Brother's Keeper III_Luke

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  “I don’t see an email.” Carter interrupted, looking at his smartphone along with the other men.

  “That’s because it wasn’t sent to us, it was sent by us.”

  A unison what filled the cabin. They were landing at the Pentagon, clearly there for the meeting. They hadn’t sent anything.

  “Yep – looks like we just cancelled on the special committee and the pentagon.” Liam continued, pecking away at his keyboard. “I can’t see who sent it yet, the program is running. I should have data soon.”

  “Someone is still expecting us though. Looks like today is the day they make us disappear.” Declan pointed to the waiting vehicle, inevitably there to pick them up and drive them to the building.

  “And it looks like our doing – smart.” Luke interjected, shaking his head at the audacity. “They just called off all the committee members, so we are about to find out who we’ve been after. Any wagers?”

  “We have activity in Portland too. Small team staged outside Watermark.” Liam added.

  That had Luke’s attention, he sat forward, “There to grab Daisy?”

  “That’s my guess – get rid of her, and us. Everyone behind the senator’s murder and whatever else they’re trying to cover up is off the hook if we’re all gone.” Liam shared.

  “Daisy is covered. I already sent a heads up to the team.” Carter informed them, “She’s in the vault anyway, right?”

  Luke nodded.

  “Are we ready to see who’s behind the mask?” Carter received a round of hell yeah and better fucking believe it. “The Pentagon awaits.”

  A large black SUV with dark windows and government plates waited outside the hangar as expected. They’d seen that from the jet when the email that appeared to be sent by them was detected.

  Though the committee, or at least some of its members, thought the meeting was off someone was still expecting them – and why wouldn’t they, this is what they planned. They wanted the O’Reilly’s and Carter alone, likely to finish them. That meant they knew where Daisy was, and they were prepared to take care of her too.

  The drive to the Pentagon was eerily quiet as each of them mentally prepared for what they were about to encounter, which was absolutely anything. Each of the men holding special clearance, they were inside in no time, and escorted to the faux meeting that was set to start in a matter of minutes. The conference room was dimly lit, a large white screen at the head of the room, water glasses and several glass pitchers of water adorned the table at each seat along with a dark folder. It was as if it was business as usual – they wouldn’t expect anything less.

  It was all a ruse, they knew that, but whoever was likely staged on the other side of the interior door didn’t know this group had such privileged information. It was up to the O’Reilly’s to keep the act going, play along.

  Director Waterman entered the room, smile intact. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Of course, we’ve had this planned for some time. It’s a big meeting, we wouldn’t cancel last minute.” Luke said snidely.

  “Right. Are we all set to turn off test mode and go live with the program?” Waterman asked of Liam.

  Liam pecked away at his screen, avoiding eye contact, “Yes, I’m actually doing that right now – it’s loading on your mainframe and connecting with servers now. I added a few…bonus features, I think you’ll be…surprised.”

  A suspicious side eye glance briefly hung in the air, “I’m…intrigued.”

  Carter stepped up to the plate, ready to take a swing, “Where is everyone?”

  Waterman looked at his watch, “Not sure. Probably just another busy day in Washington. Someone will be here soon. How about we take a minute to discuss another matter while we wait for Liam to finish uploading to the system and the rest to…join us.”

  “Gentlemen, I’d like to direct your attention to the folders in front of you.” Waterman went on, “I’ll give you a minute to look through them and come up with some convoluted excuse – I’m sure there’ll be many.”

  The men opened their folders. It was full of pictures of Daisy. Daisy and Luke on an outing. Daisy and Luke coming out of a doctor’s office, arm in arm. Daisy on the rooftop enjoying family and barbeque. Daisy at the park with her dog Gibson.

  “Your point?” Luke chuckled.

  “My point is you said you don’t know who she is. She was there all along. Some of those pictures were taken the day we were there.”

  “So, what if Luke has been dating her? What do you want with Rose?” Wylie asked with a shit eating grin.

  “Rose?” Waterman questioned.

  “Yeah, his girlfriend Rose.”

  “Her name is Daisy.” Waterman paused, awareness settling in. “Oh shut your ass, O’Reilly…Daisy, Rose. I see what you’re doing.”

  Wylie laughed and slapped his knee while others snicker, enjoying his cheap shots for a change. “Jesus, that was too easy.”

  “So, what’s the big deal, Francis.” Luke got down to business, “Why do you care so much about Daisy?”

  “Are you kidding me right now? Do I really need to spell it out? You know why.”

  Wylie shrugs with hands out as if he’s clueless. The other brothers shrugged as well, looking to one another for answers they already had. They enjoyed fucking with this guy.

  “Jesus Christ. How you all got to where you are is beyond me, nothing but a bunch of oversized children. She’s a fugitive. One of the nations most wanted criminals for the assassination of Senator Martinez.”

  “What? A fugitive? Assassination?” Dace took the lead this time, his brothers were having too much fun. “Luke, I’m shocked by you. Is this your way of getting back at the country for sending you out to pasture after your little injury? Wait…did you help her kill him? You’re good with a weapon – a mercenary no less. Oh my God, were you her gun for fire?” Dace put his hand over his mouth, muffling a shocked gasp earning a round of more laughs.

