he began to feel remorseful, but then remembered, he now had a gift for Mordulfah, which would save his head.

Chapter 6

Jackson Michigan

Winters found Mayor Simpson at the hospital visiting the injured.  He was sincerely grateful for what the Shadow Patriots had done over the last few days.  Getting the fourteen girls back from certain death the night before was a miracle in his book.  It helped make up for the hundreds of deaths the town suffered over the past week.  The attack on the churches was despicable and vile in the worst possible way.  The town was still in mourning, so any win was good for morale, even if it came with the loss of more citizens.

Winters walked up to Simpson, who looked through the window at Reese while she slept.  “Mayor.”

Simpson turned and extended his hand.  “Captain Winters, it’s so good to see you.”

Winters grasped his hand.

Simpson turned back to the window.  “I understand this is the young lady who helped get our girls back.”

“Yes, sir. Her name is Reese.”

“What happened to her?”

“She caught a couple of bullets last night, she’ll be alright though.”

Simpson hesitated before responding.  “She seems so young and innocent.”

“She is, but she’s a tough one.”

“Just doesn’t seem right.”

Winters didn’t reply.  He knew the elderly mayor was old school and had trouble accepting the world the way it was now.  To him, women should not have to fight but should remain behind the lines for support.  In many ways, he was right, but it was a different world now and all the strong and strong-willed freely entered the fray.  The weak would have to rely more and more on the sheep dogs in order to survive, but they wouldn’t always have them around.  It was during those times the weak would perish.  It was a strange and unfair reality, but one you had better understand or you’ll end up a casualty if you’re unable to answer the call.

“Mayor, I do need to talk with you about an exit strategy for the city.”

“Yes, of course.  Why don’t we go to the cafeteria?  I could use a cup of coffee.”

They walked in and found Elliott sitting by himself.  They each grabbed their coffee and joined him.

“How’s Nate?” Winters asked Elliott.

“Oh, he’s good.  Doc patched him up real good.  I’m sure he’ll be right back out there with us in a couple of days.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” said Winters taking a sip of coffee.  “He doesn’t want to miss out on any payback.”

“Oh, no he doesn’t.”

“Mayor Simpson, is everyone downtown now?”

Simpson’s frail hand shook a little as he put his cup down.   “I think so.  Nordell sent out volunteers early this morning to gather everyone in.  There might be some stragglers here and there.”

Winters didn’t like the sound of that.  He knew they couldn’t force everyone to leave their homes, but if they didn’t, then they’d risk ending up dead like the twenty or so who were still up on Robinson Road last night.  They didn’t have an accurate count, but Winters witnessed some of the deaths from the top of the trees he shared with Elliott and Reese.  It had been disturbing watching the executions knowing there was nothing you could do to stop the slaughter.

“There should be enough weapons for everyone now,” said Winters, referring to the dead Jijis’ weapons.

“Yes, Sergeant Nordell is in charge of distributing them,” he said slowly.

Winters noticed Simpson’s facial expressions.  His eyelids drooped under his thick white eyebrows and his eyes seem to plead for help while trying to hold on to whatever sanity he could still muster.  He was tired but didn’t want to give up.  He had some familiarity with this type of situation but it had been a long time ago.  Simpson was an Army veteran and had fought in the Korean War, which accounted for his not wanting to give up.  It was a special factor you couldn’t quite explain, but you knew existed deep down in the soul.  It was the one thing that kept Winters going through all the turmoil these past few months.  He could see Simpson was on the edge and needed a lift.

“Mayor Simpson, I just wanted to tell you that you’ve done an amazing job coordinating everything like you have.”  Winters raised his hands in the air.  “None of this is normal for any of us, so I understand the strain it has put you under.”

Simpson’s eyes grew a little.

“Most men would have given up under the pressure, so I appreciate you hanging in there.  You’ve got a way with people and I see how they respond to you.  So, just keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll get through this.”

“Well, thank you, Captain, but we couldn’t have done any of this without you and your men.”

“Mayor, it was a fight that was going to take place somewhere in Michigan.  We’re just lucky it happened to be here in Jackson.  Everyone has been great.”

This seemed to lift Simpson’s spirits, as he sat straighter in his chair with a renewed air of confidence.  Winters needed him to keep it together because the Mayor was instrumental in keeping citizens who were unable to fight, organized and out of the way.  Having to worry about collateral damage was not something Winters needed on his mind again.

“The main thing is to make sure everyone remains calm and to be ready to leave town on a moment’s notice.”

Simpson took a pause before he responded.  “I think I’ll have everyone assigned into groups and designate an area to gather.  Should make things go faster.”

“That’s a great idea, Mayor.”

“When do you think that will be?” asked Simpson.

Winters looked at Elliott and then back to Simpson.  “I don’t know.  I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep.”

Elliott jumped in.  “It could be in an hour or a day.  We won’t know until we find out what the enemy is up to.”

“You might want to have your groups assigned to vehicles as well.”

“Yes, yes that’s a good idea.  I’ll even get all the vehicles lined up and ready to go.”

Winters liked what he heard and the energy the mayor was showing.  The poor man needed some kind of focus and this was just the ticket.

“I’ll get on it right now,” said Simpson, pushing his chair back and walking out of the cafeteria with renewed vigor in his step.

Winters looked at Elliott and gave him a slight smile.

Elliott let out a chuckle.  “You’re really good, you know that?”

“What?” Winters asked in a reserved tone.

“Oh, don’t play coy with me.  I’ve been around you long enough now to know when you’re giving someone a confidence boost.  It was a good one too because that old man looks as if he’s on his last leg, but you gave him a hell of a lifeline.”

“I just need him to keep it together.”

“I’ve no doubt he’ll do that now.”

“I just know what he’s thinking is all.  I remember going through the same thing after the train station and the shootout where we lost your friend, Rogers.”

Elliott nodded remembering the battle and his friend.  “We’ve all changed quite a bit since then.”

“Tell me about it.”

Elliott didn’t respond.

“Mayor Simpson just needed a morale boost.  I didn’t tell him anything that wasn’t true.  He just needed some perspective and a goal.”

Winters thought back to when he first started and how he gave up before even starting.  He was afraid, as anyone would have been.  Thankfully, guilt overwhelmed his fear; otherwise, he wouldn’t even be here now.  Elliott was right; they had all changed over these last few months.  He wasn’t afraid to fight or lead his men anymore, but now the weight of leadership fell heavily on his shoulders.  Between having to defend a whole town, watch his men get shot up and outwit a cunning enemy, his responsibilities continued to grow to an almost unbearable level, which was why he needed everyone to do their jobs and that included the mayor of Jackson.

Chapter 7

Grosse Pointe Michigan

The twins were in the back of the squad car holding onto each other while they sobbed over the murder of their mother.  Vatter looked in the rearview mirror and felt sorry for them, but not enough to let them go.  He firmly believed Mordulfah planned to kill him, especially after losing the fourteen girls the other night.  He had no doubt the prince gave him one more chance to prove himself worthy of keeping his life.  While last night’s debacle wasn’t his fault, he wasn’t going to take any chances.  Offering up these girls to Mordulfah would show his loyalty to him.  They were just the right age and they were twins, which was an added bonus.

He entered the compound after having his car searched by guards.  He looked in the mirror and noticed the skin around the bandage started to turn blue and swell.  He grabbed the bottle of aspirin and threw down a few more.  The cut on his arm needed attending too, but it would have to wait until later.  For now, the towels wrapped around the wound would have to do.

He got out and pulled open the back door.  “You girls get out and do as I say.”

Still, in their pajamas, they begrudgingly exited the car and stood there, barefoot, holding on to each other.  Vatter stared at them debating on whether or not to take the handcuffs off.  If they tried to escape, he was in no shape to chase after them and it would appear foolish.  He decided to stay on the safe side and marched them in handcuffed together.

Reaching the entrance, the door swung open and out came Wali, Mordulfah’s personal valet.

“You are late.”

“I know. I had a small problem to take care of.”

“You are to go out back.  He’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Vatter escorted the girls out back and immediately became afraid.  Nine men were on their knees and behind each of them stood a hooded man holding a large knife.  There was a tenth executioner with no one kneeling in front of him.  Vatter’s heart began to race.  He put his hands on the girls’ shoulders to keep them in check and use them as a shield.  There were well over a hundred men scattered around the large lawn waiting patiently, all with the same look of fear in their eyes.  Behind them was Lake St. Clair, where white caps danced across the water on this windy day.

Vatter tried to remain calm, but his wounds were throbbing and sweat ran down the sides of his face.  He desperately wanted to leave and get his wounds bandaged properly and take some real painkillers.  The twins still sobbed but were not making too much of a scene.  Vatter noticed some of the men stared at him and the girls as if to wonder why they hadn’t had the same idea or resources.

The back door opened up and out walked Mordulfah dressed in traditional Middle Eastern garb with white robes flowing behind him as the wind blew across his body.  Vatter watched him survey the area and then whisper in Wali’s ear.  Mordulfah then turned his attention to Vatter and walked toward him.  He stopped to look at the twins, gave a slight sign of approval, and then moved his eyes up to Vatter.  His stare lingered on his wounds for a moment.

“Captain Vatter, you are injured?”

“Yes, sir.  Nothing too serious,” he responded trying to sound tough.

“Did this happen last night?”

“This morning actually.  I had an incident that needed to be taken care of.”

Mordulfah looked at the twins.  “And who do we have here?”

“A gift for you.  This is Violet and Vanessa.  Say hello, girls.”

They both meekly responded.

Vatter could see another slight smile break across Mordulfah’s face.  He was not one to show emotions to anyone, especially an underling.  Vatter hoped he didn’t have to explain how he was wounded or how these girls came to be here.  He wasn’t sure if Mordulfah would approve or even care.

Mordulfah snapped his fingers.  An older woman, who Sadie had nicknamed Crappy, scrambled out the door and approached him.  She was Mordulfah’s long-time slave and was dedicated to him.  She was in charge of all the females in Mordulfah’s harem.  As of late, she had little to do because Mordulfah had not restocked the harem since the attack of the Shadow Patriots.

“Take these girls inside,” ordered Mordulfah.  “The key, Captain?”

Vatter reached down and unlocked the handcuffs.  “You go with this nice woman, she’ll take care of you.”

The girls turned to look at him as Crappy led them to the door.  Vatter motioned with his hands to go.  He knew he’d never see those girls again.

Mordulfah waited for them to leave before continuing.  He didn’t say a word while looking at Vatter as if deciding his fate.

Vatter sensed a bead of sweat running down his right sideburn and hoped he didn’t appear nervous.

Mordulfah turned around and snapped his fingers again motioning the tenth executioner forward.

Vatter’s heart sunk as the man came toward them.

“Your Excellency,” said the executioner.

“It is Hakim’s destiny,” said Mordulfah.

Vatter’s spirits lifted knowing Mordulfah just spared his life.  He felt bad for Hakim, who worked with him for the past week.  Hakim was his contact with the M and M’s and was the one who received the info about Winters’ whereabouts.  “Oh well,” thought Vatter.  “ Better him than me.”

Hakim didn’t flinch when they led him to a kneeling position.  Vatter thought it was foolish bravado, but then maybe he was a truly dedicated servant.  Either way, he was going to suffer for the next few minutes as he lost his head.  Vatter wondered if Hakim thought he was going to get his seventy virgins, or whatever number it was.  Vatter laughed to himself wondering if they were female.

“Captain, your wounds need attention.  Go with Wali and he’ll see to them.”

Vatter was surprised at the generosity and grateful he didn’t have to witness a beheading.  In his condition, he might have gotten sick and lost it in front of everyone.

Wali took him inside and led him to a man in a white coat, which Vatter assumed to be a doctor.  As the doctor started to dress his wounds, Vatter could hear blood-curdling screams coming from the backyard.  He immediately thought how killing his cousin and using her daughters as a bargaining chip had been worth it.  In the end, his desperation justified his treachery.

Chapter 8

Jackson Michigan

Winters stood outside the hospital to get some fresh air after making the rounds again visiting with the wounded again.  It was satisfying to know how much it boosted the men’s morale.  To have someone dote on you while in a hospital was always good for one’s spirits.  It reassured the patient they mattered and they were not alone, which made their stay more bearable and helped in healing.

Lifting one’s spirits was also a reward for Winters.  He liked how they responded to him when he sat on their bedsides and chatted with them.  It helped him knowing he could do so much by just recognizing them.

It took over an hour to visit with all the men as they had a lot to get off their chests regarding last night’s battle.  The one thing in common was the pride they took in taking out so many Jijis and surviving.  While all the Shadow Patriots would share in the brotherhood of battle, the members who were with him last night would share a special bond for the rest of their lives.  During the height of the struggle, it didn’t seem like any of them would survive and everyone knew it during the fight.  Outnumbered and surrounded, they all felt like trapped rats, so the ordeal became a test of courage and mental toughness.  Fortunately, they came out on top, but not without losing some of their friends, which made the victory bittersweet.

Winters thought about the severely wounded and how they needed to be in Canada for better care.  Some would balk at the thought of being taken away from the action.  Nate’s wound wasn’t too bad and figured he’d jack himself up on pain meds to stay in the fight.  He wasn’t sure about Reese though.  Her leg wound was worse than the one in her arm, but neither was bad enough to keep her away.  Both would hurt like hell for a while, but pain meds would take of that.  What he didn’t know was whether she’d want to stay.  Was last night’s battle enough for her?  Did she have her fill with revenge?  He gave it more thought and then laughed; knowing how much they were alike.  She was nowhere near done.

Winters gazed up and admired the clear blue sky.  He unzipped his black jacket, closed his eyes and let the slight breeze wash over him.  Enjoying the silence, his body began to relax making him realize how he desperately needed sleep.  He turned back toward the hospital to go find a bed when a pickup truck entered the parking lot.  Scar got out of the truck, which piqued his interest because Scar had stayed behind to help interrogate the prisoners.

“Captain, you’re not going to believe what I’ve got to tell ya.”

Winters waited for him to go on.

“You remember that one prisoner who was sobbing like a little girl?”

“I do.”

“Well, he’s willing to help us.”

Winters gave him a quizzical look.  “Help us how?”

“Be a spy.”

“A spy?”

“Yep.”

“How can he do that?”

“He’s not with the rest of those guys who are all together.  This guy says he has access to Mordulfah.”

Winters let out a scoff.  “I don’t believe it.”

“I know, too good to be true, but I think you should at least hear him out and then decide.”

Winters gave it some thought but struggled because of a lack of sleep. “I got to get some sleep.”

His response agitated Scar.  “Hear him out first and then sleep on it.  You’ll kill two birds with one stone.”

Winters recognized the anxiety in Scar’s demeanor and knew he hadn’t gotten any sleep either but kept working.  “Yeah, okay.  You’re right.”

Scar drove them across town to their makeshift prison.  It was out of the way and far from prying eyes.  He didn’t want Mordulfah’s spy to find out about their prisoners in case they got valuable info from them.

Taylor met them inside and handed Winters the prisoner’s driver’s license, which Winters thought odd.  He looked at the name Thomas Kamal, twenty-eight years old.

“So, what’s the deal with him?”

“Say’s he works in the mansion and has access to Mordulfah.”

Winters looked through the window.  Thomas sat tied in the chair, his eyes were still red from the sobbing earlier, but he appeared to have calmed down.  His thick black hair was messy and his baby face barely allowed for stubble let alone the prerequisite beard the Jijis loved to wear.

Winters walked in, grabbed a chair, and sat down in front of him.  Thomas nodded as if to say, I’ll cooperate.  He then broke out into a smile, which highlighted his white teeth that shined against his dark skin.

“Captain Winters, thank you for coming.”

Winters gave him a surprised look.  “Have we met before?”

“No, but I was working at the mansion when Captain Cox brought you in with the two girls.”

Winters glared at him with skeptical eyes thinking that would be common knowledge, so he asked for the girl’s names.

“Sadie was the little one Mordulfah was to marry and Reese was the older blonde.

Knowing their names lessened his skepticism.

“I was the one who made sure no one touched her.

“You did what?”

“Reese.  I made sure no one touched her.  Mordulfah wanted to, but I told him she was sick and vomiting.  He’s a germaphobe so he didn’t get near her.”

“Why did you do this?”

“I felt sorry for all the girls Mordulfah had there, but there was nothing I could do for them.  However, when you three came in, I could see she was as scared as the little one.

“Sadie,” said Winters.

“Yes, Sadie.  She was his prize to be sure.  So, I figured I could put off Mordulfah’s vileness for Reese, at least for a while.”

Winters stared at him trying to discern his truthfulness.  He seemed sincere but could be lying to save himself.  Fatigue clouded his mind, and he didn’t trust himself to choose one way or the other and decided to bring Reese here to verify his story.

“May I ask, how are Sadie and Reese?”

Winters didn’t particularly want to tell him anything about them.  “They’re both fine and in good hands.”

Winters could see Thomas seemed genuinely happy at the news.  He then was curious as to why he wanted to help.

“My parents may be from Pakistan, but I’m an American.  They named me Thomas after Jefferson because they wanted me to be an American.  I was born and raised in Tennessee but moved to Michigan two years ago for a job in finance.  Little did I know Mordulfah owned the company.  By the time everything collapsed, it was too late for me to leave, so I stayed on because I had no way to get home or to support myself and I was hungry.  I love my country, and I hate him for what he’s doing.”

Winters stared at Thomas for a few moments trying to size him up.  He wouldn’t make any promises until after Reese vouched for him.  If his story checked out, he’d then decide what to do.  If this man were able to help them, then they’d have a chance to turn the tables on Mordulfah.  It was a big gamble and there would have to be complete trust.  He’d seen enough movies to know it could easily go south on them.  Still, it would be worth a shot.  They’d have to test his loyalty first before trusting him with something big.  Winters tried not to get too excited before checking out his story, though he couldn’t help but think, he finally had an ace up his sleeve.

Chapter 9

Winters opened his eyes to the sunlight penetrating the window blinds.  He rose out of bed and opened them, which then flooded the room with light.  He stretched his arms feeling a lot better than when he had fallen into bed.  It was the first time he’d gotten any sleep since before the battle, something he had desperately needed.  He decided to take a quick shower and wash the layer of battle grime off.  The cascading water was cold and felt like a thousand needles giving him acupuncture.  He watched the dirty water going down the drain.

After drying off, he headed to the cafeteria.  It was empty, so he poured himself a cup of coffee and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  He woofed it down in a few bites and washed it down with the coffee before leaving to go to Reese’s room.

Amber sat with Reese, who was not only awake but also quite talkative, and broke out into a big smile as Winters walked in.

“There he is.  I was wondering when you were gonna come see me.”

“Excuse me, but I’ve already been here,” said Winters, giving Amber a hug and then bending down to hug Reese.

“It doesn’t count if I’m sleeping.”

Winters sat beside her on the bed.  “You weren’t sleeping.”

“I wasn’t?”

“Nope.  Of course, you were all jacked up on drugs.”

Reese gave it some thought.  “Oh…yeah…I kind of remember.  Was I crying or something?”

Amber jumped in.  “You could say that, kept apologizing for getting shot.”

Reese chuckled.  “Okay, yeah, it’s coming back to me now.”

“You even told me that you loved me,” said Winters with a sly grin on his face.

“Wow, I really was high,” said Reese deadpan.

“Oh sure, blame the drugs.”

“I will, thank you,” said Reese playfully.

“So, how are we feeling?”

“Well, considering I’m going to have a couple of bad ass scars, I’m feeling pretty good.  Doctor thinks I can move around here tomorrow as long as I take it easy.”

“That’s great.  I see you’re in good spirits.”

“Hell yeah, I am.  Those bastards gave me their best and I’m still here.”

Reese was no longer in hysterics like this morning.  This was more like the girl Winters knew, strong-willed with a touch of Jekyll and Hyde coursing through her veins.

He looked over at Amber.  “What about you, Amber. You good?”

“Still a little tired, but I’m good.”

Winters studied her trying to see if she wasn’t just pretending to be okay.  She had been through a lot over the last couple of days, from killing the cop she wrestled with to being in a hell of a firefight.

“It’s okay if you’re still freaked out over last night.”

“We’ve been hashing it out, Cole,” said Reese.  “You’ve got nothing to worry about with us girls.”

Winters smiled.  “Alright, just want to make sure my two favorite girls are okay.”

Reese looked at Amber.  “Isn’t he just the sweetest?”  She then grabbed Winters’ hand.  “You know what, Cole?  I do love you.”

Winters rolled his eyes.  “Okay.”

“I do, Cole, honest to God,” she said while batting her eyes.

“Okay, can we get serious for a minute?”

“I’ve never been more serious.”

Winters started to pull his hand away.  “Now, it’s getting awkward.”

“Am I making you nervous?” she asked tightening her grip.

“No.” said Winters quickly.

“I am,” she said as if a light went on in her head.  “I think you’re shy.  Amber, I think our Cole is bashful around girls.”

Amber put her hand to her mouth to hide her laughter.

“Okay, what the hell kind of drugs are you on?”

“I don’t know, but they’re pretty awesome,” said Reese laughing.

Winters broke her grip and stood up.  He looked over at Amber who still tried to hide her laughter.  He shook his head.  While secretly enjoying their bantering, he wanted to get serious now and ask her about Thomas.  He could see it would have to wait until Reese got the giggles out of her system.  At least she was alive and they were both in good spirits instead of depressed and sullen.  After a few more good jibes, Reese finally calmed down enough for Winters to ask her about Thomas.

“I remember him.  Young guy, I think he was from Nashville or somewhere like that.  How do you know him?”

“He’s our prisoner.”

“Wow.  Yeah, he told me to pretend to be sick.  Told me to go to the bathroom and stick my finger down my throat.”

“So, he really did save you from Mordulfah then?” asked Winters as he sat back down next to her.

“Oh yeah, after that, they put me in my own room.”

“I need to make sure he’s the guy.”

“Maybe tomorrow you can just take me to him.  I never got a chance to thank him.”

“Perfect,” said Winters, as he got up to leave.

“You’re leaving me?” asked Reese with a pouty expression.

“I’ve got lots to do.”

He leaned over to give her a hug.  She wrapped her good arm around his neck and wouldn’t let go.

“Don’t leave me, Cole.”

A sense of guilt began to wash over Winters before realizing she was pulling his leg again.  He tried to pull away, but she held on tightly surprising him with her strength.

“Okay, honey, let go.”

“Kiss me first.”

“Oh, for Jiminy Crickets,” he said, and then kissed her on the forehead.

“No, on the lips.”

Winters knew she’d never let go so he gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“You call that a kiss.  That’s something my Gma would give me.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re not my Gma.  Now get in here.”

Winters let out a sigh and leaned in.  She met him halfway and gave him a big wet kiss.

“Now that’s more like it.  Our very first kiss.”

“Can you let go now?”

“Yes, but now you have to kiss Amber.”

“Excuse me.”

“C’mon, Cole, prove to us you’re not shy around girls.”

Winters started to regret coming in here.  How did she know about his shyness around girls?  If it weren’t for his wife making the first move, he probably would never have even had a girlfriend, let alone a wife. He looked at Amber whose good looks always made him nervous, to begin with, and he started to panic a little bit.  Knowing Reese would never let him hear the end of it, he stood up and clumsily leaned in to give Amber a kiss.  She smiled at him as he pulled back.  He then turned to Reese who wore a big grin on her face.

“Cole Winters, you is blushing,” said Reese drawing out the last part.

Winters rolled his eyes.  “Okay, I think I’m done here.”

“Oh, you ain’t a kidding,” laughed Reese.

Winters walked out of the room as they started laughing uncontrollably again.  He wondered what kind of drugs Reese was on; at least he hoped she was on drugs.  Otherwise, there was going to be no living with those two again.

Chapter 10

Washington D.C.

Green turned down the street to go meet with his friend, Sam, at their favorite bar, Pub II.  He talked him into leaving work early and grabbing a beer.  He wanted to tell him about his meeting with Larry Reed and see his reaction upon hearing about Cara Winters.

After his brief meeting with her and CC, Green had left the restaurant and immediately went to go see his boss.  Thankfully, Cara had been stupid enough to bring her friend, CC.  Otherwise, he’d be a dead man walking right now.

Pleasure had flooded his mind watching the disappointment grow on Reed’s face.  Green had watched him intently and learned about the old man’s poker tells as he tried to act surprised that Cara was in town asking for help, which gave him the idea to suggest that they should bring her in for questioning.  With one excuse after another, Green had learned that Reed lied with the best of them, but his voice rose higher and he cocked his head slightly.  Green had made a mental note to remember those poker tells, thinking they’d come in handy down the road.

For now, Reed no longer had reason to suspect him, which would allow Green to try to get closer to him.  He hoped to be more of a confidant to him before they sent the audio recordings of him discussing the bombings.  This way he could gauge the reaction and see how he responded.  He’d have to be careful not to change his habits as Reed might start suspecting him again.  He promised himself he’d be more careful because he remembered his mother describing Reed as a paranoid son-of-a-bitch and if backed into a corner, he’d kill without thinking twice about the consequences even if there were innocent involved.

Green walked into the empty sports bar and didn’t see anyone but the owner and his friends sitting at a table up front.  A waitress with short blonde hair met him as he got to a table by the dartboards.  He ordered a bucket of beers and sat down.  His arriving early usually wasn’t the case as Sam typically showed up first and had to wait for him.  He looked up at the big screens and watched a soccer game that was playing somewhere in Europe.  He wasn’t sure where and didn’t really care.  He missed American sports, especially football and wondered how long, if ever, they’d be able to put teams back together again.  Some of the players were fighting in the war and had made a big deal about signing up and doing their patriotic duty.  The government played that up when they were encouraging Americans to enlist.  In the early days of the war, recruits flooded in by the thousands and they were winning.  Then things took a turn for the worse and they were losing men in devastating numbers.  Green shook his head because he now knew the truth, that the government, or Reed and Perozzi to be more precise, had orchestrated the whole thing, including the losses.  They used the big sports names to encourage more Americans to go marching to their deaths.  These thoughts began to make him angry and he looked across the bar for his waitress.

She came back with his bucket of beers and lingered for a moment trying to work him for a bigger tip.  Green didn’t have a problem with it and tipped her accordingly, thinking she earned it.  He certainly didn’t mind the attention from a pretty girl anyhow.  She sauntered away and Green took out a beer, beads of water dripped down the side of the bottle, as he took a big gulp.  The cold liquid felt good going down.  He set the beer down and looked up again at the boring soccer game.

Chapter 11

Jackson Michigan

Winters left the two giggling girls and headed back to the cafeteria to find his men.  He needed to get an update on what the Jijis were doing.  On the way there, he thought about the fact that Reese knew Thomas, which excited him while considering the possibilities.  After they verified him, they’d have to figure a way to communicate.  Also, figure out what kind of information they wanted coming out and the kind of false information they wanted to feed into Mordulfah.  Having a spy would even the playing field as far as spies were concerned.  Last night’s battle would never have happened if it hadn’t been for Mordulfah’s spy and they would have been better prepared for the eventual assault on the town.

The only way their situation had improved since yesterday was Mordulfah lost a considerable number of his men.  Between the assault, Nate instigated in Chelsea, the raid in the town of Leslie, and last night’s battle, they must have killed close to a thousand Jijis, which was amazing for a small band of patriots.

Winters rounded the corner to the cafeteria and found Scar grabbing a bite to eat.

“Hey, get any sleep?”

“Just got up. You?”

“Five hours,” smiled Winters.

“Four for me, but that’s good enough.”

Scar briefed him on Thomas and how cooperative he had been.  They allowed him to eat and found him a place to get some sleep.  The other prisoners all turned out to be useless, except now they were useless prisoners that needed to be fed and watched over.  Having prisoners was not something Winters wanted to deal with, but they couldn’t let them go and take the chance they’d kill even one of his men.  Executing them wasn’t something that appealed to him even though they deserved it.  He wasn’t sure about the rules of war, but killing them didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

“This guy, Thomas, seems too good to be true,” said Winters.

“He seems pretty legit.”

Winters cocked his head slightly.  “I’ll have Reese verify him tomorrow and then I guess we’ll need to figure out a way to communicate with him.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.  Turns out this guy is one of the couriers that Mordulfah uses.  The reason he was here last night was to deliver messages between Mordulfah and his field commander.”

Winters raised an eyebrow.

“I know what you’re thinking, does he know who the spy is and the answer is no.  He’s never met him.  There’s usually another guy who meets with him, but he was gone when the info came in, so Thomas came instead.”

“This is very interesting,” said Winters, running his hand through his hair.  It still sounded too good to be true.  He wanted to believe it but would watch how things unfolded.

Scar sensed his hesitation.  “I think this guy is solid, Captain.”

“Okay, but we’ll still need to test him.”

“Goes without saying.”

“Have you talked to anyone?”

“Not yet.  I know Eddie is up on the interstate.”

Eddie Perlee was from Minnesota and had been the one who first spotted the terrorists walking along the highway toward Brainerd, Minnesota.  He volunteered to guard the overpass.

“Have you seen Elliott?”

Scar shook his head.

“Alright, we need to go and get some updates,” said Winters.

They finally found Elliott sleeping in a room across from Nate.  He’d been keeping an eye on his lifelong friend through the morning and finally succumbed to fatigue.  Winters thought about waking him but decided to let him sleep.  So far, the town hadn’t been attacked today, which meant the Jijis were still licking their wounds.  And, because they don’t like fighting in the dark, he didn’t think they’d attack tonight either.  Besides, the Jijis were more than likely demoralized knowing that a much smaller force had eviscerated their much larger army.  Still, he couldn’t be certain, which was why they needed to be ready.

Scar found a radio and contacted Eddie who stood guard up on the Lansing Avenue overpass, which crossed over Interstate 94.  Eddie reported the Jijis still manned the interstate but hadn’t moved.  A few vehicles came and went throughout the day to bring food or to rotate the men, but they didn’t seem like they were ready to mount another assault.  Winters got the same report from the rest of the men posted around the perimeter of Jackson.

Winters wanted to see the situation for himself, so he and Scar grabbed an old Chevy pickup and headed up to Lansing Avenue.  The road sat high over the interstate where thick underbrush made it difficult to approach from the interstate below.  Because the overpass couldn’t be accessed from the interstate, it was an ideal place to set up a lookout.  There were a few houses on the street where the men took turns sleeping and eating.

Winters pulled the truck into a parking lot behind a small house on the east side.  They got out and waved at Eddie who walked toward them.

“Captain,” said Eddie stretching his hand out.  “Scar.”

“How goes it?” asked Winters.

“Like I said before, not a whole lot of movement.  C’mon I’ll show ya.”

Eddie led them up to the overpass where thick vines grew on the wire fence that bordered both sides of the bridge.  Winters acknowledged the other men stationed there and thanked them for keeping watch.  They crouched down on all fours and crawled on the pavement to peek over the cement barrier and through the vine covered fence.  Jijis stood around in small clusters and chatted in what looked like a relaxed mood.  They were definitely not at the ready, which surprised Winters.  The amounts of vehicles on the road surprised him as well, but upon closer inspection, he noticed many of them were empty.  Winters looked at the other side and found the same thing.

He looked over at Scar who gave him a big smile.  “What do ya think?”

“I think we should have some fun tonight.”

“Yep, I’m thinking the same thing.”

“Okay, I think we’ve seen enough,” said Winters.  They crawled backward for ten yards before getting up and walking back to their vehicle. He turned to Eddie.  “Do they know you’ve been watching them?”

“Don’t think so.  We’ve been pretty sly about keeping out of sight.”

“Hmph.  These guys must really be beat up.  Eddie, I’ll get some replacements up here for ya.”

“We’re actually good.  We’ve been taking turns getting rest.”

Winters liked what he’d learned and decided to send out a recon team to see if it was feasible to move some of the citizens tonight.  If they couldn’t, then they’d attack and kill as many Jijis as possible before they decided to attack the town.  It didn’t matter to him because either way they were going to be busy tonight.  He thought about the logistics of moving the citizens and hoped Mayor Simpson had prepared a group to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.  He needed to know and decided to go see for himself.  If they were ready, then he’d have Nordell take command of an evacuation.  He hadn’t seen the old Marine since last night’s battle and wondered if Nordell would still show him the same kind of respect, he showed him after the battle.  Their interaction seemed surreal, but knew it did happen.  It really threw him off guard, but he wouldn’t believe he meant it until they met again.

Chapter 12

Winters radioed Bassett asking him to meet him downtown for a strategy meeting with Nordell.  He thought it would be a good idea to have Bassett there, as he would be in charge of the mission tonight.  Besides his youth, his experience in the Middle East was invaluable to the Shadow Patriots.  It would be a tricky thing to get vehicles across enemy lines but there was no way the evacuees could walk out.  Running through empty fields in the middle of the night was one thing, but bringing vehicles of any size was another.  Many of the citizens were too old or too young and would have to be driven.

They pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse and saw Bassett standing next to Nordell.  Winters took in a deep breath at the thought of seeing Nordell.  He exited the truck and gave Bassett a nod.

“Captain,” said Nordell extending his hand to Winters.

Winters grabbed it and gave him a firm handshake.  He looked into Nordell’s steadfast eyes and didn’t see any signs of resentment.  “Gunny.”

“Corporal Bassett was just filling me in on the injured.  Sounds like they’re all doing well,” said Nordell.

“Yes.  A couple of them are done for and will have to be moved.”

“Well, even though we’re a small town, we’ve got an outstanding medical staff.”

Winters nodded in agreement.

“Where will you take them?”

“Canada.  It’s sort of our base of operations.”

“They’re the ones who have been supplying you?”

Winters nodded again.

“Glad to hear they’re helping.”

Winters looked around and didn’t see anyone walking around and decided to go ahead and hold their meeting right there.

“I wanted to meet with you guys to make plans for tonight.  Scar and I went up to Jackson Crossing and looked at the Jijis on the interstate.  To say they’re beat up and not ready to attack is an understatement.  It doesn’t look like they’re ready to even defend themselves.”

“You thinking of attacking tonight?” asked Nordell.

“I am, and maybe even moving some of the citizens out tonight.”

“We’ll need to recon first,” said Bassett.

“Yes, which is why I wanted you here.  Do you think you can go out and give me your assessment?”

Bassett broke out into a sly grin.  “Not a problem, Captain.  Burns and I will get on that as soon as it gets dark.”

Winters turned to Nordell.  “Are the citizens ready to leave?”

Nordell hesitated before answering.  “Some are.  Mayor Simpson has been doing his best to organize them.”

“But, you don’t think it’s enough?”

“No.  I don’t.”

Winters didn’t want to insult Simpson and could see Nordell didn’t either.  Despite being a hardcore retired Marine, he seemed to respect the mayor and didn’t want to step on his toes.  Winters figured it was difficult for a man like Nordell to show such deference to a civilian as had been the case between them, but then he didn’t know the history between the two men.  Perhaps, he was a relative or a former teacher or coach.

“I’ll hurry the mayor up,” said Nordell.  “At the very least, we can have a small group ready to go.”

“Okay, I’ll leave all of that to you then.  Oh, one more thing, have you any idea as to who the spy is?”

“Been giving it a lot of thought and we’ve come up with nothing.  I’ve been keeping our plans close to the vest so no one knows anything, which will include tonight’s actions.”

Winters nodded his head knowing the old Marine was as good as his word and would have a group ready.  He waited for Nordell to leave before asking Bassett about the prisoners.  Winters still wanted to keep the prisoners a secret from everyone, as it was too important to let it accidentally slip out.

“Everything’s going well over there,” said Bassett.

“What about Thomas?  You think he’s solid?”

Bassett nodded.  “I think this guy will deliver.”

“We’ll need to test him first.  Got any ideas?”

Scar spoke up.  “Find out who their spy is.”

Winters glanced at Scar and nodded.

“That’d be a good test,” said Bassett.

“If she’s up for it, I’ll bring Reese by in the morning to verify him.”

“You spoke to her?” asked Bassett.  “She’s doing okay?”

Winters let out a scoff.  “You could say that.”

Bassett gave him a confused look

“She’s high as a kite but yet somehow lucid, at least I think she is.”

Bassett let out a chuckle.  “Good meds will do that.”

“No kidding.  She did verify Thomas’s story.  So that much we know.”

“Good.  I’ll tell Taylor to have him ready.  Once Reese checks him out, we should cut him loose right away.  No sense in having him gone longer than he already is.  He’ll have to come up with a story to tell Mordulfah about his absence.”

With that, the meeting broke up.  Winters and Scar headed back to the hospital to check on with their friends, while Bassett went to get ready for tonight’s recon.

Chapter 13

Washington D.C.

Green took a swig from his beer and finished it off just as the waitress bounced back to offer something from the menu.  He declined and watched her walk off thinking how he should try to get to know her, but wasn’t in the mood to flirt.  He had gotten to know some of the girls here and even though a couple might be interested in him.  He wasn’t always sure because they were constantly hustling for tips, which meant most of the flirting wasn’t genuine.  He leaned back in his chair thinking how long it’d been since his last date and was surprised to remember it had been over a year.  The Army sent him to the Midwest close to a year ago and he hadn’t been back to D.C. that long.  He’d have to get back into the game once he completed his mission of taking down Reed and Perozzi.  For now, there was no sense in getting close to someone when he wasn’t sure if he’d even survive the coming days.  Still, it would be nice to be with someone.  He let out a long sigh and took another sip when Sam came through the door.

“Hey, sorry I’m late, had something come up.”

“No problem, just watching the big game here.”

Sam looked up at the soccer game and laughed.  He grabbed a beer and clinked it to Green’s before taking a sip.

Green then spent the next few minutes telling Sam all about what happened with the meeting with Cara and her friend CC.

Sam’s jaw dropped at learning how close his friend was to being caught.

“John, you’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch.”

“Oh, I know.  Thank God you found those mug shots; otherwise, it would have been over.”

Sam grabbed his beer and finished it off.  He reached for another and started in on it.  “Okay, so we should have known better.  So, what happened when you went to Reed with this?”

Green told him about Reed’s obvious disappointment, but more importantly, how to read his poker tells when the old man lied.

“You think Reed trusts you now?”

“I don’t think he trusts anyone, but I don’t think he’s suspicious of me anymore.”

“You sure?”

“Nothing’s for sure with this guy, but he can’t be as suspicious.  I’ll find some excuse to go see him over the next few days and check his interaction with me.”

“Just be careful.”

“It brings me to the next topic.”

Sam stopped mid-stride from taking another sip.

“When should we send the recording?  Should I see about getting closer to him first?”

Sam gave it some thought before answering.  “Go see him in the next day or two and see how it goes.  If you don’t see an opening with him, then to hell with it, we’ll send it to him Monday.”

“Are we in that big of a hurry?”

“Yes.  Yes, we are, damn it.  The longer we wait the more people are going to die.”

Green gave him a puzzled look.

“John, the faster we can take Reed and Perozzi out and expose them for what they are, the faster we can end the war.”

Green hadn’t thought about it in those terms.  “Seriously?”

“Yes, John.  Take it from someone who works in the State Department.  If those two are exposed and seen as losing their grip on power, then everything starts falling apart.  Too many important people in this country and in other countries will be involved and none of them will want the exposure this will bring them.  They’ll be running for cover by calling for China to get the hell out of our country.  Hell, I guarantee you not everyone in the Chinese government even knows what is really going on.”

This news sent a chill through Green.  He didn’t really give much thought that what they were going to do would have such worldwide consequences.  The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.  He wondered how many countries were involved in this scheme.  He knew then that his mother was right; many people were going to die in their takedown of the National Government.

Chapter 14

Manchester Michigan

A full moon tried to break through the cloud cover in the east as Bassett and Burns walked out of the hospital and crossed the parking lot.  The lack of moonlight made navigating through the parked cars difficult as they looked for the Toyota Prius Bassett wanted to take.  The battery driven car didn’t make any noise, even when you floored the pedal, and it was black, which made it practically invisible at night.

He threw his rucksack in the back seat along with his M-4 rifle, and his favorite weapon, a tactical tomahawk, which he incorporated into his martial arts training.  Besides the devastating effects of the axe, his speedy explosive moves with the weapon instilled fear in his enemy.  He didn’t plan to use it tonight but never went on a mission without it.

They only needed to know where the enemy’s weak points were.  They wouldn’t bother going up to the interstate because they knew the Jijis occupied the whole road, as did the cops on US 12 to the south.  What they didn’t know was how many were on the east and west sides of the enemy’s perimeter.

They drove east toward Michigan Highway 52 with the AN/PVS-24 night-vision goggles on.  The quiet car passed through the small town of Napoleon like a ghost, alerting no one to their presence.  All the homes looked abandoned, which made Bassett, wonder if anyone had decided to stay and wait out the enemy.  It wouldn’t surprise him in the least that some of the citizens had been stubborn and decided to go at it alone.  Many people still didn’t want to rely on anyone, especially the government for help.  The ones who stayed in the Midwest through the long brutal winters were those types of people.  The new national government suggested everyone move to the south where they could find refuge in government camps.  Most left, but many refused to leave their homes and toughed it out.  In the current situation, the people of Jackson had realized that staying together was the better move.  They needed everyone to stay and fight together to ensure safe passage for all.

So far, Bassett thought the citizens had performed magnificently.  They came to the town’s defense and even helped in the big battle on Robinson Road led by the hard-nosed Nordell.  By covering the rear of Scar’s assault, it allowed for his rescue along with the rest of the trapped force.

Bassett was impressed with what they accomplished that night.  Despite being outmanned by a much larger force, the Shadow Patriots stuck together, never gave up, and fought hard, harder than their enemy.  Even while fighting in the Middle East, Bassett had never seen such a lop-sided victory.  They had killed hundreds of Jijis while suffering only minor losses.  Bassett knew the defeat hurt the Jijis’ psyche and would either demoralize or motivate them.  He hoped for the former but knew that a charismatic leader could motivate and re-energize a beaten army, and wondered if Mordulfah was such a leader.  Did he recognize the needs of his army, or would he falter in his leadership and make the grievous errors common to arrogant commanders.

Bassett looked over at Burns, the green glow of the night-vision goggles lit up his eyes as he stared through them.  The older man impressed him last night with his fighting skills.  His performance was not only brilliant, but also heroic, and knew he would always be able to count on him.  He had put himself in danger on more than one occasion helping to ensure the Jijis didn’t overrun their position.

They drove on Austin Road, which would take them to the outskirts of Manchester, Michigan, a town that was completely empty now.  Bassett came to an intersection and stopped the car.  They both got out on the dirt road and walked over to the street sign.

“Bowens and Schleweis,” said Bassett.

Burns pointed to the map.  “We’re right here.  Not much further to 52.”

“Cool.  We’ll stop here on Van Tuyle and go from there.”

They inched their way along the heavily wooded area of the dirt road.  Burns decided to put on the thermal goggles in case any Jijis were hiding along their path.

“We’re looking good, Corporal.”

As they passed Van Tuyle Road, a big empty field opened up to the right.  Bassett decided to take the small car across the field hoping to not run into a patch of mud.  A car this small would get stuck easily and it wasn’t as if they could call a tow truck.

The field was still a little damp from an earlier rain but firm enough to be navigable.  Bassett pulled the car right up to the tree line that bordered Michigan 52.  Without saying a word, both men exited the vehicle and grabbed their Colt M-4 rifles.  Burns also picked up a pair of night-vision binoculars and tossed them to Bassett.  They found a small opening in the brush and Burns took point with his thermal goggles.  He took his time scanning the area looking for the distinct white glow of warm bodies.  Not seeing anything, he hunched over and inched his way through the brush.  The heavy foliage kept them out of sight from anyone who might be near.  Bassett followed closely and within a couple of minutes, they found themselves on Michigan 52.  They sunk to their knees when they came to the roadway.  Immediately, they spotted two cars at the intersection of Bowens and 52.  Bassett raised the binoculars.  Four men stood together chatting while two of them puffed away on cigarettes.

Bassett then turned to look south and spotted other cars about a mile down the road.  He couldn’t tell how many, only that there was more.  He wondered if they had them posted every mile.  He and Burns hustled back to the car and continued south through the empty field.  The field ended at Allen Road where they stopped the car, got out, and scurried across the grass.  There wasn’t as much brush to keep them hidden, which forced them to keep their distance.  Bassett raised the binoculars and looked past the car sitting at the intersection of Allen Road where four more Jijis stood.  He could see another car in the road approximately a mile away, which gave him a good idea they had posted guards every mile.  He figured they were about two miles away from US 12 and didn’t see this as a viable option.  He motioned Burns to head back to their ride.  They jumped into the car and Bassett turned the key.  Nothing happened.

“You're kidding, right?” asked Burns when no interior lights come on.

Bassett tried it again.  Nothing.

“I thought this had a full charge,” said Burns.

“It does and there’s gas in it.  Where’s Nate when you need him.”

Burns laughed.  “I don’t think he’d be caught dead in one of these.”

“Well, we’ve got two options.  We can either hump it back or confiscate a new ride.”

“Ha, that’s a tough one.”

Bassett reached back for his tomahawk and held it in the air.  “This should do the trick.”

Burns grabbed Bassett’s arm.  “We could just ask them nicely.”

“You know, I had not thought about that.”

“Well, with you, it is always, kill, kill, kill.”

“Are you trying to appeal to my softer side?”

“Do you have one?”

“Only when it comes to girls.”

“But, of course.”

They slipped through the brush to where the Jijis still stood around the car talking.  They were no more than thirty feet away from the rear of the car, which sat in the middle of the road, pointed south toward 127.  Bassett flipped up the night-vision goggles to check for visibility.  The pitch-black conditions didn’t allow you to see more than three feet in front of you, which made it ideal for a surprise attack.  They just needed the right kind of distraction.  It didn’t have to be fancy, just something to get their attention in one direction as he came from the other.

