by Warren Ray
For the next hour, she tagged along as he met with his men to check out the progress of their departure. Everyone was careful not to mention the impending confrontations with Mordulfah and the Jijis. As time grew closer, they made their way to their adjoining rooms to grab Winters’ belongings.
Sadie went into her room and grabbed her Ruger SR-22. She took it out of the holster, popped out the magazine and threw back the bolt emptying the chamber. She then handed it to Winters.
“It’ll bring you good luck.”
Winters accepted the gift. “I know it will.”
Winters put the mag back in and put in an ankle holster he’d picked up.
“Do you want to play a quick game of Cat’s Cradle?” asked Sadie.
“I think we can do that.”
For the next ten minutes, the two laughed as Winters bumbled the strings making a mess of it. He took in all of her energy and tried to savor the moment as much as he could because he knew the coming days were going to be fraught with danger.
Chapter 6
Winters and Sadie walked into the oversized garage where the Shadow Patriots’ vehicles stood ready to go. Most everyone was already loaded and ready to go. They had a long drive ahead of them. It would take all night to get into Michigan, but he felt more comfortable driving at night than in the day. They approached the lead vehicle where Elliott, Scar, Meeks, Nate, Amber and Reese stood waiting for them.
Reese was the first to give Sadie a hug followed by Amber. Then everyone else followed.
“Don’t you worry about a thing,” said Meeks. “The Captain isn’t going to let anything happen to us.”
She shook her head as the tears started to flow again.
“Captain, she’s doing it again, she’s working her voodoo magic on me,” laughed Meeks.
Sadie laughed and gave him a love pat.
Everyone loaded up and Winters turned to Colonel Brocket. “Colonel, again, thanks for everything.”
“It is our honor, Captain.”
Winters looked at Sadie. “You’ll keep an eye on her?”
“We’ll keep her busy.”
Winters shook Colonel Brocket’s hand and gave Sadie one last hug. He then scooted over to the passenger seat and hopped in. He turned to Elliott. “Let’s go.”
Elliott threw the big Ford Excursion into drive, lifted his foot off the brake and led the sixty-vehicle convoy off the base and into the night.
Winters gave them Bassett’s report on Mordulfah’s force, which put a damper on their mood. They didn’t figure on having to deal with so many men.
“Three thousand men against our three hundred,” said Meeks.
“It’d be three hundred and one if Murphy was in shape,” said Scar.
Murphy had been wounded back at the sandpit where the cops had ambushed them. His wounds were more severe than first thought, and he was still convalescing in Canada. He would be out of commission for another eight weeks, if not longer.
“With that kind of manpower, they must be gearing up to take out some of the bigger cities,” said Scar.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” said Winters. “Question is, which ones are they going after first?”
“How are we going to find out?” asked Meeks.
“We can always find a cop to interrogate,” said Winters.
Meeks let out a chuckle. “Nate will love to get in on that one again.”
“We’ll get to Paw Paw first and pick up Bassett and Burns, then go to Ann Arbor and find ourselves a good place to set up camp. Then, I’ll have a few of you guys go find us a cop.”
Chapter 7
Tampa Florida
She woke up as the sun began to rise and looked over at her boyfriend who was still sleeping off a night of heavy drinking. The time had finally come to act upon what she had been planning over the past week. She threw the thin sheet to the side and moved her feet off the worn mattress that lay on the floor. The cold tiles cooled her feet and were a welcome relief of the hot room. The ceiling fan did little to alleviate the thick Florida humidity. Beads of sweat dribbled down her tanned chest. She got up, grabbed her jean shorts and white tank top and tiptoed out of the room.
Grabbing her brown leather handbag, she pulled out a pre-written note and left it on the kitchen table amongst the many empty beer bottles. The note was to him, wishing him goodbye and good luck. She opened the door, where the early morning sun hit her senses full force, and walked out of the bottom floor apartment they had been sharing for the last six months.
She breathed in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She felt satisfied with the decision she had made and felt the weight of anxiety lifting off her. She was not going to let him or anyone else talk her out of what she wanted to do. She rummaged through her handbag to make sure she had the picture to prove who she was, and what she could offer in exchange for justice and to be able to cash in on the large reward.
The bus ride to downtown Tampa took less than thirty minutes, which gave her time to grab something to eat before she set herself on the course that would change her life forever. She entered a coffee shop and ordered a large iced latte and coffee cake.
Sitting by the window, she put the straw through the lid, sucked on the cool liquid and watched the few people that had to go to work on a Sunday morning. A few were even dressed in business attire. She chuckled to herself thinking that it must have sucked having to get dressed up on such a hot day. She was quite comfortable wearing flip-flops, shorts and a tank top. She saw a young woman smartly dressed, and she wondered what it was like to work in an office and have important responsibilities. This was something she would never know. She was a free spirit and knew she would never be able to work in such an environment. It would suffocate and slowly crush her soul to come to the same place and do the same mundane thing, day after day.
