by DiMirra
Keny personally detached all the fingers on his right hand and fed them to a pair of eager adolescent hyenas he kept as pets before Sheng broke.
Ali sent another classified communication to the NSA, informing them the third Iranian nuke was located inside Turkey, making its way toward Syria and ultimately bound for Israel. He transmitted current coordinates for targeting. He also told the Director that we're following up on the Pakistani nukes and hope to have something tomorrow.
It was 04:20 in Bogota. Uwishun had his team on the 14th floor where the mercs and Johnson had taken most of the suites. At this hour, all was fairly quiet on the top floor. There was some laughter and a few squeals from a couple of the rooms. Each room had been assigned a two-man team with a master key.
Uwishun had Johnson's room with a Guardian and his number two. At 04:25, they donned their masks and generation 3 night vision gear. They released Halothane under the room's door and through bathroom vents. The suites were 700 square feet, so it would take close to ten minutes to reach the knockout level of gas before entry.
I got a call on the sat phone saying the Reaper was monitoring a prospective vehicle on an old dirt road leaving Zagora on its way west.
Etsa and I had been enjoying the view, drinking a bottle of La Tache wine and eating some bread and dates.
"It's the journey, not the destination, that's important. Make all moments' special," this was Miche's mantra. I stood up and gave the hand signal to spin the blades. It was time to go.
The target area was about 15 minutes south of our current position. We went a little west so we could approach undetected. We flew low and fast and recognized a vintage but trustworthy Land Rover moving east at high speed. We dropped to tree level and hid behind a slender finger of foothills taking a parallel course. I could see the gap to our port side a thousand yards ahead where we would burst through and take them broadside.
I motioned for Etsa, who had a year of training with these very same men, to man the mini-gun. He knew to fire a warning burst 50 yards in front. Then, if they didn't stop immediately, take out the vehicle.
As we slid through the break, I heard the bark of the mini-gun and saw the rooster tail of sand kicked up in front of the speeding vehicle. They were smarter than I thought. They braked immediately and rolled out of the vehicle with their hands behind their heads. Nothing sounds like certain death more than a mini-gun.
Two tough customers went down on their knees as we landed broadside with the mini-gun trained on them. Our team was out and all over them in seconds. Trussed, bound and gagged, they were loaded into the chopper as Etsa and I gave the Land Rover the once over. We found a Barrett .50 Cal and .308 along with some RPG's and 2 Russian AK's. I have to say that I was breathing much easier now we only had to contend with one more. From this location, it was a 40-minute flight back to the base.
The Citation had already landed with the first two assassins from Rabat they were in the dungeon upon our arrival. We had left it intact, for the most part, with wall irons and ancient torture instruments for dramatic effect. I had the prisoners escorted to a larger, well-lighted room with a big screen TV and all the modern necessities. I ordered lunch to be served there to all four. They were under guard at the moment by my Berbers and I added two Guardians, in loincloths for effect, upon my arrival. Seeing these men naked will scare even the most hardened warrior.
The video from North Korea of Xu Shu and his cohorts being fed to the wild dogs had arrived. Just a short video of a man that did some things that I didn't like. I thought we would all watch it during lunch to lighten the mood. I sat down at the head of the table, said the blessing and lunch was served. It was wonderful chicken shawarma wrap served with olives and fresh fruit with a fair vintage white wine. The film was narrated in Korean. The words were difficult to hear over the cacophony of snarls and grunts from the dogs.
In came the guards, with five terrified Chinese men and Xu in the front. They were hamstrung with a sharp knife for the camera and pushed into the enclosure with the dogs. The camera zoomed in on Xu's face just as big male dog grabbed him by the throat. I hit the pause button.
"Gentlemen, it really doesn't get much better than this for Moroccan food. You are all dead men, eating at my table and enjoying my hospitality. What happens to you next depends on you. I want everything, and I mean everything, about this mission on video and within the next hour. I would particularly like to know where you think the sixth man of your team, Gunther, is going to be located and what he'll do now that he's alone."
