The Shadow Patriots Box Set 2

by Warren Ray

  “Not all, but it does make it easier when you’re on the go.”

  “I drink it black because it’s no calories.”

  “But, of course, you do.”

  “Need to keep my girlish figure, don’t cha know,” smiled Stormy as she handed him the cup.

  Green blew on it before taking a sip and noticed how strong it was. He raised the cup and acknowledged it. He watched her take a sip and hoped she was up for the mission. She certainly was dressed to grab any man’s attention. She looked cute and innocent, but she could handle herself. They hoped to not have to take these men off the street, but instead have her lure them in close enough to the van where Green and Kyle would knock them unconscious.

  The phone rang and Stormy hustled into the living room to find the buried phone. It was Kyle and he had the target picked out. Stormy set the phone back on the floor and then went her hall mirror. She stared into it took a couple of deep breaths to psych herself up. She was nervous and Green couldn’t blame her. It was going to be a tough operation.

  Chapter 42

  Port Huron Michigan

  Hadley, the young Texan, and former National Police officer, sat on the ground and rested his elbows on his knees as he held the big 10x42 binoculars to his eyes. Any slight movement made it difficult to focus the big glasses, especially something that was twenty-five hundred feet away. He took slow breaths as he looked across the Saint Clair River into Sarnia, Ontario. His nerves jumped into high gear when a police car pulled up to where his friends had tied off the canoe. Two cops got out of their cruiser and walked across a set of railroad tracks to the small dock by the sandpit. This wasn’t good as there wasn’t anyone else around who could have spotted the canoe. It took only a few seconds before the cops found the canoe and Hadley swallowed a gulp of air as he watched one of the cops pull out his pistol and fire three times. It took a few minutes for the boat to disappear under the water. Hadley cursed the cops as he watched them go back to their vehicle and take off.

  He began tapping his fingers on the binoculars. His friends were in trouble. Why else would they have sunk the canoe? But why the cops? If the cops had them, then they should be able to get lawyers and make a phone call to their friends in Winnipeg. They’d get them out of there. Hadley’s mind kept stirring around trying to come up with an answer when it finally hit him. “The reward,” he said aloud. Goosebumps formed on his arm as he realized this was the only explanation. Hadley began pacing the riverbank, wondering if someone was watching him. If they were in trouble, then maybe he was too. He started back to the SUV realizing he was on his own. He took one last look around before entering the garage where they had hidden their ride.

  He got in and tore open a power bar while contemplating his next move. “Should I stay or should I go,” he said to himself and then began singing the words. Scar told him to take off if he thought he was in danger. He looked at his watch. It was too early in the morning for the cops to be roaming the roads. If Scar and the others made it here, they could always find another ride. The thought brought him some comfort, so he turned the key and started pulling out of the garage when he remembered they’d left their big weapons in the Suburban. He got out and looked around trying to decide where best to leave their guns and which ones they would need. Figuring they'd be safe in the garage, he left them on the floor.

  Hadley scanned the area for prying eyes before shutting the garage door. He jumped back into the Suburban and started on the return trip to Jackson. The further he got out of Port Huron, the more satisfied he was of his decision. He didn’t know what kind of help they’d be able to bring to them, but Meeks needed to know the situation.

  The two-hour drive back to Jackson took three hours as Hadley stayed off the interstates as much as possible, at least around the larger cities. There were contingents of cops still patrolling their nearly empty streets. Most of the people from places like Flint or Lansing left long ago when the trouble had begun in those areas from either the gangs or the cops themselves. Because of the close proximity, most of the residents had migrated into Canada. There were still pockets of people here and there, but for the most part, the cities were abandoned.

  Of course, the National Police were also forcing people out of their homes, which is where they had found most of the girls who were enslaved at the party house. For reasons Hadley didn’t understand, folks in smaller Michigan towns further south decided to stay put, while the folks up north fled. He reasoned they hadn’t wanted to leave their homes and banded together to help each other make a go of it. It was fascinating how folks in different locals handled the decisions that affected their personal well being. Some moved south, some left for Canada, but some just stayed put. The people in Jackson reminded him of his people back in Texas. You couldn’t tell them what to do if your life depended on it. They were as independently minded as you could get. Everywhere was different and everyone sure did things differently.

  Hadley was north of Jackson when he drove past the town and then drove south to a new area Bassett had found to cross enemy lines during the day. It was located down on Reynolds Road, which was off McCain Road. The road ran under the power lines that ran through the woods. It was an ideal place to drive through and keep hidden. It led you right to Highway 60 and the Jiji border, but instead of a four-lane road, it was two lanes. He’d still have a five-mile hike, which he didn’t look forward to with his gimpy leg, but he was in too big of a hurry to wait until it got dark to cross.

  The Suburban rocked back and forth, as he drove through the tall grass under the power lines. The thousand-foot path turned right, but he drove straight into the trees to hide the big truck. He grabbed his weapon and silently thanked Bassett for finding a place closer than what originally would have been a ten-mile hike from Michigan 52. These long hikes were never a stroll in the park for him. His old soccer injury would flare up and his knee wouldn’t work properly because it was a prosthetic replacement. It was the reason the Army wouldn’t take him and why he joined the National Police, which had a lower standard for enlistment.