Bassett looked around, found a small stone, and handed it to Burns motioning him to throw it at them as soon as he was in place for an attack.  He then skirted across the road and drew out his tomahawk and an eight-inch knife.

Burns waited for Bassett to get in position before tossing the rock at the car.  The men stood at the front of the car where two of them sat on the hood.  Burns crawled a little closer through the tall grass and threw the rock.  It hit the fender above the right tire with a loud ping.

The Jijis sprang into action to investigate and turned on a flashlight.  The beam of light came around the side of the car and then out into the field.  The four Jijis gripped their rifles tighter as they stood looking out into the darkness.  They didn’t hear the footsteps behind them.

With his tomahawk in his left hand, Bassett rushed in, swinging the axe across the back of the neck of the Jiji on the far left, while thrusting his knife into the side of the man next to him.  Both grunted in pain as they fell to the ground.  Bassett didn’t have time to worry about whether they were dead as he advanced to the next Jiji, who turned around to see what happened.  Bassett could feel his heart pumping in his chest as he swung the axe upwards catching the Jiji in the jaw.  A scream echoed in the night air as Bassett then swung the deadly axe around back into the Jiji’s head.  The impact to his head threw the man sideways as blood flew in different directions.

Burns sprang up and used the butt of his rifle to charge the Jiji holding the flashlight.  He smashed him in the face and then swung the rifle across his face knocking him to the ground before coming down hard again, shattering his teeth.

Then a shot rang out in the still of the night.

The second Jiji Bassett had attacked pulled the trigger again before Bassett finished him off with a blow to the head.

Burns came around the front of the car and saw headlights turn on down the road.  From the north end of the road, more headlights turned on.  They had less than a minute before they would have company.

Chapter 15

Bassett hopped into the car and reached for the ignition hoping the keys were there.  The cold metal jingled between his fingers.  The Ford Taurus started right up.  While waiting for Burns to retrieve their gear they left on the side of the road, he adjusted his goggles.  Bassett heard Burns smashing the taillights before getting into the car.  Burns jumped in and slammed the door.  Bassett backed it up a few feet before turning the wheel to avoid running over the dead Jijis and turned down Allen Road as the approaching car came straight at them.

“I need a route,” Bassett ordered.

Burns grabbed the map and quickly found their location.  “Take the first left and then a right one klick up.”

Bassett stopped before taking a left on Van Tuyle Road and looked in the rearview mirror to see if anyone was going to follow them.  A car turned down Allen Road and then another.

“All right you sons-of-a-bitches, game on,” said Bassett flooring the pedal.

He slowed down before taking a right on Lemm Road and then flew down the dirt road kicking up dust, which made him wonder if the Jijis could track the dust trail.  They had to be wondering how they were driving with no lights on.

Burns turned in his seat to watch if they came down Lemm Road.  One car continued down Allen, while the second followed them.

“Lost one.  Other one’s coming in fast.” He looked down at the map.  “This road will curve to the right and then the left.”

“Should we have a little fun with them?” asked Bassett.

“As appealing as that is, we’ve got places to go.”

“You’re just no fun, Dad.”

“I know.”

Bassett wasn’t too disappointed because there’d be other opportunities later tonight.  He hoped they’d be able to find an escape route so they could start moving some of the women and children to safety tonight.  It would make the situation easier knowing the townspeople were out of the way.  They could then use all their resources to fight the enemy and take out as many as they could before moving on.  He wondered if Winters would then want to attack Mordulfah back in Grosse Pointe.  If they could take out the majority of his men, it would be difficult to recruit more this late in the game.  Plus, nobody wants to fight for a loser.

They lost the pursuing Jiji on the back roads and made their way to the other side of the perimeter.  Pulaski Road was the Jiji’s western border and ran from Michigan Highway 60 down to US 12.  Michigan 60 ran parallel to Robinson Road, where last night’s battle took place.

Bassett drove through the small town of Hanover, again wondering how many people were hiding in hopes the Jijis would eventually leave.  What these people didn’t know was the Jijis were burning the towns out of existence.  Bassett could only think Mordulfah did this to ensure the population would leave and never come back.  It was a time-consuming strategy, but quite effective.  With all the housing gone, what choice would any stragglers have but leave the area?  Mordulfah obviously didn’t worry about rebuilding the area since he could do it in a way that could be used to control the people by assigning families and groups in particular areas.

Bassett drove on Hanover Road and Burns had him pull over before they hit Pulaski Road.  They got out of the car and crept through the fields taking enough time to assess how many men were guarding Pulaski Road.  It didn’t take them long to discover the Jijis spread further apart than the others they had seen.  Bassett figured every mile and a half as opposed to every mile.  He believed they could bring a small number of people through here with no problems.

Chapter 16

Jackson Michigan

Winters walked into the hospital cafeteria to find Elliott, Scar, and Meeks sitting together.  It was the first time he’d seen Meeks out of his room.  The frag he had caught in his leg from the car bomb apparently wasn’t enough to keep him off his feet even one day.  He had slept most of the day and seemed to be ready to get back into the fight.  Winters was glad to see him and only wished Nate was ready, but his wound would keep him out of the action for at least a few days if not more.

“Captain,” they all greeted him.

Winters sat down and placed the handheld radio down on the table.  “Guys.  Meeks, get enough sleep?”

“Too much sleep if you ask me, but damn those painkillers buried me in that soft pillow.  I couldn’t move for the life of me.”

“He still can’t move,” laughed Scar.

“A few more cups of coffee and we’ll see who can move,” said Meeks giving Scar a pat on the back.

“How’s the leg?” asked Winters.

“It’s stiff, hurts some, but I’ve 800 milligrams of Motrin running through my veins.”

“Don’t push yourself.”

“C’mon, Captain.  You know I’m going to.”

Winters turned to Elliott.  “How’s Nate?”

“Sleeping.  That boy ain’t going anywhere.”

Winters thought about bringing up last night’s battle but decided against it as they rarely ever discussed previous battles.  They all just took it for what it was and moved on.  Despite losing some men last night, they all knew how lucky they had been and didn’t want to jinx whatever it was they had going for them.

“How’s Pieces?” asked Meeks, using the nickname he gave Reese.

“Full of drugs and that’s got her feeling pretty damn good,” said Winters.

Meeks directed a laugh to Scar.  “Buddy, you need to try this wounded thing, the drugs are so worth it.”

“I’m good, Meeks.  I’ll let you be the druggie for both of us.”

“Alright, suit yourself.”

“So, what’s the plan, Captain?” asked Elliott.

“Waiting for Bassett and Burns to get back first.”

“We’re going to go get some payback, right, Captain?” asked Meeks.

Winters nodded.

“Good, cuz that’s kinda of why I’m up.  Otherwise, that soft pillow is calling my name.”

“And his name is, Wimpy,” smiled Scar.

“Right now, I’m kinda good with that.”

Winters rolled his eyes slightly seeing things were back to normal with these two.

The radio sitting on the table came to life.  Winters picked it up and acknowledge.

It was Burns checking in.  “Captain, we’re on our way back.”

“How’s it looking?”

“We have an exit.”

“Copy, we’ll meet you in the parking lot.”

Winters looked at Scar.  “You wanna go and find, Nordell?”

The four of them stood up and made their way to the lobby.  Scar and Meeks headed off in a pickup to find Nordell, while Winters and Elliott decided to check on the wounded one more time.

It was getting late in the evening and they found them all sleeping.  Winters peeked into Reese’s room and found Amber holding a flashlight, reading a book.  He could see the bruise around her eye from the punch she’d received from the cop she had killed the other night.  She wore the same jeans from last night, but it looked like she had washed them.  Her navy blue tank top was definitely new, as the one from last night had been covered with blood from helping Reese.  She looked up and put the book down.

“She asleep?”

Amber nodded.

“We’re headed out for the night.  You gonna stick around or you wanna come out and play?”

Amber didn’t hesitate, laying her book down as she jumped up out of her seat.

Winters chuckled.  “I kinda thought so.”

“As much as I like looking after her and listening to Nate bitch, I’m going a little stir crazy.”

“I hear ya.”

She turned the flashlight off, set it down on the nightstand for Reese, grabbed her black nylon jacket, and followed Winters out to the dimly lit hallway where Elliott stood waiting.  They then proceeded outside to wait for Bassett to arrive, which only took a few minutes.

A Taurus pulled into the parking lot and Winters knew something happened because they had gone out in a Prius.

Bassett opened the door and briefed them on what happened and where they could get some of the citizens out tonight.  Burns spread the map on the hood of the car and pointed a flashlight at the area.

“We’ve got plenty of open fields to smuggle out a couple of small groups,” said Bassett.

He was about to continue when Scar and Meeks returned with Nordell.  After hearing Bassett’s report, Nordell suggested they keep their forces hidden along the escape route instead of doing a diversion.  That way if something goes wrong, they’d have plenty of men to take care of any problems that might arise.

“Keep the enemy in a lull thinking we’ve had our fill,” said Nordell.

“Problem is we killed a few on the east side,” said Bassett in a concerned tone.

“By the time we’re ready to move, it’ll have been hours since that contact,” said Nordell.  “The excitement will have settled back down since then.  If these guys way over here are even aware of what happened.”

Scar nodded in agreement.  “Hard to pay attention after hours of boring guard duty, especially when nothing is happening.”

“We’ll know right away how attentive these guys are as soon as we start moving across their lines,” said Burns.  “From what we saw, we shouldn’t have any problems.”

“If all goes well, I don’t see any reason why we can’t do a bunch of groups,” said Nordell.

Winters nodded, pleased with what they were suggesting because he wanted nothing more than to get these people to safety so they could move on and attack Mordulfah in Grosse Pointe.  He didn’t mind helping the citizens and knew he couldn’t leave until they had removed everyone.  His thoughts turned to fantasy in the hopes they could pack everyone up and traipse across the border without a hitch.

Winters stood back listening to the more experienced military men hash out a strategy and didn’t interrupt them.  He knew his limitations in this area.  He wasn’t a military man and always relied on advice from Bassett, Scar, Burns, and now Nordell.  What he did know was few things had been working out perfectly for them.  It was always prudent to keep in mind that Murphy’s Law could rear its ugly head at any time.

After working out their strategy, Bassett, Scar, and Burns turned to Winters to get his approval.  Nordell grimaced at that.  He wasn’t an official member of this group and didn’t understand the norms.  Winters noticed it right away and didn’t want to insult him, but then he wasn’t going to risk people lives for the sake of saving someone’s pride.

“Everything sounds good guys,” said Winters.

“But?” asked Scar knowing the sound of Winters' voice when there is more to be said.

“We’ll do a test run with a small group first.”

Everyone except for Nordell nodded.

“Captain,” said Nordell.  “We may only have one chance at this and it would be advisable to get out as many as possible at once.”

Winters could hear Nordell’s disrespect creeping back into his voice.  The old Marine found it difficult to take orders from a civilian and tried to contain himself but was struggling.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m not willing to risk it.  If we can’t get more than one group out, then it’s not meant to be.”

Nordell looked around, didn’t see any support, and nodded as if to say, fair enough.

“We’ll take four vehicles across their lines.  We’ll only have two filled with civilians and our guys will drive both.  Gunny, can you quietly put together a group?”

Nordell nodded.

“Good.  Have them back here in an hour.”

“Bassett, take your guys and get them down there and in position.”

“Scar, can you put the escort together?  Meeks, are you even able to drive?”

“Well, I haven’t been drinking, so yeah, I’m good.”

Winters gave him an impatient look.

“Don’t worry. I’m good.”

With that, the group broke up and Winters watched them leave.  He turned to Amber and Elliott who had stayed with him.

“What are we going to do?” asked Amber.

“I want you and Elliott with me.  We’re going to follow them down there and make sure nothing goes wrong.”

“You think anything will?” asked Amber.

“Well, knock on wood, but Murphy’s Law hasn’t always been kind to us.”

Elliott let out a belly laugh.  “Tell me about it.  Last time we went out together, we got into a hell of a mess.”

“Oh, yeah, so I’m the Reese in this group tonight, huh?” cracked Amber referring to the Jijis chasing them into the woods yesterday.

Winters gave her a half smile.  “Yeah, sounds about right.”

“This should be fun,” said Amber.

“Usually is,” said Elliott.

Chapter 17

During the next hour, Bassett put his team together and led them back down to Hanover Road placing them along the route where they would lead the citizens across the Jiji lines.  They found a suitable crossing halfway between two-guard posts.  The border offered enough foliage to hide them with a big enough opening to slip the vehicles across the road.  Bassett sent a couple of two-man teams to keep an eye on each guard post.  He also sent Burns across Pulaski Road to cover the exit and then waited for Nordell to arrive with the four-vehicle convoy.

Winters approached Scar wanting to see if he and Meeks were ready to go.  He felt confident having Scar lead the convoy and escort them to Findlay, Ohio.  Mayor Simpson knew it to be safe there, as his son had recently returned from the area visiting with relatives.

“You got everything?”

“I think we’re good, Captain.  We got enough food packed for them.”

“Ammo?”

“Plenty for everyone.”

“Tanks filled up?”

Scar nodded.

Fuel continued to be a constant burden on their operations, but thankfully, the Canadians had given them enough to operate for at least a week without having to scrounge around.

Winters attention turned to the approaching cars filled with what looked like two families.  Nordell got out of the first car, gave Winters a terse nod, and then opened up the back door to help an old man and his wife out of the car.  Their daughter and three grandkids, one boy and two girls, all under the age of ten, followed them.  The grandparents wore expressions of concern, as did the mother of the children.  The next car had the same worried grandparents as they hurried their grandkids out of the car.  The two granddaughters obeyed, but not the two grandsons.  The two teen boys didn’t appear to be excited to leave.

Nearly all of the boys in town wanted to stay behind and fight, but most mothers were unwilling to let them do this.  It was a difficult decision to make and every mother handled it differently with some relenting to the boy’s desires, which caused jealousies among them.

In all, there were fourteen people; each would put their family in an SUV, which would be driven by Scar and Meeks.  Winters motioned Scar to help load them up.  Within fifteen minutes, everyone was ready to go and Nordell led the convoy with his friend Hollis as his passenger.

Winters got into the fourth truck and looked at Elliott who wore night-vision goggles.  “You ready?”

Elliott nodded.

Winters turned his head to the back.  “You ready, Amber?”

“I am, Captain.”

Winters stared at her when she didn’t call him Cole.

She gave him a knowing wink then smiled.

Winters picked up the radio and called out to Bassett.  “We’re leaving now.”

“Copy that.  Hadley is sitting on Hanover to direct you into the field.  He’s right after the bend in the road.”

Elliott put the SUV in gear and flipped his goggles down.  The green glow lit up his eyes as he let off the brake.  They decided to go stealth all the way, even as they left Jackson in fear of the spy whom they still hadn’t identified.  Winters didn’t want to take any chances on tonight’s plans.  If all went well, they would come back and get a few more groups through the Jiji lines before the sun came up.

They passed through the small town of Hanover and slipped through without any problems.  Looking through his goggles, Winters thought Hanover Road to be the perfect route as trees bordered it on both sides keeping them hidden in the flat country.

Scar called out on the radio announcing they were coming to the bend in the road that went around a small body of water.

Elliott put his foot on the brake to slow down.  It wasn’t easy to judge distance through the goggles and he wanted to keep plenty of distance from the vehicles in front of them since they had busted out all the taillights to maintain the stealth.

“Looks like this is it,” said Elliott coming to a stop.

Winters got out, walked to the front, and greeted Hadley, the young Texan who was keeping an eye on their proposed escape route.

All the other drivers got out and listened as he gave them the layout of the land.

“We’re going right through here,” said Hadley pointing to the south.  “We’re about a mile from Pulaski.  It’s a little tricky through some of the bushes that border these fields, but we’ve driven over them enough so we should be good. ”

“Where’s Bassett?” asked Scar.

“He’s waiting for you on this side.  We’ve got lookouts at either side of the guard post.”

“And Burns?” asked Scar.

“Waiting on the other side.  He’s got an exit for you.”

Satisfied with the info, everyone got back in their vehicles and started across the field.  Hadley wasn’t kidding as they crossed the first border of bushes.  The SUV rocked side to side as branches scrapped the metal.  Each field had its own boundaries marked with shrubbery.  It made it easy for the farmers to know where their land started and ended.  Since no farming occurred last year, the fields themselves lay barren.  Weeds grew sporadically and would overtake the land in no time.

It didn’t take too long before they were halfway to Pulaski Road when Bassett’s voice came abruptly across the radio.  “Everyone stop.  We’ve got company.”

Chapter 18

Hanover Michigan

A shudder exploded through Winters when Bassett’s stern voice came through the radio.  He didn’t want to jump to conclusions but knew Bassett wouldn't be spooked over just anything.  He thought about his decision to have only a small group with him and silently patted himself on the back.

The three of them sat there quietly waiting for the radio to come back to life.  All the drivers maintained radio silence and waited for Bassett to come back with more info.  Winters heard Amber take out her Kimber Solo Carry 9mm, a gun she picked up from the cop she killed.  She earned it and liked its compact size.  She pulled the magazine out, checked it, slammed it back in, and chambered a round.  It reminded Winters to do the same on his Colt 1911.  The exercise gave you something to do to feel better prepared.  It gave you a sense of control even though you knew you had little.  Still, it made you feel better.

Bassett finally came back.  “Something’s wrong.  We’ve got Jijis positioning every fifty yards.  We are a no go.”

Winters mind raced around wondering if the spy had ratted them out, or did Bassett’s encounter with the Jijis earlier tonight have anything to do with this.  Regardless, they needed to get these people back to Jackson.  There wasn’t any sense in waiting either, so he grabbed the radio and ordered everyone to turn around ASAP.

“Elliott, get us out of here.”

“What about Burns?” asked Elliott.

“Good question.”

Burns had set up on the other side of Pulaski Road and if the Jijis were lining up then he and his squad would be cut off.  Winters picked up the radio and called out to him.

“We can try further north, Captain.”

Winters gave it some thought and didn’t like that idea.

“Burns, just leave the vehicle and sneak back across.”

“Copy that.”

Winters knew they’d be better off taking advantage of their night-vision goggles and crossing the lines on foot.  He didn’t want them out there by themselves because there would be no one to help them.

Elliott turned the truck around and started back across the field.  They were almost to Hanover Road when they noticed several sets of headlights.  Elliott put his foot on the brake as Winters picked up the radio.

“We got movement on Hanover.”

The statement gave everyone pause.

“Elliott, get us over there,” said Winters pointing east.  He wanted to get further away from Hanover Road and do a reconnaissance.

“Amber, you up for doing a recon?”

She nodded.

“Guess you were right, Amber,” said Elliott.

“About?”

“Being the Reese tonight.”

“Yeah, right. Thanks. Thanks for that.”

“It’s no problem.  Cole and I just seem to have that kind of luck.”

“Let’s not scare her off, Elliott?” said Winters.

“After last night, I think I got that out of my system,” said Amber.

“Elliott, I’m gonna have you and Scar stay here with Nordell and keep everyone protected.  I’ll have Bassett check out the road south of here.  Amber and I will head east.”

“Will do.”

“Give Amber your goggles and where’s the map?”

Elliott handed her his goggles and unfolded the map.

“We’re right about here so you’ll be going up to Luttenton Road.”

Winters brought the radio to his mouth and ordered Bassett to check out Wooden Road, which was due south.

“Copy that, Captain.  As soon as Burns gets here, I’m on it.”

After giving instructions to the men and still having to deal with a little attitude from Nordell, he and Amber set off on foot and headed to Luttenton Road.  They crossed the first border of bushes entering another field, and then another, and found themselves in a much thicker wooded area.  Sweat started running down the sides of Winters’ head as they entered the woods.

They finally came to the road and Winters switched the infrared for the thermal goggles.  Not seeing anyone on the road, he grabbed Amber’s arm, who was wearing the infrared goggles.  “Lead the way, my dear.”  They didn’t go a hundred yards before the bright white glow of a warm car engine popped up in his goggles.

He whispered to Amber.

“I see ‘em,” she replied.

“Lets’ go around them.  I want to see what they got on Hanover.”

They gave the car a wide-berth and headed back into the dark cover of the woods.  They slipped behind a house before breaking out into a field.  Winters decided to go around that house in case people still lived there.  He didn’t want to risk having a paranoid homeowner with a shotgun shoot at them as they crossed his property.

They were on the edge of the field when Winters spotted a small white glowing figure running across the field with a bigger one chasing after it.

“Over there, what is that?

It took a second for Amber to zero in on it.  “It’s a man chasing a girl.”

“Damn it.”

Gunfire rang out in the night air.  It came from Hanover Road.  Winters knew then that the Jijis were out tonight making trouble for any stragglers and not looking for them.  They just had the dumb luck of picking this particular area.  He then wondered if they weren’t cops instead of Jijis.  Either way, the girl needed rescuing before her pursuer had his way with her.

He slipped his infrared goggles back on and stuffed the thermals in his backpack.  “Let’s go.”

Amber led the way and raced ahead of Winters.  Her college softball playing days were well behind her, but she was still in great shape.  They could hear the screaming of the girl before they got to her.  She lay on the ground with the man on top of her trying to catch his breath.  His excitement blinded his senses and he didn’t feel the presence of Amber’s five-foot-ten athletic frame coming in on him fast.  She dropped her Colt M-4 rifle, tore off her goggles, and drew out the knife from the sheath on her belt.  She bum rushed him plunging the knife deep into the side of his gut.  She tumbled over him as he screamed out in pain.  She scrambled back up and came at him again swinging her knife wildly.  The blade cut him across the face before she sank it into his throat.

Winters came up on the scene surprised at her viciousness.  He looked at her through the goggles as she panted over the dead man that was dressed as a cop.  He looked over at the girl, who stared at her rescuers as if she didn’t believe it.

Winters knelt down to her.  “It’s okay, you’re safe.”

She recoiled from his touch.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” he reassured her.

Amber leaned back and slid off the corpse.  She looked at the fearful girl and then up at Winters.

Winters flipped up his goggles and reached out to her.  “You okay?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute.”

“Okay, Reese,” smiled Winters.

Amber let out a half laugh.  “No kidding.  Not sure what came over me.”

“Mother Hen.”

“Yeah, sounds about right.”

Winters turned to the girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen.  She looked to be about five-foot and probably didn’t weigh but ninety pounds.  Her brunette hair hung to her shoulders.  She was barefoot and dressed in pink plaid boxer shorts and a white tank top as if she had been in bed.  Dirt covered her face and attire from the cop wrestling her to the ground.  “You okay, Hon?”

The girl nodded as her body shook from fear.

“What’s your name?”

She took a couple of breaths before answering.  “Nicole.”

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“The cops, they came to our door.  My mother and aunt told me to hide.  I hid in a closet, but then they came inside and…”

Tears fell down her cheeks, so Amber took her hand telling her it would be okay.

“They started beating on my mom and I cried out.”  She turned to the dead cop.  “That’s when this one found me. He dragged me out of the closet, but I fought him off and ran out the back door.”

“Where do you live?” asked Amber.

“On Hanover Road.”

“How come you’re not in Jackson with everyone else?” asked Amber.

“They talked everyone into staying.”

“Who?”

“Mr. Miller.  He convinced all of us to stay and wait them out.”

Winters wondered about any stragglers who thought it best to stay put.  He could only imagine how many more decided to stay.  They were playing a dangerous game of hide and seek.  Either that or simply didn’t know what was happening, which was hard to believe because Mayor Simpson stated everyone in the area knew about the terrorist and the crooked cops.

“How many of you are there?” asked Winters.

“There’s like twenty of us, maybe a little more.”

Winters reached for the radio and gave everyone an update.  He ordered Bassett to hightail it this way.  More gunfire came from Hanover Road.  Winters flipped his goggles back down and could make out figures moving in the distance.  One threw a torch up on top of a roof.  Flames then shot straight up into the night air.  More gunfire rang out.  The cops were slaughtering Nicole’s neighbors.  Winters didn’t think they would be in time.

Chapter 19

Winters didn’t want to endanger Nicole but didn’t want to leave her alone either.  He didn’t hold out hope they’d be able to rescue any of her neighbors.  They had been foolish to try to hide when they lived on a well-traveled road.

He thought about the best way they could save the women.  He didn’t think the cops would kill them, as they still needed women for their party house.  The cops outnumbered them, so they couldn’t do a full on assault.  If he could figure out where they would take the women, an ambush could be set up.  However, it would be foolish to take too many chances, because fourteen citizens sat in a field waiting to be moved either back to Jackson or across state lines, which was feasible again, provided they didn’t draw any attention to themselves.

While going over his options, Winters looked at Amber trying to console Nicole who still shook from fear.  The way Amber took out that cop without hesitation impressed him.  Her confidence had grown since killing that cop the other night.  He thought back to the way she handled herself in last night’s battle.  She certainly proved she was able to hold her own and she definitely had a mother-hen instinct the way she hovered over the wounded Reese.

Winters couldn’t believe his luck having two strong women with him.  He chuckled to himself knowing he sounded sexist for thinking that, but to begin with, getting any strong recruits was difficult.  Some good ones came through their ranks, but also some weak ones, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as everyone had brought different skill sets to the group.  Some were good at scrounging for supplies, doing guard duty or reloading magazines.  All were welcomed, but not all were fighters and some died because of it.  Fortunately, both Amber and Reese were badass chicks and had Sadie been older, he would have had three.

He heard his radio come to life.

“Captain, Bassett here, what’s your location?”

“I’m one field over from the Luttenton Road sitting at the edge.”

“Another five and we’ll be there.”

“Copy that.  Hit the open field and I’ll flash you.”

Winters reached in for his small penlight, unscrewed the top, and removed the red lens.  Five minutes later, he gave a quick flash and signaled his location.

Bassett arrived with Burns and eight other men.  Winters gave them an update and his thoughts on what they could do.  Bassett agreed and the twelve of them set off toward Hanover Road.

They emerged from the woods to the sound of non-stop gunfire, and as they got closer, they could see the cops attacking a mobile home and ripping it apart with a constant barrage.  The occupants inside didn’t stand a chance.

Winters surveyed the area and didn’t like it.  With one house on fire, small groups of cops were scattered around the grounds, which consisted of six homes spread out over two acres.  A few of these homes were mobile homes and one of them was taking all the gunfire.

He turned to Nicole.  “Whose place is that?”

“It’s Mister Millers.”

Winters shook his head.  He was paying the price for his stupidity.

“Nicole, how many women are there?”

It took a couple of moments for her to answer.  “I think fifteen.”

“And kids?”

“Eight of us.”

Winters grabbed Bassett’s arm.  “What do you think?”

“Those people are screwed,” Bassett whispered, turning away from Nicole.

“We need to get closer and see what they’re going to do with the women.”

Bassett nodded.

Winters, Bassett, and Burns set out toward Luttenton Road.  They left the safety of the woods and scrambled across the open field staying far enough away from the action.  As they hit the road, the gunfire stopped echoing in the crisp night air.  Winters could clearly hear screams from women yelling out as cops attacked them.

Bassett led the team hugging the side of the road keeping to the cover of the trees, which bordered both sides of the road.  They crept toward the intersection and observed a couple of vans parked in the middle of the street.  Winters wondered if the cops were going to use them to transport any prisoners they might take.

They kept observing when a couple of squad cars came from the east on Hanover Road.  They stopped at the intersection and unloaded three handcuffed females who were sobbing.  The cops escorted them to the vans.

Winters then knew that the cops were out hunting for women.  These girls must have been in houses down the road.  Gunfire came from that direction but didn’t last long.  Winters shook his head in amazement that not everyone had heeded Mayor Simpson’s warning.  The spy in town must have given the cops a heads up as to where they might find stragglers.

Winters thought about where the cops might take their prisoners.  Would they take them back to the party house or straight into Detroit?  More importantly, what route would they take?  Their only chance was to take these guys by surprise after they left this area.  There would be less of them and be easier to take down.  They needed to do it before the cops hit US 12 where it would then be impossible with all the cops on that road.

He pulled the radio out of his jacket and called out to Scar to give him an update just before asking him his opinion on the cop’s route.

Scar took out his map and suggested the cops would go south on Luttenton Road, which would eventually take them to Litchfield Road and then to US 12.  “Wouldn’t make sense to go back to Pulaski and then go south.”

Winters gave it some thought and agreed.  “Get over here then.”

“Copy that.”

Winters thought about what to do and turned to Bassett for advice.

“Captain, I agree with Scar.  They’ll go south from here and this road only makes sense.  These two vans will be full of prisoners in a few more minutes, so they’ll be leaving soon.”

“Then we need to go now,” said Winters.

“Agreed.  If you want, we can send a two-man team back here and give us a heads up when they leave.”

Winters nodded.

They hustled their way back to their group and pulled them into the safety of the woods.

Chapter 20

Scar put the radio down.  He didn’t like the idea of taking an SUV and leaving these people here.  It would take at least eight men to take out the cops, and if Winters didn’t arrive in time then he would need to supply all eight.  Scar looked around and realized he only had eight men.

Nordell could see Scar’s dilemma and said, “It’s a crap sandwich, but we can’t leave them here unguarded.”

“Agreed.”

“We can take seven and leave one here.  Them boys can help, I know ‘em, and they’ll be alright.”

Scar hesitated because if the cops found them sitting there in the field they would lose fourteen innocents, which would haunt him forever.  If something went wrong and they had to run, then what would happen to them?  He decided to take them with him.  They needed to get across those fields to get back to Jackson anyway.

A few minutes after giving the order, they moved south across the field.  Meeks sat up front and held up the night-vision binoculars guiding Scar through the borders.  It didn’t take but ten minutes before they came to Luttenton Road.

Scar stopped the truck and got out.  Elliott came up to him and suggested they get the civilians across the road. Scar agreed and ordered Hadley to get on that and then sent men up and down the road in case there were any more cops on guard duty.

Scar called out to Winters.

“We’re on our way, about a mile out,” said Winters.

“Copy that.”

Feeling nervous, Scar hopped up on top of the truck to survey the area.  Five minutes went by before he started feeling confident that Winters would arrive in time when the radio came alive.

“Scar, they just passed us.  You got two vans with an escort of a cop car, front and rear.”

Scar yelled out for everyone to get ready before jumping off the hood of the truck.  He then had an idea and jumped in the SUV to pull it into the center of the narrow road, blocking it completely.  He removed the key before hurrying back to the safety of the trees.

His heart pounded in his chest as the convoy came slowly toward them.  He gripped the handle tighter on the M-4 and decided to move a little further up the road away from their SUV.  He crept forward and ran into Meeks.

“C’mon guys, no one’s here but your fellow cops,” whispered Meeks.

They watched as the first squad car stopped about seventy-five feet from the parked SUV.  The driver turned on his spotlight and pointed it at the parked truck.  He then swung it around scanning into the woods, and right over the heads of Scar and Meeks.  Then a door opened and out came a cop to investigate.  He was short and sported a thick beard.  He held a flashlight in one hand and a sidearm in the other and cautiously approached the SUV.  He got to the door and peered inside before opening it.

“What’s the deal?” asked Carter, his passenger, as he stepped out from the first squad car.

“I don’t know,” said the bearded cop.  “There’s no keys and we can’t get around it. What do ya want to do?”

“Hell, I’ll ram the damn thing,” said Carter.

“That’s a big ole truck to be pushing around.”

“You don’t think I can do it?”

Scar nudged Meeks and shook his head.  These guys were not the best or the brightest.  He had thought this might be a difficult takedown but changed his mind.  Scar hadn’t imagined blocking the road would work so well.  However, as it was unfolding, he couldn’t have asked for a better scenario.  He continued to watch as the other cops got out of their vehicles and came out to watch Carter attempt to push the SUV.

Scar whispered to Meeks who gave him a firm nod.  Meeks then got up and moved back toward Nordell.  A second later, he came back with Elliott and another man.  Scar stood up, held out three fingers, and counted down.  The four of them rushed forward yelling for the cops to raise their hands.  The cops looked surprised and thick beard tried raising his sidearm.  Elliott rushed him and hit him in the head with the butt of his M-4.

Scar ordered them to the ground and held them at bay as his men cuffed them.  He looked over to see Nordell pushing Carter forward.

“Nice idea, Scar,” said Nordell.

“Hell ya, buddy,” said Meeks.

They finished securing the cops when Winters arrived with the rest of the men.  He looked at the cops on the ground and then over to Scar.

“I see we shouldn’t have bothered hurrying,” said Winters.

“Well, if they weren’t so damn stupid,” answered Scar.

Winters walked over to the first van and opened the door.  Eight women of various ages stared at him with frightened eyes.  “Everything’s gonna to be alright, you’re safe now, okay?”

They all nodded.

“Any of you Nicole’s mom?”

“She’s in the other van,” answered one.  “Is she okay?”

“She’s here with us.”

Winters then stepped to the second van and opened the side door.  The women gave him the same frightened stares as he asked for Nicole’s mom.

“I’m right here?  Where is she?  Is she okay?”

“She is.”

Winters motioned for Amber to bring Nicole over.

She ran over and broke out in tears as she climbed into the van.

Winters stepped back and walked over to his men.  “This changes things a bit now doesn’t it?”

Everyone nodded.

“Now that we’ve got these nice police vans and cars, I don’t see any reason why we can’t continue with what we set out to do.”

“What about the cops?” asked Elliott.

“We’ll take them back to Jackson.  No one is to know we have them.”

“What about them?” asked Scar pointing to the vans.

“They’re going across the border tonight and they don’t have a choice in the matter.  I don’t want any new faces in town.  I have a feeling that spy gave the cops a heads up tonight.”

Chapter 21

Winters leaned back in his seat as Elliott drove Amber and him back to Jackson.  The night turned into a success after a rough start.  They managed to capture six cops, two squad cars, and two police vans.  They saved the lives of Nicole, fifteen other females, and eight children.  Unfortunately, the cops killed two small boys and the rest of the men.  Thankfully, they were able to also get the original families from Jackson across enemy lines to safety.  The women they rescued were too upset about losing their families on Hanover Road to protest their removal from the area.  Winters ached for them, but they shouldn’t have stayed in the first place.

Winters’ mind wandered to the spy who must have tipped off the cops as to where they could find stragglers.  This person needed to be dealt with right away.  First thing in the morning, he’d get Reese to verify Thomas and then get him back to Grosse Pointe so he could find out who the spy was.  As far as the new prisoners were concerned, Taylor will enjoy scaring the hell out of them in order to extract anything useful.

Winters laughed to himself thinking how Captain Vatter will be puzzled by the cop’s disappearance and whether or not they ran off with the women.  It’ll drive him nuts thinking he can’t trust his own men.  Rumors would then run rampant through the ranks.  Winters smirked because he loved sowing seeds of doubt in the mind of his enemy.  According to Bassett, it drove Green to fits when they had done the same thing to them.

He heard movement in the back seat and turned to see Amber staring out the window.  No doubt, she was thinking about killing that cop in the field.  Despite killing who knows how many in last night’s big battle, killing someone up close like tonight was more personal.  Hopefully, she’d get used to it without becoming too jaded.  Winters let out a scoff knowing that to be impossible.

His thoughts turned to that poor girl, Nicole, running away from the cop, knowing if he’d caught her then she’d have been raped and possibly killed.   He thought back to how scared he had been entering the train station back in Iowa and how Johnnie-Boy almost killed him.  He’d never forget that feeling of helplessness.  Nicole must have experienced the same desperate thoughts, which forced her to dig deep and fight off the stomach pains from running so long.  She would never forget this night and would think about it the rest of her life.  He’d certainly never forget when he looked through the thermal goggles and to see this small white glowing figure running past his field of vision.  It had struck him so odd that it took a second to realize what was happening.  A guardian angel must have been watching over her tonight.  There was no other way to explain how they would happen to be there at the very moment she needed help.  A warm feeling ran through his body knowing this to be the case.  He couldn’t help but feel humbled by it, knowing someone trusted him with such a valuable task.

He reached to the back and grabbed Amber’s hand.

“You did good tonight.”

She tightened her grip.

“That girl is never going to forget you.”

“It just seems so surreal now.”

“I know the feeling.”

“That bastard though…I just keep thinking about him.”

“He deserved it, Amber.  Just keep that in mind.”

“I know.  I’m just glad I was the one, is all.”

Winters didn’t expect this response and wondered if Reese was rubbing off on her.  Winters knew then that she’d be all right but just needed the time to work it all out in her mind.

Chapter 22

Jackson Michigan

The morning rays penetrated the windows of the hospital room Winters had found empty last night.  After dropping off the new prisoners at their makeshift holding cells, he headed straight to bed exhausted after an interesting night.  They started the night off attempting to get citizens to safety but found themselves rescuing others and adding some police vehicles to their fleet.  He smiled knowing these vehicles would come in handy.  He gathered up his belongings and headed to the cafeteria where Elliott was eating breakfast.

After grabbing a roll and a cup of coffee, he sat down across from him.  “Morning.”

“Helluva night last night,” said Elliott.

Winters nodded and took a sip of coffee.

“What’s the plan today?”

“Going to get Reese up to see Thomas.”

“What then?”

“Maybe go do some target practice,” smiled Winters.

“I’d be up for that, we sure do have plenty of targets to choose from.”

“Don’t we though.”

“Scar and Meeks pulled in about an hour ago.  The trip to Findlay went well.  They’re getting some sleep now.”

“Good.  We’ll see about getting more out tonight.”

“Be glad when everyone is out of here.”

“I hear ya.”

“Feels like we’re babysitting.”

Winters understood Elliott’s assertion.  They all wanted to be on the move and not stuck in one place.  As important as their new mission was, it would be better to be on the offensive and surrounding the enemy instead of the other way around.

Winters tore off a piece of the roll.  “This won’t last much longer.”

“Knock on wood.”

Winters finished his coffee and roll before going upstairs to see Reese.  He gave the door a soft knock before opening it.  She smiled and waved him in.

“Well, good morning, how are you?” asked Winters leaning down to give her a hug.

She latched on and squeezed tight making him wonder if she was still in a goofy state-of-mind.

“Feeling much better than yesterday,” she answered as she let go.

“So glad to hear it,” he said, relieved that she seemed to be more lucid than their last meeting.

“Heard I missed out on some fun last night.”

Winters wondered how she already knew.

Reese chuckled at the puzzled look on his face.  “Meeks came and told me before going to sleep.”

“I don’t know if I’d call it fun, but yes we had an interesting night.”

“Also heard Amber got up-close and personal.”

Winters nodded.  “Yes, she did.”

“Good. I’m glad to see she’s realizing just how tough she really is.”

“Oh?”

“She doubts herself sometimes, doesn’t think she’s brave enough.”

“She tell ya this?”

“No.  I’ve just learned to read people is all.”

Winters figured her time at the party house taught her that skill.  “I don’t think she’ll be doubting herself anymore.”

Reese nodded.  “So, you want to get me up to see, Thomas?”

“Only if you’re up for it.”

“Might be a little slow, but I’ll be alright.”

Winters left the room and came back thirty minutes later to pick her up.  The hospital staff had found a pair of jeans and a purple tank top for her to wear.  They had also wrapped fresh gauze around her wounds.  She put her hair in a ponytail before grabbing a charcoal gray windbreaker that Winters helped her put on.  She hobbled out of the room using a crutch to support her injured leg.  They made their way outside and Winters opened the door to an old Chevy pickup with a bench seat that she slid up on, and then he shut the door.

Winters pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward their prisoners.  It was a sunny morning and a slight breeze blew in from the north keeping the summer air cool.

“Feels good to be outside,” said Reese, leaning out the window, which blew a few errant strands around her face making her smile.

In their situation, you had to be grateful for the little things life offered you, and if that meant enjoying the wind on your face, then you relished it.  He envied her for that, as she seemed to have a deeper appreciation for the medicinal effects it had on the soul than he did.  He still tried to go on walks, but with the burdens of leadership, he didn’t always have the time for such pleasures.

They reached the warehouse where the prisoners were housed.  Winters drove to the back lot and parked.  He jumped out and hustled around the truck to open her door.

Taylor came outside to greet them.  “How’s our badass chick doing?”

“Feeling like a honey badger,” joked Reese, referring to Taylor’s nickname.

“Hey now, there can only be one badger.”

“Well, you better watch your back then,” grinned Reese.

“Excuse me?”

She limped up and gave him a hug.  “You said there could only be one.”

“Not if you plan on offing me,” he replied in a gruff tone.

She patted Taylor on the back.  “I wouldn’t dream of it…much.”

“How are the new prisoners?” asked Winters, wanting to end Reese’s playful tormenting of Taylor.

“Bitching about everything, of course.  You want to see them?”

“Let’s see Thomas first.”

Taylor opened the door and gave Reese the evil eye as she sauntered past him with a sly grin splashed on her face.

“I see she’s doing just fine,” muttered Taylor, as Winters stepped by him.

“Oh, yeah.”

Taylor led them to a back room where Thomas sat by himself reading a book.  He looked up as they entered the room and broke out in a big smile when Reese walked in.

“Reese, you’re here!”

“Thomas, it is you,” said Reese leaning in to give him a light hug.  “When they told me about you I wasn’t sure, but wanted it to be.  I never got a chance to say thank you for everything.”

“It was my pleasure.  I only wished I could have done more.”

“You did plenty, believe me.”

“You’re hurt, are you alright?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, I just had a little accident is all.”

Winters watched their interaction convinced that Thomas genuinely cared for Reese’s well being, figuring he had a crush on her.  It was easy to see why.  She was a beautiful girl with a big spirit.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before they got down to business.  Thomas laid out a plan on how he could contact them.  His job often entailed running errands that took him off the estate.  As soon as he was privy to any info on the spy, or anything else of value, he’d get word to them.

Chapter 23

After Thomas left, Winters decided to go visit the new prisoners.  The cops were confined in another part of the warehouse away from the Jijis.  He didn’t want those who knew about the cops as prisoners to know anything about the Jijis.  He wasn’t sure if it really mattered, but at this point, it didn’t hurt to keep things secret.  If Nordell knew about the Jijis and said something in front of the mysterious spy, then that might jeopardize Thomas.

He didn’t know what to do with them as Taylor thought they had gotten all the useful intel the Jijis could provide, but you never knew what else might come up.

Winters was hesitant to allow Reese to see the cops, but she didn’t bother waiting for permission and just tagged along.  He didn’t blame her for wanting to see them as they had kept her prisoner and now the tables were turned.

They arrived at the room and Taylor opened the door.  The six cops sat in chairs with their hands tied behind their backs.  Taylor had also gagged them because of their endless complaining.  Apparently, they didn’t understand the seriousness of their situation.  They didn’t seem nervous when Winters walked in.  That changed when Reese hobbled in.  Their eyes got as big as saucers and they began to fidget.  A couple of them attempted to mumble something under their gags.

Reese eyed each one and stared them down to the point the prisoners broke off eye contact and looked at the floor.  Reese’s facial expression tightened as she grabbed her crutch, wound up, and swung it at Carter’s head.  The sound of the metal crutch sounded like an aluminum bat making contact with a baseball.  The blow knocked him unconscious as he fell to the floor.  Winters raced over as she wound up for the next one.

“Reese, control yourself.”

“No, just this next one.”

Winters grabbed the crutch from her.

Reese let go of it and then leaped at the cop ramming her knee into his face breaking his nose. Blood spattered out as the cop hollered in pain.  She then connected with a couple of haymakers, finishing off his bloody nose.

Winters grabbed her around the waist and tore her away from him.

“That son-of-a-bitch deserves to die.”

“I know, I know.”

“No, you don’t.”

Reese squirmed like a caged lion waiting to enter a Roman colosseum to kill the defenseless slaves.  She flailed around trying to break loose, but Winters tightened his hold while whispering into her ear.

“Not like this Reese.  C’mon now, you’re better than this.  Don’t let Mister Hyde consume you.”

He kept whispering as she started to calm down.

Winters was aware of the raging thoughts that were exploding in her head, as he had felt the same rage toward those who killed his friends at the train station.  To be able to confront those responsible and take revenge wasn’t an easy thing to turn down.

Her breathing began to slow and her body relaxed.  He took a chance and loosened his hold.  She twisted around and wrapped her arms around him as if to say I’m sorry.

He led her out of the room to a couple of chairs sitting in the hallway.  They sat down and Winters patted her on the back.  Taylor brought a bottle of water, handed it to Winters, and walked away.  He opened the bottle and placed it in her eager hands.  She took a big swig and then let out a small laugh.

“Wasn’t expecting that now were we?” quipped Reese.

“No, I can’t say we were,” replied Winters.

“I really need to work on those anger issues, don’t I?”

“Well, at times they do come handy,” said Winters with a slight smile.

“This probably wasn’t one of those times,” she replied pointing up her index finger.

“Oh, I don’t know, I suppose if they don’t tell us what we want to know we could threaten to send you back in there.”

“Now you’re just teasing me.”

Winters shrugged his shoulders.  “Hmmm.”

She took another gulp of water and put the cap back on.  “Those two bastards.  They deserved it.  They all deserve it, but especially those two.”

Winters waited for her to finish.

“Those two like to beat on little girls.”

“Did they now?”

“Oh, yes, especially, Carter.”

“Well, I’ll make sure Badger takes special care of those two.”

Reese shot him a big smile.  “You really know the way to a girl’s heart.”

Winters decided to get her out of there and asked her to wait while he talked with Taylor and retrieve her crutch.

He walked in just as Carter was starting to come to.  The side of his face already showed signs of swelling.  The cop with the broken nose sat crying while blood ran down on his shirt.  Winters bent down to pick up the crutch.  He examined it and found a slight bend in it.

He decided to go ahead and address them.  “I don’t think I need to tell you, but I will anyway.  You don’t cooperate with us or answer our questions; I will send her back in here.  Do we understand each other?”

