The Damascus Chronicles

by Dominic R. Daniels

  “Good girl,” said Michael as he turned off. Jackie’s truck was waiting for them as Michael drove his car up onto the ramp and into the empty truck. Jackie hurried out, closed up the back, and headed off into the tunnel. The cops lost them. Commissioner Hamilton arrived on the scene to make sure the medics were treating the wounded officers. Approaching Jack and Frank where they lay on stretchers, she was filled with anger. “Who did this Frank?” she asked fiercely.

  “Damascus…” said Frank as he passed out.

  “We’ll get him Frank, by God we will get him,” said Commissioner Hamilton.

  Jackie delivered his cargo to his customs warehouse and unloaded the truck. Michael’s wound instantly healed and he backed out the car and parked it. Getting out of the car, Michael and Serena stretched their legs with sighs of relief.

  “That was too close, Michael,” said Jackie.

  “Relax Jackie.”

  “He’s right Michael,” Serena agreed.

  “So this is Serena. She’s tough and beautiful” Jackie declared.

  “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment.” Serena smiled.

  “No time for chatting now, we got heat on us,” said Michael.

  “Take it easy. I sent one the boys to bribe the mayor; he controls the cops so they won’t be able to do a damn thing,” said Jackie.

  “That won’t mean anything to the police commissioner. You know she’ll do things her way,” said Michael.

  “For now, we should tie up loose ends,” said Serena.

  “By the way, how did you cover up yourself from the printing shop’s camera when it caught you on film on the night of the job?” asked Jackie. “Simple. I had a contact of mine who worked in the store steal the tape and digitally composite Anderson in for me and then put it back days before the police even got it. We’re lucky to have our spies working all over the neighborhoods. Too bad Anderson figured out the set up.” Michael shook his head.

  “For now, stay at my private apartment complex. We can’t afford you getting caught. You are too important to the organization,” said Jackie. “Thanks, here’s two grand.” Michael handed the money to Jackie.

  “No problem,” said Jackie.

  “Consider it a down payment,” replied Michael. The three sped off into the night in Jackie’s car.

  Chapter 25: “Deception and Robbery”

  In the car Michael’s mind was stirring, planning his next move even as they arrived at Jackie’s apartment complex.

  “Jackie, I can’t afford the cops or anyone to find out anything, and I can’t just hide like a coward. Either way, the police will find out something,” said Michael seriously.

  “There’s no such thing as a perfect wise guy, I agree,” said Jackie.

  “All Anderson said was a name,” said Serena. “It doesn’t matter. A name can spread like wild fire in the criminal underworld, especially if the police have any secret contacts. I suggest we destroy the evidence and the ones who know about it,” said Jackie.

  “We do that and the family will have the Feds and God knows who come down on us. Unless it looks like an isolated incident,” said Michael.

  “An accident?” said Serena.

  “Exactly,” replied Jackie.

  “I don’t like killing cops. Those men have families,” said Michael, disagreeing.

  “It can’t be helped. Our sworn duty is to protect the organization and all its valued associates,” Jackie said firmly.

  “Very well, but we‘ll do it my way,” said Michael as he went into Jackie’s study and gathered the police station blueprints that had been hacked from the city hall database on Jackie’s computer. “We’ll proceed to the abandoned subway tunnel that rests under the station and break in through the service hatch, cut the power in the station and release a special gas from the tanks that I have in storage at my pad. The gas contains a compound that blanks out memory and causes delusions; we used it in the CIA to confuse enemies on the battlefield. After exposure to the gas occurs, the brain begins to lose memory; false memories will begin to develop in the victims’ minds, and in 24 hours when the effects of the gas wear off, the police will have no memory of what happened.”

  “Ingenious. That will save us from heat,” Jackie said.

  “And I won’t have to deal with bullshit either,” said Michael.

  “They’ll still have the tapes stored in the evidence room,” said Serena.

  “That I’ll leave to you; you’re a professional thief, it’s what you do best. In return I’ll compensate you both with a portion of the payment I receive on my next contract,” Michael offered.

