by Warren Ray
“You mean the man who holds your leash.”
Cox let out a grunt.
“How’s that nose of yours?”
Cox ignored the comment.
Pulling out his nightstick, Cox dragged it noisily across the bars. “Ladies, time to get up. You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”
Reese and Sadie stood up.
Cox turned to Millsap. “I want you to take these two bedraggled looking creatures upstairs, get them to the showers and get them cleaned up. I want them to look their best.”
“You got it, Captain,” said an excited Millsap.
“Don’t be getting any ideas.”
“Wouldn’t think of it, boss,” he grumbled.
Cox turned back to Winters. “And you, Mr. Winters, well, you don’t need to look good.”
Millsap opened the cell door to let Reese and Sadie out of their cage. As Sadie walked out, she batted Millsap’s hand off her shoulder.
“Don’t be giving me any sass, little girl,” yelled Millsap.
“Just get them upstairs,” said Cox.
They marched the girls upstairs leaving Winters alone to ponder how they’d be treating them. He sat back down on his plywood bed and leaned back to wait.
Thirty minutes later Millsap escorted the girls back downstairs with their hair still wet. They carried some food with them, which they shared with Winters. As they ate, they heard yelling upstairs and wondered what was going on.
Chapter 58
Cox sat in his office thinking about his exciting day. He couldn’t wait to deliver Winters and the two girls to Mordulfah. He had purposely not told him about the girls. He wanted it to be a pleasant enough surprise that Mordulfah would pay a more handsome reward. As he sat there, Millsap came in and reported that Hadley had just arrived for work. Cox sat up straight in his chair and ordered Millsap to bring the Texan to him.
Hadley walked in. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Where were you yesterday?”
“Huh, I wasn’t feeling well and took the day off.”
Cox raised an eyebrow. “Not feeling well, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What was wrong with you?”
“Ate something bad is all, felt terrible all day.”
“Your tummy feeling better today is it?”
“Yes sir, it is.”
Cox stood up. “What I want to know is who let out that D.C. puke we had locked up?”
“I’ve no idea, sir. I didn’t even know he was gone until just now.”
“Well, he is, and there was no one around to let him out. No one but you, that is.”
“I didn’t do it, sir.”
Cox gestured with his hands. “You must think that I’m an idiot. You were the only one who didn’t come with us.”
“Sir, I swear I didn’t let him go, I was home, sick.”
“I don’t believe a damn word you say,” yelled Cox. “Millsap, get in here.”
Millsap walked into the office. “I want you to take our Texas friend downstairs and keep him there till I get back.”
Millsap stripped Hadley of his sidearm and shoved him up against the wall, where he proceeded to handcuff him. “Boy, you’re in real trouble now,” snickered Millsap.
“Bring me Winters on your way back up.”
Cox wanted to blow off some steam and Winters seemed like just the person to do it on. He needed to pay him back for breaking his nose and all his smart mouthing. He wouldn’t rough him up too much. The poor bastard would need his strength when he met Mordulfah.
Cox walked outside and waited as Millsap led Winters out with his hands cuffed behind him. Cox grabbed his nightstick from his belt and slammed it point first into Winters’ stomach. Winters doubled over and fell to the ground trying to catch his breath.
“That’s for busting my nose,” snarled Cox as he swung the club down across his back.
Millsap grabbed Winters’ arm and yanked him to his feet. He held onto him while Cox balled his fist and delivered a couple of blows to the face. Winters collapsed to the ground. Cox then kicked dirt in his face.
“There you go, Mr. Rebel, how’s that dirt taste?”
Winters groaned.
“I’d do more to you old man, but I’m afraid you’d have a heart attack and die on me.” He looked at Millsap. “Get him into my car.”
“You got it, boss,” said Millsap.
“You got everything else set up and ready?”
“Just as you told me, boss.”
“Good. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled.”
Hadley hadn’t expected his colleagues to throw him in jail when he came to work. He didn’t think they would suspect him. His desire to help Winters had blinded him to the dangers of showing up. As soon as Millsap went back upstairs, Sadie immediately began peppering him with questions about what happened. Hadley wasn’t sure if he should tell them or wait for Winters.
“Why did you come back here?” asked Reese.
Hadley hesitated before answering. “They asked me to come back.”
“Who?” asked Reese.
“Scar.”
“He’s alive?” asked an excited Sadie.
Hadley nodded.
“What about Meeks?” asked Reese.
“Yes, he’s alive, he got shot though.”
Reese cringed. “Is he alright?”
“Yes, don’t worry, he’s good.”
“Are they going to rescue us?” asked Reese.
“Yes.”
“I knew it,” said Sadie, confidently.
“It’s why I came back here. Scar wanted me to get word to Winters.”
Reese reached through the bars and rested her hand on Hadley’s arm. “That was so brave of you.”
Hadley blushed a little. “I just wish I could do more, but now I’m stuck here.”
“You’ve done more than you know,” said Reese, as she looked down at Sadie. “We’ve been so worried that everyone was dead or caught and that no one was coming.”
