Monster

by Bernard L. DeLeo

  “All done, Sir?”

  “My partner and I wish to see our friend here back to his cell. Would you show us where it is?”

  “Of course, Sir, follow me.”

  After depositing Tomashevsky in his cell without speaking to him, McDaniels and Rasheed walked out the way they had come in, noting the number of surveillance cameras.

  “Any night time visit we pay our Russian friend will have to have some form of approval,” Rasheed told McDaniels.

  “Yeah, I figured as much. If they had put him in a safe-house we would have had to watch him twenty-four hours a day. These are all Special Ops guys down here. I’ll talk to Diane. We may be able to have a window of time without being monitored. That is, if Stevie doesn’t cooperate. What did you say to him anyway?”

  “I told him I was trained in the Russian style of interrogation as one of Saddam’s secret police,” Rasheed answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “Then I told him once we had what we wanted he would be fed into my fictitional wood chipper ever so slowly.”

  “You are not a very nice man, Kay.”

  “I know. I have been corrupted since meeting up with you, Cold Mountain. I promise to turn myself in if I ever approach your level of brutality.”

  McDaniels laughed. The two men exited the guarded wing of the sector where they had interrogated Tomashevsky. Rutledge and Barrington joined them from where they had been waiting across the hall.

  “You guys were really good in there,” Rutledge complimented them.

  “That’s for damn sure!” Barrington agreed. “I was surprised when the Russian didn’t even want you guys walking him back to his cell. What did you say to Stevie before we ended the interrogation, Kay?”

  “Nothing you should have knowledge of, Tom,” Rasheed replied apologetically.

  “You’re probably right.” Barrington put his arm around Rasheed. “Jen and I think we really hit the jackpot. Stevie listed all the men we have in custody, plus seven others. He also added one more place we didn’t hit the first time. It’s a warehouse way out in the boondocks. Anyone want to guess at what he has stashed in there?”

  “He’ll have some men watching that place,” McDaniels warned. “I know our Special Ops guys are good, but God only knows what kind of shit he has there.”

  “Tom and I didn’t want to go too far today without checking on his bullshit level. I called Diane and faxed over the names and locations. She just returned from her meeting with those pompous…”

  “Hey, we have a couple of good guys on the committee. I like Senator Hokanson.”

  “Easy, big guy.” Rutledge grinned over at McDaniels as they walked. “I was just kidding a little. Anyway, Diane’s back at the office. She said she would call AD Dreyer. He’ll be able to issue the order for the Ops guys to get moving. With luck, we’ll have all the leads Stevie gave us today checked out by the time we go back to see him tomorrow.”

  “I’d like to help those guys with that warehouse. I could do the recon for them. It would be very bad if they have the whole place wired to go up in a mushroom cloud.”

  “Chill out a little, Cold. Let’s keep a happy face on this until something tragic happens. One thing I know about those Special Ops guys - they don’t like outsiders in on their missions.”

  “You’re probably right. What do we do now?”

  “Diane wants us back at the office for a debriefing with Dreyer. I guess we call it a day afterwards. We’ll be at it long and hard tomorrow. We’ll need some sleep.”

  “I never anticipated how exciting the American work week would be,” Rasheed joked. “Perhaps I will make it home in time for dinner. Luckily, we still have a few days to work this week. My Christmas light decorating will possibly proceed as planned on Saturday.”

  “I was thinking, Kay.” Rutledge smiled mischievously over at Rasheed. “What do you plan to put on top of your Christmas tree? It’s a custom to put an angel up there.”

  “Perhaps I will put an Osama bin Laden doll up on top, you…”

  “Don’t get mad, Kay,” Rutledge protested as McDaniels and Barrington laughed. “I was just going to suggest…”

  “Do not persist with this, infidel,” Rasheed warned. “Just make sure you are at my house to help early Saturday morning in case Mr. Reskova… ah…. flakes out on me.”

  “Flakes out?” McDaniels questioned, glaring at Rutledge and Barrington as they shared a laugh over Kay’s insertion of yet another popular nickname. “Your English is getting a little too good, Kay.”

  “Will there be breakfast, Kay?” Rutledge asked.