  “I’ll do it then,” agreed Jackie. “Serena, you may be useful for the organization, from what Michael has told me about your background. Are you interested?”

  “I’m in as long as I’m provided twenty percent,” replied Serena.

  “You do this one thing right and you’re in.”

  On the other side of town in the main hospital, Commissioner Hamilton looked through the observation window as the doctor finished stitching the cuts and bruises on Frank’s face. Jack was in the same room, resting. After finishing, the doctor met with the commissioner in the hall.

  “How are they, doctor?” she asked.

  “Detective Watson will be here for a few days. He acquired mild trauma to left side of his brain, but his concussion should be healed in a week. He will be able to return to active duty afterwards,” said the doctor.

  “What about Jack Harris?”

  “Unfortunately, Detective Harris will be here for a while. The crash caused five broken ribs. It also raised his blood pressure from all the excitement. He suffered a severe stroke when he arrived at the hospital. He is stable now, but I strongly recommend retirement when he is discharged. If he were to have another attack, he might not make it,” said the doctor.

  “I’ll bring in his papers when Jack is well. Poor old-timer, it’s going to break him to pieces,” said Commissioner Hamilton.

  Back at Jackie’s apartment complex, Michael and the others gathered the tools they needed for the job. Putting a large footlocker on Jackie’s favorite oak table, Jackie opened it, seeing all the necessary equipment, consisting of chain cutters, acetylene torches, electric drills, security device scramblers, two sets of facemasks, and a few pairs of black gloves. Michael peeked over to take a look.

  “Perfect. Let’s head to my place; we’ll pick up the other stuff there,” said Michael. After arriving at Michael’s pad, Michael crouched down in the den and opened a small tile on the floor, pulling up a black case filled with gas tank grenades, a set of flare sticks, and a pair of pistols with silencers.

  “We used this stuff to brainwash witnesses when doing interrogations. Too bad it got banned,” said Michael.

  “It doesn’t matter, as long as we get the job done,” said Jackie.

  “Don’t worry about pulling pins. I rigged these babies with a timer on each one; we’ll set them all off at once by remote control. Take these portable radios.” Michael tossed Serena and Jackie each a pistol and some clips. “Just in case. Don’t worry, it’s not loaded. Serena baby, grab me a few gas masks from the trunk in the closet, would you please.” Michael pointed her to the iron closet. “Here you go,” said Serena, handing Michael the gas masks.

  “Good, let’s go to work,” said Jackie as they headed out the door to his van, carrying the equipment. It was 8 pm and the building was being filled with a string of officers arriving for the evening shift; it was business as usual. However, underneath the station in the abandoned subway tunnel, different things were brewing.

  Serena and Jackie began to burn through the sealed service hatch while Michael opened the roof service hatch and began crawling through the ventilation systems to set up the bombs. An hour had passed. “How we doing?” asked Michael over his radio.

  “We’re doing fine baby, we just cut through the main locks,” said Serena as she and Jackie pushed up the hatch lid and began to crawl up the ladder that
led into the basement.

  “Great, give me ten more minutes I’ll have all the gas bombs set. Then you cut the power from the basement electric generators and when the place goes dark I’ll set off the bombs on the roof,” said Michael coolly. Entering the basement electrical room, Jackie pulled out the chain cutters and began to cut through the locks on the generator cages that guarded the main switch.

  “All right Mike, we’re ready to pull the switch,” said Jackie.

  “I’m all set up here over,” replied Michael over his radio.

  “Ready in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”GO!” Jackie counted over his radio as he pulled the switch. The entire station went pitch black.

  “Hey, what the hell!” yelled Commissioner Hamilton.

  “Someone get the lights!” yelled another officer.

  “Grooving,” said Michael as he detonated the bombs. From room to room flashes of light and gas blew from the ventilation systems, releasing the toxin and knocking out everyone within the rooms. Some officers became unconscious immediately and others suffered delusional fits until the passed out.