Finishing the coffee cake, she got up, walked out onto the street and looked both ways before crossing. She came to her destination and took in a deep breath before entering the National Police station.
Behind the glass window, the uniformed men and women were busy getting ready for their day. A female desk sergeant looked up and waited for her to approach.
“Can I help you?” asked the sergeant.
“Yes,” she hesitated for a moment. “My name is Cara Winters and I want to help you capture my father.”
Chapter 8
Jackson Michigan
American born Sayed Ali sat in the passenger seat of the cop car and although he wasn’t a cop, he was dressed in a National Police uniform. The driver was a new cop and had only been on the force for a week. They had never met, but Ali didn’t like him or any other American, even though he had been born in Dearborn, Michigan. However, he had gone to a Madrassa all his life where Imams taught him to hate all Americans as they were infidels and should be killed. Ali combed through his black beard with his hand. His dark narrow eyes looked out the window as they drove to Jackson, Michigan. He was excited to be given a chance to prove himself to Allah and couldn’t wait to start his mission.
Prince Mordulfah met with him and all the other Jihadis a few days ago and praised them for their commitment to Jihad. He remembered thinking what a great man the prince was, and for what he was doing. They were going to have their own homeland here in the Midwest, where they could all live under Sharia law. He looked forward to that day when all the infidels were gone from their conquered land. He turned to the driver in disgust and thought him to be nothing but a useful idiot. Mordulfah was using these cops to help him wipe out the population and after that, he promised they would put them to death.
Ali gripped his AK-47 as they pulled up to a Christian church on South Jackson Street. He saw a mother crossing the street with her two kids in tow. He allowed himself a slight smile thinking about what he was going to do to them. It was Sunday and the churches were going to make it easier for him and his fellow Jihadist to kill the infidels as they gathered in one place. He and his fellow Jihadis were going to storm ev
ery church in town at the same time. He couldn’t believe his luck when they chose him for such a mission. No one had ever picked him for something so important. He was honored.
Chapter 9
Elizabeth Dubbin didn’t mind walking the girls to church. In fact, she actually preferred it as it allowed her five and seven-year-old daughters, to get the wiggles out before having to sit for an hour.
Like most of the young mothers in Jackson, her husband was away fighting in the war out West. Even though the majority of the men that stayed behind were older, they had been a big help in digging gardens, chopping wood and hunting for wild game.
Life had been tough since the war broke out. The government had suggested everyone move south, but many didn’t want to leave their homes. They also didn’t like the government telling them what to do. Most that did stay shared the trait of independent thinking. Elizabeth figured that kind of thinking was going to either make them stronger or get them killed.
The two girls were laughing and playing tag, as they got closer to the church on Jackson Street. Elizabeth saw a cop car drive by and noticed one of the cops sported a black beard in the passenger seat. She didn’t give it too much thought as the cops often patrolled the downtown area. It gave her comfort to know they were still available in case trouble arose. She had heard news reports on her satellite radio that rebels and some guy named Cole Winters were burning through small towns, killing and raping the women.
As Elizabeth grabbed her girls’ hands and crossed the street to enter the church, she noticed the cop car had parked up the street. The two cops got out of the car carrying rifles.
“Mommy, why is that man carrying a gun?” asked her seven-year-old.
“They’re here to protect us from bad men, honey.”
They hustled up the stairs where the pastor greeted them.
“Good Morning, Elizabeth. Hello, girls.”
“Morning Reverend. How’s your wife?”
“She’s doing better, thank you for asking.”
Elizabeth took her usual seat in the back and sat down with her girlfriend Marcy and her two little boys.
“Hey, Elizabeth.”
Elizabeth smiled and slid over to her. “Are your carrots getting big yet?”
Food was always a topic of conversation and everyone had started a garden.
“Yes. I’m going to start picking some of them. You?”
“Not yet, though my radishes are to die for.”
“You want to trade?” asked Marcy.
“Only if you want to watch my girls for an afternoon.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just need a break is all,” sighed Elizabeth.
Marcy looked over at her two boys who were playing tug of war with a coloring book. “I hear ya. Bring them by after church, the boys would love to have someone different to play with.”
It was nine o’clock. The pastor walked to the front and the service began.
Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth heard the door open, and she turned her head to see the two cops enter the church. Then she noticed one of them throwing something into the sanctuary. The two cops backed up around the corner. A few seconds later, an enormous explosion detonated in front of her. Then everything went black.
Chapter 10
Annapolis Maryland
Reed sat out on his patio enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the Sunday paper. He already knew most of what was in the paper, but he was checking to make sure the stories came out the way he had instructed the editors. He had a whole team that took care of this but there were certain events he handled personally. Such was the case of the Bruce Pruitt “suicide”. Reed didn’t want the public to know that Pruitt was killed in a house that he owned. Because ownership of property was a matter of public record, he made sure the death of Pruitt was nothing more than a suicide. Reed knew though that the rumor mill would be rampant about how he died. He also knew that many people would be celebrating his death. Reed’s immediate concern was to make sure certain people were well aware he still had plenty of material to continue blackmailing them.
