by Warren Ray
She picked a piece of flat bread and a small amount of cheese from the plate and nibbled on it. The bread was bland and the cheese tasted awful. Crappy placed some dates on her plate, for which Sadie pretended to be thankful.
After the ladies were done and everyone had eaten, Crappy motioned her to leave the room. “This is it,” thought Sadie. She rose and one of the ladies straightened her dress and headscarf. She bravely followed them from the room.
All eyes were on Sadie as she entered another large room with glass windows that stood as tall as the ceiling, which was where Mordulfah stood to wait for her to arrive. Sadie raised her eyebrows in angst when everyone turned their heads as she walked across the room.
Mordulfah was dressed in a white gown that was covered by a sheer black robe with gold piping. On his head was a white scarf with a black headband.
Sadie thought he looked weird wearing what she considered a woman’s dress. She could smell a spicy aroma given off by the incenses burning off to the side. The smoke wafted throughout the large room.
Wali stood next to Mordulfah, and she figured he was to officiate the ceremony. As she reached them, Mordulfah looked down at her and smiled, showing his bright white teeth. His eyes were as black as she had remembered.
Wali started the ceremony.
Sadie stood, scared, while her mind was in a fog listening to the recitation of the Fatihah, which Wali spoke in Arabic. She didn’t understand the words. All she was thinking about was what would happen afterward. She could smell Mordulfah who reeked of a foul spice mixed in with body odor. She had never smelled anything like it. She turned her head to the side and sucked in a couple of breaths of fresh air. Crappy shot her a glare that meant she should pay attention. She quickly looked back at Wali who was still speaking gibberish.
Chapter 70
Scar led the Shadow Patriots to the vast estate where Edsel & Eleanor Ford had once resided and had now been taken over by Mordulfah for his personal residence. The estate of over eighty acres sat on the shore of Lake St. Clair and had many outlying buildings.
Hadley had picked up some maps and pictures of the grounds, which were easily obtained because of its status as a historical site. The obvious way in was not through the front, but from the side, through a cluster of trees that would provide cover. This meant they needed to be certain of the occupancy of the house adjacent to the grounds.
Bassett and Hadley, being the youngest of the group, dressed in National Police uniforms to lend an air of authority, drove boldly into the neighboring driveway. They stepped out of a squad car they had appropriated, walked up, and knocked on the door.
A young Middle Eastern man answered the door. “May I help you?”
“I hope so,” answered Bassett. “We got a call there was a prowler around here, and we’re just checking it out.”
“I’ve seen no such prowler,” answered the man annoyed.
“If it’s all the same to you, we need to make sure. We don’t want Prince Mordulfah getting upset and chew out our boss, Captain Cox if you know what I mean.”
“Yes, but of course.”
“Mind if we check around back?”
“No, of course not.”
“Will we run into anyone back there? I mean are there others who are here right now?”
“No one else is here, they are all next door making preparations.”
“For what?”
“Mordulfah’s wedding.”
“Oh, yes, of course, he’s getting married again,” said Bassett with a grin.
“Yes, he is once again adding to his wonderful family,” he returned the smile.
“Must be nice, though, to be honest with ya, I can hardly deal with one wife.”
“He is a man full of energy.”
Bassett smiled to the man and acted as if he was leaving. He turned and pulled a knife from inside his jacket, and then turned back around and slammed it into the man’s stomach, pulled it out and shoved it in again. The dying man held his stomach as he buckled to his knees before falling sideways.
Bassett and Hadley dragged him inside. They closed the door, pulled their side arms and methodically checked the house to make sure the dead man had not lied to them.
After clearing the way, Bassett pulled out his radio and gave Scar the okay.
The Shadow Patriots, after losing four members in the rescue attempt at the police station, now numbering only fifty-six men, stormed up the driveway. Scar had divided the men into three groups. He would lead twenty men through the back of the house, while Bassett would take another twenty in through the front. He assigned Burns to stay off to the side with the remaining sixteen men to cover any attempt for reinforcements from the outlying buildings.
The assault was problematic. They were approaching from the side of the house where the wedding was most likely to be held. They would have to use the shrubbery as cover to maintain the element of surprise.
Having served in the Marines and seen combat in Grenada, Scar’s training kicked into high gear as he ordered the men to move out.
Scar led his men through the trees to the far side, which extended to the shoreline. The closer they got to the house the trees became less dense, and there was open ground in which guards could easily spot them. The men darted from tree to tree in small groups.
They were almost there. The sun was to the southeast, beaming bright rays through the windows. Scar could see they were having a wedding. He could see Sadie, in a white dress, standing next to a man in black and white ceremonial robes. Another had his back toward them. Meeks looked and whispered to Scar, “wedding crashers.” Scar rolled his eyes.
They got down low and moved across the lawn using the shrubbery for cover. Scar peeked around the corner. A lone guard, armed with an AK-47 was looking out over the water, not expecting any trouble. Complacency was always the downfall of the overconfident.
Scar held up one finger, handed Meeks his rifle and pulled a knife. The big man sprang up, covered the twenty yards in mere seconds, and overpowered the guard. He sank his knife into the guard’s gut and grabbed him around the head to take him to the ground. Meeks rushed over and helped Scar pull the man into the bushes.
