“This is dangerous stuff and I don’t mean you going after those two psychos. I think you and Hokanson have been watching too many Godfather reruns. You Don Corleone wannabes will end up in prison without a get out of jail free card.”
McDaniels shrugged. “The Senator can’t do what I do and I can’t do what he does. We won’t be making a habit out of it. Like we talked about when I was first drafted into your group, I wasn’t hired as the resident computer geek.”
Reskova shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Marry me and have a little girl like Ally,” McDaniels suggested.
* * *
McDaniels adjusted his field glasses slightly from his prone position on an insulated pad overlooking a small ramshackle cabin. The outcropping McDaniels had chosen was situated on a rise with full view of the cabin and nearly five hundred feet above it. Mapping every movement the Hughes brothers made over the past five days McDaniels now had a detailed safe route to the cabin from four different directions. He knew the boundaries of the brothers’ security parameters intimately.
“Can you hear me, Red?” McDaniels glanced over at the miniature notebook computer with satellite linkup.
“Yes,” Reskova answered. “I was off line because we lost part of your signal. The live feed of the cabin is clear now. Cold, let me send in a team. You have their booby traps mapped and…”
“Red,” McDaniels cut her off impatiently, “I only agreed to this for your peace of mind, not to let you take over operations. I’m moving in just before dark.”
“You liked the company too. Don’t deny it.”
“I admit it. You’re taking a chance now too with plausible deniability.”
“It was always my intention to talk you into allowing me to send in a team once you found them and scouted their perimeter. I thought you would see reason you cement headed mule.”
McDaniels dropped his head into his arms, choking back the belly laugh surging to break free. He looked over at the screen in time to see her pointing at him.”
“Soon, my dear, your little off-the-cuff remarks will not go unanswered.” McDaniels turned his attention again to surveillance.
“Cold, for God’s sake, be careful. Don’t underestimate those two.”
McDaniels growled comically at the screen. He sat up, pushing his camouflage hood away from his face. “I have to sign off for now, Red. You’re becoming too much of a distraction, only in a bad way.”
“Wait! I’m sorry, Cold. I…”
McDaniels clicked off the uplink with Reskova protesting animatedly. Still smiling over Reskova’s ‘mule’ remark, he looked at his watch, noting he had forty-five minutes to work his way down to the brothers’ woodshed. Charles Hughes had made a trip out to gather wood every night for the past five nights at approximately the same time, give or take five minutes.
McDaniels checked his Taser gun and made sure his Ruger 9mm automatic was in easy reach. Over the next half hour, McDaniels crept within twenty feet of the woodshed near a stand of trees he knew to be clear of traps. Grinning, McDaniels remembered when he had made his first approach to the cabin and observed the Hughes brothers navigating their well worn paths leading away from the cabin in four directions. Later, being careful of the snow still on the ground, McDaniels had inspected some of the outer perimeter defenses. There were no secondary alarms or traps. The brothers simply walked the outer perimeter of their safety zone before closing off the single entrance into the zone before dark each night.
McDaniels trailed John Hughes the one day Hughes had left the cabin area and observed him checking snares placed outward from the cabin for over two miles. Since the weather had been clear for the last few weeks, McDaniels was careful not to leave any discernable trail either of the brothers could notice. The brothers had unwisely chosen not to reset their traps and razor wire by varying the location of their defenses. After bypassing the razor wire trap at the entrance leading inside the brothers’ outer perimeter, McDaniels could walk their soggy path without discovery.
Right on schedule, Charlie Hughes lumbered out of the cabin, heading for the woodshed. The Taser needles dropped the big man to the ground with but a single groan. McDaniels was on him in an instant, duct taping his mouth and plastic tying his hands and feet. By the time Charlie Hughes recovered enough to begin thrashing around on the ground, McDaniels was in position near the cabin door. John Hughes came out of the door with a twelve-gage shotgun in his hands, raised and ready. He spotted his brother just before the Taser needles hit him. John Hughes fired the twelve-gage shotgun inadvertently before collapsing on the cabin porch, narrowly missing his brother with the accidental shot. McDaniels hogtied John Hughes’ still twitching body. After dragging him over to the cabin wall, McDaniels propped him in an upright sitting position.
