by Dale Mayer
“But he did.” Levi stared into the blue sky. “I don’t know how.” He dropped his gaze to his clenched fists, then added, “But I will find out.”
*
The trip home to the compound was uneventful. Ice had tried to make the property sound less hostile by calling it the center. But that was too weak a description for Levi. Not when they were fully armed and trained. Nah, in truth, he’d been eyeing a tank on eBay.
His grin fell away as his gaze landed on the two very large black vehicles—SUVs, government issued—parked at the front. That could mean either good or bad news. Ice lowered the helicopter, and he hopped out.
Rhodes stood there, talking with four men Levi didn’t know. A passenger door opened, and another man exited the SUV.
A smile broke out on Levi’s face. “Commander Jackson. Good to see you again, sir.”
Jackson smiled, reached out, and shook Levi’s hand. “I’m working for the government now, though not the same type of work. So drop the commander.” He looked around the compound and smiled. “It’s good to see you and your team again. We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d drop off a friend.”
Which also meant they wanted to talk without ears. Interesting. Levi watched as the passenger door on the far side opened.
Alfred walked around the vehicle. Levi’s eyebrows shot up. That man was a mystery in so many ways. He leaves for a family funeral and returns with the brass. A connected man. And a private one.
“Hey, Alfred.” Levi reached out and smacked the older man on the shoulder. “We’re all glad to have you back. Stone’s been handling the office and Ice the kitchen. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how much you’ve been missed.”
Alfred laughed. “It’s good to be here. I’ll go in and say hi.”
“And maybe pick up the pieces,” Levi said with a laugh. “The place fell apart with you gone.”
Turning back to face Jackson, Levi wondered why the ex-commander was here and what exactly he was doing now. The vehicles had government Secret Service written all over them.
“It’s good to be back on my feet again, sir. Even Stone’s more or less on his.” Behind him he heard the steady click of Stone with his racing blade.
“I’m here. I’m here,” Stone said in a gruff voice. “Don’t you worry about me.”
Levi ushered the five men into the compound building. On the main floor they’d set up one room as a big meeting area. He put on a pot of coffee and motioned for everyone to take a seat. He was curious but knew Jackson would talk when he was ready.
While the coffee dripped, Levi sat down directly across from Jackson.
“I didn’t expect to see a compound of this size. Or how well prepared you are.” Jackson nodded. “You’ve built a hell of a place here.”
“Thank you,” Levi said quietly. “Ready for business.” Levi waited. No point in rushing the man.
“And I might have need. If not now, then down the road.” He offered a small smile. “I’ve heard good things about your company.”
Alfred walked over, a notepad in one hand and the coffeepot in the other.
Stone took a seat next to Levi, and Rhodes sat on the other side. Ice and Merk stood behind them. Levi nodded his head. “I’m listening.”
“We could have need of someone qualified, capable, and not connected to any government agency.”
“That’s us.” Levi leaned back, crossed his arms across his chest, and waited.
“But potentially connected to our problem.” Jackson studied Levi as a frown settled on his face. “You know this man I’m hunting.” His gaze swept the table. “You all do. He’s the one who shot off Stone’s leg. And he’s back, here in your neighborhood. Potentially part of a terrorist cell.”
Ice gasped, her gaze zinging toward Levi.
At those words he slowly sat forward, his tone low. “I just saw him in Mexico …” He glanced over at Ice. “We barely got out with our lives.”
The rest of the men straightened, frowning but silent.
In as few words as possible, Levi explained what he and Ice had just survived. When he was done, the room fell quiet yet again. Levi kept his gaze on the new arrivals.
Jackson eyed him carefully, then gave a slow nod. “That’s very interesting. Now how did he know you would be there?”
“No idea,” Ice snapped. “We haven’t had a chance to find out. But Rodriguez escaped again, the lucky bastard.”
“Are you saying he’s running a cell around here?” Levi asked. “Because, after today, I’d be more inclined to believe that if he’s in the neighborhood, he’s more likely after me … and not whatever you think he’s doing here. And, if he’s involved, he’s in charge. Rodriguez was never one to play second fiddle.”
“I’m thinking he’s killing two birds with one stone.” Jackson smiled, but it was a slow twisted version of the real thing. “We think he’s aligning himself with a Middle East group. Building an army here on US soil to target US landmarks. He has connections on both sides of the border. About you, I don’t know,” he admitted. “Rodriguez could also be serious about taking you out—before you become a bigger problem. If you plan to keep going after him, he can’t afford to leave you alive.”
Silence hung in the room.
Levi knew Jackson was right. But what were the chances that Rodriguez knew Levi was here? Then again they needed to find out how Rodriguez knew Levi and Ice would be at that camp in Mexico too. Wouldn’t it have been easier to take out Levi closer to home?
Or, given Rodriguez knew the campsite like he did, was Mexico better because no one would ask questions? Rodriguez could get away with a massacre, and no one would care down there. Unfortunately shit like that happened all the time.
And cells grew. They recruited and farmed out. A good way to keep the action moving without letting anybody know exactly where they were working from. That Rodriguez was involved was more than a mere coincidence. How recent was the intel?
