Vigilante Assassin

by Mark Nolan

Lauren opened a cupboard and found a container of tomato soup. “I’ll look into it.”

  Chrissy asked, “Mommy, is Daddy home?”

  Lauren’s face went pale. “No, Daddy is away on a business trip that came up at the last minute. He’s very sorry he couldn’t be here.”

  She got out the makings for the soup and sandwiches and went to work as the helicopter could be heard taking off and flying away.

  Jake got down on one knee, patted Cody on the back and spoke to him in a low voice. “You did good, buddy. Do you see that family? You helped them. Thank you, Devil Dog.”

  Cody chuffed and wagged his tail. It appeared to Jake that he felt like it was all in a day’s work for him. Give him more missions; he needed the exercise.

  Once the kids were eating lunch and watching a TV in the kitchen, Lauren turned on the dishwasher and motioned for Jake to come closer. While the dishwasher was making noise, she whispered to him. “I’m thinking of telling the kids that their father died in a car accident while he was on a business trip.”

  “I don’t know if that will work. The media will have a field day with this in the news. Everyone in town will be gossiping. I can’t give you any advice about what to say, but my sister Nicole is a psychiatrist, and she could be helpful.”

  “Does she make house calls?”

  “No, but she’ll do it for you if I ask her nicely.” Jake sent a text message to Nicole, and received a reply. “Nicole said yes, she’s on her way over here.” He felt grateful to have her for a sister. She was a good person and a good friend.

  Lauren whispered, “What happened to those kidnappers? Were they arrested?”

  “Not all of them,” Jake said.

  “Some got away?”

  Jake looked out the window and didn’t reply.

  “You mean, they’re … dead?” Lauren said.

  Jake turned to her. “Several are dead, and others are under arrest. A few may still be loose on the streets.”

  “Was there a fight?”

  “Yes, there was what my gunnery sergeant would call an unavoidable violent confrontation. The good news is, those dead men will never bother your family again.”

  “But what about—I just don’t know—I’m not sure what to say.” Lauren looked into his eyes and shook her head.

  Jake held her gaze and nodded. “Somebody helped me today. A man named Paul. You might want to consider hiring him as your temporary gardener. That way he can also act as an additional security guard outside the house during the daytime.”

  Lauren appeared doubtful.

  Jake went to the window and pointed out Paul. He was standing post on guard duty, right where Jake had left him.

  Lauren furrowed her brow, surprised at his appearance. “Who is he? Can I trust him? I’m sorry, but he looks like a panhandler.”

  “He served as an Army Ranger and lost a leg in combat. One of the FBI agents in the helicopter checked him for wants and warrants and criminal history. He came up clean.”

  “Sophie passed a background check, but she turned on me when someone threatened her family.”

  Jake sent a text to Levi. “Anyone can be threatened or bribed. I’ve asked Levi to run a check on Paul for you. The most important thing to know is that today Paul voluntarily risked his life to help save the lives of your children.”

  “What did he do?”

  “He came to our rescue, uninvited, and started fighting the kidnappers. He hit one of them in the head with a frying pan.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “He isn’t perfect, none of us are. He drinks liquor in the evenings so he can fall asleep and not dream of his violent past in the Army. The bottom line is he could help protect the outside of your home during the daytime when he’s sober and alert.”

  “Do you trust him?”

  “Yeah, I do. My dog trusts him too, which means a lot to me.”

  “Well, if you trust him and he risked his life to help rescue my children, that’s all I need to know. He can start work today as long as he passes the security background check and stays outside the house.”

  “Good plan.”

  “Does he know anything about gardening?”

  “That doesn’t matter. He’s a capable guy who can figure it out.”

  Lauren stared at Jake.

  While Jake was looking out the window, he saw a black Suburban SUV drive up and stop. The front passenger door opened and a man got out, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, plain tie, and shiny black shoes. His face displayed no emotion as he walked directly toward the front door with a purposeful stride.

  Jake recognized him as a Secret Service agent named Easton. “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to be at a meeting right now.”