  “Of course. You and your infidel partner can stop at the Golden Arches on the way over to pick up breakfast for all.”

  “Oh, nice go, Jen.” Barrington shook his head as if in frustration. “Now, not only do we have to get out of bed early on a Saturday but we…uh oh.”

  Rutledge slowed, taking in a sharp intake of breath. Both McDaniels and Rasheed immediately stopped in their tracks as if running into a wall. Barrington gestured frantically.

  “No, no, no,” Barrington interjected firmly as he saw a resigned look of annoyance flash over Rutledge’s face. “I meant… if… ah…”

  “Yes, Tom,” Rasheed folded his arms, leaning forward expectantly. He glanced from Barrington to Rutledge with exaggerated interest. “Please, go on. You were saying?”

  Barrington stared into Rasheed’s and McDaniels’ amused faces, his own mouth beginning to form several sentences, but voicing not a word. After a few moments of futility, he simply walked around Rasheed and continued toward their office. Rutledge followed Barrington without another word. She walked with her eyes on the hallway floor. Rasheed looked at McDaniels with an almost ecstatic look.

  “Oh, my friend,” Rasheed stated happily, “God Bless America.”

  McDaniels nudged Rasheed as they again followed Barrington and Rutledge toward their part of the complex. Rasheed nodded with a smile when he saw Rutledge catch up to Barrington. Barrington paused for a moment while Rutledge said something. She simply slipped her arm under his. Barrington continued on with Rutledge leaning in close to him.

  Chapter 26

  Casualties

  “Oh, Cold, that feels so good,” Reskova whispered as McDaniels kneaded warm baby oil onto Reskova’s body.

  She lay face down, naked on top of a large beach towel across her bed. Andrea Bocelli’s voice singing from his Toscano CD played in the background. Dino lay at the foot of the bed, poking his head up over the mattress every few minutes. McDaniels wore only a pair of boxer shorts. He massaged her neck, shoulders, and upper back as he straddled across her. Working slowly, listening to Reskova groan with delight, McDaniels worked his way down over her entire body, ending at her feet. He took extra time there, using his thumbs to massage the balls of her feet and heel area before returning again to her neck and shoulders. McDaniels lightened his touch after returning his hands to her upper body once again. Reskova moaned loudly. She then twisted strongly, turning over to face McDaniels. An hour later, she lay wrapped in his arms as they leaned against pillows on her headboard.

  “I…I love you so much,” Reskova said softly.

  “I love you too, Red,” McDaniels replied, kissing the side of her neck. “How’s the tension aches?”

  “What tension aches? I had trouble even thinking until you fixed me. God, I was seeing stars by the time we made it home, from the pain. I let those Senate assholes get to me. If not for Hokanson, I would have beat the snot out of that bulbous nosed…”

  “Shhhhhhhhh…” McDaniels whispered. “Forget today. You’ll just get all wound up again.”

  Reskova leaned against McDaniels’ bare chest, softly running a hand over his recently scarred skin. “How does the chest feel since they unwrapped you?”

  “Great. There’s no pain. I guess I’ll have to give up on any future modeling career, huh?”

  “You can model for me anytime, big boy. Hey, I know what I was going to ask you. What’s going on with T
om and Jen? Did something happen during the interrogation to freak them out? They were sure quiet. Every time Kay tried to talk, Jen cut him off. I…,” Reskova paused because McDaniels had begun laughing, his chest heaving as he tried to suppress it. “What?!”

  After a few more moments to regain control of his mirth, McDaniels related the gaff Barrington had made while they were all returning to the office, repeating all of Rasheed’s involvement verbatim. Reskova pushed up, turning and straddling McDaniels, her mouth open in shocked enjoyment.

  “Oh my God! Tom and Jen? I… hey… no, come on, Cold, I want to hear… no… oh hell…”

  Much later, McDaniels pulled on his jeans as Reskova lay sleeping on the bed. When he stood up she opened her eyes sleepily. She reached out over the bed, grasping his hand.

  “Where’re you going? It’s almost eleven o’clock.”

