Marx would always joke: “I don't understand why in the hell a good-lookin’, rich-ass son of a bitch like you would want to practically kill himself to become a Navy SEAL. If I were you and I had all of my daddy’s billions, I’d be at the titty bars throwin’ money around till somethin’ came home with me!”
Ever charming was Marx.
Xander laughed to himself as he peered through the rifle’s scope. He adjusted for the slight but steady SoCal breeze, and he wrapped his black leather glove–covered finger around the trigger. The crosshairs danced back and forth over the guard’s chest. With a deep breath and a steady hand he gently squeezed the trigger and hit his mark directly in the right shoulder. He continued his gaze through the scope, studying the guard as he grasped his shoulder in pain. A small spatter of blood saturated the entry point of the bullet on the guard’s white short-sleeved button-down shirt. In a matter of seconds he slowly folded over as the tranquilizer settled into his bloodstream. Xander panned the rifle a few feet to the right until he spotted the camera on the gate in his sights. One more squeeze and the bullet exploded directly through the lens, disabling the camera. Xander lowered his rifle and tossed it just outside the tree line, where his intended exit route would take him. He made his way through the rest of the trees to the opening of the driveway and continued past the guardhouse to the gate’s keypad. He entered the four-digit code he had memorized from Sam’s intel, and the gate opened, giving way to the compound and its grounds. He moved through, and the gate closed behind him. Ahead of him lay a long narrow driveway that wound its way up a hill before dead-ending into a massive Mediterranean-style mansion. Instead of taking the driveway and further exposing himself, he made his way up the manicured hill beside it, through various tropical plants, pines, and palm trees. He took notice of the soft but firm ground, just in case a quick exit from the premises would be necessary.
As he approached the outside of the mansion, there were no sounds or signs of movement coming from inside. It was, in fact, much quieter than he had expected. His intel had shown, especially on the weekends, that many parties took place here. There were no signs this was the case tonight. The driveway was free of souped-up Chevy Impalas and other tacky retro cars fitted with thirty-inch rims.
Sam’s 14 percent probable success rate might just be right on the money, he thought.
He quickly erased this thought from his mind, as there was no room for any doubt that Miguel and his crew would be anything but ready and waiting for him. He spotted the first security camera and pulled one of his pistols. With minimal effort he shot out the camera. Xander, one time, after a few too many bourbons had joked with Sam that he was going to start bringing a paintball gun along just for the security cameras. Sam didn’t find the idea amusing at all. She was the best in the world at building these missions, but she was a little uptight. A lot uptight actually, the yin to Xander's yang. Sam was supposed to have already hacked in and cut the cameras, but since it was on his way in, he figured it couldn’t hurt to be safe.
Xander reholstered his pistol and made a move for the side door when a window lit up on the second floor toward the rear of the mansion. He couldn’t help but feel that at that moment the 14 percent probability Sam had given him to succeed had just gone to 100. A shade was drawn, but he could see a shadow moving in the background. He surveyed the outside of the compound for an easier way to reach his target. If he could avoid having to scour the entire mansion, it would be far more efficient. To his left, in the yellow floodlight, he could see a substantial concrete balcony protruding from the second floor of the back of the mansion, connected to the very room that showed the signs of movement above him. With three quick-bursting bounds he used his momentum to propel himself up the side of the stucco wall. Without stopping, he pushed off of the wall, and after a catlike leap over the back gate, he had a hold on the bottom of the balcony on the other side. Pulling himself up with one arm, he kept his right hand gripped around his pistol, which was tucked inside his suspender holsters.
There was no one out on the balcony, and once he had pulled himself the rest of the way up, he tucked up against the side of the mansion on the outside of the stucco and stone pillar railing. His all-black suit stood out loudly against the light tan stucco he now leaned his back against.
There was a massive sliding door on the other side of the railing. The light was on in the room, but in addition to the window there was a curtain closed for privacy. As he listened for any movement, he noticed the sprawling grounds at the back of the mansion. Multiple floodlights cast their rays over a magnificent pool, complete with a faux-rock mountain holding a slide and what appeared to be the opening to a grotto tucked underneath it. Xander was amazed by how much money was made trafficking drugs and, in this case, prostituting innocent children. That thought brought his blood to a boil and focused him on the task at hand. A sliver of wall on the balcony separated the rail from the beginning of the sliding door, just enough room for him to stay hidden. Xander hopped the rail and paused at that gap before noticing a small opening in the curtain as it had been pulled a little too far to the middle of the glass doors. Just as he began to take a look inside, he heard a woman let out a moan, and he quickly pulled his head back away from the door. For the moment at least, it didn't sound as if she was moaning from being forced into her current situation. Xander figured he could take his time.
First things first, he wanted to determine for certain whether or not this was Juarez. Judging by size and proximity, this room had the makings of what should be the master bedroom. He flipped back through his memory to the blueprints he had studied on the car ride over and confirmed in his mind that it indeed was.
Check.
The moans continued as Xander peeked inside the room through the small opening in the curtains. Whatever he was doing to her didn’t seem to be hurting.
