Peace - A Navy SEALS Novel (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 3)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “This damn beard is driving me crazy,” Bull complained.

  Peace looked over at his friend in the low light. Bull had been transformed into a very reasonable facsimile of one of Osama’s men, as had Dan. The two men sported the worn clothing, jackets, and watch caps the crew wore. Their false beards were not overly long, but unkempt enough to not draw suspicion. They would be with Peace on the bridge. Their strike force on the ship was already in place at key points around the ship.

  “Six, you have anything?” Dave’s voice asked in his ear.

  “No, not so far,” Dan answered into his com unit.

  “We have limos pulling up in front of Batiste’s old housing, three of them, with three semis right behind. My guess is Alvarez brought his army along.”

  Peace had shifted his line of sight to where Dave indicated, picking up the now parking caravan in front of the port facility. The two limos in the front disgorged a dozen men, dressed in suits, carrying machine pistols. Two of those men ran back on each side of the third limo, and opened the doors. Other armed bodyguards exited the limo first, followed by a man Peace recognized as Benito Alvarez, dress in a gray Armani suit. He extended a hand back into the limo, helping a woman out of the back.

  Peace froze for a second, then hit his com unit.

  “We have a problem, Dave. See the woman with Batiste?”

  “Yea, very nice, what’s the problem?”

  “The last time I saw her, Julio was taking her out of the port facility,” Peace replied, gripping his optics instrument tightly.

  “Uh oh,” Dave whispered in his ear. “Shall we abort?”

  “No, not yet. We’re only in danger if she tries to come along with Alvarez.”

  “She know you?” Dave asked.

  “Yea, she does, and I don’t know if my disguise is that good. I sure wouldn’t want to chance it. We’ll need Ibrim to intercept them when they come on board, and stop the woman. He can tell them no women, and make a big deal about it,” Peace said. “He definitely looks convincing.”

  “And if Alvarez insists?”

  “Then I think we need to take them down. It’s too late to get someone else up to speed, and take my place,” Peace answered.

  “I concur,” Dave agreed. “I’ll get Ibrim briefed on the change of plan.”

  Dan and Bull were watching Peace expectantly. Peace shrugged.

  “Well, another Peace wrench just went into the gearing of this operation,” Peace offered.

  “You worried about your friend?” Dan asked by way of reply.

  Peace nodded. “He’s in trouble or dead. If he had already told my contact he was in place with the organization, that woman surely would not be getting out of the limo with Alvarez like she was his partner. Julio and I assumed facts not in evidence, when we saw her with Batiste.”

  “Why would they even bother to keep your friend alive?” Bull asked.

  “They’re probably waiting to see how this exchange goes at the port. Julio knows nothing about our little sting. I hope they’d figure if nothing comes out about his disappearance before this gets done, they’ll be home free. By now, Alvarez knows from the woman, Julio and I were the ones who hit Batiste.”

  Peace turned back to the port, and began his scan again, with Dan and Bull quickly joining him. “Alvarez may have told his buyers they’d have to cut their losses, and head north with what’s on the boat. If that’s true, he’ll want the stuff on its way the instant he gets it unloaded. This might turn out to be a jackpot, if his buyers show with the transport.” “Check out the avenue, Peace,” Dave said in his ear.

  Peace again shifted his focus beyond the port. Four very new eighteen-wheelers were thundering into the port area, carrying food service markings.

  “Chi-ching.” Peace whispered.

  “I’m calling in, Peace,” Dave stated. “We’ll have to be ready to close off this area at a moment’s notice.”

  “It’s your show, Dave.”

  “I’m trusting you won’t hesitate to put a cork in the bottle before the genie gets out.”

  “I will have two people I trust implicitly with me, who will make sure I don’t get out of hand,” Peace replied.

  “They don’t speak the language,” Dave countered.

  “Alvarez will be speaking Spanish. I speak Spanish,” Dan put in.

  “Very well, Lieutenant,” Dave acknowledged, “just keep in mind what is at stake here. Peace’s girlfriend showing up has put my stomach in a knot. That she must have compromised an asset I had counted on to be with the enemy, puts the icing on the cake.”