  Lauren looked out the window. “You’re leaving?”

  “Yes, but I’ll be back soon,” Jake said. He walked down the hall and went outside, with Cody following him. He spoke to Paul. “You just got offered a job, working as a gardener here. You’d also provide added security for the property during the daytime. What do you say?”

  “An actual job with a paycheck? It’s been a while. Sure, I’ll give it my best try. Thanks.”

  “You’ll have to pass a full background check, and then show up every morning without any excuses. I believe you can do it. I have faith in you, Eagle Eyes.”

  Paul smiled and shook Jake’s hand. “Is there a liquor store within walking distance of this place? Later tonight I’ll need to stop by and get my medicine.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find one. Just don’t drink until after work, okay?”

  “No worries, only at bedtime. The terrorist attack that killed my friends and took my leg happened at sunset. I’ve had trouble sleeping ever since.”

  Levi came out of the house and spoke to Jake. “You and Cody certainly earned your pay today, and then some.”

  “I’m glad we could help.”

  “I want you to spend the rest of the day inside the house, acting as the family’s personal bodyguard team.”

  “We can’t. I promised to go to a lunch meeting with this gentleman.” Jake gestured toward Agent Easton who walked up to them and stood facing Jake.

  “I’ll triple whatever he’s offering you,” Levi said. “Lauren trusts you and Cody. She wants you here, and her kids do too. Money is no object.”

  Jake shook his head. “I’m sorry, I wish I could stay, but this meeting is with the US Secret Service. It’s not something that can be rescheduled.”

  Easton showed his credentials to Levi without a word.

  Levi raised his eyebrows. “That’s … very interesting.”

  Chapter 23

  Levi said, “Jake, can I tell Lauren you’ll be back here before it gets dark? She wants you and Cody to have dinner with the family and then sit in the living room and watch TV before the kids go to bed. Would you be willing to read a book to them?”

  Jake stared at Levi for a moment. “Why don’t the grandparents come over here, have dinner with the kids and read them a bedtime story?”

  “Lauren is an only child, her parents are deceased, and her mother-in-law has always hated her. Now she blames Lauren for Gene’s death.”

  “Gene’s mother is going to be surprised to find out that her precious son was a very bad boy. In fact, she might be subject to massive lawsuits from the people her son was spying on with his hidden cameras.”

  “Gene’s actions weren’t his mother’s fault.”

  “True, but people will try to sue her anyway.”

  Levi shook his head. “Will they sue Lauren too?”

  “Yes. There’s no avoiding it. I’ll ask Bart Bartholomew to give Lauren some advice. He’s one of the best lawyers in town.”

  “You have a lot of connections. Can I talk you into full-time employment with my company?”

  “Probably not,” Jake said.

  “The salary is negotiable. What would it take to get you and Cody on my team every day?”

  Jake looked at the house. “Let’s work together again
tomorrow. We can take it one day at a time and see how it goes.”

  “That’ll work.” Levi went back inside.

  Jake turned to the Secret Service agent. “Good to see you, Easton.”

  Easton nodded. “You and I are going for a drive in that vehicle over there. You promised to meet Agent McKay for lunch today, and you will be keeping your word.”

  “You’re absolutely right, but I usually have a late lunch, so I’m still on schedule, according to California time.”

  Easton turned away without any further discussion and walked toward the armored SUV, with Jake and Cody following him.

  Jake recognized a woman in a pantsuit who was standing next to the driver’s door of the SUV. “Agent Greene, how’s that bump on the head? Getting better, I hope.”

  Greene shook hands with Jake. “Yes, it’s going to be okay. My doctor said I’m a hard-headed woman.”

  “I could have told you that, and saved you a medical bill.”

  Greene smiled and shook her head at Jake. She then turned to Cody. “Hey there, you golden furball from hell. How are you doing?”

  Cody woofed at her and wagged his tail.

  They all got into the SUV and drove toward the restaurant. When they arrived, Greene remained with the vehicle.