They all nodded their heads enthusiastically.

“Badger, I’ll leave you to it.”

“Don’t worry about anything, Captain.”

Winters handed Reese her crutch and noticed a change in her mood.  She seemed sad now.  Winters figured the enormity of the situation had caught up to her.  Revenge was like that.  At first, there was an insane high, but then you crashed and your mood turned dark.  Having experienced them in the past, he knew the symptoms and knew he needed to get her out of there and change her surroundings.  This had always helped him.

After getting her seated in the old pickup, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the hospital.  After a block, he couldn’t help but notice she didn’t seem to enjoy the wind on her face anymore and only stared at the passing scenery.

Chapter 24

Reese kept staring out the window at nothing, so Winters decided to take a longer way back to the hospital and let her enjoy the beautiful day while they drove through the peaceful empty streets.  The hospital would be busy right about now and he thought it best for her to get out of this darkness before interacting with other people.

After about thirty minutes, he could see signs of her recovering and headed back on in.  He pulled into the parking lot and was about to get out to open her door when she reached across, grabbed his arm, and asked him to wait.

“You all right?” asked Winters.

“Yeah, I just wanted to talk is all.”

“Of course, what’s on your mind?”

She stared out the window while gathering her thoughts.

Winters knew she needed to get something off her chest and figured it had to do with the battle, as they hadn’t really talked it over yet.  She always let her guard down talking to him because they had developed a special bond ever since he rescued her from the party house.  Since then, they had shared experiences from being taken prisoner by Captain Cox and Mordulfah, to enduring gun battles at each other’s side.  She had been at his side sharing life and death experiences, but their most important shared similarity was their secret urge for revenge.  This is where their bond had flourished and grown stronger.  Winters completely understood the Jekyll and Hyde in her since he had recognized it in himself.  She didn’t like this new characteristic of herself, but at times was unable to tear away from it.  Her satisfaction in knifing the cop, Jaeger, and watching him suffer, clouded her mind and she almost did the same to the hard-headed old man she called, Jason, who had held her and Meeks prisoner.  Thankfully, Meeks stopped her; otherwise, guilt would have overwhelmed her for killing an innocent man.  At least now, she was cognizant of it and knew she’d have to keep it under control.  Although, attacking those two cops showed she still needed to work on it.

Reese finally started.  “You ever think about dying?”

Winters nodded.  “I do.”

“Does it scare you?”

Winters took in a deep breath.  “Sometimes it does, other times, I think it’d be easier to get it over with.”

She turned to him.  “Really?”

“It’s hard watching your friends die and you survive not knowing why, so yes, sometimes I think it would be easier.  What about you?”

“When I took that first bullet, it really scared the hell out of me.  But, you took care of me and wrapped my arm up.  Then you yelled at me to keep fighting, which really helped me.”

“It did?”

“Yes.  I was really scared.  My arm hurt so much and with all the bullets flying around us, it all suddenly seemed surreal to me.  But then you yelled at me and it shook me back to my senses.”

“I’m glad it helped.”

“The bullet to my leg though really freaked me out.  I remember the look on your face when you were shoving dirt into the wound.  You tried to hide it, but I could tell you were scared of losing me.”

Winters didn’t respond.

Reese continued.  “It was weird, cuz everything like sped up, yet slowed down at the same time.  When you came to help me, you had this worried look on your face.  Then when you didn’t yell at me to keep fighting, it made me think you knew I was going to die, that we were all going to die.”

“Reese, I’m so sorry for that.”

“No, no, please, don’t apologize.  You got nothing to apologize for; it was my stupid mind not being rational in the heat of the moment.  I was in another surreal moment.  Hell, we all were.”  She paused for a few moments.  “I’ve just been thinking about it a lot is all.  The experience has made me think about bigger things and then seeing those cops just now reminded me even more.”

“What kind of things?”

She didn’t answer him.

“Reese, what is it?”

“Okay, I know this is going to sound weird, but you know how Amber and I were joking around with you yesterday.”

“How can I forget it?” smiled Winters.

“I know, we were being kind of mean, but I swear, it was in good fun.”

“Oh, I know it was.”

“But, it was more than just fun for me.  I was being serious, when I said, I loved you.”

Winters didn’t hesitate.  “Are you playing again?”

“No, not at all.”

Winters looked at her and noticed she wasn’t laughing.  He leaned back in the seat digesting what she just said.  “Reese, I’m old enough to be your father.”

“I know that, but I can’t help it.  Besides, you’re the only one who understands me.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you know the hell I’m going through.  You get it and you get me.”

She, of course, was referring to her Jekyll and Hyde issue.  He could only imagine how bad it was for her.  Ten days of being raped multiple times a day and not knowing if she’d live the next day.  He looked at her with apologetic eyes and she noticed it right away.

“Don’t look at me that way,” she said in a serious tone.

“What way?”

She glared at him.  “You know what way.  That pity look.  The last person I need that from is you.”

Her perceptiveness took him off guard.

“You inspire me, Cole.  I need that in my life.”

“I do?” he asked in earnest.

“C’mon, you must know that?”

Winters raised an eyebrow in surprise and slowly shook his head.

“You see, right now, right now you’re doing it.  You’re so damn humble, so unaware of yourself that it’s addictive to me.  You honestly don’t know the effect you have on me or any of us.”

Winters was getting embarrassed and tried to stop her from going on.  “Reese, c’mon now, that’s just the drugs talking.”

Reese stared at him.  “I didn’t take any this morning.”

Winters didn’t respond.

“Cole, you’re the bravest man I’ve ever known, and you lead us when I know you don’t really want to.”

Winters jerked back a little at that last statement.  How did she know that?

“Don’t worry, it’s not obvious, but I know.”

“I don’t know what to say, Reese.  I mean it’s nice for you to say all of this, but I…”

She cut him off.  “Don’t say anything, Cole.  I know you’re generally a quiet person, especially around women, which is endearing by the way, but I just want you to know that I have feelings for you and that I know it’s impractical and doesn’t make sense, but I don’t care.  I’ve been around so much death now that it’s given me a different perspective on life.  With everything I’ve been through, I don’t want any regrets in my life, and I don’t care what people think.”

Winters mind spun in different directions as he thought about everything she just laid on him.  He was aware of some of the things, especially in regards to the men.  He didn’t understand why they followed him, but just knew they did.  It wasn’t something he dwelt on and had gotten used it.  Her perceptiveness of his not wanting to lead was an old issue, or so he thought.  How did she even know?  Perhaps she knew him better than he knew himself.

He looked into her big brown eyes and admired her forthrightness.  She was a gutsy person to be telling him all of this without a care of what his response might be.   He could never take the chance of rejection by telling a woman about any feelings toward them.

“I got to say, Reese, I’m a little taken aback by this.”

“You’d rather face a Jiji than deal with this,” she said poking a little fun at him.

“Oh gosh, yes.”

“Yeah, I thought so.  Listen, I don’t want to come across as some crazy chick…”

Winters gave her a grimaced look.

Reese laughed.  “Okay, fine.  I’m a little late on that one, buuut, with that said, why don’t we just leave it alone for now.  I just needed to get this off my chest.”

Winters gave her a reassuring smile.

Reese slid across the bench seat, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then scooted out of the truck.  Winters watched her hobble into the hospital on her crutch.

Chapter 25

Washington D.C.

The Washington D.C. morning traffic was at its usual snail’s pace going into the district.  Green hated this part of the day and found himself leaving earlier in the afternoon to beat the rush hour traffic home.  In many ways, he missed being out in the field leading men in battle.  Although since he now knew the truth about the war, he was glad to be here.  The poor bastards out west were like lambs to the slaughter.

He was in a much different battle here in the district, one he knew little about, so little in fact, that he almost allowed a nineteen-year-old kid to take him down.  It wasn’t the first time he committed a terrible blunder, which almost cost him his life.  The first being Reed’s man, Pruitt, who took his mother hostage.  Green thought he had played that one right by breaking into the man’s house and stealing his files.  What he didn’t realize was the depths of Pruitt’s depravity.  His desperate measures of putting a gun to a woman’s head should have taught Green to be more careful, and it had, he just didn’t expect a teenage girl to be his next nemesis.  Of course, he had started all of this by bringing his friend, Sam, into the picture to do background checks.  Had he not done that or sent Corporal Bassett to Michigan, then Reed would have been more trusting of him, because Pruitt would have reported that nothing was going on.

Green had to hand it to Reed.  Using Winters’ daughter had been a good play.  He wondered how those two ever got together and why she played ball with Reed.  She must believe all the propaganda that is out in the media about Winters and the Shadow Patriots being murdering rapists.  Green pitied the kid, but then he didn’t know the full story of their relationship.  While he admired Cole Winters actions, he didn’t really know anything about his background.  He could have been a terrible father for all he knew.  He let out a scoff when he realized just how bad you’d have to be to get your kid to hate you that much.  It certainly didn’t fit the little he did know about Winters.  Green might not know about Winters’ background but knew how to spot good character and Winters’ actions spoke volumes about his character.  Green sighed thinking that she must have a loose screw.  Either way, one of them was going to have a bad day.

Green slammed on the brakes as a car cut in front of him.  He yelled out and shook his fist.  He wondered if he shouldn’t just start getting to work later.  It’s not as if he punched a time card.  For now, though, he didn’t want to change his habits after he had so recently passed the teen girl test and threw Reed off his scent.

Green pulled into the parking lot and headed to his office.  He found the usual stack of papers to go through and sat down wondering how he could get closer to Reed or if it was even necessary.  He didn’t want to spook the already paranoid man.  He wanted it to be business as usual.  It would be interesting to see if Reed treated him any differently now that he’d passed the test.

He put it out of his mind and started going through the stack of messages to catch up on yesterday’s work, which kept him busy until noon.  He got up to go to lunch when his secretary, Grace, knocked on the door and walked in.

“Sir, he’s here,” she said.

“Who?”

“Mister Reed.”

Chapter 26

Jackson Michigan

Winters leaned back on the bench seat of the old pickup and stared out the window thinking about Reese, and how both times when she caught a bullet his heart about stopped.  He thought it was because he felt like a father to her, but her admissions of love made him rethink this.  They did get along famously and understood each other.  Was he not being honest with himself and harbored an unconscious attraction to her?  But how could someone like her have feelings for him?  She was thirty years younger, and besides, beautiful girls never hung out with nerdy bookkeepers.

He stared into the side door mirror trying to find that person but only saw a hard and serious man reflecting back at him.  He pulled on his cheek, and let out a scoff realizing he no longer looked like an unsure bookkeeper.  He hadn’t really taken notice of the changes before, but he could see them clearly now.  Stress did that to a person over time and even though it had been only a few months, the high-level of battle stress must have accelerated the process.

He then thought about Reese’s experiences and how that obviously changed her.  She was no longer a young twenty-year old girl, but rather an older soul whose view of life was completely different now.  What was important before no longer had the same impact.  Silly schoolgirl attitudes had gone out the window in the world they now lived in.

His thoughts moved to Ellie, his deceased wife, whom he had not thought of in a while.  A wave of guilt washed over him, but then he remembered how busy he’d been.  He let out a happy sigh thinking about her love of life and how she never let anything get her down, not even cancer.  He smiled at how she always bounced around and cherished every moment they still had together.  He tried to remain strong for her, but she could always see through him and implored him to find another woman to marry.  He wondered what she’d be saying about Reese and let out a laugh when he could hear her voice calling him a stud.

He then wondered about Cara and didn’t think she’d be too happy as Reese was only a year older than she was.  He rolled his eyes at the thought of Cara going off on him for it.  He shook his head and scolded himself for thinking about Cara in the role of an arguer.  Why could he not think of her in happier times?  He’d been doing it a lot lately and remembered how bad their fights had been.  He hoped nostalgia would soon cloud his memories so he could think of her on better terms.  Regardless, she was still his daughter and he loved her and would always be loyal to her.  He just didn’t hold out hope he’d ever see her again.

Chapter 27

Detroit Michigan

Vatter got to the police station later than usual because of the injuries he’d received from his cousin, Carol.  The arm hurt worse than the slice across his cheek, but the cheek will leave a nasty looking scar for everyone to see.  It will also be a reminder for the rest of his life of the dark deed he committed.

He should have seen her coming at him, but the pressure he was under had clouded his reflexes.  He thought about whether or not he should have killed her but figured he didn’t have a choice in the matter.  It’s not as if she would have let him take her girls.

Of course, now he needed to feign concern when his family finds out she’s dead and the girls are gone, especially around his mother because she was close to them.  He dreaded having to deal with them.  With the exception of his mother, they were all a pain in the butt.  They always wanted something from him, be it a favor or to borrow money.  He didn’t mind helping, but it never ended, as they were quite useless in helping themselves.  They became worse when the country took the big dump.  There were no more government handouts, which meant you were on your own.

It surprised him to see just how unprepared they were.  It wasn’t just his family either; many thousands were literally unable to fend for themselves.  For those who were not able to make it south before winter, many thousands died during the long cold winter.  Crime rose dramatically at first but began to dwindle, as there were fewer people around.  The ones still here all scrounged around looking for whatever kind of work was still available in the city.  There were a few businesses opened here and there and a lot of them catered to the cops, as they were quite literally the only ones around with a paycheck.  This put the cops in a unique position of being the kings of the city.  They had the money and the guns.  Vatter smiled thinking about that knowing he was the king of kings in Detroit.  You could still make money here; you just needed to know where to go to get it.  For him, it was Mordulfah, that is if he could just stay alive long enough to reap the rewards.

He walked into the station and noticed everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at him wondering what happened.  He walked into his office, shut the door and sat down.  He wasn’t prepared to tell anyone about the dark deed he committed, even though he didn’t think anyone would have cared one way or the other.

There was a knock on the door.  He decided it would be best to get this over with, so he opened the door, and saw Tannenbaum standing there.  The baby-faced cop stared at his face.

“What is it?” asked Vatter.

“What the hell happened to you?”

Vatter ushered him inside, moved back around to his desk, and sat down.

“You cannot hold out on me, man.  Did that friggin Mordulfah do this to ya?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“What the hell happened out there then?”

“Besides beheadings?”

“Whoa, serious man?”

Vatter nodded.  “The son-of-a-bitch was going to take my head.”

“So, how the hell did you get out of it?”

“I took your advice and went out there bearing gifts.”

Tannenbaum gave a curious look.  “What did you bring him?”

“Not what, but who.”

“Then who?”

Vatter hesitated a few moments trying to form an answer.  He struggled to get the words out.  It was more difficult to admit to it than he thought it would be.  “The twins.”

Tannenbaum sat down and leaned back in the chair.  “Oh man, that is messed up.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“So, how did you convince your cousin to let you take them?”

“Oh, I had to kill her, which is how I got these,” said Vatter pointing to the bandages.

“Damn, son.”

“It wasn’t pleasant.”

“Man, I can see that, looks like she got you good.”

“No kidding.”

“Ah, it’ll look badass in a year or so.  So, he was really gonna to take your head, huh?”

“Oh yeah.  I get out there and he’s got ten guys lined up.  Each holding a big ass knife and each had someone kneeling in front of him, all except one guy.”

“You must have been crapping your pants.”

“There for a minute I thought I was gonna throw up, but he was stoked about the girls.  He even had his doctor patch me up.”

“So, that tenth guy didn’t get to cut off a head?”

“Oh, no.  Hakim took my place.”

“That poor bastard.  I was wondering why I couldn’t get ahold of him yesterday.”

“So, how did it go last night?” asked Vatter wanting to change the subject.

“Yeah, about that.”

Vatter didn’t like the sound of his voice and knew something had gone wrong.  He had received intel yesterday from Posey, his spy in Jackson, that bunches of people were hiding out on the west side of Jackson, including some teen girls.  This was too good to pass up and ordered his men to go out last night and round them up.  He would have gone with them, but his wounds hurt too much.

“Okay, what the hell happened?” asked Vatter.

“The good news is that we found the ones hiding out and we took them down.”

“And, the bad news?”

“The vans carrying the chicks didn’t come back last night.”

“What do you mean didn’t come back?  What happened to them?”

“We’re not sure.  We killed all the dudes and captured these girls.  We had fifteen girls, and let me tell ya something; they were the sweetest looking things you ever did see.  A few were total MILFS, I mean, it was quite a haul.  Everything was going perfect, you know, we loaded them up in a couple of vans, assigned an escort, and away they went.”

“And?”

“They never showed up.”

“Did you go out looking for them?”

“Of course, we were out all night and you know, we didn’t see any sign of them.”

“Who was it?”

“Who was what?”

Vatter took a deep breath and tried to control himself.  His patience was wearing thin today and he wanted to pull his gun out and shoot Tannenbaum.  He thought better of it and settled down.  “Our guys, who were they?”

“Oh, it was Carter and his crew.”

Vatter didn’t like the sound of that.  He knew Carter to be a thieving bastard from way back in the day.  He was greedy and didn’t give a damn about anyone else.  Vatter’s mind ran in different directions and started to put the plot together.  The greedy bastard must have run off with the women.  If they were as hot as Tannenbaum described, then they were worth quite a bit of money to the right buyer.  Carter certainly knew the right kind of people that would pay top dollar.

A fledgling sex trade started after the collapse of the country.  It operated mostly in the bigger cities south of Michigan, like Toledo.  He didn’t know how big it was; only that he wasn’t getting a piece of the action, even though some of the girls came from Michigan.  In the early days of the downfall, gangs came across state lines to kidnap girls, but armed citizens confronted them.  However, once the war started many men left to go fight leaving the females to take care of the young and the old.  This made it easy for the cops to come in like saviors when trouble arose and take them to safety.  It had been working pretty well for them and they cleaned out quite a number of towns.  It allowed them to take the choicest girls and just kill off the rest, as they weren’t able to feed everyone anyway.

Then word started to get around and people started to leave again.  Since the folks in the northern part of the state crossed into Canada, the cops concentrated on southern Michigan.  The cops had already cleaned out most of the smaller towns, which were easier to handle.

Because the rebels closed down their party house and took their girls away from them, they were up for anything.  So, when Jackson, a much bigger town, came into play, they jumped at the chance because they knew the town to be full of women.  They liked Mordulfah’s new strategy and didn’t think they’d have much trouble taking it down.

Vatter didn’t know Mordulfah’s overall plan but figured he planned on taking over the whole state for himself.  It made sense and he didn’t really care as long as he could make his money and then leave.

For now, he needed to control the station and the men.  He didn’t want any more Carters to be stabbing him in the back, so he needed to blame the rebels in Jackson for what happened last night.  He asked Tannenbaum if they saw any of them in the area.

“No, nothing.  Nothing at all.  I even got word from Posey this morning that he didn’t hear anything about it in town either.”

“Still, we can’t be sure.  It just makes more sense that the rebels would have been involved with this.”

“Yeah, but the way we were shooting up the damn place, if they had been around at all, those bleeding hearts would have tried stopping it, you know.  Besides, we were literally out in the middle of friggin nowhere.”

Vatter let out a sigh figuring word was already spreading around the station that Carter and his guys took off with the girls.  He just hoped no one else would get any bright ideas to screw him over.

“Do you want us to change our plan for tonight?”

Vatter thought about it and didn’t see any reason not to proceed.  He needed to pay the rebels back for making his life so miserable.

Chapter 28

Jackson Michigan

Reese fell back on the bed as both relief and anxiety swept over her.  Admitting her feelings for Cole had been a big relief, but now she was worried, he would not respond the same way.  She laughed at the silliness of that because a man turning her down was not the worst thing that could happen.  She had already experienced the worst thing and couldn’t think of anything crueler for a girl than to endure being a sex slave.  Every encounter made you wonder: Was this it?  Is this one going to kill me?  You were completely under their control and at their mercy.  If one of them wasn’t satisfied in whatever sick way they needed, then punishment was doled out until they were satisfied, even if it meant death.  Some of the cops would slap and punch her for no apparent reason.  She broke out in a smirk at how she got even with two of them today.

Over the ten days, she quickly learned to read each man who came to visit.  Some liked her to be docile, and others wanted her to enjoy it, while some wanted her to beg them to stop.  She got a crash course in acting and became very good at it.  Most of the cops were young and easy to please, as they didn’t seem to have a lot of experience with girls.  If they came in alone and were polite, she knew they’d be in and out of there in no time.  However, every once in a while she’d get one who liked to be cruel, such as the one she knocked out today.  She sensed these were the ones who didn’t get to go to their high school prom or were resentful of pretty girls for blowing off their advances.  She was out of their league and they knew it, so some had something to prove and wanted to teach her a lesson.  These pathetic losers would take their time and not only try to humiliate her but also smacked her around the most.

Jaeger, the cop she killed the other night, had been one of those guys.  He always smelled of alcohol and could never get it up for her.  He always blamed it on the alcohol, but she suspected he was so nervous that it affected his “performance.”  Regardless, he’d take it out on her by hitting and spanking her for hours.  On his third trip, she couldn’t take it anymore and started calling him Jaeger the nervous little boy.  He reacted by beating her twice as hard almost knocking her unconscious.  Despite the bruises, it had been worth it because he never came back.

When Jaeger took her prisoner the other night, she knew right away, what she was going to do.  She disregarded what Cole said about controlling her rage and took great pleasure in killing the nervous little boy.  The recognition in his eyes when she sank the knife deep into his gut had been pure ecstasy.  Jaeger’s demeanor changed to helplessness as she now controlled him.  For a second, she understood their pleasure when they beat her; it was the sick satisfaction of having absolute power over another human being.  It scared her because for that brief moment she thought she was just like them, but then remembered he was a rapist and deserved to die.

She tried not to think about those ten days too much, but found it difficult at times, like today, when she stood in front of them and felt the urge to have a crack at them.  She knew she’d struggle with it for a long time.  However, she was an optimist and knew she’d eventually put it behind her, but what worried her the most was how it might affect future relationships and whether she’d even be able to have a normal one.  Her next relationship would be much different from any past boyfriends.  She had only a couple through high school and had dated sporadically since then.  After the war started, all the boys left to join the fight, which put an end to any kind of a social life.

She grabbed a bottle of water, took a large gulp, and laughed again thinking how nervous she had been expressing her feelings to Cole.  No amount of intense gunfights compared to the passionate matters of the heart, at least not for her, because she was different now, she just didn’t know in what way.  It was scary not knowing if a normal relationship with a guy was even possible.  Perhaps this was one of the reasons she was attracted to Cole.  He understood what she was going through and knew to be patient with her, which was something she needed more than anything else.

Her attraction to Cole started out as admiration during the battle in the sandpit.  The heat of action snapped her out of a daze from the party house.  Initially, Cole didn’t want her to stay and fight but relented when he saw her seriousness.  She knew then that he understood her.  It was the first time in ten days a man had given her any kind of respect.  She didn’t know it at the time, but he saved her by giving her a purpose.

Since then, her admiration had grown to a secret attraction as they shared life and death experiences together.  His bravery and leadership was addictive, as was his humility and confidence.  She kept her feelings hidden because she feared rejection and how it might look going after an older man.

It wasn’t until the second bullet that she changed her mind.  Until then, never once did she not feel safe with him there, always believing they’d come out alive no matter how bad the situation.  He proved that time and time again.  The second bullet challenged that belief when she saw the worried look in his eyes and for the first time, she wasn’t sure if they’d survive.  The shadow of death had hung over her and whispered to wait no more, so she decided to set aside what others might think.  They all lived perilous lives where you could die any second, so why wait and why care.

She leaned back on her pillow, looked up at the ceiling, and smiled because for the first time in months she was happy and excited at the prospect of a good relationship.  It surprised her at how pure the goodness felt, as opposed to the empty, fleeting pleasure, of vengeance.

Chapter 29

Winters was deep in thought over Reese when Elliott approached the old pickup truck.  He hadn’t moved since she left him.

Elliott banged on the side of the truck, which startled Winters.

“Hey, you alright?” asked Elliott

“Oh, hey. Yeah, I’m good.”

“You look like you just came out of La-La Land.”

“I think I did.”

Elliott raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll tell ya about it later.  So what’s up?”

“You said something about some target practicing today.”

“Yes, I think I’m up for that.  Be some good therapy, I think.”

He hopped out of the truck glad Elliott had come to find him.  He needed something to get his mind off Reese.  He was already dwelling on her, which took his thoughts off more important matters.  A good firefight would put an end to that nonsense.

“Let’s go find those sniper rifles and head up to the overpass Eddie is guarding.”

Elliott broke out in a big smile.

They walked into the hospital, which had turned into their headquarters because it had everything they needed.  It was very similar to the dormitory they stayed in back at South Bend, with a common area, a cafeteria, and plenty of empty rooms with beds.  The small and dedicated medical staff was an added bonus.

They found Bassett and Burns in the cafeteria getting something to eat.  Because they hadn’t gone to Ohio with Scar and Meeks, they had been able to turn in earlier.

“I’ve got a better place in mind,” said Bassett, responding to Winters’ suggestion they go up to the overpass.

“Oh?”

“Only, if you’re up for more of a challenge.”

“How big of a challenge?”

“Oh, it’s not too bad, not more than a hundred yards.”

“I’m listening.”

“There’s an old barn over on Knight Road, which runs parallel to the interstate, and has a nice wide-open view of the interstate in both directions.”

“Elliott, you got your map on you?”

Elliott grabbed his map and spread it out on the table.  They all looked down and Bassett pointed it out.

“Of course, once we start shooting, they’ll probably want a piece of us and will more than likely try to flank us by coming around on Ann Arbor.  We can meet then down here on Willis Road.”

Winters studied the map and began to think they might be able to do more than just target practice.  “Or we could set up a little ambush on Ann Arbor.”

“I like your thinking, Captain,” said Bassett.  “Might as well set ‘em up and take ‘em out.”

Winters looked at his watch and wondered if he should wake up Scar and Meeks up.

“How long have Scar and Meeks been sleeping.”

“Long enough, Captain,” smiled Elliott.  “They won’t want to miss this.”

“Alright then, let’s get them up.”  Winters turned to Bassett.  “How many men do ya think, Corporal?”

“If we’re going to do it right, at least a hundred.”

“Do we have that many available?” asked Winters, knowing some of the men were posted on their perimeter.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” said Bassett.  “We got a lot more volunteers out there now than before.”

“Okay, let’s put it together then.  We’ll leave in one hour,” ordered Winters.

They all went in different directions to get ready for the impending attack.  Bassett would get the weapons together and notify Eddie, and the others guarding the interstate, of their plans.  Elliott would get Scar and Meeks up and then go gather the men they would need.

Winters left the cafeteria hoping not to run into Reese.  He took a round about way just to make sure.  He shook his head knowing he was already avoiding the situation.  Dealing with affairs of the heart was not his forte, but he didn’t want to hurt her either.  He made his way outside and decided to go find Nordell.  He laughed to himself thinking he’d rather deal with a crazy Marine than a crazy girl.  Of course, he meant crazy affectionately in regards to Reese, not Nordell, because he was sure the Marine was crazy.

He found the Gunnery Sergeant talking with Mayor Simpson in his office.  Perfect timing thought Winters, as he wanted to see how things were going for the mayor and to find out who else might have known about the stragglers.  The two men looked up when Winters knocked lightly on the open door.

“Captain, please come in,” said Simpson.

Simpson got up and shook Winters’ hand.  He then shuffled over to the door and shut it.  “No sense in making it easy for our mysterious spy.”

“I filled the mayor in on what happened last night,” said Nordell.

“Yes, that was really something you were involved in,” said Simpson as he slowly made his way back to his desk.  “Thank you so much for what you did.”

“We just happened upon it.  We were just lucky,” said Winters.

“We were,” said Nordell.  “Those poor bastards on Hanover Road, not so much.”

Mayor Simpson shook his head.  “I’ve tried convincing everyone, but some just won’t listen to reason.  It breaks my heart to think about Danny Miller and his family.”

“You knew the man?” asked Winters.

“Oh yes, I knew all of them over there, even the little girl you rescued, Nicole.  I can’t imagine what she went through.”

Winters wondered if the old mayor was going to hold up much longer.  The poor guy probably knew every single person killed this week.  He was born and raised here and had been the mayor for fifteen years.

“You would have been proud of her, sir.  She helped out quite a bit and was very brave.”

This seemed to help the old man a little bit, as his eyes brightened up over the comment.

“Gunny, have you had a chance to talk about the spy?”

“We were just going over that when you came in.”

“And?”

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a secret about the stragglers.  Lot’s of gossip going around about everything.”

“Does everyone know about the families we took out last night?”

“It’s getting around, but what is not, is how we did it.”

“Good.  I wasn’t expecting to keep it a secret, but if we can keep our exit strategy under wraps, all the better.”

“Agreed.  What about tonight?” asked Nordell.

“If it looks good, then yes.  It’ll be easier with our shiny new vehicles,” said Winters referring to the police vans and cruisers they confiscated last night.  He wasn’t sure if Simpson knew about the cars and would have preferred he didn’t.  Nordell gave him a slight nod indicating he did not.  “We’re going out for some target practice here in about an hour if you want to join us.”

Nordell’s face lit up.  “I’m always up for target practice.”

“We should get going then.”

Chapter 30

The men gathered in the hospital parking lot to prepare for the assault.  Nordell got together with Bassett and planned the areas he thought would be ideal for ambush sites.

Winters stood off to the side admiring the retired Marine’s knowledge.  The man knew war and war strategies.  His suggestions on driving more Jijis into the ambush were brilliant.  Bassett also liked what he was suggesting and kept nodding seeing no reason to interfere with Nordell’s battle plan.

When they finished planning, Nordell looked at Winters for approval, which was awkward.  “Gunny, this is your expertise and it shows.”  Again, Winters didn’t want to insult him but didn’t want to come across as patronizing either.  The man may not have the bigger picture in mind, but he certainly put together a heck of an operation.

Winters got into Elliott’s SUV and was surprised to see Amber sitting in the back.  “You sure you want to hang with us?”

“I do keep asking myself that?”

Elliott turned to Winters.  “I think she’s a glutton for punishment.”

“I’m starting to wonder,” laughed Winters.

“Someone’s got to keep you two out of trouble.”

Meeks approached their Ford Explorer.  Winters pushed the window button and lowered the glass.

“Mind if I come with you guys?”

“Not at all.”

Meeks jumped in the back with Amber and gave her a fist bump.  “I wanna test out my sharp shooting skills.”

Winters knew he would rather be with Scar and the others at the ambush sites.  However, the way he was gimping with his leg, he knew that was impossible.  Meeks had taken himself out of the main action, but not out of the game.  He didn’t want to admit it and Winters wouldn’t call him on it.

Winters feared his men were getting too beat up but were too proud to own up to it.  They were no spring chickens and it took longer for them to recover than when they were younger.  It was a hard reality to face up to, especially when so many still depended upon you.  However, what they lacked in youth they made up for in sheer bravado and mental toughness.  They were not going to allow their injuries to completely prevent them from continuing to fight.  Meeks was a good example of this, as was Reese, who with two gunshot wounds contributed today and more than likely would be back in no time at all.  Winters thought Nate would be back with them soon too.  It wouldn’t matter how bad the pain was, his abundance of energy wouldn’t allow him to sit around too long.

Winters turned to Meeks.  “Sounds like we got ourselves a competition then.”

Meeks broke out in a smile.  “Oh hell yeah, we do.”

“You boys,” said Amber shaking her head.

“You can get in on this action,” said Meeks.

“Oh, I don’t know, I mean, I’d hate to embarrass ya.”

“Ooohh.  Damn girl, you are done for.  Done for.”

Winters looked at Amber.  “You had to go there, huh?”

Amber nodded while giggling.

“Thankfully, this is not a long drive,” said Winters turning back around.

He pulled out his radio and asked Bassett if they were ready.  After getting an affirmative, Elliott led the convoy out of the parking lot to Ann Arbor Drive and Race Drive.

It was at this intersection where they would set up the main ambush since Race Drive went north underneath the interstate and had an off ramp from the interstate exiting right onto it.  Nordell wanted to position men along this ramp and at the end where there was high ground.  The whole exit to Race Road was long enough to have plenty of Jijis in their cross hairs before they opened fire.   The other road off the interstate was Ann Arbor itself, which was about a mile up the street.  Everything fed right into this intersection.  It was an ideal place to hide and still have an exit.

Elliott stopped at the intersection and they got out of their ride.

Winters and Elliott approached Bassett.

“How do we find this barn?” asked Winters.

Bassett pointed east.  “It’s about a mile east of here.  You can get on Stull Road here.  It dead-ends, but there’s a trail and you can meander your way over there.”

“How do you know this?” asked Elliott.

“I’ve been all over these roads.  You’ll find it.”

Winters wasn’t so sure and suggested Bassett take them there.

“Yeah, that’s probably the better idea.”

Bassett jumped back into the Ford Taurus he had stolen last night and led them down the trail and up to the dirt road that came up behind the barn and house.

Bassett waved them off and headed back to the main force.

They started up the dirt road that seemed more like a driveway than a road since it was on private property.  They were coming up to a house on the right and Winters had Elliott stop about fifty yards before it.  He lowered the glass and a breeze blew through the cab.  He leaned out the window but didn’t hear anything except grasshoppers in the tall grass that covered the grounds around the house.  He grabbed his binoculars and slowly surveyed the area.  The house looked abandoned, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there were any stragglers there.  He didn’t think so, as the house wasn’t even a half-mile from the interstate, and then he wondered if any Jijis decided to take advantage of the shelter.

“Whatcha thinking, Captain?” asked Meeks.

“We need to check out this house.”

“You think some stragglers might be in there?”

“I was thinking, Jijis.”

They got out of the SUV, and crept toward the house through the tall grass, while Meeks stayed to guard the truck.  They reached the side of the house and looked through the dirty window.  Not seeing anything, they slipped around back and peeked through the sliding glass door.  Winters didn’t notice anything that set off alarm bells.  They reached the other side and not seeing anyone decided to enter the house.

Winters grabbed the doorknob and found it unlocked, so he pushed the door open and slowly walked into the kitchen.  A familiar odor immediately hit his nostrils as he and Elliott went inside.

Chapter 31

Washington D.C.

Lawrence Reed was the last person Green expected to walk through his door.  He wondered if perhaps he had been too forward with suggestions on what to do with Cara Winters.  Maybe Reed was here because he wanted to test him again.

Green got up and greeted his visitor.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from an important luncheon.”

The sincerity of his voice struck Green as odd and harkened back to when they first met.  Reed had been quite pleasant that day.

“Not at all, sir.  Please, have a seat.”

Green waited for Reed to sit down before taking his own seat.

“What can I do for you?”

“I’ve been thinking about what you suggested we should do with that girl,” said Reed as he slightly moved his head.

Green caught the tick and knew he was lying.

“I think that girl could be of use and wanted to keep you in the loop and get your input.”

Green could tell Reed already made his decision and didn’t want his input.  What Green wondered was, why was he bothering with this.

“What are your plans?”

“I’m going to send her to Detroit?”

The hairs on Green’s arms stood straight up knowing what Reed was going to do.  He concentrated on controlling his emotions.  “And what will she do there?”

“We’re going to use her as bait to bring in Cole Winters.”

This confirmed Green’s suspicion.  It was a smart move and would be effective.  “Sir, that is a brilliant move.  Do you think she’ll be willing to help? I mean she was very distrustful of me and the government.”

“She is willing.”

“Oh?” asked Green.  He leaned forward observing Reed for any more poker tells.

“Yes.  Yesterday, I had her brought to my office to discuss the situation with her and how she could help.  She said I reminded her of her dear grandpa and knew she could trust me.”

Green immediately noticed the slight head movement and the elevated tone in his voice.  Green was pleased with himself that he was getting better at recognizing the tells.  Of course, it helped he had an unknowing subject sitting in front of him spewing lie after lie.  Green studied the man and decided Reed wasn’t scary after all.  He was just an old man who thought he was slick.  He decided as soon as Reed left, he’d get with Sam and devise a way for the recording to fall into Reed’s lap as soon as possible.  Perhaps they could send it to his home in Annapolis, which would be a nice coup de grâce, letting him know that they knew where he lived.

Green smiled at Reed.  “Perhaps I need to get some gray hair, sir, because she was having none of me.”

“Don’t wish for it, Major.  It will come on its own faster than you know.”

“My mom says the same thing.”

“She’s very wise.  How is she by the way?”

“She’s good.  Busy as always. She’s working on a food drive for the refugees.”

“Excellent.  She’s a fine example of what we’re capable of here.”

Green didn’t notice any ticks in that statement.  Reed, of course, knew his mother and perhaps did hold her in high esteem as many people did in the district.

“Well, thank you, sir, I’ll be sure to tell her you were asking about her.”

“Please do.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, Major, I have much to do today.”

Green quickly thought about what he could do to help Winters out in this situation and came up with an idea.  “You know, sir, I wonder if you could do me a favor.”

Reed was curious.  “What might that be?”

“If my sources are right, Corporal Bassett is helping Winters.  I wonder if you could have Bassett included in the exchange.”

Green could see a slight smirk form on Reed.

“Like to see him back, would you?”

“I’d like to see him court-martialed.”

“I think that would be an excellent idea.”

Green was certain if Winters were to give himself up, then having Bassett with him could only help.  It was also a good way to regain Reed’s trust.  He escorted the old man out to the hallway and watched him shuffle away.  He would enjoy sending the recording to him knowing it would throw the old man off his game.  He only wished they had already done so, perhaps it would have diverted his attention away from Cara Winters.

Chapter 32

Jackson Michigan

Winters stopped mid-stride when the odor of garlic permeated the air.  He threw up his fist for Elliott to stop, who did the same for Amber who stood guard outside.

Winters had been right about checking out the premises before proceeding up the dirt road to the barn.  They didn’t need someone coming up from behind and taking them out.

With his weapon up and at the ready, he swept around the kitchen and found an open container of what looked like meat and rice sitting on the table.  Winters pointed it out to Elliott.  The thumping in his chest became louder as he slipped into the hallway.  He leaned up against one side of a door frame and waited for Elliott to hit the other side.  Elliott nodded and leaped through the doorway pointing the Colt M4 down the hall.  Winters then moved across the carpet into the living room and looked through a sliding glass door as two Jijis outside headed around the house where Amber stood guard.

“Damn it!  There’s two coming around the side to Amber.  You go back that way.”

Elliott rushed back through the kitchen and pulled up short at the entrance.

Winters pushed the sliding glass door open and sneaked up to the edge of the house.  He peeked around the corner.  Both Jijis were young and one locked his arm around Amber while holding what looked like a 9mm to her head.  The other pointed a rifle at the doorway where Elliott stood inside.  Winters grabbed the radio and whispered into it for Meeks.

“Meeks, we’re busted here.  We’ve got two outside holding Amber on the far side of the house.  Come around through those trees at the front and keep hidden.”

“Where are you at?”

“I’m behind the house.  I don’t think they know I’m here.  Elliott’s inside the door, they’re yelling at him to drop his weapon.”

“Be right there,” said Meeks.

Bassett had heard the transmission to Meeks and called out to Winters.  “I’m on my way too.”

Winters put the radio away and got down on the ground behind a shrub that kept him hidden.  He looked through the shrub and could see Amber, who didn’t look afraid, but rather determined.  The Jiji holding a gun to her head was smaller than her and could barely reach his arm around her.  The second Jiji was about the same size and didn’t look intimidating.  Winters wondered if these weren’t two more college students looking for adventure and a meal.  Either way, they sounded American and they were holding a gun on Amber.

“Drop your weapon old man or we’ll kill her,” yelled the second Jiji.

“Fuck you,” screamed Elliott, standing firm behind the door using it as a shield.

“Do it or she dies.”

“You ain’t gonna kill her.”

“You sure about that?”

“Hell ya, I’m sure.”

The Jiji looked frustrated.  “Why do say that?”

“You ain’t gonna kill no hot looking chick like that, so get over yourselves.”

Winters raised an eyebrow.  He’d never heard Elliott swear before let alone talk that way.  The man’s bluntness was having an effect on these two.  They didn’t seem to know what to do now.

“Okay, fine, have it your way, but we’re taking her out of here.”

“Can’t let you do that, son.”

“That’s what’s going to happen, old man.”

“Look guys, I’m sure we can work something out without anyone getting killed.”

“Like what?”

“I’d be willing to let you each have a turn with her, but that’s it.”

“What?”

“She’s mine.  I found her and I ain’t giving her up, but cuz I’d rather nobody die over her, I’d be willing to work this out.”

“You being serious?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”

The two Jijis looked at each other and started to talk it over.

Winters whispered into the radio to Meeks.  “You in position?”

“I’m here and enthralled.”

Winters rolled his eyes at the comment, but gave it some thought and had to admit to the dramatic aspect of the moment.  Elliott had these two bamboozled.  Winters could see they were going to go for the offer.  The mere thought of having a turn at Amber must be extremely enticing for them.  She was a long-legged beauty and way out of their league.  Elliott was smart to play on their inexperience in taking hostages and getting a hot looking chick.

The second Jiji turned back to Elliott.  “Okay, have it your way.”

“Ya see, I knew we could work this out.”

“How do you want to do this?”

“Now son, if I have to give you instructions, I mean c’mon now.”

“No, I mean where?”

“Hell, just do her right there.”

The second Jiji turned to his friend.  “David, you go first. I’ll keep an eye on the old man.”

Winters shook his head.  These guys were at the top of their class in stupid.

David let his arm drop from around her chest.  He kept the gun to her head and yelled at her to take her clothes off.

“I’m not taking my clothes off and you are not doing me!”

The Jijis looked up at Elliott.

“Amber, you do as you’re told,” said Elliott in a stern voice.

“Seriously?”

“This won’t take but a minute, so don’t cha worry now.”

Winters raised the radio back to his mouth. “As soon as both are distracted, we’ll take them out.”

“You mean when she takes her shirt off.”

Winters could just detect a chuckle from Meeks right before he let up on the talk button.  He was right of course.  No way would they both be able to keep alert with that happening.

“I’ll take the one holding Elliott’s attention,” whispered Winters into the radio.

“Copy,” replied Meeks.

Amber shook her head and rolled her eyes.  “Okay, fine, have it your way.”

“Alrighty now, see guys, not a problem.  Now Amber, you take it nice and slow, you hear.”

She seemed to get what Elliott was saying and took her jacket off dropping it to the ground.  She then looked at the Jiji holding the gun to her head and winked at him.  She then grabbed the bottom of her navy blue tank top and slowly began to slide it up.

At this point, Winters could see David staring at her and not paying attention to anything else going on.  Winters got into a kneeling position and raised his weapon to his shoulder.  He aimed at the Jiji, who continued to watch Elliott, but started to peek over at Amber taking her shirt off.  She flung it toward him where it landed at his feet.

“Smart girl,” thought Winters.

She stood there in a white bra and smiled at David, who by now had lowered his weapon.   She slowly moved her hands around to unhook her bra.  Her hands started coming back around when David let out a gasp, which distracted the second Jiji’s attention.  He turned to look at Amber and Winters squeezed the trigger sending a bullet right through his head.  A split second later, a second shot rang out and David collapsed to the ground.

“About damn time, boys,” yelled Amber as she hooked her bra back up.  “Was starting to think you were enjoying the show.”

Elliott bounded out of the house.  “I’m so sorry Amber, I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s all good, Elliott.  It was actually pretty impressive.”

Meeks turned the corner.  “That was a helluva show, Amber.  The drama was simply incredible.”

“What, you didn’t like these?” asked Amber pointing to her chest.

“It was all about the drama, baby.”

She playfully smacked him on the arm.  “Jackass.”  She stepped over the corpse of the second Jiji and picked up her shirt.

Winters came up to Amber and exhaled a deep breath.  “That’s one for the books.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” she said throwing her shirt back on.

“We better get moving, Captain,” said Elliott.  “That gunfire is sure to attract attention.”

Elliott handed Amber her rifle.  “You sure it’s all good?”

She nodded.

“Oh, good.”

“So, you think I’m a hot looking chick?” she asked giving him a half smile.

“Don’t answer that, Elliott,” laughed Meeks.  “It’s a trap.”

Elliott started to turn red.  “Ahh.”

Amber patted him on the back.  “I’m just messing with ya.”

Winters rounded the corner of the house first and saw a group of Jijis marching toward them from the interstate.  He raised his M-4, chose the biggest Jiji in the approaching pack, took aim, and squeezed the trigger.

Chapter 33

Winters emptied his magazine at the approaching Jijis, who numbered ten but now only eight as two had fallen dead.  Winters reached into his jacket, pulled out another mag, and slammed it into the M-4 rifle.

Meeks, Elliott, and Amber joined the fight and laid down a barrage, scattering the Jijis off the dirt road and into the high grass.  Then a Jiji rose up and returned fire.  The rounds snapped into the trees in front of the house the four of them were now using for cover.

“Looks like we won’t be having that competition, Captain,” said Meeks.

“No, I don’t suppose we will.”

“What do you want to do, Captain?” asked Elliott.

“Target practice or not we’re getting the same results, so we might as well keep it up.”

“Yeah, only we’re just a tad bit closer to them than I was expecting,” said Meeks.

“See, I told you Amber, trouble just follows us around,” grinned Elliott.

She returned the grin.

More rounds came through the trees from a different angle.  Winters turned to see a Jiji flank them and squeezed off a few in that direction, none of them finding their marks.  He pushed everyone back around the side of the house.

“We need an advantage before any more of their friends show up,” said Winters, looking up and knowing what to do next.  “Let’s get up on this roof.  Give me and Amber a boost.”

Elliott and Meeks helped them up onto the single story house.  The shingles were hot to the touch and made crawling a challenge.  Winters peered over the top of the roof and into the field.  He pulled up his binoculars and scanned the area for the Jiji that was flanking them.  He found him through the tall grass and was surprised at how fast he had gotten there and then noticed another coming in behind him.  He handed the glasses to Amber and pointed to them.

