by Alex Siegel
He collected the coins, left for a minute, and then returned with stacks of hundred-dollar bills. Orcus patiently counted the money. When the transaction was complete, he walked out without even a receipt.
"See?" Beck said. "Nothing shady happened. Are we done? Can I finally go back to work?"
"Not quite," Stony said. "You have any footage from outside the store? Maybe we can see the car he used."
Beck played with his surveillance system. He found an outside shot of Orcus entering the store, but it didn't show a car.
"That's all I got," Beck said.
"Did you write down the serial numbers for those bills?" Stony said.
Beck stared at him. "Are you joking? Of course not."
Stony sighed in frustration.
"Let's talk outside in private," Mia said.
All the members of the PEA left the store and congregated on the parking lot in front. Waves of warm air rose from the black asphalt.
"That was probably Orcus," Stony said.
"I agree," Mia said. "Now we have to figure out what he wanted with all that cash."
"He escaped from the house on horseback, and we didn't give him much time to pack. He was probably just carrying essentials."
"Like gold coins."
"Yes," Stony said. "He needs weapons, clothes, and supplies for his rituals. He needs lots of things."
"He can steal everything he needs. He's an expert burglar, after all, and he obviously isn't above armed robbery."
"Stealing weapons is difficult. The people who have them don't like to give them up without a fight."
"True," Mia said, "and he had assault rifles at the kidnapping this morning. It's reasonable to suppose he purchased them for cash from a black-market arms dealer last night."
"If we can find that dealer, he might be able to tell us something about Orcus's plans or at least what weapons he has." Stony looked at Agent Lewis. "Call Gritz. I need to talk to her."
Lewis took out his phone, put it in speaker mode, and made a call.
"Yes?" Agent Gritz answered.
"This is Stony. Are you still with the police chief and the FBI?"
"Of course. None of us are going anywhere until the kids are rescued."
"We have a theory," Stony said. "We believe Orcus bought weapons from an arms dealer last night. The police and the FBI must have lists of suspected black-market dealers in the area. Our agents need to interview all the people on those lists."
"That's a good idea, but I don't think it will work. Those guys won't talk to federal agents, and setting up an undercover sting will take too much time. It takes months to build a trusting relationship with a crook, even years."
Stony frowned. Mia furrowed her brow and had a frustrated expression.
"Then get me the name and address of the worst of them," he said. "I want the evil bastard that Orcus would naturally seek out. He must be notorious."
Gritz paused. "We might be able to get you a name, but what do you have in mind? The 'evil bastard' still won't talk to you."
"Let us worry about that. Just provide a name. We take full responsibility for whatever happens next."
Mia nodded and smiled in a very nasty way. There is my black-hearted bitch, Stony thought.
Chapter Eleven
Agent Lewis parked the car in front of an isolated building with a sign that read, "Tactical Precision Supply Co." The gun store was in a rural area, surrounded by green fields and trees. A lumber warehouse was the nearest neighbor a hundred yards down the road.
"Mia and I will take care of this," Stony said. "Just wait in the car."
"Yes, sir," Lewis said, "but, uh...."
"What?"
"Don't hurt the guy unless you know he did something wrong. The PEA has rules for how to treat witnesses. You can't just run in there and start smacking him around."
"According to the police," Stony said, "this dealer knowingly sells military-grade weapons to criminals. He actively supplies gangs all over the country. He gets what he deserves."
Lewis frowned but didn't respond.
Stony got out of the car. The overly warm, humid air made him take off his jacket and toss it back into the car. He looked around.
The gun store was a small building with walls made of rounded stones cemented together. Rain had carried rust down from a corrugated metal roof, staining the stones. The store had just a few small windows, and curtains prevented Stony from seeing inside.
A creek ran behind the store, and a forest stood on the far side of the creek. Grass around the store had been mowed recently enough to look more like a lawn than a natural pasture. Two pickup trucks were in the gravel parking lot.
Mia joined Stony. "Shall we?" she said.