* * *
John Hughes painfully watched his brother Charlie dragged back to the cabin by a huge white clad hulk of a man who seemed to have no difficulty handling his brother’s not inconsiderable bulk. When the man reached the cabin’s slightly raised porch, he picked up Charlie Hughes and threw him down heavily next to John. Their captor went inside the cabin, emerging in a moment chair in hand, placing it so he could sit comfortably while talking to his captives. The man pushed the parka back from his head as he sat down. Smiling at the two brothers amiably, McDaniels acted as if he had come over to pass the time of day with his neighbors.
“Hello, boys,” a gruffly base voice greeted them. “It’s good to finally meet up with you.”
“Mc…McDaniels?” John Hughes gasped.
“Yep, it’s me, come to return the visit you made to my woman.”
“We didn’t hurt her none,” Charlie Hughes blurted out.
“Shut up, Charlie!” John Hughes barked over at his brother. “What can we do to make this right, partner? We have money and…”
McDaniels’ booming laugh interrupted John Hughes’ bargaining as nothing else could. McDaniels shook his head finally moments later, still chuckling over the remark.
“Let’s talk about what you two are going to do for me but we might as well get one thing straight,” McDaniels explained. “You two will not survive my little visit. The only thing available for bargaining is a less painful death.”
“That ain’t no bargain at all,” John Hughes spat in the dirt near McDaniels.
“I know Reskova was not the first for you two rocket scientists.” McDaniels’ mouth tightened into a sneering thin line. “I don’t know how many innocent victims you two helped your brother with or how many you did on your own. I only know that before I leave here, I will know it all, including which of the Russian mob put you boys up to taking Reskova.”
“It was Kojovich and Romanko,” John Hughes answered. “Fuck ‘em. I hope you carve the bastards up for getting us into this.”
“Good start.” McDaniels switched on a recorder he had in his vest pocket. “Who approached you first about the Reskova kidnapping?”
“Kojovich, but he wasn’t the guy in charge. He guided us. We never saw Romanko. I heard Kojovich talking about him though.”
McDaniels nodded his understanding. He took a small plastic container out of his parka and opened it. He extracted two hypodermic needles from the container, filled to their capacity. Holding them up for the two brothers to see, McDaniels showed the hypodermic needles to each man separately before returning them to their housing.
“Those were smack hotshots, boys,” McDaniels told them. “They’ll take you to wonderland painlessly. I’ll even walk you out to a cliff with a view of the sunset so you can go to hell with pretty scenery in your monstrous heads. All you two have to do is start listing all the people you three miscreants have deprived of sunsets and where their bodies are. I plan to give those families some closure.”
“Don’t want much, do ya’?” John Hughes retorted angrily. “That deal sucks.”
“Don’t you have to turn us over to the police?” Charlie Hughes asked dumbly. “I do
n’t want to die.”
“You should have thought about what you wanted before you started murdering people. Now, what…”
“We didn’t kill your woman,” Charlie Hughes interrupted. He looked at his brother. “I told you we should have played with her for a while. At…”
“Shut up, you moron! Look, McDaniels, Charlie’s a little off, he…”
“He’s just saying what you’d say if you were as dumb as he is,” McDaniels cut him off. “What’ll it be boys? The more I talk to you two, the more I want to slice you both up like a hot apple pie.”
“You talk big.” Charlie Hughes’ face twisted into a more recognizable mask of hatred. “You wouldn’t talk so big if I was loose. I know how to make you scream like a little girl.”
* * *
McDaniels turned off his recorder and stood up. He threw the chair on the porch. After stripping out of his upper garments down to just his tee-shirt, McDaniels pulled a pair of wire cutters from his parka pocket. He turned Charlie Hughes over onto his stomach. McDaniels cut the plastic ties holding the big Hughes brother. He stepped back, gesturing at his discarded clothes. John Hughes suddenly looked hopeful as Charlie Hughes rolled like a cat into a crouch, his look of stupidity transformed into a malevolence McDaniels had seen before. Stanton Hughes had looked at Alicia Hokanson just like Charlie Hughes looked at him now.
