The Sweeper File (Remote Traveler Series Book 2)

by Finian Blake

  Maalik walked up to the bouncer asking for the owner, Vern. “Good evening we were told to ask for either Vern or Zelda. Could you help us?”

  The two men were politer than the other customers. “This time of night Vern is behind the bar and Zelda will be waiting tables if she is not dancing.” Both Maalik and Khalid shared the same weakness which was big breasted blonds and Zelda more than qualified on both counts. When they entered the room the lights were dim and it was difficult to see. They could see Vern behind the bar so they decided to start there.

  “Vern we decided to take you up on your offer.”

  It took Vern a few seconds to recognize the two men as the security guards that helped Zelda the other night. “Zelda was thankful for your help the other night. She is going through some rough times and her van is about the only thing that she owns. She will be glad to see you when she finishes this dance.” The lights came up bright on the stage and the music became almost deafening. A tall pale blond with huge breasts in an evening gown came out on stage. Zelda strutted around the stage shaking her cleavage and her butt, to the cheers of the men waving dollar bills at her. Zelda stopped removing her clothes when she got down to her bra and panties. Vern resumed their conversation. “This is a lingerie club so the girls keep their bra and panties on. They can’t show nipples or bush and we don’t allow touching the girls. Now what can I get you gentlemen to drink.”

  “Alcohol is not permitted to us.”

  Vern smiled at the way that Khalid said ‘not permitted’. “You gentlemen are Muslim?” Both men nodded in a serious manner. “We serve all kinds of liquid refreshments but the price is still ten dollars a drink.” Maalik took out a fifty and laid it on the bar. Vern pushed the fifty back to him. “For friends of the bar we run a tab and at the end of the night you don’t pay the tab, however we would encourage you to tip the waitresses and bartenders.” Both men were polite and clean so giving them a couple of glasses of soda were an extremely cheap thank you. Vern felt that he would like to have these men come back.

  Zelda came up to Maalik wearing a full satin bra and bikini panty. He willed himself to look her in the face instead of her cleavage. She was five foot five and in her heels Maalik at five foot seven had to look up to avoid staring into her cleavage which made him uncomfortable. Khalid was out of the conversation which left him free to stare at her huge melons. “They are 44EE so I can’t use a skimpy bra to hold my fun bags up.”

  Vern decided to give her a hint. “They are drinking coffee because they are not permitted.”

  Zelda blushed, bright red, “Oh I am sorry. I didn’t realize that you were…”

  Maalik interrupted her. “It would have been rude of me not to accept your thanks.” When he met Zelda she was dressed in sweat pants, a long sleeve sweat shirt and the ever present tennis shoes that most Americans seemed to wear.

  Zelda looked at Vern. “I know your hard and fast rule about dating customers but Maalik was never really a customer. Could I see him away from here?”

  Vern swore that he would fire any of the girls dating customers, but when they met Maalik was not a customer. “All right, I can go with that since he is not a customer, but Maalik has been in here for the last time. The last few times that I let boy friends in there were fights over other customers staring at their girls and I won’t have that either.”

  Zelda wrote down her number and gave it to Maalik. “I work late please don’t call before ten.”

  Haroun and Jamal were cursing as they drove back to their apartment from Baltimore. Maalik had to pick a place with that kind of entertainment. There was no way that either man could stay sane with that kind of temptation. They knew that all of that naked flesh would drive them crazy. Jamal avoided the highway preferring to take the secondary roads that his patrol duties with Four Diamonds made him familiar with. They were just about to leave the industrial area and move into a stretch of tree lined roads when they saw a car parked on the side of the road with its four-way flashers blinking. It was an older Dodge Neon that looked like it had seen better days. Jamal stopped behind the car turning on the emergency flashers. Haroun reached in the back seat for his work bag pulling out a flashlight. Both men approached the car sweeping it with their flash lights and were almost to the bumper when two faces appeared between the bucket seats, both heads were those of younger females. Jamal took the lead but stood six feet away from the driver’s door and Haroun stood back by the bumper. “Are you ladies alright?”

