Outside the Wire

by Holly Copella

  Their suspicions were enough for both men to draw their weapons from their shoulder holsters, leaving their assault rifles slung over their shoulders. Confined quarters were best left for handheld weapons. They paused outside the security office entrance, each taking a side of the door, and listened a moment. When neither heard anything, they exchanged silent words and nodded. Beck turned the doorknob and discovered it wasn’t locked. He slowly pushed the door open, allowing Monroe to peer in from his side of the doorway. A guard was seen sleeping at the desk with his feet propped on top. Monroe gave Beck a look and indicated the guard was asleep. Beck rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

  Beck pushed the door open the rest of the way without disturbing the man. Both entered the security office only manned by the sleeping guard. Monroe approached the reclined man and aimed his gun in his face. Beck slammed the door, startling the guard. He jerked in his chair and stared at the barrel of the gun directly between his eyes.

  “If you don’t scream, we can do this the easy--”

  The guard suddenly cried out, as if attempting to yell out a warning to someone who wasn’t even there. Monroe punched the man in the face with his left fist, silencing him. He then struck him on the head with the butt of his pistol. The guard immediately dropped to the floor. Beck kept watch through the now partially opened door.

  Monroe eyed him and gestured with his weapon. “Why do they always choose the hard way?”

  “Did he look bright to you?” Beck demanded.

  Monroe shrugged. He found a pair of handcuffs and some duct tape in the desk drawer then bound and gagged the guard, so he wouldn’t be able to warn anyone if he woke unexpectedly. Beck locked the security office door from the inside, and both headed for another door leading to the mostly dark drunk tank. They pushed the door open and felt for a light switch. The room brightened considerably. Ross sat up on his blanket on the floor and looked up. When he saw his men, he sprang to his feet as a sly grin crossed his face.

  “What the hell took you so long?” he teased.

  Beck grabbed the keys from the nearby wall and hurried to Ross’s cell. “Oh, the usual,” he replied. “Professional hitmen and Zack, the one man show.”

  “I’ll expect details later,” Ross replied as Beck unlocked the door. Ross stepped out of the cell and immediately found his shirt and shoes on a nearby chair.

  “Smelling a little ripe,” Monroe remarked while wrinkling his nose as Ross passed him.

  “Well, a building did collapse on me, I was beaten for five days, and I’ve been washing in a sink for two weeks,” he casually replied. “You wouldn’t smell so good yourself.” He eyed his men as he slipped into his shoes and then his shirt. “We don’t have much time. Once they realize I’m out, they’ll go for Lee.”

  “Do you know where they’re holding her?” Beck asked as he handed Ross an ear transmitter.

  “If I did, I wouldn’t have stayed in that dank cell,” Ross bluntly informed him while inserting the transmitter in his ear. “I have an ally who’s been searching for her, but he’s come up empty. She has to be in the owner’s penthouse suite. It’s the only floor Wexler said he hasn’t been able to access. He informed me it’s heavily armed.”

  “We should move the tied guard into your cell,” Beck announced. “If they don’t look too closely, it may buy us some time.”

  “I’ll alert the others,” Monroe announced. “Once they arrive, we can storm the penthouse.”

  Ross gave Monroe a serious, concerned look. “Is the team still intact?”

  “We had a few deaths, but they were eventually resurrected,” Monroe informed him. “Holden’s on the injured list, so he’s sitting this one out.”

  “I’m afraid I have a lot of apologizing to do,” Ross announced to his men while frowning. “They threatened to torture and kill Lee.”

  “We understand,” Beck replied. “Let’s just get Lee out of danger. You can buy us a beer later, and we’ll call it even.”

  “After you’ve had a chance to shower,” Monroe muttered.

  Chapter Forty-two

  The jockey’s lounge was almost comfortable enough with which to live. It contained several sofas, recliners, a wet bar, and an excessively large flat screen television mounted on the wall. Undoubtedly, the television only broadcast the live races and replays. The locker room was as nice as any professional sports arena with open box closets rather than actual lockers. The shower room was under construction with most of the original tile already torn up. There was a steam room just off the shower area, but that too was under construction. The dimly lit locker room suddenly brightened as the lights came on. Two guards entered the area, made a brief sweep, and then left, turning off the lights as they closed the door behind them. Zack dropped down from the top of one of the closet style lockers then held his hands up to assist Jackie. She dropped down behind him, avoiding his assistance. He turned and looked at her with disappointment.

  “You’re going to tear open that patch job I did on your leg,” he warned her.

  She ignored the comment and walked past him.

  He frowned as he watched her pass him. “Now I know how Holden feels when you give him the silent treatment,” Zack muttered.

  “I’m not giving you the silent treatment,” she remarked without looking at him. “I’m resisting the urge to hit you. There’s a big difference.”

  “So you’re going to hold it against me forever?”

  “I’m not getting into this with you now,” she remarked with hostility in her tone as she continued toward the door. “We have a job to do and a friend to save. Get your head in the game or go wait in the car with the other little girls.”

  Jackie left the locker room leaving Zack stunned by her harsh words.

