by D D Loomis
Within seconds, the scooting and scraping sounds ceased. “A total of eight will be payin’ a visit to the T&M office tomorrow night. Six’ll stay back for security. You’ll leave here in two SUVs at ten, and park here,” a sound of tapping, “two blocks north of T&M. The back door’s usually in shadow at night, so that’s where you’ll break in. Remember, only the Baker guy’s to be kept alive. Here’s his picture.”
A high-pitched nasal voice spoke up. “At night? What makes you think anyone’ll be there after business hours?”
“They been hidin’ out there the past couple days, to include sleepin’. Tryin’ to keep a low profile. Before he disappeared off the map, Willie and his crew tried to get hold of a couple of ‘em. Still a little gun-shy. Now hold the questions til I’m through tellin’ you what we’re doin’ tomorrow.” For the next ten minutes he covered a simple, but effective plan for raiding our office. If we hadn’t had advance intel, it might have worked.
As Art was wrapping up, a shuffle-bump sound brought me alert. “You about done, Art?” The gravelly voice was barely recognizable as a woman’s.
“Uh–Yes, Ma’am. Just a quick review and…”
“You got five minutes, then get your lazy ass upstairs. We got a conference call in thirty minutes, and you haven’t prepped anything for it yet. Move it, or I’ll get someone else who knows what they’re doing.” The shuffling sound repeated, this time fading away a little faster than it arrived.
Everything was dead quiet for a moment. A quiet whisper was barely picked up by the microphone: “Goddamned bitch. Someday…” He cleared his throat. “Tom, would you give a quick summary? And make sure everyone, especially the new guys, know what their job is.” A chair scraped, and someone-probably Art-hurried from the room.
“Jesus,” Marty said in a low voice. “I think we just heard Crosby’s voice. Creepy, man. Sounded like she was talkin’ through a mouthful of mud or something.”
I gave a shake of my shoulders, feeling creeped-out myself. “I felt it too. Interesting, though; seems to be some dissension in the ranks.”
Minutes later the sound of chairs being shoved back once again echoed down the line as the meeting broke up. I looked at Marty with a smile. “Sounds like we’re in business. Shall we get everyone together so we can do a quick update for them?”
* * *
Next evening I’d just finished my last double-check that all the windows were sealed and barred, when Nate stuck his head in the office. “You ready, Francis? We got everything loaded, and Marty’s gang has arrived.” Marty, along with two of his cousins and three of their friends were staying behind to keep an eye on Crosby’s crew when they raided our place. The rest of us would head to Anacortes.
I stopped in my new office and loaded up. Two knives, small Glock pistol with silencer and four clips. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” I trotted down the stairs while tucking knives and gun away.
We piled in the rented SUV, Nate driving and Tony in front with Dave and me in the rear. Once we pulled into traffic, I leaned back in an attempt to look relaxed. I always tensed up before these things. Once started, it wasn’t so bad.
Dave glanced at me. “Man, you look too relaxed. How d’you do it? I always want to jump up and down I get so nervous.”
Tony let loose with a belly laugh. “He just does a better job of covering up his feelings. Ask him to hold out his hands, and you’ll see he’s nervous as us.”
“Except for Tony,” I said. “He really is relaxed. Sometimes I don’t think he has a nerve in his body.”
We arrived in Anacortes half-an-hour early. “Nate, pull into that Burger King ahead, will you? We can kill some time there.”
“An’ get a couple hamburgers,” Nate said. “Gotta make sure I don’t starve before we get back to the office.”
Tony gave a theatrical shudder. “Don’t know which is worse, Nate scarfing that shit down or the fact we’re always stopping at these joints when you’re along, Francis.”
“At least you know the coffee’s hot,” I said. “Even good, sometimes.”
Just before ten, we wheeled into a deserted cul-de-sac a hundred yards from Crosby’s place. The moonlight trickled down through the branches of fir trees that surrounded us.
“Just our luck,” murmured Tony. “three-quarters moon, and no clouds.”