Their conversation ended abruptly when they heard the upstairs door unlock and squeaked as it opened. Heavy footfalls came stomping down the stairs.
Hadley moved up close to the bars separating them and whispered. “You girls just stay strong.”
Reese moved in, gave Hadley a kiss, and whispered a thank you.
Hadley grinned as blood rushed to his cheeks. No girl had kissed him since he had left home and never from such a pretty girl.
Millsap opened the cell door. “Alright girls, upstairs, it is time to go.”
Sadie turned to look back at Hadley and smiled at him as she reached the stairs.
The cops escorted the girls outside to a waiting car. Winters was slumped in the backseat of another. Sadie saw they had beaten him up and shot him a worried glance. Winters gave her a half smile and a wink. Sadie returned the gesture as the cops put her in the back of the squad car. Sadie looked around and then at Winters and tried to mouth the words, “they are coming”. Seeing him in a daze made her tear up.
The armed convoy pulled out and headed to Grosse Pointe and Mordulfah. Cox was in the best of moods and couldn’t wait to get his reward. Everything was falling into place nicely.
Chapter 59
Alexandria Virginia
Green’s head was spinning as he drove home last night. He had made a tactical error in underestimating his boss, Lawrence Reed’s, paranoia. Discovering he was being followed was fortuitous, getting the man’s license plate number was icing on the cake. He’d have to find someone to run the plates.
He had tried calling his friend Sam last night when he got home, but he hadn’t picked up. He left a message to call him at home as soon as he checked the recording. Not having access to one of the few remaining cell phones, he decided he would try Sam at his office number right at 0800.
He didn’t look forward to telling him they were being followed, but he owed it to Sam to inform him. Green imagined his head exploding when he told him. His friend had alread
y been nervous about handing over the information.
Before heading to the office, Green wanted to go for a run to clear his mind. As he got ready the phone rang. He picked it up and heard Sam’s voice on the other end.
“Oh, hell, John.” said Sam, after Green gave him the news.
“I’m sorry. I feel like an idiot.”
“I told you that you weren’t a spy.”
“I know.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“I need to find out who he is, I got his plate number, just need to find someone to run it.”
“Give it to me, I know someone. What are you going to do when you know who he is?”
“I’m not sure yet, confront him, maybe find out for sure who he’s working for.”
“Give me a couple of hours on this. You want me to call you at work?”
“No. I’m pretty sure my phone is tapped. Just meet me at the Duxbury Coffee shop at ten.”
The conversation with Sam made Green too anxious to go for a run, so after a quick breakfast with his mother, he went straight to work. He didn’t tell her what had happened but knew he’d have to give her a heads up when he found out more about the situation.
He arrived at the office in a restless state and had trouble focusing enough to go through the pile of paperwork on his desk. He kept looking at the clock as the hands crawled toward ten o’clock.
Green turned in his chair and looked out the window at the D.C. landscape. He had a good view of Lafayette Park and watched the people go about their lives seemingly oblivious to what was taking place out West and the hardships many of their fellow Americans were going through just to survive another day. He wondered how many of them had relatives suffering those hardships.
The clock ticked away and finally made it to 9:40. He got up, walked to the opposite end of the building, and took the stairs to the back entrance. He wanted to make sure no one could follow him as he exited out onto 15th Street. He walked to I Street, turned against the traffic and went the long way looking for the man in the red golf shirt. Satisfied no one was tailing him he set off for the Duxbury Coffee Shop.
He walked into the shop, which had the usual coffee bar with comfortable seating off to the side. Small groups of patrons sat chatting quietly to each other. Green spotted his friend and gave him a nod. After ordering, he sat down and joined him.
“Hey, I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“I’m not happy, John. I can’t believe I’m having to help you again, but then I don’t have much choice.”
Green took the lid off and took a sip of his latte. “Did you have any luck?”
Sam nodded. He reached into his jacket, pulled out two sheets of paper, unfolded them, and laid the first one down on the table. It was a police mug shot.
Green studied the picture. “That’s him alright.”
“This guy’s a piece of work. His name is Bruce Pruitt. He’s a two-time loser, got sent away twice for burglary and grand larceny. Served five years the first time and then the second time, after only serving two, got himself paroled. Doesn’t look like he’s ever had a regular job. Fancies himself a private detective now, but that’s not official, seeing as he doesn’t have a license.”
“How the hell does he know Reed?”
“Oh, it gets better,” said Sam, who then handed him Pruitt’s address. “He’s got a place over in Bethesda.”
“Nice neighborhood for a two-time loser.”
“That’s what I thought too, so I did a little extra checking. Turns out the house is owned by Reed.”
“Is that where Reed lives?”
“No, he’s got a place over in Annapolis.”
Green pondered the significance of that information.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Whatever you do, you need to do it quickly. Thankfully, I was using a car out of the motor pool. So, it may take a little while before they can track down who drove it, but sooner than later, they’ll trace it back to me.”
“I promise you, I’ll take care of this.”