The rest of the men then gathered forward.
Scar pulled out the floor plan Hadley had given him. They were by the library, which was adjacent to the drawing room where the wedding was taking place. He pointed to a back door that would provide them entry to the main hall.
Scar grabbed the radio. “Bassett, they’re in the drawing room, copy.”
“I copy. We saw them as we approached. We’re in front of the gallery. Got Jijis guarding the main entrance, over.”
Scar thought about that. “As soon as the shooting starts they’ll rush inside, over.”
“Copy. We’ll be right behind them. ”
“We’re entering now,” said Scar putting the radio back in his jacket.
He turned the door handle and entered.
Voices were coming from around the corner. He held up five fingers and motioned to his right, signaling the men to go in that direction.
Scar and Meeks raced across the floor and turned the corner into the main hall. Four Jijis stood with their backs toward them looking into the drawing room.
They both raised their M4 rifles. Pulled the triggers and dropped the guards where they stood.
Chaos ensued within the wedding party. Women started screaming as men pushed them aside while grabbing hold of their weapons and returning fire. Scar took aim and dropped another. Two Jijis ran to the groom and shielded him as they pushed him up the hallway into the gallery. Several other Jijis started to return fire. Bullets ripped into the woodwork by Meeks, who ducked behind a couch. He peered over the couch and took careful aim, not wanting to shoot near Sadie.
Sadie tried to pull away from a man who had put his arm around her and was picking her up. She pulled on the Jiji’s thumb and took a bite. The man yelled in pain and dropped her. Scar took aim and shot him before
he could grab her again. The impact threw him against the wall. Scar motioned her to get down.
With Sadie on the ground, Scar and Meeks sprayed the room emptying their mags, shooting at everyone including the women. They weren’t going to take any chances the women might pick up a gun. Rounds shattered the windows. The wounded knocked over tables as they fell to the ground. Screams and gunfire echoed throughout the room.
Meeks yelled at Scar. “I’ll get her.” He crouched down and made his way to Sadie who wrapped her arms around his neck. Scar slammed in another magazine and started picking off more Jijis.
Basset heard the gunfire coming from inside and peeked around the corner. As expected, the guards ran inside. Bassett and his men ran toward the entrance and found the six men huddled in the hallway taking fire from some of Scar’s men. He and Nate kept to the side of the doorway. Nate pointed his double-barrel shotgun through the entrance and pulled both triggers letting loose two charges of Number 4 buckshot. All six bad guys were down. Nate nodded to Scar’s men at the far end of the hallway. He gave Bassett a half smile, but then noticed through a side window, Jijis were running down the hallway to the gallery.
He pointed it out to Bassett.
Nate hurried to the window and peeked in. A Jiji let loose a hail of gunfire shattering the window. Nate reloaded his shotgun. He took another look and immediately discovered they had not given up on him. He threw himself down as bullets whizzed by his head. He took a couple of deep breaths and jumped up, leading the way with his shotgun, firing as he moved.
Bassett stormed toward Nate’s position, firing his M4 at the window.
They stood there for a moment, leaning against the building.
Nate took another look and saw a Jiji lying on the floor. He stole another glance inside and saw more Jijis in the gallery.
“They’re making a stand in there,” he said to Bassett.
Jijis began racing up the driveway. Bassett knew their position was exposed and vulnerable. He grabbed his radio. “Burns. We’ve got them coming up the drive.”
“We see them. Where are you at?”
“Still by the entrance.”
“Copy. We’re moving in now.”
“We got Jijis in the gallery. They’ll spot you,” said Bassett. Then he heard gunfire shattering the gallery windows.
Bassett yelled for everyone to get inside.
He turned to Nate. “Burns is running into trouble.”
Nate understood the problem. “Get him out of there then.”
Bassett took ahold of the radio. “Burns, abort your approach, abort.”
It took a moment before he responded. “I’ve got three down. We’re back in the trees.”
Bassett drew in a deep breath. “Copy that.”
He told Nate to hold their position at all cost. He then ran down the hallway and met Meeks holding onto Sadie. “What’s your situation here, Meeks?”
“Everyone is dead or dying in there, and we got the rest of them pinned down in the gallery.”
Scar hurried up to them.
Bassett looked at him. “Those guys in the gallery are stopping Burns cold. He’s got three down and if we don’t hurry, they’ll have us pinned down in no time.”
Scar understood the priority. “Let’s go find the Captain and Reese, and get the hell out of here.”
Bassett nodded, grabbed Hadley and ran upstairs. Scar scooted down the basement stairs. As soon as he reached the last step, a Jiji fired at him. Scar jerked back. He raised his M4 and poured rounds into the wall where the Jiji hid. He ran over to it and found him lying in a pool of blood.
Chapter 71
Winters was at his lowest point emotionally since he had watched his friends die in front of him at the train station. He was about to give up when he heard gunfire abrupt outside. He sprang from his bed knowing the cause of the ruckus was his men making a rescue attempt.
He knelt down on the floor and waited. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Mordulfah being killed.