“We’ll be okay,” whispered Dave. “Lots of trees to hide under, till we get to the compound.”
Nate strapped on his tree climbing stirrups. He also double-checked the night scope on his AR-10 rifle, which had a foot-long silencer on the end of the barrel. While he prepped, I’d been checking my commo. An earphone and mike adorned everyone. I gave a last tug to ensure mine was fastened securely. “Now remember, we’re on channel two. No one talks unless it’s absolutely necessary. Or if I ask you something.”
“Yeah, and channel one’s for listening in on the bad guys inside,” Tony said. He lifted a two-way radio. “And before you ask, nothing from Marty yet.”
I glanced at Nate when he stood, now ready to climb. “Okay, let’s get to our positions. Remember, the signal to go is when Marty says the other group’s entering our place.”
Nate moved towards the tallest tree in front of the compound, 75 feet in height. He had to be at least 60 feet up by the time we attacked, so he had a good angle over the seven-foot wall. The rest of us crept to the side gate by the water’s edge. Once again I slipped a wedge under the pressure plate on top of it, and we settled down to wait.
Tony’s sudden whisper made me flinch. “Marty says to go in thirty seconds.”
It seemed as if thirty minutes crept past before Tony pointed at me. “Nate, how many guards outside?” I asked.
“Two,” he whispered.
“Take ‘em out now, I said.
There were two semi-loud coughs, more like clapping two boards together. “Two down, outside’s clear,” he said. We swarmed over the fence, striving for speed as well as silence. Tony and Dave split off towards the small door next to the garage. Since that was the main route the guards used to go in and out, it should be easy to enter. As was my route–the same I’d used earlier.
Seconds later I eased into the main house, pistol ready. Silence reigned, at least for the moment. My assignment was the second floor, while Tony and Dave swept the first. Once done they’d join me, taking the rear stairs we’d spotted on the floor plans. I’d just entered the first bedroom at the head of the stairs, when the silence was shattered with multiple explosions of pistol shots. These were followed by the thud sound of silenced weapons showing Tony and Dave were still in the game.
I’d just finished giving the room a quick scan when a door slammed open from the room across the hall. A large blonde man burst out, eyes wild. He staggered down the hall, ignoring my presence. He tripped on the top step, disappearing from sight, accompanied by crashes and thuds.
By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs next to him, the guy had curled into a ball. Almost inaudible mutterings came from him. “Got her. Got the damn bitch. Got her…”
Even as I touched him he relaxed in death, the hilt of a knife protruding from his chest. I recoiled, almost tripping in my hurry to check behind me. Alert for movement, I crept back upstairs. The house had grown quiet. Dave’s head came into view on the other stairway, a questioning look on his face when he spotted me. I pointed to the left bedroom, signaling caution. He nodded and we both moved into place, either side of the doorway.
I lunged through first with Dave close behind, pistols questing for a target. Nothing in the main room. Same in the office and bathroom. We stopped and began looking the place over more closely. A bloody knife was on the bed, while a trail of blood led to the door we’d just come through. Another track led towards the closet. A quick check–nothing.
I straightened, giving the bedroom a closer look. It was eerily quiet. Something was missing. I sw
ung around. “Tony – where’s Tony?”
“He’s all right,” Dave said. “Got a flesh wound, but it’s not serious.”
Tony’s voice echoed up the stairs. “Speak for yourself, guy. Getting shot in the ass isn’t the most pleasant of things to happen.”
I stepped out in the hallway. “I take it the place is clear, since you’re hollering.” I started down the front stairs. Tony came into view half-lying on the bottom step, one butt-cheek hiked in the air. I looked over my shoulder. “Nate, you can come down now. Circle the front and keep an eye open on your way in. Crosby’s disappeared, even though someone stuck a knife in her.”
“I’ll check the boat shed and around back,” Dave said, slipping around the corner of the stairs.
I reached out to check Tony, and got my hand slapped. “I already plugged it,” he said. “Just a flesh wound. Bullet went through and through.”
