by Ken W. Smith
Jay took a deep breath and slid the ball of soft explosives between Kyle and Charlotte’s bodies. He felt the wire with the tips of his fingers. Stretching as far as he could, his arm began to go numb.
Jay pressed the ball of explosives up against the wire and pinched the wire into the malleable ball. He kept pinching until he worked the wire halfway in.
Now was the time of reckoning. If his plan worked, they would escape. If not, he wouldn’t live long enough to find out.
Jay pulled his fingers off the wire.
Nothing happened.
He slid his hand out from between Kyle and Charlotte. Sweat poured down his face. He took a second to wipe his forehead with his sleeve, then removed his desert dagger from his pant leg.
Jay reached back between Kyle and Charlotte and felt for their wire ties. He had to hold the sharp knife between his fingers then slice through the ties. The knife slipped, cutting Jay’s middle finger. He flinched in pain. He tried again, this time cutting through Charlotte’s tie. He kept his arm in and cut Kyle loose.
The ties fell to the floor, but the wire stayed in place. Jay pulled his arm out and put the dagger away. He stood up and put on his backpack. Then he helped Charlotte and Kyle up, removing the tape from their mouths.
“Thank God you’re here,” Kyle said as he hugged Jay tight.
Charlotte joined in the hug and said, “How did you know where to find us?”
“Your father received a call from the kidnappers,” Jay said. “He called me. Then Brendan showed me the video from the microbots.
“Brendan and Carla are okay?” Charlotte said. “How did they get home? The thunderstorm hit right after we were kidnapped. The thunder shook the mansion.”
“They were lucky, considering their boat ran out of gas. A Coast Guard chopper found them drifting out to sea. We need to get out of here. Wait for me by the back door while I clean things up.”
After they left, Jay reached into his backpack and pulled out a detonator and timer. He pushed the ignitor into the C4 ball and attached it to the timer. He set the timer for three minutes, then ran to the door.
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” Jay said.
Jay grabbed Charlotte and Kyle by the arm and pulled them out the door. As they ran towards the back gate at full speed, automatic gunfire erupted from the mansion. Bullets tore up grass all around them.
“Hurry,” Charlotte screamed. Then a single bullet pounded Jay in the back, slamming him and the kids to the ground. Luckily, the bullet struck his body armor, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Jay gasped for air while steel rained down around them.
The gunfire stopped. Jay pulled his M4 off his shoulder, rolled onto his back, spun around to face the mansion, and opened fire—spraying bullets towards the second floor of the estate.
Tracers coming from the beach streamed over his head toward the second-floor balcony. The red needles of fire tearing the siding off the old mansion.
“I thought I ordered you guys to evacuate the island? Jay screamed into his headset. You disobeyed a direct order. Ceasefire!”
“Let’s go,” Jay said, pulling Kyle and Charlotte to their feet. They sprinted through the gate and dropped to the ground behind the wall.
“Are you guys okay?” Gia asked Charlotte and Kyle as she inspected them for injuries.
“My wrists are bleeding,” Charlotte said. “From the plastic ties, I mean. They didn’t hurt me.
“Let me see,” Gia said. “I’ll wrap it in gauze and take you to the hospital when we’re back in Falmouth.”
“Now run to the inflatable,” Jay said. “When you get in, lay flat on the deck.”
Charlotte and Kyle raced across the beach and dove into the closest inflatable. Jay and his team piled in behind them. Madman fired up the outboard motor and gunned the engine away from the island.
Within seconds, Jay felt the explosion. A deep rumbling through the ocean floor. Then the sound wave and finally a bright red flash. He turned to watch the mansion disappear into a black, roiling mushroom cloud.
* * *
Jay secured the inflatable to Marty’s dock in Quissett Harbor. His team followed and piled into the Suburban for the two-minute ride back to their office in Woods Hole.
McCoy was waiting with a full cooler of cold beer and three large pizzas. The assault team devoured the food as they briefed him on the mission.
“How did they know we were coming?” Jay asked. “The note on the bomb said, “Chief… Boom.”
