An Unlikely Hero (1)

by Tierney James

  Essid smiled over at her. “It is a good thing you are not an American, Honey.”

  Honey shifted her weight to one hip and ran her tongue across her lips. “It’s a good thing you’re good between the sheets or I would have killed you a long time ago.”

  Essid laughed happily. “We are a perfect pair, Honey Lynch.”

  There were two exits, one at the end of each corridor on every floor. Stairs led all the way to the roof for the maintenance people to periodically make needed adjustments to any environmental systems. A narrow catwalk between building AA and BB stretched across the fifteen foot expanse. It existed only for those people traveling between sites to eliminate wasted time completing necessary repairs. Some Global Navigation analysts suggested productivity increased by twenty three percent in that one department alone. The Wall Street Business Journal wrote that with such time saving ideas, leaving more money for research and development set a precedent for any large corporation trying to manage their bottom line.

  Due to the expansive roof surface, the helicopter pad had been located there. The second building known only as BB, contained the plant which actually produced the life-saving isotopes. Located at the far end of the building, an elevator hidden among a garden of flowers and a gurgling fountain waited for VIPs that arrived by way of helicopter. Guests, clients and Global Navigation big wigs would take the elevator down to a lobby similar to the one in building AA where Essid’s men had taken up positions earlier.

  Director Benjamin Clark directed the pilot to make use of the helicopter pad as light faded across the foothills of the Sierras. He already knew the schematics of Global Navigation downloaded to his Enigma phone before he even left Sacramento. The ex-Special Forces, all friends of Chase, on board with Ben, carried the plans in their head, memorized before takeoff. Their rescue mission involved retrieving the scientists and Russian representatives before Essid could harm them. Hostages in other areas would be reached as time permitted. Buildings could be replaced but Russian delegates offering natural resources to reduce the suffering of thousands could not. Ben cringed at the thought of just one death. The American scientists were some of the best in the world. They’d been recruited from Los Alamos, Oakridge, NASA, Missouri University of Science and Technology and MIT. Those were the only ones he knew of without more research. Truthfully, Ben didn’t care where they came from. He just didn’t want them dead.

  Scientists were easy pickings and terrorists had begun their systematic hunt for them on a global scale in recent months. Rather than kidnap them to use their brain power, several Ph.D.’s in molecular energy research had recently disappeared in Germany, only to be found several days later with severed heads outside a remote mountain lodge. The media had been fed a ridiculous story about depression and some kind of gay relationship since both men were single. However, when the female petroleum engineer from Canada disappeared with her family while sailing off the coast of Newfoundland a month ago, counter intelligence agencies across the globe began to take notice of the potential problem. Their boat had been found adrift when she’d not returned to her station in the North Sea two weeks later. It was thought best not to alarm the world’s brain bank just yet. In the meantime, governments across the globe committed themselves to keeping an eye on facilities and terrorist groups bent on sending the world back to the Stone Age.

  Now that he knew Carter was in place, life appeared to be a little less worrisome. Just as the silent helicopter landed a call came from Captain Hunter, who had secured a phone from the dead hired gun. The captain, Vernon and Mrs. Scott were on their way to the third floor to rendezvous with Carter. After inquiring about Mrs. Scott’s welfare, he insisted the captain get her out of harm’s way immediately. He didn’t want any dead civilians on top of the prospect of losing scientists and a Russian delegation. His thoughts flashed to Mrs. Scott’s family so suddenly that he placed his hand over his eyes to remove the image. His brow wrinkled in distaste and irritation, knowing their situation had not been a priority. That had proved to be a mistake. Hopefully the Haskin boys would survive this chain of events.

  Captain Hunter felt Sam hug his neck when he came through the third floor door. She whispered something that made him smile wickedly and nod ever so slightly as if agreeing to something privately held only between the two of them. His eyes went to Trucker Joe next and extended his hand.

  “We meet again,” he said whole heartedly. He felt Tessa and Vernon slip in behind him. “You remember…”

  “I remember her.” Joe raised his double chin at her a little cautiously. “Sorry I was rude to you the other day, Melanie.”

