Charley Manner series Box Set

by Michael Marnier

  “There's more. He mentioned al-Baghdadi. No doubt he’s receiving support from ISIS. This could be nasty.” Vicky stood up, “You probably haven't heard since it is just coming out now, but I have been informed that our Delta Special Ops guys have taken out al-Baghdadi.”

  “When?”

  “Early this morning, in Syria.” Vicky reached for Spirit and Makeen, “And get this, the ISIS leader was chased into a tunnel by a Special Ops War Dog, a Belgian-Malinois, named Conan.”

  Hawk said, “Looks like Kareef's world is unraveling. What do we do now?”

  “Like we trained hard to do, take the offense, stealth and surprise. If he is still on Sunshine Key, we can go there.”

  “When?”

  “We have small arms and we have two capable warrior dogs.”

  Vicky cleared her throat, looked at Katie and pulled out her Glock, slid in a full 15-round cartridge of 9mm hollow-points and racked it, “And don't forget two crack-shot females itching for some payback.”

  Katie added, “Did you forget Dad showed me how to use a pistol when I was ten? I go to the range every week with my Glock 22 and shoot groups under .1 mils.”

  Hawk quipped, “The ladies can shoot, CJ. Don't piss them off.”

  Charley shook his head and continued, “Okay. Let's set up a perimeter defense here and then get some sleep. We'll go by land in Vicky's SUV. Sunshine Key is only twelve miles using the Seven Mile Bridge. We leave before dawn tomorrow.”

  JIHAD

  Sunday, October 27, 6:00AM, Harbour Place, Key West...

  PRE-DAWN DARKNESS concealed the arrival of Kareef's Cigarette boat as it crept past the breakwater near the Harbour Place Condominiums. Kareef ordered Fadi to cut all but one engine and proceed at minimum speed to keep their arrival unnoticed. They found an empty slip at the end of the breakwater near the cruise ship pier.

  “Quickly, load the bombs into the dinghy.”

  Ahmed and Fadi obeyed, releasing the inflatable from the davits and carefully hoisting each bomb case over the side. They jumped into the Zodiac and paddled toward the closer cruise ship while Hadad kept Zahira on a leash and tied the Cigarette to the slip lines. Kareef scanned the area, AK-47 tucked under his arm, just in case. He thought about his plan and the commitment he made to al-Baghdadi. The jihad takes priority. But that frogman and his dog must be destroyed. These bombs should satisfy al-Baghdadi. The timing is critical. I need to find Manner before they detonate. His death can only be from my knife.

  Hadad interrupted Kareef's thoughts, “Mullah Kareef, Zahira is restless. There must be someone coming.”

  “I see no one. Keep the dog quiet. Soon, she will have her chance to prove her worth.”

  Hadad yanked Zahira's leash, “Be still, dog. Sit. The Mullah has no patience for you.”

  Zahira whined softly, but sat down, remaining alert.

  Kareef lifted binoculars and checked on his men in the Zodiac. They had reached the first ship and were placing the bomb case just below the water line using the magnets to keep it in place. A small antenna remained above the surface, enabling Kareef to remotely trigger the timer before they left the area. That is the ship leaving for Miami later today. The plan was to detonate both at the same time. He continued watching them as they paddled to the further ship to attach the second bomb.

  Ahmed leaned over the side of the Zodiac to attach the bomb. Before the magnets took hold of the steel hull, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The weight of the bomb pulled him down. He struggled to pull it up but finally let go and bobbed to the surface. “Aieee! Help me, Fadi. The cursed bomb has sunk to the bottom.”

  “What? The Mullah will kill us both. Here is a line. Can you dive down to it and tie the rope?”

  Ahmed took the rope and dove. Less than a minute later, he surfaced coughing and splashing about, “It is too deep. I could not reach the bottom. It is too dark; I could not see anything.”

  Kareef watched all the splashing through his binoculars and swore, “Allah, please tell me those fools have not lost the second bomb.”

  Fadi and Ahmed returned to the Cigarette boat, avoiding eye contact with the Mullah.

  “What happened, Ahmed? Why are you soaking wet?”

  Ahmed stuttered, “It-it s-slipped. I tried to find it, but it is too dark.”

  “You fool. Was the timer set?”

