by C. G. Cooper
Higgins ignored the man and continued to set up his supplies.
“Talk to me!” yelled Malone.
The expert interrogator continued to pay him no heed. Higgins liked to get a first impression of his subjects. It allowed him to assess the person’s demeanor in order to administer the correct dosage of his truth serum. Agent Malone might be a challenge, but the wizened doctor relished the test.
Higgins finally turned to face Malone. “Mr. Malone, I am here to ask you some very specific questions. I will tell you that it’s pointless trying to resist. Either tell me the truth or we’ll extract it in other ways.”
Malone’s eyes bulged in anger. “You fucking quack! I’m gonna have your ass for this! You know how illegal…!”
Instead of listening further, Dr. Higgins adjusted the mechanical gurney to give him better access to the apparatus. Malone silenced as soon as he saw the needles. “What…what’s that for?”
“I told you, Mr. Malone, if you don’t want to cooperate, we’ll coax you into cooperating.”
“What are you talking about? I’m here to investigate YOU!”
“I guess you could say the shoe is on the other foot now, wouldn’t you?” Higgins asked.
Malone kept screaming obscenities until Dr. Higgins inserted the IV needle into his arm. Higgins waited five minutes for the drug to fully take hold. He could see that Malone was completely relaxed.
“There, now that’s better. How are you feeling, Mr. Malone?”
“I’m…nice.” Malone’s face was calm. It looked like the drug had performed as planned.
“Is it okay if I ask you some questions now, Mr. Malone?”
“Sure,” answered the suspect dreamily.
Like Zheng before, Agent Malone was more than happy to answer any and all questions. Malone described his relationship with Nick Ponder. They’d met while serving in the Army and reconnected six years earlier when Agent Malone had been part of the team that audited The Ponder Group. They shared a love of fast women and money. Over the years, Malone had come to Ponder’s rescue, for a price. Files were misplaced and agents were reassigned from ongoing investigations. Malone knew how to manipulate people and the system. They’d both become wealthy through the mutually beneficial relationship.
“How is it that you came to investigate SSI?” Higgins asked, knowing that Dunn and Haines were digesting every word in the control room.
“I got a call from Nick. He said he needed SSI out of his hair for a while. Told me it would be helpful if we could run a little investigation. Nick said he had a guy on the inside that was feeding him intel and that there might just be some juicy stuff in it for me.”
“So you were tasked with keeping us busy?”
“Yeah, but the silver lining for me was finding something that could shut down your whole operation.”
“Did Mr. Ponder give you any specifics on what you might find?”
“Not really, but this Zheng kid was supposed to start the digging. Hey, where is Zheng anyway?”
“Mr. Zheng is no longer your concern, Mr. Malone.”
Malone shrugged nonchalantly.
Higgins had all the information they would need. A condensed version of the recording would be delivered to one of their contacts in the Hoover Building. Jack Malone would be quietly put away in a maximum-security federal prison. The FBI didn’t like traitors and dealt with them swiftly.
“It was a pleasure speaking with you, Mr. Malone. Best of luck in the future.”
Higgins gathered his gear and headed for the door.
+++
Dr. Higgins joined Marge Haines and Todd Dunn in the gallery.
“I’ve gotta say, Doc, you are an artist when it comes to making people talk,” Dunn offered, impressed yet again by the doctor’s skill.
“Lots and lots of practice, Todd. Although I must say that with a man like Mr. Malone, sometimes I wish I could deliver some damage like Marjorie.”
It was hard to get Haines to blush and yet she did. She held Dr. Higgins in high esteem and sought his insight often. “I’ll start giving you classes in the gym whenever you’re ready, Doctor.”
Higgins chuckled warmly. “That’s quite all right. I’ll leave the tough stuff to you and the boys.”
“On to a more serious topic,” Dunn interrupted, “I’ve already emailed the edited transcript to a buddy of mine at the Bureau. I’m thinking this audit will be over before we know it.”
Haines and Higgins nodded. Once the FBI found out that one of their investigative teams had been tasked under false pretences, they would likely do everything they could to extract their people as soon as possible.
“Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” Dr. Higgins asked his colleagues.
Dunn shook his head. “As long as we don’t have any other traitors in our midst, I think we’re good.”
“Any word from Cal?”
“The last we heard they were a couple hours into their insertion.” Dunn looked at his watch. “They should be getting a good dose of the storm right about now.”
Chapter 26
Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming
10:36am, September 28th
As soon as the storm hit, they couldn’t see five feet in front of them. Although it definitely slowed their forward progress, it also gave them cover should anyone be tracking from a higher elevation.
