SECRET OF THE ICON (Donavan Chronicles Book 3)

by Tom Haase

  Mike slammed the gears into reverse and backed away from the spot where he slammed into the truck. Then he shifted gears and roared after the container truck. The front grill bars had protected his vehicle from any major damage. He never gave much thought to the men in the pickup other than to hope they were in hell.

  He could still see his container truck in the distance.

  * * * *

  “Scott, are you all right?” Bridget shouted into the phone.

  “We’re okay. No real damage. Most of the bullets missed the car and we aren’t hurt,” he informed her.

  “We should be there in less than a minute.”

  A silence followed until Scott let out a loud whistle. “Sis, you’re not going to believe this. A Hummer just T-boned the pickup that shot at us. Totally wiped it out. Now it’s going after the container truck. What the hell is happening?”

  Bridget told Matt what Scott said.

  “Damn, we never checked Alexandro for vehicles. I’ll do it now.” Before he could call Liz, he saw Scott’s rental car. Scott appeared standing beside it. He approached and Bridget lowered her window.

  “Just checking the car for damage. Looks like we’re good to go,” Scott said.

  “Okay, follow us,” Bridget ordered.

  While this transpired, Matt called Liz and confirmed that Alexandro owned a black Hummer.

  Both cars took off after the Hummer and the semi.

  “How do we stop a semi?” Bridget asked.

  “I have no idea,” Matt responded. “But I bet Alexandro is driving that Hummer.”

  CHAPTER 53

  Washington, D.C.

  Monsignor Jonathan McGregor sat in his hotel room in Washington with the phone glued to his ear. The room contained all the amenities expected in a four-hundred-dollar-a-night establishment in the middle of the city. The clock above the TV displayed the time as shortly after noon.

  Jonathan put the phone down. He had tried for the second time in just a few minutes to contact Bridget. She hadn’t answered either time. He desperately wanted to know if she had achieved any success in locating or in finding the icon. His time in America would soon run out.

  His phone rang. He grabbed it anticipating Bridget would be returning his call, but the number he didn’t want to appear showed on caller ID.

  “Good day, Eminence,” Jonathan said on answering.

  “What news do you have about the icon?” the cardinal asked.

  “I believe Ms. Donavan is close to locating it. At this time, I am unable to contact her. Generally this means she is engaged in something that has her full attention.”

  “I want your full attention. We need that icon and we want it quickly. We fear that word of this is starting to leak. I don’t know how, but some queries are starting to come our way about the icons. We need to contain any fallout by taking preemptive action with the accounts that this last icon will hopefully provide. Do whatever it takes to retrieve it and return it to Rome. Do you understand?” The cardinal queried.

  “Completely,” Jonathan said. The cardinal ended the call.

  Jonathan didn’t need or want this type of pressure. He knew what he must do without being beaten over the head by higher authorities. Right now, he was stymied but knew deep down in his heart Bridget would succeed, just like she always had. But then again, there always remained a chance she would fail for the first time.

  * * * *

  Liz called Matt. She needed to find out more about what actions were taking place in Savannah and what she might do to assist. She ordered the tech to see if he could get into the traffic video cameras in Savannah. She waited for Matt to answer.

  “What’s going on?” she asked when Matt came on the line.

  He brought her up to date on events with a few short sentences.

  “I’m looking at the container truck on a Bay Street camera in Savannah. Do you need locals to intercept?” Liz asked.

  “No, but have SWAT ready just in case. I’m counting on getting both Karim and Alexandro as a package deal,” Matt said and rang off.

  CHAPTER 54

  Savannah, Georgia

  Karim looked out the passenger side window when the semi exited the port, and he saw his men coming toward his vehicle in their pickup. This made him breathe a little easier. Now he had some protection. The problem of the feds, however, remained.

  He phoned his men in the pickup and warned them that a fed vehicle might be coming after them. When he hung up, the driver kept his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.

  “What are you looking at?” Karim demanded.

  “The pickup is firing on a car. The car has now stopped,” the driver responded.

  That might take care of what he assumed were the feds for now, but they possessed other assets to track this truck. He needed to transfer the goods quicker than he planned and dump the container.

  “We aren’t on the road to the interstate. What happened?” Karim asked.

  “I didn’t take the turn. I missed it watching the pickup,” said the driver.

  “Stay on this road. It’ll take us into Savannah. We can pick up the interstate there.”

  The driver remained silent for a moment but gave furtive glances into the outside rear view mirror.

  “What are you watching now?” Karim demanded.

  “A Hummer just took out the pickup. Totaled it. Our men are out of action.”

  “Where’s the Hummer?” Karim asked.

  “I can’t see it anymore.”

  The driver accelerated without being told.

  Karim’s mind raced to find a solution. He knew the feds were onto the arms shipment, perhaps not exactly on him, so that could be in his favor. On the other hand, he could be the likely suspect due to double-crossing the FBI agent Higgins. He needed to get this truck off the road and unload the weapons.

