Terror Grips the Beach

by Steve McMillen

  Anna has pretty much been isolated in the RV, and she is beginning to get cabin fever. You can only work on explosives so long and then you get complacent. That’s when accidents happen. As a blonde and with different clothes, she feels she should at least be able to go to the beach for a walk.

  She leaves the RV with her purse and sub-nose .38 around 1:00 in the afternoon, and begins her walk to the beach. The three men all arrive back at the RV around 1:30 and not only is Anna not there, but she forgot to lock the front door to the RV and set the alarm. The men are livid. Phil figures she went to the beach and heads in that direction while Marty and Ronnie look around the RV. They decide no one was in the RV while everyone was gone. They then choose to take the completed devices out to the staging building in Longs. Five days left.

  CHAPTER 39

  “Holy shit,” comes from Jim and “Oh, my God,” comes out of Mark’s mouth as they gaze at the ambulance unit sitting in the middle of the building. I had opened the rear doors to expose the explosives that filled up almost one-third of the rear compartment.

  I carefully close the rear doors. “Don’t touch anything and let’s get out of here while we still can.” I don’t have to say it twice. They turn and quickly leave the building. I turn off the lights, and follow, pushing the button on the inside of the front door and locking the door behind me. We get back in the SUV and leave the area. About a mile away, I stop in the parking lot of a convenience store and call Sam.

  “Detective, I hope you are sitting down.”

  “Mickke D, I have things to do. What do you want? Did you find our terrorists?” she snaps.

  “No, I didn’t, but I found an ambulance partially filled with explosives which I figure belong to the terrorists.”

  Silence on her end of the phone, and then, “Where are you?”

  “Mark, Jim, and I are in Longs on Swamp Hollow Road, and we just left a building which I figure they are using to paint their vehicles and probably using as a staging area for their bombs. They have a big one there already. And I mean a really big one.”

  “Are you at the location now?”

  “No, we’re about a mile away but on the same road.”

  “Okay, I’m going to contact Homeland Security, the Sheriff, and I’ll send a SWAT team and bomb squad out immediately.”

  “You may want to re-think that,” I say.

  “And what do you mean by that?”

  “Well, from what I’ve seen, they have to come back at some point to pick everything up. Why not wait and catch them when they return? If you go in now, they will pack up and look for another place to operate.”

  “What if a bomb goes off in the meantime?”

  “Detective, the only thing that would happen is that the building would be gone and there would be a big-ass hole in the ground. There’s nothing within a half-mile of that building.”

  “Is there anywhere close by to setup a surveillance team to watch for them?”

  After a short hesitation, I reply, “Yes, across the road from the building is a small wooded area which could be used for that.”

  As I am explaining to her where we are, I hear a vehicle coming, look up and observe a van driving by with two men in it. I stop and slowly say, “Scratch that last idea. I think the bad guys just drove by and they are headed for the building.” The van looks a lot like the one parked at the house next to Doug and Nancy’s house, although it is a different color.

  “I’ll get SWAT out there right away.”

  “And how long will that take?”

  “Probably 30 minutes.”

  “That may be too long. They could be in and out by then. What do you want us to do?” I ask.

  After a short pause, she replies, “I’m going to hate myself for saying this, but stop them.”

  “No problem, but be sure and tell SWAT we will probably be there when they arrive, and that we’re the good guys.”

  “I’ll do that,” and after a slight pause, “Good luck, Mickke D. I owe you one.”

  CHAPTER 40

  Just as Phil reaches the beach, he spots Anna coming in his direction. He finds an isolated area and waits for her. In their native language, he berates her and tells her to get her ass back to the RV.

  She touches the gun in her purse but decides not to push the point right now. She apologizes for leaving the door open and not setting the alarm. She then berates him in English for speaking in their native language. They both look around to see if anyone may have heard them. No one seemed to notice.

  They return to the RV in silence. They find a note that Marty and Ronnie have gone to the building in Longs to deliver some more explosives. They begin working on more bombs. The silence is deafening between them as they work. After about fifteen minutes, Anna decides the best way to resolve the problem is to lock the front door and lead Phil back to the bedroom. Thirty minutes later, they are back at work and talking to one another.

  Anna is beginning to have second thoughts about this whole thing. She mentioned in several meetings that she thinks they should move on. There are too many people looking for them. The men disagree. They think they are smarter than anyone who may be trying to find them. After all, they purchased an ambulance online with cash and no one thought a thing about it. They believe the Americans are stupid, and have no idea where they are and what they are doing.

  CHAPTER 41

  “So do you think that was them?” Jim asks.

  I look his way and quickly reply, “Yeah, and Detective Concile wants us to stop them. She is calling Homeland Security, the Sheriff, Horry County Police and sending a SWAT team out here, but it may be thirty minutes before they arrive.”

  Mark asks, “So what’s the plan, boss?”

  “Not sure, Mark. I hope that we’ll have one by the time we get there. I’m open to suggestions.”

  We leave the parking area and begin our trip back to the building in silence. About halfway there, I ask, “Well, does anyone have any bright ideas?”