  He dashed through the woods to Highway 60, or Spring Arbor Road, as they called it in this area. This was the Jiji border. He dropped down on his stomach, crawled to the edge of the wood, and looked both ways. A car sat in the middle of the intersection of Spring Arbor Road and Reynolds Road, with another fifty yards or so to the left. Hadley strained his eyes and could barely make out that someone was in the car, but he didn’t think they’d spot him if he stayed low. So, rather than put pressure on his knees by crouching down, he decided to do a low crawl across the road. The asphalt was rough as he crossed the road. He was only halfway across when he heard the distinct sound of a car approaching.

  Chapter 43

  Washington D.C.

  Green flashed his headlights across the street to get Kyle’s attention. He nodded to acknowledge him before looking both ways and then running over to the vehicle. He pulled on the handle and slid the side door open; then hopped into the cargo van which had no seats in the back.

  “He’s in there,” said Kyle as he sat down on a milk crate Green had thought to bring. Green looked at the convenience store across the street and didn’t like it. “Too many people here.”

  “I’ve got a better place to grab him anyway.”

  “Oh?”

  “Our guy is dressed for the gym, oh, there he is.”

  A man with a medium build was wearing shorts and a white t-shirt. He carried two cups of coffee to his red Mustang.

  “You see that?” asked Green.

  “Looks like he’s meeting someone. With any luck he’ll meet up with target number two,” said Kyle.

  “You sure this guy is known to Reed?”

  “Absolutely, and he’s for sure a hired gun. I know the type.”

  Green put the van in drive and started to follow target number one. His mind started thinking about all the different scenarios they might encounter and not all of them ended well. This was an “on the fly�
�� operation and each of them needed to think quickly and not hesitate. He only knew about Kyle’s talents and experience from talking to his father, Jacob, who couldn’t stress his son’s qualifications enough. He trusted the former FBI man and took his word for it. What he didn’t know was how well Stormy could handle herself. Granted she had martial arts experience, but you can’t quantify something like that when you’ve never been out in the field. Did she understand they were going to have to kill these two people? It wasn’t even an easy thing for him to swallow since it wouldn’t be on a battlefield. He had to keep reminding himself that he was fighting on a different type of battlefield now and there were different rules. There was no honor in what they were doing and some might call it murder. Green took in a deep breath thinking about that. He was up against people who were responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Americans. In this battle, the ends actually did justify the means.

  After a few miles, the red Mustang pulled into a plaza where a gym sat in the middle with an empty store beside it. Green slowed down and took the next entrance to the complex. He watched as the Mustang parked in the back where there were no other cars.

  “Doesn’t want any scratches on that baby,” said Kyle.

  “Can’t say I blame him,” said Stormy, “it is a pretty one.”

  Green parked four rows over from the red Mustang and they sat there watching their target. A few minutes later, another car pulled in behind him.

  “That’s target number two,” said Kyle. “I was hoping it was gonna be him. They always work out together.”

  The two chatted together while drinking their coffee, before grabbing their gear and heading to the gym.

  Green turned around in his seat. “This is an ideal situation. We can park with the side-door right at his driver’s side.”

  “What do you want me to do?” asked Stormy.

  Green looked at Kyle. “Dead battery?”

  “You got cables in here?”

  “In the back.”

  Kyle looked at Stormy. “My dear, you just need to look pretty and ask for a jump.”

  “I can handle that.”

  “You bring the stun gun?” asked Green.

  Kyle reached into his bag and pulled out a handheld stun gun. It was a close quarters weapon and not one that fired pronged probes. You had to physically make contact to disable the attacker, or in this case, the victim.

  Kyle pressed the button and the stun gun crackled in the van. The loud arcing sound got your attention.

  Stormy jerked back as the sound echoed in the empty van.

  “Twenty million volts,” boasted Kyle.

  Green nodded in approval and thought he should get one for his mother, but then remembered she was now packing a pistol. He placed his hand in his jacket to give his M9 a reassuring pat.

  “Also brought a baton,” said Kyle pulling out a collapsible black baton. He flicked his wrist and ejected the baton with a snap. He then handed it to Green.

  “Don’t I get a toy?” asked Stormy.

  Kyle laughed. “You’ve got your feet.”

  “In this dress?”

  “Well, it certainly won’t restrict your movements.”

  “I’m more modest than that.”

  Kyle leaned forward. “Ah, excuse me Miss Lingerie model.”

  “Yeah, okay, touché.”

  Green laughed to himself at their jovial mood. It was always better to joke around rather than start worrying over an impending mission. Of course, that would change as soon as their targets came out of the building.

  Green put the van in drive and drove it over to the Mustang, parking it right alongside it. The van now blocked the view from the building and high hedges bordered the parking lot, blocking any view from the road. He looked at his watch and figured they had at least another thirty minutes before they would come back out.

  “Grab those jumper cables in the back, would cha?” asked Green.

