Wear Something Red
Page 52
Chapter 52
The explosions went off right on time, but those three kids were still alive. That McGowan woman and those brats were all still alive. Portland SWAT brought them out of the tunnel, along with a cowering mountain lion that stayed close to the McGowan girl. And then there was Khan carrying his sister, too.
“It was a simple mission,” he shouted at Gotlieb and Rush. “There would be little or no resistance. The explosions in the tunnel should have buried them. But, look, there they are. Jesus-fucking-Christ, that bitch is still alive.”
He’d watched the pursuit of McGowan and Harding into the mountains on the monitors. They had been cornered before the feed was lost. One wounded head case and a stupid veterinarian; it should have been easy.
Rush said, “I can take her out now, sir.”
“Fuck her, fuck them all. I’ll fix this soon enough.” He looked out the front bedroom’s window. “Harding’s not with them. They must have at least got him. And the sister is dead; that’s good.”
He backed away and scanned the four monitors in the room. A 360 degree view of the compound’s main grounds revealed no other nasty surprises. He then checked his hostages. Kate and Susan sat on the floor together. Kelly had regained consciousness and sat next to them. She was the only one bound at the wrists with a zip strap. Jones lay closer to the door with his right foot propped up on three pillows and covered with ice packs. They all wore vests identical to his. Mattie stood by the door. She didn’t wear a vest.
His phone rang. “She’s still alive.”
“Yes, she is,” Madsen said, “There’s been enough killing, Mort. What do we need to do to end all this?”
“Is Harding dead?”
“He went over a cliff with Bobby.”
“Where is his brother?”
“Caesar killed him.”
“Why are the kids still alive?”
“Do you want a complete body count, Mort?”
He hollered into the phone, “Why aren’t they dead?”
“Give me a moment.” Harry started talking to someone at his end of the phone.
He peeked out the window, adjusting his hunting vest when it tapped against the wall. The vest pockets were full of C4 explosives wired to a timer-detonator.
Madsen was talking to Vance, McGowan and the commander of the Portland SWAT team. If there had been a firefight, why hadn’t the kids been shot first thing as ordered? He should have put CCTV cameras in the tunnel, too.
“Mort, are you still there?”
“What a stupid, fucking question.”
“Do you know Zemar Khan Marwat?”
“Do you think I’m blind? He’s that terrorist Harding smuggled into our country. I saw him come out with McGowan. Do you think I’m fucking blind?”
“Maybe you should be talking to someone else, Mort. I don’t think I’m the right person to negotiate with you.”
“I’ll end this, Harry. Until I do, I’ll talk only to you. You thought you were on top of this. You thought you were going to trip me up, but it’s too late. Nothing can stop this now.” He growled into the phone, “You were going to bring that woman in on the investigation. I talk to you or it’s all over now.” He chuckled to himself; if they only knew.
Leo moaned. Rush aimed his SIG556 at Kate to keep her from going to him. Gotlieb pointed his at Susan for added incentive.
“Who killed Marwat’s dyke sister?”
“Saleha’s dead?”
Kate put her arm around her daughter.
“Mort, what are you asking?”
“It’s a simple question. I want to know which one of my men killed her. He deserves a medal.”
“We don’t know. She was killed shortly after your men brought Shana McGowan into the tunnel.” He paused to speak to the others at his end.
“And?”
“Zemar followed your men. He didn’t reach them in time to save Saleha, but he had a gun and killed them before they could harm the children. He killed others when they attacked.”
“That’s impossible. My men are the best there is.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. That’s what happened.”
“And you let him get away with that?”
“He was protecting the children. And we didn’t even know there was a tunnel. We didn’t know the children had been taken.”
“Knowledge is power, Harry.” He took out his smartphone. “And you don’t know what I know.”
“The mission is over, Mort. Operation Gangrene is finished before it ever began.”
“You think this is the beginning? Check in again in fifteen minutes.” He hung up. “Sniper, Tulsa, the house is completely surrounded, correct?”
Rush said, “Sir, yes, sir, everyone is in position.”
“Get back to your posts.”
Rush and Gotlieb saluted before leaving the room.
He adjusted his vest and tightened its straps. Then he punched a button on his smartphone. An image of a red button appeared on the screen. He pressed his right thumb against the image. ACTIVATED appeared after he removed his thumb, followed by an image of a black button.
“Please, Morton,” Mattie said, “just let me go.”
“Shut up.” He walked over to Kate. “Get out.”
“Not without Susan and Kelly. You can keep those other two.”
“I’m only letting you go because I need to deliver a special message to those idiots outside.”
“What about this vest? I won’t go out there as your bomb so you can kill more people.”
“I don’t need you to kill anyone.”
“I’ll go.” Mattie came to him. “I’ll be the messenger. I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me. You have to give me that. I’ve delivered whatever you wanted me to. You have to give me that, too. Come on, sweetie, let me deliver this message.” She reached for him. “You owe me that after last night.”
“You called me to come get you. You said you wanted in. Well this,” he said as he swept his hand to indicate all of them, “is in. And you’re in to stay, sweetie.”
“Please?”
Leo groaned, “Let me be the messenger. I need to get to a hospital.”
Kate barked, “Shut up, Leo. This isn’t about you.”
Detonating Jones at the hospital would leave a meaningful impression. He smiled at the thought.
“Mort, please, just let me go.”
When Mattie tried to embrace him, he shoved her away as hard as he could, sending her tumbling to the floor and banging her head against the wall.
“You bastard.” Her forehead was bleeding. “Look what you did to me.” She got up, grabbed something from the top of a dresser and came at him as she lifted it to strike.
He stepped back, pulled out his Colt .45 1911A1 and fired.
“Oh, God, no.” Susan buried her face in her hands.
Mattie dropped the hairbrush and clutched her stomach. Her eyes opened wide, her mouth gaped. A hiss of air came out of her as she staggered backward.
Rush and Gotlieb came running into the room and aimed their rifles at the hostages. They looked to him for orders.
He looked down at the Colt in his hand. “It was just reflex.” He took a step toward Mattie.
She kept staggering backward. Blood seeped through her fingers, spread out across her blouse and down along the front of her slacks. She still didn’t say anything.
“For God’s sake, Mort, get her help.”
Kate and Susan had stood up. Kelly, at the edge of his vision, struggled to her feet, too.
Rush and Gotlieb cocked their rifles.
He slid the Colt back into its holster. “Return to your posts.”
The men left the room.
Mattie, propped up against the wall between the dresser and the door, was looking down at her bloody hands when he went to her.
“I thought we—” She slid down the wall and fell over to block the doorway, her eyes frozen open and staring up at him.
Kate wen
t to her and checked her pulse. “She’s dead.”
His phone started ringing.
He said to the three women, “Get out.”
Leo started to say something, but stopped when Colter’s hand went to his Colt.
“What about these?” Kate pulled on the vest.
“Come here.”
The three women lined up. In turn, he entered the three-number code and then pressed the button to release the locks on their vests. Entering a fourth number would have started the countdown.
“I have a message for them. Repeat exactly what I tell you. Then go somewhere and pray.”