“What happened?”
He grimaced. “I shot the creep, but didn’t put another bullet in him before walking by. Stupid.”
Relief washed through me. “Yeah, stupid. But you got away with it. Any word from Marty?”
Tony hitched around, giving me room to sit next to him. “He called before you came charging down the stairs. All of Crosby’s bunch went in the back door, and he’d just locked it. Got bars across front and back entrances, now.”
“How long’s the gas been on?”
Tony looked at his watch. “About twelve minutes so far. Tanks should run out in thirty minutes.”
Nate poked his head in the front door. “Hey, this a private party?” He was halfway across the living room before he noticed anything amiss. “Tony, what happened?” He hurried the rest of the way, and leaned over him.
“What the hell’s everyone making such a fuss about? I just got nicked in the ass, for Christ’s sake.” He held out his hand to Nate. “Give me a hand up, will you?”
I hung back and watched them make their way slowly out of the house, giving a deep sigh of relief. If our luck held through the rest of this operation, I’d die a happy man.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Nate drove us from the E.R. parking, still chuckling. He glanced at Tony, who was riding shotgun. “That was one wild story. Fallin’ off a ladder onto a toolkit with a screwdriver sitckin’ up?”
Tony shrugged. “I don’t think they cared, long as they didn’t have to report it to the cops.”
I shook my head. “Yeah, but you might’ve wanted to tell us what your story was going to be before we went in there.”
“Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
I picked a small canvas bag off the floor and rummaged through it. “Okay, before we get back to T&M, we’d better make sure and go over what went down at Crosby’s compound after we finished our attack.” A small felt bag made its way into my hand. “Dave, you found this sack of jewels on top of the desk in Crosby’s bedroom. Anything else?”
“No, and even though Nate and I heard something under the floor in the closet that blood trail led to, we couldn’t find a trap door.”
“An’ no sign of anyone getting out before we torched the joint, either,” Nate said. “In fact, I thought I could still hear somethin’ in there even after we started the fire.”
Tony gave a serious look at me over his shoulder. “I doubt the Demon Bitch made it out of the place, but we better not assume anything. At least until proven otherwise.”
“I fully agree,” I said. “We need to keep close tabs on the after action report that’s made about this particular fire.” I shook the canvas bag. “Besides the hundred thousand in the safe and sack of jewels in the desk, we got some flash drives. Have to see what’s on them when we get a chance.”
“You plan on giving those drives to the feds?” asked Dave.
“Only after we’ve given them a look.” I stowed the bag behind my seat. I had another thought. “Did everyone get a rifle from our stash back at the office?”
Nate gave a nod. “Yup, I got one for everyone but you. Thought you said you’d already weaponed up.”
I gave a theatrical groan. “Damn, guess I’d better pay closer attention when you say something.”
“Since when you going to start doing that?” asked Tony with a chuckling laugh.
* * *
It seemed only minutes passed before we pulled up outside T&M Security. Marty and two others met us at the curb. “Been quiet as a tomb the past hour,” Marty said. “Tony, you doin’ okay?”
Tony eased carefully from the SUV. “Yes, just can’t run anywhere yet.”
“Heh. You c’n lay around out here and guard the back seat of the vehicle while we go in. How about that?”
“Sounds good to me. From what you told us on the radio it’s been pretty quiet since the bad guys got here. Any change?”
He nodded towards the two with him.“Naw. The only trouble’s been tryin’ to keep my ratpack from chargin’ in.”
“In that case, break out the masks and let’s go.” I walked towards Marty’s van. “We’ve still got a bunch to do before daylight.”
Once masked up with rebreathers, we made short work of our scout through the building. Two of Crosby’s bunch were on the ground floor, lying near the entrance. The sight of the two bluish-faced corpses sobered everyone. The rear doors were unblocked and opened. A cross-draft would help dispel the gas more quickly.
