Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset

by C. G. Cooper

  TRAVIS: Gentlemen, allow me to introduce my cousin, Cal Stokes. Cal, say hello to the Council of Patriots.

  +++++

  “Council of Patriots”

  Book 2 of the Corps Justice Series

  Copyright © 2012 Corps Justice. All Rights Reserved

  Author: C. G. Cooper

  Book Cover: Sherwin Soy

  (http://www.CorpsJustice.com)

  Chapter 1

  Washington, D.C.

  10:35am, September 11th

  Congressman Zimmer knew he was in deep shit. The last six months replayed in his mind as he swirled the remnants of his fifth drink in his glass. Ever since that episode in Las Vegas, his life had drastically changed. He remembered the incident like it was yesterday. Hell, he’d relived it every night in his dreams. He hadn’t had one decent night’s rest.

  +++

  Six months earlier, Brandon Zimmer, a promising first-term United States representative from Massachusetts, was on the rise. Barely thirty years old, Zimmer was no novice in the political world. He’d first accompanied his parents on the campaign trail as a newborn. His father, U.S. Senator Richard Zimmer of Massachusetts, employed young Brandon over the years in positions ranging from runner to assistant campaign manager.

  After graduating from an elite private school, Brandon matriculated to the Ivy League. His father, a Harvard alum, pushed for his son to follow his lead. Brandon decided to rebel and go to Yale instead. He did attend Harvard for his MBA, however.

  During his years in school Brandon excelled in academics and always elected to be part of the student council. Yes, politics was in his blood.

  A year prior, Congressman Brandon Zimmer won the vacated congressional seat in his home district in Massachusetts. Despite being a staunch Democrat in a very blue state, he narrowly won. The early campaign looked promising and his staff expected a landslide victory. Zimmer had the good looks the media loved. He was also the son of a long-standing and extremely popular Senator.

  Despite his status and the endorsement of his six-term father in the Senate, Brandon’s playboy ways were soon splashed throughout social media. Pictures of Zimmer dancing with naked coeds at a Mardi Gras bash in New Orleans the year before almost sealed his fate. Soon other reports, photos and videos surfaced. It was only through the damage control of his staff and his father’s wealthy backers that he was able to win the election.

  After the fiasco, his father put his foot down.

  “Son, this is your last shot. I will not come to your rescue again. You’ve got to learn to control your urges. Do you really want to give up everything we’ve worked for?”

  Although he’d promised to leave his partying days behind, halfway into his first year as Congressman, Zimmer accepted the invitation of a small Japanese lobbyist who represented the gaming industry. Brandon first met Ishi Nakamura at Harvard Business School. They’d worked hard and played even harder. After graduation Zimmer entered politics and Nakamura entered the family gaming business in Las Vegas. They’d kept in touch over the years and always promised to visit.

  Not long after Zimmer was sworn in he received a call from his friend. Ishi wanted to offer his congratulations and let Brandon know that he was now heading up his father’s small lobbying firm, Ichiban Gaming. Brandon was honestly excited for his friend and mentioned that they should link up sometime soon.

  Six months later, he received another call from Ishi.

  “Hey, brother. Just wanted to let you know that we’re having a couple of your peers out here in a week to show them around. Didn’t know if you might like to join them. You could make some new friends and I can give you a tour of Sin City,” Ishi invited.

  Brandon moaned before answering. “I don’t know. I’m on a pretty short leash around here.”

  “Come on. What happened to the Brandon that used to sneak weed into Professor Flannigan’s lectures?”

  The freshman Congressman chuckled, “I’m a member of the House now, Ishi. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time already bit me once.”

  “I know, I know. I’m just giving you a hard time. Look, consider it payback for all those times you hooked me up with your rejects. I promise to wine you and dine you and nothing else.”

  Brandon took a second to respond. What could it hurt? “Well, as long as we stick to food, shows and a little gambling…I guess I can go.”

  +++

  Congressman Zimmer wished he’d said no. The trip started out like any other fact-finding junket. Lectures and meetings followed by expensive dinners and more meetings. It all fell apart for Zimmer on the third night.

  After a long day hobnobbing with local gaming contacts, Brandon needed a break. He slipped away and headed back to the swanky new hotel-casino, Zeitaku, owned by one of Ishi’s clients. Ducking into one of the many bars he’d toured earlier in the week, he soon found a dark corner and made himself at home.

  Halfway into his third martini, a gorgeous blonde walked into the almost deserted bar. Wow. Look at the body on that one.

  She sat down at the bar and ordered a drink from the Japanese bartender. After a couple sips from her cocktail her eyes wandered around the nearly empty bar. Almost squinting, she caught Brandon’s eye. She smiled sheepishly and went back to her drink.

  Five minutes later the young woman walked towards the restroom but veered over to the Congressman’s alcove.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bother you, but are you by any chance Congressman Zimmer?” she asked shyly.

  It wasn’t every day that Zimmer was recognized in public, but his ego always loved it.

  He plastered on his best man-of-the-people-smile. “Yes I am.”

  The blonde smiled ecstatically. “I thought so! Do you mind if I sit down?”