  Ahmed looked at Fadi, who shrugged. “I am not sure, Mullah Kareef.”

  “You are not sure? You imbecile. If the timer is set, that means the bomb will detonate by itself. I had set the time to 11am tomorrow, but if it changed, we must leave at once. We have been here for nearly an hour already. Let's go.”

  Ahmed and Fadi did not need to be told twice. They jumped from the inflatable to the Cigarette. Hadad and Zahira prepared to cast off the lines before joining them.

  “I should leave the two of you here to die when the bomb explodes but I need you to help me kill the frogman.”

  “We are sorry, Mullah Kareef. You can count on us to fight the frogman and his dog to the death.”

  “We'll soon see if you are telling the truth. Now we go back to Sunshine Key. Tonight, we attack Manner in Marathon.” He took out his phone, opened a gaming app and messaged to al-Baghdadi. The packages are in place. Delivery time set for Monday morning 11AM EST. There is always someone monitoring the message board on this game so al-Baghdadi should be pleased. He waited for acknowledgement of receipt, but none came. He thought, Technically, the bombs are in place. I just don't know if the one on the bottom will explode on its own. Al-Baghdadi will not know the difference...I hope.

  ~~~

  Forty-five minutes earlier...

  THE SECURITY GUARD stared at the surveillance camera monitor and picked up his phone. One camera overlooked the cruise ship pier. The Sheriff's department answered on the first ring. “I know it's early, but I need to get in touch with Deputy Matt Singer.”

  The desk Sargent replied, “He is not in yet. Can I take a message?”

  “My name is John Harris. I'm the night security guard at Harbour Place Condominiums. Deputy Singer was here yesterday when I reported a break-in. We have video of the criminals.”

  “I don't understand. Why do you need to speak to him now?”

  “Because they are back. The same four men and the dog.”

  “Dog?”

  “Yes, and this time they are doing something over at the cruise ships docked here.”

  The Sargent sighed, “Okay, I'll call him. He's not due in for another hour.”

  “Please call him immediately, before they get away again.”

  ~~~

  Sunday, October 27, 6:30AM, Sunshine Key...

  CHARLEY ANSWERED his phone. He was standing in an empty RV on Sunshine Key. The caller i.d. showed Key West Sheriff's Department. “It must be Deputy Singer again. I wonder what he wants?”

  “Charley, it's Matt Singer. More news about those jihadists you told me about. The men who broke into your sister's apartment.” Charley put Matt on speakerphone so Hawk, Vicky and Katie could hear. “They are here again. They're messing around the cruise ships this time. No breaking-and-entry at Harbour Place Condos but they came in that Cigarette boat again. Two of the men are in an inflatable near the ships.”

  “We can be there in forty minutes.”

  “Better hurry, I called for back-up, but we are under-manned this week-end. All the men have AK-47s. I don't want another shoot-em-up of the cruise ships like we had when your dog disabled that crazy sniper. These guys look like they are ready for all-out war.”

  Breaking all speed limits, Vicky drove her SUV down Highway 1 into Key West in less than thirty minutes.

  FINAL SHOWDOWN

  Sunday, October 27, 7:00AM, Cruise Ship Pier, Key West...

  VICKY SLOWED DOWN when they reached the end of Highway 1 and entered Truman Avenue. Traffic was non-existent this early on a Sunday morning, so she was still flying along at sixty miles per hour before turning right on Front Street. Another ha
lf mile and they pulled into Harbour Place. From there they travelled the last few hundred yards on foot. Better to keep their arrival quiet.

  Deputy Singer was waiting with two more squad cars and four more officers. Not exactly an army but it will have to do.

  “You folks got here quickly. We've stayed back so we don't spook them.” He checked out Charley's team. “Hmmm, two former Navy SEALs, two bad-ass looking woman toting Glocks and, what's this, not one but two Belgian-Malinois. Remember, there are thousands of people asleep on those ships. I don't want to trigger a hostage situation.”

  Charley smiled, “You got that right, Deputy. But let's not underestimate the Mullah. I have known him a long time and none of it was pleasant.”

  Vicky stepped forward and flashed her DEA badge, “Deputy Singer, my name is Vicky Borne, Special Agent with the DEA. We have reason to believe that Mullah Kareef has two dirty bombs, so things can get really bad if we don't handle this right.”