  “Melanie?” she said bewildered. Why did that name keep coming up and sticking to her? “How…”

  “Oh! Carter here told me you were one of the top agents.” He patted Carter on the back not noticing the ex-astronaut squeezed his eyes shut while wrinkling his nose as a little boy might do trying to sneak into his mother’s cookie jar without being caught.

  “I see,” Tessa said shifting her eyes to the former astronaut whose career she’d followed for as long as she could remember. All the stories of womanizing, goof off stunts and lack of discipline that the press loved to write about had never been embraced by her loyalty. Although amused by Carter’s exaggerated sense of humor, Tessa now realized perhaps her ardent defense of his brilliance and competence wasn’t the only thing that led to his dismissal at NASA. “Yes, well apology accepted.”

  “I am relieved to see you!” Zoric came up alongside of Tessa and nearly reached out to touch her, then seemed to think better of it as his eyes mockingly went to the captain. “I see Chase took good care of you.”

  “He nearly drowned me.”

  “Ah!” Zoric displayed a yellow grin. “But you are alive.”

  Tessa took a step closer to him and whispered. “Mr. Crawley?”

  He shook his head. “Not good. He needs a hospital. They separated us. He is a brave man.”

  Dread gripped her heart, knowing her old neighbor might not fare as well as she had in the end. All the complaining and moaning about covenants of the gated community, the gruff hellos, the constant questions, all sounded endearing to her now. Remembering how he’d collected newspaper articles and pictures of the children playing sports made her long to pat his arm and promise to bake him a batch of her chocolate chip cookies.

  Vernon didn’t wait to be introduced but disappeared into an office to check the status of his Global Warming virus on one of the computers. He returned within minutes. “I’ve opened a heat sensor scan of the fifth floor to be sure where everyone is located. It’ll boot in two minutes. Had to make sure the other systems remained asleep until we get up there. Secured fifth level door, boss so…” Vernon’s eyes shifted from Tessa to Chase.

  The look passing between the two men was not lost.

  Captain Hunter nodded an acceptance and reached for Tessa, pulling her aside. “This is where we part ways for a bit, Tessa.”

  “Why? I need to go with you, to help Mr. Crawley.”

  Sam came up next to Chase, shifting her weapon to the other shoulder as she looked down at the blond housewife who’d been the beginning of this mission. “There’s nothing you can do. You’ll get us killed,” she snapped. Sam sniffed as she jerked her head up in contempt and eyed Tessa harshly. “The captain can’t be worried about you when he goes in for those hostages. None of us can.”

  Her blue eyes lifted to Chase and softened even though he glared sternly at her. “Do I stay here?” The tide of resistance ebbed from her voice as she meekly clasped her hands over her elbows as her arms folded across her midriff.

  “No. Vernon sealed the fifth floor door so even if they see you, and I can’t imagine they can since they are spread pretty thin now, they won’t be able to reach you. Go all the way to the sixth floor. Once there enter the corridor. You’ll see another exit at the end on your left that indicates another staircase to the roof. Get up there as fast as you can. The director will be waiting
with some of my men.”

  Again that little girl nod that said I’m terrified, but I’ll do it for you. Chase reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just about over.”

  A weak smile played at the corners of her mouth as she placed her hand on the door knob and turned. “Good luck!”

  The door slowly closed against Chase’s hip as he stood and watched her quietly steal up the concrete stairs toward safety. When she reached the sixth floor she leaned over far enough where he could see her. A short wave of victory with one hand signaled she’d arrived. Chase backed into the room as Vernon returned to the computer terminal. He sighed looking up at the ceiling and counting how many seconds it would take for her to enter the sixth floor and make her way up to the roof. Glancing down at his watch he felt Sam’s disapproving eyes on him.

