by Mark Goodwin
“Are we going to try to buy rabbits?” Micah’s face looked apprehensive.
“I think we should. Why? Are you worried about the dogs?”
“More worried about the woman. If the bee lady thinks she’s crazy, she’d have to be nuts.”
Josh smiled. “I think we can handle a crazy old lady—if we can get past the dogs.”
The two of them managed to navigate past the ferocious canines, which turned out to be a yappy little terrier and a lazy bloodhound, who never so much as lifted his head the entire time Josh and Micah were there. The woman, Mrs. Evans, did turn out to be rather eccentric, but very hospitable. She gladly sold a buck and four does for $200 in pre-crash US currency. And like the bee lady, she instructed Josh and Micah on caring for the rabbits. She ensured them that five rabbits would quickly become a hundred with very little effort.
After another successful mission, Josh and Micah returned home.
***
On the following Tuesday, Josh was feeding the chickens when he heard a vehicle turn onto the gravel drive. He picked up his radio. “Everyone, pay attention and be ready. We’ve got company.” Josh pulled the sling of his rifle off his shoulder and headed toward the house.
Nicole soon called back over the radio with an excited voice. “It’s Emilio. All clear.”
Josh lowered his rifle but still maintained a steady pace to the farmhouse. When he arrived, Emilio’s face looked grim, despite being reunited with Nicole. “How did it go?”
Micah and Lindsey came out to see Emilio. They listened to the conversation.
“Brian is dead.” Emilio removed his pack from the back seat of the old Nissan.
“Dead? You sent him the information?” Josh was stunned.
“Yeah. Two days later, he killed himself.”
“Killed himself how?” Josh inquired.
Emilio looked him in the eyes. “Got in his car and started the engine with the garage door closed.”
“Did he leave a note?” Josh asked.
“No note. No autopsy. Nothing to see here, move along. I told Melanie to get out of Tampa. She’s done what she could to cover her tracks, but if they start digging, they’ll figure out she was involved in tracking the Saudis. She’s driving up to Elizabethtown as we speak. I’ll go get her in a day or two.”
“Melanie?” Nicole said. “You’re bringing another girl here?”
“It’s the girl from the office—the one who was helping me with the investigation. She’s got nowhere to go and her life is in danger. If they killed Brian to shut this thing down, then they’ll kill her also.”
“Does she know you have a girlfriend?” Nicole crossed her arms.
“Yes, she knows I have a girlfriend,” said Emilio.
“Obviously, someone higher up the food chain than Brian wants the attack to happen,” said Josh.
“Then it’s up to us to put a stop to it,” said Emilio.
“We’re two people. We can’t stop anything.” Josh shook his head.
“I’ve got the locations of all the martyrs.”
“Yeah, and they’re spread out all over the map.”
“We’re three hours from Cincinnati. You’ve got people you can trust in the Tampa PD. They can neutralize the threat in Florida.”
“Which still leaves LA and New Jersey.”
“Maybe we get lucky. We can tip off the locals and hope they act on the intel.”
“Unlikely,” said Josh.
“Even so, if the country has two patient zeros as opposed to four, it buys us some time. At least it gives the people in the heartland a fighting chance.”
Josh could not argue with Emilio’s logic. “What do you propose? We go to Cincinnati, grab the martyr, and turn him over to who?”
“We kill him. He’s planning on dying anyway,” said Emilio.
Josh grimaced but saw no other alternative. “We’ll have to take the guardian also. Otherwise, he could inject himself and still carry out the attack.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Then what do we do with the virus?” asked Josh.
Micah offered his recommendation. “You cook it.”
“Cook it?” Josh didn’t quite understand.
“Yeah, that’s what they do in all the zombie movies. When they have a virus that they want to make sure no one gets their hands on, they put it in a thing like an oven or a microwave.”
“He’s got a point,” said Emilio.
Josh did not want to encourage the zombie analogies, but he couldn’t deny that Micah had provided a viable solution. “Good idea.” Josh turned to Emilio. “We need to get our gear together and head out by sunset. We’ll have to find a place to stake out the location. They may already be on alert. I’m sure whoever killed Brian tipped them off.”
“Sure thing. I’m ready when you are,” Emilio said.
Josh said, “I need to get another burner phone. Can I borrow your car, Emilio?”
Emilio handed him his keys. “Sure. Is the El Camino not running?”
“It’s fine. But I’m going to Walmart for the burner. They’ve got cameras in the parking lot. I don’t want to take a chance on having the phone traced back. If that happens, the authorities could go through the security footage to find out what car I was driving. We’ll have to ditch the Nissan after this operation anyway.”
“Need me to ride shotgun?” Micah offered.
“No. I’m going to wear a ball cap and sunglasses to try to avoid detection. I don’t want to risk exposing you.”
“You always wear a ball cap,” said Micah.
“And overhead cameras never get a shot of my face,” smiled Josh.
“How are you going to pay for the burner?” Emilio asked.
“Good question.” Josh was perplexed.
Emilio handed him a credit card. “It’s a pre-paid gift card. I bought a few of them with cash during the amnesty period.”
