“Beck,” they heard Pinto’s shout over an intercom.
Beck hurried to the nearest intercom and pressed the talk button. “It’s okay, babe,” he insisted in a pleasant, calm tone. “Just stay put for now. We’re fine. Okay? Just let us make sure it’s clear.”
Kirk and Beck carefully walked through the piles of debris and body parts on their way to the opening in the wall. They kept to the side and peered out the opening. The helicopter hovered just outside range of the grenade launcher. The gunner in the side door fired at them. The bullets tore through the wall nearly clipping both men. Beck and Kirk took cover behind steel plates covering the windows and exchanged looks.
“We need to take out that helicopter,” Beck informed Kirk and immediately cocked his head. “Please tell me Zack has a rocket launcher hidden under his pillow.”
“I’m sure he has one,” Kirk announced, “but it’s not here at the lodge.”
“We have to get closer to the helicopter in order for that pussy grenade launcher to be effective,” Beck remarked. “I need options.”
“You sound like Ross,” Kirk scoffed with annoyance. “I’m not the options guy. That’s your job, remember?”
“Give me a minute,” Beck muttered.
The gunner continued to fire at the lodge, causing both men to curse. They could hear the helicopter getting louder, but something sounded odd about it. From opposite steel plated windows, both opened kill slots and looked outside to where the helicopter still hovered. It sounded as if it were going faster, although it was still just hovering. Jackie’s helicopter suddenly appeared and buzzed the tail end of the sniper helicopter. The enemy helicopter veered sharply and almost out of control causing the gunner to fall out the opening. He dangled by a cable attached to his harness. Just as the helicopter stabilized and the gunner started climbing his cable, Jackie’s helicopter made another wild pass across their tail section. The crosswind was enough to send the enemy helicopter spiraling. Beck and Kirk now stood in the massive hole in the wall and stared at the cockfight happening in the sky. Beck looked at Kirk and slapped his shoulder.
“Go, go, go!”
Kirk bolted from the lobby, leaped off the porch, and ran into the front yard with the grenade launcher. Beck was only a few feet behind him and fired at the man dangling from the cable, striking him several times like a piñata. Jackie was about to take another pass when she saw Kirk with the grenade launcher aimed at the enemy helicopter. She suddenly veered away. Kirk pulled the trigger, launching a grenade directly into the aft-side opening. The helicopter exploded, raining flaming metal to the ground. Jackie’s helicopter whizzed past. They gave her a thumbs-up, indicating it was safe for her to land.
Chapter Thirteen
It was a little after three o’clock in the morning Colorado time. A stock trailer pulled up to the moderately large, two-story barn on Ross’s ranch. Bogart climbed out of the passenger seat of the pick-up truck and joined an elderly farmer, who had been driving. Bogart was a well-built man in his late twenties. He was ‘hunky actor’ handsome with flowing golden-brown hair and sideburns nearly a shade darker. Bogart and the elderly farmer approached the back of the stock trailer and unloaded Bogart’s ill-gotten black horse. It wasn’t as if he’d exactly stolen the horse. Actually, Bogart had stolen the horse from Giovanni’s island resort. He didn’t think anyone would miss one horse, and the horse, he happily named Othello, seemed miserable on the island anyway. The country was where a horse like Othello belonged. As they unloaded the horse, Ross’s brother-in-law wearily appeared from the house and joined them. Othello let out a loud whinny. Other horses responded from within the barn.
“Keep it quiet, big fella,” Bogart informed the horse. “You’ll wake the entire house.”
Liam approached and stopped before him. “Too late. We’re already awake. Don’t get many vehicles back here. Heard you coming a mile away.”
“Sorry,” Bogart replied.
“Everyone was worried about you,” Liam announced while attempted a smile, but it was difficult after being awoken at three o’clock in the morning. “I heard you’d be stopping by after your heist.”
Bogart groaned and shook his head. “I didn’t steal the horse,” he insisted. “I just sort of borrowed him. You know, like a foreign exchange program.”