“I’ve got a gun in my clothes, Charlie,” McDaniels said. “All you have to do is come get it.”
“We won’t need no gun after I finish with you,” Charlie Hughes replied with enthusiasm. He had killed more than one man with his bare hands.
Charlie Hughes charged McDaniels, believing he could bowl McDaniels over and rip him apart on the ground. McDaniels shot a forearm blow out at the instant Charlie Hughes reached him bellowing like a bull, with John Hughes howling encouragement. John Hughes choked back his triumphant yell. He watched with horror as McDaniels’ forearm smashed into Charlie Hughes’ forehead with the force of a battering ram. Charlie Hughes’ body shuddered to a halt as if it had run head on into a cement wall. McDaniels grabbed the big man’s head before he could fall back and brought his knee up into the man’s face with deadly impact.
Charlie Hughes seemed to pitch up and backward into the air, blood spewing from his shattered face. McDaniels smiled as the human monster screamed in high-pitched pain. John Hughes looked at his brother in disbelief. McDaniels waited until John Hughes glanced up at him. He then walked over to the writhing younger brother. McDaniels began methodically kicking the screaming man, never losing eye contact with John Hughes. Only when Charlie Hughes ceased all movement did McDaniels stop.
“You’re next,” McDaniels whispered, turning fully toward John Hughes.
“I’ll tell…I’ll tell… just stay the fuck away from me,” John Hughes pleaded. “I’ll give you everything. I’ll deal.”
“I can tie into a data base instantly. Every name you mention will be cross referenced,” McDaniels told him, walking over to his clothes. “If even one name doesn’t match or I think you may be holding back, I’ll skin you alive.”
“I…I won’t hold back.” John Hughes knew in a revealing instant he was in the same exact situation as many of his past victims, only he would be receiving mercy he had never afforded them.
Looking into John Hughes’ eyes, McDaniels for the first time in his life considered going back on his word.
Chapter 55
Exposed Identity
Reskova sat in front of her computer making entries into field reports when she felt Dino jump up from where he had been lying at her feet. Dino barked and then streaked for the front room. Reskova grabbed her Glock 9mm from the desk and took up a position to the side of the doorway leading into the apartment’s front room. She heard the door open.
“It’s me, Red,” McDaniels called out, fending off Dino with both hands. “You didn’t have the deadbolt in place again. How do you expect to keep anyone out…”
Reskova slammed into his arms after quickly putting aside her weapon, cutting off McDaniels’ chastisement.
“You’re back, you’re back… you’re back,” Reskova whispered, clutching him as tightly as she could manage. “It’s been two weeks since you hung up on me. Where the hell have you been?”
“I had to confirm my information gathering.” McDaniels stroked Reskova’s back. “Let’s sit down. I’ll go over everything with you. How about a drink?”
“Sure,” Reskova answered. “Leave your stuff by the door. You can stow it later. What kind of information, Cold?”
“Some about the Russians but the rest has to do with those monsters’ other victims.” McDaniels followed her into the kitchen with his miniature notebook.
After they were seated with a bottle of Jack Daniels between them and two glasses, Reskova looked over the notebook computer screen. Dino lay happily over McDaniels’ left boot.
“God almighty,” Reskova said in a hushed voice, “eighteen more people?”
“The names cross-referenced to the missing persons’ database you linked me with,” McDaniels confirmed, taking a big sip from his glass. “I checked the site and mapped it out on my GPS. It’s definitely a burial ground.”
Fifteen minutes later, Reskova logged off the computer. She reached over and covered McDaniels’ right hand with both of hers.
“You were right to go. I see they confirmed the Russian connection.”
“They were very helpful.”
“It looks like you dropped a few more pounds. How about we go get something to eat?”