  The Director slammed his hands-on table with a loud boom, leaned in and yelled as his face turned red when in walks the General, “Cut the shit, all of you.”

  “Oh, player number two! Didn’t see that one coming.” Luke said, “I thought it was the environmental guy.”

  “Seems we have a predicament boys. I have a fugitive, in your building. She assassinated a senator, is responsible for the death of a US attorney, and a family that includes a few war heroes. Damn shame.” The General began.

  “Oh, this is how it ends?” Luke leaned back in his chair and tossed his feet up on the table they surrounded. Disrespectful and intentional. “He’s talking about us, guys…we all die at Daisy’s hand.”

  “You’re hiding the girl, even from us. Which means you know…too much. If you catch my drift. Such a shame, several of you served under me and it was an honor to lead you. I’ll be sure to salute you at Arlington.”

  “Arlington, will we be buried next to each other? Make it easier on our Ma.” Dace asked.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “You’re all loaded and ready to go, system is live.” Liam said, referring to the software he designed for them. “Guess that means we’re done here.”

  “Damn shame you won’t be here to help implement the program and assist with training. We’ll be sure to have a moment of silence for you. Then life will go on.” Waterman offered.

  “Just like that, huh?” Luke asked. “Why do I suspect this program will not be used as intended and that you two assholes will be using it for your own gain?”

  “Just…like…that. And…no comment on the rest of that. Now, if you don’t mind, enough of the small talk. I have meetings for the rest of the afternoon, let’s hurry up and get this over with.” The General commanded. “I have men, armed men, on the other side of that door waiting to escort you to the vehicle that will drive you to your plane.”

  The general led them to the door, exposing a handful of heavily armed guards on the other side when he opened it. The guards led them through a p
rivate hallway, to a tunnel that must’ve ran under the Pentagon grounds, because it felt endless. When they finally emerged through an unassuming door that seemed to come out of nowhere, they were met by yet another well planned surprise. The men were corralled into the back of a large black cargo type van and were seated along the cold steely benches that flanked each side, facing each other.

  “Why, General…why go to all of this trouble?” Declan questioned, disgusted by the idea that he once respected this man.

  General Grover smirked and let out a huff of a chuckle, “Pride, Country, Family, legacy. Just to name a few of the why’s.”

  “Legacy?” Luke interrupted. “Murder is your legacy?”

  “No. Quite the contrary. I’m one of the most highly decorated and respected Generals in history. I’ve served and led our country through a handful of wars, endless number of battles, and have received nearly every accolade available. I’m a hero, gentleman. A patriot, and a God Damn hero.”

  The General’s voice got louder as he went on – if he was anything, it was passionate about his cause, as convoluted as it was. “I will be in history books. Your children and your children’s children will study me, learn about me, and want to be me. My son’s and daughter are all lifers – career military and on track to receive and be known for many of that which I have accomplished. That is my legacy.”

  He began to spit as he emphasized with the emotion he felt. This jackass really believed his own bullshit. “I am country first, everything else a distant second and plan to continue that. You’ve seen nothing yet. That do gooder Senator with all his morals and assholes like you threatened that legacy and in turn threaten the security of our country.”

  “He had something on you. And you, Director.” Carter realized. The more he pondered, the more clear it became, too. “Or maybe it’s the General that has something on you Director. Either way you’re both a disgrace. There is nothing noble or honorable about what you do. You are not the epitome of hero, nor are you a legacy of this country.”

  Luke took over, “You’re weak. You’re greedy. You’re insecurities and psychopathy cloud your judgment and inflate your ego. You’re nobody. You’re a fraud and your actions give men like us, good men that sacrificed everything for our country a bad name. You’re pathetic, General.”

  General Grover chuckled, enjoying that he got a rise out the men, “Says you. The rest of the country, world even, says otherwise. It’s a shame that you won’t be around to see what happens next.”

  When they came to a stop and exited the van they found themselves back where they started – at their plane.

  Dace shrugged, seemingly confused, “You’re…letting us go?”

  “Yes, but don’t get any ideas. You have a limited amount of fuel and specific flight plan. You’re going to go down around Iowa. Seemed fitting since you spent time there with the old woman you took in. It’ll be tragic and beautiful. Upon your return to surrender the fugitive you captured, your plane went down – eight passengers, eight casualties.”

  “Eight? There’s six of us.”

  “Oh your pilot is on a suicide mission. He’ll fly you to your final resting place. We have his wife and kids under a sniper’s scope right now. He was happy to oblige when we showed him. I’ve thanked him for his service and sacrifice for country.” The General was a twisted son of a bitch.

  “That’s seven.” Luke counted, confident he knew where the eighth death would come from in the General’s count.

  “The fugitive. She’ll be among the casualties.” The General reasoned, “On paper anyway – we’ll dispose of her.”

  Luke lunged at the General and riffles raised, Luke as their target. His brothers grabbed him and held him back.

  General Grover glanced at his watch, “We have a team collecting her as we speak.”

