Nick’s face turned more serious as he said, “There’s good news and bad news that goes along with this mission. Collin will be in that group of students. Our intel is showing a group of students that are malnourished and in a bad way that will be there. Their usefulness is up and they are planning to use them for diversions or cover.”
I tensed up as my heart started beating like I just ran a mile in a full out sprint. My teeth clenched and I started to grind them. I started to take slow controlled breaths in my nose and let them out slowly through my tight mouth. I focused on my breathing and made a conscious effort to slow my heart rate. I knew I had to play this cool or Nick would probably take me off this mission. I couldn’t stop my arthritic hand from shaking as I held my coffee cup as I carefully placed it on the table, “Are you sure Collin will be there?” I was half hoping he would say yes and half hoping he would say no.
Nick got up and started to pace, “Yes. He and about a dozen others will be mixed in with the agitators. I told you I would try to help you find your boys. I will give you any information that I have regarding them. I didn’t know it would be under these circumstances though. I’m sorry, Sean. You ‘ll be receiving real-time instructions through your ear piece, and you will have to follow orders, even if that means you will not be able to get to Collin on time. There’s a possibility of nukes. This means your Irish ass, Collin, and everybody else in a quarter mile radius will be vaporized if they get a chance to detonate. As far as we know they are going to gather in the area around the restaurant and then march to what’s left of the capitol. We are going to start rebuilding it next week. They want to destroy our symbol of hope. We can’t let that happen, Sean.”
I stayed seated and watched Nick pace. He eventually sat down across from me and Gus came over and warmed up our coffee’s. I took a long sip of the dark elixir and asked Nick, “So do you have any more good news for me?”
Nick took a gulp from his cup and said, “Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Roxie, your girlfriend’s old flame is one of the major players in this scenario. Ms. Roxie has been working with the Arabs for some time now. She has risen up the ranks in that piece-of-shit organization. She will be there and may also be a target. We have reason to believe she and Susie will be there.”
I felt myself starting to stand up and forgot I was in a booth and sat back down. “What are you talking about Nick? Roxie is not a big surprise to me, but Susie? She is a University worker, helping rebuild the school.” I collected myself and started to think, “How does Nick know about Roxie? He met Susie, but Roxie was not there. Did he interrogate her before I arrived? I may be in love with Susie, but that wouldn’t cloud my judgement that much. My life has depended on me reading people. I would have known if Susie was an evil person as soon as I met her. That’s not her, I’m sure of it. This is starting to stink, but I have to stay focused on Collin.
I got up from the familiar plastic booth and turned away from Nick saying, “So, there’s going to be one or more assholes with nukes attached to them at this little gathering. Collin who is being held against his will by these assholes may be there and I may not be able to save him. My girlfriend and her ex-girlfriend who just happens to be a major player in a terrorist organization will also be there. And, I may have to choose between completing my mission and rescuing Collin.” I turned back towards Nick and put my hands on the table in front of him and looked him in the eye. “This is quite the first mission you’re giving me. Nothing like throwing me in the deep end of the pool to see if I sink or swim. Thrown in with a good old fashioned ‘no win scenario.’ Yup, no pressure here.”
Nick looked down at his coffee and said, “I’m sorry old pal, but I don’t have a choice. We can’t let these assholes destroy anything more in this or any other city. If they get away with it, then the rest of the terrorists will feel empowered. They will start all this bullshit over again. Nukes will be detonated all over this city and other targets in this country. It really is that important. We will not be able to survive a ‘round two.’ There will be two snipers around the Capitol building area in case you aren’t successful with your mission. Let’s hope we don’t need them. They will be our safety valve.”