“See ‘em?”

It took her but a second to find them.

“Got ‘em.”

“Let’s wait till that other one catches up.”

While he waited, he reached for the radio to call out to Bassett.

“Only a minute away,” responded Bassett.

“Ambush sites still a go?” asked Winters.

“Affirmative.  Nordell has it under control.”

“Keep your vehicle to the trees when you come in case we need it.”

“Copy that.”

Winters put the radio away and looked at Amber who continued to observe the two flanking Jijis.  He was impressed with the way she handled herself with those two idiot Jijis.  Rather than being scared, she seemed more irritated at the situation.  Either she had a lot of faith in what Elliott had orchestrated or was really gaining more confidence.

“You ready?”

She put the glasses down and nodded.

They both positioned their rifles and took aim.  “Just remember your training.”

Winters referred to the sharp shooting instruction the Canadians gave them.  They spent several days on the range shooting at various distances and if he remembered correctly, she had been a good shot.

“You lined up?” asked Winters.

“I got ‘em.”

“On three,” said Winters pausing a second before counting.  “One…two…three.”

They both fired simultaneously, both hitting their marks with only one shot.

Winters turned to her.  “Nice shot.”

She couldn’t contain the excitement and broke out in a big smile.

Winters grabbed the binoculars and slid down the other side of the roof to be able to see around the tree that partially blocked the view to the interstate.  He could see more Jijis running across the interstate and some driving west down the interstate.  Winters smiled knowing they were heading straight for the ambush that awaited them.

“Guys,” he called down to Meeks and Elliott.  “We’ve got maybe another twenty coming this way.”

“What about the interstate?” asked Meeks.

“Doing what we thought they would,” said Winters.

“Boom, baby,” yelled Meeks.  “Hey, how much longer you want to stay here?”

“Let’s see how it goes.  Bassett should be here in another minute or so.”

“Alright, rock and roll.”

Winters crept back up to Amber who kept an eye out for any more Jijis trying to flank their position, while Meeks and Elliott emptied another magazine into the tall grass.  The Jijis kept low and only popped up to fire off a couple of wild shots toward the house.

Winters looked down the other side and noticed thick woods right behind the house.  He then realized they were sitting ducks if the bad guys came at them from that direction.  If there were twenty coming up the dirt road, then more would be coming in from behind.

“Let’s get on the other side of the roof.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, c’mon.”

They both rolled over to the other side and Winters looked both ways.  They couldn’t see through the trees to the left but could hear that Meeks and Elliott were still using them as cover.  He looked toward their vehicle to see Bassett and three others in the distance.

“Let’s get off this roof.”

They slid down on their butts to the edge.  Winters looked down and cringed at the thought of breaking an ankle.  It was always the easiest things that screwed you up.

Amber sensed his reservations.  “I’ll go first.”

She dropped her rifle to the ground, twisted around to dangle her legs off the roof, and held on as she lowered herself to the ground.

Winters then did the same as her to slide over the edge.  His hands strained trying to hold onto the edge while lowering himself down.  Amber grabbed his legs as his hands gave way and fell on top of her.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m good.”

“Thank God, you’re not a little thing.”

More gunfire rang out and they both grabbed their weapons and jumped up.  They rushed to Meeks and Elliott who still held the enemy at bay.

“Bassett is coming now.  Let’s retreat back to our ride,” said Winters.

They both nodded.

Meeks and Elliott took turns with Winters and Amber, covering each other’s exit, as they leaped-frogged back to the truck where they met Bassett.  Winters told him what happened and he gave both Elliott and Amber a fist bump.

“Any updates on the ambush site?” Winters asked Bassett.

“Tangos are starting to come in.  We set up a second one just east of us on Willis Road, Scar is handling that one.”

“I suppose it’s working out just as good,” said Winters.

“It is, we’re drawing them in like we wanted,” said Bassett.

“Let’s get into those trees and see how many want to come and play.”

Chapter 34

Detroit Michigan

Vatter sat in his office holding a mirror to his face.  The diagonal slice was nearly three inches long and ran from the ear toward his mouth.  A couple of inches lower and she would have sliced his throat.  He had been lucky, to say the least.  Mordulfah’s doctor did a nice job stitching it up, but still, it looked disgusting and it would be a painful reminder.

A knock on the door brought him back to reality.  He put the bandage back on and put the mirror away.  “Come in.”

Tannenbaum entered the office.  “Hey, I just got off the radio with, Posey.”

“And?”

“The rebels are on the move.  They’re gonna take out some M and M’s up on the interstate.”

“How many are there?”

“About a hundred left the hospital parking lot.”

The news made Vatter straighten up in his chair.  If they had that many men going up to the interstate, then that was a hundred fewer men defending the city.

“Do the M and M’s know yet?”

“I don’t think so, I mean I just got off the radio with Posey and you’re the first I’ve told.”

“Do we have everything ready for tonight?”

“Hell, yeah we do.  Why?”

“Let’s move our plan up.”

“To when?”

“Right now.”

“In the daytime?”

“Why not?  It ain’t like we don’t know where they’ve got men posted.  Hell, they’re so spread out guarding all the roads, and with a hundred rebels busying themselves, they ain’t got no one to call for back up.”

“Alright man, I’ll get everyone together and leave right away.”

“You’ll be in and out of there in no time.  Get with the M and M’s; let them know what you know, and what we’re doing.  Tell ‘em to keep the rebels busy.”

Tannenbaum left the office and Vatter leaned back in his chair thinking about the bastards who called him Bladder the other night.  It was a mistake calling out to them, but the frustration of the night clouded his mind so much he couldn’t help himself.  The derogatory nickname, Bladder, was an old one the school bullies used to call him.  It hadn’t bothered him in a long time, but when the rebels called him that, it brought back many bad memories.  He didn’t expect it and it caught him off guard.

He sat there relishing the idea of getting even with them and fantasized about rubbing their faces in it.  Perhaps, he’d try to call them back up on the police radio.  He could only assume they were still monitoring their calls.

He hated these bastards more than anything else.  They were keeping him from an easy paycheck.  Though on the other hand, had they not taken out his predecessor, Captain Cox, he would not even be in this position.  What an odd juxtaposition, to be thankful for them and yet be in need of eliminating them.  Regardless, they were going to pay for their arrogance.

Vatter thought about the plan he’d devised.  A smile broke across his face as he fantasized about his men storming the hospital and killing everyone inside including the medical staff and their injured men.  This single action would devastate their psyche and show the rebels his resolve.  Even more importantly, that he could come into the city at will and take them out at any time he desired.  It would freak out all of those still hiding behind walls, and when they found out their medical staff was gone, it would be icing on the cake.

Chapter 35

Jackson Michigan

Reese blinked a few times before realizing she had fallen asleep.  She didn’t know the time but could see the afternoon sun through the window.  Seeing Thomas and then bashing the heads of a couple of cops this morning must have taken a toll on her.  Then there was her declaration of love to Cole, but that only gave her sweet dreams.  She smiled at the fading dream.  The war was over and they lived together on a secluded beach in Florida with everything they could need or want.  She wondered how she could dream of a beach in Florida when she had never been there.

Her mom could never afford to go there or anywhere else for that matter.  Her dad walked out on them and never sent any child support so money was always tight.  She worked as a beautician and sometimes took a second job as a waitress.  This kept her busy most weekends, so even day trips were out of the question.

She sat up and stretched her injured arm back and forth a few times to work out any kinks.  She still had full range of motion but felt the pain more in certain positions.  She did the same for her leg but wasn’t able to lift it very high before the pain was too much to bear.  She looked at the painkillers on the nightstand and debated whether to take one or not.  She didn’t like them as they made her too foggy in the head.

She slipped on her boots and reached toward the nightstand to grab the knife Nate gave her and shoved it down her boot.  These days she felt naked without it.  She grabbed her crutch and left the painkillers on the nightstand.  She hobbled down the hallway and didn’t notice anyone around, so she headed to Nate’s room finding him sitting up reading an old magazine.

“Hey,” she called out.

He put the magazine down.  “Well, look at you.”

“Can I come in?”

“Please, I am bored out of my mind.”

“Yeah, it sucks being here,” said Reese, as she hobbled in and leaned down to give him a hug.

“No kidding.  So, tell me about your wounds.”

She sat beside him on the bed and patted her arm.  “This one, the bullet took a chunk of meat off me and the leg has two holes.”

“In and out, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Mine too.”

“Where exactly did yours go in?”

He pointed just below his right arm socket on his chest.  Here and out the other side on my upper back.  I can hardly move my arm.  Yours hurt much?”

“Yeah, but I’m kinda used to pain these days.”

“I get that,” said Nate knowing she was referring to her enslavement.  “Painkillers?”

“Nay, I don’t like ‘em, they make me too loopy and quite honestly, I don’t want to get hooked on them.  What about you?”

“I don’t like taking pills period, so I’ll just put up with the pain.”

“Where is everybody?”

“They all went up to the interstate for some target practice.”

Reese dropped her shoulders.  “Oh man, we’re missing out again.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“Hey, I’m hungry.  You wanna go the cafeteria?”

“Help me up.”

Reese stood up, grabbed his right hand, and pulled him off the bed.  He grimaced as he stood, but once up he moved pretty well.

They made their way to the cafeteria and found some sandwiches wrapped in cellophane.  Reese poured them each a cup of coffee and they sat down to eat their meal.  Neither spoke as they ate and enjoyed each other’s company.

They both stopped eating when they heard a gunshot.  They stared at each other and then jumped out of their seats when they heard another shot and then a hail of gunfire.

Chapter 36

Nate cursed himself for leaving his weapon back in his room.  He knew better and was now paying the price for his mistake.  He scoffed knowing they had no one guarding the hospital figuring it to be unnecessary because it was in the center of town.  However, with Winters and most of the men up on the interstate, it was the perfect set up.  No doubt, the spy in town reported the opportunity.

Reese’s crutch rapped on the concrete steps as she tried to keep up with him climbing up a flight of stairs to the main level.  Gunfire echoed throughout the hospital with blood-curdling screams in the mix.  Nate figured there had to be at least ten maybe twenty gunmen.  He wanted to kill the bastards but needed a weapon.

They came out the door and hurried down the hallway.  Nate spotted one of the gunmen as he fired a shot at them.  Nate pushed Reese around a corner, down another hallway, and then inside an empty room.

They entered a conference room with a large table in the middle and chairs all around it.  Nate leaned against the wall behind the door taking in rapid breaths and trying to focus, but his shoulder seared with pain.  Reese stood beside him breathing just as heavily but remained calm.

Gunfire rang out and bullets ripped through the door into the conference room.  Nate and Reese flattened themselves against the wall.  The door inched open.  The cop entered the room and Nate mustered all the energy he could and grabbed the rifle with his right hand.  With hardly any struggle, the cop ripped the AK-47 away from Nate’s one hand and then used the butt of the gun to hit his bandaged shoulder.  He yelled out in pain and fell to the ground.  The cop then readied his weapon and aimed it at Nate who tried to crawl under the long table. Reese then swung her crutch down on the back of the cop’s head.  The blow pushed him forward as he pulled the trigger shooting bullets into the wall as he tried to regain his balance.  Reese took advantage and rushed forward using the crutch as a battering ram striking him in the stomach.  She then swung the crutch up at the rifle hitting the back of his hand, loosening his grip on the weapon.  She swung again coming down on it like an axe forcing the cop to drop his weapon.  He rushed her knocking away the crutch and then grabbed her around the waist.  He picked her up and slammed her on the conference table.  The back of her head hit hard making her dizzy and causing stars to shoot across her vision.  The cop then threw a punch into her side before grabbing her jacket and leaning back with her in tow.  Reese was dazed but saw an opening as he picked her up again.  She jammed her thumbs into his eye sockets, which made him loosen his grip on her.  She landed on her feet and a pain shot through her injured leg.  Ignoring the pain, she reached down to grab the knife out of her boot.  The knife handle felt like an old friend as she tightened her grip on it.  The cop turned and stumbled back trying to grab his sidearm.  Reese jumped onto his back, wrapped her arm around his head, and sunk the blade into the side of his neck.  She yanked it out and sliced across his throat.  She slid off him as he crumpled to the floor.

Nate crawled out from under the table and Reese helped him get up.

“You all right?” asked an out of breath Reese.

“I’m alive, thanks to you.”

“Not bad for two gimps, eh?”

Nate nodded.  “Hand me his pistol. You take the AK and grab any extra mags.”

They exited the room and slowly made their way to the emergency room entrance.  The AK-47 hung from its sling around Reese’s neck and bounced against her as she limped on the crutch behind Nate.  The gunfire started to subside and Nate figured they would head for an exit.  He just hoped he picked the right one.  They passed by dead bodies lying in their own blood.  Nate recognized one as a nurse he had been flirting with.  A few more bodies were scattered around.  No one cried out.  He decided to use the front desk as an offensive position.

“C’mon behind the desk.”

They pushed a dead woman who still sat in a chair behind the desk.

“They’ll see us here,” said Reese.

“Yes, they will.  Help me pull her out of the chair.”

They both grabbed an arm and yanked the dead body to the ground.

“Sit in it,” ordered Nate.

Reese sat down and Nate smeared some blood on her.  “Put that AK on your lap and scoot in.  Don’t move till I signal you.”

Nate grabbed another chair and sat close by.  Both pretended to be dead as they waited for the executioners.

They didn’t have to wait long before the cops came into the lobby.  A couple of them laughed and talked in excited tones.  Nate peeked to see six of them standing there waiting.  He wondered if they were waiting for the one they’d killed.

“We got to go, Tannenbaum’s team already left.  Where’s Pierce and Flint?” yelled one of them.

Hearing the other team had already left, Nate knew two teams of eight stormed the hospital and Reese killed either Pierce or Flint.  He didn’t want to strike too early and have one of them come in from behind.  Both he and Reese were not in the best shape and needed all the bad guys in front of them.  Finally, the last one came into the lobby.

“Where’s Pierce?”

“I don’t know, I thought he was with you.”

“Get our rides ready.”

Nate knew this was it.  He tapped his foot on the floor to signal Reese and leaned forward using his right arm to push himself up.  The cops were not paying attention as he stood up.  Reese grabbed the AK and both raised their weapons at the cops.  One cop looked at them for a second before realizing what was about to happen.

Reese flipped the switch to full automatic, pulled the trigger, and swept the rifle back and forth spraying rounds at the cops.  Hot shell casings bounced off the desk as the magazine emptied.  The loud repetitious gunfire reverberated off the walls and down the hallway.  Two cops fell dead while the rest scattered for cover.

Nate aimed at one trying to run out the exit and pulled the trigger hitting his target on the second try.  He took his time and scanned the lobby looking for an easy target.  He was left-handed and wasn’t used to firing with his right hand, plus he shook from the pain in his shoulder.  A cop peeked around a wall and Nate fired a shot.  He missed.  The cop tried to return fire, but Reese emptied a second magazine and dropped him.

The remaining cops ran out the door as Reese slammed in a third magazine.  They both fired wildly at the exit hoping to hit something.  Car doors shut and two vehicles screeched their tires as they peeled away.

Chapter 37

Winters put the radio back into his jacket after getting an update from Nordell that the ambush was working to perfection.  They had plenty of Jijis trapped along Race Road and were in the process of taking them out.  Jijis were also coming in on the Ann Arbor ramp as expected and would keep Nordell’s men busy for quite a while.  Scar and Burns were on Willis Road just to the east and reported no contact.

Winters was satisfied their mission worked out despite a rough start.  Taking Amber as a hostage didn’t bode well and he thought their mission was doomed even before it got started.  Elliott impressed him with the way he handled the two idiots and knew Meeks would be telling everyone about it.  Elliott would take some ribbing for getting Amber to do a little strip tease, but it will be in good fun.

Amber impressed him even more than Elliott did.  Once the now deceased, David, let go of her, she totally controlled the situation and handled herself magnificently.  She never worried for a second that her friends would not come through.  Her confidence was increasing and Winters didn’t think she doubted herself any longer.

Winters looked off in the distance and wondered when the advancing Jijis would reach them.  Before he came off the roof, he had spotted another twenty coming in and suspected more were right behind them.  What were they waiting for?  He thought about sending Bassett out to scout the area but realized they were standing underneath tall trees.

“Corporal, you up for climbing a tree?”

Bassett looked up.  “Not a problem.”

The young corporal climbed up the tree with ease and quickly reported over a hundred Jijis sitting outside of range and that they didn’t look like they intended to advance on their position.

Winters wondered why.  Maybe they were just more stupid kids with guns looking for their next meal.  In talking to his prisoners, the thing that surprised him the most was to learn the caliber of his enemy.  It seemed most were nothing more than scared untrained kids with guns.  It was probably one of the reasons they were able to escape from Robinson Road the other night.  Seeing your friends die beside you had an unexpected affect on you.  It didn’t always encourage a lot of heroics when the easier and safest route was not to take any chances.

Of course, having a charismatic leader like Mordulfah playing on their emotions and religious notions obviously helped in getting them to do what he wanted.  His money and title of Prince went a long way in recruiting.  Winters could see how he’d be able to focus their minds on the great Jihad they were performing for Allah.

Bassett came down from his perch.

“Something is not right, Corporal.  Before these guys were coming in hot and heavy and now they’re not.”  He looked in the distance toward the enemy.  “Why don’t we do a little skirmish and see what happens.”

“I’m up for it,” said Bassett.   “From what I saw we could flank their sides without much worry.”

Chapter 38

Gun smoke hung in the lobby of the ER and the smell of cordite permeated the air as an eerie silence settled in.  Neither Nate nor Reese moved and stood speechless as they stared at the carnage in front of them.  They looked at each other and shared a grim nod.  Reese grabbed her crutch and hobbled around the front desk.  They remained silent as they cautiously maneuvered around the dead bodies.  There was nothing to say because the cops had dealt them a terrible blow and they both knew it.  The cops drove into town unabated and walked right into a hospital where caring people worked to save lives.

Nate felt helpless because he didn’t have a radio and didn’t know what direction the cops were headed.  For sure, the spy was in on this because the killers knew right where to go and what rooms to hit.  He didn’t hold out much hope that any of their men survived the attack and wondered how many of the medical staff got away.  The cops were not here very long and it’s a big hospital.  “Long enough to do what was necessary,” thought Nate.

Nate fell into a chair by the exit and looked at Reese who sat down next to him.  The girl saved his life with the knife he had given her.  Little did he know this would happen when he gave it to her.

Reese glanced at Nate’s shoulder and noticed it was bleeding.  “Nate, your shoulder.”

He looked at it.  “Great, another day before I can get out of here.”

“A full day, Attila?” she said trying to lighten the tension.

Nate understood her motivation.  “At least a day.  I got to wait for you to heal up.”

“I appreciate that, but you know we young people heal faster.”

Nate let out a scoff and rolled his eyes.

“C’mon.  I need some fresh air,” said Reese.

She got up and pulled Nate out of his chair.  They walked outside and breathed in the clean air as an SUV came screeching into the parking lot.  Nate relaxed when Bill Taylor got out along with Don Hadley.

“What the hell happened?  I got a call on the radio that the hospital was under attack.”

“Yeah, and they’re gone,” said Nate.

“Who’s gone?”

Nate briefed Taylor and Hadley on what happened.

Taylor sent the young Texan inside and then started to curse up a storm.  “Those sons-of-a-bitches are going to pay for this.  I’m going to kill every single one of them.”

Nate wished he felt better and had Taylor’s energy.  Normally he did, but the cop Reese killed put a hurt on him.  His shoulder throbbed with pain and he thought he might have to take a painkiller after all.

Hadley came back and reported all their guys were dead.  Two nurses and one doctor were also dead.  Everyone else escaped by running away as soon as the shooting started.

It didn’t surprise Nate that their guys were dead.  They were fish in a barrel and had Reese not come and got him, he would have died with them.  He then realized Reese had saved his life twice.  Now, he really owed her.

“We better tell the Captain,” said Taylor.  “He’ll want to know right away.  Hadley, take the truck and head east till you get in radio range.”

Hadley hustled over to the truck and tore out of the parking lot.

“C’mon Nate, you need to get your shoulder looked at,” said Taylor.

The last remaining doctor, Michael Lunsford, was surprisingly steady as he looked at Nate.  He was a former Army surgeon and had served in the Middle East.  He brought Nate into an operating room to re-stitch his shoulder.

A nurse noticed the blood on Reese’s face.  She was a brunette in her upper forties and her name tag said, Sandy.  She was divorced and had two sons fighting in the war.  With no other family in town, she spent all her days at the hospital.  Early on, she took a liking to Reese and admired her.  She had been caring for her since she got there and insisted on cleaning her up.

Sandy helped Reese up onto a table and she let out a wince when the nurse touched her side.

“What happened here?” asked Sandy.

“The bastard I killed punched me.”

Sandy lifted her shirt and saw a sizeable bruise.  “He must have gotten you good.”

“He did.  Knocked the wind out of me.”

Sandy put a little pressure on her rib cage until she winced again.  “I don’t think they’re cracked, just bruised.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yeah, by a few weeks.”

Sandy took Reese’s hand and started wiping off the cop’s blood.  Reese could see she was upset but was trying to avoid confronting it.

“It’s okay to cry,” said Reese.

Sandy stopped wiping her hand but kept holding it.

“Those were my friends they killed.”  She paused as tears began running down her face.  “I was so scared that I just froze.  I didn’t know what to do.”

Reese squeezed her hand and waited for her to continue.

“Doctor Lunsford grabbed me and yelled at me to run.  Had it not been for him, I don’t think I’d be here right now.”

She wiped away her tears and looked at Reese.  “How do you do it?”

Reese gave her a quizzical look.  “Do what?”

“How are you not scared of them?”

Reese jerked her head back.  “I am scared of ‘em.  I’m scared all the time.”

“But you fight them.  How do you do that?”

“Cuz I hate the friggin bastards for what they did to me,” she responded in a harsh tone.  “And when I kill ‘em, I get even, and for like a brief moment it makes me feel good, so good, that I want to do it again.”

Sandy stiffened.

Reese let out a scoff.  “Yeah, I know.  I’m fucked in the head.”

Sandy ran her hand through Reese’s hair then continued to wipe the blood off her patient.  “Still, I wish I was as brave as you.”

Reese didn’t want to make it about herself.  “You’re braver than you know.  It takes a lot of guts to do what you do.  You stayed here when everyone else left and you’ve taken care of me like nothing happened here this week, like I was your only patient.”

“But, all our patients are dead.  There’s nothing for me to do now.”

“I still need you.”

Sandy gave her a slight smile.

“Nate needs you, too, and believe me, as soon as Cole sees what happened here we’re going to need you again cuz there’s going to be plenty more patients.”

Reese could tell she was feeling a little better.  She knew what Sandy and the rest of the town was going through with all the losses they’d taken this week.  Everyone knew someone who was killed in the church massacre this past Sunday.  Reese knew it wasn’t an easy thing to understand, but you just had to accept it and move on.  There wasn’t any time to grieve because you needed to get yourself ready for what was coming next.  If you didn’t, then you’d likely get yourself killed.

She learned that while being tied up for ten days.  Her first day, she acknowledged it was happening.  The second day, she accepted it and realized there wasn’t anything she could do about it.  However, by the third day, she was struck by an epiphany realizing she had two options.  She could sink deep within herself or start fighting.  She decided to start fighting by learning who these bastards were and what made them tick.  She learned to read them and respond to them accordingly.  She became an actress, a psychologist, and a fighter.  Her first victory was getting Jaeger to stay away.  It had been a painful win, but worth it.  After that, she made a vow that if she ever got free she’d get even with all of them.  She took this vow seriously and when Cole loosened her chains, she found her first opportunity when Nate left his gun on the table in the hallway.  The three restrained guards didn’t stand a chance when she killed them.  Her first act of revenge tasted sweet and she wanted more.

She looked at Sandy and hoped she’d have the same revelation and fight in whatever capacity she could.  She would need it, too, because of what just happened. Reese knew their situation was going to get worse before it got better.

Chapter 39

Winters led one team to the left while Bassett took another team to the right.  They moved slowly through the tall dry grass keeping low and out of sight.  The crunching of the grass underfoot was loud enough to momentarily stop the cicadas’ chirping as they pushed past them.

Winters wondered if they were going to have a full on fight or were these guys just going to run away.  He knew something was off because these guys didn’t have a problem attacking them the other night in the woods.

“Captain, you’re practically on top of them,” said Meeks, who decided to climb the tree and be a lookout instead of pushing an injured leg through the grass.  “How far?” whispered Winters.

Meeks looked through the scope on the Savage Rifle. “Thirty yards.  About the same for you, Bassett.”

Winters lined up his men and slowly stood up gripping the Colt M-4 rifle.  Everyone followed suit and began to fire off a volley low and across the tops of the tall grass.  Shell casings poured out of everyone’s rifles as they emptied their magazines.  They all then dropped to the ground and heard return fire from the enemy.  Bassett’s men then struck from the side, which surprised the Jijis.  A few screamed out in pain as they took rounds on their position.

“Captain, they’re running away,” said Meeks as he squeezed his trigger knocking one over.

Winters stood up and could see them in the distance.  He ordered another barrage and then they chased after the fleeing Jijis.  They soon overran the enemy’s original position and took care to make sure the dead were actually dead.

“Looks like we got four of them,” said Elliott.

“They all dead?”

Elliott nodded.

“Grab their weapons and gear,” ordered Winters.

Bassett’s team came in.

“They didn’t wait around too long,” said Bassett.

“No, they didn’t,” said Winters.

Winters grabbed the radio.  “Meeks, what’s it look like?”

“Some ran to the house.  Most are hiding behind the barn.”

“Seems like they’re trying to bait us, Captain,” said Bassett.

“It does appear that way.”

“I think they’re stalling,” said Amber.

“Oh?”

“They’ve got us outnumbered and they’re just sitting out there waiting,” said Amber.

“That’s what’s been bothering me about this.”

Meeks came back over on the radio.  “Captain, Hadley is coming in.  He says the cops just attacked the hospital.”

Winters let out a gasp and closed his eyes knowing the enemy played them.

“What happened?” asked Winters trying to remain calm.

“Hold on, Captain.”

Static came over the airways as Hadley was still out of range.  All the men gathered around Winters trying to discern a word here or there from Hadley’s garbled transmission.  It was excruciatingly difficult trying to figure it out while not allowing your imagination to go wild.

“Everyone is dead?  Confirm that Hadley,” said Meeks.

A cold sweat washed over Winters.  He glanced up to see a tear coming down Amber’s cheek.

“Hold on, Hadley.  Captain, all of our guys are dead…except Nate and Reese.”

A small sense of relief touched Winters knowing Nate and Reese survived, but he had to fight back maddening anger at the thought of the cops executing injured men in their beds.

“How long ago?”

“Hadley, how long ago?”

The transmission became clearer as Hadley got in range.  A few minutes later, Winters got all the information the young Texan had to offer and ordered everyone back into town.

They drove to the hospital in silence with everyone engrossed in their own thoughts.

Elliott was thankful his lifelong friend survived the onslaught.  He made himself feel better imagining Nate taking on the enemy despite his own debilitating injury.  No one could take down his friend, or so it seemed.

Amber stared out the window as tears flowed down her cheeks.  She had grown close to the younger Reese and thought of her as a little sister.  She looked up to the girl and admired her bravery.  She wondered if she’d be able to go on if her sister was no longer around.

Meeks thought about the revenge that he was going to deliver tonight.  He had no doubt he’d give himself a shot of painkillers and go on the hunt tonight regardless of what Winters said.  The men killed were good men.  He knew each one of them and they deserved better than to be executed in their beds.

A pang of guilt shot through Winters’ heart and wouldn’t let go.  Once again, he had become overconfident and allowed the enemy to waltz right into their camp.  How did they not have any guards posted around the hospital?  Granted they were posted around the town, but obviously, they didn’t have enough.  He shouldn’t have allowed so many men to go out today and should have known the spy reported all their movements.  It was stupid to have a hundred men leave all at the same time.  Instead of ambushing the enemy, they were the ones who were ambushed.

They arrived at the hospital and Elliott drove up to the emergency room entrance.  Nate and Reese stood waiting together at the door.  They looked terrible.  Winters opened the truck door and walked over to them giving both a light hug.

“You look like hell,” said Elliott.

“Feel like it,” said Nate.

“Tell me what happened,” asked Winters.

Reese looked at Nate.  “You tell ‘em.”

Winters and the others stood in rapt silence for the next few minutes as Nate gave them all the details of the attack.

Winters cringed hearing the life and death moments of the raid.  His anger grew the more he heard.  Besides losing his men, they lost a doctor, two nurses, and eleven civilians who had the bad luck of being sick today.

Winters looked at Nate and Reese hardly believing they survived the massacre.  He knew he should reach out to Reese, but the anger boiling within him prevented him from doing so.  The only thing he could manage was a knowing nod.  She returned it with a small smile.

He turned to his men.  “Until we find out who that spy is, from this moment forward, we keep everything we plan to do to ourselves.  No one and I mean no one is going to know our movements.  That includes Nordell.”

They all nodded their heads.

“We going out tonight, Captain?” asked Meeks.

Everyone stared at Winters.

“Oh, you’re damned right we’re going out tonight.  And, we’re going to go kill ourselves some cops.”

“We hitting them on US 12?” asked Elliott.

Winters looked at them and shook his head.  “No.  We’re taking those cops cars we got last night and we’re going into Detroit and we’re taking the RPG with us.”

Smiles spread across their faces.

Winters gave his orders and then walked toward the parking lot.  He thought about why he needed to keep Nordell out of the loop.  It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the man; it was because he knew the spy was probably close to him.  He needed him around tonight so they would raise no suspicions.  He’d have the hospital locked down with no one going in or out of the place.  This way the spy might believe the Shadow Patriots were not going anywhere.

Chapter 40

Alexandria Virginia

Major Green walked into his mother’s home and smelled spicy fried chicken.  It was his favorite meal, but one she didn’t often make.  He walked into the kitchen and found her standing in front of the stove wearing an apron over her tailored suit.

“Are you coming back or going out?” he asked her.

“Hi, dear.  I’m doing both.  Had a committee luncheon this afternoon and a fundraiser tonight.  You want to come?”

“No, I’ve got plans for tonight.”

They no longer talked in hush tones as Jacob Gibbs, the former FBI man, had swept their home for listening devices.  He didn’t find any but suggested they have it done weekly.  This relieved some of the stress that had been building up over the past several weeks and made their lives much easier.

“Going for a jog?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Sarah gave her son a curious look.

“I had an interesting visitor today.”

“John, are you going to talk in riddles during dinner too?”

He laughed and then proceeded to tell her about Reed dropping by and what he learned in regards to Cara Winters.

Sarah turned the stove off and sat down.  “That was an interesting visit.”

“Oh, and Reed sends his warmest regards.”

“Yes, I’m sure he does, the two-faced bastard.”

Green was still getting used to this new side of his mother.  She never swore before or at least never in front of him.  Ever since Pruitt took her hostage, she had changed into a different person becoming jumpier and more distrustful of people than before.  She insisted on being involved with their group and since she knew many people in the district, was quite useful.  She was presently taking an active role in figuring out who was on which side of things.

“Something tells me that poor girl has no idea she’s being used,” said Sarah.

“I don’t know what’s going on with her or how those two even got together.”

“Does she not understand that Reed is going to kill her father?”

“I’m assuming she does, look what she almost did to me.”

Sarah shook her head in disgust.  “Someone needs to smack that girl upside the head and knock some sense into her.”

“I’m with you on that.  Anyways, tonight I’m delivering the recording.”

“I thought you were going to wait.”

“I did too, but after seeing him today and hearing what he’s going to do, I don’t want to wait any longer.  He needs to be thrown off his game right away.”

“How are you going to deliver it?”

“I’m going to take it right to his front door.”

Sarah gave it some thought and liked the idea.  “I like that.  It’ll make it even more personal.”

“Exactly.”

“Grab the salad dressing,” said Sarah.

They sat down and said little as they ate dinner.  Both were satisfied with the way things were starting to work out.  It felt good to be on the offensive to have a plan in place.  They were going to blow things up in the district and make lives uncomfortable for those who were on the wrong side of history.

After dinner, Green offered to do the dishes so his mother could be on time for her fundraiser.  He still had time to kill before heading to Annapolis and needed to think about tonight’s tactics.  Having already scoped out Smiths Island where Reed lived, he decided to put on a tracksuit, thinking a jogger would blend in the neighborhood.

After doing the dishes, he grabbed the thumb-drive, placed it in a white envelope, and then drove into D.C. to exchange cars from a storage unit he rented.  The money he took from Pruitt allowed for the purchase of several different cars, which he placed around the city.  All the cars had fake tags and registrations that Sam supplied.

Arriving in Annapolis, Green threaded through the many streets before turning onto Cherry Tree Lane, which ended on Smiths Island.  He pulled into the plush community clubhouse parking lot and took a couple of deep breaths before opening the door.  Stepping out into the dark night, he was surprised at how calm he was and thought how breaking into Pruitt’s house had provided valuable experience and the nerve to operate under these types of circumstances.  Of course, the fully loaded M9 pistol inside his running pants was always a confidence booster.

Within a minute, Reed’s house came up on the left.  All the lights were still on and he was about to run up the lawn when a dark figure moved across the driveway.  He kept running past the house and in his peripheral vision saw a man walking across the lawn.  He cursed himself for not thinking about guards and stopped up ahead to double back to a set of trees, which bordered the street opposite Reed’s home.  He took his time and carefully maneuvered through the dark mass of trees.

Dressed all in black kept Green hidden among the trees as he waited to see how many guards patrolled the grounds.  He hadn’t expected it but wasn’t really surprised by it either.  The man was paranoid and never went anywhere without an entourage.  He didn’t know it extended to his home.  He wondered if Pruitt’s death instigated the precaution.  It must have made an impact on him.  Perhaps the old man finally knew what it felt like to be vulnerable.

The guard paced up and down the driveway probably bored out of his mind.  He lit up a cigarette and continued his pacing.  Green had begun to wonder if he’d be able to complete his mission tonight when the guard broke his routine and walked around toward the back.  Green timed how long it took to complete the round.  Forty-five seconds later, the guard came back.

Now Green began to grow bored waiting for another opportunity and was about to call it a night when the guard made another round.  He looked at his watch and figured out the man’s schedule.  Every thirty minutes he made a round, which took forty-five seconds and there was only one guard.

He sat down on the pine needles and anticipated the next round.  The downstairs lights went off and Green could see the old man look out the window before going upstairs.  The bottom of the hour was approaching so he stood up and got ready.  Green’s heart began to race as the guard set off for another round.  He gave him a few seconds before tearing out of the woods and bolting across the lawn to the door.  He kept his head bent down with the jacket hood covering his face in case cameras kept watch.  He pulled out the envelope and shoved it in the curve of the door handle.  He thought about ringing the doorbell but knew that would be foolish bravado.  He turned and charged back across the lawn and onto the road.  He figured it took fifteen seconds. He quietly got into his car, turned the key, and headed home.

Chapter 41

Detroit Michigan

Two squad cars with their emergency lights flashing raced up Michigan Highway 52 toward the interstate.  The cars passed by all the posted guards on the road with ease.  It was nightfall and it was impossible to see that the occupants of the vehicles were not cops.

Winters peered through the window with the thought of stopping and killing them out of spite.  No doubt the men traveling with him felt the same way, but they had bigger fish in mind tonight in Detroit.  They were going to attack the police headquarters and burn it to the ground.  The goal was to show the cops they, too, could come in whenever they wanted and strike their house.

Earlier, Winters asked Taylor to rough the cops up and get some information out of them.  Taylor didn’t have any problems finding out the code word to use when they were out on the highway for safe passage.  He also learned about their manpower and schedules, which were made up of skeleton crews at night.  The lightly manned station was perfect for what Winters wanted to accomplish.

He felt better about the mission as they passed the last of the Jijis on the interstate.  He took note of how many of them were still there.  He didn’t think they would wait much longer to strike the city again.

He leaned back and slouched down a little, as Elliott drove along the open road to Detroit.  Scar and Meeks sat in the back and didn’t feel the need to fill in the silence, which suited him just fine.  He had too much to think about as the heavy burden of responsibility rested squarely on his shoulders.  He had made the mistake and it cost them dearly.  Winters stared out into the darkness thinking how Vatter outmaneuvered him.  He gritted his teeth thinking how he was about to return the favor.

After much debate with the men, he had decided to take only two squad cars, which meant only eight people were going.  He didn’t want to take a chance the spy would see them leave and figured less was better.  Plus, they needed the hospital covered by as many men as possible in case they were attacked again.  Both Nate and Reese complained about not going and Winters almost relented, but they both looked like hell and he wasn’t going to take any chances on this mission.  He only took his most trusted men and, of course, that included Bassett and Burns.  Taylor earned a slot for all the interrogations he had been doing and Hadley because he was a former cop, which might come in handy.  Amber was the only one who didn’t complain, as she wanted to stay with Reese and Nate and watch over them.

Approaching the city, Winters wondered if they shouldn’t be coming in employing stealth techniques and use their night-vision optics, but exiting the interstate onto Evergreen Road, they found the streets to be empty and felt it was unnecessary.  The streets wallowed in darkness because the rationed electricity they received from Canada meant no streetlights.

Hadley explained that the cops closed all the other precincts except for this one.  The large brick building had a parking lot in back and was big enough for their operation.

Pulling up to the front of the station, Winters powered up a pair of night-vision goggles and put them on.  He looked at the entrance and remembered being there when Captain Cox captured him, Reese, and Sadie in South Bend.  He had spent a painful night on a plywood bed in a cell next to the girls.

Elliott drove to the back parking lot where twelve squad cars sat, which gave Winters an idea.

“Park here.”

Elliott put the car in park and everyone stepped out into the night.  It was strangely quiet as there were no cars driving around and no buzzing from the streetlights, which didn’t seem right because you knew you were in a big city.  With the exception of a few lights inside the building, the place looked dead.

“Whatcha got in mind, Captain?” asked Meeks.

“Grab the empty containers from the trunk.  Let’s start by siphoning some gas, can you and Scar get on that?”

“C’mon Scar,” said Meeks tapping his friend on the shoulder.

“Hadley, where are the exits?”

“Besides this back door here, there’s one on the other side there, other than that, it’s just the front door.”

“Corporal, I want your squad to handle the back here.  After we shoot out the front door I’m going to use the RPG and blow it all to hell.  Something tells me the rats will be heading out this back door.”

“You got it, Captain.”

“Take ‘em down and then we’ll pour gas through the doorway and all around these cars.”

For the next fifteen minutes, they siphoned fuel and filled up their vehicles.  Elliott moved the car to the parking lot across the street from the front of the station.  He grabbed the SAW, the M249 belt fed machine gun that fired 725 rounds a minute, and placed it on the hood.  He then grabbed the RPG and set it next to the SAW.

Winters, Meeks, and Scar hustled over to Elliott and got themselves set up.  Scar volunteered to handle the SAW, while the rest used their Colt M-4 Carbine rifles.

Everyone flipped their goggles down and lined up.  Winters radioed Bassett to get ready.  Scar pulled the lever back and held on tight as he squeezed the trigger.  The night erupted in strobes of muzzle flash and a deafening barrage of gunfire as four weapons shot their projectiles toward the building.  The glass front door shattered into a thousand pieces as rounds ripped through it.  Smoke spewed in clouds rising into the night air.  Scar finished the belt of ammo and headed back to their ride.  The others each emptied a second magazine before joining Scar.  Elliott then grabbed the RPG and waited for the go ahead.

Winters surveyed the damage and could see they blew out all the windows.  Cops inside were yelling and screaming.  Then rapid fire erupted from the back parking lot where Bassett and his men waited.  He tapped Elliott on the shoulder and gave him the go ahead.

Elliott stood still to line up a shot and let out a breath before squeezing the trigger.  The rocket took off, leaving a flaming tail as it raced toward the entrance and inside the building.  The explosion was beyond deafening as it echoed throughout the building and out into the street.  Debris and flames blew out in all directions from the windows.  Flames danced throughout the building and started to consume everything in their path.

The four men could feel the concussion hit them a second later.  They stood there admiring their work for a few moments before getting into their ride to head back to Bassett.  Burns met them and reported they took out two cops but could hear more inside.

“Bassett, get a gas can to that back entrance,” ordered Winters.  “See if you can pour some of it inside.  Burns cover him but don’t take any chances.  Taylor, you and Hadley help me pour this gas all around these vehicles.  The rest of you cover us.”

Bassett and Burns ran up to the back door.  Bassett set the canister down and grabbed the handle.  He pulled on it as Burns emptied a magazine down the hallway.  Then they poured gas all around the floor inside and emptied it at the entrance.  Burns pulled out a match and threw it down.  The gas exploded and raced inside enveloping the entrance.

Winters, Taylor, and Hadley scooted around the squad cars pouring out all the gas and leaving a trail out to the street.

“We might want to move our rides first,” said Winters.

“Captain, that’s the best advice you’ve given us tonight,” said Meeks.

Moving out to the street, the men put the final touches on their work by firing at the vehicles.  Rounds hit everywhere and ignited the gasoline.  Flames raced around its path catching all the cars on fire.

Within a few minutes, flames engulfed the whole building and the men stood there admiring their handiwork.  They had extracted at least a little retribution for what the National Police had done to them.  They got into their cars and headed back to Jackson.

Chapter 42

Jackson Michigan

Exhilaration coursed through Winters’ body at the thought of what they accomplished making him forget or at least ignore the source of the pain that predicated their actions tonight.  His need to justify his part in the deaths at the hospital was immense and difficult to please.  He didn’t want those people to have died in vain and desperately wanted to give it meaning.  Every loss touched him in some way, but these, today, were the worst as they had been preventable.  It wasn’t a rational thought, but he couldn’t help it.  He felt Mister Hyde creep back into his thoughts and no matter how hard he resisted, he wanted revenge.  The idea of taking out some cops on US 12 was appealing and knew it would be easy to do.  The fantasy sent a warm feeling through his body and the more he thought about it the more he liked the idea.  He finally suggested it to everyone.

It took a second before Scar spoke up.  “Sounds great, Captain.”

Winters didn’t like the tone in his voice.  “But?”

“Well, Captain, if we do it then we expose the fact that we have these cop cars.”

“So?”

Scar gave Meeks a concerned glare.  “Captain, these cars make it easier for us to get the citizens out of town.”

The rationale angered Winters because he knew Scar was right.  Winters didn’t respond knowing his voice would quiver in anger at that moment.  He tried to let it go, but couldn’t and his mood turned black.

They made it back into town without any trouble and pulled into the parking lot of their makeshift prison.  They hid the squad cars around back, got in their other vehicles, and headed back to the hospital.

Scar watched Winters get out of the car and storm inside.  He turned to Elliott and Meeks.  “Something’s bothering him.”

“He’s taking the attack personally,” said Elliott.

“That wasn’t his fault,” said Meeks.

“Doesn’t matter, he’s in charge, so it’s his cross to bear,” said Elliott.

“Man, that sucks,” said Meeks.

“Yeah, tell me about it.  Poor bastard,” said Scar.

They walked inside and found Amber standing next to Reese and Nate who were sitting in wheelchairs.

“What happened?  Did everything go okay?” asked Amber.

“Yeah, it went great,” said Meeks.

“What’s wrong with, Cole?  He just walked by us like we weren’t even here.”

“I think the day is hitting him,” said Elliott.

“What happened?” asked Reese in a concerned tone.

“After we took out the police station he wanted more blood.”

“Oh, damn,” said Reese.

Everyone turned to her with puzzled expressions.

“We need to check on him,” she said.

“Why?” asked Meeks.

Reese knew exactly what was happening, but didn’t want to have to explain to them about Mister Hyde and how she knew this.  They had only shared this with each other.

“Just trust me.  He’s not himself.”

“I’ll go check his room,” said Amber.

“I’ll go with ya,” said Scar.

Elliott grew suspicious and headed to the parking lot on the west side.  He hurried through the maze of corridors and found the exit.  Once outside he picked up the pace and arrived at the old pickup truck just as Winters was reaching for the ignition.

“Mind if I join you?” asked Elliott as he hopped in.

Winters glared at him but didn’t respond.

“Everyone is worried about ya, Cole.”

Winters tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Elliott continued.  “These last few days, boy, they’ve, they’ve really been tough, and I know they’ve been even tougher on you.  I mean, what with all the hard decisions you’ve had to make, I can’t imagine having to do what you do.  Matter of fact, I don’t think any of us can.  It’s one of the many reasons why we need you, Cole.  You make the hard decisions so we don’t have to.  Right or wrong, you still make ‘em and that’s what we need.”

Elliott paused, letting Winters soak up his words, hoping he was saying the right things.  “None of us blame you for what happened today.  It’s just one of those things that happens in war.”

Winters let go of the steering wheel and turned to Elliott.  “I took great pleasure in what we did tonight.”

“Well, we all did.”

“Yes, I’m sure of that, but I took a different kind of pleasure.”

Elliott’s concern for his friend heightened.  “What do you mean?”

“A couple of months back, didn’t I tell you about this Jekyll and Hyde thing I deal with sometimes?”

“Ah, I think so, don’t quite remember.”

“Well, sometimes I have this need for revenge.”

“You mean like justice?”

“Oh no, this has nothing to do with justice.  There’s no justice out here anyway.”

Elliott didn’t know how to respond and said nothing.

“No, I mean revenge pure and simple.  It’s a deep desire that is almost unquenchable, but when I fill it, it’s pure ecstasy.  Kind of like letting the dark shine.”