  “Go! Go! Go!” yelled Michael over his radio. Jackie and Serena put on their gas masks and headed up the basement stairs to the first floor as Michael lowered himself with his mask on, swinging in from the window. The trio met in the squad room; lighting their flare sticks, they headed to the archive room. “Let’s find the tapes in the archive vault and get out of here quick,” said Jackie.

  “Right,” said Serena. Jackie took a quick look in the evidence room and saw a score he could not believe. “I see beautiful green and golden delights, magical dope, tonight is the night, yeah!!,” sung Jackie, as he stuffed a spare duffel bag he had on him with stacks of confiscated cash, cocaine, and stolen gold jewelry. “hell yeah,” sang Jackie.

  Michael spotted Jackie and was pissed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? We have a job to do!”

  “Just taking a little kickback,” said Jackie happily, showing Michael the stolen stash. Michael and Serena smiled and shook their heads in agreement. “Take it,” they said in unison. The trio looked down the hall and discovered that the evidence vault was locked down tight, so Serena took out the drill equipment and began to work on the vault. After about 20 minutes she managed to break the locks on the vault. After a quick search Jackie grabbed the tapes labeled “Anderson and Scarfo Penthouse shooting.” The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and they all knew it was time to go. Racing down the stairs to the hatchway in the basement floor, they could hear police entering the building. One cop saw Michael jumping down the hatch and fired, but Michael disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke; a detonated smoke ball. They headed out the back entrance of the abandoned subway and into Jackie’s ride. The trio took off speeding with smiles and laughter; it was time to celebrate their success.

  “That was way too easy,” said Serena, worried.

  “Who cares, let’s party! There has to be at least 300 grand here with all this loot,” said Jackie.

  “Let’s head to my place and we’ll split up the score,” said Michael, pulling out a cigarette to smoke. They sped off to Michael’s pad.

  Back at police headquarters ambulances had picked up the officers who had been exposed to the toxin and brought them to the hospital, including Commissioner Hamilton.

  On the upper west side, Franco Scarfo sat in his luxury apartment snorting a hit of cocaine with Phillips as they listened to the news, hearing of the robbery and poisoning at the police station. “Get a load of this. The cops get a bad case of gas and fall down, the commissioner is in some hospital bed and that’s good news for us,” said Franco, sparking up a cigarette.

  “Wonder who could have set it up,” replied Phillips.

  “Reported to be done by professionals, with over 300,000 dollars worth of stolen goods, drugs, jewels, and cash,” said Franco.

  “It would good if we could get the guys who pulled off this job.”

  “Big fucking score indeed.”

  “Something’s is eating me though.”

  “What?” Franco asked.

  “The anti bioterrorist department discovered a residue of the gas that was used on the victims. The gas changes memory in the brain causing delusion and false memories,” said Phillips.

  “And?” said Franco impatiently.

  “FDMI90 was a toxic gas we used in the CIA to torture enemies. From the description it sounds like the same one.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “Only CIA on the COBRAKNIGHT mission, and only personnel in the top class within our unit, had access to this toxin,” said Phillips.

  “Damascus,” they both said.

  “The son of a bitch didn’t know who you were at the warehouse deal. Find him, get close to him, get him into our pocket, then kill him,” said Franco.

  “No problem. We’ll bring him in and say it’s a special job or some bullshit, and then when we get what we want we’ll clip him,” said Phillips.

  “Find out what you can from him; just say you got into town for vacation, or something.”

  “Right.”

  “Get on it immediately,” said Franco sternly.

  Back at Michael’s pad, Serena, Jackie, and Michael unloaded the stash on the table to check out their spoils.

  “We got the tapes, we got the moola, we got the power baby,” laughed Jackie. Serena counted the stacks of cash while Michael weighed the coke on a small scale he had pulled out of the kitchen. Hearing the crisp sound of those bills was so sweet.

  “Boys, we got us here just in cash 300 grand,” said Serena happily.

  “On the jewelry, I know a fence who will give us 20 grand,” said Jackie. “How much do you think well get for those 5 kilos?”