  “I’m not sure if I’m turned on or offended,” Zack remarked to himself then shook his head. “This would be a really bad time to tell her I stole her helicopter.” He ran his fingers through his short hair then muttered, “And crashed it.”

  Zack followed Jackie from the jockey’s lounge and into the snack bar area, which wasn’t far from the betting windows. Zack saw two guards in the distance. He grabbed Jackie around the waist from behind and silently flipped her over the snack bar counter with him. Jackie knew better than to question Zack’s snatch and grab. Both crouched behind the counter and listened to the guards in the distance. With an increase in armed guards, they had to be getting closer to where they were holding Ross and Lee. The guards joked with each other as they approached the snack bar. Jackie and Zack attempted to remain still and quiet. Jackie heard something through her ear transmitter. She touched her ear and listened intently. She gave Zack a serious look and mouthed, ‘they found Ross’.

  The guards got closer to the stand. Zack focused his attention on the sound their boots made as they neared the snack bar. He looked at Jackie, raised his brows, and held up one finger. Jackie nodded and waited. Zack listened to the sounds of their feet and their voices close to the counter. He revealed two fingers. Jackie again waited. Zack listened another moment then pointed his fingers at the counter. Jackie and Zack both leaped over the counter while kicking out. The men were almost exactly on target. They each kicked a guard, knocking them to the floor. Jackie didn’t know how Zack was able to calculate a man’s exact location just by listening to their footfalls, but she was eager to learn that trick.

  The guards attempted to get back up, but Jackie and Zack were swiftly on top of them. Jackie had her man down and out almost instantly. When she looked at Zack, he had his guard by the head. She gave him a warning look. He sneered at her and punched the man in the head, knocking him to the floor.

  “We need to tie them up and stash them somewhere out of sight. We have to meet the guys by the main stairs,” she informed him with a sense of urgency. “Ross believes they’re holding Lee in the owner’s penthouse.”

  Zack removed a roll of duct tape from his thigh pants pocket, pulled off a large piece, and extended it to Jackie. She re
luctantly took the tape from him. She was still mad at him, so she couldn’t admit that she loved how scary prepared he was for any occasion. Just once, she wanted to empty all his pockets and take inventory of what he had on him.

  †

  Melissa paced the temporary security office located inside the penthouse. One of the guards sat before a panel of monitors and scanned different sections of the track building from hidden security cameras. She looked worried while she paced in her expensive dress and designer shoes, tapping her manicured fingernails on her arms folded across her chest.

  “What about the other guards?” she demanded.

  “At least seven aren’t responding to my calls,” the guard informed her.

  “Why can’t you find anyone on the security monitors?” she demanded, growing impatient.

  “It’s only connected to the track building,” the guard reminded her. “We’re lucky we have that with the renovations going on.”

  “I don’t like this,” she lashed out hotly. “They’re here, I know it. Somehow they found us.” Melissa sank into thought a moment. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “Riley,” she snarled. “That bitch!”

  “The hand radios are sometimes unreliable,” the guard informed her. “We should do a physical search of the grounds.”

  “That’s just what they want,” she launched back. “Pick the guards off one at a time. We’ve given them enough advantage already. I knew this was a bad idea.” She hesitated then glared at the guard, who remained focused on the monitors. “What’s the status on their leader?”

  “Tucked away in his cell,” the guard replied.

  “Have you spoken with his guard?”

  “Communication is down within the security office in the basement,” the guard remarked.

  “Down? What do you mean it’s down?” she shouted. “Didn’t you think to tell me about this?”

  He shifted uncomfortably. “Well, more like the guard is probably asleep and isn’t answering his radio,” the guard informed her.

  The radio on the desk crackled. Melissa grabbed it without hesitation and spoke into it. “This is Melissa,” she announced. “What did you find?”

  The guard sitting before the monitor appeared uncomfortable and cleared his throat. “If you want to talk, you have to push the talk button,” he delicately informed her.

  She glared at him with annoyance and slapped the radio against his chest.

  The guard fumbled with the hand radio and pushed the talk button. “What’s the status of our prisoner?” the guard asked over the radio.

  “Negative status,” came the response from the other end. “He’s gone.”

  “He got away!” Melissa screeched with anger. “I want them found! Get the girl! If they get anywhere near the penthouse, kill her!”

  The guard put out an alert to all the guards. “I need all security to the penthouse,” he announced into the hand radio. “We have uninvited guests, and our prisoner has escaped.” He received many responses but several guards didn’t report.

  “How far out are the bounty hunters?” Melissa demanded as her pacing increased.

  “Fifteen minutes at most,” the guard replied.

  “Then we just need to keep the girl secured until they get here and deal with these fuckers,” Melissa announced then seemed more confident while straightening proudly. “Locate them! You should be able to find something on the cameras if they’re close to the penthouse.”

  “You don’t understand, Ms. Pendleton,” the guard announced. “These guys are former Navy SEALs. If they’re converging, you won’t see them until they’re on top of you. They’re good at staying invisible.”

  Both looked at the security monitor and saw Zack standing in front of the camera with a cheap grin on his face. He waved at them, gave them the middle finger, and then shot out the camera. The gunshot was heard on the main level two floors down.