“You damn well better, or we both might be dead.”
Green left the coffee shop and started walking back to his office. He stopped in mid-stride and decided to go to Bethesda. He would turn the tables and stalk his stalker.
Chapter 60
Grosse Pointe Michigan
Cox and his men reached the estate of Edsel & Eleanor Ford located in Grosse Pointe. The mansion sat right on the shore of Lake St. Clair. It had been opened to the public since the seventies when she had gifted it to the city.
They drove up to the gate where guards waved his motorcade in, and they made their way to the main house. More guards came and ushered them through the small entryway.
Cox stood with Winters, Sadie and Reese in the hallway as Mordulfah came in.
“Captain Cox, you are to be congratulated,” said Mordulfah as he approached. He took a look a Cox’s nose. “Oh, my, you were wounded?”
“Yes, sir,” said Cox, eyeballing Winters.
“Well, I hope you’re not in too much pain.”
Mordulfah then moved to Winters. “So, you’re the man who’s been giving us so much trouble. You’re quite old to be playing a young man’s game.” He then moved over to Reese and Sadie. “Now, what do we have here?”
“These are my gifts to you. The tall one is Reese and the little one is Sadie.”
“My, my, you two are quite beautiful,” said Mordulfah as he reached for Sadie’s dishwater blond hair.
Sadie jerked away from his touch.
“She’s a bit on the sassy side,” said Cox.
Mordulfah laughed. “I can see. We’ll take care of that.” He motioned to Wali, his trusted assistant. Wali led the two girls away.
Mordulfah moved back over to Winters. “Mr. Winters is it?”
Winters didn’t respond.
“Mr. Winters, you’re being quite rude. You’re to be a guest here in my home. Now I’ll ask you again. It’s Mr. Winters?”
Winters nodded.
“Now, that wasn’t so difficult.” He then spoke in Arabic to another servant, who turned and left the room, returning in a few moments with a thick envelope, handing it to Mordulfah. “For your services, Captain Cox.”
Cox smiled and took the envelope and bowed his head.
Mordulfah then spoke again in Arabic and a servant led Winters out of the room. He then turned back to Cox. “Captain Cox, what about the rest of his men?”
“Most of them were rounded up, but not all of them.”
“I’m assuming they’ll attempt some sort of rescue.”
“Yes, I believe they will, but we’re ready for them.”
“Are you?”
“Yes,”
“Do they know where I am?”
“No, they wouldn’t know that, which is why they’ll have to come to my station in order to find out. We have the traitor who helped them, locked up downstairs. So, they’ll have to come there in order to get him.”
“Excellent work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“That will be all then, Captain.”
“Yes, thank you,” said Cox who motioned his men to leave.
Wali came back into the room. “Everything is arranged, your Excellency.”
Mordulfah went to where he had Sadie prisoner and found her sitting on a bed. He walked in and noticed that she didn’t look frightened, which amused him. He pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.
“Sadie, such an enchanting name and very appropriate for you.”
She looked at him. “And why’s that?”
Mordulfah smiled. “Because the meaning of your name is Princess and tonight you’ll become my wife and become a real princess.”
She faked a smile.
“Today is such a special day.”
“Well, tomorrow’s my birthday,” she lied.
“Is it?”
She nodded with another fa
ke smile.
“How wonderful. How old will you be?”
“Thirteen,” she lied again.
“A perfect age,” he responded enthusiastically. “Then we shall wait until tomorrow and have a double celebration.”
“Will you get me a present?” she asked trying to work him over.
“Of course, you shall have many presents.”
She muscled up a smile to melt his heart.
Mordulfah was quite satisfied and told her that someone would be along to help her get settled in. He left the room and headed to where they were holding Winters.
Chapter 61
Detroit Michigan
After rescuing thirty-four prisoners from St. Paul, Scar had led their band of warriors back to South Bend. Some of the rescued men wouldn’t be able to continue because of injuries they’d received during the campus raid. Scar figured the cops would never suspect they’d go back to the campus and thought it would be a safe place for a couple of days. Amber volunteered to stay with them to tend to their needs.
The Shadow Patriots then drove through the night as they proceeded to Detroit. Once they reached the outskirts, they pulled over to draw up a game plan. Having dropped off a dozen men, they had only sixty, which included the wounded Meeks and Elliott. Both insisted they were in good enough shape to go and wouldn’t back down.
They all disembarked from the vehicles and assembled near Scar’s SUV. The men had automatically looked to him as next in charge. He again realized the burden Winters felt every time he had to make decisions that would put his men in harm’s way.
“Guys, from what Corporal Bassett has told me there’s a lot of Jijis and cops roaming around town, so we need to be careful not to stand out. The first thing we need to do is to find Hadley. He gave me his address so a couple of us can go check it out and see if he’s there.”
“What if he’s not?” asked Elliott.
“Then we need to go see if he’s at work.”
“At work? Are you mad?” asked Bassett.
Meeks piped up. “Of course we’re mad, how the hell you think we got this far.”
Bassett gave him a puzzled look.