“Good call.” Josh looked at the plastic card as if it were gold. He stuck it in his pocket and got in the beat-up Nissan.
CHAPTER 4
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
Psalm 18:2-3
Just before sunset Tuesday evening, Josh and Emilio were ready to leave. Stephanie hugged her husband. “Be safe.”
Josh kissed her. “I will. We should be back tomorrow or the next day.”
“Why the next day?” Nicole held tightly to Emilio’s hand.
“If we draw attention from the locals, we may have to circle around to throw the authorities off of our trail,” said Emilio.
“We can’t risk leading them back here,” Josh added.
“Hurry back.” Nicole kissed Emilio.
Emilio ended the embrace and got in the car. “Wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”
Josh closed his door. “Let’s roll.”
Emilio pulled out of the driveway and the two were on the road toward Cincinnati.
“Do we know what happened to the man we interrogated? Did Brian pick him up before he was murdered?”
“No.” Emilio’s answer was overly succinct.
“So, where is he?”
“Dead.”
“Dead how?”
Emilio sighed. “I had to put him down.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’d seen our faces. He could describe half the people in the compound. Plus, he knew you had a cave. That could have been just enough information to lead the Department of Global Security right to your doorstep.”
“You decided this before Brian was even killed?”
“It had to be this way.”
Josh peered into his eyes. “Wait, you knew you were going to kill him before you ever left the compound. You keep your own counsel. You always have. But if you are going to keep making these unilateral decisions, I
can’t have you at the compound. You’ll have to find somewhere else to go.
“It was bad enough when it was just you and me on the job. I never liked being dragged into your illicit activities, but now, my family is on the line.”
Emilio huffed. “Have you ever questioned my motivations? Most of the time, I’m trying to look out for you. Yes, sometimes the rules get in the way of taking down the bad guy, and I admit, I do what needs to be done. But you can never accuse me of being self-serving in my actions.”
Josh said, “And the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I’m not saying you’re a bad guy, I’m saying that you make your own rules, and that’s not going to work at the compound.”
“You can’t run me out! You’re the only family I’ve got. One of the things I like so much about Nicole is that she’s your sister. If things could work out between us, then you and I would be brothers. I love you, man. I only want the best for you and your family.”
Josh knew he was sincere, and it hurt him to have to be so firm, but he couldn’t allow Emilio’s reckless habits to jeopardize his wife and son. “I know. And I’ve never questioned your loyalty. You’re like a brother to me also. I’d be honored to have you as part of my family if you and Nicole were to get married. But I’m serious. It has to stop. The compound is on my property. I bought it to keep Stephanie and Micah safe. I would like it to be your home also, but you have to understand, they come first. I hate to sound like a tyrant, but it’s my way or the highway.”
“I get it. No more lone-ranger operations from me. I promise.”
“Good.” Josh hoped he would stick to his commitment.
The two were silent for the next two hours. Then, Josh took out his new burner. “We’re almost to Louisville. I’m going to make the call to Tampa PD.”
He entered the number.
“Tampa Police,” answered a young woman.
“Chief Thurman, please,” said Josh.
“The chief isn’t in right now. May I take a message?”
“This is urgent. My name is Joshua Stone. I was with the department for a long time. Ask anyone who’s been around for more than five years. The chief will want to take my call.”
“Hold please, Mr. Stone.”
Emilio looked over. “No luck?”
“I’m on hold,” said Josh.
Minutes later, the chief picked up. “Brice Thurman.”
“Chief, it’s Josh Stone.”
“Josh, how are the feds treating you? I’ve always got a spot for you if you want to come home. Especially since the world got turned upside down. We’ve lost nearly half the force. Pay isn’t keeping up with inflation and the job is exponentially more dangerous.”
“I wish I could take you up on the offer, Chief. Unfortunately, the feds aren’t federal anymore. Everyone is getting rolled into the new global authority.”
“Yeah, I know. What can I do for you, Josh?”
“I hope you still have a few good guys around. Because what I’m about to tell you has to stay inside the department. You can only share it with people who are loyal to you and their oath.”
The police chief’s voice sounded somber. “I’m listening.”
“I’m sure you heard about the DHS SAC who committed suicide a couple of days ago.”
“It’s DGS now, but yes, I heard. Didn’t you work with him?”
“I did, and it was no suicide.” Josh continued to tell Thurman the entire story from the beginning, relaying the importance of taking the Tampa martyr as well as the Tampa guardian along with the virus.
Thurman exhaled. “Sword of Allah, huh? I’ll have to bring in a hazmat team.”
“No. You need to have the TAC team destroy it. It will be in a syringe and vacuum-sealed in plastic. Have them boil a pot of water on-site and drop the entire package in the water. If you want to call CDC after the fact, be my guest, but trust me, DGS is going to be asking where you got the information. Just tell them you acted on an anonymous tip. Any chance that you know any local law enforcement in New Jersey or LA?”
“No. But maybe if I call, they’ll take the threat seriously.”
“We can’t risk it. If you call, they could pass it up to Department of Global Security, then they will want to take over your operation.”