Elliott raised an eyebrow.

“The only problem with revenge is that it is fleeting and then it needs to be satisfied again.”

Winters could see the shocked look on Elliott.  “Ever since I watched my friends get murdered back at the train station, I’ve had my own Mister Hyde buried deep within me.” He paused for a moment.  “It took me a while to recognize it, and once I did, for the most part, I’ve been able to keep him under wraps, but tonight, hmm, tonight he overtook me and I wanted more.”

Elliott began to see the light.  “It’s why you wanted to kill more cops.”

“Yep.”

“So, what happens now?”

“I sit here and try to get through it.”

“Weren’t ya gonna go and kill some more cops?”

“I want to, but I also know it’s foolish, so I’ve been sitting here fighting the urge.  It’s why I was still here when you found me.”

“Cole, does this happen all the time?”

“No, like I said, for the most part, I’m able to control it.  It’s just that today was such a terrible thing, it really hit me hard.”

“We don’t blame you.”

“I know, but still, it was personal for me.”

“Yeah, I get that.  So, does anyone else know about this?”

“Only one person and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Might this other person be, Reese?”

Winters shot him a glance.  “How did you know?”

“I’ve seen the way you two get along.”

Winters was surprised he figured it out.  “She deals with the same thing only it’s worse for her as you can imagine.”

Elliott let out a scoff.  “With what that girl went through, I’m surprised she’s even able to function.  I don’t know how she does it.”

“She’s tough and strong-willed, but I’ve had to help her through this.”

“I’m sure you’ve been a big help.”

“Yeah, too big of help I think.”

“Oh?”

Winters didn’t want to tell anyone about his conversation with Reese, but he needed to get it off his chest.  “Yeah, she’s ah, developed feelings for me.”

“Oh, boy.”

“Tell me about it.”

“When did you find this out?”

“You know this morning when you found me right here staring at nothing?”

Elliott nodded.

“Just before then.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You afraid what the others might think?”

“That and I’m thirty years older than her.”

“Hell, I wouldn’t worry about the age thing, I mean she seems a lot older than she is anyway.  I can’t speak for the other guys, but I think it’d be great.  Besides, she is a cute little thing.”

“Yeah, and way out of my league.”

“Apparently not,” chuckled Elliott.

Winters shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Cole, we’re at war, and as we’ve seen today, any one of us could die at any time.  Don’t have any regrets.”

“I know, you’re right.  Regrets would be…regrettable,” said Winters with a sly smile.

Elliott cocked his head.  “Nicely done.”

Winters gave him a shrug.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.  You want to hit the cafeteria?”

“No, you go ahead.  I’m gonna hang here for a bit longer.”

Elliott gave him a concerned look.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Alright.”

“Elliott, you’re a good friend.  Thanks for finding me.”

Elliott walked back inside the hospital satisfied that Winters had calmed down.  He was glad he confided in him, and now knew why he retreated within himself at times.  It was something he had noticed over the last couple of months but thought it was nothing more than the weight of leadership.

Chapter 43

Detroit Michigan

Vatter left the station when Tannenbaum came back from Jackson.  The attack had been a success albeit they lost four men in the process.  Well worth the cost as they killed a doctor, two nurses, and all their wounded.  He wasn’t sure how many, but Tannenbaum thought they took out at least twenty citizens as well.

He parked his car in the oval driveway of the large home he had confiscated a few weeks ago and walked through the front door into the oversized marble floored foyer.  A couple of statues of Greek women stood at the far end guarding the living room.  The walls were painted an off white and gold curtains decorated the windows.  It was extravagant and not necessarily his taste, but he didn’t really care knowing he wouldn’t be here long.

He unbuckled his gun belt and laid it on the dark marble table by the door.  He didn’t worry about intruders because all the neighbors were cops.  Many of them had migrated to the same neighborhood in an area that under normal circumstances would be way out of their price range, but they ruled the city, and it was nice to be king.

He opened the back door and started the generator to power up his home.  He then walked into the kitchen to boil some water for spaghetti.  He sat down, waiting for the water to boil, and thought about the aftermath of their attack.  The rebels will be in shock knowing their defenses weren’t good enough to keep their people from dying.  He wished he could have seen the looks on their faces when they found out what happened.  He’d have to get on the Ham radio tomorrow and talk to Posey personally to see what their reactions were.

Vatter threw the pasta in the boiling water and stirred it around.  His thoughts moved to his mother who he’d have to deal with tomorrow or the next when she would go to see Carol.  He felt bad she’d have to be the one to find her bloody body lying on the kitchen floor but having her discover the body would keep the scent off him.  He didn’t need her badgering and didn’t want to have to explain himself.  It was going to be bad enough that he’d have to pretend to investigate the crime.  He let out a scoff thinking about it.

After eating dinner, Vatter decided to go to sleep early.  It had been a rough couple of days and his face still hurt from the slice Carol gave him.  He put his head on the pillow and wondered how the twins were doing.  He figured Mordulfah already took their virginity.  He hoped they didn’t cry too much and would learn to like their new home.  If they did, then he knew Mordulfah would treat them well as he wasn’t an ogre to his women.

Vatter woke up to a loud banging on the front door.  He turned on a flashlight and looked at his watch; which read four in the morning.  Throwing on a robe, he grabbed the flashlight, raced down the stairs, and opened the door to find Tannenbaum standing there.

“What the hell is going on?”

“Got some bad news, man.”

“At four in the morning?”

“Our station got attacked.”

Vatter shook his head in disbelief.  “Who attacked our station?”

“The rebels.”

“What?”

“Yeah man, little over an hour ago?”

“What the hell happened?”

“They shot the place up and burned it to the ground.”

Vatter couldn’t believe it.  How did they get past the posted guards and drive all the way into Detroit? “Anyone get killed?”

“All but Jimmy and Smitty, which is amazing, cuz believe me, man, once you see the place, you’ll wonder how they were even able to get out of there.  They probably used an RPG cuz the whole front entrance is blown to hell, and I mean the whole damn place is hollowed out.”

Vatter told Tannenbaum he’d get down to the station immediately.  He sat down on a chair and shook his head knowing he had underestimated the rebels and their capabilities.  The only thing he did today was wake them up, and that caused him to lose his station.  It wasn’t a problem to reopen one of the other precincts; the problem was this didn’t look good as a whole to the men.  There were already rumors going around that Carter and his guys took off with the women they’d captured.  He was going to look even more incompetent and weaker than yesterday.  He still hadn’t opened the party house, which had been the first thing he promised the men he’d do.  He leaned back in his chair wondering what he was going to do.

Chapter 44

Washington D.C.

Waking up early, Major Green showered and headed to a meeting with Jacob Gibbs in a parking garage at an indoor mall.  The mall wouldn’t be open so no one would bother them.  Arriving earlier than expected, he pulled into a drive-thru coffee shop and ordered a couple of Lattés.  While waiting in line, he thought about his adventure last night getting the recording to Reed.  With the exception of not expecting a guard outside, he felt good about the operation.  He didn’t get caught and that counted for everything.

After getting the drinks, he pulled into the garage and saw Gibbs waiting.  He climbed into Gibbs’ car and handed him his drink.

“Thanks,” said Gibbs, taking the lid off.

“Appreciate you meeting me at the last minute.”

“Not a problem.”

“I delivered the recording last night.”

Gibbs held his cup up.  “Excellent.”

“Even delivered it to his house.”

“Nice touch.”  Gibbs looked at his watch.  “In about another hour or so the old man will be freaking out wondering who had this recording and who’s heard it.”

“Do you think he’ll be able to figure out where it came from?”

“Good question.  Do you think your source is in danger?”

Green paused before taking a sip.  “I hadn’t really thought about that, but now that you mention it, maybe we should get Alison O’Connor out of the city.”

Gibbs put his coffee down.  “I think that’d be a good idea.  If they scoop her up she might be able to tell them something.”

Green began to worry.  He didn’t want to get to work late but wondered if Alison would listen to anyone else but him and expressed his concerned.

“I see your point.  Give me her address and I’ll go by and see what happens.”

“Okay, good,” said Green feeling relieved.  He then told Gibbs about Cara Winters and what Reed planned on doing with her.

Gibbs shook his head as he absorbed what Green told him.  “He’s a master strategist, I’ll give him that.”

“Yes, he is.”

“Is there any way you can get word to Winters?”

“No, there’s not, which is why I asked Reed to include my man, Corporal Bassett, in his demands.”

“Oh, why?”

“I have a lot of faith in him and I think he’ll be able to help Winters.”

“Is he still alive?”

“He was as of last week, but with the upheaval in Jackson, I don’t know.  If he is, then he’ll be an asset.”

They finished their drinks and Green headed to the office, arriving on time.  For the next hour, he kept his hands busy waiting for Gibbs to call.  He had a stack of papers to go through and tried to focus on them but found it difficult with the reality of Alison O’Connor’s situation.  He felt guilty for not thinking about her safety when they decided to use the recording.  It should have been something foremost in his mind, especially knowing the type of man Lawrence Reed was.  If anything happened to her, then it would be on his hands.

Green got up from his desk, grabbed a folder, and walked out of his office.  He needed the walk and wanted to go by Reed’s office.  He took the stairs up the one floor two at a time and ambled down the hallway.  The old man had not shown up yet, so he turned around and headed back to his office.  He had a meeting to prepare for with his witless colleagues.  It wasn’t something he looked forward to but knew if he didn’t show up it would look odd, which was not what he needed, especially today.

He passed by his secretary, Grace, just as the phone rang.  He walked into his office, picked it up and heard Gibbs’ voice.  The news wasn’t good or bad because Alison never answered the door.  He wondered if she wasn’t hung over and still in bed.  The day he’d seen her, she wasn’t in the greatest of shape.  Green pleaded for Gibbs to go back and try again, but he turned him down because of another appointment.  He did promise to meet out there at noon.

Green leaned back in his chair and considered skipping his meeting, but knew he needed to be there.  He’d just hoped there wasn’t going to be too much bloviating so he could get out of there and head to Bethesda.

Chapter 45

Jackson Michigan

A fly buzzed inside the old Chevy pickup truck waking Winters.  He swatted at it and missed.  He ran his hand through his hair and then grabbed onto the steering wheel to stretch his legs.  He wished he hadn’t fallen asleep out in the parking lot.  He let out a deep breath trying to work the kinks out of his body.  A slight breeze blew through the open windows and he leaned his head out to feel the gently moving air.  He glanced in the mirror and ran his hand across his scruffy beard trying to remember the last time he shaved.

He got out of the truck and headed inside the hospital.  Seeing the bullet holes in the walls would be a constant and painful reminder of the devastating assault.  A few of the men killed had been with him in the woods on Robinson Road.  They survived that night only to be executed in their beds.

He got to his room and found a razor in the bathroom.  He turned on the water and began the process of taking off the growth by using a bar of soap to work it into a makeshift lather.  Taking the beard off, he started to see a different face from last night staring back at him.  That man lost control and almost allowed the dark to shine bright.  Thankfully, Elliot showed up and helped him through that black period.

He splashed water on his face and through his hair.  He needed a shower but didn’t feel like taking one with cold water.  He pulled his shirt off and saw the wound Johnny-Boy had given him at the train station.  It looked hideous and was still tender to the touch, but other than that was healing well.  The doctor in Canada said it’d take about a year before it was completely tender free.  He worked the cold washcloth around the wound and washed the rest of his upper body.  He felt refreshed which gave him a better attitude.

He headed down to the cafeteria and gave a nod to Corporal Bassett, who sat there eating breakfast.

“Morning, Captain.”

“Corporal,” said Winters as he grabbed a coffee and a couple of muffins.

“Hell of a night last night,” said Bassett.

“Yes, it was,” replied Winters.  He didn’t want to talk about the hospital attack.  They rarely talked about past battles, but this one was different and personal.

Bassett took a sip of coffee.  “We’ll get ‘em again, sir.”

Winters appreciated Bassett’s subtly.  He obviously knew about what went on with him.  They must have all been worried and Elliott had to have said something to calm them down.

Winters broke apart the blueberry muffin and started to eat it.

“I’ll work on our perimeter security today,” said Bassett.

He was thankful not to have to tell him what to do about this matter.  He didn’t blame anyone for yesterday’s assault because the fault lay with him for taking so many men with them on their attack.  Their forces were just too few to be one hundred percent effective.

“Do whatever it takes, you’ve got free reign with it,” said Winters.

“Might just be a matter of making our area of operations smaller.”

Winters continued eating the muffin and could see Bassett wanted to ask what his plans were today, but knew he wouldn’t ask out of respect, so he decided to put his curiosity to rest.  “I’m going to get with Mayor Simpson and see if we can’t get a handle on this spy.”

Bassett nodded.  “Have we not heard from ours yet?”

“Not yet, but then it’s only been a day so that’s a work in progress.”

“Whoever it is, has to have a radio, probably a HAM radio, they go great distances.  With the speed these guys came after we left, it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Winters hadn’t really given it much thought about how the spy operated.  He wondered if that might be a useful piece of knowledge and decided to bring it up with the mayor.

Chapter 46

Detroit Michigan

Vatter waited until the sun came up before driving to the station.  There was no point in rushing as the damage had already been done.  Moreover, he wanted to see it in the daylight.  When he arrived and saw how the rebels destroyed his station, he wanted to spit nails.  Tannenbaum had been right; the rebels blew out the front entrance, which made him wonder again, where they got an RPG.  He parked across the street and as soon as he got out of the car, the pungent smell stung his nostrils.  A few flames still danced inside as smoke chased after the wind.  Some of the men walked around and chatted in groups.  Vatter walked to the back parking lot where the destroyed cruisers sat, still smoldering.

Vatter knew they’d lost some weaponry as well and it would have to be replaced right away, which meant he’d have to go see Mordulfah to do that.  He was the only one who had more than enough weapons.  It wasn’t something he wanted to do but knew Mordulfah would find out what happened anyway and would want a full report.

For the next couple of hours, Vatter and his men salvaged what they could and moved to a station down the road.  They had closed that location down only six months ago and had the necessary jail cells that Vatter hoped to fill with rebels.

He then drove to Grosse Pointe hoping Mordulfah was in a good mood.  He should be now that he had his cousins to play with.  How often do you get yourself twin girls and cute ones at that?  The more he thought about it the more he felt confident about his position.

The guards swept the squad car before allowing him onto the grounds.  Wali informed him that he would join Mordulfah for breakfast.  Vatter laughed to himself.  A late breakfast meant he had been up late enjoying himself.

Wali escorted him inside to a large table full of breakfast foods.  “He’ll be down directly.”

Vatter hadn’t eaten breakfast yet and wanted to dig in, but knew it would be rude, so he waited.  He didn’t have wait too long as Mordulfah entered the room in his flowing white robes.

“Captain Vatter, good morning to you.”

Vatter stood up.  “And, to you, sir.”

“Sit, sit. No need to be formal here, it’s only breakfast.  Please, help yourself.”

Vatter was relieved when he saw how giddy Mordulfah looked.  He didn’t want to spoil it and decided to put off the bad news.

“I must say, those girls you brought me, couldn’t be any more precious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“They are your cousins, no?”

Vatter didn’t want to answer.  “They are.”

“You surprise me, Captain.”

“Oh?”

“I didn’t think you had it in you, but yet you delivered right when it was most needed.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“I’ll not forget your loyalty.”

Vatter perked up hearing those words.

“A man who is willing to give up such sweet prizes is a man I value.”

Vatter decided this wasn’t such a bad day after all.  He reached for some fresh fruit and dished himself a big helping of scrambled eggs.

After breakfast, Mordulfah invited Vatter out onto the patio to talk business.

“I know you didn’t come all the way out here to have breakfast with me.  Before you begin, I already know about your problems from last night.”

Vatter wasn’t surprised.  He figured someone on his force told one of the M and M’s and it made its way here quickly.

Mordulfah looked at Vatter.  “Don’t worry about any of this.  I have the answer to our problems.”

“You do?”

“Yes, I do, and I’m going to need your help.”

Vatter waited for him to continue.

“I just got off the phone with Mister Reed.  It seems he has something that will force Mister Winters to willingly give himself up.”

“And what is that?”

“His daughter.”

Vatter’s jaw about dropped.  “She’s his prisoner?”

“Not at all.  She’s more than willing to help in any way she can.  Apparently, there’s no love loss there.”

“This is fantastic.”

“She is flying out here Saturday night.  I need for you to go pick her up and bring her to me.”

“Absolutely.  What are you going to do with her?”

“Use her as bait.  He’ll have no choice but to come to us.”

Vatter smiled hearing his plans.

Chapter 47

Jackson Michigan

Winters left the cafeteria before Bassett finished his breakfast, as he wanted to get out of the hospital.  He wasn’t in the mood to see anyone else at the moment.  While he’d gotten through his Hyde episode from last night, he was still working through some lingering anger issues.  It was such a personal attack that it bothered him more than he knew.  Time heals all wounds, he thought, but he didn’t know how much time it would take or how much he had.

He found Mayor Simpson in the hallway going to his office.

“Captain, I’m so glad you’re here.  Dreadful thing what happened at the hospital. I don’t know how much more death this town can handle.”

“I know.  It’s been a difficult week for everyone here, I’m sorry this happened yesterday.”

“Please, Captain, you have nothing to apologize for.  If it wasn’t for you and your men, we’d all be dead by now.”

Winters didn’t respond.

They walked into his office and Simpson offered him coffee.  “It’s not the best brewed, but it’ll get the job done.”

Winters didn’t care and graciously accepted a cup.

“I understand that young lady helped again.”

“Yes, Reese and Nate.  Fortunately, they survived and were able to kill four of them.”

“I’ll go over there later and personally thank them.”

“They’ll appreciate it.”

“This attack has made everyone even angrier than before,” said Simpson in a raised tone.  “If those bastards thought it would scare us off, then they’re wrong.  If anything, more want to stay and fight than before.  Those folks at the hospital were special to our little community.  We will not dishonor them by running away.”  Simpson finished by shaking his finger in the air.

Simpson’s attitude surprised Winters.  The frail man looked re-energized and Winters wondered if he got an earful from everyone in town.  If so, then the citizens of Jackson were showing some true resolve.  It impressed Winters and made him feel better about the situation.

“I’m glad to hear this, Mayor.”

“We’ll continue to get the elderly and the children out of town, but we got more mother’s giving in to their teenaged sons and daughters who want to stay and fight.”

“Daughters?” asked Winters in a surprised tone.

“Yes, they all know about your young ladies, Reese and the other one.”

“Amber, she’s the older one.”

“Well, they’ve become quite the heroes to them.  The way they helped rescue the girls the other night, word has gotten around and they all want to be just like them.”

Hearing Simpson say these things stunned Winters.  It surprised him that Amber and Reese had such an affect on the youth in town, but the more he considered it, the more it made sense.  Those two girls were true role models, not some superficial sports hero or singer type of role model.  These girls were fighting for everyone’s freedom and willing to lay down their lives for it.  What spoke larger than this?  Nothing.  Winters remembered a time when all of America thought this of their veterans.  He hoped someday his men would be able to bask in that glory, but he wasn’t so sure because right now, they were all wanted fugitives.

“I don’t know what to say, sir,” said Winters, not knowing if this upset the mothers.  “I hope we’re not frustrating their moms.”

“Some, of course, but believe me, after what happened yesterday, more and more are coming around to the idea that everyone needs to pitch in.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Now, about this spy, I want to find out who this bastard is right away,” Simpson stated firmly.

Again, Simpson’s energy surprised Winters.  “Yes, that is what I want as well.”

“How can we find out who it is?”

“He is someone who is close to you, or he’s close to someone else who is close to you.”

“Yes, of course,” said Simpson rubbing his hand through his thin gray hair.

“He’s going to be someone with a radio, more than likely a HAM radio.”

Simpson's eyes lit up.  “A HAM radio you say.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That just might narrow things down.”

Winters could see the wheels spinning in Simpson mind.  He must know someone with a HAM radio, or maybe someone who knew people that did.

“Captain, I might have an answer for you later in the day.”

“Okay, then.  Whatever you do, don’t confront this person, just let me know and we’ll handle it.”

Winters shook the mayor’s frail hand and left City Hall in a much better mood than before.  This attack, while unfortunate, had the reverse effect from the one the cops were probably wanting.  Winters was certain the cops wanted to strike fear in the hearts of the citizens, but instead, they struck a nerve.  They were now angry instead of scared.  Rather than run away, more of them wanted to stay and fight.  Nothing else explained why mothers were allowing their sons and daughters to stay and help in whatever way they could.

Chapter 48

Bethesda Maryland

Time crawls when you are stuck in a meeting of little substance.  All you can think about is what you could be doing or what needs to be done.  It takes great strength to keep your cool and Major Green was just about to lose his when the bloviating finally stopped.  He looked around the room and could see that everyone finally had their egos filled.  He jumped out of his seat and gave everyone a quick handshake.  He then hurried down the hallway back to his office to check for any messages from Gibbs before leaving for Bethesda to go see Alison O’Connor.  Not seeing any messages, Green grabbed his jacket and headed to the garage.

He decided to change cars in case he ran into trouble.  He learned his lesson, to be extra careful, and now that Reed had the recording, there was no telling how he would react.  So, he decided to drive a pickup truck he purchased, which had lawn care signs on both sides.  It even had some equipment in the back to finish off the deception.

It was noon as he pulled into the posh neighborhood where Alison O’Connor lived.  He wondered if Gibbs had already arrived.  He promised to meet him and hoped he wouldn’t be late.  If she hesitated about going with them, he figured it might be easier to convince her with both of them present.  Green turned onto her street and saw her long driveway up ahead.  As he got closer, he noticed a black sedan parked in the driveway.  Thinking Gibbs got there before him, he started to turn in, but then remembered Gibbs drove a dark blue car and didn’t have Maryland tags.  Green slowly drove by and then parked at the edge of her property by the bushes that extended to the road.  He pulled up just enough so he could still see her front door.

He debated on what to do.  It could be just a relative or a friend visiting, maybe even a male friend.  He certainly didn’t want to make it awkward for her if that was the case.  Green’s anxiety rose thinking these could very well be Reed’s henchmen there to kill her.  If that were the case, then it would be too late, as they’d finish her off before he got inside.  He then realized they’d want to question her first about the recording and if she had given it to someone.  Thankfully, Green didn’t use his real name with her, although, a good description would eventually lead back to him.

“To hell with this,” he yelled out.

He pulled on the door handle just as her front door opened up and two men came out dragging Alison.  She wore the same light blue satin robe she’d had on when she answered the door a few days ago.  They threw her in the backseat and began to back out of the driveway.

Green’s heart began to race.  He needed to do something and decided to ram the car.  He threw his truck in reverse and was about to floor the gas pedal, but realized it was too late.  The car flew out of the driveway faster than he had anticipated.  Green smacked the steering wheel frustrated.  He had no choice but to follow them.  He let off the brake and backed the truck into her driveway.  He spun the steering wheel around and floored the pedal.  The tires squealed as he fishtailed out of the driveway just as a car came right at him.

Chapter 49

Jackson Michigan

Winters left city hall and went to visit Bill Taylor at their makeshift prison.  He had thought about going there last night and pay the six cops they held prisoner a little visit.  He almost gave into the urge but knew if he did, he’d cross the line between killing and murdering.  He shuddered at the thought of it.  He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself had he done so.  He regretted and felt bad because of the many mistakes he made over the last few months, but they only involved his inexperience, not his failings in moral character.

Winters parked the old pickup around back and hopped up on the dock.  He opened the door and heard Taylor yelling in the back.  He found Badger as he was leaving the room that held the Jijis.  He rolled his eyes at Winters as he slammed the door.

“These dumb sons-of-a-bitches, they still think we’re their servants.  All they do is bitch about this and that.  I swear to God, if they whine anymore I’m going to teach them a lesson.”

Winters chuckled at him.  “Did you not get enough sleep last night, Badger?”

“Sleep?  Hell, after burning down that cop station, I was too jacked up to sleep.  Thanks again for including me.”

“You deserve it for what you’re doing here.”

“It ain’t easy listening to these pansies.  Now, those cops are just as bad, but a couple of ‘em have really bad attitudes.  I had to separate them into three different groups.  Two of them are total douche bags, arrogant little weasels.  I got another two that are real momma’s boys, constantly crying.  While the other two, well they’re the ones Reese beat the hell out of.  We patched them up, but I don’t pay much attention to those two bullies.  I told them because they like to beat on little girls, that it was karma paying them back.”

“Glad to see you’ve got it handled.  Let me know if you need anything.”

“Ha.  I’m starting to think I need to get some of them teddy bears.”

Winters wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not.

“So, what brings you here?”

Winters didn’t want to tell him he was just trying to avoid the hospital.  “Thought I might talk to the cops, see if they had any more info we could use.”

“I’ll have you talk to the whiny ones.  They’re easy enough, but you might want to bring some tissues with ya.”

Again, he wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not.

“I’ll bring the weakest one into that room over there,” said Taylor pointing down the hall.

Winters waited and watched as they escorted a blindfolded cop to the room and sat him down.

Taylor came up to Winters.  “His name is Andy Deeble, a bit of a cry baby.”

Winters watched the man’s eyes dart around the room when they took off his blindfold.  Winters had killed many cops and with the exception of when Cox held him prisoner in Detroit, he had never talked with any of them.  This one was a scared and nervous kid.  He couldn’t be much older than twenty-one.  Scared or not, he was still a rapist and a murderer and he didn’t feel sorry for him.  He should have known there would be consequences if he were captured.  Of course, he probably thought nobody would catch him.  They ruled Detroit with impunity and did it without a care in the world.

Winters walked into the room and sat down.  “Do you know who I am?”

Deeble nodded his head.

“Andy, I have a few questions I want you to answer.”

“Can I say first that I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done.  I know better and shouldn’t have done these things.”

“Does that include raping girls?”

Deeble looked at the table.  “I, I, uhm, feel especially bad about that, I’m really sorry about that, I didn’t want to, but they were making fun of me cuz I was still a virgin.”

Tears came down his cheeks and dropped on the table.  Now he understood Taylor’s remark on having tissues handy.  “Listen Andy, I’m not here for your confessions.  You’re going to have to take that up with the man upstairs someday.  Right now, I just want you to answer my questions, okay?”

Deeble nodded.

“Do you know who is spying on us in Jackson?”

He shook his head.

“Do you know anything about him?”

Deeble hesitated for a moment.

“I swear if you’re holding out on me, I’m going to bring Reese back here.  You remember her, don’t cha?”

He nodded.

“Believe me, she’d like nothing better than to come here and beat the hell out of each of ya.  Now tell me, what do you know?”

“I know he used to be a cop back in the day.”

“Used to be?”

“Yeah, I heard some talk that he was kicked off the force for something, I don’t know what though.”

Winters thought this was quite interesting.

“Do you know how he’s communicating?”

“He has a radio because we get info in real time.”

This confirmed Bassett’s earlier assumption.

Winters asked him a few more questions, but couldn’t get his mind off the fact that the spy used to be a cop.  A disgraced cop meant it happened before the force became corrupt.  If he got lucky, someone in Jackson would remember hearing about it in the news and perhaps even know the person.

Chapter 50

Bethesda Maryland

Green swung the pickup out of Alison’s driveway and fought for control as the vehicle fishtailed, barely missing a car coming right at him.  The approaching car’s tires screeched to a stop.  Green looked inside to see Gibbs lowering the window.

“They just took her,” yelled Green.  “Black four door, Maryland tags.”

“Go, go, we’ll tail them.”

Gibbs spun his car around like a stunt car driver and blew past Green as if he stood still.  Green floored the pedal to catch up with the faster Gibbs.  He thought his luck had run out until he showed up.  He touched his side and gave his pistol a reassuring pat.  They caught up to the black car and Gibbs eased off allowing it to go on its way, which meant they were going to wait for it to stop before they did anything.  He wondered if Gibbs would take them down out in the open or wait until they got to their destination.

The black car got on the beltway and headed east.  The traffic was typical for the day, which made it easy for Gibbs to stay close without being spotted.  Green stayed a couple of car lengths away from Gibbs and now wished he wasn’t driving such a conspicuous vehicle.  Green became nervous when they exited onto US 50 and headed toward Annapolis.  Were they going to Reed’s house?  If this was the case, they needed to take them out before they got there.  He thought about where they could do it.  Looking out at the traffic, he knew it couldn’t be on such a busy road.  There were plenty of places less busy as they got closer to Reed’s residence.  He wished he could contact Gibbs but didn’t have a cell phone.

A sense of relief washed over him as they passed the exit to Reed’s place, but then he grew concerned that Reed might meet them wherever they were taking Alison.  The black car got in the right-hand lane and its signal came on.  Green turned his head and then cut off a car as he jerked the truck over a lane without signaling.  A horn blared at him as the driver then passed by, flipping him off.

Up ahead, Gibbs followed the car onto West Street, where they headed north and then turned onto Bestgate Road.  They passed the Annapolis Mall and Green figured they must be getting close to their destination.  The heavier traffic blocked the left turn he needed to take to get on Industrial Drive.  Gibbs disappeared behind the line of traffic coming out of the street.  Sitting in the middle of the intersection, the light finally turned yellow but a car sped up to beat the red.  Green floored the pedal, running the red light trying to catch up.  The first block had retail stores to the right that soon turned into office spaces like the ones on the left.  The further he went, the more industrial it became, and the road ended at a cement plant.  Green saw a few cement trucks maneuvering through the yard, but he didn’t spot Gibbs.

Green took a left onto a drive that snaked through office buildings.  There were not many cars in the parking lots and it appeared many of the offices were empty.  It became even more desolate the further he went into the complex.  He drove around a building where he finally spotted Gibbs.

Gibbs hurried over.  “They pulled into that last garage door at the end.”

“What’s our play?”

“Not sure.  It doesn’t look like anyone’s around.”

“We’re pretty close to Reed’s house.”

Gibbs gave him a concerned look.  “How close?”

“Maybe five miles.”

“Then we need to move fast.  They’re probably calling him right now.”

Green watched him dart his head around surveying the area.  He had faith in Gibbs coming up with a plan.

“Are you armed?”

Green nodded.

“There’s an entrance right next to the garage and it’s more than likely locked, which means we need to bust in there.  This eliminates any element of surprise.”

“So, how are we supposed to get in there?” asked Green.

Gibbs backed away from the truck.  “Is this beast one of your decoys?”

Green nodded.

“Can it be traced back to you?”

“No.  All the paperwork is fake.”

“Good.  I want you to smash it into the door.  Use the back end to do it.”

The idea appealed to Green and a smile grew across his face.

“Don’t aim for the garage door, cuz their car is probably sitting right on the other side of it.”

“Got it.”

“After you punch through, pull it back forward and I’ll charge in.”

Green pulled the truck toward the last office.  He looked in the mirror to see Gibbs running behind him holding a .45 pistol in his right hand.  As Green got closer to the last door, he swerved into the parking space.  He threw it in reverse and turned his head to line up his approach.  Gibbs stood against the building ready to go.  Green put his left foot on the brake and stepped on the gas.  The truck jerked against the brakes.  Green was just about to let off the brake when the door opened and a man stepped out holding a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun.

Chapter 51

Jackson Michigan

Winters drove back to City Hall to tell the mayor about the spy being a former cop.  He’d have to come up with an excuse as to how he knew this because Simpson didn’t know about their prisoners.

Winters pulled in the parking lot just as Nordell exited the building.  He didn’t want to deal with the retired Marine right now and stayed in the truck pretending to be looking for something, but gave up when Nordell headed right to him.

“Captain,” said Nordell as he approached the open window.

“Hey Gunny, what’s going on?”

“You tell me.  I hear you went to Detroit last night.”

Winters wondered how he knew.  “We did.  I hope you’re not mad I didn’t include you.”

Nordell shook his head.  “Not at all.  I understand why you did it.  We’ve got a big mole around here and he’s certainly got his eye on me.”

Winters was pleasantly surprised at his candor.  “Gunny, I was just visiting our prisoners and I think I might have learned something of value.”

Nordell just stared at Winters, waiting for him to continue.

Winters told him about the spy being a former cop and he more than likely has a HAM radio.

Nordell’s steely eyes widened a little as he listened.  “The HAM radio makes sense. They were too quick on us yesterday for anything else.  The former cop makes me think back some time ago about a Detroit cop that got in trouble.  I was still in the Corps, but was back home visiting when someone mentioned it to me.”

“Who would have mentioned it to you?”

“Not sure, but I wasn’t back very long and wouldn’t have visited with many people.”

“You think Mayor Simpson might remember?”

“Let’s go ask him.”

Winters got out of the truck and they headed inside city hall.  They reached Simpson’s office and knocked on the door.  Simpson looked up and waved them in.  Winters then asked him the same question he asked Nordell.

Simpson rubbed his hands together thinking about it.  “That was probably seven or eight years ago.  I only remember because he was from the area, not from Jackson, but somewhere close by.”

Winters became excited and frustrated at the same time because he knew they were getting close, but it was still out of his grasp.  He tried to settle down thinking someone in town would remember and that they’d have him by the end of the day.

“Did you do anything about the radio idea?” asked Winters.

“That was next on my agenda.”  Simpson turned to Nordell.  “Nick, take Captain Winters over to see, Virgil.  If anyone knows who has a HAM radio, it’ll be him.”

They left Simpson’s office and headed back to the parking lot.  Winters offered to drive and they hopped in the truck.

“Who is this Virgil?” asked Winters.

“Virgil.  He’s a good ole boy and knows everything about computers and electronics.  He’s self-taught and can fix about anything.  He’s a bit out there, but like I said, he’s a good ole boy.”

Nordell directed Winters down Stonewall Drive and had him pull up to a two-story red house.  The place looked abandoned because the lawn like all the others in town was overgrown.

“Stay here, till I get him out.  He’s a bit squeamish about strangers, hell anyone really.”

Winters shook his head wondering what kind of a man he was about to meet.

Nordell got out of the truck but stayed by it while calling out to the old man.

“Virgil, you in there?  Virgil.”  He waited a moment before yelling out again.  “Virgil, it's Nick, Nick Nordell.  Got something I need to ask ya.”

Nordell came back to the truck.  “He knows we’re here, just got to give him a minute is all.”

Winters tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while he stared at the entrance.  He stopped when the door opened.  Winters saw a hunched over man, who looked to be in his eighties, walk out onto the porch.  His crumbled blue plaid shirt was halfway tucked into his tan pants.  His whiskers were the same length as his hair, which he seemed to shave all at once.

“Whatcha want, Nicky?”

Winters laughed to himself as the old man called the grisly old Marine by his boyhood name.

“Sir, I need to ask you a question or two.”

“Which is it?”

“That all depends on the answer to the first one.”

Virgil put his hand up to his eyes to block the sun.  “Who you got in that truck?”

“He’s a friend.”

Virgil didn’t flinch.  “Well, why’s he still sitting in the truck then?”

Nordell turned to Winters and smiled.

Winters hopped out and they approached the old man.

“This is Cole Winters, he’s been…”

Virgil cut him off.  “I know who he is.  You’ve been quite the pain haven’t cha?”

Winters didn’t know what he meant by that and wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

“Anybody the government considers to be a pain in the ass is my kind of people.  C’mon inside, this sun is killing me.”

Winters instantly liked this guy.  He loved quirky no non-sense kinds of people who were gruff and had little patience for stupidity.  He reminded him of the old man they met months ago at a closed down gas station.  Besides giving his men fuel and food, the old guy had given him some helpful advice.

They walked inside to the living room, which had all types of electronics sitting on shelves.  There wasn’t a flat space that didn’t have either a radio or computer sitting on it.  He took them into the kitchen where Winters observed car battery after car battery lined up on shelves.  Wires went from one to the other.  He figured the old man had a generator out back as he saw a yellow electrical cord running out the window.

Even the chairs had batteries sitting on them, so they leaned against the cluttered counter tops.  Virgil grabbed a decanter with a brown liquid Winters figured was whiskey.  The old man grabbed three glasses, poured a shot in each, and handed out the glasses.

“To another day of freedom.”

Winters clinked the glass and threw it back in one swig.  The brown liquid burned his throat as it went down.  It didn’t taste like whiskey and he wondered if Virgil had made it himself.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had a drink and knew it was even longer for hard liquor.

Virgil stared at Winters for a couple of moments, then said, “Is it true you have a couple of young ladies fighting with ya?”

Winters wasn’t as surprised with this question as he would have been earlier since Mayor Simpson informed him about the girl’s popularity.  “I do, yes.”

“Are they good fighters?”

“They are indeed, sir.”

“Hmph, I’ll be darned,” said Virgil, as he grabbed the decanter and poured another round.  “Would ya trust ‘em with your life?”

“I would, and have several times,” said Winters.  He found it interesting that he was asking such questions.  He was old school for sure and probably didn’t understand it.

“I’d like to meet ‘em if I could.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Virgil raised his glass.  “Here’s to your young ladies and to all of your fighters.”

They again clinked glasses and emptied them.

“Now, what’s that question you need answering, Nicky?”

Nordell told him about the spy and how he thought the man communicated.  He also told him they thought he was a disgraced cop.

Virgil stood still as if he didn’t hear the question.  After a few moments, he left the room.  Nordell looked at Winters but didn’t acknowledge anything unusual.  They heard something fall in the next room and Virgil cussing out loud.  He then came back into the room with a shoebox, which he placed on top of a car battery.  He opened it and started to go through what looked like handwritten receipts.  He finally pulled one out and handed it to Nordell.

“This is the man you want, Nicky.”

Nordell took the paper.  “Son-of-a-bitch.  Nick Posey.”

Winters grabbed the paper.  “You know him?”

“Oh, I know him alright.  Bastards got the same name as me, but everyone calls him Posey.”

Winters turned to Virgil.  “Are you sure this is him?”

“Yep.  He came to me a couple months back looking for a radio.  He’s from Parma, and when you told me he was a former cop, I knew it was him.”

“Bastard was with me when you were being chased into the woods.  That’s how they knew you were there.  As soon as I find him, I’m going to kill him.”

Winters felt the same desire but knew he now had an ace in the hole, and grabbed Nordell’s arm.  “We’re going to wait on that.  He’s not going to know it, but he’s going to assist us.”

Nordell calmed down, but only after Winters promised he could have the traitor after he became useless.  Virgil let out a gruff laugh as he grabbed the decanter and poured them a third round.

Chapter 52

Annapolis Maryland

Seeing the submachine gun didn’t faze Green for a second, and he let off the brake while flooring the gas pedal.  The work truck charged toward the man holding the gun, who didn’t quite understand what was about to happen to him.  Green tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he slammed the man through the glass door.  He flew inside the building as the exploding glass echoed out in the parking lot between the buildings.  Green turned around, threw the gearshift in drive, and pulled the truck forward.  He jumped out, grabbing his pistol, as Gibbs leaped inside the damaged entrance.

Dust swirled around the entrance as Green followed Gibbs inside to the back door that opened into the garage.  They slowly entered the garage and found the black sedan parked in front of the garage entrance.

“That’s far enough,” yelled a man.

It came from the back of the garage and they turned to see a man march forward using Alison as a shield.  She was crying and stood helplessly with her hands tied behind her back.  The man was pulling down on the back of her hair and had a gun pointed at her head.

“Drop your weapons,” he yelled.

Gibbs kept his aim on the gunman and inched closer to him.

“I said stop and drop your weapon!”

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“Then I’ll kill her.”

“That’s what we’re here for,” said Gibbs.

Green didn’t want her to die but wasn’t sure if Gibbs felt the same way.  He might be thinking big picture wise and not worrying about collateral damage.

The gunman seemed confused, and then realized the gravity of his situation.  He moved his pistol away from Alison and pointed it at Gibbs.

Gibbs fired one shot.  The man’s head jerked backward as he collapsed to the ground.  Gibbs moved forward finishing him off with another headshot.  Alison screamed as she jumped away from him.

Green ran to her.  “It’s okay, Alison.  We’re not going to hurt you.”

“But he, he said,” she tried getting words out through her hysterics.”

“He was just bluffing, okay.”

Green untied her hands and escorted her out of the office to his truck.  The damage to the backend of the truck didn’t prevent it from being driven, so he opened the passenger door and helped her in.  He then ran back inside to see Gibbs going through the bloody corpse and grabbing his wallet.

“I need to find out who these two clowns are.”

“Where are we going to take her?”

“Abby’s place,” said Gibbs, referring to former Senator Abby Seeley’s home in Manassas, Virginia.

Green liked the idea as it was out in the middle of nowhere.  He wasn’t sure if she would mind, but it was their safest place.  She was still in hysterics and he wanted to calm her down, but right now, all he cared about was getting out of there before Reed showed up.  If he spotted them, they would all be staying out in Manassas.

Chapter 53

Jackson Michigan

Winters was slurring his words when he said goodbye to Virgil.  He hadn’t had three shots of any kind of liquor in quite a while and had never been much of a drinker, to begin with.  He couldn’t help it though; because it would have been rude not to accept the offer.  The old man might have been the scruffy loner type, but he had manners and a way of doing things.  The buzz had been worth it, as they now knew the name of the spy.

Winters drove back into town as he thought about what they were going to do with the information, and how they could use it to their advantage.  He needed the ruse to be big and worthwhile because they would only be able to use it one time.  He would take his time deciding and get ideas from his men.

A smile broke out while thinking about their find.  He turned to Nordell, who looked to be in a good mood as well.

“Virgil is quite a character,” said Winters.

“Yes, he is.  He was my industrial arts teacher in high school.”

“Good teacher?”

“The best.  He’s the one who encouraged me to join the Corps.”

“Was he a Marine?”

“Korean War.”

Winters suspected Virgil had played an important role in his life.  He didn’t think Nordell would allow anyone to call him, Nicky, unless he’d earned it.

Nordell turned to Winters as he parked the truck back at City Hall.  “I’ll let you figure out the best way to use Posey, you seem to be good at big picture strategy, but afterward, I get his head.”

Winters could see the resolve in Nordell’s eyes.  Posey’s traitorous actions had severely hurt the town and Nordell was going to make sure the man paid for them with his life.  Winters could certainly make an argument about who pulled the trigger after the way his men were murdered in their beds.  Perhaps it was the alcohol in him, but he was in too good of a mood not to give in to Nordell.  Besides, dead was dead.

Winters nodded.  “I just need a favor.”

Nordell waited for him to continue.

“Don’t say a word to anyone, not even Mayor Simpson.”

Nordell understood and gave him a firm nod.  He opened the door and got out.

Winters pulled out and headed back to the hospital.  He decided to park in the far corner of the lot under some trees.  He felt the alcohol over powering him and he needed a power nap to sleep it off.  He left the windows down and the air blew through the truck as he leaned his head back.  He immediately dozed off and started to dream about his wife, Ellie, and their daughter, Cara.  He dreamt about their trip to Orlando and how much fun it had been.  Even though Cara was being obstinate, she still enjoyed visiting all the theme parks in the area.  She had let her guard down on more than one occasion and had temporarily allowed him back in.  That was the kind of magic those parks produced.  No matter how bad things were, you could leave it all at the gate and allow yourself to have fun.

Winters put his arm around Ellie as they flew down the log flume ride, with water splashing on them.  He suddenly jerked his head up as he felt rain drops coming through the open window.  It had started to pour, and he cranked the window up.  He then slid across the seat and closed the one on the passenger side.

He sat there watching the rain trying to remember his dream, but it faded as he realized he’d been sleeping for a couple of hours.  He reached for the bottle of water on the dash and emptied its contents.  He needed to get back and tell the men about the spy.  They could then figure out what to do.

Driving back across the parking lot in the heavy downpour was slow going as he tried to wake up.  Never again would he drink three shots of anything.  He laughed to himself when he remembered the promise he made to the old man, about bringing the girls by.  He didn’t think that would happen anytime soon if ever, as they all had too much on their plates for social calls.  He shook his head and thought about the things that you say when you’re under the influence.

Winters parked as close as he could get and dashed inside.  The rain was coming down so hard it had soaked his jacket by the time he got inside the hospital.  He walked down the hallway and ran into Elliott and Amber as they headed to the cafeteria.

“Where the heck have you been?” asked Elliott.

“Everywhere I think.”

“Is that alcohol I smell?” asked Amber.

“It is.”

“You’ve been drinking?” asked Elliott.

Winters didn’t expect this.  “Sort of.”

“Sort of nothing, I can smell it on your breath,” laughed Amber.

“I didn’t know you were a drinker,” said Elliott.

“I’m not, but it was unavoidable.  Look, I’ll explain everything, but first I need to get everyone together.”

“Well, Bassett and Burns are getting something to eat right now,” said Elliott.

“Where’s Scar and Meeks?”

“Upstairs with Nate and Reese.”

“Can you go get them, Elliott?”

Elliott turned around and headed back upstairs while Winters and Amber continued to the cafeteria.

“Reese and I have been worried about you,” said Amber.

Winters hadn’t realized his absence would do that.

“You didn’t come by and visit like you normally do, so we thought maybe you were out doing something crazy.”

Winters didn’t want to tell her he was avoiding everyone and apologized by saying he had a lot on his plate today.

Amber gently grabbed his arm.  “Okay, but please just let us know next time.”

Winters could see the sincerity in her eyes, which made him feel guilty.  He wasn’t thinking about anyone else this morning but himself, and it had caused her to be anxious, and probably more so with Reese.

He put his hand on her shoulder.  “I will, I promise.”

They walked into the cafeteria and greeted Bassett and Burns.  Winters drank a large glass of water and then poured a coffee.  He needed to get his head together before everyone arrived.

Chapter 54

Annapolis Maryland

Green peeled out of the parking lot and headed back up Industrial Road.  Gibbs kept right behind him.  He looked over at Alison who had stopped crying but appeared to be in shock.  He’d seen it a few times after a battle.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked her.