For the most part, Pruitt gave Reed everything he had gathered, but there was some information he hadn’t provided yet. Among the missing documentation was any evidence indicting Major Green. Reed suspected the major had everything to do with the killing of his man, Pruitt, but couldn’t prove it. He needed something more than a gut feeling to take Green out. Add to it the disappearance of Corporal Bassett and reports that he was helping the rebels in Detroit. Reed’s paranoia had Green pegged as conspiring with Winters. Green had a convincing excuse for Bassett. He had gone rogue and had lied to him as well and he felt betrayed by Bassett.
It was too much of a coincidence that Pruitt had left him the message that he was wrapping up his surveillance on Green. He hadn’t indicated one way or the other if he felt Green was guilty. The timing of Pruitt’s death made Reed think it was Green, but then again, he used Pruitt as his point man to keep all his enemies in check. It could have been someone who’d had enough and killed him. If this was the case, it could have been any number of people. Pruitt’s talent for getting the goods on most anyone was valuable to Reed. Only two had been uncooperative and it cost them their lives. Reed was not afraid to use that card but it was always a costly one. While it scared some people, it made others shore up their resolve. Washington D.C. was a place where people turned on a dime if it meant getting ahead. With Pruitt dead, power players might see Reed as losing control. Someone had worked up the nerve to take out one of his men. This is why he needed to be absolutely sure of Green’s loyalties before he acted. The people in the district liked Green’s mother because of her charity work. She was a staple in the community; as such, taking the major out would be pricey.
Reed took a sip of his coffee and set it down when his wife came out onto the patio holding the phone.
“Commandant Melnick is on the line. I thought we agreed no work on Sundays.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s urgent, otherwise, he wouldn’t be calling.”
“Just remember, we have a luncheon to go to.”
“I know, dear,” said Reed taking the phone and holding it to his ear.
“Sir, I hate to bother you on Sunday, but I’ve got something important to tell you.”
Kurt Melnick was Boxer’s replacement after he went missing a couple of months ago. He was forty-one, stood six two and kept his full head of dark hair cut short. Gray hairs were starting to show on the sides. He was a political appointee and didn’t have any experience as a cop or in the military. He graduated law school from Georgetown and worked as a Virginia prosecutor for several years before the Justice Department hired him. He worked his way up the ladder over the next ten years working some high profile cases, which included the bribery scandal of the former Vice President. His investigation of the VP was at the direction of Reed whom he had met some years ago at a social gathering. Melnick wanted to get ahead and Reed was just the person who could grease the wheels for him. Melnick perfectly timed the ousting of the VP with the resignation of the former President. Reed offered him the Commandant position as a thank you.
The power that came with this position was something that appealed to Melnick’s ego. He had been a star lacrosse player in college and liked to win. His good looks and physical prowess always ensured him the best looking girls on campus. His luck with the ladies didn’t stop even after getting married. A string of affairs and long nights at the office put an end to a ten-year marriage, which had produced two kids.
“Sir, I just got off the phone with the station captain down in Tampa. He says a young woman came in claiming to be Cole Winters’ daughter.”
The news perked Reed’s interest. “Go on.”
“He thought maybe she was a kook at first, but then she pulled out a picture of her and Cole Winters and her mother.
“Why did she come in?”
“Apparently, she wants to help capture her father. Don’t think there’s
any love loss there. Add to that, she believes the reports that he killed her mother.”
Reed chuckled to himself. He had come up with that idea, not knowing it would reel in such a nice bounty. “Get her up here and bring her to me. No one is to know about this. I don’t want her talking to anyone, do you understand?”
“What about Major Green?”
“Not anyone. Especially, Major Green.”
Reed hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair and smiled. He now had a way to test Major Green’s loyalties.
Chapter 11
Alexandria Virginia
Major Green turned onto his street after going for a five-mile jog. He needed to clear his head and get his mind right before going to work tomorrow. Two weeks ago, he had been teetering on the brink of a breakdown after his encounter with Pruitt, who had taken his mother hostage in her own home. The whole episode had been his fault for not being more careful. He should have known that his boss, Lawrence Reed, would have him watched.
He knew Reed suspected him even more than before, but he had come up with a plausible story about Bassett going rogue. Green had blamed himself for not realizing Bassett was from Yoder, Indiana, which was just south of Michigan and he had relatives in Saline, Michigan. He must have seen something that turned him, which Green asked what it could have been. This put Reed on the defensive and he soon dropped the subject.
As far as Green was concerned, there was only so much Reed was going to ask. He wouldn’t want to give away the fact he was having him followed. Although, now he would have to wonder who got Pruitt’s computer. His death and the fire at his home had already started the rumor mill around the district. Did Reed kill Pruitt or did a victim of blackmail kill Pruitt? Some wondered if Reed still had the goods on everyone.