  “I know. We didn’t have time to take Dino out tonight because of having to fix up that tension problem of yours first. Then you went and did that little twister in my lap after I told you about the dynamic duo, setting back Dino’s outing once again.”

  Reskova chuckled, stroking the back of his hand. “Okay, okay, but how did I know simply sitting on your lap was…”

  “Never mind,” McDaniels interrupted, pulling away reluctantly as Reskova laughed, pointing at the front of McDaniels’ jeans.

  “Got you again.”

  “Hold that thought until I come back to tuck you in, Red.” McDaniels warded off a nearly foaming at the mouth Dino. “Rest while you can.”

  At two thirty in the morning Reskova’s phone rang. It took only a few seconds for McDaniels to reach across the fumbling Reskova and grab the phone off its cradle on the nightstand. He kissed her shoulder as she groggily accepted the receiver from him.

  “Reskova here.”

  “Diane, our Special Ops team’s in trouble,” Dreyer’s voice said. “I need to reach McDaniels immediately. He’s not at home because I already sent a car for him. He’s not picking up on either of the two phone numbers I have for him. I…”

  “Hold on, Jim,” Reskova cut in, giving the receiver to McDaniels. He looked at her questioningly. “It’s important, Cold, take it.”

  “McDaniels, Jim, what’s up?”

  “What the hell?” Dreyer exclaimed. “Oh, never mind. Our Ops team hit the warehouse the Russian gave up nearly forty minutes ago. There were at least three of his men inside. The building was booby-trapped with those old bouncing Betty’s. We have two dead, and four wounded. The rest are strung out around the warehouse in a holding pattern. We’re negotiating with one of three men we believe are inside. He claims they have bio-warheads and the launchers to fire them.”

  “Do you have Diane’s fax number? Can you send a map of the location?”

  “On its way, Colonel. I can send a car to get you though.”

  “I have to get Rasheed up to speed and on the way with me. Are these three inside Middle Eastern?”

  “That’s affirmative. What can Rasheed…”

  “Never mind,” McDaniels cut him off. “I’ll bring the dog with me and see if he can extract your other guys without any further casualties. We’ll be right there.”

  “Hurry man, for God’s sake,” Dreyer urged before ending the link.

  Reskova was nearly dressed by the time McDaniels ended the conversation. She held Dino on his leash after hearing the dog mentioned. McDaniels punched in Rasheed’s phone number while dressing. Rasheed picked up on the third ring. McDaniels could hear the little Cold crying in the background with Ansa hushing him softly.

  “Hello.”

  “Kay, get dressed and head over to Diane’s house in the SUV. We have a situation. Bring the Dragonov.”

  “I am there,” Rasheed answered curtly and hung up.

  “What’s the plan?” Reskova put her hand on McDaniels’ shoulder as he laced his boots.

  “You and Dino will need to do an extraction. The Ops guys are trapped around the warehouse in a damn mine field. There are two dead and four wounded. Are you familiar with the bouncing Betty mine? Dreyer claims the area around the warehouse is booby-trapped with them.”

  “Blows up in the air first - the secondary explosion kills and maims. Do you think I can handle Dino to do this? Secondly, do you think he can sniff them out?”

  “I pray to God he can. We’ll have Dreyer tell the guys inside we’re pulling our men back. While you stall them and get those guys out of there with Kay as backup, I’ll find the underground tunnel these pricks must have for escape.”

  “How do you know they have a tunnel?”

  McDaniels headed for the door, Reskova close behind. “Kay and I have seen this before. They all read out of the same handbook. I’m betting once they do some damage with the launchers and bio-warheads they claim to have they’ll try and make it out, setting the whole warehouse to blow.”

  Reskova and Dino trailed McDaniels out of the bedroom.

  Reskova’s fax machine hummed into life. Moments later, she tore off detailed maps of the target facility and how to get there. Ten minutes later, McDaniels, Reskova, and Dino were waiting out in front of her apartment complex in the winter chill. McDaniels crouched next to Dino, practicing complex instructions with the dog. Dino performed admirably, all playfulness gone from his demeanor. A Ford SUV squealed around the turn in Reskova’s street. Rasheed braked sharply near them. The doors popped open. Reskova went into the back with Dino while McDaniels jumped into the passenger seat next to Rasheed. McDaniels punched in coordinates to Rasheed’s on-board GPS unit and they were moving toward the target warehouse in seconds. Reskova called and kept an open channel to Dreyer.

