by C. G. Cooper
“Stokes.”
“Cal, we just confirmed the kidnapper’s identity.”
“Is it who we thought?”
“Yes.”
“Good, thanks.”
“Hey, Cal?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s your next move?”
Dunn could hear the fierce determination in the Marine’s voice. “I’m going to get Neil back.”
Chapter 18
Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
3:13am, September 28th
Cal gathered his men in the living room. Although most had just been awakened, he could feel the charged energy in the air. It was almost time to move. They waited expectantly for their young leader to speak.
“I just got confirmation from Dunn. The guy behind the kidnapping is a former soldier named Nick Ponder.”
There were murmurs around the room. Apparently some of the men knew who Ponder was, and by the sound of the comments, their opinions were not favorable.
“According to Travis, this asshole is real piece of work. He’s also downright deadly. Ponder has a habit of being connected with the wrong crowd. The two guys we brought in last night work for The Ponder Group. Unfortunately one of them got away, but that shouldn’t matter.”
Cal paused and looked around the room at his highly trained warriors. “Now, you know I’d never ask any one of you to do something that I wouldn’t do myself…so I’ll tell it to you straight. Once we find out where this Ponder guy lives, I’m going in there and taking him out. From what I’ve heard of the fucker, it probably should’ve been done a long time ago.”
He searched his men for any sense of unease, but all he saw was seething anger. “So here’s your chance. If you want out, tell me now. If you want in, pack your snow gear because we’re headed into the mountains.”
No one made a sound. The silence lingered until MSgt Trent spoke.
“Well, if Gaucho’s going, I’m going.”
“What are you talking about, Top?” asked Gaucho, confused about being called out.
“Hombre, I’ve been waitin’ to see you freeze your cojones off for years!” The men snickered at the comment. Once again the large Marine succeeded in keeping the mood light. Cal loved him for it.
“Fuck you, Top,” Gaucho replied with a grin.
+++
Thirty minutes later they were putting the finishing touches on their plan. The biggest problem was figuring out what to do with their prisoner.
“Let’s bring him along,” suggested Brian.
Cal didn’t like the idea. They’d have enough to worry about. Babysitting the overgrown child wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.
“I’ll take care of him, Cal.” Everyone looked at Daniel in surprise. “I don’t think he’s a bad guy and I don’t think he’ll give us any trouble.”
“I agree with Snake Eyes,” offered Gaucho. “If we leave him here we’ll have to leave two of our guys back too. Without any extra men coming from HQ, I think we need everybody we’ve got.”
Cal wasn’t sure. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Daniel’s judgment or skills. He knew the sniper could handle most men, but he would rather have the deadly warrior’s eyes looking for coming threats.
“If you think you can handle it…okay. But you make sure he knows that if he slows us down even a bit, I’ll tie his ass up and leave him on the mountain.”
Daniel knew his boss wasn’t that cruel, but he also knew Cal was deadly serious. He wouldn’t stop until Neil was rescued. Daniel needed to have to have a good talk with Lance.
Chapter 19
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
5:35am CST, September 28th
Travis Haden walked into the conference room. Dunn, Haines and Dr. Higgins looked up from their discussion.
“I just got word from Cal. They’re heading into the mountains soon.” He walked over to the coffee pot to fill his mug.
“What are they doing with their prisoner?” asked Dunn.
“He’s going along for the ride. Cal doesn’t think the guy will give them any trouble.”
“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” asked Haines.
Travis shrugged. “It’s Cal’s operation, and I won’t stand in his way. The good news is that by taking him the whole team will be together.” Travis took a sip of his coffee. “Do we know when the FBI investigators are arriving?”
As the point person for the audit, Haines answered. “They should be here at seven.”
Travis looked down at his watch. “That gives us just under two hours. I’m not worried about them finding anything with our contracts. Have we taken care of our little leak?”
“He’s on his way to his very own private cell in the middle of nowhere, Skipper,” responded Dunn. “Doc Higgins made a call and thirty minutes later a delivery van showed up at the gate and took the little shit out of here.”
“Are we covered in case the Bureau asks questions about Mr. Zheng’s whereabouts?”
“We’ve got the story all ironed out. He’s taken a leave of absence due to mental instability,” smirked Dunn, clearly not worried about the possibility of the story being dissected by the FBI.
“Good. Marge, who’s running the show for the FBI?”
“A man named Jack Malone. I’ve checked with my contacts and he’s got a good reputation within the Bureau. He’s a thorough investigator but well-liked by his peers. Agent Malone’s moved up the ladder swiftly over the last ten years. We’re not the first security contractor he’s audited. I don’t think he’ll be a problem.”
Travis was still worried. Why had the FBI chosen this very moment to investigate SSI?
“Have they given you any indication as to why we’re under the microscope?”
Haines shook her head. “Malone made it sound pretty routine. He even told me not to worry about it, that it’s just our turn.”