Nick and I sat at the booth sipping coffee and talking about the mission for about 30 more minutes. Gus enjoyed his smoky treats in the back while occasionally coming up to us and keeping our coffee’s full. I used to smoke back in my rebellious teenage years and for a while when I was in the military. I enjoyed the smell of cigarettes and still craved them. If it wasn’t for cancer, heart disease and a multitude of lung ailments, I would start up again in a second. I found it difficult to concentrate on anything Nick was saying. All I could think of was how Collin was and if Susie, the girl I have fell in love with, was a traitor to this country. I also felt guilty for not pressing Nick about the whereabouts of little Sean. He has to be out there.
Nick got up and thanked Gus for his hospitality and I shook his hand and did the same. Gus had a big smile on his face with a fresh cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Gus carefully took the cigarette out of his mouth and cradled it in his hand and said, “Rap on the back door three times tomorrow morning when you come here and I will let you in. I’ll be waiting so don’t be late.” I nodded in agreement and Gus smiled as he put the cigarette back in his mouth and slapped me on the shoulder.
Nick and I went to the front door and Gus looked out through a small opening and led us out. Nick shook his hand one more time and Gus gave him a hug. I walked by him and he said, “Don’t be late.”
I nodded.
As Nick and I walked away from the restaurant I asked him, “What is the deal with Gus? I’m sure you can’t go into specifics about his clearance, but he didn’t look good. He has terrible color and his cheeks were sunken. I’ve seen this look before on the job when we would have to check the welfare of somebody that was getting ready to die.”
Nick kept looking straight ahead and said in a serious tone, “Gus is a trusted friend of Alpha and mine. He has saved my ass before and I owe him. That’s all you need to know about that. As far as his appearance, he has stage-4 lung cancer. Usually somebody with advanced stage cancer would be shit out of luck with our healthcare. I tried to push treatment by pulling some strings. Gus didn’t want any part of treatment. He knows he is going to die soon and he has made his peace. Warriors don’t want to linger. They want to die with dignity on their terms.”
I dropped the subject and Nick and I walked down the street and he told me he was parked behind me. As we turned onto Gorham St. I saw a black Chevy Tahoe parked behind my 4-Runner. I recognized it from when I had my first meeting with X at the Gobbler. Nick motioned me to the back of his truck. O.K. Now here is what you are going to need. Nick opened up the back hatch and took out a black, hard plastic “pelican case.” I’ve seen these before when I was on the force. There was room for an AR-15, extra ammo, magazines batteries for the optics and some cleaning supplies. They were very durable and weather proof with handles on both ends and one in the middle. There were even rollers on one end, but I never used those. I thought it made you look like a wimp if you had to roll your rifle around. This one was about 36” long and there would be no rolling anything around on a mission. That made way too much noise.
Nick smiled and asked, “Do you want me to show you what I have for you now? Or do you want to be surprised when you open it up back home? Make sure you open it up and make whatever adjustments you have to before you come back in the morning.”
I took the case from him and stored it in my truck. Nick smiled at me and extended his hand out to mine shaking it saying, “Good luck tomorrow old friend, this should make reaching out and touching somebody easier. I will be monitoring your transmissions. If things go to shit and you have to get out quickly, dump your equipment at the restaurant. Gus will take care of whatever you leave behind. I know I’m throwing a lot at you right now but our recourses are stretched as far as they can go before br
eaking. I know you will do a good job. Oh and by the way, your call sign will be ‘Celtic One.’”
I laughed and said, “That’s original. I’m going to guess you were the genius who thought that one up.” Nick nodded and grinned at me.
I know he was sincere in what he said but this mission is truly a shit sandwich. Of course I didn’t want to see anything more blow up and surely didn’t want to spend more quality time in a basement. Not being able to breathe fresh air or see daylight. My main goal was to get Collin out safely and start a life with Susie. I knew in my heart she wasn’t any kind of terrorist.
Nick turned around quickly and said, “Oh, one more thing. Make sure you don’t have any ID on your person while you are on this mission. I’m sure you understand.” I did understand that if anything happened to me and I was captured, I was on my own. There would be no rescue mission to get me back.