It took a few moments before she nodded.  “Who were those men?”

“Reed’s.”

She turned to him.  “You sent him the recording?”

“I did.”

“So, they came right to me.”

“It’s my fault.  He got it this morning and I didn’t think it through until after.  I’m sorry.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“A safe place, I promise.  You can never go back to your house.”

“There’s nothing there I want.”

Green knew that Reed gave the house to her as payment for keeping her mouth shut for things her husband did.  She called it making a deal with the devil.  Green glanced at her and observed a broken woman with nothing left in life.  Her husband was murdered, and now she was going to a strange place wearing nothing but nightwear.  He felt bad for her and would do whatever he could to make her life better.

They safely made it to the other side of D.C. and across the Potomac when Gibbs flashed his lights to pull over at the rest stop up ahead.  Green made the turn and pulled to the far end of the rest area where there were no other vehicles around.

Gibbs got out and approached them.  “I think it would be better if we didn’t take the truck out there.”

“Do you think we were spotted?”

“I can’t say for sure, but this thing is a lot more noticeable than mine.”

Green gave it some thought.  “It might be better if I got back to the office anyway.  Do you think you can take her the rest of the way?”

“That would be the better move.  Do you want a ride?”

“No, actually I’ve got another car stashed just a few miles from here.  It’s a storage unit, so this thing will be out of sight.”

Green turned to Alison.  “Alison, this is Jacob Gibbs.”

“I know who he is.  Former FBI director.”

“Deputy Director,” smiled Gibbs.

“He’s one of us,” said Green.

“Us?” asked Alison.

“The good guys and now, so are you,” said Gibbs.

Green said good-bye to Alison and promised he’d be seeing her soon.  He pulled out of the rest area and headed to his storage unit.  It was an out of the way place, and no one would be around when he pulled in and exchanged vehicles.

Thirty minutes later, Green was back in his office and asked Grace for his messages.  He sat down and found one from his friend, Sam.

He picked up the phone and dialed his number.  “Hey, what’s up?”

“What are you doing this weekend?”

Sam talked in code.  Neither one of them knew if their office phones were bugged, but never took the chance.  “Don’t really have any plans, why?”

“I’m laying some brick in the backyard and need some help.”

Green knew this had something to do with his work truck.  “As long as you got beers, buddy, I’m there.”  Beers were code for meeting at their favorite pub.

“Cool.  Any time after breakfast is good.”

Green hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair.  Sam had something important to tell him and it had to do with the truck.  His stress level rose as he started to think about the worst-case scenario, that someone had recognized him.

Chapter 55

Jackson Michigan

The rain came down harder and lightening began affecting the power generators.  The lights in the cafeteria flickered off and on.  Winters looked up at the lights and took another sip of his coffee as he waited for Scar and Meeks to join them.

He heard them chatting as they came through the door and then heard the distinctive sound of a crutch hitting the tile floor.  He turned to see Reese and Nate coming in behind them.

“Captain, I hear you’ve been hitting the sauce,” laughed Meeks.

Winters rolled his eyes knowing Elliott told them.

“You didn’t think to bring us any?” asked Meeks finishing up.

“There wouldn’t have been enough with you around,” retorted Winters.

“Ooooh, nice one,” said Scar.

Meeks laughed as he grabbed a chair for Reese.

Winters knew they were anxious to hear about where he’d been and who had given him the alcohol.  “Yes, I had three shots of what, I don’t know, all I know was that it burned like fire down my throat.”

“Sounds like moonshine,” said Meeks.

“It was brown colored.”

“Apple pie moonshine with brown sugar in it,” said Nate.

A few head nods among the men.

“Whatever it was, it knocked me on my butt.  I passed out for a couple of hours in the parking lot.”

Everyone burst out laughing and continued to rib him, which was what he wanted them to do.  They all needed the relief after yesterday’s assault on the hospital.  He noticed Reese wasn’t laughing and didn’t look happy.

“Hey, Captain, I got some cough syrup and if ya feeling hard up,” said Meeks.

“As long as it’s cherry, then alright,” said Winters to what he hoped was the final joke.

Amber gave Meeks a smack on the arm telling him enough.

“Okay, so on a serious note, I found out who our spy is.”

This got everyone’s attention.

“How did you find out?” asked Elliott.

Winters told them about his visit with Mayor Simpson and then interrogating a cop, then back to Simpson with Nordell at his side.  “It’s where we went after that is why I had the three shots.  The old man we visited, and I do mean old, is a bit of a character and pulled out a decanter.  Believe me, I wanted to stop after the first, but then he wanted to make a toast to you, two.”  Winters pointed to Amber and Reese.

“Us? Why?” asked Amber.

“It seems that you two have become quite the talk of the town.”

Amber looked at Reese and both broke out in a grin.

“I actually learned it earlier from Mayor Simpson.  Seems you two have caused quite a stir in town and have even encouraged some teen girls to want to be just like you.”

Meeks returned the friendly smack to Amber’s arm.  “You two is celebrities.”

“Whatever,” said Amber.

“Anyways, much to the chagrin of some of the mothers in town, just know that you guys have got fans.”

Winters could see that as much as the two girls tried to play it down, they were enjoying their moment, as some of the guys gave them high-fives.  After everyone settled down, Scar asked about the third shot.

“That was in celebration of the old man giving us the name of our spy.  That third shot was well worth the price of admission.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“Oh, and by the second shot the alcohol was already kicking in and I kinda promised the old man that he could meet you guys.”

“Will he have any shots for us?” asked Reese.

“Oh, I’m sure he has plenty.”

“I’d be down for that then.”

Winters looked around the room at them all waiting for the moment to bring seriousness back to the conversation.  Now that everyone had released their pent-up anxiety or anger, he needed their undivided attention.

“Now, as you can imagine, when Nordell found out who the spy was, he was pretty pissed off.  He knows the guy and wanted his head right then.”

“Who is it?” asked Bassett.

“I’ll let y’all know when the time is right, okay?”

Everyone nodded.

“Anyway, I got Nordell to not go after this guy until after we use him one time to send out false information.

Winters watched them nod at each other.  “So, the question is, what false information do we want him to pass on?”

“We can send them on a wild goose chase while we get the rest of the citizens out,” suggested Bassett.

“Yeah, get them out all at once.”

“Tell them we’ve got all these pretty girls leaving together, that’ll bring in all the cops.”

“Set up an ambush and kill em all,” said Nate.

Meeks patted Nate on the shoulder.  “Yeah, I’m with Nate on that one.”

Winters could see they had many options but didn’t want to rush into it.  He’d take a day or two and put something together.  He might be able to incorporate all of their suggestions into one big plan.  Maybe by then, they’d have heard back from their own spy as to Mordulfah’s next move.

Winters could see they were excited that they finally had the upper hand.  While taking out the police station had been gratifying, it wasn’t enough, and they all wanted them to pay dearly for the attack on the hospital.

“Oh, and one more thing guys,” said Winters, waiting to get their attention as the meeting was breaking up.  “This does not leave this room.  We can’t afford to let this slip out accidentally.”

They all nodded their heads and got up out of their chairs.  Bassett came over to Winters wanting to talk to him privately.  Winters looked over Bassett’s shoulder and could see Reese wanted to talk to him as well.  She waited for a few moments, but got frustrated and left when Amber invited her to leave together.

Winters felt bad, but not bad enough to go chase after her.  He still didn’t know what to do about the situation.  He was half listening to Bassett while he watched her go through the door and didn’t realize Bassett had finished his sentence.  Winters apologized and asked him to repeat it.

“Captain, I’ll tell what, it can wait til tomorrow.”

“No, please, go on.  You said you were working on the perimeter.”

“Yes, I’ve tightened up our defenses by making our area smaller and rotating the volunteers more often.”

“That sounds great, Corporal.  Can you draw out our new boundaries on a map and pass it around.”

“I’m working on that now.”

“Excellent work, Corporal.  Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Winters walked out of the cafeteria and headed upstairs.  He decided to go talk to Reese.  He still didn’t know what he was going to say, but she at least deserved a private conversation.  He reached the top of the stairs and headed toward her room when he spotted her and Amber talking to some teenaged girls in the lobby.  He stopped and watched as they interacted with them.  The young girls were enthralled talking to them, so Winters decided not to interrupt.

The thunderstorm still raged on and looked to be getting worse.  They were not going anywhere in this kind of weather, and he still needed sleep.  He headed for his room and passed out as soon as he hit the bed.

Chapter 56

Washington D.C.

Green pulled into the parking lot the same time Sam did, and they entered their favorite bar together.  The place was busier than the last time when no one was there but the owners.  They found a table by the dart boards and the same short blonde haired waitress approached their table for a drink order.

“Let me guess, a bucket of beers,” she said smiling.

“You remember us?” asked Green.

“Of course, I remember you guys, how could I not?”

“What’s your name?” asked Sam.

“Kristen.”

“Well, Kristen, I’m Sam and this young stud is John.”

Green laughed at Sam’s feeble attempt to flirt with her.

“Now if you can remember our names, I’ll give you a big tip.”

“Not a problem, guys,” she replied, as she paraded away.

“A little young for you isn’t she?” asked Green.

“She’s at least twenty-one.  That’s old enough for me.”

Green rolled his eyes and grabbed the darts.  He needed to let off the stress of the day.  He threw the first dart, hitting the nine.  He then hit a twelve and completely missed the next throw.

Sam took a turn and proceeded to start running the board as he was the better player.  Kristen came back with their bucket.

“Here you go boys.”

“Ahem,” said Sam as he grabbed a beer.

“Hmm, I don’t remember yours, but you’re John,” she said, then winked at Green and walked away.

“Oh, damn, I think she wants you, John.”

“Whatever.”

“C’mon, you’re going to need to loosen up, especially after I tell you why I wanted to meet with ya.”

This got Green’s attention.

“Were you in Annapolis today?”

Green gave him a curious look.  “How did you know?”

“My friend, who I got the bogus paperwork from, told me they were running a check on that truck of yours.”

Green’s stress level rose.  He grabbed a beer and took a big gulp.  “They’re not going to be able to trace it back to me are they?”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about with that.  So, what were you doing?”

Green told him the whole story, which made Sam chug a whole beer and reach for another one.

“Damn, John.  That’s a helluva a day you had there.”

“No kidding.  Thank God, Gibbs showed up when he did otherwise I don’t think I could have gotten her back.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Beaten.  She’s just beaten down, Sam.  It’s really sad how her life has turned out.”

“Yeah, this sure as hell doesn’t help.  I feel bad because she didn’t know what would happen when she gave us that stuff.”

“I know and that’s not the worst part.  We should have expected Reed to know where that recording came from.”

Green paused before taking his turn.  “But, he still won’t know who she gave it to.”

Sam watched Green hit another nine and a bulls-eye.  “One thing is for sure, Reed is worried, worried enough to go after Alison in broad daylight.”

“Yes, he is.”

“He’s got to be freaking out.”

“Wait till we send Perozzi the Chinese recording,” said Green referring to the recorded conversation of Perozzi talking with the Chinese about their California real estate deal.  Gibbs had found that recording on Pruitt’s laptop and Perozzi would know who recorded it.

Sam held up his bottle and clinked Green’s bottle.  “That should cause a little friction.”

Green wondered how they were going to deliver it to him.  With the lock down of the Internet, it would be impossible to send it to him without them knowing where it came from.  The UN controlled it and there was no longer any free flow of information on what was left of the Internet.  He’d have to see about a courier or maybe the postal service, either way, he felt the need to move up their plans.

Chapter 57

Jackson Michigan

Winters opened his eyes, rolled over, and immediately felt the effects of the hangover.  With a splitting headache and cotton mouth, he reached over for the bottle of water sitting on the nightstand.  He put it to his mouth but found it empty.  “Three shots did this?” he thought as he struggled to get out of bed.  It was still dark out and he used a flashlight to get to the bathroom.  He turned on the faucet and cupped his hands to drink the water before hopping into the shower.  The cold water had an instantaneous effect and helped drive the headache away.

Feeling better, he headed to the cafeteria and found a few guys, including Bassett, coming in from the night shift.  He grabbed a couple of muffins and a coffee before sitting down.

“Captain, you’re looking better,” said Bassett with a sly smile.

“Took a cold shower.”

“Cold showers work every time.”

“Three shots of I don’t know what is all it took.”

“Don’t feel bad, I’d probably feel the same way.”

“How’d it go last night?”

“Actually, it was quite interesting.”

“Oh?”

“After the storm passed, which was just after midnight, I did some probing past our lines.”

Winters sipped his coffee and waited for him to continue.

“Something just isn’t right with these guys.  They’re either waiting for something or have no plans of invading again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Captain, after the rain stopped, Eddie and I took a small group and shot at the guys on the interstate and they barely responded.  They wouldn’t even come after us when we practically walked up to them.  Something just seems off.”

This got Winters attention.

“It’s like they’re guarding us like we’re prisoners, which is ironic because there’s a prison on the other side of the interstate.”

“Maybe cuz it was nighttime and they don’t like the dark?”

“Doesn’t feel like it but there’s one way to find out.”  Bassett looked at his watch.  “It’ll be light out in about thirty minutes, why don’t we go test that theory.”

Winters and Bassett finished their breakfast and drove up to the interstate to where Eddie Perlee stood guard.  They parked on Lansing Road and walked up to the overpass where Eddie waited for them.

“How’s it going, Eddie?” asked Winters shaking his hand.

“I guess Bassett told ya about last night.”

“That’s why we’re here.”

“We’re no longer hiding our presence, they know we’re up here and they don’t seem to care.  C’mon, I’ll show ya.”

Eddie led them to the overpass, only this time he didn’t bother hiding.  He walked right up out in the open, pointed his weapon, and took a shot.  The bullet smashed out a headlight of a car they had been using as target practice. The whole front end was riddled bullet holes.

Winters took his binoculars and looked over the bridge down below.  It took a few moments before he could even find a Jiji.  They kept their heads down from the bullets Eddie and his guys had been raining down on them.  All the cars around the area had bullet holes in them.

“Been having a little fun, Eddie?”

“We’ve been a little bored up here.”

“I can see that.  Do these guys ever return fire?”

“They did at first, but since yesterday, they haven’t.”

Winters looked at Bassett.  “This is strange.  What do you make of it, Corporal?”

“These guys are following orders not to engage.  Why?  Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Oh, they’re planning something, Captain,” said Eddie.  “Maybe we should go get a couple of ‘em and interrogate them.”

“No, they won’t have any idea.  It’s like Bassett said, they’re just following orders.”

“They’re probably just as bored up here as you are, Eddie,” said Bassett.

“Maybe I should invite them over for tea,”

Winters’ mind raced around trying to figure out Mordulfah’s plan.  He wasn’t the kind of man to wait around and starve us out.  He demanded action and expected immediate results.  He had something planned and was obviously confident in those plans if he allowed his men to be sitting ducks in a shooting gallery.  He wondered how long it would take before they would find out what those plans were.

“Corporal, let’s go check out the southern perimeter.  Let’s see how the cops react.”

“Mind if I tag along?” asked Eddie.  “I could use a change of scenery.”

“Not at all,” said Winters.

“I’ll follow you in my car,” said Eddie.

Winters nodded and walked toward his old Chevy pickup.

Chapter 58

Bassett directed Winters over to Cement City, down on Wheaton Road, where they had a good field of vision of US 12.  It also offered them a good escape in case the cops didn’t have the same orders as the Jijis did.  The cops parked squad cars about every half mile and on every intersection.

Winters got off the dirt road and headed into a barren field with Eddie behind him.  They stopped and Bassett grabbed Taylor’s Savage rifle.  He placed it on the hood and waited for Eddie and Winters to come around the other side.

Winters got out and raised his binoculars to look across the field.  Two squad cars sat on the highway with a couple of cops leaning on them unaware of their presence.  He eyed the scoped rifle and looked at Bassett.  “Mind if I take the first shot?”

“Please do, Captain.”

Winters came around the front of the truck and grabbed the rifle.  He looked through the scope and stared at the cops while they chatted with each other.  One lit a cigarette.  Winters started to breathe faster as a tinge of Hyde bubbled to the surface and turned into excitement.  The cops talked to each other as if they did not have a care in the world.  Winters eyed them wondering which one to kill.  They both deserved it for what happened at the hospital.  His heartbeat quickened as he placed his index finger on the trigger.  Satisfaction was seconds away as he lined up the crosshairs on the one holding the cigarette.  The thought of quenching Hyde’s thirst again caused him to flick the rifle over a centimeter before squeezing the trigger.  The shot hit the blue light next to the cop’s head.  He let out a deep breath as the cops jerked their heads around before hitting the deck.

Winters let go of the rifle.

“Wind must have taken it,” said Bassett.

“It’s all yours,” said Winters taking a step backward.

Winters stood back as Bassett and Eddie took some pot shots at the squad car.  He second-guessed himself, because at the very moment before he pulled his shot, he felt like a murderer.  He then started worrying if he could no longer kill his enemy.  He went through what just happened and realized he was still angry from the hospital assault.  He breathed a sigh of relief knowing that if he had taken out that cop, he’d be fighting Hyde all day, which he didn’t think he could manage, two days in a row.

“They don’t seem to want to come at us either, Captain,” said Bassett.

“Hell, let’s move in a little closer,” said Eddie.

As Eddie finished, a couple of rounds hit the truck.

“Oh, never mind,” said Eddie.

Bassett pulled the trigger a couple more times.  “Let’s see if we can get you guys moving.”

For the next five minutes, they exchanged gunfire with them.  Winters kept an eye on their flanks and didn’t see any movement from the squad cars on either side of them.  He knew then that even though these guys returned fire, they obviously had the same orders not to attack.

Before leaving, they each emptied a magazine in order to cover their exit.  Winters waved at Eddie as he proceeded back to Lansing Road and they headed to the hospital.  They went back to the cafeteria where Scar, Meeks, and Burns were getting breakfast.

“Captain, you’re up early,” said Meeks.

“This surprises you?” asked Winters.

“Well, I thought maybe you were still hung over,” said Meeks with a big grin on his face.

Winters grabbed some coffee and sat down across from him.  “I was, but then I took a shower.”

“Oh, yeah, the cold water in this place will cure just about anything.”

Winters raised his cup to him.  He then caught them up on their early morning activities.  Everyone tried to come up with reasons why, but none made much sense.

“You got anymore Sun Tzu, Burns?” asked Meeks.

Burns took a moment to think of a fitting Sun Tzu quote and then said, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”

“Well, he’s definitely waiting for the right moment,” said Scar.

“He needs to because he knows it’ll be a bloody mess if he comes in here again,” said Meeks.

“I’m sure he and Vatter are well aware by now, that the attack on the hospital has only shored up the resolve of everyone still here,” said Scar.

“The mere fact that his men are not responding to any more attacks tells me that Mordulfah has some kind of ace up his sleeve,” said Burns.

“Which makes me think we should wait to see what it is before we use our ace,” said Winters referring to the discovery of Nick Posey.

“That’s probably a good idea, Captain,” said Burns.  “There’s no sense in burning that one if he’s got something big coming at us.”

Winters leaned back in his chair thinking about Mordulfah’s next move in this chess game he liked to play.  The man that held him captive didn’t have this kind of patience without some kind of a plan.  Winters thought about Posey and hoped this ace in the hole would be enough to combat whatever Mordulfah was going to throw at them.

Chapter 59

Manassas, Virginia

Sweat beaded down Green’s face as he reached his driveway.  He’d gone for a fast-paced five-mile run and felt good about his time.  He needed to stay in shape in order to keep his mind sharp.  For him, the two went hand in hand, and he had a lot to think about in regards to their upcoming plans.

Yesterday was not a great start for those plans, and he had been lucky to save the life of Alison O’Connor.  He didn’t have any experience in espionage but was getting a crash course over the past few weeks with Gibbs helping him.  The former FBI man knew a lot, but even he didn’t have the kind of skills a CIA man would possess.  It would help with their next move because getting the recorded conversation of Perozzi’s secret meeting sent to him would take some finesse.

Because it had been a secret meeting, only a few people would have known about it.  One of those, of course, would have been Reed, who was always gathering information with which to blackmail people.  Green figured Perozzi would immediately suspect Reed.  He hoped this would be enough to drive a wedge between them.  Divide and conquer was the best strategy they could come up with.  After that, they would start sending these recordings out to key players in Washington and then to the public at large.  Hopefully, it would cause a ground swell too big for them to contain, big enough to hit the media.  As things stood presently, he knew that was impossible since the government controlled the media.

Green took a quick shower and met his mother downstairs for breakfast.  They were going out to Manassas to meet with the secret group to discuss their next move.  He looked forward to seeing how Alison was doing.

It started to rain as they drove out to Senator Abby Seeley’s home, which made Green wonder if this storm came through Michigan.  He wondered how Winters and Bassett were doing.  He wished he could get word to them about Reed’s plans to send Cara Winters there.  It was a good move on Reed’s part and only hoped Bassett would be able to help him.  Green knew about the spy in Jackson and felt certain Bassett was still alive, otherwise, he would have heard differently by now.

He pulled into the long driveway, and slowly made his way through the downpour.  He looked over at his mom who held onto an umbrella.  After hearing about what happened to Alison, she changed her plans so she could meet and personally thank her for what she did.  “That woman deserves our gratitude,” she told him.

Green got out and ran around to get his mother’s door.  He pulled it open and out came her umbrella.  They both hustled up on the oversized porch where Sam was waiting.

“Sam, what time did you get here?”

“Just pulled in.  Mrs. Green, how are you?”

“I’m good, Sam.  How about you?”

“Worried about your son,”

“Yes, I know the feeling,” she said giving her son a glare.  “We’re all going to have to be a lot smarter.”

“Yes, we are,” said Sam giving Green a friendly smile.

Green rolled his eyes.

Abby opened the door and let everyone in.

Green smiled at Alison, who wore gray slacks and a fitted white shirt.  She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail.  She looked refreshed and in good spirits, which surprised him.

“Mrs. O’Connor, you look great.  How are you?” asked Green.

She gave him a hug.  “A whole lot better than yesterday.  Abby has been a wonderful host.”

Green introduced his mom, who gave Alison a long hug and complimented her bravery.  He watched her skillfully work the room, greeting everyone and giving each person a praising comment.  She had a talent for making everyone feel welcome and important.  After making the rounds, she stayed close to Alison, giving her extra attention.

John Osborne, the former State Department diplomat, approached Green.  “Major, I understand you want to go ahead and move up the plans for the Perozzi recording.”

Green nodded and then went on to explain how Reed was sending Cara Winters out to Detroit to entrap the Shadow Patriots’ leader.  “If he succeeds, the resistance in the Midwest will more than likely come to an end.”

“Two fronts are certainly better than one,” agreed Osborne.

“We need to act before that can happen,” said Green.

“Okay, then we need to decide how we can do this,” said Osborne.  “Any suggestions Jacob?”

“Been giving this some thought,” said Gibbs.  “He usually eats a late dinner on Saturday nights.”

“Oh!” said Green.

“I’ve had a man following him for a couple of weeks now.”

This surprised Green, which made him wonder what else he’d been keeping from the group.  “You trust this man?”

“I should.  He’s my son.”

A sense of relief swept over Green.  Now he understood why he hadn’t said anything.

“Believe me, Kyle’s smart and an experienced operator.”

“Reed has a driver, does Perozzi?” asked Green.

“He does,” said Gibbs.

“Do you think your son could give it to him?”

Gibbs thought that over and said.  “That might work.  It’ll be dark out and it’d be quick.”

Everyone looked at each other in agreement.

“I also found out who those guys were that we took down,” said Gibbs.  “They’re former ATF.  Been low-level thugs for Reed for a while now, mostly used for strong-arming and intimidation.”

“Sounds like he’s running out of men,” said Green.

“I’m sure he’s got a lot more on the payroll.  These two were probably conveniently in the area, which is why he used them.  I’m sure they weren’t expecting trouble.”

Green knew Gibbs was right about more men.  He had access to all of the National Police and their assets.  With the right lies, he could get these men to do just about anything.  They’d do it blindly, and most would do it happily, as the caliber of men had gone way down over the last few years.  There were still some good men left and Green hoped to count on them when it mattered most.  If they could expose Reed and Perozzi, it would be required of the remaining honest men to stand tall and bring down the government.

Chapter 60

Annapolis Maryland

Reed sat in his home office and listened to the recording again.  Hearing his unmistakable voice discussing the bombings with O’Connor made his blood boil.  O’Connor obviously hadn’t trusted him and made these recordings in case something happened to him.  Reed had made the right decision ordering his death, but now wished he had done the same thing to the man’s wife.  That alcoholic bitch must have been approached by someone and happened to make mention of this recording.  She was lucky to be alive now.  Had he not needed information from her, she’d be dead.

Reed slammed his fist on the desk thinking about how they dropped off the recording at his home.  He’d have to strengthen the security, otherwise the next time they may just shoot him instead of leaving a package.

Whoever possessed this recording knew the devastation this would bring if it ever made the light of day.  He wasn’t too worried about that since he controlled the media.  Everyone knew he’d kill anyone who spoke about this.  What he worried about was, who were these people, and what did they want.  Certainly, an enemy or least someone who wanted his power and was determined to chip away at it.  Probably, someone, he’s currently blackmailing.  If he couldn’t find out who sent it then perhaps it was time to start killing more people.  That would send a message but would it be the wrong message?  He already knew some people were thinking he wasn’t quite so invincible with the death of his man, Pruitt.  Whoever killed him had to be the same person who sent the recording.  The timing was too close together for it to be anything else.  There had to be more than one person involved because it had all the makings of a fairly larger operation.

He leaned back in his chair and wondered if he should tell Perozzi about this.  Knowing someone put one over on him would not look good.  Would Perozzi think he was losing control and start to muscle him out or maybe even kill him?  Reed let out a laugh knowing that Perozzi was smart enough to know that drastic course would cost him dearly.  He had plenty of dirt ready to go public if anything ever happened to him.

“What if Perozzi sent him the recording?” thought Reed as he sat up straight.  Perhaps, whoever got their hands of this recording sent it to Perozzi, and was now testing him.  Why would he do that though?  Was he starting to consolidate his power?  It didn’t make sense.  He leaned back in his chair and decided to not act hastily.

Chapter 61

Jackson Michigan

It was late in the afternoon when Winters got back to the hospital.  He had gone out again to check on the perimeter and to visit with Mayor Simpson.  He had told the mayor he wanted to take another convoy of citizens out tonight and that he should have them ready.  If the Jijis weren’t going to attack, then they could take advantage and move as many people as possible.

After parking his truck, he began walking across the parking lot when Reese came to mind.  He didn’t want to run into her but was running out of things to do away from the hospital.  He was glad when the teenaged girls in the hallway stopped her because he didn’t know what he would have said to her anyway.  Despite Elliott’s approval, he still wasn’t sure how the rest of the men would respond.  Would they even care?  Elliott didn’t even seem surprised by it, which made him wonder if everyone else already knew.  He was never good at this kind of thing.  He knew his wife would approve and even be impressed.  The thought made him smile.

As he approached the entrance, Reese came walking out the door as if on a mission.  She didn’t look like she was in a good mood as she wasn’t smiling and wore a serious look on her face.

“Are you avoiding me?” asked Reese.

“No, why would you think that?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I professed my love for you and we haven’t talked since.”

“We haven’t?” asked Winters knowing full well they hadn’t.

She glared at him.

“I’ve been busy is all.”

“Cole Winters, believe me when I tell you, I’m better at making excuses than you are, especially when it comes to affairs of the heart, and I know bullshit when I see it and I’m calling bullshit.”  She cocked her head while putting her hand on her hip as she leaned on the crutch.

Winters laughed to himself knowing she was better at this.  Girls usual were and besides, he’d been married for twenty-five years and was out of practice.  Knowing he wouldn’t be able to lie, he decided to come clean.

“Okay, yes, I’ve been avoiding you.”

“This would be, why?”

“Let’s sit down over here.”

They walked to a bench off to the side of the entrance.

“Well?” she asked as she sat down.

Winters looked at her facial expression.  He began to think she was enjoying herself.  “I’m not sure why.”

“C’mon Cole, you can do better than that.”

Winters took in a deep breath.  “I guess for a lot of reasons, most of which is that it just seems wrong.”

“So, it’s not because you don’t think I’m not pretty.”

“Wait, what? No, no,” he blurted out confused by her question.

“So, I’m not pretty?”

“What?  No, no, gosh no,” he fumbled around as the words came out.  “You’re incredibly beautiful.  I mean look at ya,” he said still rambling and then realized she was pulling his leg.  He stopped and glared at her.

A sly smile spread across on her face.

“I don’t think I like you,” he said in a frustrated tone.

“Oh, lighten up,” she said smacking him on the leg.  “You deserved that and you know it.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.  I’m sorry, I guess.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Are you done playing with me?”

“I don’t know.  I’m so enjoying this.”

“Yeah, I can see that.  Look, you’re obviously a very pretty girl.”

“You said, incredibly beautiful a second ago.”

“Can we be serious for a minute?”

“I’ll try, but you’re making it so damned hard.”

“I am?”

“Yes, you are.  You’re just not very good at this and it’s cracking me up.”

“Great, I’m glad to see my discomfort makes you laugh.”

“This really is harder for you than shooting a bad guy, isn’t it?”

Winters nodded.

She grabbed his arm.  “Okay, just get it all out and don’t worry about hurting my feelings.”

He shot her a distrustful look.

“I swear I won’t get mad,” she said, raising two fingers in the air like a Boy Scout.

“I don’t think I trust you.”

She squeezed his arm.  “That’s no way to begin a relationship.”

Winters shook his head.  “Okay, fine, here it is.”

He took a breather from her needling to get his thoughts together.  He dreaded this moment but knew he couldn’t avoid it forever.  She had been forthright with him, and he didn’t have the courage to respond in kind.

“The main reason I’m not sure about this is not so much because of your age; in fact, I think you’re mature well beyond your years.  It’s just that I don’t feel right about it because I’m in a position of power, and it makes it look like I’m taking advantage of that power and you.”

“That’s it?” she responded in a surprised tone.  “That’s why you don’t want me?”

“Well, when you say it like that, it doesn’t sound so bad.”

“That’s because it’s not.”

“You don’t think so?”

“No, I don’t.  As a matter of fact, I thought it was going to be something entirely different.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe something like I’ve been with too many guys or that I’m kind of psycho now.”

This admission shocked Winters and he took her hand.  He needed to convince her that her captivity wasn’t something he would ever hold against her.  “No, Reese, not at all, and don’t you ever think that’s a valid reason to shun you.”

She looked at him intently and he knew she was trying to read him.  She was good at it and he desperately wanted her to see his sincerity.  She gave him a nod.

“Besides, I’m kinda digging the whole psycho thing,” he said breaking out a half smile.

She gave him another smack on the leg.  “It takes one to know one.”

“It really does.”

He leaned back on the bench and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I have to think of my position with the men, Reese, and make sure I’m not going to jeopardize it.  I just need time.”

Neither spoke nor moved as they sat there staring across the empty parking lot.  Winters started beating himself up for not getting back to her sooner.  He had caused her imagination to run wild as to why he had been avoiding her.  It had been unfair and unkind.  He wouldn’t ever let that happen again.

Without lifting her head, she said. “You might as well give in to me because if you don’t, I’m just going to keep tormenting you.”

“You will?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Well…as long as it entertains ya.”

She broke out a snicker. “Oh, it will.”

Chapter 62

Washington D.C.

A limousine pulled out onto the tarmac and headed to Perozzi’s private jet.  The stretch limo stopped and the chauffeur got out to open the door for Cara Winters and Charlie Chivers.  They both got out holding flutes of Champagne.  The two girls laughed at some joke before finishing their drinks and handing the empty glasses to the driver.

The driver watched CC usher Cara toward the plane before turning around and trotting back to the car.  She leaned in to talk to Perozzi for a minute before disappearing inside the jet.

The driver got back in the car and headed to pick up Perozzi’s girlfriend before they went to his favorite restaurant for his weekly dinner date.

The driver lowered the back glass.  “CC still seems worried, sir?”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve told her that Mordulfah won’t harm her.  But after all of that, she still packs a knife for protection.”

“Does she not trust you anymore, sir?”

“I don’t know what her problem is, but I’ve got half a mind to tell Mordulfah to keep them both.”

The driver pulled up to a posh condominium and got out to retrieve Perozzi’s girlfriend.  He walked inside the building and had the doorman ring her.  Five minutes later, a thirty-year-old blonde dressed to the nines emerges from the elevator.  Her ample cleavage pleased his seventy-three-year-old boss.  His latest squeeze treated the driver rudely, but he didn’t care because she’d be gone within the next week or so.  He wouldn’t remember her and barely knew her name now.  It surprised him that she was still around because she was a bit older than most of them.  When you’re a horny billionaire who ran the country, you could afford the very best.  “Perhaps Perozzi’s in an intellectual phase and she’s a good conversationalist,” he thought.  Whatever the case, she’d be gone in a short time.  He opened the door and she got in the limo without so much as of a thank you.  The driver let out a chuckle.  “Stupid bitch.”

He drove to the restaurant and escorted them inside before returning to the limo to wait for them to finish.  It usually took a couple of hours, as Perozzi liked to have a drink before and after dinner and usually smoked a cigar much to the lady’s displeasure.

The driver had plenty of time to kill and usually indulged his own cigarette habit as a way to kill time.  He parked on the street just up from the restaurant in a no parking zone, not that it mattered.  Everyone knew to whom this limo belonged so no one would bother him.  He wished there was room for other limos, but they all parked in the lot at the end of the block.  This was his least favorite destination because he had no other drivers to hang out with, which made for a long night.

An hour in, he got out and leaned on the car to smoke another cigarette when he noticed a tall man walking toward him.  He was dressed in dark clothes and a fedora hat hid his face as he looked down at the sidewalk.  He walked past the restaurant entrance and veered toward him.  The driver got nervous, but relaxed when the man took out his own cigarette.

“Hey, you got a light?” he asked the driver.

He pulled out a lighter and flicked up a flame.

The taller man kept his head down as he leaned in and sparked up his smoke.

“Thanks, man.”

“No problem.”

The man in the hat then stuck his hand out.  “See that your boss gets this.”

The driver, without thinking, grabbed the thumb-drive.  “Hey, what is this?”

“Trust me, he’ll want to see it,” said the man as he quickly walked away.

The driver wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t go after him, but the stranger towered over him and he thought better of it.  He looked at the thumb-drive, wondering what it contained and whether or not he should interrupt Perozzi, or just wait until he was done.  Thinking there was no sense in ruining their dinner, he decided to wait.

Chapter 63

Jackson Michigan

Winters had to admit it felt good having Reese rest her head on his shoulder.  He could hear her breathing and felt the slight rhythmic movement as they sat there looking across the parking lot.  He still hadn’t committed to a relationship knowing it would complicate things.  He had so much on his mind that any distraction might jeopardize his decision-making, thereby endangering everyone.

Reese lifted her head and looked at him.  “I was really worried about you the other night.”

Winters knew what she meant.  “I was in a pretty dark place.”

“When you guys came back from Detroit and you walked by me and Nate, at first I thought it was cuz you were like avoiding me, but when I heard what you wanted to do, I knew what was going on.”

“I just wanted more.”

Reese grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.  “Mister Hyde had his hooks in ya real deep, didn’t he?”

“Had Elliott not found me, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“I cried knowing I couldn’t be there for ya.  Me and my stupid proclamation of love.”

“Just bad timing is all.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“I got through it, or so I thought.”

“Why, what happened?”

Winters told her about the cops down on US 12.  “I just couldn’t do it.”

“Cole, you did the right thing.  You always tell me to fight for the right reasons or Mister Hyde will sneak in and take over and you’re right.  When I killed that cop yesterday, I didn’t think about any of that.”

“Oh,” said Winters knowing vague details about what she and Nate went through during the hospital massacre.

“I was too scared for revenge to even enter my mind.  As banged up as I am, I’m not even sure how I was able to fight him.  I just knew that I had to protect, Nate.  I don’t really remember thinking about anything else except trying to save him.  But, like after I killed him, I didn’t feel anything but relief.”

“Well, you did it for the right reasons.”

“Yeah, there’s such a difference.”

Winters was glad they were both getting this off their chests.  Regardless if they became a couple, they had this one thing in common.  They both understood each other completely.

They continued to sit there again in silence enjoying each other’s company, but Winters began to get antsy because he needed to prepare for tonight.

“You getting hungry?” he asked.

“Are you talking about a dinner date?” she asked with a sly grin.

“Sure, what the hell.”

“Haha, see, I’m starting with little commitments.”

“Oh, is that what you’re doing?”

“Gotta get my hooks in ya somehow.”

“Make sure you’re using the right bait.”

“Ah, excuse me, but you said something earlier about incredibly beautiful.”

“Hmph, don’t quite remember that,” he said with a mock confused expression.

“Eh, it’s cuz you’re old.”

“Hey, now.”

“I know, I’m a bitch, ya better get used it.”

“Not what I was gonna say.”

“Hmm, smart too.”

“Shall we go?” he asked as he stood up and held out his arm.

Reese got up and grabbed her crutch before interlocking her arm around his.  They headed inside and down the stairs to the cafeteria.  He patiently waited for her to hop down each step.  He pushed the door open hoping there weren’t too many people around and was relieved to see only Elliott and Amber.

Amber turned her head, then got up and moved to the other side of the table next to Elliott.  Winters knew then that Reese had told Amber.  This was going to be awkward, at least for him.

“Hey, guys,” said Elliott.

“Elliott, Amber,” said Winters.

“Sooo, how’s it going?” asked Amber giving Elliott a slight nudge.

Winters stared at both of them trying to control their grins.  “What are we in Junior High now?”

“Oh c’mon, Captain, this is too much fun,” said Elliott.

Amber looked at Reese and asked in a thirteen-year-old voice.  “So, does he like you, like you.

Reese turned to Winters and then back to Amber.  “Well, so far, he says he just likes me.  He’s not ready to admit that he likes me, likes me.”

Winters looked down at the table shaking his head.  “There’s going to be no living with you three.”

They burst out laughing and kept pretending to be in Junior High with childish jokes and mannerisms.  Winters kept up the façade that he was above it all and not enjoying their bantering, but deep down he relished it.  He needed the good humor and the laughter as it lifted his spirits.  With all the life and death situations this group faced this week, they were in need of levity, and if it was your turn to be the butt of the jokes, then so be it, because what goes around comes around.

Chapter 64

It took all the restraint Nordell could muster when he stood beside Nick Posey in a meeting Mayor Simpson was holding.  Posey’s beer belly stood in contrast to most of the participants in the meeting.  Apparently, he had been eating well and didn’t appear to be in want of food.  He wore a dark green ball cap with a matching dark green American flag patch on the front of it.  Nordell wanted to rip the hat off him and shove it down his throat.  He also wanted to strip his camouflage shirt and pants and put him in a bright orange jumpsuit.  Nordell glared at him in his periphery vision and fantasized how he would kill him and whether it should be a public hanging or a firing squad.  Each had its appeal, but he leaned more toward a public hanging.  He then thought about the type of hanging and decided a slow drawn out death would suit this traitor the best.

He wasn’t paying much attention to the meeting because he knew it was just a diversion to keep Posey occupied while his friend Hollis gathered enough passengers for another trip through the perimeter tonight.  He devised the plan with Winters who felt with the presently lax security, they could move close to a hundred people tonight.  It was a huge operation, but they felt confident they could it because the enemy didn’t appear eager to attack or even return fire, at least not the Jijis.

Mayor Simpson talked slowly and deliberately answering questions in drawn out detail.  Without telling him about Posey, Nordell had asked him to take his time.  They needed at least an hour to move everyone to the other side of town.

After the meeting, Nordell knew Posey would stick to him like glue.  He thought about all the times the traitor had been close-by listening and watching everything he did.

Nordell would slip out of his house later tonight to help with the operation.  He would also be saying goodbye to his wife who would be one of the passengers.  She didn’t want to go, but he insisted because he wasn’t sure when she’d have another chance.  Nordell felt certain the enemy was planning something big, and not having to worry about her would be a relief.  Whatever the enemy’s plan, because of his experience as a warrior, he’d be in the thick of it and he wanted to help the Shadow Patriots.

After the battle on Robinson Road, he had changed his opinion about them.  This ragtag group of men and women showed an amazing amount of fortitude and bravery that he could only compare to some of the best warriors he’d fought with in his thirty-years in the Marines.

He’d even come to like Winters, whom he had misjudged to be a weakling.  He heard the stories about the train station, the battles that followed at the Patriot Centers, the narrow escape into Canada, his capture by the cops, and the subsequent beatings.  Winters made some mistakes, but his overall strategy was good and the men responded well to him, which counted for a lot.  Nordell had seen many leaders in his thirty-years, most were good, but some were nothing but arrogant pricks.

The meeting finally broke up and Nordell made it a point to go talk with Simpson about some inane topic.  He wanted to have a little fun with Posey and watched how he waited off to the side while he took his time with the mayor before going home.

He stepped inside his dark empty home and hustled upstairs to a window that overlooked the street.  He spotted the silhouette figure of the overweight traitor just up the block.  Nordell kept an eye on him for thirty minutes until the man finally left.  He then slipped out the back and jogged to a car where Hollis was waiting for him.

“Is Ruth all set?” asked Nordell.

“She’s good to go.”

Nordell took in a deep breath.  He wouldn’t relax until she crossed into Ohio.

Hollis drove them to the staging area across town to an empty warehouse where they kept all the police vehicles hidden away.  They parked around back and Hollis threw the gearshift into park.  Nordell followed his friend, who walked with a slight limp from a long ago car wreck.

Chapter 65

With several options of escape routes available, Winters decided upon McCain Road, which was at the southern end of the woods they had fought in the other night.  It went over Michigan 60 and ran west connecting to back country roads.  They could then pick up Interstate 69 and go down into Indiana, then over to Findlay, Ohio.

He initially thought about going up to Lansing Road where Eddie kept watch, but the Jijis had blocked the other end of the overpass with a couple of overturned cars.  The cops still patrolled Hanover Road and he only wanted to deal only with the Jijis, as they seemed less inclined to put up a fight.  The only problem tonight was the McCain overpass had four Jijis stationed as guards in the middle of it.

Winters walked around the police vans and watched everyone loading up in the vehicles, which numbered ten in all.  It was a large convoy, one he normally wouldn’t have chanced, but with the squad cars as escorts, he thought they could pull it off without any trouble.

The passengers were mostly elderly with some young mothers and their children.  Winters didn’t see any teenagers and wondered if they all decided to stay and fight or were there just none in this group.  He thought about what it would take to allow an under age child to go off and fight.  It didn’t take much to imagine it, as Reese was only a year older than his own daughter.  A slight shiver shot through him thinking about it and knew it would be gut wrenching.

Bassett approached Winters, interrupting his thoughts.

“Captain, Nordell is here.”

“Are we ready then?” asked Winters.

“We’re all set, sir.”

Winters followed Bassett outside where Scar, Elliott, and Burns were waiting to go hunting.  Nordell soon joined them after speaking to his wife.  The six of them got into a Ford Expedition and headed up to McCain Road.

Wearing a pair of night-vision goggles allowed Elliott to weave through the dark streets without alerting any suspicion from prying eyes.  He pulled over just before the bend in the road on McCain and parked.  They all hustled up to the entrance of the overpass where beams from the headlights of the car in the middle of the bridge pointed their way.

“We’ll approach them from the other side,” said Bassett.

Winters nodded.  He gave Bassett the lead on this operation and followed him down the embankment through thick bushes, which gave them additional concealment in the dark night.  There were no Jijis under the overpass and they quickly ran across the four-lane highway and up the other side where a second car with its headlights on sat at the entrance with two men inside.

“Next time we’re in Canada, we need to get silencers,” said Bassett.

Winters nodded.  It would be helpful in this situation.  They needed to keep quiet, but they couldn’t afford to wait for these two to exit the car.

Winters threw on the thermal goggles and scanned the area looking for anyone else. He gave the all clear and the four of them approached the car from the back.  They split up into three separate groups, with Burns and Scar to the passenger side and Bassett and Elliott to the driver’s side.  Winters and Nordell crouched behind the car and Nordell reached up and clinked the trunk with his wedding ring.

It took a few moments before the driver’s door opened.  Nordell put his M-4 down on the pavement and pulled out a hunting knife.  He waited until the Jiji reached the rear of the car before springing up and thrusting the ten-inch blade into the man’s gut while wrapping an arm around his mouth.  The man collapsed and Nordell laid him down gently.  He then headed to the driver’s door and hopped in.  Winters felt the car rock back and forth.  He got up and noted the warrior’s expression on Nordell’s face as he exited the car.

“Nice one, Gunny,” said Bassett leaping up from the side.

“Don’t want you to have all the fun,” said Nordell.

“Now, how do we want to get across this bridge?” asked Scar.

“Hell, just turn these damned lights off and let’s see what happens,” said Nordell.

Winters wondered if Nordell was always this impatient or was he trying to make an impression on their first operation together.

“Go for it,” said Bassett.  “We can’t have them on anyway when we come through here with our convoy.”

Nordell reached in and turned them off.  They all looked across the overpass through their goggles and waited to see if anything happened.  Neither Jiji got out of the car and didn’t seem bothered by it, so they all started across the overpass with Bassett and Burns in the lead.  They followed Nordell’s example and tapped the trunk.  It took a couple of tries before it piqued their interest.  Both got out at the same time, and both went down at the same time, as Bassett and Burns sprang on them.

Winters pulled out a radio and gave the all clear to Meeks, who would lead the convoy into Ohio.  Twenty minutes later, the convoy passed by and headed to safety.  Winters was satisfied with the night’s operation and hoped it was a sign of good things to come.