  “They’re ready to evacuate the wounded as soon as we can clear them from the mine field.”

  “You were right all along, my friend,” Rasheed said. “We will visit the Russian when this is all over. You will feel better once we have cut him up into pieces.”

  “I doubt it. I never figured they’d mine the outside perimeter. This place must be out in the boonies for them to do something like that without having to worry about blowing up some kids who climb over the fence.”

  “It’s fenced and posted with high voltage signs,” Reskova put in. “If you didn’t figure on the mines, I know our Ops guys didn’t.”

  “Hell, I’d have been there no matter what if I had thought for a second they would mine the damn place. Do you know the guy in charge of the Special Ops unit, Red?”

  “Pete Donaldson. He can be counted on. Do you think the Russian left out the fact they had the warehouse mined just to see how many of us he could get?”

  “I doubt it,” McDaniels replied after a moment of thought. “Kay can tell you. That boy was freaked. We just didn’t get into specifics in time. Tom and Jen wanted to make sure we weren’t chasing our tails first. I don’t know about Kay but I didn’t figure they’d hit the warehouse yet.”

  “Cold is right, Boss, the Russian would have given up the information under more pointed interrogation, if he knew at all. We may have moved a little too fast.”

  They rode in silence the rest of the way with the only sound when Reskova gave or received updates over the line to Dreyer. As they drew near the warehouse area they could see the lights of helicopters. They were stopped momentarily at a check point set up halfway between the warehouse and the main route along the only access road leading to the facility. A ten foot fence with barbed wire encircled the warehouse they saw in the distance. The entrance, complete with guard shack, closely resembled a military checkpoint. Rasheed was waved through by another one of the Special Ops team.

  “It is a bad idea to allow this type of setup in the midst of any part of your country, my friends. This is no warehouse. It is a military compound.”

  “Tell Dreyer we’re going to take a spin around inside the fence, Red,” McDaniels said suddenly.

  Reskova immediately called their plan into Dreyer who reluctantly okayed it.

  “Keep the brights on Kay and don
’t worry about the vehicle,” McDaniels directed as Rasheed steered to the right off the access road. “Keep just inside the fence and go slowly in a curving pattern. You know what to look for.”

  Rasheed nodded, steering the Ford SUV from side to side within a fifty foot search pattern. They were nearly half way around when Rasheed stopped. He pointed at a barren strip nearly ten feet wide in the underbrush, running from beyond the fence back toward the warehouse.

  “That’s it,” McDaniels confirmed. “Let’s gear up right now. You two head for the warehouse while I find their extra entrance.”

  Reskova handed each of the men a small headset. “We’re on with Dreyer right now.”

  “Jim, I think we’ve found the tunnel,” McDaniels said as he adjusted his headset. “I’m heading in while Diane and Kay come your way. Kay will be Diane’s backup. Do anything you can to keep from any more fireworks while I find a way in.”

  “We have snipers all over, Colonel. Keep Kay with you. I’ll…”

  “I have no doubt your guys are good,” McDaniels cut him off. “Kay shoots what I tell him to shoot. His rules of engagement are what I tell him they are. He backs Diane until she and the dog have everyone clear. Is that understood?”

  “Understood, Colonel,” Dreyer said after an initial hesitation. “Aginson said this was your ballgame now.”

  “Good,” McDaniels acknowledged curtly. “Do your best, Jim, until I can find a way in.”

  “Our best planted us in the middle of a minefield,” Dreyer said grimly.

  McDaniels opened his door and stepped out. “Keep Dino tight to you, Red. Get him acquainted with the field before you put yourself in the middle of the mines. See if he can do us any good before proceeding.”

  “I will.”

  “Kay, weapons free, brother. You know what to do.”

  “Do not worry.”

  “I’ll be on with you the whole way. Watch your backs. Something doesn’t smell right here.”

  McDaniels was gone before either Reskova or Rasheed could reply.

  * * *