  A blonde rolled her window down a few inches. “The car just quit on us.”

  Jamal asked, “Would you open your hood.” The driver reached under the dash and the hood made a noise. As Haroun opened the hood he was greeted by a strong smell of antifreeze and the smell of burnt oil. He quickly looked at the reservoir tank for the radiator which was empty and inspected the dip stick which had a tar like sludge at its very tip. Haroun shook his head in disgust. “There is no oil or coolant it is my guess that your car will never start again.” Both women were holding their cell phones. “Have you called for help yet?”

  The driver Ursula stuck her head out of the window. “For some reason I can’t get a signal out here and neither can Cynthia. It seems that this is a dead spot.”

  Jamal pulled out his cell phone. “I will call for a tow truck.” He walked back between the two cars. Jamal could not get a signal either but still pretended to talk while he surveyed the area. “Yes we need a tow truck to this location for a Dodge Neon. The car will not start and needs to be towed.” Jamal called out to Ursula. “Do you want a taxi or will you ride in with the driver?”

  “Would you call a taxi we need to get up early in the morning?”

  Jamal turned back to the phone, “Could you send a taxi here too? I see thank you.” He called over to the women. “They will have a tow truck here in twenty minutes but the taxi will be twenty to thirty minutes. We will leave now.”

  Ursula stuck her head out of the window. “Please don’t leave us, it’s dark out here and you were the first car to come along in over thirty minutes.” She stepped out of the car feeling safer now that help was on the way. Ursula wore a spandex micro mini skirt which slid up to her hip as she moved her legs out of the car. She wore a thin tube top that was covered by an ultra-sheer blouse that did nothing to hide anything especially her cleavage. Cynthia was dressed in a metallic micro-mini that was one size too small exposing her transparent panties as she stepped out of the car. Her thin lace bra was left visible by her nearly transparent blouse leaving no need for imagining what was underneath.

  Cynthia pulled a pack of cigarettes out offering one to Ursula. “They came just in time we only have four cigarettes left. I just knew that that piece of shit car of yours would leave us walking.”

  “Well you had to pick that fucking club. I was groped three times before we got to the bar.”

  Cynthia flipped Ursula the finger and bent over at the waist reaching in the car giving Jamal and Haroun a clear view of her panties pulling out a bottle of schnapps taking a long pull. Cynthia looked at Haroun, “Did you get a good look?” Cynthia took a long pull at the bottle passing it to Ursula. “You assholes are as bad as the dicks back at the bar.”

  Ursula grabbed the bottle of schnapps by the neck tilting her head back moving the bottle almost straight up and down taking a long pull of schnapps. Jamal moved behind Ursula pulling a large folding knife out of his pocket and grabbing her from behind roughly pulling a handful of her blonde hair holding the knife firmly to her throat. Cynthia turned to run finding Haroun waiting for her retreat. Haroun picked up Cynthia by her long blonde ponytail so that her toes barely touched the ground pushing her tube top to her waist and mauling a breast. Haroun pulled a set of plastic cuffs from his work bag quickly cuffing Cynthia’s hands behind her back forcing her to her knees in the course gravel cutting away her clothing with his knife eliciting a scream from the helpless young woman.

  Jamal put his mouth next to Ursula’s ear as he cut away her t
ube top and skirt. “You will do exactly as we say or we will slit your throats and leave you here for the dogs to eat. Scream as much as you like there is no one to hear you. We will now show you what the penalty for tempting a man beyond his ability to resist is.” Jamaal picked up the skirt tying it around Ursula’s head to act as a blindfold ordering Haroun to do the same for Cynthia. They forced the women in the direction of some bushes about 200 yards away. Cursing the blindfolded women when they stumbled, slapping them until they stood up.

  Layla and Edward excused themselves form the after dinner talk retiring early. They lay down on the bed and started to meditate wanting to check on their subjects before going to sleep. Edward found Maalik and Khalid leaving a ‘gentleman’s club’ in Baltimore. Layla left in order to find Jamal and Haroun. Edward felt a strong sense of urgency following it to Layla. Jamal and Haroun were forcing two women across open ground toward some bushes. They both returned to their bodies and Layla ran down the stairs into the family room. “Two of the terrorists are about to rape two women. We have to do something.”