Chapter 66

Grosse Pointe Michigan

Cara woke up early, which surprised her because she and CC had arrived late in the night and drunk quite a bit on the flight to Michigan.  She sat up dangling her feet off the bed and looked through the six-paned window at the clear blue sky.  She walked over to the window and admired the lake behind a large grassy lawn.

She was excited to meet and talk with Mordulfah.  Mister Perozzi told her he was a great leader, and with her help would be able to finally bring her father to justice.  The excitement of being part of this mission discombobulated her and she couldn’t decide what to do.  She looked around the small room and thought maybe she should unpack but then decided to shower first.  She threw on a pair of shorts and t-shirt to head to the hallway bathroom.

The bathroom wasn’t nearly as big as the one back at the hotel, but much nicer than anything back home in Iowa.  Nothing back home was as nice as that hotel room or this house, and she didn’t miss anything about it, except her mother, of course.  She tried to think only of the good times, and not what had happened to her.  She couldn’t wait to see the look on her dad’s face when he realized she helped to capture him.  She took a quick shower and was back in her room drying her hair when there was a knock on the door.  She opened it to see a dark complexioned young man standing there.

“Miss Winters, my name is Thomas.”

“Hi, Thomas.”

“If you are ready, then you’re to go downstairs for breakfast.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll be ready in just a minute.”

“Very well.  If you want or need anything just ask for me.”

“Sounds great,” said Cara.

She shut the door and put on the final touches in front of the mirror before heading downstairs.  Thomas waited for her at the bottom of the wide staircase and escorted her to the large dining room where CC and Mordulfah were already sitting at the long table.  She noticed they were engaged in a conversation when she entered the room.

“Miss Winters,” said Mordulfah as he stood up.  “Please, come in, come in.”

She walked toward him.

He took her hand and gave it a kiss.  “I’ve heard so much about you and I’m delighted you are here to help us.”

She admired his traditional Middle Eastern clothing and his mysterious dark eyes.  His mannerisms seemed to cast a spell over her and she felt weak in the knees.  She couldn’t stop smiling as he held her hand.

“Please, please, sit down and eat.”

Cara sat across from CC and couldn’t help but feel like a celebrity with all the attention that they were giving her.  She filled her plate with all sorts of strange looking food wanting to try it all.  Servants filled her glasses with orange juice and coffee.  She started eating while listening to Mordulfah tell stories about growing up as a Saudi Prince.

After breakfast, Mordulfah took them outside and gave them a quick tour of the estate.  She especially liked the lake and hoped to be able to go out on a boat.  She loved boats but didn’t get many chances to go on the water.  The swimming pool also beckoned her and she asked if she could go for a swim.

“Perhaps when we get done filming you could go for a swim,” said Mordulfah.

“What are we going to film?” asked Cara.

“Why, you, of course.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I hope you’re a good actress because you’re going to be the star.”

Cara began to get excited.  “What am I gonna do?”

“You’re going to play the damsel in distress,” said CC.

“Oh?”

CC put her arm on her shoulder.  “We need to make it look like you’ve been kidnapped and are being held, hostage.”

“Oh, okay,” said Cara nodding her head excitedly.

“Then, we’ll send it to your dad.  Pretty cool huh?” asked CC.

“Hell ya.  This is gonna be fun.  We should get me looking pitiful.”

“Like you’ve been roughed up,” said CC.

CC took Cara by the hand and they ran inside to get her ready.

Chapter 67

Annapolis Maryland

The phone rang until it went to voicemail, which is what Reed wanted it to do.  How dare someone call him at home this early, he liked to sleep late on Sunday mornings.  He rolled over to try to go back to sleep when the phone started ringing again.  He looked at the clock, which read 8 am.  Thinking it might be one of his kids in trouble, he pulled himself out of bed and reached for the cordless.  A cold chill swept over him when he saw Perozzi’s name.  What was he doing calling him at home on a Sunday morning?  That never happened and he instinctively suspected something was wrong.  Did he have the recording?  Whoever sent it must have sent him one as well.  He debated on whether to pick up or not and opted to make him wait.  He needs to know he can’t disturb me this early in the morning.

He leaned back on his pillow and looked over at his wife who hadn’t moved.  She didn’t have her hearing aids in and never heard the call.  He knew he couldn’t get back to sleep, so he got up and went downstairs to make coffee.

Reed took a few sips of coffee before reaching for the phone to check his voicemail.

“Lawrence, I need to meet with you tonight, make it seven at our usual place.”

Reed clicked the off button.  “He never calls me Lawrence, it’s always Larry,” he thought.  He knew the tone in his voice was different as well.  It sounded more annoyed than angry.  Regardless, it was different, and besides, they rarely met on a Sunday.  His wife liked to have him all to herself on Sundays.  She wouldn’t be happy, but he had no other choice.

He sipped his coffee thinking about what he needed to do in case Perozzi had decided to push him aside.  He didn’t worry too much about it because over the years, he gathered plenty of dirt on Perozzi to spread around and a trusted man to deliver it.  He would contact him today and give him a heads up.

He then remembered Cara Winters had arrived in Detroit last night.  Perhaps that is what this was all about and he wanted to share good news about Mordulfah’s plans to capture Winters.  He shook his head remembering the arrogant bastard had caught him once before and lost him.  Now, with Winters’ daughter for bait, he didn’t think even Mordulfah could screw this one up.  He wondered if he had bedded her yet.  He shivered at the man’s proclivity for young girls and detested him for it.  Even though Reed did many devious things, he had standards and drew the line at that particular perversion.

Chapter 68

Jackson Michigan

It had been one week since the attack on the churches and Winters watched several hundred of the remaining citizens standing outside of one of them.  He went out for a morning walk to clear his head and followed them as they headed downtown where they gathered on Washington Street and then marched across a parking lot to West Wesley Street.  There were three churches on the same block and the crowd stopped by each one and held a small service before moving to the next.  Not wanting to interfere, he stood across the street to watch.

He was pleased with them wanting to come out and honor all those who had died last week.  So much had gone on since Sunday and yet here they were standing tall.  Watching them gave him a sense of confidence, and not just because they stood here, but because they had come together as a town and organized themselves.  It was no longer every man for himself.  Now they were looking out for each other.  Mayor Simpson had done a superb job bringing these people together.

Winters felt more confident they could get everyone to safety.  They removed a hundred people last night without a hitch and were going to do another hundred tonight.  The Jijis were in no hurry to attack, and they now knew who the spy was, which stopped the bleeding of information.  He had been working on a few ideas and they would use Posey to their advantage soon enough.

After a while, the crowd moved on down Mechanic Street where Winters figured there must be more churches.  He had seen enough and started walking up Cooper Street to head back to the hospital.  He was passing by the Amtrak station when an old Chevy pickup pulled up beside him.

“Hey, Sailor, need a lift?”

Winters looked through the open window to see Reese at the wheel.  He approached the passenger door and leaned in.  “Isn’t this my truck?”

“Is it?”

“I believe so.”

“You got the papers to prove it, Mister?”

“Can’t say that I do.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t leave the keys in it.”

“Didn’t think any pretty girls would steal it.”

“Pretty girl didn’t steal it.  Remember, you said incredibly beautiful.”

“Yes, I suppose I did now, didn’t I?”

Reese nodded with a cheeky grin.  “Now, do want a ride or not?”

Winters hopped in and Reese floored the pedal.

“Whoa,” said Winters.

“This is the first time I’ve gotten to drive in like, forever.”

Reese picked up speed and flew down Michigan Avenue past the hospital.  The wind blew through the open windows blowing her long blonde hair around her face.  She applied the brakes before swinging the old truck into an empty parking lot.  Winters looked over at her.  She had a big smile plastered on her face.  She was flushing all the stress out of her system and definitely enjoying herself.  He wasn’t going to try to stop her even if he could.

She stopped the truck in front of a closed down department store.  She spun the truck around before stopping again.

“Think I can burn rubber in this old heap?”

Winters laughed at her mischievous idea.  “Gonna need to keep your foot on the brake while pushing down on the gas pedal.”

“I can’t with my bad leg.”

Winters slid across the bench seat next to her.  “Put your foot on the brake and I’ll get the gas.”

Her eyes lit up.

Winters maneuvered his left foot on the pedal and gave it a couple of taps.  The truck jerked forward against the brakes.  “You ready?”

Reese nodded excitedly.

Winters slowly pushed the pedal.  This time as he kept pushing down on the gas, the torque applied to the retrained wheels caused the rear of the truck to rise several inches.  “Okay,” he hollered, “Let go!”

She took her foot off the brake and the tires began to spin and scream, as white smoke encased them.  Reese began to laugh and yell at the same time.  The truck flew forward for about thirty yards before Winters let off the gas.

“That was friggin awesome!” yelled Reese.

Winters turned his head to see all the smoke.  “Check it out.”

Reese looked in the mirror to watch the smoke move against the building before dissipating.  She then whipped the truck around pulling hard on the steering wheel, which threw Winters against her side.  The wheels squealed on the pavement as the truck spun around burning more rubber.  Winters melted in her intoxicating laughter as she pulled him into her exhilaration.  The fun kept going until they ran out of breath from laughing so hard.  Winters still leaned on her as he gasped for air.

“Oh, man…I…so…needed this,” said Reese trying to catch her breath.

Winters sat up.  “Okay…that really was a lot of fun.”

“Can’t say I don’t know how to show my man a good time?”

“Oh, you certainly do.  Is this, ah, all part of your hooks strategy.”

“Heck, yeah it is.  So, should we start necking now?”

“Necking?  How old do you think I am?”

“Isn’t that what you old guys call it?”

“No.”

“Is sucking face, better?” she said with a cheesy grin.

“Making out is just fine.”

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Oh, you shy, shy man,” said Reese, as she put her hands on his cheeks and began kissing him.

The warmth of her mouth was addicting and Winters threw caution to the wind giving in to her.  He devoured her essence as they locked arms around each other.  Winters knew she had ensnared him, but he also knew he was a willing participant.  He would let go of all his reservations and live a little as she just demonstrated.  They existed in a world of uncertainty and you needed to take enjoyment when you could.

Chapter 69

Grosse Pointe Michigan

CC smeared eyeliner on Cara giving her a disheveled appearance.  She then worked product into her hair and wet it down to finish off a pitiful look.  Taking scissors, she made a cut on her white tank shirt and then tore it just an inch.

“This ought to do it,” said CC stepping back to admire her work.

Cara stood up and looked in the mirror.  “Oh, look at me.  CC you’ve outdone yourself.”

“C’mon, let’s get downstairs,” said CC.

They bounced down the steps and Thomas directed them to the gallery where they moved all the furniture up against the wall clearing out a large space for their performance.  A video camera sat on a tripod in front of a wooden chair.  An oversized black blanket covered the floor.  A dark gray curtain hung down from the ceiling hiding any sign as to where they were.  Several men dressed in black, holding machine guns, stood off to the side and looked to be waiting to do their part in the film.

“Cara, you certainly look the part,” said Mordulfah.

“Thanks to CC.”

“Now to complete the look I need to tie your hands together.”

Thomas took a rope and tied them tightly behind her back.

“Now Thomas, I’ll start speaking and when I nod at you, I want you to manhandle her over to this chair.”

“Yes, your highness,” said Thomas.

“This will give it full effect.”

“Now Cara, when Thomas brings you over I need for to sit there and look sad.”

“You want me to cry?”

“If you can then all the better.”

Cara had no problem turning on the tears when she needed, and within a few moments, tears ran down her cheeks.

“Excellent.  Wali start the camera,” said Mordulfah moving behind the wooden chair.

Mordulfah dressed in his white flowing robe began speaking.  “Mister Winters, you and your murdering rebels have fought valiantly, but it is time for you to put your weapons down.”

Mordulfah nodded to Thomas.

Thomas pushed Cara into camera view and shoved her toward the chair.

Cara turned the waterworks on full force as she sat down.  The two men dressed in black then moved up next to her on either side.

“As you can see, we have your beloved daughter as a hostage.  Miss Winters, look into the camera and say hello.”

Cara slowly looked up and yelled.  “Daddy, please help me.  Daddy.”

“Gag her now.”

One of the men in black came around and threw a bandana around her mouth.  They didn’t say they’d do this and it genuinely frightened her.  She twisted around pretending to be in distress.

“Now, if you want your daughter to live, you will do as I say.  Not only will you give yourself up, but you will also bring Corporal Bassett with you.  You both will give yourselves up to Captain Vatter in Detroit.  He will then set your daughter free.”

Mordulfah placed his hands on Cara’s shoulders and began to rub them.

“Now, I know I don’t need to tell you what else I will do if you disobey my instructions,” he said as he moved his hands to her tank top.  He then grabbed the shirt and tore at the cut that CC put there.

Cara tensed up and her eyes grew as big as saucers, thankful that she wore a bra for the shoot, as it had not been her habit of late.

“You have just until Monday at noon to give yourselves up.”

Wali turned the camera off and said cut.

“Excellent work,” said Mordulfah.  “Cara, you were magnificent.”

Thomas came around and took her gag off before untying her hands.

“Wow, that was good wasn’t it,” said Cara excitedly.

CC approached her.  “Sorry for not telling you exactly what was going to happen, but the look on your face was priceless.”

“No problem,” she replied haltingly.

Wali then played the recording and everyone gave it approving nods.

“C’mon Cara, let's go for that swim now,” said CC.

They raced upstairs, threw on bathing suits, and jumped into the water at the same time.  The water was cool and exhilarating as they swam across one end to the other.

Cara stayed in the pool as CC got out and lied down on a lounge chair.  Cara floated on her back thinking about the shoot and what Mordulfah had said.  She wondered what he meant when he said, “I don’t need to tell you what I’ll do.”  CC told her they had never met before, but it sounded like they knew each other.  She then thought about him tearing open her shirt.  That’s probably why he did it, to show her dad what he meant by that statement.  Regardless, it was a little creepy and she now wished she had been warned about it.  She got out of the water and sat down smiling at CC, but leaned back wondering what else she kept from her.

Chapter 70

Jackson Michigan

Winters pulled away from Reese trying to contain the smile on his face.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed a girl for so long, only that it was with his wife.

He looked into her brown eyes, which seemed to be sparkling now, and brushed her hair away from her face.  He leaned in again for a quick kiss, but it turned into another minute long session.

“Okay, okay, I need to stop,” said Winters, pulling back again.

She wore the same gratifying expression on her face that he knew was on his.

“Just need a rest.”

“I’ll give you a minute, but that’s it.”

“Seriously?”

“You’re a good kisser, Cole, and I want more.”

“I am?”

Reese gave him a reassuring nod. “If you weren’t, we wouldn’t have been going at it for thirty minutes.”

“It’s been a half an hour?” asked Winters in a surprised tone.

“Yep,” said Reese pointing to the dash clock.  “Time flies when you’re having fun.  You are having fun aren’t cha?”

“Oh, you could say that.”

“Now aren’t you glad I put my hooks in ya?”

“I suppose so,” he responded playfully.

She smacked him on the arm.  “Your minute’s up now get in here.”

He leaned back in and drank in everything about her, including her beauty and high-spirited personality.  He completely lost himself in time and space while they shared in each other’s passionate embrace.

Winters pulled back up and looked at the clock.  He couldn’t believe another half hour passed by.  He turned back to Reese who grinned and nodded.

“Better than you thought it would be, huh?”

“Reese, I can’t remember it ever being like this.”

“Really?”

Winters could see she wanted to please him.  “I couldn’t possibly describe this and do it justice.”

“That makes me so happy,” she said pulling herself up to give him a kiss.  “I was really nervous.”

“You were?”

“Well, yeah, I wasn’t sure how I would respond to a man again or if I’d be able to.”

“I get that,” said Winters.

“But, you really made me work for it and that actually helped me.”

“It did?”

“Yeah.  It made me face some demons right off the bat.  First, I didn’t have to tell you about it, which was a big relief.  And, you weren’t turning me down because of what happened, so, you know, instead of someone pretending it didn’t bother ya, you had a legitimate reason.  You genuinely weren’t bothered by it and that allowed me to work at it for the right reasons.”

“I’m really glad that worked out, then.”

“Of course your shyness also helped,” she said stroking his shoulders.

“Oh?”

“Yep.  It forced me to make the first move, which in a weird way, kinda made it better.  Winning always makes something more worthwhile.”

“I actually knew that.  I was just pretending to be shy, so you know…just to help you out.”

Reese put her hand on her chest.  “Well, Doctor Winters, thank you very much.”

“Eh, it’s no problem, it’s what I do.”

She gave him a love pat on his arm.  “I do need to thank you for not pawing at me though.  I know I’m not ready for that.”

“Well, I don’t paw on the first date; at least I don’t think I do.  Actually, I don’t remember if I do or not.  You know, it’s been a while.”

“Has it now?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Worth the wait?”

“Eh,” he said with a half smile.

Reese smacked him harder on the arm.

“We should probably get back.  They’ll be wondering where we’re at.”

“That’s, uh, like, not gonna be a problem,” said Reese.

“It won’t?  Why’s that?”

“I told Amber I was taking your truck to go find you?”

“Ah, that’s just great.”

“Oh, don’t worry.  She thinks it’s adorable.”

“She does, huh?”

“Heck yeah, and she thinks you’re totally a stud.”

“Whatever.”

She took his hands.  “I’m being serious.”

“I’m so glad to hear she knows all about us.”

“She’s my big sister now and sisters tell each other everything.”

“Never had one, so I wouldn’t know.”

“You’re not mad, are ya?” asked Reese squeezing his hand.

“No, of course not.  It was bound to come out anyway.”

“Well, don’t worry, I’ll try to control myself around you.”

“If you can manage it, that’d be great,” said Winters as he puffed his chest.

“Ahhh, now who’s got the ego?”

“You mention something about being a stud.”

“That was Amber, not me.”

“Oh, okay, then I got nothing to worry about then?”

“Well, not anymore,” said Reese playfully.

“Geez, that’s great, really,” said Winters in a disappointed tone.

Reese burst out laughing as she threw her arms around him and they started making out again.  They continued for another five minutes before stopping and heading back to the hospital.  Reese drove the old truck into the parking lot.  Winters knew something was wrong when he observed the serious expressions on Elliott, Bassett, and Amber, who were waiting for them at the entrance.

Chapter 71

Grosse Pointe Michigan

Cara opened her eyes and realized she had fallen asleep by the pool.  The lounge chair was comfortable and she was still tired from her trip.  She looked over and didn’t see CC.  She leaned forward wondering how long she had slept.  Wanting to reenergize herself, she jumped back in the pool and swam a couple more laps.  The exercise and the cool water did the trick.  Climbing out of the pool, she scraped her big toe on the concrete and blood began to spill out.

She headed back to the house, entering through a different door, and wasn’t sure which way to go.  The floor tiles felt cold on her feet and she looked down to see that she was dripping water and blood on the floor.  Finding a back staircase, she bounded down it and found a small bathroom.  She pulled open a drawer to find a box of Band-Aids and wrapped one around her toe.

She then went back out into the hallway and was startled when a door opened up.  A lady stood inside the room yelling in a foreign language at twin girls who stood there in their underwear.  They looked at Cara, which attracted the attention of the lady.

The crappy lady turned to Cara and yelled something in a foreign language. Goosebumps exploded all over and she felt chilly from the water dripping off her hair.

A man rushed down the hallway.  “What are you doing here?”

Cara looked over to see one of the men dressed in black who had stood beside her while filming.

“I, I got lost.”

Cara turned back to catch another glimpse of the blank eyes of the twin girls staring back as the crappy lady slammed the door.

“You are not allowed down here,” said the man, now standing too close to her.

Cara backed up a couple of steps, but the man came closer making her skin crawl as he leered at her wet body.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I’ll show you the way,” he said.

Cara padded down the hall and raced up the stairs two at a time not feeling safe until she found her room.  She sat in a chair shivering, wondering who those girls were and why they looked like they were totally out of it.  “Were they prisoners?”  The crappy lady certainly wasn’t happy to see her and the way that man charged down the hallway made her think that was the case.  For a moment, she thought he was going to harm her, which made her understand there wouldn’t have been anything she could have done to stop him.  She understood then that she was completely under Mordulfah’s control.

Chapter 72

Jackson Michigan

After spending a delightful time with Reese, Winters shook his head because he knew it was time to pay the toll.  There always seemed to be a price to pay when things were looking up, and he could see it was going to be a large payment.

Winters slid out of the truck and came around to walk with Reese to the entrance where Elliott, Bassett, and Amber stood waiting.  Reese grabbed her crutch and neither spoke as she hobbled along beside him.

“Captain, I’m afraid we got some bad news,” said Elliott.

Winters didn’t respond.

Elliott looked at Amber and back to Winters.  He struggled to get the words out.  “Captain, Mordulfah is holding your daughter as a hostage.”

Winters shook his head.  “What?”

“Thomas is here to deliver a video to you.  He told us Mordulfah has your daughter and is demanding you give yourself up in exchange for her life.”

A cold chill swept over Winters and everything went silent.  He could see Elliott saying something else, but he couldn’t hear it.  The next thing he knew, Elliott and Bassett put their hands under his arms and carried him to a bench off to the side.

“Cole, can you hear me?” asked Reese.  “C’mon, Cole.”

Winters felt a wet rag across his face.  His hearing started to come back and he reached for a water bottle held out for him and drank half the bottle.  His senses were returning, but he took a few more moments before telling them he was okay.

“Did you hear what we said?” asked Amber.

Winters nodded but took another moment before asking for Thomas.

“We got him stashed away,” said Bassett.

“Take me there,” he ordered in a stern tone.

They headed to an unused part of the hospital where Thomas waited.  He was ordered by Mordulfah to present the video to Winters personally and to make sure he watched it before coming back to Grosse Pointe.  Winters walked into the room and saw him with Scar, Meeks, and Burns.

Thomas got up and apologized for what he needed to do.

“It’s okay, Thomas.  Just show me and then tell me everything you know.”

Winters fought to control his expressions when Cara screamed into the camera.  Winters could hear his friend’s gasps, even as they tried to stay silent throughout the showing.  His heart sank remembering the promise to his wife that he would find her.  Winters balled up his fists tightly wanting to hit something.  Deep down Mister Hyde was trying to break free again, and Winters struggled to keep him under wraps.  He needed to think clearly because Mordulfah just checked him in a deadly game of chess.  Winters needed answers before making a move.

He looked at Thomas intently.  “What are my instructions?”

“Mordulfah wants you and Bassett to give yourselves up to Captain Vatter in Detroit, where they’re holding your daughter.  Once you’re there, he’ll let her go.”

“Why, Bassett?” asked Winters.

“I do not know.”

“Captain, I have no problem going with you,” said Bassett.

Winters gave him a nod and then turned back to Thomas.  “Now, tell me, what’s really going on.”

“Vatter will not have her in Detroit and Mordulfah has no intention of letting her go, as a matter of fact, he plans on…”  He paused a moment before continuing.  “He plans on raping her in front of you, as punishment for taking his harem.”

Winters' eyes widened when hearing this and he fought to stay focused by taking a deep breath to settle down.

“So, she’s at the mansion then?”

“Yes, sir.”

Winters nodded while trying to take everything in.

“There is something else you should know,” said Thomas.

Winters didn’t respond.

“Your daughter came of her own accord.”

Winters glared at him.  “What do you mean?”

“She believes everything the media has been saying about you.  She volunteered to help capture you.”

Winters sat down on a table and stared at the floor.  He knew the media had been saying he murdered his wife and the Shadow Patriots were on a raping and killing rampage.  The murdering of his wife hurt, but the worst part was his own daughter believed it.

He looked up.  “So, she was just acting then?”

“Yes sir, but unbeknownst to her, she is a prisoner, she just doesn’t know it yet.  She’s has been lied to and thinks she is doing the right thing.”

Winters’ mind started to spin trying to absorb everything he had just seen and heard.  Her desperate crying was acting, but it hit a nerve buried deep within a father’s soul that he couldn’t shake loose.  This foolish, rebellious girl, was still his daughter, and he would do whatever it took to free her.

He looked around the room to see everyone staring at him.  They would do whatever he wanted, but did he have the right to ask them to risk their lives for the sake of his daughter, someone who put herself in this position.  It would be asking a lot.

“Captain,” said Elliott.  “Don’t even think about not asking us to help.”

Winters jerked his head.

“I’ve been around you long enough to know what you’re thinking,” said Elliott.

“Yeah, Captain, we ain’t missing out on this one,” said Scar.

“I’m with my brother,” said Meeks.

Winters shook his head.  “It’s asking too much.”

“Captain,” said Meeks.  “I’m about tired of holing up in this town anyway.”

Everyone nodded.

The outpouring of support became overwhelming and he needed to get out of there to get some air.  “I need time to think.”  With his head down, he stormed out of the room.  Halfway down the hall, he heard the sound of Reese’s crutch hitting the tile floor.  He wasn’t in the mood to talk and ignored her pleas as he turned the corner.  He scooted down another empty hallway and got lost in the maze of hallways.  He desperately needed to be outside and finally found an exit.  Pushing through the door, he took in several breaths of fresh air and fell to his knees wondering what he was going to do.

Chapter 73

Winters pounded his fists on the pavement as he remembered how Mordulfah tore open Cara’s shirt.  He then swung his fists in the air as it got to be too much for him.  He got up off his knees and stormed across the parking lot toward his truck.  Mister Hyde wanted to come out and play and he would let him.  His heart skipped a beat when Reese came toward him at a fast clip.  He didn’t want to see her and didn’t care if he hurt her feelings.

They both reached the truck at the same time, and she let her crutch fall to the ground as she threw her arms around his neck.

Winters pulled her off.  “Not now, Reese.”

“Please, let me help you,” she said as tears streamed down her face.

“Reese, I’m not in the mood for your games,” said Winters, knowing the words would sting.

Reese pulled back.  “Cole Winters, I’m not playing a game.”  She smacked him on the chest with both hands.  “What…you think I don’t know how you’re hurting?”  She hit him again.  “I know exactly how you’re hurting, and I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

“No, you don’t,” Winters yelled back.

“Oh?  Tell me you don’t want to get in this truck right now and drive straight to Detroit and kill that son-of-a-bitch.”

Winters let out a gruff.

“Mister Hyde has got you so wrapped around your finger you’re not thinking right.”

Winters paced around and then pounded his fist on the door.  He then bent down, picked up her crutch, and screamed obscenities as he slammed the crutch against the truck, again and again.  Each time felt better than the last, but he couldn’t get enough.  The crutch twisted and then broke apart.  His breath came in rapid gasps as tears began to pour down his face.  Reese flung her arms around him and held tight as he broke down.  They fell to the pavement and she ran her hand through his hair pleading calmly for him to let it all out.

For the next few minutes, all the pent-up anger, frustration, and death over the past week flowed out.  He let it all out, as he had never done so before.  A sense of relief washed over him and he started to calm down in her arms.  He finally pulled away and looked into the eyes of a girl who knew pain but also knew compassion and how to show it.  She did know what he was going through and knew how to handle him.  Other than, after the battle on Robinson Road, he hadn’t had the time or inclination to deal with his pain.  He felt renewed by getting it all out and his head began to clear.

“Better?” she asked stroking his shoulder.

“Yes, and thank you.”

“I’m sorry this has happened.”

“Little unexpected?”

“Whew, I’ll say.  When was the last time you saw her?”

“It’s been a year now and it wasn’t under good circumstances.”

“What happened?”

Winters told her how they had not been getting along for some time and how she ran off with her boyfriend.

Reese grabbed his hand.  “She’s still your daughter, though.”

“Yes, and I’ll do what I can to rescue her.”

“Do you know what you’ll do yet?”

Winters leaned back against the truck.  “No, but whatever we do, it has to be tonight.”

He could see her tense up but also resigned to the fact there was no way around it.

“Then we better get inside,” said Reese.

Winters stood up and grabbed her hand to help her off the pavement.

“By the way, you owe me a crutch,” said Reese with a sly smile.

Winters looked at the broken crutch on the pavement.  “Yeah, I suppose I do.”

Reese threw her arm around his shoulder.  “I want a red one this time.”

“Don’t want pink?”

She cocked her head.  “Seriously?”

Winters let out a small scoff as they headed back inside the hospital.

Chapter 74

Winters felt better than when he first got the news.  Letting go of his pain helped more than he thought it would.  With a clearer head, he zeroed in on what they needed to do.  It was still personal, but he kept his distance from whom they were rescuing.  It would be a monumental task as Mordulfah had doubled the guard on the estate.  There was also an encampment on the property itself, though Winters wasn’t too sure, how many men remained there since most were guarding Jackson.

Knowing Mordulfah’s next move, explained why the Jijis on the interstate had not been attacking the town, or why they didn’t even bother returning fire.  They simply were waiting for Winters to come to them.  Why waste your men when you knew you could have your enemy come to you.

Not wanting to take a chance Posey would be able to spy on them, Winters met with his men back in an unused part of the hospital.  They needed to devise a plan quickly.

After getting input from everyone, Winters decided a raid on the mansion in the middle of the night was their best option.  Thanks to Thomas, they knew what rooms everybody was in and where the guards were posted.  The only question was where they would penetrate the estate.

“Captain, the only logical way in is to come in from the lake,” said Bassett pointing on the map.  “Burns and I had no problem doing that when we did a recon of the grounds.”

“What about a boat?” asked Winters.

“Plenty of them out there we can steal,” said Burns.

“I think a six-man team should do it,” said Bassett.  “We can come in quietly.  We’ll have the advantage using our night-vision optics.”

“What if we get in trouble?” asked Winters.

“We can have a team out front to divert attention,” said Burns.

Bassett nodded at Burns.  “Might want to bring the RPG launcher with us.”

“That’ll get their attention,” said Burns.

“And another team off to the side here if needed,” said Bassett.  “Just need to figure out who you want and where.”

Winters liked what he heard and thought for a few moments about what would happen once they were inside.  “The biggest problem I see is my daughter.  She may not want to come, which means we might have to force her.  Amber, would you be up for going in with us?  If she sees a female, she might not need as much convincing.”

Amber seemed surprised but responded without hesitation.  “Absolutely, Captain.”

“Meeks, you got your speed back?”

“I’m fast enough.”

“Okay.  Bassett, you, Burns, and Scar will give us our six for the penetration.”

They all nodded.

“Elliott, I’m going to have you and Taylor cover the front with the SAWs.  I’m sure Nordell will want to get in on this as well.  I’m thinking if you had fifty guys with you that should be enough.  We can have another a hundred men on standby should things get dicey.”

“Captain, now might be a good time to use Posey to send some false info,” said Bassett.

Winters leaned back in his chair to give it some thought.  He wondered what Mordulfah was thinking he would do.  He couldn’t be sure we wouldn’t just attack, which was probably why he instructed us to go to Detroit and give up to Vatter.  Either way, we wouldn’t be near Grosse Pointe.

“Let’s have him confirm what Mordulfah expects us to do, that we’re going to attack Vatter’s new headquarters.”

“Let ‘em think it’ll be just before sunrise,” said Bassett.  “Keep ‘em busy waiting and give us enough time to get in and out.”

It would be a daring raid, but not one they hadn’t done before, when his men rescued Winters from Grosse Pointe, only this time, there would be a lot more bad guys to fight.

After the meeting, Winters and Bassett left the hospital to go find Nordell.  They found him at home and brought him up to speed.

“Sounds like a solid plan,” said Nordell.  “The only thing I see missing is a sharpshooter.  You’re going to need one out on the water to cover your exit.”

Bassett nodded.

“My friend, Hollis, can handle that.  He’s as good as they come and has experience with night time shooting, even has his own rifle with an infrared scope.”

“He’ll join us?” asked Winters.

“Captain, this is your daughter we’re talking about, he’ll gladly do it.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“Now, I’ll go and let Posey find me.  We’ve got a meeting soon anyway and that’s where I’ll let it slip.  What time you want to leave?”

“I think we should be in position by 0200,” said Bassett.  “An hour to get there and another hour to find a boat and get to shore, so right at midnight would be ideal.”

Winters’ confidence level increased as they left Nordell’s home.  They had put together a solid plan.  The biggest wild card was his daughter and whether or not she’d cooperate.  He hoped by having Amber with him that it would be enough to show her; he was not a murdering rapist.

Chapter 75

Grosse Pointe Michigan

After taking a shower, Cara was still a little shaken from having seen those twin girls in the basement.  She couldn’t get past the look of despair on their faces or the angry stare from the crappy lady.  Why were they there?  Were they relatives?  Cara then thought about the hostile reaction from the man who leered at her.  She had never, felt more afraid than she had at that moment.  He could have easily raped her and gotten away with it.  After what happened, she was glad CC came with her; otherwise, she wouldn’t have anyone else to talk with.  She left the room and knocked on her door.

“Hey, did you catch up on your sleep?” asked CC.

“Yeah, I really needed that.”

“I thought so.  Hope you didn’t mind me leaving you out at the pool.”

She sat on the bed next to CC.

“No, not at all.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

Cara told her what happened.

“Oh honey, I hate to be the one telling you this,” said CC as she put her arm around Cara.

“What?”

“Those girls were rescued by Mordulfah.”

“Rescued?”

“Yes, they’re from Jackson and were your dad’s prisoners.”

“What?”

“Yes, they were being used as sex slaves.”

“Oh, my God!  That’s disgusting.  Oh my, those poor girls.  No wonder they looked terrible.”

“Yes, they’re being cared for by Mordulfah’s aunt.  She’s a therapist and is very protective of them.  That’s probably why she was upset at you.”

“Oh, I feel so bad.”

“Hey, don’t worry.  We’re gonna get him and when we do, you’ll be able to tell him to his face how disgusting he is.”

Cara nodded, but then wondered how she knew this.

“While you were sleeping I was talking to Mordulfah and he happened to mention them.  I wasn’t gonna to tell ya, cuz I thought it might upset ya.  It’s such a coincidence you saw them,” said CC, amused at her storytelling abilities.

Cara wasn’t sure how to react to all this.  On one hand, she was glad to hear they weren’t prisoners, but on the other hand, it upset her to learn that they had been.  A shiver whipped through her body as her dad embarrassed her.  She felt a strong desire to apologize to the girls for what he did but didn’t think it possible.

CC reminded Cara about dinner, so they headed downstairs to see a huge spread of food prepared for them.  Mordulfah charmed both girls, but especially Cara who relished the attention.  She had never felt such gratitude from anyone before and enjoyed the moment.

After dinner, Mordulfah regaled his guests with more stories about growing up in Saudi Arabia where he raced camels in the desert with his cousins.  Cara couldn’t get enough of the stories, but the evening ended when Thomas came through the door.

“Girls, I need to speak with, Thomas,” said Mordulfah.  “We’ll pick this up in the morning.”

CC turned to Cara.  “C’mon, let’s go for a night swim.”

Excited at the idea, they both took off for the pool.  She hoped it would help get her mind off the twin girls.  All through dinner, she thought Mordulfah would bring it up, and at first was glad he didn’t, but now wished he had mentioned it.  It started to bother her again and wanted the issue resolved.

Chapter 76

Washington D.C.

She took one final look in the mirror before stepping out of the ladies’ room of the Four Seasons Restaurant.  Her long black hair was tied back in a perfect ponytail and her lipstick was red, but not too red.   She plumped up her small breasts and tugged her white shirt downward to better expose her cleavage.  She took in a deep breath and approached the table where Gerald Perozzi sat.  She broke out in a big smile and asked for his drink order.

“My usual,” he replied, without looking up from his papers.”

“I’m sorry, sir, I’m new.”

Perozzi looked up and smiled.  “Yes, yes you are.  What’s your name?”

“Stormy.”

“Stormy?  Well, that’s an unusual name.”

“Mama said I came into this world like a storm and the name fit because I was a bit of a tomboy.”

“You look too beautiful to be much a tomboy now.”

Stormy laughed to herself.  The other girls warned her about his flirting ways.  “Well, thank you, sir.”

“What’s your last name?”

“Robinson.”

“Stormy Robinson.  Where are you from?  I detect a bit of a Midwestern accent.”

“You’re pretty perceptive,” she replied smiling her big white teeth at him.

“Let me guess.  I’d say Minnesota.”

“Right again.”  She decided to lie and tell him she came from Minneapolis instead of Brainerd, a town he helped destroy.

“I know my accents, but I would say you’ve lost some of yours.  New York?”

This took her off guard.  “You really do know your accents.”

“I know a lot of people from a lot of different places.  So, how long were you in New York?”

“Close to ten years.”

“And here in the District?”

“Just arrived,” she replied, watching him digest what he’d just learned.

“Well, Stormy, this is a regular haunt for me and this is my table.  I drink Scotch neat.  Just tell the bartender it’s for me.”

“And who might you be?”

“Gerald Perozzi.”

“Okay, Mister Perozzi.”

“Please, call me Gerald.”

“Okay, Gerald.”

“Bring two, I’m expecting someone.”

Stormy hoped that someone was Lawrence Reed.  It’s why she started working here as a waitress.  She’d never been a waitress before, but that didn’t seem to bother her new boss.  He took one look and hired her on the spot.

The fit twenty-six-year-old stepped away from the table knowing Perozzi was staring at her backside.  She worked it for him and slowly sashayed toward the bar.  She started modeling in her teens and was used to the attention.  When she turned eighteen, she moved to New York for work, only to find the New York modeling world was petty and backstabbing, but it paid too well to quit.  She joined a gym to work out her frustrations more than her body, which didn’t need any fine tuning.  She started taking it seriously and it led her to find her one true passion, which was martial arts, more specifically, Krav Maga.  Martial arts reminded her of her tomboy days, and as a single woman living in New York, an asset, especially in these troubled times.

Her instructor, Kyle Gibbs, had ten years on her, but they shared the same hatred for the new National Government.  His father, Jacob Gibbs, told him about what happened in Brainerd, Minnesota, and he had shared it with her.  Although her parents were no longer in the area, she grew up there and had friends and cousins still living there.  The news was devastating.

After hearing about Brainerd and what Kyle’s father was involved in, she wanted to help and decided to follow her friend, Kyle, who had moved back to D.C. a couple of months ago.  Even though she didn’t need the money, she offered to get a job at the Four Seasons in hopes of overhearing bits and pieces of conversation between Perozzi and Reed.

The bartender smiled at her when she came back to picked up the two Scotch drinks.  She made her way back to the table and found Lawrence Reed sitting there.

Stormy smiled.  “Here you go, sir.”

“Ah, thank you, Stormy.”

She then placed Reed’s drink in front of him.

“Thank you,” said Reed, wondering how far Perozzi thought he could get with the waitress who was way out of his league.  Most of the women who were attracted to him, and his money, had slut written all over them.  This girl, besides her unusual name, was different, she carried herself more confidently and self-assured.

“Will you gentlemen be ordering soon?”

Perozzi couldn’t keep his eyes off her.  “Give us a few minutes, Stormy.”

She walked away knowing Perozzi was again leering at her.  She also knew Reed was not.  He didn’t look at her like Perozzi, who like most men, was only interested in getting into her pants.  Reed looked at her more intently and started assessing her the moment she reached the table.  He wanted to find out what her intentions were as if it was second nature to him.  She could tell he trusted no one and suspected everyone.

She knew all about attention from men and their motivations.  She learned it at an early age when Junior High boys couldn’t control themselves around her.  In high school, the attention increased as did her skills in holding off their advances.  She even received special attention from some of the male teachers, which was extremely creepy.  She pretended not to notice but always did.

The restaurant wasn’t busy and she waited off to the side where she could observe Perozzi and Reed.  She could tell by the look on Perozzi’s face that he was unhappy about something as he talked to Reed.  She decided to get closer and walked around the other side of their table behind the half-wall to see if she could hear them.

“What the hell are you talking about?” asked an angry Reed.

“You know exactly where it came from,” said Perozzi.

Stormy’s heart began to race as she sat down in the empty booth.

“The hell I do,” said Reed.

She was transfixed at the conversation and didn’t notice someone approaching her.

Chapter 77

Jackson Michigan

The only sound you could hear in the old pickup was the movement of clothing as Winters sat there with Reese and Amber out in the city hall parking lot waiting for Nordell’s meeting with Simpson to break up.  They needed to monitor Nick Posey in case he left the meeting early to report to the cops.  Winters wanted to be sure that he did before they picked him up.  They weren’t sure where he had his radio but figured it was most probably at his home.  Scar and Meeks sat in an abandoned house next door to Posey’s place.

After some initial small talk, they only spoke about who came and went out of the building.  Amber held the night-vision binoculars and kept watch on the front door.  The unknown on what would happen later that night consumed each of them.

Amber wondered what she would say to Cara to convince her of the truth, or would they have to force her to come with them?  Thinking about it made her nervous, which surprised her considering everything she’d been involved in these past couple of months. She wondered if she was more nervous about the raid or meeting Cole’s daughter.

Reese sat next to Cole wanting to be close to him before he left for the raid.  She wanted to go with them but was shot down before even finishing the question to him.  She knew he would say no, but wanted to ask anyway just to show her concern and to interact with him.  She worried their relationship wouldn’t be able to grow now that Cara would be in the picture.  It was selfish, but she didn’t care, she wanted and needed him.  The more she thought about it the sadder she became until he reached over to hold her hand.  The warmth of his hand instantly lifted her spirits.  She turned to give him a smile.

Winters wanted to reassure Reese, but also needed to get his mind off Cara.  Every time he thought about the trouble that she had put herself in, he grew angry and then felt guilty for it.  He couldn’t help himself because that had been the nature of their relationship for so long.

“There he is,” said Amber.

This snapped everyone back to the job at hand as they watched him cross the parking lot and get into a subcompact car.  Winters picked up the radio and gave Scar and Meeks a heads up before starting the truck.  He powered up his night-vision goggles and put them on.  He slowly exited the parking lot and followed Posey across town through the empty streets.  He was headed home.

“We see him coming, Captain,” said Meeks on the radio.

Winters grabbed his radio.  “Copy.  We’ll hang back.”

“Aren’t we gonna follow him?” asked Reese.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get there.”

“I just want to see who this bastard is,” said Reese.

Winters let off the gas and coasted down the street.  He knew where Posey lived and could see they were getting close.  He didn’t want to take any chance of being spotted.  Scar and Meeks were right next-door and would be able to monitor his movements.  Winters figured Posey would report in as soon as he got home.

“Captain, he’s here and headed toward the garage out back.”

“He must have his radio in there.”

“That’s what we’re thinking.”

Winters parked the truck a block away.  He flipped his goggles up and turned to the girls.  “You guys stay here.”

“But…”

“No buts, Reese.  Just chill until I give you the all clear.”

“Fine, but don’t do anything to him until I get there.”

“We’re not doing anything to him.  I promised him to Nordell.”

“What?” asked Reese.

“Hey, it’s their people that got killed.”

“I know that, but our friends were murdered in their beds,” said Reese in an angry tone.

“Yes, but that was the deal I made with Nordell.  He wanted to take him out the other day.”

“Fine,” replied Reese in a huff.

Winters flipped his goggles back down, hopped out, and disappeared up the street.  He stayed to the bushes when he entered the man’s yard.  Scar and Meeks stood on the side of the garage with their ears pressed against the building.  A light was on and Winters assumed he had some sort of generator battery system to power his radio.  Meeks tapped Scar on the shoulder and pointed at Winters as he inched over to them.

Scar leaned closer to Winters and whispered.  “He’s on the radio now.”

Winters strained to listen to the one-sided conversation.

“Yes, I’m sure they’re going to attack you just before sunrise.”

Winters broke out in a smirk.

“Half their guys are staying here to protect the town.”  Posey started laughing at whatever they said to him.  “I’m telling ya, these guys are a bunch of morons.  If they only knew what I was doing.”

Meeks looked at Winters and shook his head.

“No, I won’t be able to see them leave.  Why?  Cuz I’m going to be sleeping that’s why.  You’re gonna need me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow when the town realizes their saviors are gone.”  Posey laughed again.  “Alright, well happy hunting and I’ll get with you tomorrow, over and out.”

Winters pulled out his Colt .45 and watched the light go out before Posey opened the door.  Winters gripped his pistol tighter as Scar and Meeks spread out to surround the man.  Posey walked out pulling the door shut.

“Don’t make a friggin move, Posey,” yelled Winters.

The heavy-set former cop froze.  His sunken eyes darted around at the three men who held guns on him.

“Now, get your hands up.”

Posey did so.  Scar then rushed in and forced him to the ground.  He slapped flex cuffs on him and then checked him for weapons.

Meeks helped Posey up.  “Morons, huh?”

He didn’t respond.

“Let’s bring him around front,” said Winters.  “Meeks, let the girls know we got him.”

Scar pushed him down the driveway to the road.

“Well, Mister Posey, this was your last broadcast and I just want to thank you for it.”

“Why’s that?” he asked in an arrogant tone.

“We know this was a set-up.”

“Yeah, well they still have your precious daughter.”

“Not for much longer.”

They reached the street where Reese had driven the old pickup up the block.  She left the headlights on as she and Amber got out of the truck.

“I know this son-of-a-bitch,” said Reese as she hobbled closer.

Once again, it came before Winters could do anything to stop her as she swung her crutch at Posey’s head.  The impact echoed in the night air.  Posey let out a scream before Reese rammed her new red crutch into his gut, knocking the wind out of him.  He collapsed on the ground while Meeks grabbed ahold of the crutch.

“Hey, careful how you break in your new crutch,” chuckled Meeks.

Scar grabbed Posey by the arms and picked him up.

“Oh, my God, this is the guy,” said Reese.  “This creepy bastard actually came into my room while I’m lying there all shot up, thanking me for everything I’ve done.  He shook my hand and held on way too long.”