The bedroom was large with cathedral ceilings and chock-full of gaudy, gold-framed paintings featuring what looked to be Mexican countryside. In the center of the room and on the side of a large bed, a naked man stood thrusting against a woman who was bent over, white-knuckle-clutching the sheets. The thrusts were to a constant beat and with each moan came an opportunity to mask the sound of sliding open the fortuitously unlocked door.
Keep up the good work, my man. This is too easy.
3
Juarez’s Date with Destiny
Xander stepped inside the bedroom and reached inside his blazer, pulling one of his pistols. With the couple’s backs turned to him it would be easy to shoot them both without alarming anyone else who might be lurking around the mansion. However, contrary to his discussion with Sam in the car, Xander didn't kill innocent people. Sam always found this notion absurd. Her thought process was, how many innocent people hang out in a drug lord's mansion? She had been on many similar cases during her time with MI6. Though Xander understood her thinking, this wasn't MI6. This wasn't the CIA or the FBI, either. This was his show, and there was only one target on this mission. He would risk his own life to make sure it stayed this way. The only exception to this rule was if someone was trying to kill him or someone else’s life was in danger. Even then he did his damnedest to avoid unnecessary casualties. This was one of Xander's few original laws when he decided this would be his life's work.
The naked man's pumping came to an abrupt stop when he was clearly finished pleasuring himself. Xander moved closer as the man exhaustedly slumped over the woman, his body heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The soft yellow glow of the overhead light glistened over his sweat-drenched back and revealed a large tattoo covering the top of it from shoulder to shoulder. Xander noticed it looked like skulls intertwined with assault rifles as he drove the butt of his pistol into the back of the Mexican man's bald head. Now that he was so close, he knew for certain that it wasn't Juarez. This man was short, maybe five eight, and intel on Juarez was that he was closer to six feet. The girl turned in surprise at the sound the man’s skull made as it was being smas
hed, but in the same motion Xander kept her from seeing him by burying her head in the mattress with his elbow, stifling her from alerting the rest of the house. With the one arm pinning her down, he holstered his gun and shook the adjacent pillows out of their tan silk cases. The first one covered her head, and as gently as he could he tied the second pillowcase around her mouth as her naked body squirmed beneath him. She continued moaning, but the cloth in her mouth muffled the sounds. She also tried screaming, but even if she was heard it certainly wasn’t as loud or as alarming as the voluntary moans she had been making just moments ago. He lowered the unconscious man to the floor, then used the sheets to tie the woman to one of the large cherrywood posts at the top corner of the bed. First her wrists, then her feet; she lay there looking like a human hammock. Xander checked his watch.
Seven minutes.
He repurposed the king-size comforter, removing it from the bed and tying it around the base of the stone railing out on the balcony, in the event there might be a need for a quick second-story exit. As he finished tightening the knot, through a gap in the stone balcony railing he noticed a light on in the room below him. It was easy to see because the window to that room was the size of a wall.
Noted.
On his way back through the bedroom he made use of a nearby belt to subdue the still unconscious naked man while constantly being accompanied by the soundtrack of the girl's muffled squeals. Now he could finally turn his attention to the rest of the house and, more importantly, to finding the potential hostages and killing Miguel Juarez. At the front wall of the bedroom was an oversize dark oak wood door that matched the crown moulding lining the tops of the walls of the bedroom. He noticed the light switch on the wall and turned it off to help gauge the strength of the light that was to greet him in the hallway. There wasn't much of a crack at the bottom of the closed door, so this yielded little information about what lay ahead on the other side. He tested the door with his ear. He could faintly hear the muffled sound of music emanating from a seemingly distant part of the house. This was good. Not only did it give him a direction, but it also provided cover for any noise he might mistakenly make. Unholstering a pistol he reached for the horizontal brass door handle. Slow and steady he gently opened the door.
Six minutes.
The alarm went off in his head. One of the many things you learn being a Navy SEAL is that internal clock. Not only did it keep the task on pace, but it also steadied his focus.
He found the hallway empty. The only light shined from the room below, and the music was much clearer now. It seemed to be coming from a common area like a living room or kitchen. The hallway was a balcony, lined with a wraparound wrought iron railing. At the wall it swirled around and down into a grand half-spiral staircase that ended in a beautiful foyer. He could see through the windows below that surrounded the giant oak front door that there were guards outside keeping watch.
Miguel is here.
A shot of adrenaline flooded his veins, practically floating him along the wall and down the stairs. At the bottom, Xander could hear the laughter of a man and a woman coming from the same room as the music. The man’s laugh seemed genuine, but he could tell the woman was nervous. He danced along the inside wall of the open foyer in the direction of those sounds. The floor below him was white marble with a large brown mosaic pattern in the middle of the room. A massive crystal chandelier dangled gracefully above it, and its light cascaded down on him, making it difficult for Xander to stay in the shadows. Along the way he noticed a door underneath the stairs he had just descended. His stomach turned. He knew it was the basement door. What he didn’t know was just how horrible what he might find down there would be. He took a deep breath, walked over to the door, and tested the knob. Much to his surprise, it opened.
Five minutes.