Liam folded his arms across his chest and chuckled softly. “Anything you say, Bogart. You can put him in the last stall for tonight. The other horses are in the barn for the night anyway. They’re calling for a chance of thunderstorms.”
“Might need one of those stalls for myself,” Bogart remarked. He handed the older farmer some money and shook his hand. “Thanks, Dale.”
The old man returned to his truck and drove away. Bogart led the horse into the barn with Liam tagging along. He secured the horse into the stall after they all had a chance to sing their greetings to one another.
“Naturally, you’re welcome to crash here for a few nights,” Liam remarked.
“Wouldn’t be the first time I crashed on Ross’s sofa,” Bogart teased while grinning.
“Well, you may as well take his bed,” Liam replied. “I don’t suppose he’ll mind.”
“Ah,” Bogart fumbled while making a face. “Ross and I aren’t exactly tight, you know? I don’t think he’d appreciate me sleeping in his bed while he’s gone.”
Liam stared at Bogart a moment with a strange look. Realization then crossed his face. “You hadn’t talked to any of the guys since Columbia, have you?”
“No,” Bogart replied. “My cell phone died before we reached Miami. I could’ve charged it on the train, but I seemed to have misplaced the charger.” He then noted the strange look on Liam’s face. “Something I should know?”
“Bogart,” Liam announced gently. “Ross and Lee were killed in Rio.”
Bogart’s face lost all expression. He shifted several times but couldn’t seem to get any words out. “What?” he finally gasped. “How?”
“They claim it was a gas leak at a restaurant in some little town, but the guys seem to think it was a hit,” Liam replied now a little uncomfortable himself. “I’m letting Selena think it was an accident, so don’t say anything in front of her.”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” Bogart replied while staring at the ground as he attempted to process the information. He then looked back at Liam while fighting to hold back his emotions. “How’s Jackie? Is she okay?”
Liam drew a deep breath and gently ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not going to lie,” he announced. “That girl’s been through hell and back. She seems to be holding it together, but I think it’s only a matter of time before she explodes. I mean, can you blame her? First Zack and Ross then Holden--”
Bogart suddenly held his hand up in the air. “Whoa, wait,” he nearly cried out. “What happened to Holden?”
“Oh, you did miss a lot,” Liam responded. “Holden was ambushed during a raid. He was recovering in ICU and then he up and disappeared without a trace. They think he may be with a friend, but they haven’t heard anything.”
Bogart fidgeted and alternated running his fingers through his hair and pacing a small area of the barn aisle. “I need to call her,” he gasped. “She’s got to be devastated.” He then looked at Liam. “You got a phone charger I can borrow?”
“You can use the house phone while yours charges,” Liam offered and motioned him toward the house.
“I should probably check my messages,” he remarked then frowned. “Jesus, she probably left a thousand messages. I should have been there.”
“I don’t think there was anything you could have done,” Liam replied as they headed out of the barn. “Monroe stayed with her for a few days.”
“No, you don’t understand,” Bogart remarked then waved him off. “It’s complicated.”
Once they entered the charming, refurbished country home, Bogart plugged his cell phone into the kitchen outlet to charge while Liam brought him some sheets and pillows for the sofa. Boga
rt immediately checked his missed messages and stared at what flashed across the screen with surprise.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” he suddenly gasped, catching Liam’s attention.
Liam looked over his shoulder. “What is it?”
“I have nearly one hundred missed calls since Saturday,” he announced but the more recent ones caught his attention. “This is today! There has to be twenty missed calls from Sal and another ten from Beck.”
“I told you they were worried about you,” Liam reported with little reaction.
“No, you don’t understand,” Bogart gasped. “They’re from the past three hours!”
“All of them?” Liam suddenly asked. “Why would they be calling you dozens of times in the middle of the night?”
Bogart pressed a button to listen to one of the messages while staring at Liam with a concerned look. “Wake Selena. We may have to get out of here.”
Liam stared at him only a moment before running from the room. Bogart’s phone indicated an incoming call from Sal. He immediately accepted the call.