  Melissa sneered while staring at the static filled monitor. “That Russian bastard,” she scoffed. “I knew there was something not right with him.”

  The guard was already shouting into the hand radio. “They’re in the main building somewhere around the betting windows,” the guard announced. “I need every available man on them in the main building.”

  “Wake the others,” Melissa ordered. “Have them guard the penthouse. Shoot to kill.”

  The guard pushed a button on the console. “I need all security in the barracks to report to the penthouse. Orders shoot to kill.”

  Melissa attempted a calm appearance and smirked while folding her arms across her chest. “They don’t stand a chance against that many men,” she announced. “Maybe we won’t even have to pay the bounty on their heads if we end this before the bounty hunters arrive.”

  The guard gave her a strange look, but she didn’t notice. Her look was a little too confident at that moment.

  †

  The suite door within the penthouse living room burst open. Jason and another guard rushed inside the room with their weapons aimed. The living room was empty and moderately dark. Each man went a separate direction and checked both bedrooms. They returned to the living room and exchanged strange looks. The second guard raised his hand radio.

  “The girl and her keepers are gone,” the guard announced into the hand radio.

  “What?” Melissa was heard screeching through the radio, causing both men to grimace.

  “Like fingernails on a chalkboard,” Jason muttered.

  “I want that girl found,” Melissa continued her rant over the hand radio. “If those bitches are helping her, shoot them on the spot!”

  “Copy that,” the second guard announced into his hand radio and nodded Jason toward the door.

  Jason frowned and shook his head with disgust. “Kelsey, you stupid girl,” he muttered.

  †

  Half a dozen guards ran for the main betting area of the building. Ross, Beck, and Monroe watched them pass then slipped into the stairwell leading up to the penthouse. Gil and Darth entered the elevator not far from the stairs. Gil casually pushed the button then clasped his hands in front of him with Darth obediently sitting alongside him as they patiently waited for the doors to close. The guards were already patrolling the penthouse floor when the elevator dinged, alerting them to someone’s presence. The four men ran for the elevator and aimed their weapons at the door as it opened. The elevator was empty except Darth, who remained sitting in the center happily panting. The guards exchanged strange looks.

  Darth barked once then ran from the elevator. The guards turned and watched the dog run down the corridor. When they looked back at the elevator, Gil stood where Darth once sat and held his assault rifle in his hands. He fired at the group of men, mowing them down with a controlled burst of rifle fire. Gil casually stepped out of the elevator past the dead men. The stairway door opened to reveal Ross, Beck, and Monroe with their weapons raised. They saw the dead guards and approached Gil. Ross motioned for Monroe to go with Gil one direction while they went the opposite direction.

  Chapter Forty-three

  A dozen men searched the area surrounding the closed betting windows for any sign of intruders, but they were coming up empty. Two headed into the jockey’s lounge while two others headed outside toward the track. The remaining eight men stayed within the main area, half patrolling the betting windows and the other half investigating the snack bar area on the opposite end. The guards walked past the betting windows and saw two windows next to each other were now open. They exchanged looks then signaled for the other two guards to circle around to the side door. The first two men aimed their weapons as each approached an open betting window. As they leaned over the counter to look inside, both men were pulled across the counter and through the window, disappearing on the other side. The sound of grunting was heard. Jackie and Zack slid, feet first, out the open windows.

  The second pair of guards charged into the secured area behind the betting windows with their weapons aimed only to find the first two guards
unconscious on the floor. They looked around the long room. Other than two sets of counters and a dozen rolling chairs, the room was empty. One guard returned to the door while the second approached the open windows. He peered out the first window. Jackie’s booted feet struck him in the face as she clung to the bar above her and jumped through the window feet first. The second man spun around, having heard the first guard striking the counter against the wall. Zack appeared in the doorway behind him, caught the guard around the neck, and flipped him through the air to the floor in a newly acquired professional wrestler type move. Zack rolled across the floor and sprang back to his feet. Jackie noted the new move and nodded her approval. Although he barely reacted to her acknowledgment, Zack enjoyed the ego stroke. He held up four fingers and pointed in the direction of the snack bar, indicating the location of the remaining guards. Jackie nodded.

  Not far from the snack bar, two guards patrolled the surrounding area. Jackie and Zack were nearly upon them when the two remaining guards stepped out from behind the snack bar and saw them. The original goal was to keep their attacks silent, taking them out a few at a time, so as not to bring an army of guards upon them at once.

  “Shit,” Jackie groaned while reaching for her semiautomatic in her shoulder holster.

  As the men aimed their assault rifles, Zack ran for them, surprising the men and Jackie. Zack slid into home plate, bowling both men over. As they flew to the floor, the two remaining guards aimed their weapons at Zack. Before they could even get him in their sights, Zack sprang to his feet, ran up the wall, and grabbed onto the horizontal support beam. He leaped onto the beam and disappeared into the shadows of the rafters, leaving both men stunned. When they turned, Jackie was already throwing her body into a high flip, kicking one man with her left foot and the second with her right on the way down. The first guard’s assault rifle flew across the snack bar and shattered the glass on a framed picture of a racehorse. Jackie grimaced at the nearly deafening sound.