  “I realize our position,” Dan replied formally. “If I even see Alvarez reach into his pocket, or I detect any kind of sign at all, I will flush this thing fast.”

  “Good deal,” Dave said, taking a deep breath. “Check who’s getting out of the trucks.”

  The Seals shifted their optics to the outer area. Easily a hundred men were streaming out of the trucks, fully armed. Peace could see a mixture of Latinos, he assumed were Alvarez’ men, and men he could tell were of Middle Eastern descent. The small army fanned out around the trucks, with about half of them moving towards the dock.

  “What do you think, Peace?” Dave asked.

  “I think they’re the worker bees, who’ll be unloading the cargo,” Peace answered.

  “If they have RPG’s or anything heavier,” Dan offered. “Things could get real exciting.”

  “We take no chances, Lieutenant,” Dave replied. “If this meeting goes bad, I’ll call in the reinforcements, and we take out everything in sight until the cavalry gets here.”

  “You are a man after my own heart, Sir,” Dan replied. “Any idea how they’ll get the ball rolling?”

  “I think they’ll wait a while until they get their men organized,” Dave answered. “Alvarez will want some bodyguards with him, but even he knows he won’t be allowed on with an army. I’m hoping he leaves the woman in the port facility, and comes aboard without his Middle Eastern buddies.”

  “I doubt he trusts them enough to use his new friends as personal bodyguards,” Peace added. “I have a feeling he’ll try to get the woman on board, simply because she demands it.”

  “You think she’s running the show?” Dave asked.

  “Yea, I think Julio and I may have bypassed the ringleader, because she was a woman, and Mexico is not very liberated,” Peace admitted.

  “You chauvinist pig,” Bull put in, drawing some tense laughter.

  “I’m thinking of all the information I missed, making a bonehead error like that,” Peace added. “If she is indeed a high up figure, she may have known where Alvarez was, and we wouldn’t have needed to be here with our thumbs up our asses.”

  “Seems to me Julio took it one step further when he didn’t simply kill her,” Dave said.

  “He’s paying for it now,” Peace replied grimly.

  “Heads up,” Dave broke in. “Here they come, and Mata Hari is in the lead. Look at that. The bitch put on her Che Guevera outfit.”

  “She’s definitely not some underling,” Peace sighed, looking at the woman striding towards the dock in khaki’s and military boots. Alvarez walked slightly behind her, still in his suit, with three of his men in military gear walking behind him. They carried AK47’s.

  “Nick, Tracer, J.T., you copy,” Dan asked quickly, evoking a quick response from the three Seals. “Any trouble when our man stops the woman, you guys take out the three uniforms walking with the suit. No weapon gets raised without a response.”

  The three Seals acknowledged Dan’s orders.

  “You three better slip down to the bridge now. I’ll take over logistics up here,” Dave suggested. “I tested our mic’s down there. I’ll be able to monitor everything going on. My team at the helm, knows what to do if anything gets out of hand. The close up stuff will still be up to you three.”

  “Roger that,” Dan replied, as he, Bull, and Peace checked the weapons under their coats.

  Bull watched
Peace grimacing as he worked the stiffness out from the extended surveillance. “You want me to carry you, honey?”

  “Oh, you are such a funny man, Chief,” Peace said, as they moved down the ladder to the bridge.

  The five-man special ops team, who were Dave’s men, looked up from their positions on the bridge, as did Doc and Tony Chin. The two Chinese agents were standing near Tony, and all three were dressed alike, in casual clothing. They also wore matching blue windbreakers, but under Tony’s jacket, he carried a Mac 10. The rest of the men on the bridge were dressed in crewmembers’ clothing, with Doc Jameson at the communications station with headphones on.

  “You guys look good,” Peace commented, walking over to Tony.

  “They know what they’re supposed to do, Tony?” Peace asked in Chinese for the two agents benefit.

  “They know they’re just props,” Tony nodded. “Right, gentlemen?”

  “We understand,” the older man said, looking at Peace. “We will stay quiet unless asked a question directly.”