“Kyle told me the man who kidnapped him had a funny-sounding British accent and strange gray eyes.”
“The island was a perfect base for launching that attack on the Bishop,” CJ said. “It’s only a few miles away. Do you think he had anything to do with the Papal bombings?”
“It’s hard to say,” McCoy said. “There’s no evidence to tie him to Boston or New York. He could be a paid assassin.”
“But why kidnap the kids?” Gia asked. “They didn’t do anything. And why send Charlotte’s father the ransom demand? If he was an assassin, why didn’t he kill them?”
“And why didn’t he kill me at Olivia’s apartment?” Jay said. “He had the chance to kill both of us, but he left. It seems more personal. Like he’s taunting me, or he has something to prove.”
There was a knock on the door. Jay looked at his watch. It was four-thirty in the morning. Not exactly business hours. He grabbed his sidearm and went downstairs to answer the door. He opened it and looked into the chest of a huge man standing on the steps. Jay looked up to see a young bald man who could have been a superstar pro wrestler.
“Are you Jay Mendes?” he said in a low, guttural voice. “Someone wants to talk to you.”
The man turned and walked down the stairs to a black stretch limo sitting in the parking lot. He opened the back door, and a short, overweight man dressed in a ratty t-shirt and ripped jeans stepped out.
“Jay Mendes?” the man said. “I’m Charles Cranmore. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Do you mind joining me in my car for a few minutes?”
“Sure, I guess,” Jay said.
“Give me your gun first,” the bodyguard said. Jay handed the man his gun and slid into the back of the limo. The guard closed the door behind him.
Cranmore handed Jay a plain white envelope then extended his hand. Jay accepted the envelope and returned the handshake.
“What you did for me tonight was incredible,” Cranmore said. “I never thought I’d see Charlotte alive. She told me what that creep did to her and how you disarmed the bomb. Impressive, I must say.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jay said. “Your daughter was courageous. She must have been terrified.”
“She was. Charlotte already suffers from anxiety. She’s had it all her life. It’s an awful disease and prevents her from doing many things you and I take for granted. We’ve taken her to specialists around the world. I don’t know why she went with those kids to that island in the first place, but she’ll never go back.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m moving her back home to Portland, where I can keep a closer eye on her. Put her back into a private all-girls school. I’m done with all this Catholic mumbo jumbo. Her mother insisted. It was her idea to move to Cape Cod. What a mistake this has been. Now she gets caught up with a bad crowd and almost killed.”
Jay was furious. “Her friends weren’t the problem, Mr. Cranmore. They risked their lives to help her. The boy Kyle, who was kidnapped with Charlotte, he’s a genius. Her friend, Carla’s dad, is one of my best friends. And the other boy Brendan is the son of the Falmouth deputy police chief. Not exactly a bad crowd. So don’t blame Charlotte’s friends for what happened. And as far as that Catholic mumbo jumbo, I was raised Catholic and proud to call the Bishop of Fall River my friend. People like the man who kidnapped Charlotte are evil, and they want to destroy the church. While I appreciate your compliments, I don’t need your money.” Jay handed the envelope back to a stunned Cranmore and left the limo
.
* * *
Two hours later, Jay was back on Michelle Goddard’s Trifan jet. She stared at him with a look of amazement as he told her about his encounter with Cranmore.
“Are you bloody crazy?” Michelle said. “You turned down two million dollars? You are insane. You could have used the money to expand your business.”
“Thanks, but I don’t need it. The Catholic church is hiring us to protect all of the Bishops and Cardinals in the U.S. and Europe. Marty’s hiring agents like crazy. All I care about is getting back to see my sister.”
“She’s one tough cookie,” Michelle said. “She’s already up and walking.”
Chapter 25
One Month Later
Brother and sister walked hand-in-hand through Woods Hole village. After Jessie moved back home to recuperate, Jay drove her to physical therapy and watched her learn to use her artificial leg. He saw his father’s grit and determination in every step Jessie took.