He kissed her luscious lips. He couldn't help himself.
"Let's do this," Stony said.
As she walked ahead of him, he noticed how the humidity had caused her long hair to puff out and become frizzy at the ends. She was wearing a standard blue business suit, but her pants clung to her legs, showing off their sexy shape.
"I want to do the talking."
"Oh?" he said.
"Seems like I've been playing second fiddle to you this whole trip," Mia said.
"Didn't mean to do that. I'll just watch your back."
Stony put his hand on his gun.
They entered the store. Weapons of all kinds hung on pegboards all around the room. Knives and handguns were on the left, and bolt-action rifles were on the right. Shotguns and semi-automatic rifles hung in the back behind the counter. Shelves in the middle of the store held goggles, ear protection, ammunition, hunting jackets, belts, holsters, scopes, and other supplies.
A skinny white man with a goatee stood behind the counter. He was wearing military fatigues with a green camouflage pattern. The stripes of an Army sergeant were on his shoulder. His short, blond hair was cut straight across the top. A large pistol hung in a holster on his hip.
Mia walked straight to the counter. "Are you Elijah?"
"Yes," the man said in a suspicious tone. "You look like a cop."
"Federal agent. We have some questions."
"Do you have a search warrant or a subpoena?"
"No," Mia said.
"Then get the hell off my private property."
"No."
Elijah narrowed his eyes. He faced a door in the back of the store and yelled, "Andy! Get out here!"
A moment later, another man opened the back door and entered the shop. He was a little taller and beefier than Elijah, but they had the same blue eyes and blond hair. The similar shapes of their faces suggested they were brothers. Andy had two revolvers, one on each hip.
Stony tensed. He was armed with a .45 caliber Desert Eagle, and because he had taken off his jacket, the brothers could see the gun. He knew that Mia carried a Glock 43 under her vest.
This could turn into an old-fashioned shootout, Stony thought. He hardened his skin and quietly edged towards Andy.
Mia appeared unperturbed. "Did you hear about the kidnapped children this morning?" she said.
Elijah nodded once. "Breaks my heart. I told you to get out."
"The perpetrators were carrying assault rifles. We suspect you supplied them."
"You can't pin that shit on me. Do I have to call my lawyer?"
"A lawyer won't help you this time." Mia looked around. "You have some nice guns here."
"I suppose."
"I don't see the good stuff though. The big guns, the kind nobody is allowed to sell, not even in Mississippi. We were told you have a secret storeroom."
"Last warning." Elijah put his hand on the handle of his pistol.
She raised her eyebrows. "You would shoot a federal agent in cold blood?"
"In self-defense. You harassed me, threatened me. You busted in here without any paperwork and refused to leave when I asked politely. I have a right to be free of 'unreasonable searches and seizures.'" He glanced at Stony. "And your partner waved a gun in my face. I was too scare
d to think clearly. Bad things happened."
"Over a dozen kids are in mortal danger," Mia said, "and you're being an asshole."
"That is my constitutional right."
She smoothly vaulted the counter with a move that would've made any gymnast proud. Elijah froze in surprise. She grabbed his gun and tossed it across the room. Then she kneed him in the groin, and he folded over.
His brother drew his revolvers, one in each hand. Stony dashed forward instantly. He brought his hardened arm down across Andy's wrists with enough force to crack bones. The revolvers clattered on the floor. Then Stony punched Andy in the face, knocking him out. Andy crumpled and fell.
Mia smiled at Stony, and he nodded.
Elijah groaned and looked at his fallen brother. "I'll sue!" Elijah grunted.
"Sue whom?" Mia said. "You don't know who we are, and you never will. Now I suggest you start cooperating."
"Fuck you."
She grabbed his hair and jerked his head up. She exhaled green smoke directly into his face. He gasped, choked, and coughed. Tears streamed from his eyes, and he rubbed them with his palms, but it was no use. A wet stain spread across his groin.
"What was that?" Elijah finally managed to say.