“Maybe later.” McDaniels pulled Reskova over onto his lap. “Did you already walk Dino?”
“Kay, Suraya, and the little Cold went with me. Kay stopped by his house and picked them up. You should have seen Dino with the baby. They chased each other around the apartment for half an hour after we brought Dino back from his walk. For the first time in quite a while we’re off for the weekend. Kay thought it was a good time to let the kids play with Dino.”
“I’d have liked to have seen that.” McDaniels kissed Reskova’s neck. “God, you smell good.”
“Are you going to let us take care of the Russians now?” Reskova stroked McDaniels’ face.
“If you thought I was right about the Hughes boys why do we have to talk about the Russians again?”
“Because you’re not out in the middle of nowhere. I suppose there really isn’t any point in talking about it. You’ll just get Don Corleone Hokanson to help you with locations.”
“He doesn’t have to. I have clearance to tap in anywhere.”
“How long have you had that?” Reskova pulled away in surprise and stood up.
“Calm down,” McDaniels urged, taking her hand. “Just since I went to Iraq. Hokanson piggybacked it into my mission parameters.”
“What if you’d been captured?” Reskova sat down heavily in her own chair.
“Never happen,” McDaniels stated. “We had that covered.”
“Meaning what… oh…”
“No way do I get taken, Red,” McDaniels confirmed her unspoken suspicion. “It wasn’t Hokanson’s idea. It was mine.”
“Sorry, I’m smart enough to have figured that out myself. Well, you are supposed to be our wildcard. I guess it all fits. You do realize Hokanson won’t be a Senator forever. One of these days some incompetent liberal boob like…”
“I know, I know,” McDaniels interrupted, standing up too. “C’mon, I’ll buy you some dinner. It’s warm enough to walk down to that little pizza place you like. We’ll get a pitcher of beer and a couple of Italian sausage sandwiches.”
“Sounds good but you haven’t greeted me properly.”
“If I do that now we’ll be going to breakfast instead of dinner.”
“How about a quick hello?”
McDaniels ran his hands down over Reskova’s shoulders. “Eating’s overrated. I thought you might need some time to absorb my new revelations.”
“I’m yours,” Reskova whispered
urgently, clutching McDaniels tightly. “I trust you implicitly. I don’t care if you…”
“Breakfast it is.” McDaniels picked Reskova up gently and headed for the bedroom.
* * *
“Wow Kay, you’re lucky you have enough room for customers in here,” a familiar voice called out from the door.
Rasheed looked up from the cash register where he was ringing up the purchase of an antique vase to Nancy Donaldson. Pete Donaldson spun around next to his wife. McDaniels approached the group with Reskova’s hand in his. Rasheed immediately began waving his hand, feigning irritation.
“You do not write. You do not call. You…”
“I’m happy to see you too, Kay.” McDaniels laughed, shaking hands with Donaldson and receiving a quick hug from Nancy. “I did call you, luckily. I wouldn’t have thought to find you here. You didn’t say on the phone whether you gave Ansa the day off?”
“I work on Saturdays whenever I get one off. That is one of the blessings of having this corner property with my shop on one side and the house on the other.” Rasheed came around the counter to shake hands with McDaniels. “I left Suraya and Mehmed to watch the little Cold while Ansa sleeps in.”
“You’re joking, right?” McDaniels said, stunned.
Rasheed winked at Donaldson. “There are some things even I cannot change. I have schooled young Mehmed in all the ways he can visit with my daughter without dying. This enables me to avoid open rebellion from my camp follower in training.”
“You are the man,” McDaniels said reverently as both Tamara and Reskova reacted indignantly to Rasheed’s camp follower comment concerning Suraya.
“Please don’t feed that ego of his, Colonel,” Donaldson pleaded. “He already talks most of the time in the third person as if he were some all knowing oracle of wisdom.”
“Jealousy does not become you, young Pete,” Rasheed chided Donaldson to the amusement of the others before addressing McDaniels. “Where are you headed now, my friend?”
Monster Page 57