I was braced by the two Guardians, both first generation. They had that mouth full of tiger teeth that showed menacingly when they spoke.
Jivaroson spoke in Arabic and asked me if they could eat these men when I was finished. There was a moment of clarity when one of the mercs recognized the words and stuttered.
"Whaa . . . wha . . . what did he say?"
I have a menacing stare myself. I replied, " He wants to know if they can eat you when I am finished."
One of the mercs pushed back from the table. In the blink of an eye, Jivaroson (he-baro-son) grabbed him and threw him 15 feet in the air against a wall at the far side of the room. His head hit the wall and burst like a ripe melon with a sound like a .50 caliber round hitting a solid target down range. We all knew he was dead, right there.
I calmly asked, "Is there anyone else?"
"I'll be back in an hour. If it's not done or if what you say doesn't feel right, I will let these two guys have you. They'll make that dog video look like child's play."
Guaranison (Wa-ran-y-son,) standing right behind me, let out a panther growl that even scared me so much it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I heard it before but never this close or inside an enclosed room.
I noticed one merc had voided his bladder. I almost felt sorry for them, almost . . .
Chapter 18
Bogota, Colombia: 04:35, January 19th
It had been decided en route to the Tequendama that they would blow the doors. They were very sturdy and the Halothane was not flammable. The secrets to a raid like this one are surprise and speed. Having your door blown off in the middle of the night when you're groggy provides the surprise element.
Uwishun had arranged for a small army of carpenters, cleaners and painters to be at the hotel at 05:00 to take care of the damage. He also scheduled two ambulances, standing by at the service entrance, to transport our patients for a medevac airlift.
A genius with explosives, Uwishun formed and placed the charges himself. The Guardians were heavily armored and lightening fast so they would go in first. We needed Johnson alive. The others could come out either way.
It was pushing 13:00 hours in Taroudant. I was exhausted. I needed a power nap. I asked Ali to awaken me with some espresso, our special Costa Rican single bean, in 60 minutes. I would need a full briefing on Europe, America and anything critical, when I woke up.
My son woke me up with a kindly caress that was remarkably similar to how I caressed him when he was a baby and young child. Oh, those halcyon days gone bye!
Ali stayed with me while I had my double espresso and cigarette.
"I'll meet you in the control room in 15 minutes, Son."
As I arrived, there was another espresso awaiting me. Allah Be Praised for good children!
"Ok Ali, what have I missed in the last hours?" I asked.
"We'll start with Europe and it's ugly. I'll hit the highlights. The rest is in a written report. Combined casualties for the EU exceed 6 million as of an hour ago. The numbers injured or sick are, at a minimum, ten times that.
"There is no control whatsoever currently by any authority in any member state. The immigrants seem to be getting the worst of it given the indigenous populations have united. There are, basically, no essential services -- not police, fire, medical, electric, heat, food or clean water.
"I have included some high-altitude imagery in the report to give you an idea of the extent of fires and lack of elect
ric power. Europe hasn't been this dark since the end of the seventeenth century.
"Temperatures will drop well below freezing tonight. We expect the casualties to triple by morning. Both our teams are prepared and dug in for the moment and they have all essential services. Alpha team, in Marseilles, is requesting authorization to raid a huge sex slave operation nearby to rescue hundreds of under-aged nationals and immigrant girls."
"Ali," I said, "we'll come back to this request later, what's next?"
"Father, weather in America has been trending toward very cold and long winters over the last decade. This year is no different. There are below-freezing temperatures forecast as far south as the Carolinas for the next ten days."
"I mention this because the power grid has suffered successful attacks in the Midwest and Northeast. The damage is significant. It will take weeks to repair. Early reports indicate the number of people without power is 100 million.
"The government is downplaying this situation as storm damage but numbers of agencies tell us well-planned sabotage and terrorism caused it. Eight states have declared an emergency. A storm front will move into that area on Thursday afternoon, the 21st, with 36 inches of snow predicted.