In a low voice Levi said, “We were in Mexico a month ago, following up some information on their location. The data was good, and we took out Herrara, but Rodriguez got away. I never saw or heard about him again until a few hours ago …” He shook his head, remembering the moment he had laid eyes on Rodriguez holding Jimmy tight. “I couldn’t believe it was him at first.”
Jackson nodded. “Word is Rodriguez broke free of his connections to run this newer, bigger, shinier operation. He was never strong on loyalty.”
“Is this just an information-gathering session?” Stone asked. “Or do we get to kick some ass?”
Levi grinned at the eagerness in Stone’s voice.
Jackson shook his head. “Strictly intel.”
Stone was chomping at the bit to get out and back into action. Especially involving Rodriguez. They all wanted payback in a big way. Now Levi had more reasons than ever. Too bad he had gone alone with Ice on that routine run. If he’d had Stone as backup, they’d have had a better chance of taking out that asshole permanently.
Jackson continued. “The cell is recruiting people, sending them down to Mexico, doing the training across the border, and then slipping them back into the States to set up the attacks. We haven’t any confirmation on this. We just know a recruiter cell is here, doing some weapons training but a lot of computer, and by that I mean, hacker training. So we need to know exactly what you can find out.”
“Tell us what you’ve got.”
Stone grabbed a notepad and pen. Rhodes grabbed the laptop. Levi, well, he just wanted to listen. Ice stood behind him. He reached up a hand to lace his fingers through hers. He felt her start of surprise but she didn’t drop her hand.
“Go ahead, sir,” Levi instructed.
What followed was the usual tale of a terrorist finding and setting up camp, and slowly building a relationship with the people around him. The leaders recruiting small numbers, and then they grew larger, gaining—through all kinds of avenues, including social media—young men looking for a cause to call t
heir own.
When Jackson went quiet, Levi asked, “Time frame?”
Jackson’s jaw tightened. “Yesterday.” He stood up. “When you identify the members of the cell, we need addresses, workplaces, etc.”
Levi studied Jackson’s face, wondering where this was going. But he decided that, given his current position, he didn’t need the details. Sometimes it was better not to know too much.
He stood up, shook Jackson’s hand, and walked him and his entourage to their vehicles. The sun was no longer shining, and, once the half-light of evening came on, dark clouds had collected.
The weather wouldn’t put a damper on his mood. This was a wonderful turn of events and exactly the type of work they were suited for.
“What do you think?” Ice asked as they watched the twin plumes of dust travel down the road.
Merk’s quiet voice answered, “I want to know why they can’t do this themselves. He’s government, CIA, NSA, FBI … a spook of some sort. This is well within their area. So why not them? Why us?”
That was a damn good question. Levi had been so surprised at Jackson’s visit that he hadn’t asked the necessary questions. But Merk was right; Jackson likely had teams to do this type of work. So why weren’t they?
“I think this is a test,” Rhodes said beside him. “He’s figuring out just what we can do on our own.”
“No way,” Stone said, his arms across his massive chest. “He knows exactly what we’re capable of.”
“Of what we were capable of,” Rhodes snapped. “We haven’t been tested in our current physical conditions.”
Letting his arms drop to his side, Stone gave a snort. “You may doubt yourself, but I know exactly what I am—strong as ever. I didn’t need that goddamn leg anyway.” He turned and headed back inside.
Levi and Rhodes exchanged looks. Stone was never gonna go down easy. At one point in time he may just have to accept that his body would not be of the same balance and coordination as before. And that would affect his ability to run, climb, and fight.
Then again this was Stone. He might just pull it off.
“On a good note,” Ice said, “this is our kind of job. And …” Her smile was as cold as her name when she added, “even if Jackson is only looking for intel, we might get to take out our mutual enemy.”
Levi grinned. There was that. He slung an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
“Does that mean we’ll get this week’s paycheck after all?” Merk joked from behind them. He pulled his pockets inside out.
Levi winced. “Yeah, Stone couldn’t figure out the payroll, but Alfred is back now. It’s all good.”
“Damn good,” Merk said with a grin, flapping his inside-out pockets in the wind. “I’m broke.”
Chapter 4
Wearing a hat for this trip, Levi walked through the hardware store. Supposedly to pick up a hammer. Only a half dozen were at the compound, and there were never enough. Besides, Jackson’s man had said the intel showed this location as one of the contacts for the cell. This wasn’t a job as much as a casual check. Levi never spent much time in town. There’d not been much opportunity. He’d owned the complex for three months and had moved in, then immediately left for Mexico. Since his return, he’d been busy building, modifying, and dealing with the business.
He wanted to be friendly with the two nearest small towns. The compound was close enough to a city to get all their supplies, so the local towns were more for gas and post office runs. He probably should support them more but hadn’t considered it beyond the casual thought. Yet he should cultivate a relationship with the local businesses. Who knew what arrangements they could develop?
The hardware store had no other customers when he entered, the lighting low, the dark instantly making him feel positive about this choice. He rummaged around in the back, looked at framing hammers, and decided on the simple claw type. He picked it up and wandered around the saws and the drills. He really could use another decent drill. Nobody came to ask him if he needed anything. In fact, besides the single white male at the front counter, the store appeared to be empty. The clerk was watching TV. Interesting.