  He rationalized if they went out on the interstate as planned, the cops would be able to find him with ease. Out there every state trooper, county mountie and local would be on the lookout. If they continued on this road into the city and mingled with intercity traffic, they might be able to park near a U-Haul place, rent a truck, transfer the goods and be on their way in less than a half hour. Then they would be clean and the cops wouldn’t be looking for them, at least not immediately, as they would be in a different truck.

  “Drive straight ahead. I remember this road. It will take us to downtown Savannah. I’ll give you directions off my phone.” He searched for the nearest place to rent a truck on his phone. Things were not going as he planned.

  Before he could give any direction, the driver spoke first, confirming things had gone from bad to worse.

  “We’ve got company. That Hummer is coming up on my side.”

  CHAPTER 55

  Savannah, Georgia

  Mike Alexandro was pissed. That damn raghead had stolen his goods. Now he had to get them back. For the first time in a very long time he felt rage. His muscles went taut, his focus dimmed to seeing only the truck ahead of him and his mind told him to kill the bastard. He floored the accelerator on the Hummer.

  As he pulled up on the driver’s side of the truck, he noticed they had passed under the approach to the Talmadge Bridge. They were now speeding along Bay Street toward Martin Luther King Boulevard, a major intersection at the entrance to the historic district of Savannah. After lowering the driver’s side window, he used the arm of the side view mirror to steady his pistol, but that didn’t prove useful.

  The truck ran the red light at the intersection and Mike did the same. He lost all of his fear, disregarded any safety measures for his own protection, and as carefully as he could manage aimed at the cab of the truck. He knew the awkwardness of his firing position held no great hope of achieving a kill shot, but didn’t care and fired his weapon. Four more times he pulled the trigger. Then he saw a car blocking his lane attempting to make a left hand turn. He slowed and let the truck pull away from him or he would smash into the front of the car.

 
; The entire length of the truck sped by and seemed to him to have accelerated. The only thing he could do, fall in behind and wait for another chance to get his goods back. As the seconds passed, he lost the maddening urge to plow straight ahead and some logical thought started to regain control. He needed to wait until the truck stopped. At that time, he could make his move and take back his property. He breathed in deep breaths and his heart ceased the loud pounding in his head, at least to an acceptable level that allowed him the think.

  Ahead of him, the truck accelerated and crossed over the double yellow line in the middle of the street. He watched as it sped past the city hall. The semi moved over into the oncoming traffic lane. In total disbelief, he witnessed the impact.

  * * * *

  When the driver warned of the Hummer coming up on his side, Karim stretched over to look into the driver’s side view mirror. He couldn’t see the Hummer. While he attempted to get a glimpse of the Hummer, the driver increased speed in order to get away from the threat. The sound of gunfire entered the cabin. Karim looked over at the driver who had floored the gas pedal at that moment. More gunshots were heard. The driver’s head jerked backwards and then slumped forward. A small patch of blood sprayed onto the windshield.

  Karim reached to pull the man away so he could grab the steering wheel, but the driver’s hands slipped off the steering wheel and slid inside the wheel as his body slumped forward. The weight of his body caused the wheel to turn to the left and the truck started to move toward the center of the street.

  The truck glanced off a car in the oncoming traffic lane. The size and speed of the semi flipped the car over. More cars now headed straight at the semi with horns blazing and drivers frantically trying to get out of the way of the giant truck crossing over into their oncoming lane.

  Karim desperately grabbed to pull the man off the steering wheel, but the man’s weight and his arms pinned inside the steering column made that temporarily impossible. Next, Karim tried to lift the man’s leg off the accelerator. He succeeded, but when he looked up, the truck had crossed the centerline and now plunged ahead at over sixty miles per hour. When he raised his eyes higher, the sight of a statue of a brown Griffin loomed immediately in front of the speeding semi. The cab of the truck bounced over the sidewalk and careened into the statue and impaled itself on a guardrail over the thirty-foot drop to a roadway below.

  The abrupt stop slammed Karim against the dashboard. He barely managed to save his head from making a deadly impact on the windshield. He glanced at the driver but knew he no longer lived. He shook his head a few times to clear it, quickly examined his body to see if he’d sustained any damage, and determined he hadn’t. He grabbed his handgun and opened the passenger door to climb down.

  The Hummer came to a screeching stop about thirty feet away.

  He again checked his weapon to ensure it could function on demand as it looked like he would need it in a few moments.

  CHAPTER 56

  Savannah, Georgia

  Mike Alexandro watched through the Hummer’s windscreen in total disbelief as his stolen truck careened into the statue of the Griffin in front of the Cotton Exchange and finally stopped before going over the wall and plummeting down onto Factor’s Walk. He reasoned he had to take out Karim to stop him from telling the police about the weapons if he were to be captured. That seemed like a possible outcome after the events of the day. The truck contained his Russian dolls and it had been hijacked. He just wanted his goods back. Mike stopped and parked behind the wrecked semi.

  Soon there would be plenty of police around after this destruction in the middle of the city. He could more easily explain his efforts to stop someone from stealing his property, as he owned the paperwork and legal right to import the goods that were the listed cargo in the truck. It might be a long process, but he stood within his rights. His planned trip to Russia might have to be put on hold for a few days.