"This will reduce deliveries of food and fuel and clean water rations. Most municipal systems have limited backup power. Most major cities have less than a five-day food supply. They depend on regular deliveries to keep the population fed. At the moment, looting and violence are sporadic but definitely gaining momentum, much like we saw in Europe yesterday.
"Officially, all agencies have gone dark. Unofficial agency contacts tell us the Administration is considering declaration of nationwide martial law during the 'State of the Union' address tomorrow evening.
"To say the situation is precarious is an understatement. It is a tinderbox. It will take only one event to set it off," Ali concluded.
I told Ali "The trigger will be a series of crucifixions. That will start tonight when the looting gets out of hand and continue in early morning on the West Coast."
How I knew that fact with any certainty, I didn't understand. It was if something had placed that thought in my mind.
"There's still plenty of news coverage in the States. You know how they love a bloody story. The country will descend into Hell and join Europe with all-out civil rebellion."
"We have a live video feed coming in from the Tequendama." Ali exclaimed.
"Put it on the big screen, please."
We watched as Uwishun plugged a detonator into the last charge. Everyone ducked behind a blast shield. Then we saw a brilliant flash of light. Then an unsettling darkness.
When the picture returned, it was hazy. We saw our men rushing in the doors. I saw a couple of flashes from one of the rooms that could only be gunfire. Uwishun and two men stood guard in the hall as his men started bringing out the contractors. All but one were unconscious and that unconscious one was dead. The camera focused on the bigger suite.
Our Guardian strode out with Johnson thrown over his shoulder like a rag doll. He stopped next to Uwishun, who then pushed Johnson's head upward roughly as the camera panned in. He was alive. My brother looked at the camera and gave me a wink. Then they were gone.
"Ali, I will be heading to Bogota in a few hours," I continued. "Call the hanger and make sure they are ready. Also, put on a little more security.
"Next -- I'm moved by the plight of those young women but our team has a primary intelligence function. That must not be disturbed. They cannot do this by themselves. So I ask for a plan indicating what outside resources are available and what they will do with girls, once rescued.
"Please arrange a video conference with Raffa now, so we can discuss the Chinese request and the what we'll get in return.
The teleconference opened and began almost instantly.
"Bueno. Tio Raffa, I see you're still up. How are you and your family?"
"Ali, always delighted to hear from you," Raffa replied. We're all fine. Everyone is here with me Beijing. Actually, were in our Jet at the hanger, having a traditional Colombian breakfast. This is the only place you can get that in China."
"Is that Etsa I see in the background?" Raffa asked.
"Good morning Tio," said Etsa. "Father is here now, nice to see you again."
"Raffa, this is some wild ride." I said.
"Johnny, the Premier, and the leadership in general, are greatly distressed about this situation," Raffa began. "They were not very forthcoming, at first. There is already a huge outbreak, including several cities, and one not far from the Capitol. It may be spinning out of control. They've got a lid on it for now, but . . ."
"We are not ready to release the Cellbot technology to anyone currently," I replied.
"Here's what we can do -- have them send the data they already have by encrypted link. I'll shift our five new Cray Titans to decipher that data. When we receive samples of the modified Ebola virus by the Premier's jet, we'll work with the live virus. Direct them to land at our private airfield near Granada.
"We'll engineer a specific 'bot to disable this virus. It will take a week, with minimum testing. The Premier's Jet must remain here. We'll use it to send a commercial quantity back, along with technicians and production equipment to manufacture the vaccine there.
"This is the best we can do for now. This will work and it will save him politically as he literally saves his country.
"He must set up perimeters to prevent any movement of people. He may have to nuke some of his cities that are contaminated. You can tell him, if it were me, I'd start by nuking his western provinces where this pestilence originated. He's in a war with jihadists now."
"Uncle, listen carefully. The time is fast approaching for a big shift in the world power structure," I continued.