  Charley added, “Kareef is a crazy jihadist hooked up with ISIS. If he is cornered, he might detonate the bombs early, even if he dies doing it.”

  “Well, we better come up with a plan quickly.” Deputy Singer looked at the lightening eastern horizon, “Sunrise is in a half hour. We can't use darkness as a cover. What do you suggest?”

  Charley looked at Hawk, then at Spirit, “A diversion, so Spirit and I can get close, right, Bro?”

  “Roger that, CJ. I got my Kevlar vest on. How about I walk out in the open and taunt the motherfucker? These deputies can come with me. Maybe the show of greater numbers will make the Mullah revise his plan.”

  Vicky pulled out a set of night vision binoculars and scanned the pier. “I can go to the other end of the pier with Makeen. We'll stay on the access road until we get there, then start closing in.”

  “Sounds good, Vick. Just be sure Hawk doesn't get caught in crossfire. Spirit and I will go left and get close enough to the Cigarette to jump Kareef.”

  Katie touched Charley's shoulder and stroked Spirit's ruff, “I'll watch your six, Charley.” She racked her Glock and put on her game face. “I owe the Mullah a few slaps and maybe more if he puts up a fight.”

  Charley looked at Deputy Singer, “Better call the bomb squad.”

  “They are based on the Naval Air Station, about ten miles away. It will take twenty minutes with their heavy truck.”

  “Better late than never, and better call the Coast Guard, too. They’re based just a quarter mile from here. A cutter can block the entrance to the harbor; in case Kareef tries to run for it by boat.”

  Hawk put on a riot helmet and grabbed a shield from one of the squad cars. The deputies did the same and formed a phalanx with Hawk. When they reached the main dock, about two hundred yards away, the Mullah noticed their arrival. The jihadists had not yet pulled out of the slip.

  Kareef looked seaward and saw a Coast Guard cutter steaming into the harbor entrance, “Fadi, get the RPG launcher. We have company.”

  Fadi went into the cabin and returned with four rocket grenades in a sling and the weapon, unfolded it and asked, “What do you want me to do, Mullah Kareef?”

  “Wait, let us see what they do first.”

  Fadi rubbed the tip of his severed finger and winced. I hope I can still pull the trigger of this weapon.

  Kareef pretended not to notice. Fadi looked at a storage tank a hundred yards from the dock. It was surrounded by a stone wall, about thirty feet high. “Maybe I can take a high position over there?”

  Kareef agreed, “Go now, while it is still dark, before they get closer. It is time that you make amends for letting the frogman rescue his sister. I will signal you with a flashlight when I want you to fire at the advancing men.”

  Fadi bowed low and scurried across the dock to the wall in front of the water tower. He found a ladder built into the wall on the left side and climbed to the top. He looked down at the Mullah, waiting for his signal to fire.

  Hadad still had Zahira on a leash. He had led her inside the cabin of the Cigarette after casting off the lines. Kareef called Hadad, “Anouar, bring the dog. We may need her to cause a diversion so we can leave this place before the bombs detonate.” He looked at Ahmed, “Thanks to you, Ahmed, we cannot be sure about the one you dropped in the water.”

  Ahmed remained silent, head down and sat in the pilot seat as the Cigarette engines idled with the bow facing in.

  Hawk and the Sheriff Deputies continued to approach the boat. When they were a hundred feet away, Kareef flashed a light at Fadi who fired at Hawk and the deputies. The first salvo exploded behind them, but shrapnel took down three of the deputies behind Hawk.

  Kareef muttered, “Stupid Fadi. He is a terrible shot. Why do I have to work with such weak men?”

  Charley signaled Spirit to help Hawk. She ran toward the wall and climbed the 30-foot structure, literally flying straight up as she used her powerful legs and paws to dig into the brick edges to propel her to the top.

  Fadi loaded a second rocket grenade, took aim and fired. It nearly hit Spirit as she stuck her head over the edge of the wall. Again, the grenade landed behind Hawk, Matt Singer and the fourth officer.

  Fadi was trying to reload a third and did not see the fur missile until it was too late. Spirit clamped onto his neck and shook. A loud snap signaled the end for him. He fell limp.

  Vicky and Makeen had circled around and were now only a few feet from the starboard side of the fast boat.