As I drove to Susie’s I couldn’t shake a nagging feeling in my gut that Nick might be right about Susie. I loved her and I thought she couldn’t be capable of the things Nick was inferring. I shook my head. Where did he get his information from? She hasn’t told me too much about her job and I haven’t known her for a significant amount of time. This is the shit that can drive you crazy.
22 Tears, Black Eyes, and Deception
I pulled up in front of Susie’s house and let out a deep sigh. The night air was cool and crisp. I loved Wisconsin in the fall, even though it didn’t last long. Winter would be here before I knew it and it would be time to freeze my ass off. I tried to shake all the bad feelings out of me. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Susie was hiding something.
I took the pelican case out of the back of my truck and went into the apartment building. I stared at Collin’s door for about a minute and noticed a light film of dust still on the door knob. It was wishful thinking on my part that by some miracle he would have come home. Nobody was in there and my gut wretched thinking about him being abused and held against his will. I knocked on Susie’s door and there was no answer. I dug around for my key and opened up Susie’s door. I took one last look over my shoulder at Collin’s door hoping he would dart out and welcome me. No such luck, not today. I felt sick to my stomach thinking that he was in danger. But I also felt hopeful that I would be able to rescue him tomorrow. It was the first time I had real hope in a long time.
I opened the door to Susie’s apartment and called out for her. There was no answer and I let myself in. I checked the bedroom and bathroom and there was no sign of her. I put down my bag in the bedroom after I put down the pelican case on the coffee table in front of the sofa. While in the bedroom I paused for a brief moment. I closed my eyes taking in a deep breath of the scent of her perfume that was lingering in the air. It was intoxicating to me. I texted Susie and asked her when she would be coming home. A short while later she texted me back and said she would be home within the hour.
I took this time to get acquainted with what was inside the pelican case. The bulky Black case brought back old memories of the Smith & Wesson Patrol Rifle that was assigned to me when I was a police sergeant. The department called them patrol rifles, but they were actually semi-auto AR-15s. I would have to lug the big thing in and out of my squad at the beginning and end of my shift. It was a complete pain in the ass, but if it saved one of my cops’ lives or mine it was worth it. I opened the four latches and Took a moment then admired the MK-12 sitting in the case waiting for me to check it out. I liked the MK-12, it was an all-purpose weapon that would be well suited for my mission. This weapon was not brand new. It had lots of scratches and looked like it had seen some action. I didn’t care, as long as it did what I wanted it to do when the time came. It was equipped with a collapsible stock, two-point sling, suppressor, bipod and some decent optics. I’m guessing I won’t be too far from my targets so this was a good match for me. It had a loaded mag in the mag well and two loaded mags stuffed in the foam of the case. Nick even threw in an extra box of 5.56. All this was stuffed in the foam of the case. I put everything together and took it apart a couple of times. I closed my eyes and made sure I could work the necessary pieces to make sure it would go boom when I pulled the trigger. I did this until I felt confident enough to use this weapon in complete darkness. I had to make sure everything was in good working order and I knew my equipment. Once I was satisfied with my weapon and its accessories, I packed everything back into the case and took it back to my truck. I locked it in the rear compartment and went back into Susie’s apartment.
I sat back on the couch and rubbed my eyes and then balled my fingers in to a fist and relaxed them a couple of times. Damn arthritis in my hands was acting up. It’s like they knew winter was just around the corner. I realized one day I would have to move somewhere warm. I planned on Florida or Georgia when I retired. I wasn’t counting on World War Three breaking out and ruining all my plans. I wasn’t sure what was left of those states, I was too busy worrying about what was left of my own back yard. My entire body was aching and I got up and stretched out. I knew I would most likely be in the prone position for an extended period of time and I was enjoying a good stretch. I was thinking about the stims Nick had given me. I’ll take them when I get up in the morning. It had been a long time since I was looking at being up for more than 24 hours. This mission could last even longer. I had to be prepared for anything. I knew damn well I wouldn’t sleep tonight. Too much to think about and it would be 0 dark thirty before I knew it.