  Jim speaks up, “Sure, let’s walk in the front door and shoot their sorry asses.”

  “I thought about that and then I thought about that ambulance full of explosives and decided that probably would not be a good idea.”

  Jim replies, “You may have a point there.”

  “Mark, what about you? Any ideas?”

  “I think we should wait until they come outside and then shoot their sorry asses.”

  “I like your plan better. The problem is the area is so open, it will be difficult to get close without being seen.”

  As we approach the building, we do not see the van. The whole area around the building is deserted. I do notice the overhead garage door is not fully closed. “Hey, do you guys remember the garage door not being completely closed?”

  Mark replies, “You’re right, it was all the way down when we left.”

  “I guess that means they have pulled the van inside and are either loading explosives or unloading explosives. Either one is not good.”

  We drive on by the building, turn around, and pull over so we can watch the building while deciding our next move. The only problem is that if they come out, we will be in plain sight and who knows what will happen then. We need to find somewhere to setup and be ready to attack.

  I say, “Damn, I wish we had some rifles. We are going to have to be real close to do any damage with these handguns.”

  Mark replies, “Yea, I was thinking the same thing.”

  I spot the remains of an old path going into the small wooded area across the road from the building and start the vehicle. “I’m going to pull into that wooded area across the road and hopefully conceal this vehicle a little bit. We can take up positions in the trees and attack when they leave.”

  Mark immediately replies, “And what if they’re picking up explosives and the van is full of explosives?”

  “I don’t think so. I think the ambulance is their main source for the explosives. They want a really big bang somewhere. Remember Char
leston?”

  *****

  As soon as Marty and Ronnie arrive at the building, they open the overhead garage door, pull the van inside and close the door, almost. They begin removing their explosive devices. The only things left in the van are two AK-47s and several handguns. Some of the devices are placed in the ambulance and others are stacked under tables covered by sheets. Ronnie nervously asks, “Did you hear something outside?”

  “Just a car going by. Trust me, our American friends know nothing about our plans. Let’s get this stuff unloaded and get back to the beach. I need to have a heart-to- heart talk with Anna. And, don’t let me forget, I want to arm this baby before we leave. That way I can set it off from anywhere.” Marty replies.

  *****

  After hiding the SUV as well as we can, we take up prone positions on the ground beside the biggest trees we can find. The closer to the ground, the smaller a target we become. The trees are not very big and we all feel somewhat naked and exposed. “Okay guys, here’s the plan. When they come out, wait until they turn onto the road and they are broadside to us. Mark and I will fire at the tires and Jim, fire that cannon of yours at the driver’s door.”

  Mark whispers, “Maybe they won’t come out until SWAT gets here.”

  I change the subject. “How is everyone fixed for ammo?”

  Mark answers, “I only have what’s in my gun and one more clip.”

  “Me too.” Jim says while pulling out his .44 Super Blackhawk.

  “Well you guys are better off than me. I only have what’s in my weapon. I guess I wasn’t planning on going to war.”

  Mark chuckles, “Wait until Colonel Townsend hears about this. Mickke D is not prepared for battle.”

  “Very funny. Okay, so everyone turn off your phones. We need this to be a surprise. And, whatever you do, don’t move. They will be looking directly at us when they reach the road.”

  Waiting is sometimes the hardest part of war. You have too much time to think about all of the things that can go wrong. Thank goodness, today was not one of those days. Within minutes, we first hear and then notice the overhead door begin to move up. The van slowly exits the building and then stops as the man in the passenger seat opens his door, gets out and pulls down the overhead door. He then closes the padlock on the door and returns to the van. They slowly venture up the gravel drive toward the main road and stop before entering.

  Marty, the driver, looks at Ronnie and points, “Is that a vehicle over there in the trees?”

  Ronnie yells, “Go!” as he reaches for an AK-47 from behind his seat.”

  Marty slams the accelerator to the floor, but since he is on a slight incline and the driveway is gravel, he doesn’t do much more than burn rubber off the tires and throws gravel everywhere. He finally lets off the gas a little bit and fishtails onto the blacktop road. Ronnie sticks the AK-47 out the driver’s window in front of Marty and empties his clip. Spent cartridge shells ricochet around the two men in the van.

  Before we can return fire, we are hugging the ground as bullets whiz past our bodies, knocking down limbs, and thumping into trees. “Now!” I yell, and we empty our weapons on the vehicle.

  The gunfire subsides and after not going very far, the van slows and turns into a shallow ditch along the side of the road. The left side tires are flat and there are three bullet holes in the driver’s door. The van’s left side windows and the windshield are shattered. The van moves slowly out of the ditch and makes a half circle and retreats back toward the building. About halfway there, it comes to a complete halt.

  Things grow very quiet. The next sounds we hear are the womp, womp, womp of helicopter blades coming over the horizon. At about the same time we hear sirens coming from the other direction, which belong to the Horry County Police and the Sheriff’s Department. As the SWAT copter approaches, Ronnie opens the passenger door and steps out with rifle in hand. One of the SWAT team members sprays the van with a .30-caliber machine gun and hits Ronnie multiple times. He falls back against the van and slides down to the ground. He is no longer a threat.

