The Mason Walker Bundle 3

by Alex Howell

  David confirmed, “Yes, they seem to be specifically targeting the family members of Navy SEALS.”

  Mason had been involved in cases in which terrorists specifically targeted service members and their families before, in fact—his own family had been targeted in the past. but such an idea was always chilling to him all the same. He was always deeply disturbed that the very nature of terrorism—took strike terror into the hearts of your opponents—turned the conventional rules of warfare on their head.

  Self-respecting nations always strived to limit civilian casualties as much as possible whereas true blue terrorists would jump at the chance to inflict as many civilian deaths as possible. For a ruthless terrorist, collateral damage wasn’t something to avoid, it was something to achieve.

  This was usually done through the wholesale destruction of public buildings filled with people such as occurred on 911, or through random gas, chemical or biological attacks as Mason and his own crew had recently encountered in their own efforts of combatting terrorism.

  But as bad as random mass murder in the city streets was, there was something especially insidious about selectively targeting the families of service members and snuffing them out one by one. Such things were not common even among terrorists until the mid-2010’s when terror groups like ISIS latched onto social media and began to use the internet to track down the addresses of veterans.

  Once someone was targeted and their whereabouts revealed, all these despicable cretins had to do was give the word and their Face-Look followers would rise up and make the hit. The only way these social media orchestrated acts of violence were finally curtailed was when Face-Look founder Marc Zucker-Burger was finally forced to employ government controls on his juggernaut platform, resulting in all other social media outlets following suit.

  After endless interrogations by Congress and Special Intelligence Committees, Face-Look was finally forced to cave to the pressure. And this acquiescence signaled that the days of the Wild West internet were done, and the age of the “thought police” bots controlling every aspect of the web had begun.

  The terrorists had provoked a reaction in the old trade off between freedom and security. And in order to avoid spontaneous mob violence sparked by terrorist creeps, world governments had to clamp down on their control of what could be said—and in many cases, even suggested—on the internet.

  But taking all of this into consideration, how in the world did these terrorist low lives track down the family members of all these men and women who had served in the SEALS? Mason didn’t know and David didn’t seem to know either, but one thing was certain—he wasn’t willing to wait and find out, he was going to proactively take on this case and give it all he had.

  As such, Mason switching on the comm link he had hidden in his ear just in case, called up the Onyx IT guy Kyle Garrison and informed him, “Hey Kyle, bring everybody out front and center. Something’s come up—we have some work to do.”

  A FEW MINUTES LATER IN THE BACK OF THE BANQUET HALL.

  Standing in front of a table of refreshments, dressed and comported just like any other wedding guest, stood the core of the group of private military contractors known as Onyx. Like a commanding officer, Mason looked them over. The group consisted of Matthew Benton, Chris Bradley, Kyle Garrison, Marshal Oliver, Luke Simon, and Mason’s own newlywed bride—Raina Martin.

  They all had their strengths and weaknesses. Kyle was the brainy intellectual in charge of communications, surveillance, and electronic espionage. Given enough time, there was nothing that he couldn’t hack into, trace, discover, or alternately conceal under a cybernetic smoke screen.

  Chris Bradley, usually somber and sullen was the weapons and munitions expert. Although he wasn’t known to say too much, in a real pinch his skills have proved to be invaluable time and time again. Out of all the guys however, Mathew Benton was the one that Mason had come to rely upon more than any other.

  Benton and Mason had an affinity for each other that went all the way back to their youth spent in the navy SEALS. They had both saved each other more times than they could count, and in the heat of battle forged a bond that absolutely nothing could shake. In reality, Marshal Oliver was probably Mason’s least favorite member of the group and this wasn’t without reason.

  When it came to methodologies employed in the field, Oliver was often unbearably stubborn and he and Mason had butted heads more times than he could count. The way Marshal Oliver debated every move they made; Mason sometimes joked that he should have went into politics. There could be no doubt, Marshal was the kind of guy that could argue his opponent right down into the ground.

  Nevertheless, Oliver was just as dedicated and dependable as anyone else on the team. But of those assembled, it was Luke Simon that had probably had the most impact on Mason’s recent years. It was Luke after all, that had pulled Mason out of the doldrums of his retirement and introduced him to the Onyx team in the first place.

  If he hadn’t been called up by Luke he wouldn’t be going out on assignments, and he most certainly wouldn’t have ever met the new love of his life Raina Martin—for that alone, Luke had his respect. And as if she were a mind reader, it was right when Mason’s mind flashed to Raina that she spoke up, “Alright Mason, could you give us a good reason for this spontaneous team meeting in the middle of our wedding night?”

  Raina was an incredibly patient woman, but even her nerves were wearing thin at the thought of such a gross interruption of such an important event. This was Mason’s cue to ask David to step out of the shadows. Stepping into the hazy light of the dance floor, David emerged. The rest of the team didn’t know him like Mason and Benton knew him so introductions were in order.

  Mason motioned toward him and informed them, “This is David Trenton, he served with me and Matt in the SEALS.” Mason then added the simple refrain, “And he needs our help.”