Something was wrong. Travis could feel it in his bones. “I want you to have their entire team monitored. Cell phones included.”
Dunn looked at his boss cautiously. “You sure that’s smart? What if they find out?”
“I’m not taking any chances right now, Todd. If they catch wind of it, tell them we monitor all non-SSI personnel. If they really press it, have them talk to me. Something stinks about this whole thing, and I’ll be damned if I let another rat into our house.”
It was a risky move, but they all knew he was right. The sooner the FBI left the better.
Chapter 20
Teton Village, Jackson Hole, WY
5:08am, September 28th
Cal’s team loaded into the SUVs. They were taking enough cold weather gear and rations to last at least a week. Cal hoped they wouldn’t have to test the duration.
The team would drive twenty minutes to the trailhead for Phelps Lake. To casual observers, the warriors would look like a group of hunters taking an extended trip into the Tetons. It wasn’t one of the normal routes for gamesmen to take but not completely out of the ordinary.
Lance Upshaw was equally fitted with gear. Luckily, SSI’s supply chief had sent some extra, just in case. Each man would carry a large mountaineering backpack with skis and snowshoes strapped to the outside. Due to the possibility of running into park rangers, they’d elected to bring along a mix of civilian hunting rifles and side arms. Each man also carried a collapsed H&K submachine gun in their packs. It wouldn’t be the best thing if they were ambushed, but they’d have to make do.
Every man would be carrying around one hundred pounds on his back. It wouldn’t be the easiest trek, but no one would complain. They’d all been through worse.
+++
Twenty minutes later, the caravan pulled into the dirt parking lot at the trailhead. The sun was starting to peak out over the mountain range. It was the last sunlight they’d probably see for days. On Cal’s last weather check it looked like the snowstorm would blow in around nine in the morning. It was imperative to make as much progress as possible before it hit.
They’d be humping up through the aptly named Death Canyon, then make their way toward Battleship Mountain. From the information headquarters had provided, it looked like Ponder’s place was situated at the base of the northern side of Battleship Mountain.
It took five minutes for the men to strap on their packs, inspect their teammates and move out. Gaucho took point against Cal’s request to be up front.
“We can do this without you, Boss. Let me get shot at first,” the squat Hispanic said with a wink.
As they stepped off toward their destination, Cal could only hope that they wouldn’t be too late.
+++
At almost the same moment, the buyers’ representatives were starting a similar journey from the west side of the mountain range. They’d prepped for the journey at the small Best Western in Driggs, Idaho the night before. None had slept. The small group of men was used to operating without sleep. Even their leader was a former commando and well-trained in cold weather warfare. Their country had fought for years in high altitudes. These men were the representatives sent by their homeland to deliver a new weapon that would transform their battle on a global front. Handpicked by their leader, each man was ready to die for their cause. Preparations had already been made in case they should perish.
The five operatives parked their two rented vehicles at the Teton Canyon Trail Head. Three minutes later they departed on foot toward Battleship Mountain.
+++
Nick Ponder and Trapper were huddled over a topographic map of the area when the phone rang. Ponder answered with a grunt, listened, and then replaced the receiver.
“That was our buyers. They’re on their way,” Ponder muttered, deep in thought.
“You know when they’ll be here?” asked Trapper.
Ponder shook his head. “They just said they’re coming in on foot.”
“I don’t like it, Boss. It’s bad enough that we’ve got the SSI guys headed our way. We don’t have enough men to guard every pass leading into this place.”
Ponder slammed his fist on the desk. “I know, goddamit! Just give me a minute to fucking think!”
Trapper held his tongue. He knew better than to press the point when his employer was upset. The man had a legendary temper, and Trapper wasn’t in the mood to take a tongue lashing.
“How many men do we have?” Ponder asked for the fifth time.
Trapper stifled the urge to exhale before answering. “We’ve got twenty two, not including you and me. I figure we should keep at least half of them here at the complex. The rest we can break into two-man teams and post them on the most likely ingress routes.”
The two men looked at the map again, and Ponder pointed to the positions he’d already selected in his mind.
“I want a team here, here and here. Make sure they’d got good radio equipment. I want to know as soon as they spot movement.”
Over the years Ponder had secretly hoped for an invasion of his mountain lair. He’d prepared cave positions in strategic locations to serve as forward outposts. Ponder had played the scenario over and over again in his dreams. He was pretty sure some of his ancestors had died defending castles from invading armies. It was in his blood.
Ponder was sure that his small army could hold off anything but a full-scale assault by an overwhelming force. Even now his men were mounting heavy machine guns and other defensive weapons around the perimeter of his compound. Tucked into the side of Battleship Mountain, Ponder’s headquarters was a perfectly designed fortress. It was well concealed and afforded a perfect view of the large mountain basin to the northeast. The only way to assault the stronghold was from the basin. It was possible to skirt the ledge that ran from northwest to southeast, but it would also be suicidal considering the perfect field of fire possessed by the defenders. Ponder at one point thought it was possible for an invading force to come over Battlefield Mountain and walk down the mountain. That was until two winters before when he’d tried it himself. He’d almost died trying to traverse the steep slope. Knowing that, Ponder had designed a beautiful kill zone right in his front yard. The SSI assault team wouldn’t have a chance.