This was a small town, but Levi was used to better service. Still he wandered around, checking out security cameras, windows, and the back rooms. It appeared to be a simple store with parking around the back of the building. Attached to the side was an ice cream shop. From the looks of it, no doorway connected the two. He couldn’t get into the back room without raising the clerk’s suspicions but suspected the standard office, bathroom, and maybe even a lunchroom would be there. Although that would be a waste; it was likely a storeroom. He wandered up to the front counter, noting the bars on the windows.
“Bars?” he asked with an innocent surprise in his voice. He studied the man’s plug piercing—very distinctive. As was the odd freckled pattern on the back of his right hand.
The man looked at the bars and nodded. He stood to ring up the hammer and accepted the cash from Levi, all without saying a word. Not very friendly for someone dealing with the public.
Levi tried again. “Nice place you got here.”
The clerk looked at him as if to say, Who the hell you kidding? Then handed over the hammer, again without saying a word.
Levi’s left brow shot up. “Okay, thanks for the conversation and hammer.” He turned and walked back out.
He stood on the front steps and studied the location of the hardware store. Across the road was the only bank in town. It was closed. A dress shop was next to that and some kind of five-and-dime store beside that. Down the road were a take-out Chinese restaurant and a couple other fast-food chains. The streets were empty of all traffic. He wondered how any business survived here.
The main route that used to go through the town had been redirected a couple miles away, turning this into a ghost town. He wandered down to his truck and climbed in. He sat for a moment, waiting to see if any more activity occurred around the hardware store.
The one thing that registered with him inside the store were the lovely surveillance cameras. Very high-tech and way-too-modern security for the age of the building or its lack of valuable contents. He’d kept his hat down, covering his face. He didn’t know what kind of computer-scanning software these guys might have, neither did he know what kind of databases they had access to. Terrorists these days seemed to be better hackers than anybody else.
As he sat in his truck, Levi watched the clerk step onto the front stoop and casually look around. Only nothing was casual about his fingers clenched into fists. Levi swore softly. Had he been made? That wouldn’t be good.
This wasn’t the town nearest to the compound but was damn close enough. The other was in the opposite direction. He watched as the man studied the whole area for a few moments, as if detailing what might have changed since he’d last been out. When he glanced in Levi’s direction, he didn’t seem to recognize who was behind the windshield of the big truck. Levi’s license plate was fully concealed by the car in front, unless the clerk wanted to stroll about.
Instead he pulled out a phone and made a call. Levi turned the engine on as the clerk pivoted and walked back inside the hardware store.
Levi popped his comm device in his ear. “Merk, the clerk is going inside. Watch your back.”
Merk had entered through the store’s back door while Levi had been in the front.
No response from Merk.
Using his laptop beside him, Levi quickly noted the incident and the clerk’s actions. He’d collected a few photos inside the store and downloaded them to the laptop too.
Merk responded, his voice quiet in Levi’s ear. “It’s all good. I’m outside again.”
Levi grinned. He waited in place until Merk walked around the building at the end of the block. When he hopped into the truck, Levi casually pulled out, making a turn in the middle of the road, heading in the direction he’d come from. “Well?”
Merk shook his head. “Just a storeroom in the r
ear and it’s definitely full of tools. Every kind any carpenter might want. But no power tools and nothing big. And, honest to God, dust was over all of it.”
“No restocking in the recent month?”
Merk shook his head. “Not only was it not restocked but the office itself appeared to be unused as well. The whole thing seems to be a front.”
“Maybe, but we still have to figure out what’s going on and who this place might be connected to.” Levi pulled into a fast-food drive-thru and ordered lunch for the two of them. As they waited, he pondered why a terrorist cell was this far out in the middle of nowhere.
As if reading his thoughts, Merk said, “It’s really not that far out of nowhere. It’s kind of a hidden gem, with highway access to all the major cities. But, when you step off the highway, nobody even knows where you are.”
Levi shot him a glance. “You’re right.”
“Sir, here’s your bag.”
Levi turned to study the young kid holding out the large bag of food, then retrieved it, passed it to Merk, and waited for the coffees to come. Coffee in hand, Levi drove slowly back onto the main street, his mind churning with options.
“According to some of the locals I spoke with up and down the block, not much is here, with maybe a sleeping sector population of about four thousand people. There used to be a local newspaper, but it shut down when the highway rerouted. Close to half the population moved away a couple years before the new road construction began, and afterward lots of businesses downsized to the skeleton crews they have now due to lack of business.” Merk unwrapped a burger and took a big bite.
Levi reached into the bag and pulled out one for himself. A small park was up ahead. He pulled in, parked, and as they ate, they studied the slow meandering river that wound around the town. When he was done, Levi hopped from the truck, tossed the garbage, and walked to the water’s edge. The one thing the town did have going for it was the fresh water. It was a good size river, quite accessible, and probably a favorite with the locals during the heat of summer. Levi didn’t know if any fish were in there, but it could be an excuse to visit the town or check out the place some more.