  “I know. This is why having civilians around isn’t a good idea.” He looked over at the trucker who’d managed to find a candy bar and was making quick haste of it. A tiny bit of chocolate clung to his bottom lip, making Chase remember the Baby Hughie cartoon character he’d watched as a kid when stuck in some embassy with his grandfather’s secretary or assistant. They had always seemed to locate a VHS of cartoons to keep him from exploring.

  Vernon jerked the door open and skidded into the room with alarm. “Boss!”

  The captain frowned, expecting bad news as he stepped toward the computer whiz. “What is it, Vern?” All eyes turned on him. He could tell Vernon’s breath came quickly and his face had flushed.

  “The fifth floor has twenty hostages like Jamaal said. Two other heat sources are outside one of the doors.”

  “Okay,” Chase said slowly not liking the ‘but’ which was about to come.

  “There are five more heat sources that are walking around on the sixth floor, all of them carrying weapons. The director and your men are still on the roof.”

  “Tessa!” Chase said opening the door to the stairwell.

  Chapter 30

  Stepping through the door on mouse feet, Tessa put her hand back to make sure the door closed softly. She’d turned her head as it touched her fingers and was startled to feel a hand grip the top of her shirt, jerking her around to face the piercing eyes of Honey Lynch. The strength in such dainty arms surprised Tessa. The pale, smooth skin was damp with perspiration but clear and lovely like pictures of Irish girls featured in travel brochures. Her hair, tawny, almost blonde had been pushed behind small ears. It was the rage in her eyes, the flaring nostrils and the clenched teeth that told Tessa the Honey Lynch she’d spoken to on the phone the night before was more dangerous than the captain had led her to believe.

  Helpless to resist, Tessa felt her body jerk up against Honey’s breasts with a force she thought possible only in a man. Honey weighed probably twenty five, thirty pounds less than her, but the grip holding her felt like something the captain might be capable of. Tessa tried to say something but Honey shook her before a word could come out. In an instant she found her body slammed up against the cool granite tiled wall, her head making immediate contact. The pain ripped through the back of her head so sharply she thought her consciousness would fade, only to find Honey in her face breathing like a devil.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Honey growled angrily. “Where is Hunter?” When Tessa didn’t answer with trembling lips, Honey grabbed her again by the middle of her shirt and slung her across the hall. She slid to a stop after crashing into a door with a painful yelp. Awkwardly Tessa tried to stand as she faced Honey. Her hand went to her bruised shoulder as if touching it would ease the pain. It didn’t. Tessa began to cower as Honey stormed toward her. Realizing too late that the Irish assassin meant her harm Tessa tried to avoid the butt of the rifle swinging at her temple, only to feel its blunt force make contact. Just before darkness swam up to overtake her another pair of legs appeared. The last thing she heard was a voice with a strange, foreign accent she recognized from an Auburn parking lot where he’d left her to die. “I see Captain Hunter’s housewife has come to complicate my life once again.”

  The air stale and stagnate in the stairwell hit Chase as he pressed himself up against the concrete wall. Every muscle in his body hurt as he stole a glance through the window of the steel door on the sixth floor. Adrenaline surged through his body, numbing the pain to a bearable level. He’d watched as a Libyan lifted Tessa up to sling her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Essid motioned for him to take her down the hall as he turned and said something to Honey, who didn’t look happy. Chase knew that look. He’d suffered her tantrums when things weren’t going as planned. Several times, when they’d worked together with Delta Force, he’d had to physically restrain her to keep her from killing someone and blowing the mission. That look collapsed her usual pretty face into a contorted mask of murderous rage. She walked behind Essid, looking back over her shoulder in paranoia. Chase counted to sixty, knowing wherever they had taken Tessa; she’d be there by now.

  He carefully turned the metal handle on the door, wondering momentarily how the stairwell could be so hot and the metal still cool. A quick glance in, then back out, then back in revealed an empty corridor. He heard voices two doors down on the opposite side. They would be alert, knowing he would not have let Tessa go too far without him. Speed was of the essence if he was going to save her. This had not been part of his plan.