"A magic trick," Mia said. "Ready to behave yet?"
He reached down and drew a combat knife that was strapped to his ankle. She instantly grabbed his hand and twisted violently, forcing him to drop the knife. She drove her elbow into his lower back, putting all her weight into the attack. He fell to the floor and writhed in pain. Finally, she picked up the knife and stabbed his thigh.
"I'm trying to be reasonable," Mia said. "I haven't permanently injured you... yet. But you have to understand that I can't leave until I'm sure you have no information for me. The lives of innocent children are at stake. Just show me your secret stash of guns as a token of compliance, and we can go on from there."
"There is no secret stash," Elijah groaned. "Ask the cops. They searched this place twice."
She stomped on his hand, and Stony heard small bones crunch. Elijah cried out.
"Do you think we're stupid?" she said in a calm voice. "Just because the police didn't find anything doesn't mean there is nothing to be found."
She ripped the knife out of his leg, and he cried out again. Bright red blood seeped from the wound.
She leaned over and said to his face, "Ready to have more fun? I can do this all day." She flicked his nose with the tip of the knife.
"No," he gasped. "Please stop. I'll show you the guns."
Stony searched Elijah to make sure he wasn't hiding any more weapons. Then Stony helped him to his feet. Mia watched with delight in her eyes, still holding the bloody knife.
Elijah limped to the back door of the store. He was cradling his injured hand, and his eyes were completely red from the gas attack, but he could walk.
Stony picked up Elijah's brother and carried him over a shoulder. Stony didn't want him waking up when nobody was watching. The weight wasn't a problem, but Stony didn't like handling the awkward bulk.
Stony and Mia followed Elijah through a storage room. They left the building at the back and walked on soft, green grass. The field was full of wildflowers colored with cheerful reds, yellows, blues, and violets.
Elijah went to a white metal barn. The design was a simple, rectangular box with a low, sloping roof. He used a key to unlock a padlock, and he slid open the door.
The barn contained military vehicles or parts of vehicles in poor condition. Stony saw a green Jeep on jacks with the tires missing. Tank treads were stacked against a wall. A complete tank turret including the main gun was lying upside-down with wires hanging out. The rusted bodies of three original Humvees stood in a row.
"What is this junk?" Mia said.
"There is a market for spare parts," Elijah said. "It's all legal."
He went to the controls for an overhead hoist which could move around on heavy-duty tracks. He moved the hoist hook over to the bed of a military cargo truck which was lying on the dirt.
"Can you hook that up, please?" he said.
Blood was dripping down his leg, and he was clearly in a lot of pain. Mia apparently took pity on him. She grabbed a chain and attached the hoist to the truck bed.
Elijah pressed a button, and the hoist went up, raising the truck bed. Blank dirt was underneath.
"Feel around for the control panel," he said. "It's covered with dirt."
Stony looked at the heavy truck bed hanging in the air. "No," he said. "You do it. Stay away from the hoist controls."
Elijah gave Stony a nasty look. Then he limped over and ran his hand through the loose dirt until he found something underneath. Mia kept a close eye on him as he lifted a protective cover and pressed a combination of buttons.
A rectangular panel lifted, accompanied by a pneumatic hiss and a shower of dirt. A hidden staircase appeared underneath.
Stony walked over, still holding Elijah's brother, and looked into the hole. The stairs went down about fifteen feet and ended at a steel door. Stony didn't see a lock on the door.
"This is quite elaborate," he said.
"I buried a shipping container to use for storage," Elijah said. "Pain in the ass, but it's strong and secure. Go on. Take a look. That's what you wanted to see, right?"
Mia took one step down the stairs.
"Wait," Stony said. "This doesn't feel right. Elijah, you go first."
"But my leg...," Elijah said.
"You can manage. We'll all go together as a nice, tight group. If something happens, you and your brother will die, too."
Elijah gave Stony a look full of pure hatred. Then Elijah limped down the stairs, leaning against a railing for support. Mia followed very close behind, almost stepping on his heels. Stony brought up the rear.