  “After weighing them, another 300 grand,” replied Michael confidently.

  “A whopping total of 620,000 dollars. It’s going to be a good season,” said Michael, laughing as he popped open a chilled bottle of expensive champagne and poured it into some glasses.

  “Here’s to us, salut!” said Jackie as they toasted their success.

  They divided up the spoils quickly. “Mikey baby, why don’t we all go some place nice tonight to celebrate,” giggled Serena.

  “Yeah Mike, that sounds like a good idea,” said Jackie. Michael pulled out a card of his pocket. At first he thought was a cigarette. The card read, THE BLACK SPIDER CLUB.

  “Ladies and gents, find yourself a tux and dress, we’re going to my club for a hell of a night,” said Michael.

  “I didn’t know you owned a nightclub,” said Serena.

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, but we’ll leave that for later. Come on, the night is young and I’m sure we all want to paint this town red,” said Michael.

  They all agreed in eager anticipation.

  Chapter 26: “An Unfortunate Mistake”

  The night was young and everyone was eager to celebrate. Serena and Michael went and bought the best tuxedo and dress they could find from MAXIMILLON’S Department Store. They met Jackie on the Strip, with the best glitz of nightlife in Vegas among the nightclubs, concert theaters, and casinos. Louie, the bouncer, opened the grand, golden oak entrance doors for Michael and his guests, “Good evening Mr. Damascus, we have a hot lineup tonight, boss.”

  “Hey Louie, keep it real tonight,” Michael replied.

  “Have a good time ladies and gentlemen, and Mike don’t worry, I always keep the assholes out.” Louie chomped on his cheap cigar.

  “Yeah you do,” said Michael with a smile. Tipping Louie with a hundred dollar bill, Michael breathed in peace; the club had never looked so good. The elegance of the place was extravagant; it was like the posh, dim, candle-lit clubs from classic black and white Hollywood movies. The teal blue walls were marble and a three-level dance floor rose above the main stage. Twin stairways led up to the dance floors and the beautiful Italian-tiled bars were stocked with expensive liquors and cigars. Amid the romantic lighting, the place was fill
ed to the brim with Las Vegas’s elite. The flashiest New Orleans jazz band in the city was playing. On the main stage stood a hip old black gentlemen dressed in a black silk suit and tie. He cradled a saxophone and was speaking into a microphone; he was the main MC of Michael’s club. “Ah right ladies and gentlemen welcome tonight to the Black Spider, you get ready to get hopping because we’re going to get rocking. Please welcome from New Orleans, Louisiana, the show band that always brings down the house, The Mickey Blues Boys, with me as your host, Mickey Blue Robinson. We’re going to play for you an old-time favorite. Here’s a song called Raven’s Love.”

  Sweetness filled the night air as the band played. Serena stared in awe at the magnificence of the club. “Right out of classic Hollywood, I love it,” she said.

  The trio sat down to be served. Serena and Jackie were living it up. “Mike, this place is amazing,” said Jackie as the waitress poured him a glass of wine.

  “Glad you both like it; I just got the place running a few weeks ago after renovations. Good old Mickster on the stage there sold this place to me a while back, and we’ve been good friends ever since.”

  “You know a place like this would be perfect for you know what I mean,” said Jackie.

  “I’ve been thinking about that.” “So how about it?”

  “You tell the Don I’m open for any opportunity as long as I get 40 percent of the action,” Michael answered.

  “Good I’ll talk to him.” The audience clapped after song ended. A stunning woman with short blonde hair wearing a glittering red dress walked on stage and the spotlight turning on her.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen please welcome the main beauty of the Black Spider, the sassy, sparkling, and saucy dream, Miss Isabelle Webster,” Mickey announced as the drums beat rose and the horns bellowed.

  “Hello boys, this one is for you, it’s called Lovers Tonight,” said Isabelle as she began to sing. The guests applauded. The room seemed to go motionless as they listened to her heavenly voice, which could only be described as angelic. Michael put his arm around Serena as they sat close together and kissed.