“Where are we going?” Jessie said as they turned into the parking lot of the Woods Hole Aquarium.
“I want you to meet somebody.”
Jay opened the front door of the small brick building. He waved at the volunteer at the front desk, who handed him two guest passes. Then he led Jessie through a maze of marine life exhibits. The door to the office was ajar, and Jay walked right in.
“Hey, Jay,” a blonde woman said from the back of the cramped work area. “Who’s your friend?”
“Stephanie, I’d like you to meet my kid sister, Jessie. “Jessie, this is Stephanie. She’s a marine biologist.”
Stephanie wore a dark blue slicker to keep her dry. She was leaning over a small pool with two baby sea otters splashing around.
Jay said, “How’s my buddy doing? I stopped by yesterday, and you guys weren’t here.”
“Yeah, Jojo and I took a road trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston. He had a physical exam and played with some of the penguins.”
“Are you still thinking of transferring Jojo to Boston?”
“Yeah, I’m not sure what to do. Jojo’s outgrowing our facility here. Plus, we have a hard time keeping the water temperature cold enough for him. New England Aquarium has a colony of penguins from the same ecosystem as Jojo. It’s a natural fit for him. I hate the idea of letting anyone else care for him.”
“Who’s, Jojo?” Jessie asked. “Is he named after our brother?”
“Of course,” Jay said with a smile. “Come on, and I’ll introduce you.”
Jay took Jessie’s hand and led her to the outdoor pool area. Jojo was two-hundred-fifty pounds and filled the pool. He swam back and forth, rolling over and over to the delight of the small crowd gathering outside the demonstration area. It was getting close to feeding time, and Jojo was showing off.
Stephanie handed Jay and Jessie a blue slicker. “You might want to put these on. Jojo likes to splash around.”
* * *
Stephanie knelt next to the pool and slapped her hand on the top of the water. Jojo responded to the cue by reversing direction and sliding up onto a platform. The forty-five-degree water splashed Jessie, causing her to scream.
“Wow, he’s so cute!” Jessie said. “Look at those big black eyes. He likes you, Jay.”
“He should. I rescued him.” Jay gave Jessie a quick story about his trip to the Falkland Islands and explained how he pulled Jojo from the net.
Jay patted Jojo on the head and tossed a handful of small fish into his mouth. Jojo responded by squealing and barking, then rolled onto his back so Jay could scratch his belly. The seal barked even louder.
“Stephanie, let me know when he’s going to Boston so that I can throw him a bon voyage party.”
“He’ll love that, Jay,” Stephanie said. “Nice to meet you, Jessie.”
They watched the rest of the show, then strolled back towards the village.
Jessie slowed down, then stopped. “Sorry, I need to stop for a few minutes. My leg is killing me.”
“Of course, Jessie, there’s a bench in the park along the water.”
When they sat on the bench, Jessie removed her prosthetic leg. She rubbed the stump and adjusted the gauze liner.
“Sometimes, the liner bunches up and gives me a blister. It’s like having a stone in your shoe. Thanks for understanding.”
“You amaze me,” Jay said. “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. And I know, I’ve met some amazing women.”
Jessie blushed at the compliment. “I didn’t do anything special. I survived a bomb blast, but you’re the true hero in the family. On the other hand, you save people’s lives on a regular basis. Look how you rescued Charlotte and Kyle from the island. But you’re still the most humble man I’ve ever met. You never boast, and you always give everyone else credit.”
“I received a lot of training and gained plenty of experience in the military. Now it’s my turn to give back. But enough about me, what are you going to do about your career? You’re not giving up, are you?”
“No way. I love journalism. I’m not stopping now. My career hasn’t started yet, but there’s one thing I need to ask you.”
Sure, anything. What do you want?”
“I want you to meet Andy. He’s on his way to pick me up. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
“He is?”
“Jay, don’t be an over-protective big brother. Please be nice to him and give him a chance to prove himself. You’ll see, I promise.”