“Sal,” Bogart cried out into the phone while fidgeting. “What’s happening?”
“Bogart, thank God,” Sal announced from the other end. “Where are you? Never mind. Stay away from any of the safe houses. They came after us all.”
“Who?”
“We don’t know,” Sal replied sounding distressed. “It’s not safe. You need to go into hiding right now. The lodge has been compromised. My house. Monroe’s place. Jackie’s house. They’ve hit them all.”
“Is everyone okay?”
“I’m told they are,” Sal blurted out over the phone. “Our phones may not be secure. I can’t say any more. We’re still trying to contact Gil, but he’s not answering his phone. He may still be in the air.”
“Sal,” Bogart announced with concern in his tone. “I’ve reached my destination. Are they safe here?”
There was a long pause. “Christ, Bogart,” Sal muttered under his breath. “I never even considered--” There was another pause. “Get them out! Beck will have the satellite phone. It’s the only secure line. Call when you get your hands on an untraceable phone. Go. Leave now!”
“We’re leaving now,” Bogart replied and disconnected the call. He unplugged his phone, tossed it to the floor, and stomped on it several times as Liam and Selena entered the kitchen. Both stared at him with horror. Bogart looked up and met their gazes. “We have to go now!”
“The horses,” Selena cried out.
“We’ll take the trailer,” Bogart replied then looked at Liam. “You hook up the trailer and load the horses. Where are Ross’s weapons?”
“The rifles are in the gun cabinet in the living room.”
“No, I mean, where are Ross’s weapons,” Bogart demanded while cocking his head.
Liam shook his head not understanding the question.
“They’re in his closet behind a secret panel,” Selena quickly announced.
Liam stared at his daughter with surprise that she knew the answer to the strange question.
“Show me,” Bogart announced to the teenager then looked at Liam. “The trailer. Go!”
Chapter Fourteen
Selena pushed Ross’s dress shirts aside in his closet to reveal a secret panel that manually slid open. Behind the panel was a large, standing gun safe similar to the one in Jackie’s house. Bogart stared at the digital keypad lock then looked at Selena with his mouth partway open and question in his eyes. The conman was good at a lot of things, but safe cracking wasn’t one of them.
“I don’t know the combination,” she announced defensively, answering his silent question. “I’m not even supposed to know that’s there.”
Bogart crouched before the safe and stared at the keypad a long moment while gently scratching his brow as if it helped him think.
“I’ve got this,” Bogart muttered more to himself as he studied the lock. “There’s an emergency override key.” He looked back at Selena. “Look for a key. Try his dresser. The nightstand drawer. A jewelry box.”
Selena nodded and hurried back into the bedroom leaving Bogart to stare at the keypad lock. He hesitated then punched in six numbers. The safe beeped at him. Bogart sank into thought then shook his head.
“We don’t have time for this,” he muttered and was about to stand when Selena returned to the closet holding a framed photo. He eyed her with a curious look.
“I didn’t find the key, but I found this,” she announced and showed him the framed picture.
The picture was of the entire team posing on and around an old WWII military bomb roughly the size of a full-grown man. Although not part of the picture, there were six numbers written across the bomb. Bogart suddenly grinned and laughed.
“Ross, you sly bastard,” he remarked then punched the numbers onto the keypad.
The safe buzzed and opened. Bogart indicated an empty duffel bag, which Selena immediately grabbed. He loaded several assault rifles and semiautomatic handguns with pre-loaded magazines then tossed them into the bag. He placed a handgun down the back of his pants while straightening then tossed an assault rifle over his shoulder. He looked at the young teenage girl.
“Anyone ever teach you to shoot?”
“Of course,” she replied. “You’ve met my Uncle Ross, haven’t you?”
Bogart handed her a semiautomatic pistol while giving her a serious look. “Only in an emergency. Safety’s on. There isn’t a bullet in the chamber, so you need to cock it first.” He simulated the cocking action.
Selena stared at him a moment then nodded while accepting the gun. She placed it down the back of her pants then covered it with her shirt. Bogart grabbed the duffel bag.