  At that moment, Karim jumped down from the cab. He looked shaken up a bit as he appeared to be trying to find his bearings to stand without holding the truck door for support. The man, who stole his truck, appeared to be regaining his balance as Mike exited his Hummer with gun in hand. He saw Karim now looked directly at him and raised his weapon.

  In a smooth motion, Mike fired before Karim could get his weapon up and aimed. His bullet hit the terrorist in the leg. Blood exited the wound and he collapsed backward. Mike ran forward and peered down at the collapsed Karim.

  “You piece of shit. You tried to steal my shipment. Now you die.”

  He heard another car slam on its breaks directly behind him. He swirled away from the victim he intended to kill.

  * * * *

  Scott’s car raced ahead of Matt and skidded to a stop a few feet from the Hummer. They could see Alexandro over a prone body just a few feet in front of them.

  “Stay in the car,” Gerti said. “We can wait on Matt, he’s the agent. Look, Alexandro’s got a gun.”

  “So have we,” Scott said, as he flung open the car door and got out. He held his gun in his right hand and saw Alexandro looking up from his position over Karim’s supine body. Alexandro could see that Scott held a gun. Scott didn’t get a chance to aim his weapon as the man rotated quicker than Scott expected.

  Gerti jumped out of the car obviously intending to stop Scott. She ran around toward the front of the car. This careless act put her closer to Alexandro. Scott saw Alexandro raise his weapon to fire at Gerti as she rounded the front of the car. He ran with speed that he didn’t know he possessed. He raised his weapon as he ran and fired at the target who now centered Gerti in his sights. Scott jumped in front of Gerti as Alexandro’s weapon discharged. He heard another weapon fire and simultaneously felt the impact of the bullet in his chest. Everything went black in his world.

  Gerti saw what happened and raised her weapon to fire at the man, but he ran. He escaped down the steps leading to the walk below. She rushed to where Scott lay on the pavement. Blood had stopped pumping from his chest wound.

  “My God, he’s dead,” she shouted.

  * * * *

  Bridget jumped out of the car before Matt stopped beside the still running Hummer. She heard Gerti make her proclamation on Scott’s death. Matt followed a few steps behind and they both stopped when they reached Scott’s location. Bridget’s mind reeled at the sight of her brother. Shot dead by that bastard. She wanted to cry. She wanted to kill Alexandro. She needed to get justice for him. She turned away, the sight of her dead brother now forever imbedded in her mind. There is no way she wanted to fall apart now. She could grieve later. It now took everything in her being, but she had to keep going.

  “He went down those steps,” Gerti said and pointed.

  “Stay here,” Matt said to Bridget.

  “Fuck that. I’m going to get him,” came her reply as she ran to the steps.

  “I can’t go anywhere. I’ll stay here with him,” Gerti said. She knelt down beside Scott and took his head in her hands.

  Matt ran after Bridget.

  CHAPTER 57

  Savannah, Georgia

  Bridget reached the bottom of the stairs down to the Factor’s Walk, a narrow sunken road on which in the old days the horse-drawn cotton wagons used to pass under the brokers who bid on their loads from up on top. She searched in both directions and saw Alexandro disappear behind a stonewall to her right. The street, paved with ballast stones taken from old sailing ships, proved difficult to run on. She heard Matt calling for her to wait.

  She ignored his demand and ran forward. Alexandro peered his head around the corner fifty to sixty feet in front of her. She saw him clearly. The bastard had killed her brother.

  “Bridget, wait up,” Matt called again.

  She focused on the face of her brother’s murderer. The man ducked back behind the protection of the wall for just a second. Then he jumped out into the street, gun raised and fired.

  Bridget wasn’t taken by surprise. She hoped the bastard would fight. The bul
lets flew by her head, one barely missing, and she felt the breeze from the round in her hair. Without any hesitation, she returned fire. Twice she tried to hit the target, but handguns were not precise at any distance other than close range and not worth anything if one was running.

  The man disappeared behind the wall. Bridget reached the corner where he disappeared. She took a quick glance around the stone edifice. A bullet greeted her effort. The round splintered shards of stone into her face. Blood started to trickle down from her forehead. She wiped it away, not wanting anything to blur her vision. This reignited her rage. Now the maniac had spilled her blood as well as her brother’s. She didn’t care anymore, she would end this.

  Matt placed his hand on her shoulder. She ignored it and stepped around the corner and out into the open.

  “What are you doing? Get back,” ordered Matt.

  Directly to her front, Alexandro stood in the middle of the confined space. He dodged into a recess which trapped him on three sides. The stonewalls reached high above their heads. There wasn’t any escape path from this little recessed area unless he came out the same way he went in.

  Alexandro brought up his gun and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened, just the sound of a click. He tried to fire the weapon again and again.

  Bridget raised her weapon to a firing position. She hesitated for only a split second.

  “You killed my brother,” she said. Her hatred of this man boiled to a feverish pitch. No way would he stand trial and get off with a slick lawyer. He had deprived her of her only brother.

  She pulled the trigger. The bullet entered the center of Alexandro’s head.

  As the corpse hit the ground, Matt gently took the weapon from her hand. She didn’t feel anything but relief.