Second floor was more of the same–tomblike silence, and bodies slumped seemingly everywhere. None of them had survived. Marty and his gang busied themselves unbolting windows and opening them. The rest of us began the arduous task of dragging bodies down to the van we’d moved close to the rear entrance, and loading them in.
Tony hobbled inside, holding a gas detector while walking through the first floor area. Once at the far end of the building, he gave a thumbs up. “All clear this floor.”
Dave pushed the legs of the last corpse into the back of the van before hurrying over to Tony. “Here, let me check upstairs.”
“Yeah, and hurry it up, willya? These masks are stifling,” Marty said.
Tony made shooing motions. “In that case, why don’t you and your ratpack take our visitors back to their vehicles and move ‘em about ten blocks away? Y’don’t have to wear masks to do that.”
Marty’s crew had just disappeared with the last body when a police car came drifting around the corner. I turned to Tony. “Pass word to Nate and Dave; the police just showed. I’ll tell them our security system alerted us, and we saw someone driving away to the south of here. Hopefully that’ll keep them from nosing around where Marty’s doing his thing.”
I strode towards the police vehicle just now stopping, a smile on my face. “Hi, officer. Glad you came.” I dug out my wallet while he and his buddy stepped from the vehicle. “I’m one of the owners of T&M. We got an alert on our security system, and hotfooted it here.”
The officer took the driver’s license I offered him. “Baker, is it? Francis Baker?” He gave me a sharp once-over and handed my I.D. back. “What’s with all the windows and doors being open?”
“We have to do that when we do an emergency shutdown of our security system. All the sensors have to be tripped and re-set. A real pain to do, but it’s the most reliable system on the market, so worth it in our opinion.”
The other officer, a tall heavyset man, came around the front of their vehicle, hand outstretched. “Mister Baker? It just dawned on me who you are. You gave a presentation at our quarterly training session, didn’t you?”
I shook his hand, my fake smile turning real. “That’s right, I did. I’m tickled you remembered.”
It was another five minutes before they drove off. I gave myself a shake, thanking my lucky stars one of them had remembered me. Could’ve gotten sticky if they’d wanted to look the place over before we were prepared.
Dave came hurrying out. “Damn
, glad they didn’t come in. It’ll be a few more minutes before we’re ready for visitors.”
I latched onto my phone, hurriedly punching in Marty’s number. Seconds later he was on the line. “Hey, Marty. We just had a visit from the local cops. I managed to send them looking to the south of us for nefarious crooks. If you’re able, you might want to move our unwanted guests and their vehicles a little farther away.”
Dave cocked his head. “You sure you want them messing around with those dead guys while the cops are on the prowl?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t. But they’ll have our place in their log book now. If two vehicles stuffed with corpses were discovered in our neighborhood, things could get sticky.”
The eastern horizon was beginning to lighten up when Marty arrived back at the office. As his helpers were sent off with our heartfelt thanks, I slipped an envelope in each one’s pocket. “For services above and beyond, guys,” I told them.
Marty watched them pile into his cousin’s van and drive off. “They sure earned their money tonight. Now what’s this about the cops showin’ up?”
By the time we’d all gathered once more in the main office of T&M, the sky was definitely lightening. One last thing to do, then time for some well-earned sleep. I scrubbed my face and settled in at Alice’s desk. “Okay, I think we’ve managed to survive the luckiest night of our lives. Marty, where are the bodies?”
“We put ‘em back in their rigs an’ moved them twenty blocks away, by that small park towards city center.” He rubbed the top of his head wearily. “Oh, and we also left the engines runnin’. That might give the cops an excuse to say they were gassed.”
“Might even work,” Tony said with a shrug. “How else you going to explain eight dead bodies sitting in their vehicles and no other sign of violence?”
Dave half-raised a hand. “Nate and I put both the tanks and hardware for them in the back of your van when you got back, Marty. We’ll drive down to Olympia and dump them at the recycle center there tomorrow-er, today.” He looked around tiredly. “Which brings up a question. Why’d you pick carbon monoxide?”