  With the exception of Mason and Benton, the rest of the group stared blankly at David, struggling to comprehend. David then took a breath and related the story that he had told so many times. Again, he painfully reiterated, “Yes... I was a SEAL with Mason and Benton and during the course of our service we have been through a lot….”

  He then paused before continuing, “But it was nothing compared for what happened to me three years ago.”

  David sadly shook his head, “Because it was then that my demons came home to roost in the form of a terrorist attack on my own family.”

  Seeing the anguished look on David’s face, Raina sensed what was coming as she gasped, “Oh my God….”

  David looking at the ground continued, “I didn’t realize it but they had been tracking me for quite some time… Unbeknownst to me they had been clandestinely following all of my movements.”

  He sighed, “Soon enough, they knew when I was home and they knew when I left the house….”

  David bitterly laughed, “It was right when I left the house one Saturday morning to buy some milk for my kids—”

  David trailed off before exclaiming in exasperation, “Some milk! Can you imagine that?”

  Shaking his head in disgust, he explained, “It was during that brief window of time that these bastards struck.”

  David relating the event as if he were experiencing the trauma anew related, “I was gone for only about 20 minutes, but it was enough time for these monsters to swarm in and attack. I came home to find my front door kicked in, tire tracks in my yard and my family gone.”

  The group listened sadly, knowing that the outcome of the situation described was most likely anything but good. David then revealed, “And it was soon after this that I began to receive texts, calls, and finally the videos….”

  The mention of which sent a collective chill throughout the whole group. While David didn’t go into exact details, one can only imagine the kind of traumatic footage that these extremists must have shot and sent to David documenting the ordeal that they were putting his family through.

  Mason himself had a t
aste of this kind of treatment when his daughter Clara had been kidnapped, with her abductors sending taunting messages and menacing imagery—but fortunately she had been recovered before things went beyond mild threats. As it pertained to David’s family however, the outcome was not that benign. His wife and children were literally tortured to death, practically before his very eyes.

  A fact that David made frighteningly clear as he continued, “At first I thought that they must be trying to get some kind of ransom money… But I soon had to accept that the purpose of the abduction was not for ransom….it was for torture.”

  David for a moment seemed unable to continue, before he finally wailed in anguish, “Physical torture for them and psychological and emotional torment for me!!”

  David then broke into tears of agony before them, turning his face as he cried. Mason unsure of what else to do, put his arm around his old friend and comrade. He didn’t want to seem callous, but in that moment, he was glad that the DJ was blasting some of the loudest rap/dance music he had ever heard, thankfully shielding out the emotional turmoil that they had just witnessed.

  He didn’t want to seem cold hearted to his friend’s suffering, but they certainly didn’t need the unwanted attention either. After all, the way these operatives seemed to have leeched right into the personal lives of their targets, for all they knew, some of their operatives were among them right then and there.

  Thinking as much, as David struggled to regain his composure, Mason informed the rest of the group, “Guys, I think you realize the imperative nature of this case—and I think you can agree with me that we need to continue our discussion in a more secure facility.”

  Mason then looked over to Raina and offered her a personal apology, “I’m sorry Raina.” Raina knew that this meant bailing on her own wedding, as much as the thought bothered her, she knew that such a thing couldn’t be helped.

  Understanding the gravity of the situation, Raina assured him, “No need to apologize, this is business—and it’s the business I signed up for in marrying you.”

  With Raina’s permission Mason then proceeded to announce to the wedding guests a bogus excuse for leaving early—claiming that their flight to Hawaii had arrived ahead of schedule and they had to rush off to the airport.

  In reality Mason had called up to cancel the trip completely. But thankfully the guests bought the bogus story allowing for an easy and peaceful exit. Mason, his daughter Clara, and his fellow Onyx teammates then made their way to Onyx HQ in Baltimore, Maryland.

  For all the members of Onyx this sudden interruption of the festivities was understood as simply being a part of the job. Clara however, who had not quite been filled in on all the details seemed to be more upset about the intrusion more than anyone else. Seated behind Mason and Raina as their self-driving car shot out onto the freeway, Clara remarked, “Don’t you know it’s bad form to leave a wedding early?”

  To which Mason somberly replied, “Unfortunately this time around, it can’t be helped.”

  Clara then asked, “And what exactly was so imperative that we had to leave the wedding early? Am I allowed to know that much?”

  Mason looked over to Raina who silently mouthed the words, ‘Tell her’.

  Mason of course realized that Raina was right, there was no way that he could keep things secret from her. She knew that whatever had caused he and Raina to leave early and forfeit their own honeymoon had to be important—and she had a right to know what it was. The challenge was to tell her just enough without unduly frightening her. They had just found out that it was hunting season for SEALS after all, and if she knew the all the details, she would be worried sick for her father’s safety.

  After giving it a moment’s thought, he finally settled on, “Well Clara, it’s like this….” Mason trailed off before taking a breath, “An old friend showed up out of the blue that needs my help.”

  Clara questioned, “Who is this old friend? Someone from the service?”