I paced in front of the couch for about ten minutes and sat back down. My personal phone buzzed and I read a text from Susie saying she would be home soon. I got up again and started to pace around the living room. It wasn’t long before I heard a key turning in the door and Susie walked in. She came in the apartment and announced herself. I walked over to her and gave her a kiss and hug. She winced in pain when I embraced her and I quickly let her go. She walked away from me out of the dark kitchen and into the well-lit living room. She sat on the couch and put her head back. I went over and immediately noticed bruising under her left eye and the bridge of her nose. There was also dried blood on her top lip. I sat down next to her and brushed a couple of wisps of hair out of her face. She flinched and was holding back some tears.
I kept my distance and asked, “It’s obvious something happened, do you want to talk about it? Do you have any ice around here?”
Susie shook her head and quietly said, “I’m fine.” The two words most men hate the most from their significant other. This is the time myself and every other man in a relationship wishes they had psychic powers and could read minds. At least we are expected to sometimes.
I got up and started to pace again, “No, you’re not fine. Who did this to you?” I tried not to raise my voice, but I couldn’t help myself. My volume was going up and my Irish temper was starting to flair.
Susie shifted positions on the couch and said, “All you’re going to do is get pissed off if I tell you.”
Susie had the look in her pretty eyes of so many victim’s I dealt with as a cop investigating domestic violence. They had so many emotions happening all at once; fear, pain, embarrassment, hate and love. I didn’t think this was some street attack. Susie could handle herself and was usually armed with her Beretta 92-F. Her gun wasn’t on her nightstand so I assumed she still had it on her. This was somebody that she knew, somebody close to her. It had to be Roxy. I felt my blood pressure rise. I didn’t want to get mad at Susie, but I couldn’t help thinking what she somehow playing me? Had she been with Roxy this whole time we were together?
I stopped pacing, bent over and looked into her beautiful blue eyes and said, “Roxy did this to you, didn’t she?” My tone was accusatory and instead of being sympathetic and I was turning into an asshole. Tears started to roll down Susie’s cheeks as she looked away for me. I stood up straight and looked away from her saying, “What else have you been keeping for me Susie? Are you still fooling around with Roxy? I thought we had a future together. It fe
lt like I was interrogating a prisoner, not having a conversation with the woman I love. I couldn’t help myself, the cop inside of me took over and I immediately regretted it.
Susie got up and when into the kitchen. She soaked a dishcloth in cold water and put it on her eye. Tears were still coming down her cheeks even though she was trying her hardest to fight them back. She sat down at the little table where we shared romantic dinners previously. I sat across from her and was about to apologize. She was hurt for the second time tonight. It was obvious what Roxie had done before me. I felt horrible for the way I treated her.
The tears had dried up on Susie’s face. Now a look of anger and hurt appeared on her beautiful face. She was pissed-off and I didn’t blame her.
She stood up quickly and leant over resting her palms on the table blurting out, “What the hell, Sean? So this is how you are going to treat me? Like some kind of fucking criminal? I’ve been trying to help you. You’re such an asshole!” She sat back down resting her forehead in her hands. “ I think I know where Collin is.”
Nick was right. It was still connected to Roxy and possibly the terrorist organization she is in. How else would she know where Colin is?
“How do you know where Colin is? Have you seen him? Do you know if here’s okay? How long have you had information on Collin and didn’t tell me?” I asked going back to an accusatory tone.
Susie sat up straight and crossed her arms in front of her saying, “I don’t know, exactly! I’ve been asking around and I think he’s with a group at the University.”
I sat up straight also and tried to speak in my calmest voice. Being an asshole wouldn’t get me anywhere in this situation and I needed Susie’s help. “What group are you talking about? I’m guessing this is some sort of group that Roxy is a part of?”
Susie nodded her head in agreement and remained quiet. The look of anger and hurt on her face were replaced with guilt.
Mad City: Book One of the Sean Walsh Post Apocalyptic Series Page 13