The Watchman of Ephraim (Book Club Edition)

by Gerard de Marigny

  “You’re not gonna like it. From the size of the hole in the glass, the head wound on Agent Bellows and the trajectory of the shot to inflict it … it looks like he was taken out by a sniper … one shot, one kill.”

  “A sniper …?! Charley, I’ve been at this a long time. That’s a border agent’s worst fear … but it’s a step we never thought the cartels would take. They know if they escalate violence against us, the U.S. will be forced to retaliate.”

  “Whatever they’re planning must be very big and bad … for the stakes to be high enough to warrant this. How do we track them, Bryan? You said they have about a 90-minute head start. Where would that put them?”

  Ahiga led Santappia back to his pickup where he pulled a map out and laid it out on the hood.

  “It’s gonna depend on whether the group on horseback remains with the group on foot or not. My guess is they won’t. So that would put the large group on foot about 2-2.5 miles ahead of us. The group on horseback could cover twice that distance.”

  Ahiga grabbed the mic from the radio in his pickup and tuned it to the Shadow Wolves frequency.

  “This is Ahiga. We have a very large group in the hundreds heading northwest from Sasabe. A dozen or more are on horseback, the rest are on foot. They have about a 90-minute head start on me. If they remain present course, I have them crossing onto reservation land somewhere east of Tubac. The group on horseback, perhaps both groups are presumed armed and dangerous, approach with extreme caution. Have all Shadow Wolves converge east of St. Ann Church and notify DHS-CBP Nogales Station to pass on my information to Omaha28.”

  “Roger Bryan, all available agents to converge east of St. Ann’s Church in Tubac and we’ll notify Nogales Station to vector Omaha two-five miles northeast of Sasabe.”

  Ahiga rejoined Santappia who was calling Riggy, De May, and Pescalitis back in.

  “We have another problem, Charley. We don’t have time to go back and get our ATV’s and in that direction we won’t be able to follow them for very long in these vehicles. So we can either stay on their tails or we can take the chance that they’ll remain on their present heading … and take to the roads to try to head them off. Chances are that Omaha will spot them long before they make it to the reservation anyway, but if they do make it, I think we need to be ahead of them. Otherwise, we’ll never catch up to the group on horseback.”

  “I think the choice is clear then, Bryan. Let’s try and get ahead of them.”

  * * * * *

  The Russians and Iranians on horseback were still leading the large group of Mexican immigrants on foot. They held up when the Iranian radioman waved to the Iranian in charge.

  (In Farsi) “Hadi, someone finally found the dead agent at Sasabe. Sounds like one member of the Shadow Wolves, but he radioed in for all of their agents to rendezvous ahead of us near Tubac. He also told them to radio Nogales to vector their Blackhawk to our position here.”

  The tall, dark-haired and bearded Iranian-in-charge thought aloud and in English so that the Russians could understand.

  “A single Shadow Wolves agent came across the dead agent outside Sasabe. I wonder what he was doing off the reservation? In any case, he’s having all the Shadow Wolves lie in wait for us, up ahead. That is what we wanted. Also, as we anticipated, he had Nogales dispatch their Blackhawk helicopter.”

  He switched to Farsi. “Naser, you and Abbas take a position a few thousand feet from us with a Stinger29. Wait for your prey and do not miss. Go now by foot! Aram, have all the infidels behind us remain where they are. We want to give the American helicopter a big, easy target.”

  Switching back to English he addressed his men and the Russians, “We will wait here for their chopper. Once we down it, we’ll scatter the chickens on foot and put distance between us and them.”

  The Russian in charge, former Spetsnaz Captain Oleg Marx spoke up.

  “What about the Shadow Wolves ahead of us? I thought we were going to ambush them closer to the airport?”

  “We were, but it’s of no consequence. The fact remains … the more of them they gather in one place; the easier it is for us to wipe them out. We know their location, we still possess the element of surprise, superior numbers and strength … and while they are trained to track, we are trained to kill.”