  Mason confirmed, “Yeah… his name’s David, I used to work with him back in the SEALS.”

  Clara then inquired, “Just what kind of help does he need? Is he in trouble?”

  Mason knew that Clara was often much more intuitive than he gave her credit, and his efforts to shield her from the worst of it, were already faltering. Mason stammered, “Well uh… yeah, you could say that.”

  Clara’s next question dug even deeper into the matter as she asked, “Is someone after him?”

  Mason no longer wanting to answer, grew quiet. Prompting Clara to ask again, “What? You’re not going to tell me?”

  At which Mason stonewalled, “It’s just somebody that needs a small favor… don’t worry about it.”

  This bit of pointed deception caused Clara to bitterly complain, “I see—that’s how it is. I’m on a need to know basis around here, and you figure I just don’t need to know.”

  Mason sighed, “I just don’t want you to worry. That’s all.”’

  Raina feeling that full disclosure was better to secrets in the family, decided to take some unilateral action as she announced, “We’re helping a guy whose family was targeted and killed Clara—we’re trying to help him find they’re killers.”

  Clara asked, “His family? They were targeted and killed.”

  Mason admitted, “Yes….”

  Clara thought for ta moment, before she gasped, “Oh my God…. They are hunting the family members of the SEALS! We could be next!”

  No one had considered such a thing yet, but the notion could not be discounted either, as Raina confirmed, “We don’t know that….”

  Mason looked angrily over to Raina, in what could be considered they’re first marital disagreement as he muttered, “See—I told you we shouldn’t tell her. This is what I was afraid of—now all she’s going to do is worry.”

  Raina wasn’t going to be the fall guy in this disagreement however, as she stuck to her guns and insisted, “Well, I would rather her worry than be left completely in the dark.”

  Clara agreed, “She’s right… I’ve been around the Onyx team long enough to handle sensitive information.”

  Mason thinking of his daughter’s efforts at playing detective in the past, asked her, “You think so?”

  Clara’s mood already considerably lifted, nodded as she quipped, “Yep…. I didn’t need to go to Stanford to educate myself in what I have already learned in the School of Hard Onyx.

  6

  Long Winded Explanations

  MASON’S HOUSE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

  The group is seated at Mason’s kitchen table as David Trenton continues to narrate his heart-breaking account. The exact details of how his family had been systemically tortured was certainly not for the faint of heart. The entire ordeal was so horrific that the final video David received was essentially a snuff film. As hard as it is to imagine—it was in this crude and barbaric manner that he had to accept the fact that his family was no more.

  As shocking as all this was however, it wasn’t over yet. Gripping the edge of the table as if in an effort to hold himself up against the incredible pressure that he felt, David revealed, “Telling you about my personal trauma is not the only reason I’ve come to you today. If I was the only one to have to go through this, it would be bad enough. But my family is not the only one to suffer—there are others.”

  Marshal seated across from him asked, “What do you mean?”

  David explained, “An old buddy of mine brought the matter to my attention. He came to me begging for help. He is at the moment going through the same thing that I went through, and it seems that he is just the latest SEAL family on the terrorist’s hit list to be targeted.”

  David sighed before continuing, “This guy is an old buddy of mine, and we have been through a lot together.”

  Raina trying not to be overcome by the raw emotion she felt exuding from David’s tortured form, cautiously asked, “What happened?”

  David hung his head low, as he explained, “His wif
e Maureen and their three kids were out on a simple shopping trip when their abductors got the drop on them.”

  Hearing this, Mason immediately inquired, “So there were witnesses?”

  David nodded, “Yeah, but even better than that. It was caught on security camera.”

  An acknowledgment which prompted Mason to inquire with Marshal Oliver since he had the best police contacts out of everyone on the team. Mason shouted over to him, “Hey Marshal, did you hear what he just said? They have surveillance footage of the assailants kidnapping a family.”

  Mason then entreated him, “Could you call up the local precinct and see if we can get a hold of that footage?”

  Marshal Oliver nodded in acknowledgment, “Alright…will do.” Before exiting the room, presumably to place his call.

  After Marshal’s departure, David staring down at the table, paused for a moment before replying, “I appreciate your help… But we have to hurry—time is running out.”

  Mathew Benton seated on the other side of David then quietly ventured, “Time is running out? Okay…. How much time do you think we have?”

  Without missing a beat, David answered, “About 72 hours…”

  This prompted Mason to ask, “What? How do you know? Is there a precise timeline given by the hostage takers?”

  David shook his head, “No—no… I just know from experience.”

  Mason and the group were stunned. To think that such heinous crimes had been methodically perpetrated so many times to leave such a distinct pattern was sickening.

  David confirmed, “Yes… Every single time a SEAL family was taken, there was usually a window of about 72 hours before their deaths….”

  Looking up from the table with desperation in his eyes, he then made clear, “And as it pertains to this case….as of right now, we have a little less than seventy-two hours to find and recover them.”

  Upon receiving this revelation, Mason abruptly stood up from the table and announced “Say no more—let’s go to the armory.”