  Brandon gestured to the other seat. “Please.”

  Her name was Beth. She was also from the East Coast, and had gone to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They hit it off immediately after ribbing each other about the strength of their alma maters’ basketball teams. Zimmer conceded that UNC was a perennial powerhouse on the court. His concession made Beth beam with pride.

  They stayed in the bar until it closed, drinking countless martinis in the process. One thing led to another and the pair eventually made it back to Zimmer’s penthouse suite.

  The next thing Zimmer remembered was waking up with his face cradled in Beth’s perfect breasts. He felt severely hung-over, but that was nothing new. Must have been a really good night, he thought.

  Something felt strange as he started to move. He didn’t remember getting into any kinky jello stuff, but his hands and midsection felt sticky.

  His eyes were still blurry and he could just make out Beth’s peaceful face. Man was she sleeping hard. He pushed himself off her naked body, looked down, and screamed.

  Everything came into stark focus. Beth’s beautiful body was completely dismembered. Her arms and legs had been cut off. A huge amount of blood was soaking the king-size mattress. Still screaming he looked down at himself and saw that he was covered in blood as well. Even worse, he raised his hands to his face and realized that his right hand held a long serrated knife, caked with congealing, sticky blood.

  He screamed once more and fainted.

  +++

  When he came to, hotel security staff was wandering around the bedroom. All were Japanese. They’d apparently wrapped him in a robe but neglected to clean off any of Beth’s blood. He started to panic as he took in the scene. Beth’s body was barely visible because it was surrounded by camera-wielding security crew. He even noticed one man casually taking videos of the room.

  The cameraman noticed Zimmer awake and motioned to one of the other men. The man nodded and headed towards the fallen congressman.

  The security guard walked over to Brandon and addressed him in heavily accented English. “Congressman Zimmer, I am head of hotel security. Would it be possible to take your statement now?”

  Brandon didn’t know how to answer. Wa
s he going to jail? What the hell was happening?

  “I’d like to call my attorney first,” he forced out with as much conviction as he could muster.

  The head of security nodded. “I understand, Congressman. However, this is a highly sensitive issue. I would recommend cooperating with us. Failure to do so could make the situation much worse.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Let me just say that you would not want these videos to get leaked to the police or the public.”

  Brandon’s head started to clear as did his bravado. “Are you trying to frame me?”

  The security man looked almost contrite and bowed before answering. “Of course not, Congressman. You do see our dilemma…”

  He was interrupted by Ishi Nakamura bursting through the door.

  “What is the meaning of this?!”

  The guard bowed in deference. “Nakamura-san, I did not know that you were acquainted with the Congressman.”

  Ishi looked enraged. “Of course I am, you idiot. Does Mr. Saito know about this?”

  “He does. Saito-san wanted me to take care of this personally.”

  Ishi calmed and replied, “Tell him that I am here and wish to speak with him.”

  The head of security bowed and stepped outside to make the call.

  Ishi turned to his friend. “What the hell happened, Brandon?”

  Brandon’s composure slipped as he answered, “I…I…I don’t know. Last thing I remember I was having a great time with this girl, and then I wake up straddling a corpse. What the fuck, man?!”

  Ishi put a sympathetic hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Calm down. I’ll take care of this.”

  “How the hell are you gonna take care of this?! They’ve got my prints all over and they keep taking pictures!”

  Ishi paused and looked squarely at Brandon. “Do you trust me?”

  Still panicking, Zimmer couldn’t think of anything else to say. “I...I guess.”

  Shaking his head Ishi scolded, “That’s not good enough. Do you trust me?”

  Brandon looked at his old friend momentarily, then nodded. “Yes I trust you.”

  The corner of Ishi’s mouth turned up in sly grin. “OK. This won’t be easy, but I may be able to call in a few favors. The owner of this hotel, Mr. Saito, is a client of my firm and a friend of my father. Let me see what I can do.”

  Now in tears, Brandon pleaded, “Do whatever you have to and get me out of this, Ishi.”

  +++

  That was six months earlier. At the time all he wanted was to be out of that bloody room. Congressman Zimmer never had time to think about the consequences. Little did he know how much that favor would cost.

  Chapter 2

  Turks and Caicos, Providenciales Island

  9:00am, September 13th

  Cal stretched lazily on the king-size bed and looked across the huge suite. Neil was still monitoring the surveillance cameras. They’d been in Turks for just over a week, and had taken full advantage of the local amenities. That fact was clearly illustrated by the massive headache threatening to overtake Cal’s attention.

  Cal snapped his fingers at Neil. “Anything new?”

  Not looking up from the monitor, the genius known as Neil Patel answered, “Nope. Our boy is still sleeping off his hangover.”

  “I feel like I should be doing the same thing.”

  Neil chuckled and looked back at his friend through his stylish Prada glasses. “You were pretty funny when Brian dragged you back in here last night. What the hell did you get into?”

  Cal rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I was the idiot that thought he could match Master Sergeant Trent drink for drink.”