Darkness met him at the top of the stairs, not a trace of light below, the only sounds coming from the music and voices on the main floor. He tuned his mind to his hands and feet, and after he shut the door behind him, he began to feel his way down. The stairs were solid, so he was able to move without sound. The smell of mold was thick and the walls felt like splintered two-by-fours. He came to a wall in front of him, and with a turn to his right he continued to find stairs. Finally, he noticed a slight yellow glow from a point at the other end of the basement. He stopped for a moment, bent down, and peered under the ceiling from his spot on the stairs. There was definitely a light, but it was coming from a room around a corner through a break in the wall. The basement looked to be completely empty. The walls were a dark-colored brick and the floor seemed to be poured concrete. He tried to look to the other side, but instead of an open space, that side was all walled in.
Xander pulled out his phone and messaged Sam.
Sam, I need to know how many men are upstairs. Were you able to tap the cameras?
Sam responded, I told you, there is a special code that couldn’t be cracked, otherwise you would have had the feed from the beginning. If you are having a problem, abort. We will find another way to save the girls.
Find out how many men there are.
I have an idea, but I’ll need a moment.
Xander knew Sam would think of something. He put his phone away and descended the last of the stairs. The light was strong enough now for him to be able to see, but there just wasn’t anything to see. However, he heard something shuffling around in the direction of the light. He reached for his pistol and moved slowly toward the back wall of the basement. There was a break in the wall just large enough for him to walk through. Beyond it, the light became brighter the closer he moved toward it. He heard more shuffling.
Xander approached the open doorway. The light shined from the right, but the left side was completely dark. There were only about eight feet until there was another wall. Just as he was about to turn the corner, a horrible smell sparked his senses. It was unmistakable to Xander. He had smelled the rotting dead many times in the Middle East. There was nothing on earth like it. He readied his gun and prepared his mind for the worst.
Four minutes.
Xander spun around the break in the wall and pointed his gun in front of him. A sickness came over him. His eyes found a cell, eight by eight feet; the back wall was almost completely covered by a pile of dead girls.
A pile of dead girls.
The smell overwhelmed him. Emotion attempted to overcome him, but Xander didn’t have time for emotion. He took a large breath through his mouth to avoid the smell and swallowed the burning saliva that flooded his jowls. Behind the iron bars, tied to a chair in front of the wall of bodies, was a blonde-haired girl who looked to be fourteen or so, her face full of fright and her body devoid of food. In front of her were three more emaciated girls, hands tied, lying facedown, turning their heads to look up at him. They all squealed in fear, eyes wide at the sight of Xander’s gun. He put it away and approached the bars, his heart broken.
“It’s okay. I’m gonna get you out of here. Is there anyone else down here?” he asked. His voice tried to catch, but he wouldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow these poor girls to see even a hint of anything but strength and resolve in him.
The blonde girl tied to the chair looked up into his eyes, holding them, until suddenly her eyes darted up over his shoulder and she feverishly began to squeal. Xander instinctively ducked down in a twisting motion as he swept his leg out and around his body. Just as he heard a loud clang above him, where his head had been before he ducked, Xander’s foot connected with a leg and swept someone off his feet. The man grunted as he lost balance and crashed onto his back on the concrete floor. The girls screamed through their gagged mouths from behind Xander as he pounced on top of the large Mexican man. Straddling him, he pulled back his right arm and dropped a skull-cracking elbow down on the man’s head, knocking him unconscious. Xander stood and dragged the body into the other room. The girls had seen enough atrocities, so he spared them the sight of the silenced bullet he put in the temple of the man’s head. He searched
the man’s pockets and found a set of keys. He stepped over the pooling blood, walked back to the girls, unlocked the cell, and helped them to their feet. They were almost too weak to stand. They wobbled like newborn foals. He untied the girl from the chair, and before he could remove her gag, she threw her arms around him and squeezed him as tight as she could. Once again, emotion crawled up his spine, but he couldn’t let it take hold of him. Not for a second. Not if he wanted to get these girls out of this hellhole alive.
Xander returned the hug and patted her softly on the back. He took the time to meet each one of their trembling pairs of eyes, making sure they understood him—believed him. “It’s okay, girls. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
He managed to pry the girl’s arms from his neck and put his finger to his mouth as he untied her gag. She nodded, understanding that it wasn’t over yet. She began to sob uncontrollably and so did the others.
Once more, Xander focused deep into their watery eyes.
“Listen, I’m gonna need you girls to be brave. Can you do that for me? I have to go back upstairs and make sure all the bad men are gone, okay? Can you be strong for me?” This was especially hard for Xander. When he looked at them, he saw his young niece, Kaley, in their eyes.
Through her heavy tears the little blonde girl spoke in a frightened whisper. “No, please! Don’t leave us down here!”
This was tough.
“I know you’re scared. It’s okay. No one is going to hurt you. I promise.” Xander walked them out away from the decaying bodies and into the room with the dead man. “Wait here.” He dragged the dead man into the cell where the girls had been held, then rejoined them in the now empty room. “Listen to me now. I’m gonna need you to be brave. Can you girls do that for me?”
Xander King BoxSet Page 3