  Green pulled on the hood latch and then gave Stormy instructions on what to do. She gave him a terse nod and Green exited the van. Kyle would remain hidden in the back, while he would wait somewhere in the lot. It would be better if he approached them offering his assistance. They had two targets to deal with and both would want to help a damsel in distress, especially one that looked like Stormy.

  Chapter 44

  Sarnia Ontario

  Knowing something was not right, Scar paced the floor of the small room the cops had put them in. Hours had passed and it had begun to dawn on him that they were not going to go before a judge or get an attorney. He hadn’t seen Sergeant Wilson yet and had no idea if the sergeant had called General Standish. He was growing impatient and wanted answers.

  “Guys, something is off,” Scar said, “if they were going to let us go, they’d have done so by now.”

  Bassett rose from his chair. “It’s strange they didn’t even take our mug shots or fingerprint us.”

  “They kept us out of the system on purpose,” said Burns.

  Scar scoffed, “So, no record of us.”

  “Good thing or bad?” asked Bassett.

  “It’s a crap sandwich, that’s what it is,” Nordell quickly added. “Don’t forget, there’s a reward on your heads.”

  “But not yours,” chided Bassett.

  “I’m as clean as the driven snow, Corporal,” said Nordell.

  “You’re just lacking a good headline,” Burns shot back.

  “A good headline would make me famous.”

  Burns waved his hand in the air. “Retired Marine goes postal on cops.”

  “I like it,” said Nordell, nodding approvingly.

  Scar crossed his arms over his chest. “Guys, can we focus?”

  “Yes, of course,” said Bassett, in a contrite tone. “I think we should assume we’re being sold off.”

  “Like cattle,” said Nordell sarcastically.

  “Then we need to think about escaping,” said Scar. “Any ideas?”

  They shot each other questioning glances before Nordell spoke up. “Before we try anything, we need to set these guards at ease. Give them no reason to suspect we’re worried about anything. That we’re cooperating and just waiting to be released.”

  “Get friendly with them,” agreed Burns.

  “When we strike, we’ll strike fast,” said Nordell, pounding his fist into his hand. “Look where they’ve got us, we’re in a friggin warehouse. A half-ass, make-do solution they came up with on the fly. We’re not in a jail cell guys, so we’ve got a damn good chance of getting out of here.”

  Burns nodded. “We only need to overpower one cop and get his gun.”

  “Chances are we’re right by the river so we might need to swim across, everyone a good swimmer?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “What about Hadley?” asked Nordell.

  “He’ll stay until he’s sure something is wrong,” said Bassett.

  Scar pondered all of this for a bit. They still didn’t have a plan, but everyone was on board to try an escape, which was always an important first step. He was glad they agreed that they were being held for the reward and they couldn’t allow themselves to be surrendered to the National Police.

  Nordell had brought up a good point about getting the guards to relax a little bit. This couldn’t be a normal situation for them, so they wouldn’t have procedures to rely on. He thought about the layout of the warehouse and how the room they were in was at the end of the building. Bathrooms were off to the side in the only other room in the big wide-open building. He needed to know how many guards they had posted and just how alert they were. He decided to send Bassett out to recon the situation.

  “Bassett, can you ask to go to the bathroom?”

  “You got it.”

  “See if you can get friendly with him.”

  “No problem.”

  Scar sent Bassett because he was about the same age as the cop outside the door. Bassett had an easy manner about him and was able to get along with
anyone. His youth and good looks also helped put people at ease. He looked less grumpy than the rest of them. Scar knew the stressful life he was now living had been aging him. He had noticed new lines forming on his face and spotted it on some of the others as well. He hoped his wife, Tera, wouldn’t be too surprised whenever they reunited again.

  Scar had everyone sit down at the table and look bored as Bassett went to the door and gave it a few knocks asking to use the restroom. It took a few seconds before the door opened up.

  Bassett back away from the door as the cop pulled it opened.

  “Hey, Officer, I need to use the bathroom, would you mind?”

  The cop looked inside the room for a moment and then motioned Bassett out the door. He was about the same build as Bassett and had short blond hair, which was combed over neatly. His flack vest had “POLICE” across it in big yellow letters. It was the only color on his dark blue uniform. His deep-set eyes gave him a serious appearance, and Bassett noticed he was hesitant.

  “Thanks, man, I’ve been holding on since breakfast.”

  The cop walked several paces behind him with his hand on his holster ready to pull his pistol out. Bassett chuckled to himself because they made a big mistake in not handcuffing him. If they only knew how quick he could take him down, they would cuff him.

  He walked across the empty warehouse floor in a casual way and nodded to another cop sitting at a card table that they must have been brought in since their arrival. This cop didn’t look like he pulled guard duty very often and only looked up from the newspaper to see if his colleague needed any assistance.

  This second cop would be the biggest obstacle to their escape attempt. Everything would depend on how alert they were and how fast he was. So far, from what he could discern, the guard didn’t look too worried. Not paying attention was their second big mistake. If the cop was a good shot, he might be able to get one shot off, maybe two before Bassett had a gun. Even then, bulletproof vest or not, the second cop wouldn't take the chance hitting his friend. This would slow him down giving Bassett the advantage.