  Making his way through the door and down the hall came in quick order as he pressed himself up against the wall next to the door. Something caught in his peripheral vision as he jerked his head around only to see Honey Lynch step out of an alcove with her rifle leveled at his gut.

  The door opened and Essid stepped out nonchalantly. “I’ll take that,” he said removing Chase’s rifle he’d taken off one of the men on the loading dock. In his haste to reach Tessa, he’d complicated the situation by underestimating Essid.

  He straightened to his full height as Honey approached him like a tiger ready to devour her next meal. “You’re a fool, Captain Hunter!” she eyed him from head to toe, then back up to his face.

  “Experience proved that to me years ago where you’re concerned,” he said with a nod and a smirk. “I’d forgotten, though, how you like to slither around like the poisonous snake you’ve become.” He then turned his eyes on Essid who glared with nervousness. “This isn’t going exactly how you planned is it, Essid? Once again you and your fanatical jihadist misfits have failed to take into consideration the American spirit.”

  Essid shrugged. “Perhaps. It will be hard for you and whoever you’re working for now to underestimate the power of the C4 wired to go off with just one call,” he smiled, holding up a phone.

  “This place is bomb proof, you idiot.” It wasn’t but Chase figured it would put a doubt to fester in Essid’s disturbed pattern of thinking.

  “Hmm.” He smiled without a hint of believing Chase. Essid’s goons came out and forced the Enigma agent into the room before someone landed a blow to the back over his kidney.

  With a howl of pain, Chase went down on his knees to face Tessa, crumbled on the floor with the gash over her right eyebrow reopened and bleeding. Noting the rise and fall of her chest, he realized she was alive. Before he could move toward her he felt a kick to his shoulder, sprawling him onto his face. He was ready when goon number one came at him again, grabbing his foot, twisting it until it snapped. A scream of pain filled the room as he let loose a stream of curses in his language. He pulled himself away, and then used a metal chair to pull himself up. Although broken, the wounded man was able to hobble to where he’d leaned his rifle. He picked it up and started toward Chase.

  Honey easily knocked it out of his hand. “Sit down before he breaks your idiot neck!” she snapped. “You’re no match for him. He’s wasted dozens of men better than you.” Her eyes turned to Mansur who kneeled down and poured water over Tessa’s face. She began to moan as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. When her eyes focused on the man kneeling before her, Tessa reached out as
if a life line had been thrown to her before realizing Captain Chase Hunter had been injured. Sweat poured from his brow mixed with blood.

  “Chase?” she whispered in desperation, aware of his concern. His look of encouragement through a deep fog of pain touched her more than she thought possible.

  Another goon jerked Chase up forcing a painful groan from his lips. He was slammed into the edge of the table. His weight flipped it onto its side. “You better kill me now you worthless Libyan dog, cause when I get done here I’m going to throw your body into a pig pen and watch them send you straight to hell. No paradise for you,” he promised menacingly. “Those virgins will have nothing to do with a man whose laid with the pigs,” he grinned revealing clenched teeth.

  Essid stepped forward and watched Tessa Scott stand awkwardly with help from his brother. His eyes went from her to Chase as he rubbed his chin with his index finger. “So this is the woman who pretended to steal my first bomb,” he said approaching her slowly as he watched Chase try to straighten. Even now, beaten and exhausted, the infamous Captain Chase Hunter was trying to be the hero.

  “Please,” Tessa said, seeing that Chase might try and help her again. She watched Essid give goon number two a nod who rushed Chase and slammed his fist into his gut. Saliva poured from Chase’s mouth just as the goon landed a punch on his lip, cracking it open. Blood gushed out suddenly. Tessa cried out as she tried to lunge for him only to be pulled back by Mansur. “Don’t. What do you want? Please stop hitting him!” she begged.

  “Where are the others?”

  “No!” Chase muttered dropping his head forward, but still possessed the strength to lift his eyes, demanding her obedience.

  Essid nodded at goon number two again who landed another gut punch.

  Tessa screamed. “Stop! They’re on the third floor! They’re coming for the hostages.”

  Essid smiled. “Who are they?”