  “Don’t be so sure of yourself, asshole.” Carter was ready to drop the proverbial bomb and let the General and his weasel side kick know the jig was up.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Look around, General. While you were spouting off about your legacy you missed a few things. Take a minute,” Carter insisted, “Look around.”

  The general looked indeed and what he saw took his breath away as the wind was knocked from his proverbial sails. There were men, snipers, lying flat on hanger rooftops with weapons aimed. There were men staged behind a few military like vehicles that may or may not have been there before. Even the airplane hid a few men from obvious site. They were surrounded.

  Carter walked over to the jet and knocked on the side – the door opened in response. The steps descended and out walked Blake Cooper. Their friend from McKenzie Ridge along with a string of men with weapons aimed on the general and his now outnumbered posse.

  “Hey there General, been a while. I hear you’ve been giving my friends some trouble, so I thought I would come out and see if I could help.” Taunted Blake.

  General Grover recognized the uniform Blake and his team wore. Their unit was supposed to be a myth, off the record, yet, here they were acting as the highest law of the land, “These men are to be arrested, treason, obstruction of justice, terrorism, and murder just to name a few offenses.”

  “Yeah, it’s actually you we’re here to arrest.” Blake bluntly stated, “For those crimes and then some.”

  “How did you even get on the airfield, this close to the Pentagon.” The General turned on Blake when he realized he couldn’t manipulate the situation to his benefit any longer, “You’ll be arrested too.”

  “Oh, see, nobody told you.” Carter was enjoying this far too much but couldn’t help himself. “So, there are parts of the government that are, well, top secret. In fact, Blake Cooper wasn’t even here – nor were these men.”

  “Blake who?” Dace asked, proving Carter’s point.

  The General guffawed, “But I have the highest clearance there is. I know about every agency, publicly known and otherwise.”

  “But do you? Are you sure about that? Or did someone just tell you that you were special and a big deal.” Luke added a layer of insult as well. They all had an axe to grind with this asshole.

  “I oversaw those divisions – I led them,” Grover insisted.

  “Did you?” Blake interrupted, ready to make his arrest. “You didn’t even stop to think how the O’Reilly’s landed their private plane right here and walked right into the Pentagon…no questions asked.”

  Wylie let out a low whistle, “He has his head too far up his own ass to notice details like that”

  Carter turned to Wylie with a wild look and agreed, “Great observation, Wylie. I think you’re on to something there.”

  “You don’t hold the highest clearance, or you would have been able to upload the software to every government server out there. Do you think the federal government with all of their intelligence and top-secret shit would let some computer guy from Portland into their mainframe?” Liam laughed. Though he never served like his brothers and the rest did, he held the same clearance with the same value assessed by the government. He served behind the screen - he was the brains, they were the brawn.

  “But…you never served.”

  Exasperated by the Generals ignorance, Liam went on to right his incorrect thinking. “Not in combat but seems you don’t have to enlist or go to war to earn accolades and all that other shit you mentioned. For such a big deal around here, you don’t seem to know shit from shit.”

  Carter was shutting it down or they’d be out there all day exchanging insults and enjoying it. “Game over General. You and the Director are under arrest for…”

  “It doesn’t matter. We still got the girl and the senator is dead – it’s your word against ours. I think it will go something like this, co-conspirators and a bunch of other serious shit, boys.” The General interrupted Carter, assuming he had a final hand to play.

  Luke laughed, “About that. Turns out, you were a real jackass in Portland Director. You didn’t exactly make friends. Field Director Pet
e Langley was happy to step in and make some arrests when he heard the charges being brought against you…and your people.”

  “You didn’t even get the girl.” The General seethed, looking at Director Waterman.

  “You…you have no idea. You have no fucking idea what you’ve done.” Waterman said to the O’Reilly’s.

  General Grover was suddenly worked up, “Shut up, Waterman!”

  “No. No way am I going down for this. I want a deal. Carter, you can get me a deal. I’ll talk – I want immunity and I’ll give you everything.” Waterman was a weasel through and through, but that suited the case just fine.

  “Shut the hell up, Director.”

  “No, you shut up old man. I knew this wasn’t going to work. Jesus, I should have come clean but…”

  Carter broke up the quarrel, before he lost what seemed to be another willing witness. “I don’t know about immunity, Director. You’ll have to give me a little something to work with for me to offer something like that.”

  “I said shut…up!” The General pulled a gun on Director Waterman, but shots rang out as he was met with a dozen or more bullets before he could get a shot off himself

  “Oh my God. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. What have you done?” Waterman rambled, fear consuming him despite the General now dead. “You have no idea what you’ve done. You started something none of you can finish – you just signed your own death warrants and mine too.”

  “Calm down. He’s dead. There’s nothing…”

  Before Carter’s thought could be finished, the director pulled his handgun from a holder under his jacket and turned the weapon on himself. There wasn’t time to intervene, he took his own life. It was over. The threat was neutralized by their own hands. Daisy was free. Luke was free.

  And the weight of it all was suddenly lifted from Luke’s shoulders. This was freedom. He was free to do as he pleased, which started and ended with Daisy.

  “Well. That was…dramatic?” Blake was never really worried about tact.

  “Thanks for your help, appreciate the backup.” Carter said to Blake.