“At that point, they couldn’t bury it. They’d have to act, regardless of who it is inside that wants this attack to happen,” said Thurman.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” said Josh. “They’ve already killed Brian Smith.”
“Okay. I’ll act on my anonymous tip. Let’s hope the men in charge of LA and Newark do the right thing.”
“Thank you, Brice.”
“No, thank you, Josh. Take care of yourself.”
“I’m trying. You do the same.” Josh ended the call.
Next, he called the Newark Police Department and left a detailed synopsis of the impending attack, imploring them to keep the operation inside the department. He spoke only to the Newark PD tip-line operator, so he had no idea whether his warning would be heeded. Afterward, he placed an identical call to the LAPD tip line.
“That’s the best we can do,” he said after he hung up.
Emilio glanced over. “That phone is burnt. You should get rid of it now.”
“Yep.” Josh pulled the battery and the SIM card. He rolled down the window and tossed out the individual pieces of the phone along I-71 as they were leaving Louisville.
***
They arrived in Cincinnati at 10:00 PM on Tuesday night. Emilio drove up Clifton Avenue where the martyr was supposed to be staying.
“This is a nice neighborhood to spend your final hours on earth.” Josh peered out the window at the decrepit buildings.
“I suppose it makes it a little easier to die.” Emilio pointed to an old three-story brick apartment building that had been refurbished. “He’s staying right there, second floor.”
Josh looked around the neighborhood. “The building next door looks unoccupied.”
“Unless you count roaches, rats, and ghosts,” Emilio said.
“We could climb up the fire escape.” Josh pointed at an apartment on the second floor of the abandoned building. “That unit has only black plastic blocking the window. It’s an easy entry.”
“Do you see any parking signs? Do we need a permit, or do they have a time limit?” Emilio scanned the area. “The last thing I want is to have the car towed about the time we’re trying to make a getaway.”
Josh saw no signage indicating any restrictions for on-street parking. “I think we should be good.”
Emilio parked up the street about a half block away from the target house. “We’re going to have to boogie to get out of this neighborhood once the deed is done.”
Josh slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and closed the door softly. “I wish we’d brought some WD-40. That fire escape is going to make a lot of noise when we pull it down.”
With his above-average height, Emilio easily reached the bottom of the fire escape and pulled it down for Josh to climb onto. It screeched and creaked as Josh had anticipated.
The two men ascended the oxidized iron ladder. Josh pushed a corner of the black plastic away from the edge of the window and crawled through. He shined his light around to make sure they’d not intruded on any druggies who might be squatting in the neglected building. “It looks clear, at least in this section.”
Emilio climbed in after him. “Well, let’s not go exploring. We have a good view of the target from right here.”
“Sounds good.” Josh poked a hole in a corner of the plastic, pulled it back, and zip-tied it to the other side of the black sheeting. This modification provided a large enough opening for them to watch the door of the martyr’s residence.
The two situated their gear to be able to move in a moment’s notice. After three hours of no activity, Josh said, “I’ll take first watch if you want to try to get some sleep.”
Emilio stuffed Josh’s empty duffle bag inside hi
s own and used it for a pillow. “Don’t let any rats crawl on me while I’m out.”
“I won’t.” Josh laughed.
“And wake me up if you get the least bit sleepy.” Emilio closed his eyes.
“10-4.”
Emilio woke up at 4:00 AM and took over the watch. Josh was exhausted and drifted off soon after.
***
“Wake up, buddy. We got something.”
Josh felt Emilio’s hand nudging him. “What is it?” He fought through the grogginess of waking and came to one knee so he could see out the window.
“Three guys just entered the building. One of them had a fancy cloak, kind of like what you might see an imam wearing.”
Josh zipped up his tactical vest and pulled the sling of his rifle over his shoulder. “Any other Muslims living in the building?”
“I don’t know, but I think this is it.” Emilio readied his gear.
“Then let’s get the show on the road.” Josh grabbed the empty duffle bags and crawled out the window. “I’ll toss these bags inside the entrance of the building. We can stick the rifles in them when we come out.”
“If we have time for all of that.” Emilio followed Josh through the window.
Josh tried to be gentle with lowering the fire escape but his efforts served only to elongate the high-pitched screech of the rusty hinge.
Emilio followed him down the ladder. “It’s seven o’clock. People are going to work. A little squeaking here and there is probably not that unusual.”
“Let’s hope our targets feel the same way that you do.” Josh wasted no time going to the entrance of the building. “It’s on a buzzer.”
“Here, let me buzz you in.” Emilio knocked out the glass with the butt of his rifle.
“Now that’s the kind of noise that’s going to get someone’s attention.” Josh reached through and opened the door.
“Then we better hurry!” Emilio sprinted up the stairs to the second floor.
Josh arrived at the door right behind him.
Emilio looked at him. “Ready?”
Josh nodded.
Emilio shot the deadbolt twice then put two more rounds in the doorknob. He kicked the door and it flew open. Josh rushed in. As soon as he saw a Middle Eastern man with an AK-47, he knew they had the right apartment. Josh shot, but so did the Arab. The man sank to the floor. Two more men with pistols fired at him. Josh cut them down before they could hit him.