“I want you here with me coordinating everything.”
Trapper made a face at his boss’s order.
“What is it?” Ponder growled.
“I was kinda hoping you’d let me go find the SSI guys.”
“By yourself?” Ponder asked incredulously.
Trapper smiled. “This ain’t my first rodeo, Boss.”
Ponder knew the man was right. They called him Trapper for a reason. He had a talent for finding and getting rid of people no matter the time or place.
“So you know where they’re coming from?”
Trapper nodded with a sly grin.
“Are you gonna tell me?” Ponder solicited.
“Let me make sure, and I’ll call it in as soon as I’ve got eyes-on.”
Although Ponder trusted his Lieutenant, his gut was telling him to order Trapper to stay at the compound. He shook the thought off as quickly as it had come. He’d be a lot better off if one man could decimate the SSI band.
“Fine, but make sure you take care of deploying our men before you go.”
They finalized their campaign and toasted their victory over a welcomed shot of Jack Daniels.
Chapter 21
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
7:00am CST, September 28th
The FBI contingent arrived precisely at 7:00am. Four black Chevy Suburbans rolled through Camp Spartan’s front gate and headed to the SSI’s headquarters.
Travis, Todd and Marge met the investigators in the entryway. An average-looking man in his early forties led the way. His thinning hair and deep bags under his eyes belied his stressful position. He walked right up to Travis and offered his hand.
“Mr. Haden, I’m Jack Malone. Thanks for meeting us.”
“Please, call me Travis.”
Introductions were made and the group made its way to the large conference room reserved for the occasion. There was coffee and a mixed assortment of breakfast food arranged for their guests.
“Thanks for the food and coffee, Marge,” Malone offered. “We don’t always get the best reception during our audits.”
Haines gave the agent a thin smile. “There’s no reason for us not to be cordial. We know that this is just one of the requirements of being in the security business.”
Malone smiled and grabbed a glazed donut. “I hope you don’t mind if I grab a bite while we talk. I didn’t get a chance to eat anything earlier. I’m starving.”
He quickly devoured three donuts and washed it down with some coffee. The others took seats around the conference table as they ate.
Still standing, Malone wiped his mouth and addressed the SSI leadership. “Like I told Ms. Haines over the phone, we’re here to do a routine audit. Somehow you’ve avoided the list all these years.” He smiled at his joke. “We’ll try to make it as painless as possible. Starting with your accounting department, my crew will dig into your operations over the past five to ten years. As long as there aren’t any discrepancies, we’ll be out of your hair in a day and a half, two tops.”
Travis wasn’t worried about the FBI uncovering their covert division. There were no files. All their equipment was purchased with cash or handled through one of the many offshore accounts administered by Neil Patel. Haden’s only concern was not being able to actively monitor Cal’s team out west. Cal was on his own.
“Just let us know what you need to look at and we’ll get it to you. I’ll be in
my office if you need me,” Travis said.
“Thanks. Okay then. Let’s head over to accounting.”
Travis pulled Marge aside as the rest of the entourage filed out of the room.
“Let me know if you hear anything. I’m about to put in a call to one of our friends in D.C.”
“Who?”
“Zimmer.”
Congressman Brandon Zimmer was a first term representative from Massachusetts. He’d recently been involved in a nasty encounter with a group of Japanese imperialists looking to relive Japan’s glory days. Cal’s team had helped Zimmer uncover the plot by Zimmer’s now deceased father, Senator Richard Zimmer, to claim the Presidency. The younger Zimmer had proved his worth by eliminating his father before the President could be killed. Brandon was now part of a very secretive group of retired politicians known as the Council of Patriots. Only a handful of people in the world knew of the Council’s existence.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? Isn’t he in the middle of the special election for his father’s Senate seat?”
“Marge, you know he owes us big time. Besides, I just want him to see if he can pull some strings and find out why we’re being investigated. I don’t believe this bullshit about a routine audit.”
They agreed to meet again at lunch to discuss any developments. Travis walked to his office and placed the call.
Chapter 22
Falls Church, VA
8:41am EST, September 28th
Brandon Zimmer was enjoying a much-needed morning off from campaigning. The last week had been a whirlwind of hand-shaking, speeches and phone calls. Washington insiders believed that the young Congressman would likely win an overwhelming victory against his opponent. It hadn’t hurt that former President Hank Waller made the unexpected move of publicly endorsing Zimmer for the vacated seat. Preliminary polls were showing Brandon with almost seventy-five percent of the likely vote.