  MSgt Willy Trent was an enormous man. Standing just under seven feet with the physique of an NFL linebacker, Trent was a hard man to miss. He and Cal were both former Marines and competed in anything and everything possible. There was only one problem. Despite the fact that Cal was a very fit five foot ten former grunt and a deadly warrior, not many people could match Trent’s athletic abilities.

  Cal changed the subject, not wanting to make his headache even worse. “When does my shift start?”

  “It’s nine o’clock now. You’re not on until eleven.” Neil went back to his vigil and coffee.

  Cal tried to shake the cobwebs. “Sweet. That gives me some time to marinate under a nice hot shower.”

  “You need it. You smell like a brewery,” Neil answered sniffing the air.

  Cal gave his friend a middle-finger salute and trudged off to the bathroom. As he soaked in the shower, his mind drifted. He thought about his entrance into his deceased father’s company, Stokes Security International (SSI). Had it really been a year since he’d started working at SSI?

  It seemed like only yesterday that he had accepted the position as head of SSI’s covert division. His cousin, Travis Haden, was CEO of SSI and a former SEAL. He’d not only enticed Cal into taking the position, but had also allowed the former Marine to utilize SSI assets to avenge his fiancé’s murder.

  Cal had exacted his revenge in the gang leader’s underground lair, not far from SSI’s headquarters, Camp Spartan, just south of Nashville, Tennessee. It was a close fight (Cal had the scars to prove it), but he’d finally killed the criminal who’d taken his beloved Jessica’s life.

  He still felt the bitter sting of grief. It had lessened over time, but Cal still couldn’t bring himself to start dating again. His friends knew it would happen in time, but no one pushed the issue.

  Cal remembered Jessica’s funeral. It was a beautiful ceremony on a bright sunny day. They’d buried her on the grounds of Camp Spartan, and Cal often took a jog up to her grave. He liked to think that Jess was now watching over him as he continued his journey with SSI.

  After the funeral, Travis had introduced him to the men that would completely change his life’s path: the Council of Patriots.

  +++

  The Council was comprised of nine men. All were former U.S. political leaders, including three former Presidents, four senators and two congressmen. All were Republicans except for former President Hank Waller, a Democrat.

  He remembered that first meeting vividly. They’d each introduced themselves then told him the story of their formation.

  The Council had formed in the early 2000’s after the disaster of 9/11. It all started with a couple of former political opponents playing 18 holes at the Army-Navy Country Club just outside of D.C. Both men were former presidents. Hank Waller was a two-term Democrat from California, and John Kelton was a single-term Republican from Tennessee. They’d been bitter rivals for years, but the presidency has a way of broadening perspectives. Waller and Kelton had collaborated on various relief efforts after their presidencies, and grew to respect one another. They’d become close friends despite their political leanings.

  It was on that chilly May morning in Arlington that the two former presidents first conferred about the threats affecting the United States. What many Americans fail to realize is that retired politicians still maintain open lines of communication within the federal government, including sources within certain intelligence agencies. There are even times when sitting presidents call upon their predecessors for advice. Therefore, it was not surprising that the two friends were very well informed about the current dangers their nation faced.

  Cal had interrupted the story to ask why any Democrat would even be caught dead with a former rival. He prefaced the question by pleading total ignorance about the political process and the players involved.

  President Waller, the tallest of the group at around six foot five, chuckled and explained.

  “You’re not far off the mark, Cal. I won’t lie to you. I was as liberal as they come when I first stepped into office. Funny thing about becoming President is that it humbled me. All of a sudden I was thrust into a whole new world. Yes, I had access to a lot before I was sworn in, but nothing prepared me for the reality.”

  Cal didn’t understand. “What do you m
ean?”

  “Let’s just say it was like I’d been walking around with blinders on my whole life and then all of a sudden, they were gone.”

  Cal was beginning to understand. “So what changed for you?”

  Waller laughed and spread his arms wide. “Everything. Now I was getting daily reports from our intelligence assets. I really began to think the intel guys were just trying to spook me, no pun intended. It seemed like every brief I got was about some communist faction or terrorist cell trying to wipe us off the planet. I suddenly realized how naïve I’d been.”

  “I’m confused, Mr. President. You took office back in the nineties. You just said the Council didn’t form until after 9/11.”

  President Waller nodded, “First off, in this room we all go by our first names. We’re all putting our necks on the line, including you. So start out by calling me Hank.”

  Cal was clearly uncomfortable by the request, but conceded, “OK, Hank.”

  “That’s better. Now to answer your question. As a lot of my liberal predecessors have done, I moved away from the far Left toward the Center during my tenure. I couldn’t make drastic changes overnight. People would think I was crazy AND I’d lose my electoral base. Hell, I’m not vain when I say I wanted to get reelected.”

  “So what else changed during your presidency?”

  “I started listening.”

  “To who?”

  Waller motioned to the entire group. “Everyone. It’s a sad fact in the political arena that once you get a taste of power, you feel like you know everything. Now I wasn’t totally close-minded, but I sure had an ego. I can tell you that now without being embarrassed. So I started listening to the experts, namely the operators in intelligence and the military. I really had no idea how smart some of you guys are.”