  Tom looked up from his chair. “Can you find them?”

  “Yes they are only five miles from here.”

  Tom jumped up and went to his office followed by Sera and Arnold. “I have an M40 with a starlight scope that I was planning on testing this weekend.” Tom pointed to the gun cabinet. “Help yourself to anything that seems right.” Arnold and Randal selected an AR15 and some low light binoculars while the ladies went for their purses.

  Edward came running down the stairs to join them but Layla stopped him. “We need someone to get out of body in case I am wrong about being able to find them.” Edward nodded his ascent knowing that it was the right call. Layla, Sera, Arnold, Randall and Tom loaded into the van and drove off at top speed. Arnold passed out the com radios as they raced down the highway turning off on to a two lane road. They soon spotted two cars parked on the opposite side of the road and they drove past them by a hundred yards. Everybody switched on their radios and Arnold and Layla climbed up on the roof of the van for a better view. Arnold broke out the low light binoculars and Layla indicated the direction to look in. After a few minutes Arnold and Layla climbed down off of the roof.

  Arnold gave the briefing. “I can make out two men standing but I cannot see the women. We need to get someone closer. I have sniper training so I will man the M40 and Tom can spot. Layla, Sera and Randal can move in close. I want Layla to take the lead and Randal to take the ‘back door’.”

  Randal was not happy about the call. “I should take the lead I have the experience.”

  Arnold shrugged, “Randal you stay here and the ladies will go. We don’t have time to argue and I would rather trust Layla.”

  “All right but I don’t see why…”

  Layla moved nose to nose with Randal. “I will make the calls and there will be no discussion or you will stay here.” Layla and Sera threw their purses over their shoulders and took the lead. Layla led out through the dark field. Randal was surprised at how surefooted she was in the dark over uneven ground. Half way across the field Layla stopped. “Randal, stop grunting and groaning, if you break your leg don’t make any noise.” She turned and continued. They finally reached a rise where they could see the women kneeling down with their hands tied to the trunk of a small tree. Haroun had a switch in his hand and Jamal was shouting obscenities at them threating them with a knife. Haroun would give one woman a stroke and move to the other one.

  Layla got on the com radio. Arnold I have one man with a cane and another threatening them with a knife. You will not have a shot on the knife. I have an idea cover me from there and Randal will cover Sera and I from here.” Layla pointed to the ground for emphasis pushing on Randal’s shoulders until he was in a prone position. I will leave the com link open if I shout bust take out your targets.” Layla patted Randal on the back and the two women backed down the trail about fifty feet. They both stood up pulling their sigs out of their purse and attaching the silencers. They started to call out, “Who’s crying? Is there someone out there?” Sera and Layla stood on the rise. Randal saw both of them stick their hand in their purses.

  Jamal saw the two women on the rise and started to scream at them. “Come down here! Come down here right now, or I will kill them both!”

  Sera and Layla moved within five feet of Jamal and Haroun who had pulled out his knife too. Layla spoke calmly, “You gentlemen have made a mistake.”

  Jamal screamed at her, “What mistake…?”

  “You brought a knife to a gun fight.” Both women fired two shots each at the same instant. Both men dropped to their knees and Layla raced up to them kicking their knives away as they fell into the dirt. Layla spoke into the radio, “Two down and hostages are safe. Tom you need to bring the van the ground is flat and drivable with no major ditches.”

  Tom came on the com system, “We have an alternate plan in the works. Give me a report on the hostages.”

  Layla looked at the two women critically. “Both women are tied, gagged, and blind folded. They are incoherent with fear, but not in a life threatening condition.”

  Tom asked, “If you don’t help them, will they survive?”

  Layla was going crazy, “What the hell…?”

  “I have two police officers coming to assist you in ten minutes, go with me on this and I will explain things later.”