  The two men with the shoulder-fired rocket, Naser and Abbas radioed in that they were in their positions just as the sounds of a heavy rotor could be heard off in the distance.

  * * * * *

  Both Agent Ahiga in his pickup and the members of ARCHANGEL following him listened in on the DHS-CBP radio frequency as they headed to the rendezvous point near the city of Tubac. A call came through from Omaha six, the DHS Blackhawk chopper.

  “Omaha six Victor Romeo … Nogales … we have visual on a very large group … repeat, very large group approximately three miles from Sasabe Station.”

  “Nogales, Omaha six, roger … Approach with caution ... Ground units en route, ETA two-zero minutes...”

  “Omaha six … roger that, two-zero minutes … will approach with caution. There appears to be no movement at this time by the group. It looks like they’re taking a rest.”

  Ahiga pulled over and Santappia pulled up next to him. They both rolled their windows down.

  “Charley, you monitoring …?”

  “We heard. What do you think it means, Bryan?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. There’s no way that group is resting just miles away from where they murdered a border agent.

  Ahiga grabbed his mic.

  “Shadow Wolf one to Omaha six, come in.”

  The men heard only static.

  “Shadow Wolf one … Omaha six, come in.”

  More static…

  “Shadow Wolf one to Nogales Station, can you raise Omaha six?”

  “Nogales … Shadow Wolf one, we’ll try. Omaha six this is Nogales Station, do you read?”

  Static …

  “Nogales … Omaha six Victor Romeo, do you read?”

  “Shit!” Pescalitis shouted from the back seat of the Jeep. Santappia held up his hand to quiet him.

  “Nogales Station to all agents … at this time we are unable to raise Omaha six. Shadow Wolf one, do you have a visual?”

  “Shadow Wolf one, negative, I have no visual of Omaha six … but let me take a closer look.”

  Ahiga threw the mic and stepped out of his pickup with his binoculars. He scanned to the southwest then stopped on one point. Santappia and the others joined him.

  “What do you have, Bryan?”

  “I got smoke and flames Charley, southwest of us, about three miles.”

  He handed Santappia his binoculars then ran over to his pickup.

  “Shadow Wolf one … Nogales Station. I just spotted smoke about three miles west of 286, north of El Mirador Road.”

  “Nogales Station, roger Shadow Wolf one … Nogales Station to emergency personnel heading to Sasabe Station, Omaha six may be down about three miles northwest of your location.”

  “Roger Nogales, we see the smoke … will dispatch personnel to that location.”

  Ahiga walked back to the others.

  “There’s no doubt now, Charley. Shooting a border patrol agent crosses the line but downing Omaha obliterates it. Whatever it is they’re transporting, they’re willing to start a war over it.”

  “You have to get us ahead of them, Bryan, in a position where we can ambush them.”

  “That won’t be easy, Charley. Even if we do get ahead of them, there’s a whole lot of desert out there. I think our best bet will be for me to string the rest of the Shadow Wolves out along a ridgeline east of the town of Tubac. There’s a path that leads north at the foot of the ridge. Meanwhile, we’ll try and set up a position at the ridge’s northern end. That’s where I think they’ll end up no matter where they’re heading.”

  “Lead on, Bryan …!”

  As Santappia began following Ahiga’s pickup again, he hit an autodial button on his cell
.

  “Mugs it’s me, the game’s on!”

  Chapter 31

  Back Porch - Main House

  Estancia De Niro

  Henderson, NV

  Pre-Dawn 5:30a.m., Sunday, September 11, 2011

  De Niro couldn’t sleep, all he could think about was Moriah and how much he hurt her as he sat in the same chair she sat in the evening before.

  “You’re up very early, sir,” William Brett asked as he approached from behind him. He was carrying a tray with a silver pot of coffee surrounded by mugs, cream and sugar. Both men were fully dressed despite the early hour.

  “William, what are you doing up?”

  “Well sir, I can never sleep very well on this day.”