  “Very well, stay calm, and your part in this will be over soon,” Peace replied, before moving back over to the window where he could watch the Alvarez party come aboard.

  Dave’s man, Ibrim stood at the top of the gangway with four CIA Op team members, fully armed. Peace watched as Ibrim stepped in front of the woman as she tried to walk past. He shook his head negatively as Alvarez and his men came abreast. Ibrim pointed to the woman, and spoke rapidly in Spanish to Alvarez, who looked over at the very angry woman apologetically. Her fists were clenched at her sides as she began a staccato rebuke of Ibrim and Alvarez. Again Ibrim shook his head no, and pointed to a place opposite the guards on the gangway, indicating she should stand over there. She looked at the armed men who came aboard with her; but then simply walked over where Ibrim had pointed, her arms folded across her chest. She shouted something else at Alvarez, who nodded his understanding, before following Ibrim towards the bridge.

  “That was close,” Dave said in Peace’s ear. “You should have heard the crap she laid on Alvarez. There ain’t no doubt she’s more than a groupie. I told Ibrim to latch onto her personally, when you guys take Alvarez. After what she said to him, I think he’s going to enjoy it.”

  Ibrim led Alvarez and his men into the bridge area. He nodded at Peace, and then walked out to take up his position on the gangway. Peace walked over to Alvarez, with his hands clasped behind his back, the pain from his shoulder wound providing him with a fitting scowl.

  “Seńor Faisel?” Alvarez said questioningly as he extended his hand in greeting.

  “What is the meaning of this? Who is that woman?” Peace spat out in an angry tone, gesturing at the gangway below. Bull and Dan moved away from Peace, as if fearing his outrage, while moving into positions where they had clean shots at the three bodyguards.

  “She is of no concern to you, Seńor,” Alvarez replied earnestly, dropping his ignored hand to his side, as he glanced around the bridge, looking directly at the two Chinese agents next to Tony Chin with some recognition. “She is merely a dealer. She had hoped you would allow her to oversee the cargo exchange.”

  “For what purpose? We do not deal with women,” Peace raged convincingly.

  “It is just that she is well schooled in bio weapons, and fissionable material,” Alvarez explained. “She could be of great value to your people.”

  “What does she have to do with your organization?” Peace asked suspiciously.

  Alvarez hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

  “Why do you hesitate?” Peace demanded. “She does not run your organization, does she?”

  “I…I think it would be better if she explained, Seńor,” Alvarez offered. “We have all in readiness for the transfer. Perhaps we should begin the transfer phase, and if you will allow me, I will introduce the woman to you later. The longer we are out in the open, the greater the possibility of discovery.”

  Peace paused, as if considering the offer, and then continued. “I will meet this woman, but she will have no authority over the operation.”

  “I understand, Seńor,” Alvarez said, obviously relieved. “Can we begin?”

  “How safe will the crossing be? How many know of our plan?” Peace asked, again grimacing as if suspicious of Alvarez’ answer before it was spoken.

  “You will not be betrayed, Seńor,” Alvarez assured him. “All has been prearranged for the crossing to go smoothly. We…”

  “Prearranged by who?” Peace interrupted. “How can you be certain we will not be betrayed at the border?”

  Alvarez shook his head knowingly. “I have spoken with Colonel Martine personally. Our trucks will not be stopped. They carry all the papers necessary to cross into California without detection. The manifest has already been approved by the Americanos.”

  “Let us begin then. Come, we will get this matter with the woman over with,” Peace said, leading Alvarez off of the bridge, with Dan and Bull falling in behind the armed guards.

  The woman was pacing back and forth in front of Ibrim, who stood watching her closely. As Peace approached with Alvarez now beside him, she stepped forward to meet them, but was again restrained by Ibrim. Peace walked up next to Ibrim, as the woman glared at him, her anger threatening to boil over.

  “Seńor,” Alvarez said, gesturing to the woman, peering at Peace with open rage. “May I introduce Senorita Consuela Matuse, a…”

  “I believe the Senorita and I have already met,” Peace stated in English, as a familiar crooked grin spread across his face.