  Charley took the opportunity to slip into the water off the port side of the Cigarette, working his way to the aft gunwale. He pulled himself onto the rear deck behind Kareef who was watching Spirit attack Fadi. When Spirit bit Fadi, Kareef raised his AK and racked it as he took aim at Hawk and the deputies still standing. Before he fired, Charley shouted, “Kareef, give it up. You are surrounded.”

  The Mullah turned around slowly, pulling the detonator phone out of his pocket and held it up. “You are mistaken, frogman. I will kill you and your friends, even if it means I will die, too. Al-Baghdadi has given me my orders. I will not fail him.

  Charley laughed. “I guess you haven't heard from your ISIS friends. Al-Baghdadi committed suicide in a cave in Syria yesterday morning. He was cornered by Conan, a military Belgian-Malinois.”

  Kareef looked to starboard and saw Vicky and Makeen closing in. Spirit made her way off the wall and was running past Hawk, taking her familiar point position when making a frontal attack at the enemy. Kareef fumed, “Hadad, quickly, release your dog. Attack the frogman.”

  Hadad unleashed Zahira and commanded her to attack. Vicky shouted to Makeen, “Makeen, stop that dog.”

  Makeen hesitated, looked at Hadad for a second before leaping on board. He charged at Zahira, who stopped in her tracks, sniffed at her training partner and rolled onto her back. Makeen did not bite her. Instead, he licked her nose and nuzzled her ruff. Zahira accepted the embrace, stood and faced Hadad and Kareef, snarling.

  Before Kareef could react, Spirit joined the party. She jumped on board and charged at the Mullah, clamping onto his leg. Makeen quickly followed her, biting Kareef's other leg, shaking it violently. Zahira watched both dogs closely, looked at Hadad and piled on, showing no loyalty to either her trainer or the nasty man they call Mullah.

  Kareef is surrounded by three Belgian-Malinois. He holds the cellphone up to trigger the bombs, overriding the timer. Charley throws himself at Kareef, trying to grab the phone. Kareef takes out his knife and swings at the dogs and Charley. He gains some leverage and presses it against Charley's vest. Before he can sink the knife into Charley, a shot rang out.

  Kareef's head exploded as the hollow point bullet penetrated the back of his skull. Charley turned to see who had fired their weapon. Katie stood wide-legged in a shooter's stance on the dock, ready to fire again if the Mullah moved. He did not. Charley grabbed the cell phone and checked if the Mullah had hit send. The number was cued up but had not been sent.

  Hawk and Deputy Singer climbed aboard and cuffed Had
ad and Ahmed, who had their hands raised high. Vicky joined them and said, “We need to find the bombs.”

  Hawk turned to Ahmed, grabbed him by the throat and squeezed, “I'll bet you can tell us.”

  Ahmed turned white and whimpered, “Please, I was just following orders. One of the bombs is attached to that cruise ship over there.”

  “And where is the other one?”

  Ahmed looked down and whispered, “I, I d-dropped it in the water.”

  “What? Where?”

  “Over there.” He pointed at the second cruise ship further away.

  The bomb squad arrived at that moment. Deputy Singer spoke to the team leader, Commander Hank Alivaro, and explained what had just been learned.

  Alivaro turned to his team, “Bob, Mike, get suited up, the water is thirty feet deep here. Bring your underwater search lights. He turned back to Singer, “Any idea if they have been set to detonate soon?”

  “No, but it must be a while unless these fools planned to blow themselves up, too.”

  Hawk squeezed Ahmed's throat again, “You know, don't you?”

  “Yes, yes. The Mullah wanted to have both explode at the same time.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock.”

  Hadad spoke up, “But this fool dropped one into the water and does not know if the timer setting was changed. Please, we must get out of here, quickly.”

  Commander Alivaro took charge, “We need to evacuate the area immediately.”

  Deputy Singer sighed, “That means emptying the cruise ships.”

  “Correct.”

  Charley spoke up, “Wait. We know the first bomb is attached to the cruise ship over there. We can see the antenna sticking out of the water. By the time all the passengers are awakened and off-loaded, we can remove it and disconnect the detonator. If these men are telling the truth, the timer is set to trigger tomorrow. Why not disable it immediately?”