  The copter circles the van and lands on the highway a safe distance from the van and the building. Four SWAT team members emerge from the copter and take a defensive position using the copter as a shield. The police and Sheriff’s Department take up a similar position blocking the highway in the other direction. We stand up and everyone with a weapon is suddenly pointing them at us. “Whoa, hold on, we’re the good guys.” I quickly yell out as we all raise our hands high in the air.

  “Stand down. They’re on our side.” a SWAT member using a bullhorn, yells as all the weapons are turned back to the van. He calls out, “Come out of the van with your hands in the air.”

  Marty, was hit by the first round fired by Jim, and then by the machine gun. He just smiles, reaches in his shirt pocket and pushes the button on the detonator.

  The blast from the explosion produces a huge ball of red and orange flames as the building is torn apart. Everyone is knocked down by the power and force of the explosion. The van, which is closest to the building, is thrown back towards the road and erupts in fire. Shrapnel flies everywhere. Several police officers are hit. None are seriously wounded. The copter shakes but stays in one piece. Several smaller explosions occur within seconds and then finally the air becomes still and quiet. Thank goodness, the explosion occurred inside a concrete block building or the results could have been much worse.

  We feel the hot blast of heat from the explosion and end up about five feet backward from where we were standing. I quickly assess my body and it seems to be in one piece. “Are you guys okay?”

  Mark answers first, “I think so, but my ears are ringing.”

  Jim says, “Okay here, but I think my eyebrows are gone.”

  As we slowly venture out of the woods, we see nails and bolts sticking in trees. We go down to where the van is smoldering, and the SWAT team and the police are assessing the crime scene. Both of the terrorists are dead. The head honcho from SWAT says, “Sorry we didn’t get here sooner. Are you guys okay? Detective Concile said you might be here. Looks like you slowed them down before they could get away. Thanks.”

  Before I can say anything, he turns away and goes about his business. I look at Jim and Mark, shake my head, and say, “Looks like we’re not needed. Let’s head back to the beach. These guys seem to have the situation under control. I just hope they find the other two as well.”

  We get back to my SUV and decide that even though we went unscathed, the SRX did not. There are two bullet holes in the side of the vehicle. “Damn, I wonder if Sam will pay to have this repaired.”

  Jim replies, “Don’t hold your breath. I think you should just call your insurance company.”

  Halfway back to the beach my cell rings. It’s Sam. “I need you guys to come to the station and give me a written statement of what happened, so I can cover my ass in case I get in trouble for giving you the okay to go after the bad guys.”

  I look sideways at Jim and in the rearview mirror at Mark and reply, “You’re welcome detective. Yes, we did just get shot at and almost blown up trying to stop a couple of terrorists who wanted to blow up half of the Grand Strand, and I’ve got two bullet holes in my SUV to show for it. Is the city of NMB going to pay for that?”

  “Come on Mickke D, you don’t work for the city. Your insurance will fix it and I’ll be happy to write a letter to them if you wish. And, by the way, I already told you I owed you one.” After a slight hesitation and no reply from us, she adds, “If it makes you feel better, we all thank you for your help.”

  “We’ll be there in about thirty minutes.” I hang up the phone without any further comments.

  Jim laughs, “You know what? I think she likes us but just doesn’t want to admit it.”

  “Right,” I say as Mark and I join in the laughter.

  CHAPTER 42

  Phil and Anna glance at their watches and wonder why Marty and Ronnie have not returned. It’s been almost three hours sinc
e they left and they should have arrived by now. Concern shows on both of their faces although neither has mentioned the possibility of a problem.

  “I’m going to call,” Phil finally says.

  Anna responds, “You know we’re not supposed to call unless it’s an emergency.”

  “I know, but they should have been back here an hour ago. I would consider that an emergency!” he exclaims.

  “Maybe they had a problem with the van. They will call if they run into any kind of trouble,” she says, trying to calm him.

  He ignores her and makes the call. The phone continues to ring but no one answers. Looking at Anna, he says, “Turn on the TV to a local station.”

  Anna just looks his way with a blank stare and does not respond. “Now!” he yells.

  She quickly takes the remote and turns on the TV.

  Five minutes later, BREAKING NEWS is plastered across the screen. A woman’s voice says, “Two men were killed when a building in Longs exploded about two hours ago. Stay tuned for more details. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.”

  Phil and Anna gaze at each other for several seconds but say nothing. Finally, Anna says, “All of that work for nothing.”

  “All of that work, what about Marty and Ronnie? They’re dead.”

  Anna nonchalantly replies, “Hey Phil, we all knew the possible consequences when we got into this.”

  Phil is livid. “You know what, Anna. You’re perfect for this work. You’re nothing but a conniving bitch with no heart. Let’s get packed up and get out of here.”

  “Let’s not do anything rash. Let’s wait and watch the news to see what they say. For all we know, it could have been an accident. Then we can make a decision. If Marty and Ronnie are dead, there’s no way they could have given up our location. If they had, the police would already be knocking on our door. We’re safe for now,” she says in a pleading voice.