The steel door at the bottom of the stairs looked like the original door of the shipping container. Four vertical bars, each with a separate handle, held the door closed. Elijah surprised Stony when he didn't touch any of the handles. Elijah pushed on the far-right side instead, and the door folded to the left like an accordion.
"Tricky," Stony said. "What would've happened if we had tried to open the door the obvious way."
"Boom," Elijah said.
Automatic lights came on in the room beyond. Military weapons in perfect condition were on racks and shelves along the walls. Stony recognized the Bullpup Multirole Combat Rifle, the Chinese T97 assault rifle, the Colt CM901, the Heckler & Koch M27 IAR, and other state-of-the-art automatic weapons. Grenades and ammunition were in boxes on the floor. Elijah even had complete sets of body armor on display.
"This is amazing," Mia said. "I'm actually impressed. I can't imagine how you acquired all this equipment. Most of it looks factory new."
Stony put Elijah's brother on the ground. The unconscious body was getting heavy.
"I have connections," Elijah said. "Are you going to arrest me now?"
"No," Mia said. "I just wanted to see your inventory to establish that you could've sold weapons to the kidnapper."
"What kind of guns did he have?"
"Possibly FN SCARs, but the witnesses weren't experts on guns."
"I don't even carry that shit," Elijah said. "I didn't bring anybody down here at all yesterday."
Mia stared at him. "I need to be sure you're not lying."
Stony wished they had brought Veronica along. She would've known immediately whether Elijah was telling the truth.
"I'm not lying, bitch!" he said.
Mia slugged him in the gut, and he collapsed forward. She brought her knee up and crushed his nose. He flipped backwards and landed hard on the metal floor.
It took a moment before he could speak again. "You can hit me all day," he finally gasped. "The answer won't change."
She stomped his chest, driving the air from his lungs. He wheezed like a dying man.
"That's enough," Stony said. "I'm starting to think he's telling the truth."
Mia had a di
sappointed expression. "You may be right. Now what do we do?"
He looked at the racks full of illegal weapons. "Tie them up and tip off the police?"
"Sure. I'll watch these guys while you go find some rope."
Stony jogged up the stairs. He found coils of rope in a tool cabinet in the barn. He brought down the rope and hogtied Elijah and his brother. They weren't going anywhere.
Stony and Mia walked up the stairs. They left the barn, made their way around the store, and returned to the car. Agent Lewis was leaning against the hood.
"Any luck?" he said.
Stony shook his head. "No, but we found his illegal weapons cache. We can turn Elijah over to the police at least."
"Before you do anything, talk to Director Robertson. He just called, and he didn't sound happy."
Lewis took out his phone, dialed a number, and handed over the phone.
After a couple of rings, Stony heard Robertson's voice. "Yes?"
"This is Stony and Mia. You called?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Uh." Stony glanced at Mia. "Investigating a possible lead?"
"I sent you there as consultants, not lead investigators. You're not trained for that kind of assignment."
"We believe Orcus bought guns for cash. We talked to a local black-market arms dealer. It was the obvious thing to do."
"How exactly did you 'talk' to him?" Robertson said angrily.
Stony described the meeting with Elijah. He included all the important details but downplayed the violence.
"In other words," Robertson said, "you beat the crap out of an innocent man and left him seriously injured. This is not how good citizens behave. I was afraid something like this would happen when I sent you out, but Rathanael insisted."
"The guy isn't innocent," Stony said. "He deserved a beating at least. He's a criminal, a death merchant."
"Not our kind of criminal. He has no involvement with the supernatural. You crossed the line."
"Maybe."
"And now we have a big problem," Robertson said. "He'll tell the police about your brutal, totally illegal interrogation. The authorities will be hunting for renegade federal agents matching your description. Agent Gritz will have to come up with a crappy story for the police and the FBI. This kind of mess is very hard to sweep under the rug. The stink will float all the way back to Washington. Your clumsiness has put the reputation of our entire agency at risk."