“Let’s see if your father has the horses loaded,” Bogart announced.
†
Bogart and Selena hurried across the area between the house and barn, which was well lit by the barn’s vapor light. The horse trailer was hooked up but the horses weren’t loaded inside. They didn’t see Liam, but the inside barn light was on. Bogart dropped the bag of weapons into the back of the pick-up truck then hurried Selena toward the barn. Bogart suddenly stopped and pulled her alongside the outer door.
“Seem a little quiet to you?” Bogart whispered.
Selena eyed him and nodded. Bogart clutched the rifle and cast himself across the doorway while aiming the weapon into the barn. There was still no sign of Liam. The four horses snickered at him from their stalls. Bogart pressed his back against the doorframe and looked outside the barn. He motioned Selena inside. She hurried into the barn. Bogart quietly closed the large door and braced it shut. He kept his weapon leveled and again scanned the interior of the large barn.
“Bogart, where’s my father?” she gasped softly.
“I don’t know,” he replied while looking around. “We can’t exactly call for him.” He cast a look at the frightened girl. “How well can you ride?”
“Pretty good,” she replied then appeared curious. “Why?”
“Saddle three of the horses,” he informed her. “Fast and quiet. I’ll find your dad.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Me too,” he replied. “Just concentrate on your assignment. Get those horses saddled and position them in the aisle in front of the door. Anyone comes through that door; you take off and don’t stop. You ride for town.”
She uncertainly nodded. Bogart hurried for the door, removed the brace, and looked outside. He slipped out of the barn, shutting the door behind him. Bogart kept close to the horse trailer, keeping his back against it, and watched for any intruders. The night was quiet and nothing seemed to move. The only sounds he heard were those of wildlife. He continued alongside the truck and paused before the passenger side door. He looked into the cab. Liam was nowhere to be found. Bogart cursed softly and headed toward the front of the truck. Liam suddenly sprang up in front of the truck. Bogart jumped with surprise and aimed the assault rifle at him. Liam held his hands in the air and stare
d at Bogart.
“Hey, whoa, it’s just me,” Liam cried out.
As Bogart relaxed, Liam lowered his arms. “What the hell?” Bogart demanded. “Where were you?”
“The radiator was leaking again,” he replied and revealed some duct tape. “I needed to do a quick repair. We should hurry and get the horses loaded.”
Bogart groaned softly then hurried him toward the barn. He opened the barn door and looked inside. He didn’t see any horses in the aisle, and there was no sign of Selena. Liam and Bogart uncertainly looked around.
“Selena?” Liam called out in a loud whisper.
Selena peered over the top of one of the stalls and looked relieved. “Oh, Dad, it’s you,” she announced. “I thought you were the bad guys.”
“I thought you were saddling the horses?” Bogart demanded with some hostility.
She opened the stall door and led the saddled horse from the stall. “One to go,” Selena replied.
“Let’s get them in the trailer,” he father informed her, “while it’s still quiet out there.”
Liam took two horses, while Selena took her saddled horse. Bogart followed behind with his horse proudly wearing an old western saddle.
“You clean up nicely, Othello,” Bogart informed the horse as they headed for the door.
Bogart watched as they easily loaded the first three horses. A jeep was seen at the top of the long driveway with its headlights off. Bogart motioned to Liam and Selena. Liam shut the trailer door and both ducked alongside the trailer closer to the barn. Bogart led Othello back into the barn and closed the door just enough to conceal himself. He turned off the lights before the people in the jeep would notice the barn lights. As the jeep continued its approach, Bogart signaled to Liam. He indicated he should start the truck and take off once Bogart got their attention. Liam hoisted Selena through the open truck window to avoid opening the door, which would reveal the interior light. The jeep was almost to the barn. Liam climbed in after her. She curled into a ball on the floor while Liam slouched in the seat. The jeep, still without its headlights, passed the truck with the horse trailer and stopped several feet from the house.
Outside the Wire Page 7