She reached for the knife in her boot and tried to rush him again, but Scar moved him out of the way causing Reese to lose her balance.

Meeks grabbed the back of her jacket before she fell over.

“Damn you, Scar.”

“Hey, c’mon now, Reese,” said Scar.

She shot him an angry glare and then turned to Amber and said, “You remember this guy?”

“Oh, I remember him, he was being creepy alright, didn’t want to leave the room.  Cole, this guy visited all of our wounded, thanking everyone for their help, asking where everyone was from and getting all chummy.  This guy’s one sick bastard.”

Winters tightened his fists into a ball as he listened to Amber and Reese talking about the grim reaper visiting his men, knowing he was setting them up to be murdered.  His blood started to boil again and wished he hadn’t promised this man to Nordell.  He looked at the disgusted looks on his friends’ faces.  He turned to Posey and now wanted to extract some revenge for his murdered friends.  He fought for control as he moved over to Reese.  Her face fell in disappointment as he grabbed the knife out of her hand.  Then without thinking, he twisted around and lunged at Posey, thrusting the knife into the left side of his gut and pulling it out.

The man crumpled to the ground yelling in pain.

Everyone drew back surprised at what Winters had done.

“I’ll keep my end of the bargain and give him to Nordell, but first we’ll let the last remaining doctor decide if he wants to treat him.”

“Damn, Captain, that’s some poetic justice,” said Meeks.

“Throw him in the back of the truck,” ordered Winters.

Scar and Meeks bent down and dragged him to the bed of the truck.

Winters took a rag from the cab and wiped the blood off the knife.  He handed it back to Reese who looked both disappointed and pleased at the same time.  He looked at Amber who couldn’t stop staring at him and wondered if this reminded her of Reese when she killed Jaeger.  She didn’t judge her then but wondered if she was now judging him.  He turned back to the truck and wondered if he’d be judging himself later.  His spontaneous attack showed a lack of control, but for some reason, he didn’t care.  It felt good and the man deserved it.

Chapter 78

Grosse Pointe Michigan

Cara jumped into the pool and decided to do laps.  Growing up in Iowa, she loved to swim and often went to the public pool in her hometown.  She thought about joining the swim team in high school but lost interest when she started hanging around new friends.  She renewed her interest when she got to Florida, often swimming in the Gulf, which she had never done before.  Swimming out as far as she dared was both scary and exhilarating, knowing she was never really in charge out there.  It was a rush and she loved it.

Swimming at night in a pool was liberating and offered solitude where you could forget about everything as the cold water pushed away all your thoughts.  She needed this release as she needed to get her dad out of her mind.

The water was colder than before and shocked her senses when she jumped in, but now after a few laps, she barely noticed it.  CC jumped in and only swam for a couple of minutes before getting out and wrapping herself in a towel.

After ten laps, Cara climbed out and dried off before sitting down.

“You love to swim, don’t ya?” asked CC.

“Used to swim a lot when I was a kid and then when I was in Florida.”

“I’m more of a watcher when I’m at the pool.”

“Boys?”

“Of course, but I love watching people.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“You nervous about tomorrow?”

Cara hesitated before answering.  “Yeah…I’m just, like, not sure what I’m gonna say to him.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“I guess…it’ll be weird though.”

“Can’t imagine what it must be like for ya, to know that your dad is this monster, you know.”

“I thought I’d gotten like used to it, until today when you told me about those twin girls.”

“Yeah, that’s messed up.”

Cara didn’t want to talk about it anymore and leaned back on the chaise lounge.  She looked up at the clear sky and gazed at the stars for about five minutes trying to think of anything else but her dad.  This proved to be difficult, so she got up and jumped back in the pool.  The cold water instantly pushed aside the thoughts as she began to do more laps.

“Cara, I’m ready to go back inside.”

“Wait for me,” said Cara not wanting to be left there again.  She hopped out and dried off before they dashed across the grass and entered through the front door.

“Are you hungry?” asked Cara.

“No, I’m good.”

CC headed upstairs while Cara went to the kitchen hoping to get some food out of the refrigerator.  She entered the kitchen to find Thomas making a sandwich.

He looked up and smiled.  “Hey, Cara.”

“Hey.”

“I got some extra chicken breast here, you up for a sandwich?”

“Oh, gosh yes, I’m starving again.”

“Did you not get enough to eat?”

“I did, like, a bunch of laps in the pool.”

“That’ll do it every time.  Wheat bread okay?”

Cara nodded and then sat down on a wooden barstool in front of the dark granite topped island where Thomas made the sandwiches.

“Mayonnaise or salad dressing?”

“Oh, Mayo, of course.”

“Alright, a girl with good taste.”

She watched him cut the chicken into thin slices and then pile the meat high on the bread.

“Now, I’ve got Swiss or Provolone.”

“Swiss.”

Thomas gave her an approving nod and threw on a couple of slices.  He then cut the sandwich and placed the plate in front of her.

Cara picked up a half and bit into it.  “Hmm.”

“Good isn’t it.”

“Thomas this is so amazing.”

“It’s the spices the chef cooked it with.  You want a soda?”

Cara nodded and took another bite.  She was happy that she came to get something to eat and found Thomas here.  The twins still bothered her and thought that maybe he could help her speak to them.

She took a sip of her soda and washed down the remaining part of her sandwich.

“Thomas, do you think you could, like, help me out with something?”

“I will if I can.”

“Those twin girls downstairs.”

Thomas raised an eyebrow.  “What about them?”

“I was like wondering if I could, like, talk to them.”

“Why on earth would you want to do that?”

“Well, because you know.”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Because they were, like, my dad’s prisoners and I want to apologize to them.”

Thomas jerked his head back.  “No, they weren’t.”

“Wait, what?  I was told they were.”

“Who told you this?”

“CC.”

“I’m not sure if I should be telling you this,” said Thomas, knowing he needed to tread lightly here.

“Tell me what?”

Thomas looked around and then leaned across the island to get closer and spoke in a hushed tone.  “I’m not sure why she told you this, but those girls are the property of Mordulfah.”

“You mean they’re his…sex slaves?” she asked in a whisper.

Thomas nodded.  “Your dad had nothing to do with them.”

She gave him a confused look, but then thought about it more, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense, especially taking into account the reaction from the crappy lady.  Why would CC tell her this?  Did Mordulfah lie to him, too?

Thomas studied her reaction.  He wanted to tell her about what was going to happen tonight but wasn’t sure if he could trust her.  If she ratted him out the rescue would be a failure and he would lose his head.  He hoped the info he had just given her might be enough to plant seeds of doubt in her mind, which could help when they came for her.

Chapter 79

Washington D.C.

Stormy continued listening to the angry conversation between Perozzi and Reed.  She couldn’t make out everything and scooted closer.  She about jumped out of her skin when her boss, Robert, approached from behind.

“What are you doing?” he whispered.  He was a good-looking man in his mid-forties, with short salt and peppered hair.  He was divorced and often hit on the waitresses.  As the manager, he usually did well in that arena using his position of power to threaten the girls, as any job was tough to come by these days.

Stormy looked up at him and smiled, which always worked on men.  “Wasn’t sure when to approach their table, thought I might be able to hear a break in their conversation.”

“It’s not polite to listen in on conversations,” Robert replied in a hushed tone.

She stood up and touched his arm.  “I know, but I wasn’t sure.”  She moved closer to him.  “They seem mad at each other.  Are they always like this?”

Robert paused for a moment and then shook his head.  “I’ve never seen them like this.”

Stormy nodded.  She then figured out why he was there.  He came to eavesdrop himself.

“Why, the hell would I do that?” asked Reed.

“You tell me,” said Perozzi.

“How the hell can I when I don’t know who it is?”

“Fine.  Where in the hell is, Stormy?”

Robert turned to nudge her away.

She scrambled around the empty tables and hurried out of the adjoining room.  She took a couple of deep breaths and told herself to settle down before approaching their table.

“You gentlemen ready to order?”

“Stormy, I’m going to need another drink,” said Perozzi.

“And you, sir?”

Reed stared at her again.  She could feel his eyes piercing into her and knew he didn’t like or trust her.

“Why do you work here?” asked Reed.

“Excuse me, sir?” asked Stormy trying to force him to explain himself.

“It’s a simple question.”

“Not the way you asked it.”

Perozzi leaned back and let out a gruff while shaking his head.

“How did I ask it?” asked Reed.

“In a judgmental tone.”

“I didn’t mean it to be.”

She noticed a slight movement with his head and knew he was lying.

“I work here for the same reason as everyone else.”

“Which is what?”

“You get to meet all kinds of delightful people.”

Perozzi started laughing.  “My friend here is not much of a lady’s man.  He doesn’t seem to appreciate a fine beautiful woman.”

“Are you throwing me a compliment, Gerald?” she asked batting her eyes at him.

“Deservedly so, sweetie.”

“Let me get your drink, sir.”

“Get my friend another as well, he needs it.”

“He’s right, I do need one.  Actually, I need two, so make it a double,” said Reed not liking her attitude.  No one in this restaurant dared talk to him like this because everyone knew who he was.  Everyone was afraid of him, with good reason, everyone except this girl.

Stormy put in the drink order to the bartender when her boss, Robert, approached her again.

“What the hell was that all about?”

She gave him a puzzled look.

“That attitude with Mister Reed.”

“Oh, he’s just playing around.”

“No, he isn’t.  Don’t you know who he is?”

“Some rich guy.”

“No, he’s not just some rich guy.  He’s a very powerful man.”  He looked around to see if anyone was watching them.  “He’s had people killed.”

Stormy acted surprised.

“If you know what is good for you, don’t be giving him any sass.”

“Alright, I won’t. I didn’t know.”

She reached the table again and could see the sour faces on both of them.

“Here you go, gentlemen.”

Neither spoke to her.

She looked at them and asked for their order.

“I’m afraid my friend needs to go,” said Perozzi.

Reed eyed him, grabbed his drink, and threw it back in a couple of gulps.  He then slammed the glass down, got up, and glared at Stormy before waddling away.

She watched him until he got out of sight and looked over to Perozzi who was staring at her.  “Is it that time of the month for him?”

Perozzi let out a belly laugh, which broke the tension.

“Sometimes you have to put people in their place, otherwise they get too big for their britches.”

“I’d say it’s a little late for him,” said Stormy referring to Reed’s excessive weight.

Perozzi coughed up his Scotch and started laughing again.

She gave him a half smile.

“You’ve got a sharp tongue there, young lady.”

“I know, and it gets me in trouble all the time.”

“I’ll bet it does.”

“Did you want to order anything?” she asked wanting to change the subject.  She knew where that conversation was headed.  He’d tell her that she needs to be punished and that he should be the one to administer it, which would then lead to the tired old cliché of spanking her.  Men like Perozzi were a foregone conclusion and she had dealt with their stupid pickup ploys all her life.

Perozzi seemed disappointed.  “I’m afraid, my dear, I, too, need to leave.”

“Well, I hope it wasn’t something I said,” she replied glancing up at the ceiling in a coy way.

“No, no if anything, you’ve made this evening’s problem much more delightful.”

“Glad I could help.”

Perozzi pulled out a hundred and left it on the table as he got up.  “I’ll be seeing you again.”

“I look forward to it, just as long as sourpuss isn’t coming.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” said Perozzi, as he walked away from the table.

She raised an eyebrow and wanted to ask a follow-up question, but it was too late as he had turned the corner.  What did he mean by that statement?  She couldn’t wait for her shift to end so she could tell Kyle what happened.

Chapter 80

Grosse Pointe Michigan

The black Ford Explorer glided down Ten Mile Road like a thief in the night.  With the headlights off and the taillights smashed in, it disappeared in the darkness.  Inside, Bassett drove the vehicle using night optics.  Burns sat in the passenger seat helping to guide them along the road.  Winters sat in the back with Amber; while behind them, Scar drove Meeks, Hollis, and Hadley in another Explorer.  They headed to Lake St. Clair where they would steal a couple of boats and then sneak into the Ford Mansion.

After they arrived at the hospital with the wounded Posey, Winters explained to Doctor Lunsford who Posey was and why he was wounded.  Lunsford took it in stride and stated he would treat him, but that they were running low on nitrous oxide and wouldn’t be using any.

Nordell didn’t care just as long as the man recovered from his wounds so they could execute him in front of anyone who wanted to see it.

On the way to Grosse Pointe, Winters thought about what he did to Posey and was surprised that he still had no regrets.  It was odd because back in Minnesota when they found the drivers they took as prisoners, beaten to death, he had made a commitment then to never kill prisoners.  It didn’t matter that he didn’t kill Posey because deep down he knew he would have had he not promised him to Nordell.  All week, it had been a battle fighting Mister Hyde, and he had finally given in but much to his surprise, it didn’t bother him one bit.

His thoughts turned to Cara and what he would say to her.  He just hoped she wasn’t too far-gone not to believe the danger she was in and that she wouldn’t put up a fight.  He didn’t want to drag her out of there but would if there was no other choice.  Regardless of her reaction, once they were back in Jackson, he would have to suck it up, and not argue with her.  He shook his head thinking how idiotic that sounded, but with the week he’d had, he wasn’t sure if he could control his temper with anyone.

Amber stared out the window into the darkness while bouncing her right leg.  Winters reached for her right hand and squeezed it.  She turned her palm up and grabbed on.

“You good?” asked Winters, in a low tone as he leaned toward her.

“A little nervous.”

“Me too.”

“Not sure what to say to her?” asked Amber.

“Yep.  What about you?”

“The same, actually.”

“Really?”

“She’s your daughter, but she believes the lies about my friend and Captain.”

“Just tell her the truth.  She’ll see your sincerity.”

“You think?”

“Absolutely.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Winters hoped he was right as well.

Bassett slowed down before taking a right on Jefferson Avenue.  Winters knew they were close to the Marina and let go of Amber’s hand.  Three blocks up, Bassett turned into an empty parking lot and drove to the docks.  Scar pulled in behind them, and everyone got out and grabbed their gear.  Bassett’s tactical tomahawk hung on the front of this belt.  Hollis took his SR25 rifle out of the carrying case.  He was an avid hunter and shooter and had tricked his rifle out with a flash suppressor and a night-vision scope.  Meeks decided to take Nate’s Mossberg 500 shotgun with him.  He carried a belt of double aught shells around his chest.  The rest carried M-4’s with plenty of ammo.

Everyone’s nerves were on edge, so the conversation was limited to the operation only.  After picking out a couple of nineteen-foot boats, Burns, who had experience with boats, hot wired them and they took off toward Grosse Pointe.  It was 0100 hours and it would take at least thirty minutes to get there.  They planned on a 0200-hour attack and needed to give Elliott and Nordell plenty of time to set up.

The water was calm and the night sky was clear, the crescent moon gave off just enough light that they were able to see each other in the boat without wearing their night-vision gear.  The two boats traveled side by side, as they slowly made their way toward the mansion where the estate lights shined in the distance.

Winters pulled out his radio.  “Elliott.”

“Here, Captain.”

“You in position?”

“In about ten.”

“Copy,” said Winters.

He then turned to Hadley and Hollis who were in the second boat.  They were going to stay out in the water and cover their six.  The young Texan would spot for Hollis with the night-vision binoculars and pilot the boat.  “Keep your distance, Hadley.”

“I will, Captain.”

Burns veered the boat toward Gaukler Point and aimed it to the south side of the estate where foliage would hide the boat.  Scar scanned the estate with the thermal goggles as they passed by it.

“We’ve got two tangos standing at the back entrance smoking a cigarette.  So far, I only see two others walking the grounds.”

Burns navigated the boat to the shore behind a large thicket of trees and Bassett hopped out to tie it off to a branch.  He then squatted down and surveyed the area.  Everyone grabbed their gear before joining Bassett on shore.

It was a hundred yards to the back entrance where two floodlights lit up the backyard.  However, the lights only illuminated about seventy-five feet out and had a sharp cut off at the furthest reach of the beam.  This was ideal for the team, as they wanted to come around the estate by the shore.

Bassett grabbed a pair of night-vision binoculars to look for any motion sensing lights.  Not seeing any, he flashed the team a thumbs up.  They then stole away, hugging the shoreline, before taking cover behind a couple of trees fifty feet directly behind the mansion.

The team patiently watched as the two Jijis on the patio finished their smokes.  While they waited to see what pattern the two guards walked on their rounds, Winters reached for his radio and contacted Elliott telling them they were in position.

After ten minutes of observing the guards, Basset turned to Winters.  “Stay here, while I take these two out.”

Bassett pulled out his tactical tomahawk and knife and bolted toward the first Jiji.  He closed in within seconds, striking the man across the neck knocking him over.  He then swung down hard to finish him off before racing toward the next guard.  This one turned around at the last second before the axe cut into his skull.

Scar and Meeks moved to the dead and dragged them to the shore.

Winters and Amber joined them and they all ran to a far back entrance that Thomas had promised to leave unlocked.  Bassett turned the handle and opened the door.  He entered a dimly lit room and stood for a moment to listen for any activity.  Convinced most of the staff was sleeping, he motioned to them to the back staircase.  Bassett, Winters, and Amber scooted up the steps leaving Burns, Scar, and Meeks to stand guard.

By studying the map of the house before they left, Bassett knew where Cara slept.  He peeked down the darkened hallway before heading to her room.

Winters thought his heart was racing before, but now that they were at her door, his heart pounded so loud he thought everyone could hear it.  He took a couple of deep breaths before turning the knob.  He slowly opened the door and could see his daughter lying on the bed sleeping.

Chapter 81

The last thing Cole Winters wanted to do was scare Cara, but he had no choice and put a hand over her mouth before waking her.  Also, he wasn’t sure if he could trust her, knowing she came here on her own volition.

Cara opened her eyes and began to squirm around to break loose.

“Cara, settle down, don’t move.”

She didn’t listen and tried to break free.

Winters motioned for Amber to hit the lights.

Cara blinked a few times to adjust to the light and once she did, her eyes widened when she recognized her father.  She jerked her eyes to Bassett and Amber and then back to her father who continued to cover her mouth.

“Cara, honey, please, don’t scream out, okay?” whispered Winters.

She nodded.

Winters slowly loosened his grip.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in a rough tone.

“Well, hello to you, too,” whispered Winters.

“Why are you here?” asked Cara wondering when she should start screaming for help.

“I’m here to take you away.”

Cara sat up and rubbed her eyes.  “Why, so you can kill me like you killed mom.”

“Oh, honey, I didn’t kill your mom.  She died of cancer.  I loved your mom and I love you.  It’s all a bunch of lies.”

“So, you’re like not murdering and raping women.”

Winters looked deep into her eyes.  “No, of course not.”

“It’s true, Cara,” said Amber.  “If it wasn’t for your dad, I’d be dead right now.”

“I don’t understand,” said Cara.

Amber moved to the bed and said, “Honey, just know that everyone has been lying to you about everything.  Your dad has saved more lives than you can imagine.”

Winters spoke next.  “We came to rescue you because you’re a prisoner here.”

Cara cocked her head.  “No, I’m not.”

“Cara, I can assure you that you are.  Mordulfah planned on raping you in front of me.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because this isn’t the first time I’ve been here.”

Cara gave him a puzzled look.

“He’s mad at me because we rescued a bunch of girls he kept here as sex slaves.  So, he wants to get even with me and he’s using you to do it.”

A light seemed to come on in her head.  “He has girls down in the basement right now.”

Winters looked over at Bassett then back to Cara.

“Where? Which room?” asked Winters.

“The first door on the left after you pass the bathroom.”

“How many?”

“Two girls.  They’re twins.”

Bassett whispered into the radio to Burns.  He then looked at Winters.  “We need to go.”

Winters turned to Cara.  “Put some clothes on, Honey.”

Cara hesitated for a second before sliding out of the bed.  She knelt down and pulled on a pair of jean shorts, then laced up a pair of gym shoes before grabbing her stuff, but then stopped.  “We need to get my friend, CC.”

“What?” asked Winters.

“My friend, CC, she came with me. She’s in the next room.  I can’t leave her.”

Winters knew she was right, but grew anxious because the longer they were there, the more likely they were going to arouse suspicion.  He knew Burns would get the girls out of the basement, but was now concerned about three extra passengers.

They all flipped down their goggles when Bassett turned the light off.  He opened the door and looked both ways before stepping out into the hallway.

Cara pushed ahead of Bassett to CC’s door.  “Let me tell her.”

Bassett looked at Winters who gave him a shrug.

Cara opened the door and whispered.  “CC, are you awake?”

Winters stood in the doorway and watched his daughter go to the bed to wake her.  It took a second before she woke up and turned over.  As soon as she did, Winters instantly didn’t trust her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“CC, my daddy is here to rescue us.”

“What?” she asked in an elevated voice.

“Shhhhh, don’t wake everyone.  We’re prisoners here, CC.”

Winters could see the short haired blonde girl look toward the dark hall at him.  Her eyes widened when she realized what was going on.  She then reached over to the nightstand, grabbed her knife, and thrust it into Cara’s stomach as she screamed out for help.

Winters jerked his M-4 rifle up and pulled the trigger exploding CC’s head against the headboard.  He then bounded around the bed to Cara and scooped her up in his arms as blood poured down her side.  She cried in agony.  His heart sank and he wanted to comfort her, but they needed to leave before tending to her wound.

“Daddy, why?”

“I don’t know, Cara.”

Winters stood up.  “Let’s go.”

Bassett was already at the top of the stairs and Amber brought up the rear.  A Jiji came down the hall behind them and Amber fired a three shot burst taking him down.

Winters lunged down the stairs two at a time.  He reached the bottom and turned to see Amber right behind him.

Bassett peeked around the corner and bullets slammed into the doorframe.  He angled his M-4 and emptied the magazine.  He grabbed his radio when Burns called out.

“You got one headed your way.  Meeks is chasing him up the stairs.”

A shotgun blast rang out and then another.  Meeks pumped the gun again, expending a shell and loading a fresh one.  A large man, dressed in black, crawled up the stairs on his hands and knees.  Meeks rushed up behind him and fired one last time.

Meeks looked up at Bassett and gave him a nod.  He then turned and motioned his hand forward.  The twin girls ran up the stairs pushing their backs against the wall to skirt around the dead man.  Scar and Burns followed behind them guarding their escape.

They saw Cara bleeding in Winters’ arms but didn’t ask what happened.

“I’ve got gunfire around the corner,” said Bassett.  “Scar, you lead them, take out those floodlights.  Burns and I will cover our six.”

Bassett and Burns began firing around the corner as Scar led them out the back door.  Amber took charge of the twins and ushered them behind Scar.  Meeks followed behind Winters as they ran across the backyard.  Scar tried to take out the floodlights but began taking gunfire from an upstairs window.

Chapter 82

The sound of gunfire got Nordell’s attention.  His thirty years of Marine Corps experience told him a single gunshot was always followed by many more.  He nudged Elliott and told him to get the men ready.  He would wait for Winters’ signal before launching a salvo towards the mansion.

Nordell had set up his squad in the woods that bordered the estate, four hundred yards away from the mansion.  Another squad waited off to the right to cover their flank and a company of another hundred covering their exit.  He wasn’t taking any chance of getting trapped and would keep that company in place as a back up only.

The enemy sat in two fields, one directly in front of them and the second to their right.  He wasn’t too awfully worried though because of the two badass SAWs with him.  The high fire rate was enough to eviscerate whatever got in their way and usually scared the living hell out of anyone else.  He also had the grenade launcher with two RPG’s at his disposal.  He was itching to engage, but would patiently wait for Winters’ signal.  Better they escape than to blow it all to hell.  Regardless of his covert position and weaponry, they were still behind enemy lines and would only be able to hold on for a short while before the enemy, with their superior numbers, would overrun them.

When the gunfire rang out, Nordell looked through the night-vision binoculars and saw movement in the tents sitting in the field in front of him.  As the level of fire increased, more men moved out of the tents and gathered in small groups.  They were wondering what was going on inside the mansion.  Nordell knew exactly what had happened.  His friends were exposed and in danger, but he didn’t worry because he had a lot of faith in Corporal Bassett getting them out of there.

He could distinguish the AK-47 rounds now coming rapidly from the back of the house.  He smiled knowing his friend, Hollis, was lining up his first shot.  He turned his head slightly and waited for it.  The familiar crack of Hollis’ rifle then echoed through the air.  More of Hollis’ shots rang out and Nordell had, no doubt, that every one of them hit their mark.

Chapter 83

Scar led everyone behind a tree as a barrage of gunfire rained down from inside the house.  He then heard a shot ring out from the lake and knew Hollis was now in action.  The shot blew through an upstairs window taking out a Jiji.  The next two shots extinguished both floodlights.  The enemy was blind, so Scar motioned everyone to move out.

Winters tried to comfort his daughter by whispering how much he loved her and that she was going to be okay.  She groaned softly and started to lose consciousness.

Flashlights suddenly appeared and swept across the lawn as men poured around the house and opened fire.  Scar could see they were firing blindly in the wrong direction and he signaled to not return fire.  He led the group to the water’s edge and hunkered down to keep out of sight.  He watched more Jijis pour in from the south side.  He turned around to see a barrage of gunfire keeping Bassett and Burns from leaving the back entrance.

Scar reached for the radio and called to Nordell.  “Gunny, come in.”

“I’m here, over.”

“They’ve got our exit blocked.  Light ‘em up on the south side.”

“Copy.”

Seconds later, non-stop gunfire rang out and the confused Jijis began to peel off back toward the front of the house leaving only a few men to keep an eye on the back.  Bassett peeked around the corner to see their opening.  He signaled Burns and they tore across the back yard.  They waited another few moments while the last remaining Jijis ambled around the back of the house looking for them and soon disappeared around the north side.  Scar motioned everyone to move out.  They reached the boat and everyone piled in while Bassett untied it and began to push away from shore. Burns started the motor.  The boat came to life and he powered it toward Hadley and Hollis.

Scar grabbed the radio.  “Gunny, we are away.  I repeat, we are away, over.”

“Copy that,”

Winters placed Cara on a bench seat and reached for the first aid kit.  He grabbed bandages and lifted her shirt.  The wound bled profusely.  He placed gauze over her wound and pressed down.  He could feel warm blood soaking through the bandage onto his hand.  Amber came over to help and placed more gauze on top trying to stem the flow of blood.

Winters put her head on his lap and brushed her hair back.

She kept her eyes on him

Winters gave a little smile.

The boat sliced through the calm water and everyone remained silent while staring at their captain comforting his daughter.

“Daddy, I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Winters could barely hear her over the roar of the engine, so he leaned closer.  “None of it matters, okay.  Just know that I love you.”

Cara started gasping for air and took in a large gulp while looking at her father.  Her eyes had the look of an unwitting pawn, remorseful, with a yearning of forgiveness.  Winters gave her that forgiveness but wanted the same from her.  He helped build the wedge between them and knew he’d never get the chance for her forgiveness as she went limp.

Everyone stared silently as Cara died in her father’s arms.

Winters let out a sigh of despair and closed his eyes trying to wrap his mind around what just happened.  A wave of anger swept over him thinking about who was responsible.  Mister Hyde began bubbling up to overpower him.  He wanted revenge and he would get it.

They reached the dock and Bassett jumped out to tie off the boat.  He then reached out to help the twin girls up.  Scar and Meeks stood up and waited for Winters to move.

He took a few moments before standing up with Cara in his arms.  Her left arm fell from her side and Amber reached over to gently place it on her chest.  Winters tripped trying to maneuver to the side and Scar grabbed hold of him.

“Let me help you, Captain.”

Meeks hopped out and took Cara in his arms as Winters climbed onto the dock.  He then took her back and walked toward the SUV’s.

Chapter 84

Nordell was relieved everyone was back on the boat and looked around to survey the situation.  The enemy had begun to fight back and their advance was getting closer.  He still had a squad to the south sitting tight and not alerting anyone to their presence.  His company behind him stood ready, but he hoped to be able to keep them in reserve.  This enemy knew nothing about tactics and he would take advantage of their inexperience.  Now that they were exposed and taking fire, he decided to give them a hurting before leaving.  There was no sense in allowing them to keep their strength.  Plus, it was payback for the massacre at the churches and the hospital.  He raised the binoculars and saw that a large group of Jijis stood by the mansion guarding it.

“Elliott, let’s waste an RPG on these bastards.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Elliott picked up the launcher and pointed it toward the mansion.  He lined up his shot and squeezed the trigger.  The rocket launched with a whoosh and sped across the field leaving a trail of flame and smoke.  Seconds later, the rocket exploded on the south side of the mansion, killing all the men who hadn’t seen it coming.

The enemy fire eased off before resuming with a fury.  Nordell noticed it started coming in from the north, up on Marter Road, which took him off guard.  His recon team hadn’t reported any one in that area.  He needed to be back across the bridge behind them before they held that ground.

“Elliott, let’s get out of here.”

They broke out of the woods and immediately began taking fire.  Everyone dropped to the ground.  Rounds snapped and whistled to his right and Nordell jerked around.  “Fast little bastards,” he thought when he saw a large group of tangos racing across the field toward them.

“Man that SAW,” ordered Nordell.

Nordell picked up the radio and called out to Bill Taylor, who commanded the hidden squad.

“Badger, I need you to get into this thing, over.”

“About damn time.  I see a bunch of ‘em running across the field.”

“Slow ‘em down and then get back across the river.”

“Consider it done.”

Elliott manned the SAW and stopped the approaching enemy from the north.  Nordell grabbed the binoculars and looked up Lakeshore Drive at their exit.  Still clear.  He could hear Badger’s squad firing up their SAW and laying down a hail of lead.  He skirted back into the trees to see the tracers from the big gun boring into several Jijis.

Confident, he stood up and jogged back to Elliott who finished off a belt of ammo.  He looked into the binoculars again to see the enemy beginning to retreat.  He yelled for everyone to move out.

“Elliott, go cover Badger’s exit.”

Nordell grabbed the radio.  “Badger, get out of there now, we’ll cover you.”

“Copy that.”

Elliott hustled over toward Badger’s position and looked across the field to their right.  Through his night-vision goggles, he could see small clumps of Jijis trying to flank them.  Elliott set the big gun down on its bipod and took aim.  He pulled the trigger in short bursts and the tracers directed him to pull more to the right where he finally found his mark.  The enemy dropped to the ground either from bullets ripping through them or from sheer terror.

Nordell got on the radio to the rear company.  No one was approaching them and they still had a clear exit.  Nordell decided to take advantage again and set up all his men across the river.  He wanted to draw in as many as he could and eliminate them.  He was in his element and enjoying every second.

Elliott was the last to leave the area.  He climbed over the wire fence to get onto Lakeshore Drive, where Nordell had the rest of the men waiting for another attack.  Nordell stood in front of his men looking through the binoculars.  He didn’t see anyone willing to attack them and started to be disappointed.  Then a couple of SUV’s turned out of the estate and headed up Lakeshore Drive toward them.  Nordell smiled.  He had hoped they’d send someone.

“Get ready,” he ordered.

Elliott and Taylor each threw back the lever on the SAWs.

“Light 'em up!”

Between the cracking of the rapid gunfire, the muzzle flashes and tracers, it looked like a Fourth of July party, only better, because you were actually fighting for freedom instead of celebrating it.

The rounds found their targets, killing the driver of the first SUV before it veered and smashed into a tree.  Wounded Jijis tried to escape from the truck, but the Shadow Patriots mowed them down as they exited.  The second vehicle broke off into the field to the left, but didn’t get very far before a tracer slammed into the gas tank.  The explosion was as good as any fireworks finale, and the Shadow Patriots yelled out their approval.

The moment gave Nordell the satisfaction he’d been looking for since the attack on the hospital.  There was no honor in that attack and it had been a devastating blow to an already devastated town.  He personally knew all the medical staff that had died and knew what they meant to the community.  They sacrificed much by staying in Jackson when they could have left as many of their colleagues did earlier.

Elliott and Taylor stopped firing and got up when suddenly a vehicle came barreling in from behind them.  A lone black Mercedes skidded in sideways and stopped twenty yards away.  Four men got out and started firing at them.  Everyone dove for cover as Elliott rushed forward with a fresh belt fed into the SAW.  He pushed past a man who had taken a bullet and fallen to the ground.  Elliott raised the weapon and pulled the trigger.  Those rounds took out the two exposed Jijis.  He then aimed at the ones behind the car and pulled the trigger again.  He hit one before feeling a round hit his leg.  Then another bullet punctured his chest.  The force pushed him back, but adrenaline kept his big body standing up.  He fought hard to keep the gun level.

Nordell rushed toward Elliott and tackled him.  He then hovered over the wounded man and fired his M-4 at the last shooter, aiming under the car to shoot at the feet.  The Jiji collapsed to the ground allowing Taylor to rush around the car and put two in his head.

Nordell then rolled Elliott over and tore open the blood soaked shirt.  The wound was bad.  He ordered a first aid kit and dressed the wound as best as he could.  He needed to get him and the other wounded man back to Jackson fast.

Nordell began to curse himself as they raced down the darken Interstate towards Jackson.  He’d been too cock-sure and allowed a thirst for revenge cloud his judgment and tarnish what otherwise was a successful mission.  He knew better and now others were paying the toll.

Chapter 85

Manchester Michigan

Bassett turned off Pleasant Lake Road and headed into the empty fields so they could cross over Michigan State Road 52 and get back to Jackson.  As he approached the same area they had come from, they could see more Jijis patrolling the road.

“They must have gotten a heads up,” said Burns looking through the thermals and seeing glowing bodies up ahead.

“Hand me the binoculars,” said Winters, saying his first words since Cara died.  He didn’t want to talk to anyone and had said nothing.

Winters got out and climbed up on the roof.  He scanned the area and could see two man patrols about every hundred yards.  Some kept their headlights on but most did not.

Scar pulled in behind them and everyone got out to look.

“What do we got, Captain?” asked Bassett.

“Patrols about every hundred yards,” responded Winters.

“We should find another entry point,” said Bassett.

Winters didn’t respond and kept scanning the road.

“We can fight them now or later,” said Winters hopping down.  “So, it might as well be now.”  He grabbed his M-4 rifle and slung it over his back.  He then powered up his goggles, unsheathed the ten-inch blade on his waist, and started walking toward the road.

Amber turned to Scar and threw up her hands.  “Stop him.”

“Don’t think that’s gonna be happening,” said Scar.

Bassett grabbed his gear and ordered Hadley to see if Nordell was in radio range yet.  He then turned to Hollis telling him to get up on top with his rifle.  “Don’t fire until you see we’re exposed.  Hadley, you stay here with him, protect the twins and your six, don’t let anyone sneak up behind you, you got that?”

Hadley nodded.

“Good.  Alright, everyone grab your weapons and let’s go.”

“I’ll stay here with the girls,” said Amber.

Bassett nodded and then took off in the darkness.

Winters heard the footsteps following behind him and figured his crew was on their way.  It didn’t matter to him whether they came or not.  He wanted blood and had the perfect opportunity.  These Jijis wanted to get in his way, then so be it.  He didn’t run nor did he jog, as he got closer to the road, because he wanted to save his energy.  He scanned up ahead and saw the first victims who would feel the full force of his wrath.

Two Jijis leaned against the side of the car and were unaware anyone was approaching them.  It was pitch black and without night-vision optics, you couldn’t see ten feet in front of you.  Winters tightened the grip on his knife and quickened his pace when the shorter man opened the back door.  Winters focused on the other one who turned his head to watch his friend get something out of the backseat.  Winters rushed in and shoved his knife into the man’s stomach.  A yelp escaped into the night air.  He pulled the blade out and then stabbed him in the throat.  He immediately spun around the back door of the car and grabbed the second man by his collar.  He yanked him out and sliced his throat.

Winters could feel the warm blood on his hand as he took in a few ragged breaths of air.  The satisfaction he had expected wasn’t there, so he started down the road toward his next victims when Bassett and the rest caught up to him.

“Captain, slow down.”

“Why?  We got work to do.”

“Captain, I know that, but let’s not rush this.”

“Hell, I could do this all night.”

“If you’re not careful, we might have to.”

Winters kept walking.

Scar grew impatient and grabbed Winters by the arm.  “Captain, if you don’t slow it down, I’m gonna do it for you.”

Winters threw Scar’s arm off him and glared at him.  “What the hell’s your problem?”

Scar didn’t back down.  “If you don’t slow it down, you’ll get us all burned.”

“We’ve got over a hundred of our guys behind us, so I’m not too worried about it, okay.”

“Stop,” said an out of breath Amber as she raced up to them.  Her presence surprised Scar.

“I thought you were staying behind,” said Scar.

“I was, but I just got off the radio with Nordell.  We’ve got wounded men, one of them is, Elliott.”

“How is he?” asked Scar.

“It’s bad.  He needs a doctor right away.”

Bassett looked at Winters.  “Captain?”

Winters looked down the road to the next car with two more Jijis.  His urge for blood was overpowering, but he couldn’t risk exposing their position now.  He yelled at himself. “Damn it, man, get it together. Your friend needs help.”  Winters took in a deep breath and without looking at him, ordered Bassett to clear out the last one.  He turned and started walking back to their SUV’s alone.  He jerked slightly when Amber came up beside him and wrapped her arm around his.  He said nothing to her as they walked back through the empty field.

Chapter 86

Jackson Michigan

The sun began to rise as they pulled into the emergency room entrance.  They rushed Elliott inside to the operating room, where Doctor Lunsford was waiting for them.

Bassett had cleared out the other guard patrol, which gave them plenty of room for their big convoy to cross.  They did so without incident and Nordell rushed to the hospital with the wounded men.

Everyone was gathered at the emergency room entrance as Bassett pulled up.  Winters didn’t want an audience when he carried Cara inside and asked him to pull up ahead.  He wasn’t even sure what to do but figured the hospital morgue would be the only place to keep her for now.

Bassett parked and everyone got.  Winters then got into the driver’s seat.

“Do you want help?” asked Amber.

Winters shook his head.

Amber watched him pull away as Reese approached her.

“Where’s Cole?”

She pointed at the SUV.

“Where’s his daughter?”

“You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what?”

“She was killed.”

Reese threw a hand to her mouth and choked on a gasp.  “Oh, my God.  Oh, my God.”

Amber wrapped her arm around Reese and brought her up to speed on what happened including Winters losing control in the field.

“That poor man,” said Reese as tears ran down her cheeks.  “I need to find him.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?” asked a confused Reese.

“The way he reacted toward Scar, he’s so full of rage right now he’s hardly spoken a word.”

“Amber, I’m afraid he’ll go and do something stupid.”

“I don’t think so, not with Elliott wounded.  Just wait, okay?”

Reese nodded as they walked inside the crowded emergency room and found a couple of chairs and plopped down.

Winters drove around to the other side of the hospital to a back entrance so he could take Cara to the morgue without being disturbed.  He scooped her up and walked inside to the morgue where he placed her on a table.  He brushed her hair away from her face and stared at her knowing he had failed to protect her, but had fulfilled his wife’s dying wish.  She wanted him to find their daughter and make amends.  Despite the outcome, he had done so by forgiving her before she died.  However, he wasn’t able to ask her for forgiveness.  Over the past few months, he had come to understand he was just as much to blame for pushing her away and now would have to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.

Winters looked around the room and found a white sheet to put over his daughter.  He did so without ceremony and then headed upstairs to see how Elliott was doing.  As he entered the emergency room, everyone turned to stare at him.  He didn’t like the attention and wanted to walk away but knew he couldn’t.  He needed to be there and wait for word on Elliott.  The man had become his closest confidant and they had shared many personal stories.

A few men offered their condolences as he walked through the crowded hallway.  He saw Reese off to the side with Amber and could see she wanted his attention.  However, he didn’t want to deal with her just now and walked outside where he ran into Scar and Meeks.  He now wished he had walked elsewhere.

“Captain,” said Scar.

Winters thought about responding to him, but then remembered how Scar had grabbed his arm and threatened him.

“You alright, Captain?” asked Meeks seeing the scowl on Winters’ face.

“Still alive.  You?” he replied with a gruff attitude.

Meeks gave Scar a sideways glance.  “I’m good, Captain.”

They stood under the covered entrance in an awkward silence, staring at everyone inside for what seemed like an eternity, when Doctor Lunsford finally came out to the waiting room.  They then walked inside to hear him announce that Elliott was going to make it.

A brief moment of relief washed over Winters and he saw everyone was relieved by the news.  They hugged and gave each other high fives in celebration.  He then had a moment of clarity and knew what he wanted to do, and now that Elliott was good, he was free to do so.  He turned around and slipped out of the emergency room without anyone noticing.

Chapter 87

Washington D.C.

Major Green gave Gibbs a surprised look.  “I beg your pardon?”

“I had no idea this was happening,” said Gibbs in an apologetic tone.

“Who is this girl?  Is she your son’s girlfriend?”

“No, they’re just good friends.”

Green shook his head in disbelief at hearing about what his son had done.  He confided in a girl who took it upon herself to move to Washington and get a job as a waitress where Perozzi and Reed hung out.

“Does your son not understand who we’re dealing with?”

“He does, and while I didn’t approve of this, her encounter last night turned out to be quite informative.  I think you should meet her.”

Green looked across the parking lot to the office where Stormy waited with Kyle.  He had come here at Gibbs’ request and had no idea why, until now.  Gibbs knew better than to tell him this over the phone.  Green hesitated because of his encounter with Cara Winters and Charlie Chivers.  He had almost exposed himself and had since made himself a promise to be more careful meeting new people.  He decided to take a chance only because she was with Jacob’s son, Kyle.  If he couldn’t trust him then he wouldn’t be able to trust anyone else, which would make it difficult to move forward with their plans.

They entered the office and Green’s jaw about dropped when he saw Stormy.  Gibbs had told him she did modeling work in the past, but he didn’t expect her to be drop-dead gorgeous.  Green took her hand as Gibbs introduced them.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Green forgetting all about his hesitation and anger.

“Major Green, please no, the pleasure is all mine.  From what they tell me, you’re the one who’s put his life on the line for all of us.”

Green was pleasantly surprised at her response and felt a little embarrassed.

Gibbs then introduced Green to his son.

“Major.”

“Kyle, it’s a pleasure, and thank you for the other night.”

“It went off without a hitch.  Perozzi’s driver was no problem.”

“Well, he obviously gave his boss the thumb drive,” said Green.  He then turned to Stormy.  “Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”

She filled him in on everything she had heard Perozzi and Reed talk about, the animosity between them Reed’s abrupt departure.

Green gave Gibbs a nod of approval when she finished.  It appeared their plan of dividing Perozzi and Reed was starting to work.  Divide and conquer was a motto he believed in and now they needed to step it up a notch.  After hearing what Stormy conveyed, Green already knew what the next move was going to be.  He broke out in a smile because for the first time since coming back to D.C., he now had hope that they could actually take down Perozzi and Reed.

Chapter 88

Jackson Michigan

Amber sat in a big comfortable chair waiting for Elliott to awaken.  He had come out of surgery hours ago and Doctor Lunsford said he’d be up about now.  She looked at him and realized she had fallen asleep.  Elliott smiled at her when she opened her eyes.

“Hey, you’re awake,” said Amber, as she got up and sat beside him.

“I’ve been awake for a little bit.  I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Oh, Elliott, you didn’t need to do that.”

“I know, but you looked like a sleeping angel and I was enjoying it.”

“Elliott, you’re going to make me blush.”

“Well, the last thing I remember was being in a firefight and then I woke up to see you, so it was a nice change.”

She grabbed his hand.  “Well, glad I could help.”

“So, what happened?  Where’s Cole and Cara?”

Amber took a moment before answering.  “She was killed.”

Elliott closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“And to top it off; she was killed by her friend or a so-called friend.”

“How is he?”

“Not good.  He’s like a different person now, Elliott.”

“How do you mean?”

Amber told him what happened when he killed the Jijis and how she’d had to break him and Scar apart.

“Cole is racked with guilt.”

“Scar said he barely spoke two words to him and Meeks.  He didn’t even come to see Reese.  She’s beside herself.”

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know.  Nobody does.  Reese went to go look for him.”

Amber stood up and got some water for Elliott.  She helped him lean forward and moved the plastic cup to his lips.  He drank more than half before leaning back.

The door then opened and Reese walked in with an exasperated look on her face.

Amber knew something was wrong.

“They’re gone,” said Reese.

Amber was confused.  “Who’s gone?”

“Cole’s daughter is gone and so is he.”

“What?”

“I went to the morgue to see if he was there and her body is gone.”

“Maybe he went to go bury her.”

“Yeah, then why did he take the police van?  I ran into Badger, and he saw him drive out of the parking lot with it.”

Amber turned to Elliott hoping for an answer.

He closed his eyes for a few moments and then looked at the girls.  “Ten to one says he’s taking her home.  He’s going back to Iowa.”

Reese let out a gasp and tears started to run down her cheeks.

Amber got up and put her arms around her.  She figured Reese was thinking the same thing she was, would Cole come back to them or would he go off to Detroit by himself.

Reese then broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

Amber had never seen her break down before and always wondered how she kept it together and now knew; she had bottled everything up and was now letting it all out.  All it took was a bout of unrequited love to break her.

It had been a long week for the Shadow Patriots.  They fought many battles, where everyone lost someone dear to them.  Everyone’s nerves were frazzled and on edge.  Amber knew things would be different now that Cole had left.  He was the glue that held this ragtag army together.  He was their Captain, and if he didn’t come back, they’d go on, but it wouldn’t be the same.  She tightened her arms around Reese running a hand through her hair and prayed for the best.

Reviews, good or bad are important to any author, so if you have the time, please leave a review.  I appreciate any input.  Also, feel free to visit my facebook page under The Shadow Patriots and if you’d like to contact me you can shoot me an email:  WarrenRay.art  at  gmail.com