  De Niro knew what he meant – it was September 11. Noticing the tray in his hands, he waved William to sit with him.

  “Join me?”

  “Thank you sir …”

  William poured two mugs of Jamaican coffee and handed one to De Niro. It was rumored to be the same roast and grind as the one served at the White House.

  Both men blew the steam rising from their mugs before sipping from them. They sat quietly for a few minutes before De Niro broke the silence.

  “I miss her too, William, I miss her too. So much so, I fear I’ve irrevocably damaged my friendship with Moriah.”

  “Oh, I can’t believe that, sir. If I’m not out of line … It’s quite obvious to everyone on the estate that Dr. Stevens has deep feelings for you.”

  “You can never be out of line, William. I value your views, more so than anyone else’s. The truth is … I have deep feelings for her too but we don’t have the same types of feelings for each other.”

  Out of habit, William lowered his voice to just over a whisper even though they sat alone.

  “Thank you for saying so, sir, and if I may … you mean you are not … attracted to Dr. Stevens?”

  “Of course I’m attracted to her. She’s a beautiful woman, inside and out … but …”

  William waited for De Niro to continue. When he didn’t he completed the thought for him.

  “But … you feel like your betraying the memory of Ms. Lisa.”

  De Niro nodded and blinked as his eyes became watery.

  “I still love her, William and she’s still part of my life. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Not a night goes by that I don’t miss her. Our vows may have been ‘til death do we part,’ but my love for her transcends her death.”

  William leaned in towards De Niro and grasped his forearm as a sign of comfort.

  “Sir … all of us who cared for Ms. Lisa, keep her alive in our hearts and minds.”

  The stately man took a sip from his mug, looked at it and smiled.

  “Sir, I don’t know if you noticed but earlier this week Ms. Stevens inadvertently started using Ms. Lisa’s favorite coffee mug. You remember it, the oversized pink one with the ugliest handle décor I’ve ever seen.”

  De Niro chuckled.

  “I remember that mug; she won it in a raffle.”

  “Well … I kept it all these years and stored it behind all the other mugs we have. I actually forgot it was there when I allowed Dr. Stevens to choose whatever mug she wanted for her morning coffee. I became frantic when I saw her pouring her coffee into it, but as I was about to take it from her … memories of Ms. Lisa drinking from it flashed into my mind. It brought back so many joyous mornings when Ms. Lisa would sip from it while talking to me about the day’s morning news. She always had such strong … and sometimes very humorous insights.”

  De Niro smiled.

  “She did, didn’t she …?”

  “Yes sir, she did. Well, instead of my memories of Ms. Lisa making me angrier with Dr. Stevens, they had quite the opposite effect. Suddenly, I realized that Dr. Stevens was telling me … her views … of the morning news…”

  William’s eyes became misty.

  “… and do you know what occurred to me?”

  De Niro waited for his gentleman butler to answer his own question.

  “Three things occurred to me, sir … one, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my cherishing that mug; two … that because of how special she is, it’s okay for Dr. Stevens to drink from it and three … that both of those remarkable, wonderful ladies … have absolutely the worst taste in coffee mugs …”

  De Niro laughed out loud bringing a smile to William’s face.

  “Neither of you are wrong, sir, for how you feel about the other … as long as you both are honest with each other. As for our feelings for Ms. Lisa … she was a most remarkable woman! There will never be another quite like her and as I remind young Richard … no one could ever replace her in our hearts and minds. I would only suggest to you, sir, that while you are certainly entitled to your feelings, Dr. Stevens is entitled to hers.”

  De Niro was deeply impressed by William’s wisdom. Knowing how much he loved and cared for Lisa made it that much more valuable to him.

  “Thank you, William.”

  De Niro’s cell phone rang as William stood to collect the tray.

  “Mugs, you’re up early on a Sunday—“

  “Cris, listen to me, I have Michelle and Johnny-F on the line too.”

  “Okay.”

  “Where are the boys?”

  “They’re sleeping Mugs, it’s not even 5—“

  “Cris, I know what time it is there! Listen to Michelle first.”