  Chapter Forty

  Takedown

  The woman’s rage turned instantly to fear, as silenced shots downed the three armed men in front of Dan and Bull, the guards’ blood and brain matter spattering Alvarez, Peace, and the woman. As Bull grabbed an astonished Alvarez, Peace smashed the woman across the face with his open hand, knocking her to the deck. Ibrim quickly moved to restrain the dazed woman.

  “Wh…what is the meaning of this?” Alvarez asked fearfully, Bull’s silenced barrel under his chin.

  “All will be made clear to you in time,” Peace replied, turning to Ibrim. “Would you shackle this woman, and watch her until we have a talk with our Senior Alvarez here? Gag her if you like.”

  Ibrim grinned. “I would like that very much, Peace,” he agreed in Arabic.

  Bull checked Alvarez over from head to toe, as Dan kept him covered, looking for hidden transmitters as well as weapons. Bull ran a small electronic receiver wand over Alvarez after his weapons search. When they finished making sure Alvarez was not armed, Peace put an arm around him, gesturing for Alvarez to walk towards the bridge with him. The CIA Special Ops men with Ibrim, dragged the bodies of Alvarez guards across the deck to a place where they were not in sight.

  “Stay calm, Señor,” Peace told Alvarez. “We will go back up to the bridge and continue our talk there. If you do not wish to die instantly, make no movement of any kind, other than walking to the bridge.”

  Alvarez nodded his head in understanding, resignation plain on his face. They climbed to the bridge area moments later. When Alvarez had been seated with Bull watching him, Peace walked outside the hatch again, with Dan next to him.

  “Dave, any movement from our friends on the dock?” Peace asked into his com unit.

  “No, Peace, they’re just roaming around the dock area, waiting for Alvarez. Think of any way we can avoid a blood bath?”

  “Wait one,” Peace replied, turning to Dan, who had been monitoring the communications silently.

  “Call in the gun-ships, and when they get within striking range of the dock, target all around the area with our M60 emplacements on the ship,” Dan suggested. “Give them a thirty second burst, so they know what they’re up against, and then tell them to lay down their weapons, get face down on the ground, hands behind their heads, or be killed. If they fire, we kill them all, full force attack.”

  “Agreed,” Dave acknowledged. “I need fifteen minutes to get the Apaches i
n place. We already have AWAC’s in the air monitoring all air and ground movement. The Air Wing from the Reagan launched five minutes ago to intercept anything sent against us. I’ll let you know when the Apaches are ready.”

  “I suggest if they return fire, we should obliterate this port facility,” Dan added.

  Dave hesitated for only a moment. “Roger that, Lieutenant. Talk to you in a few.”

  “Think we should use Alvarez to try and get them to surrender peacefully, Sir?” Peace asked Dan.

  Dan looked in at Alvarez, where Bull stood watching him. “It’s your call, Peace; but I don’t like this guy, or the way that damn woman acted. We have too much at stake to take a chance. What could we do if he tells them to open up on us, and they have rocket launchers hidden out somewhere?”

  “You’re right,” Peace replied. “I’ll call down to them. They get ten seconds and then we waste them. If we took a hit below the waterline with something heavy duty, we’d be screwed. That was a dumb question.”

  “You’ve got a lot on your mind,” Dan grinned. “You sure put that bitch down hard out there. Were you thinking of your friend?”

  “Yea,” Peace admitted. “I think if they haven’t killed him already, I know where he might be. I’ll need some help if I can’t get Alvarez to cooperate. If Julio’s alive, I’m going to go get him as soon as we take care of business.”

  “What if they want to write him off?” Dan asked.

  Peace was silent for a moment. “That would not be acceptable, Sir.”

  “I figured as much,” Dan sighed. “Well, let’s go back in with Alvarez, and see how things go. Maybe he knows if your friend is alive or not.”

  “Either he will, or that bitch, Julio and I let slip through our fingers, does.”

  Inside the bridge compartment, Peace walked over to Alvarez, where Bull had him restrained to a chair, with his hands plastic tied behind him. Each of Alvarez feet were plastic tied to a leg of the chair.