  Jake reached into a pocket of his jacket for a lightweight nylon service dog vest. He dressed Cody in the vest and brought him inside.

  The head waiter seemed affronted by the dog and he shook his head in dismay as he showed them to their booth in a private corner, far away from everyone else. Jake handed the man a generous tip in cash, and his attitude improved significantly.

  Agent Shannon McKay was sitting in the booth with a pint of dark beer on the table in front of her, along with an empty plate and three glasses of water. She glared at Jake.

  “Well, if it isn’t the infamous Jake Wolfe. You suggested that we meet here for lunch and have hot toasted crab sandwiches on sourdough bread, along with cold pints of Flying Cloud San Francisco Stout. But then you stood me up, so I went ahead and had lunch without you.”

  “Sorry, McKay, I was kind of busy,” Jake said. “Don’t worry, I never pass up a sandwich and a pint. I’m just fashionably late.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re only here thanks to Easton. You were going to blow off this meeting, the same way you ignored my phone call.”

  Jake sat down and glanced at the pint with a thirsty look on his face. Cody sat on the floor next to him. Easton took a seat next to McKay.

  A blond waitress appeared at the table, her curious eyes on Jake. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll have one of these pints and a toasted crab sandwich on sourdough bread,” Jake said. “My dog will have a bone-in ribeye steak, cooked rare.”

  “Coming right up.”

  McKay said, “Cancel that order; we’re leaving. Just bring me the check.”

  Jake said, “My dog rescued two children today, and he deserves a steak. I’m not leaving here without it.”

  The waitress smiled. “A rare steak won’t take long.” She walked away.

  McKay stared at Jake. “Do you have anything you want to say?”

  “Sure, let me say that the government owes me for everything I’ve done for my country. It’s not the other way around. If you’re not going to buy me a sandwich, feel free to write me a bonus paycheck in compensation for all the times I risked my life overseas for Uncle Sam. Be sure to spell my name right on the check, and add an extra zero for Cody’s service too.”

  To illustrate his point, Jake reached out and grabbed her pint and took a drink. For some reason, he couldn’t resist pushing the buttons of starched shirt bossy types from D.C.

  McKay’s eyes narrowed, and when Jake set the pint down half-empty, she reached out and took it away from him.

  Cody growled at McKay.

  Jake said, “Careful now, you don’t want to get on Cody’s bad side.”

  Jake grabbed Easton’s glass of water and held it down by his side so Cody could drink from it. Cody lapped up the water, and then looked at Easton and panted, Ha-Ha-Ha.

  Easton took Jake’s glass of water and drank from it like this was no big deal.

  Jake looked at McKay’s beer again, and she pulled it back closer to her. Jake smiled. “Remind me, McKay, what was the point of this pointless bureaucratic meeting? Couldn’t you just send me an official email that I’d never open?”

  “The president has a private proposal for you, about how you could use your past training and skills to serve your country again.”

  “No offense to you or the president, but I’ve already served my country more than enough. Whatever he has to propose, my answer is no. Find another person to do it.”

  “You might change your mind once you hear the details.”

  “That’s what you desk warriors always say right before you ask the troops to volunteer and risk their lives for the crisis of the month. It’s always a mission of very high danger for very low pay. Meanwhile, you sit safely in your office and fill out a spreadsheet on your computer, then go home to enjoy a peaceful dinner and watch TV with your family.”

  McKay set her phone on the table and tapped it a few times. It emitted a hissing sound, as an electronic countermeasure to listening devices. “Your life would be in danger, I have to admit,” she said. “This is a top secret project, deploying off-the-books rogue personnel, so there is total deniability. Among the very few who have heard of it, we privately refer to this new counterforce as…” She turned her phone so Jake could read the words on the display:

  The President’s Operational Emergency Team. Code name: The POETs.

  Jake shook his head. This could probably get him killed. He reached out, grabbed McKay’s beer, and chugged the rest of it down in one long drink.