"As this crisis wears on, I will broker a deal among Russia, China and Latin America, represented by us, to establish a whole new way of governing. We will no longer need huge armies and military budgets, nor will we waste trillions of dollars on a medical and pharmaceutical industrial complex.
"These expenditures will be shifted to education, social services and entrepreneurial funding, providing a platform for the people to move forward in harmony with the new world."
"We have the ability to print perfect US currency. We have been circulating it for some time now, with the help of China, Russia, India, Africa and South America, but without their direct knowledge. The US knows the currency is out there and indistinguishable from the dollars they print. They have no remedy, nor does one exist.
"This will break the dollar's dominance and set the stage to forge a new world reserve currency. It will be based on hard assets and controlled by a monetary board comprising five representatives from the sponsoring countries. Our Family will hold the fifth seat."
"Dios mio, Johnny. What are you doing? Is this even possible?" Raffa asked.
"Uncle, it's not only possible, you have helped make it work by fostering our relationship with China. Russia is on board, thanks to Elizabeth's family. India will be forced to go along or be left out.
"This change is complex and this is not the time to discuss details. Your job is to reassure the Premier his best interests are aligned with ours and we'll do what we say. The Ebola cure, will return on his embassy's 777, along with his first tranche of rogue currency -- two billion. The equipment and paper to print it are already in transit to them by ship. Our gift to the People's Republic."
I signed off with Raffa, whose mind whirled, considering all I had left him with. Looking back, I realized I should have let Miche break it to him.
I needed to iron out a few details with Ali before I left for Colombia. Ali brought me a double espresso. I lit a cigarette and let the smoke curl upwards out of my nose toward the ceiling.
"Ali, let's have it. How did it go with Johnson's mercs?"
"We interviewed them on video individually and they simply could not say enough. In fact, we are still interviewing them. We've got Johnson and th
e Director of the NSA for every crime and misdemeanor in the book. He assassinated scores of non-combatants and Americans at the request of the NSA and other agencies. We've got names, dates and places.
"As for the missing contractor, his MO is sniper. He's a former marine with a dishonorable discharge. They all said, 'If he isn't at the safe house in Casablanca,' and he wasn't there when we looked, 'then he's in the field to complete the mission.' The bounty is $25 million."
"The bounty should have been higher, much higher," I said. "Ali, what should we do with these men?"
"Father, if it was up to me, I would want no loose ends. I learned from the best. They did not complete their mission and they ratted out the operation."
"It's settled then. In the morning, fly them out to the old Roman ruins, execute them, and give them a proper burial."
"What news from Reza's cousin, Jasim, and our A-team in Marseilles?"
"This news is worse," Ali continued. "In general, casualties are mounting and services are nonexistent. Apparently there have been multiple outbreaks of Botulism Type H and Ebola throughout the EU. Since they occurred for the first time in different jurisdictions, at around the same time, there can be no other explanation than terrorism. With this development, estimates of casualties have been upgraded tenfold. Our B-team confirms this from Germany.
"Jasim confirms the Naval Base at Toulouse can take the tweens and teens from the brothel if we can get them out of the compound where they are being held. We have the fast Frigate, Dauntless, standing offshore at this time. She carries two Hueys and a platoon Berbers. He will get back to us with a solid plan shortly."
"Ali, I need to speak with Keny," I said, "before Etsa and I depart for Colombia."
"Keny, you have never looked better, Old Friend."
"Johnny, I will save all the good stuff until we can sit down and enjoy it together with a good cigar and something from your esteemed cellar."
"I'll run it down fast right now. We have a very big night tonight. Sheng Fui is a memory. My hyena pups were brilliant and I'll bring the video. Three more guerilla leaders are down, with a half a dozen to go, and they're on the move and frightened. We have four more Presidents-for-life to take out tonight. Everyone is on edge and nobody knows who's next. It's exhilarating, Johnny, to be part of something so bold, so right, and so honest. I thank God for this day and for the day I met you."