The silver Tesla convertible pulled into a parking space in front of the park. Andrew stepped out. He was tall, close to six feet four inches. He kept his sandy brown hair cut short and wore a US Army sweatshirt over a faded pair of jeans. Even though the sweatshirt was bulky, Jay could tell Andrew was in good shape.
Jessie jumped up and hopped on one leg into Andrew’s arms. He picked her up and swung her around like a schoolgirl as she squealed with joy. Andrew lowered Jessie to the ground and helped her back to the bench. Jay shook his hand and invited Andrew to sit down with them.
“Andrew and I want to ask you for a special favor,” Jessie said after they sat down. “Jay, will you….” Jessie stopped mid-sentence, choking up with tears.
“Let me ask, Jess,” Andrew said. “Sir, my father raised me to show respect and honor. I want to ask for your permission to marry your sister?”
Jay smiled and shook Andrew’s hand, “First, I have a question to ask you.”
Jessie looked at him with a scowl.
“How are you going to support Jessie? What are your career plans?”
“I have to honor my commitment to our country. I went through Army ROTC at Brown. I leave right after the Labor Day weekend.”
“What unit?”
“82nd Airborne, sir. I’m a combat medic. We’re deploying to Pakistan for training and treating injured kids in Afghanistan. After the service, I plan to be a surgeon.”
“Despite the fact you’re an Army grunt, I guess you pass the test,” Jay said with a big smile. “I’m sure you’ll do well. And yes, you have my permission to marry Jessie.”
“I have a question,” Jessie said. “Will you walk me down the aisle? Stand-in for daddy?”
Jay reached over and hugged his sister, “Of course I will. Where’s the wedding?”
“At the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport. The wedding is on the third Saturday in July.”
“Wow, nice place,” Jay said. “How many guests?”
“Just under four hundred,” Andrew said. “My father has a lot of friends. The Governor of Rhode Island and the Mayor of Providence will be there.”
“And what about the church?”
“The wedding service will be at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence. The Newport churches weren’t big enough.”
Jay walked Andrew and Jessie back to the car. He hugged her and wished her well.
* * *
It was eleven forty-five. Jay was meeting with McCoy and Marty at two o’clock. Enough time for him to get in a run. J
ay jogged to his car across from the aquarium when he heard a blood-curdling scream.
“No, oh no!”
Jay recognized Stephanie’s voice and ran at full speed across the street to the aquarium. He slid to a stop inside the seal enclosure.
Stephanie knelt next to Jojo’s body on the pool deck. Deep red blood poured from a deep gash in the seal’s neck. She held towels against his neck, trying to stem the flowing blood.
Jay choked back his emotions and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He dialed 911, then walked around the blood and knelt next to Stephanie.
“Why, why would anybody do this?” Stephanie said. “Who would kill Jojo?”
Jay tried to console her without success. People stood outside the fence surrounding the pool. They were taking pictures and inching closer to the pool of blood. Jay walked around the blood and asked everyone to stay back so the police could enter. A minute later, a Falmouth police cruiser pulled in with lights flashing. Marty Hernandez got out with another officer.
“I heard the call and came as fast as I could.”
The police officers squeezed past the growing blood pool. Marty knelt next to Stephanie and helped her to her feet. He then pulled her back away from the lifeless seal. The second officer took pictures of the crime scene with his cell phone.
“Tell me what happened,” Marty said to Stephanie when she stopped sobbing.
“I was out here taking a blood sample for the New England Aquarium veterinarian. We were going to transfer him to Boston next week. I went inside to answer a phone call. When I came back….”
“How long were you on the phone?”
“Five minutes at the most.”
“Did you see anybody suspicious around here?”
“No. Nobody. How could anybody do this?”
“Did you receive any threatening phone calls?”
“Of course not. Everybody loved Jojo. He was the star of the aquarium.”
As Marty spoke with Stephanie, Jay scanned the crime scene. A news truck from Hyannis pulled up to the curb, and the sound of a helicopter buzzed overhead. Jay looked up to see a red chopper with the letters GNN on the side. A flock of seagulls hovered over a boat docked next to the aquarium—the day’s fish delivery.