  Layla, Sera and Randal were frustrated beyond belief but went with Tom’s call. In fifteen minutes two female police officers came down the same track that Layla, Sera and Randal had used carrying blankets.

  “I am Officer Eve Mendenhall and this is Officer Rene Duda. You are to leave now and we will take over. Tom will be happy to explain everything back at the van.” As the three rescuers left the officers fired two shots apiece and went to work releasing and comforting the hostages.

  Sera, was seething with anger when she reached the van, “Just what in the hell…?”

  Tom raised his hand to interrupt her, “We need to leave right now before the rest of the force shows up.” Everybody loaded in the van and Tom left at a normal pace so that they would not attract attention. “The Chief gave me two officers to claim the rescue and the shooting. We need to keep our main goal in mind. We still have six terrorists that we are tracking and I can’t have the three of you exposed to the press since we have six terrorists left. The chief will personally oversee the investigation so that there will be no mention of you. Eve and Rene will take two weeks of paid administrative leave and have a nice rest while they investigate the shooting.” Tom noticed several sets of flashing lights just over the rise and pulled off of the road turning off the head lights.

  Harry pressed, “What about the hostages?”

  “Layla said that they were gagged and blindfolded they will only see the cops when they are untied. Eve and Rene each fired two shots just before they released them. They have two rapists back there not two dead terrorists. The cell just lost their machinist and bomb maker, they will not be as likely to launch a bomb attack anytime soon, but there are still six terrorists out there. We can’t tip our hand just yet. The chief ordered Eve and Rene to take credit for the action. They both agreed when I gave them my greater good speech.”

  Sera interrupted, “They will be suspended when they do the autopsy. We were using armor piercing hot rounds all four of those rounds tore straight through them.”

  Randal looked at Arnie, “Hot…?”

  Arnie smiled, “We use Teflon coated slugs with an extra pinch of powder to make sure that the rounds will penetrate any body armor. Without body armor they will pass through the ‘perp’ and the person behind him. Since they don’t want any dead civilians, the police won’t authorize them because of possible collateral damage. The good news is that they don’t have a chance in hell of finding those slugs. All they can do is make accusations. If anything goes wrong Tom will cover the action. Am I right Tom?”

  “Absolutely…” Just then three squad cars raced past
their parked van allowing the five conspirators to finish their journey to Tom’s house.

  The five rescuers entered the house to see Edward holding up the telephone. “Tom I have the Chief on the line. He has someone from justice there asking for details.”

  “Hey Chief was that Felix Owens from justice?”

  “Yeah he is from the Attorney General’s office. I told him this is apparently a simple rape which makes this a municipal issue, so he could drag his sorry ass back across the Potomac. I told him we would let him know if the Feds need to be involved.”

  Tom smiled at the chief’s comment. That’s the asshole that beat the crap out of one of my house guests and played peeping tom at my house violating a restraining order. I believe that you are holding a warrant on him.”

  “Thanks Tom we will run that warrant. I think I will detain him.”

  “Ride him hard and put him away wet. Is there any chance of a cavity search? he may have some drugs on him?”

  “It would take a lot for me to justify that.” The chief wanted to be reassured. “Are you going to take care of my girls if this thing goes south?”

  “Absolutely, they can have jobs paying a grand a month more than their current salary with all the benefits even if it doesn’t go south and that is rock solid.” The Chief had served with Tom-Tom at Sembach Annex in Germany doing advanced security training and knew Tom’s word was good as gold. The chief had a problem with Eve. She had filed a complaint against her partner when he groped her in the squad car. When she pressed the complaint every man on the force refused to work with her. Rene stepped up to work with her making the shit list too. Both women were partnered up on the midnight shift because Eve’s seniority could not carry any other shift. The Chief had seen this before and knew it was just a matter of time before something bad happened. Rene only had two years of experience and Eve had just cleared probation. The Chief was trying to find a way to get them to move on without having a major problem with human relations. He knew that the investigation would go south, so he had to be sure that Tom would keep his word.