He listened as the gunfire rang out from multiple places above him. He could make out the sound of AK47’s mixed in with various other calibers, some of which were familiar to him as ones used by the Patriots. Then the gunfire slowed and became sporadic off to the side and faint outside. It sounded like a standstill.
A few moments later, he heard shots fired immediately outside his room. He crawled on the floor to his bed, took hold of it and threw it over on its side to provide cover. Seconds later, he heard the door open. He looked up to see Scar enter the room.
“Captain, you alright?”
Winters got up off the floor. “I am now. What’s happening? Where are the girls?”
“Meeks has got Sadie. We’re still looking for Reese. We need to get going.”
The two of them bounded up the stairs where they met Meeks and Sadie. Sadie ran to Winters and threw her arms around him.
He looked down at her. “You alright?”
She nodded.
The sound of footsteps stomping through the hall upstairs diverted their attention. Everyone turned to see Basset and Hadley bringing ten young girls, including Reese, down the staircase.
Reese was the first to hit the ground floor and immediately wrapped her arms around Winters.
“You okay,” asked Winters.
She nodded before letting him go.
Winters was shocked to see so many young girls. He looked at Bassett. “Are there anymore?”
He shook his head. “We cleared all the rooms.”
“Captain, we’re going out the back,” said Scar who got on the radio to Burns. “Burns get your men going.” He then yelled down the hallway. “Nate, we’re leaving out the back. Can you cover our backsides?”
Nate yelled back. “We’re right behind you.”
The Shadow Patriots stormed out the back door and headed in the direction from which they had come. Bassett led the way firing a volley into the gallery. Everyone kept low, running through the trees to their waiting vehicles as bullets whizzed overhead.
Nate’s men brought up the rear, laying down more cover fire.
Winters held Sadie’s hand tightly as they ran across the lawn. Elliott waved him over to his SUV. Winters helped Sadie into the back and then jumped in the front seat.
“Good to have you back, Captain,” said Elliott.
“Glad you guys showed up.”
Elliott started the truck and after confirming everyone was loaded up, peeled out down the driveway.
Winters grabbed the M4 sitting on the floor and lowered the side glass. He twisted sideways in the seat and pointed his weapon out the window. Jijis were cutting across the backyard of an outlying building, which sat parallel to their escape. He opened fire, taking two down. The rest dropped to the ground for cover.
“Up ahead, Captain,” yelled Elliott.
Winters shifted his aim and pulled the trigger laying down a blanket of fire at more approaching Jijis.
The SUV made it to the end of the driveway. Elliott yanked the steering wheel hard to the left and stomped on the gas pedal.
Winters looked in the passenger side mirror at the rest of their trailing vehicles.
The convoy barreled down Lakeshore Dr.
Winters got on the radio. “Scar, how’s it looking back there?”
“We got a couple of cars following us. They’re keeping their distance though.”
“Looks like they want to see where we’re going.”
“That’s what I’m figuring.”
He turned to Elliott. “Do we have an escape route?”
Elliott shook his head. “We were hoping to have killed them all.”
“This road takes us right into Detroit, doesn’t it?”
“Yep.”
Winters spoke into the radio. “Scar, we can’t go into the city. They’re going to be waiting for us. We’ll take a right and go west.”
“We need to lose the bad guys following us,” responded Scar.
“Elliott, w
ho’s driving the car behind us?”
“Burns.”
Winters got back on the radio. “Listen up, everyone. Those Jijis and cops are not going to let us out of the city. More than likely, they’re setting up roadblocks right now. First thing, we need to do is lose our tail. We’ll make a right up ahead, and then I want Burns and whoever is right behind him to speed up and get ahead of our convoy. We’ll pull over somewhere, while the rest of you keep going straight. We’ll wait for the tail and take them out.”
“Burns here, and copy that.”
“I’m right behind Burns,” said Nate.
“Sounds good, Captain. We’ll wait for you a little up the way,” said Scar.
Winters turned in his seat and saw Mr. Peterson sitting across from Sadie. “Mr. Peterson, I didn’t even see you, what are you doing here?
“I was getting a little bored up north,” he said.
“You’ve come to the right place,” said Winters who then turned to Sadie, “You alright, hon?”
She nodded her head and gave him a half-hearted smile.
“Don’t worry, okay, we’ll get out of here,” said Winters in a reassuring tone. He hoped he sounded convincing. He wasn’t too sure, whether they would get out of there alive, or not. With Canada to the east and the interstate to the west, they were boxed in. There was no way they’d be able to get to the interstate without running into the cops. No doubt, Mordulfah had already called them.
For now, his spirits were soaring as he drove away from his impending torture. The prospect of being tortured had not been pleasant. He was glad to have Sadie back with him. Knowing she wouldn’t have to experience what the other girls had gone through was a relief. If they didn’t make it out of here, at least they would go down fighting, and on their own terms.
Elliott swung the SUV onto Marlborough St. and sped up leaving the rest of the convoy behind on the tree-lined street, which had no houses on either side.
“Was hoping for more houses,” said Winters.
“I’ll keep going.”
They flew across Kercheval Ave.
“There’s some up ahead.”