  Chapter 24

  The waitress gave a to-go box to Jake and the check to McKay.

  Jake saw her glance at his left hand to see if he wore a ring and he gave her some cash for a tip. “Thanks for the steak. Cody will love it.”

  She held eye contact with him and smiled. “It was my pleasure. He’s a handsome and charming boy. I hope we see him in here again soon.”

  Jake got the message. He was tempted to ask her for her phone number. It was the obvious and expected thing to do in this situation, but his heart was currently pointed toward a veterinarian named Sarah Chance, as if she were the North Star. Sarah was the first thing he thought about in the morning, and the last thing on his mind when he fell asleep at night. Maybe she had put a spell on him. He silently reminded himself that he was a “one woman at a time” kind of guy, then smiled at the waitress and told a white lie. “We’ll definitely be back—see you soon.”

  Jake turned and went out the door with Cody by his side. As he walked to the vehicle, he felt a sense of hunger and emptiness. He’d forgotten to eat breakfast, he’d missed lunch, and he’d passed up the chance to date an attractive and friendly waitress. There was also a gnawing in his gut from the mix of opiates and other drugs, calling him to feed the evil hunger again.

  Most of all, he felt a longing to take the Far Niente out on the Bay and get away from it all. But instead, he had to endure a meeting where government people tried to talk him into risking his life. That was bad enough, but they also wanted him to risk Cody’s life. He felt his heartburn flare up.

  Easton got in the front passenger seat next to Greene. Jake and McKay sat in the backseat, and Cody sat behind them in the large cargo area with the third row of seats removed.

  Jake opened the to-go container and turned to Cody. “You ready for your steak?” Cody barked once. “I’m tempted to take a big bite out of it first, is that okay?” Cody barked twice and shook his head. Jake laughed and set the container down.

  Cody began chomping on the steak as if it was the first, last, and only meal he’d ever eaten.

  Jake smiled. “You’re off duty, Cody. This is chow time.”

  McKay took a tablet out of her purse, put an earb
ud into one ear, and tapped on the screen. “No, he has not been cooperative.” She turned the tablet toward Jake so he could see it.

  Jake saw the US Presidential Seal. Now they were going to put full pressure on him. His guess was there must be a high-value target they wanted dead, and Jake was one of their draft picks to go overseas and take care of the problem. “With all due respect, I’m a civilian now, with responsibilities.” He reached back and patted Cody on the head.

  McKay interrupted him. “You agreed to a private meeting, and we’re going to have one right now, in this vehicle.”

  “Great, let’s get it over with, and then maybe we can stop by Super Duper Burger for some takeout food. Easton, you like Super Duper—am I right?”

  Easton said nothing. He rarely did.

  Greene drove the SUV into traffic, weaving her way through the city on an unpredictable route. She checked her mirrors every time she turned a corner.

  McKay tapped some controls in the vehicle’s backseat console to initiate a new privacy technology. “If you’d arrived on time, the president would have joined us for a conference call. Now he’s busy in another meeting.”

  “Sorry about that.” Jake turned and looked behind him. Cody had devoured the steak and was now chewing on the bone. “How was that lunch, Devil Dog?” He wondered who would take care of Cody, if he went off on some suicide mission ordered by the White House.

  Cody lifted his head and let out a loud dog burp.

  “Well, all right, then. I’ll take that as a thumbs up.”

  Cody went back to gnawing the bone.

  McKay said, “Jake, do you remember me saying that Congress has secretly granted a blanket letter of marque and reprisal for one specific small team of the Secret Service?”

  “Yes, I remember. I thought it was quite an ingenious legal maneuver.”

  McKay read from her tablet. “The letter of marque and reprisal legally converts your private vessel, the Far Niente, into a naval auxiliary. You become a commissioned privateer with jurisdiction to conduct reprisal operations worldwide, and you’re covered by the protection of the laws of war. In addition, you’ll be operating under admiralty and maritime law, which gives you broad legal powers on the water similar to what the Coast Guard has.”