  “Cris, I had John retrace all of Les’s digital footprints inside Big Brother, in case we missed something … and we did—“

  “Cris, it’s John, it’s my fault, I should have found this when we first checked—“

  “John, just tell me what you found!” De Niro didn’t like that they asked about the boys.

  “Okay … well, the first time we checked double-B, we only checked what Les looked at using the ops-level access that Michelle gave him.”

  “John, he knows that, get to the point,” Ricci demanded.

  “Cris, I never bothered to check what he looked at with his own HR clearance! I mean, most of it is just mundane personnel info … but I screwed up!”

  “John, take a deep breath … what are you telling me?”

  Ricci jumped in.

  “Cris, Les was looking at your GPS transponder frequency … and the transponder frequencies of Richard and Louis!”

  De Niro’s heart jumped in his chest.

  “The ones I asked you to tie in from their iPhones … so I could keep tabs on them via Big Brother when I was traveling?”

  “Cris, listen to me, I want you to toss your laptop, your iPhone and the boys iPhones into the pool … right now! Do it and call me back from your landline!”

  “Okay…”

  De Niro hit the disconnect button, took the battery out, then threw his phone into the pool. William stopped in his tracks with the tray in his hands.

  “William, put the tray down and help me find the boys phones. We need to toss them into the pool … and their laptops too! I need to get my laptop … please hurry upstairs and get their phones and laptops!”

  William placed the tray down with care then hurried into the house. De Niro appreciated how he followed his most preposterous orders without questioning them … a mark of true loyalty.

  De Niro ran inside the house, unplugged his laptop and ran back out to the pool. He took the extra step of removing the battery from his laptop before tossing both into the water. He was about to run upstairs when he saw William emerge from the back door, a bit winded.

  “Here they are, sir, their phones and laptops!”

  De Niro took each phone and laptop, one at a time, removed their batteries and tossed all of it into the water.

  “Sir, what’s going on?”

  He motioned for William to follow him to his study.

  “Mugsy just informed me that there’s been a security breach in The Watchman’s computer system. Someone was looking at the GPS transponder frequencies of the boys and me! S
tay with me while I call him back!”

  De Niro hit an auto-dial button on his home phone and placed the call on speaker. As the call connected, Mugsy, Johnny-F and Michelle Wang appeared on the plasma screen, all looking very concerned.

  “Okay, I wanted William here. We threw all the cells and laptops into the pool, now will someone please tell us what’s going on … why the urgency?!”

  Ricci: “Just after John and Michelle came to me with what they found, Charley called, Cris. There’s been a major breach down there. It started before dawn. They’re estimating hundreds have illegally crossed the border, some on horseback and they’re armed and dangerous. They’ve already murdered one border patrol agent via a sniper round and they downed a DHS Blackhawk chopper. It has to be what we’ve been waiting for. This has to have something to do with what Les was part of!”

  De Niro shot a concerned look at William.

  “Okay … but even if Les had something to do with what’s going on down there … what does that have to do with my boys and me?”

  Wang: “We don’t know for sure, Cris, but what we do know is that the last time Les looked up a transponder frequency, Agent Garcia ended up dead. We just—“

  “Michelle, hold on …”

  De Niro was looking up at a security monitor next to the main screen.

  “William, what happened to the camera at the main gate?”

  William rushed to the controls for the monitor and fiddled with them as De Niro bolted to his security panel. Before he got to it all the power went off in the house including to the security system. De Niro turned and saw that the screen went dead.

  “Mugsy … Mugsy!”

  De Niro turned the speakerphone off and picked up the receiver.

  “William, the phone’s dead too!”

  “Sir, listen!”

  They started to hear the sound of multiple vehicles in the distance.

  “I think we have company!”

  “We have to get the boys and get out of the house NOW! We can bring them to the Coyote’s Den!”

  “Sir, you go get the boys. I’m too old to run. I’ll try to stall them for as long as I can.”