Cal’s team had donned all white coveralls as the snow started to fall. The white camouflage would further conceal them from enemy eyes.
They were still walking through the middle of Death Canyon, but wouldn’t for much longer. It had been a gamble to take the well used path in order to speed their progress. Cal glanced at his GPS. They were nearing their scheduled checkpoint. After a short rest, the group would break into two teams. They’d approach the objective from two directions.
Cal and Daniel would accompany Gaucho. Lance Upshaw, the helpful prisoner, would also be with Cal’s group.
MSgt Trent and Brian Ramirez would go with the other team.
The halt signal was passed back through the dispersed formation. Cal made his way to the front. Gaucho was rooting through a pack of cold weather rations as Cal moved up next to him.
“How are you liking the weather, Gaucho?”
The Hispanic warrior made a comical face. With the snow already starting to stick to his braided bearded, Cal thought his team leader was starting to look more and more like a mountain dwarf from the Lord of the Rings.
“I’m gonna freeze my nuts off tonight!”
Cal laughed. “That’s only if we stop moving. How much longer do you think we have?”
Gaucho pulled out his map and pointed to their current location. “As long as we keep making good time I think we’ll get there just after midnight.”
Cal looked up at the obscured sky. The snowfall was picking up and already starting to accumulate. He guessed that there was already a good three inches on the ground.
“I’ll tell you that I’m not looking forward to putting these damn skis on, Boss.” Gaucho looked back at the cross-country skis strapped to his pack.
Cal could only image what the short Mexican would look like on skis.
“At least we’ll have skins for when we’re going uphill. You ever tried to go up a slope without them?”
Gaucho nodded sadly. “I think the Army played a trick on me when they sent me to your Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport.”
Cal snorted at the thought. He’d spent six weeks at the remote training center with his battalion as a young corporal. Fully half of the Marines in his unit ended up not finishing the training mostly from injury or illness. Some just couldn’t take the altitude and the cold. He remembered being in shock when some of the toughest Marines in his company had refused to go back up the mountain. Cold weather separated the men from the boys even amongst Marines.
“That big kid giving Snake Eyes any trouble?” Gaucho asked.
“He’s kept pretty quiet. Hasn’
t complained once. Daniel even said he offered to carry more gear before we stepped off.”
“No shit?”
Cal nodded. “I think he’s getting it through his head that we’re not the bad guys. He might even come in handy when we get close to Ponder’s place.”
+++
Lance Upshaw had come to the realization that he’d probably been playing for the wrong team since joining The Ponder Group. There’d been warning signs, like when a couple of new guys had disappeared on an overseas op. Ponder had merely shrugged and noted that it was the price of doing business in a dangerous world. There were no memorials and no letters of condolence.
Then there were the actual men that Ponder hired. Most had washed out of the military for one reason or another. At first Lance thought it was a blessing that a man like Nick Ponder would lend a helping hand to men who needed a second chance. It didn’t take Lance long to see that most of Ponder’s contractors didn’t deserve a second chance. They were bullies and criminals. In his third month of employment, Lance had to fight off three separate challengers until the rest had realized that he was more than a match for them. Now they mostly left him alone.
And that’s how he’d felt for most of the past year. Luckily Trapper had recognized Lance’s work ethic and took him along when he needed some muscle. It wasn’t bad work but Lance still felt unsatisfied. There had to be more to life.
Since being captured by the SSI guys, he’d quietly observed their interactions. It was obvious they all respected one another. Also, despite the fact that he was the enemy, they still treated him with respect. Not once had any of the men degraded him, and it all started with Daniel Briggs. In Briggs, Lance saw the Marine he wished he himself had become. Silent in his approach, the man the others called Snake Eyes was obviously a highly valued part of the team. And he did it all without yelling or cussing. In fact, Lance could have sworn that he’d once seen Briggs say a prayer and then finish with the sign of the cross.
It all gave the disgraced Marine a lot to think about. These men were walking into almost certain danger, all for the love of a friend. Would Nick Ponder do the same thing? Lance didn’t think so.
+++
Far above, Trapper rubbed his hands to ward off the cold. Although he couldn’t see the troops moving into his territory, he had laid small pressure plates along the trail to alert him of their passing. He silently congratulated himself for choosing the right route. Now all he needed to do was track and take them out once the time was right.
Chapter 27
Battleship Mountain, Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming
11:19am, September 28th
Ponder paced back and forth on the hardwood floor. The pieces were coming together, but he still had some concerns. Most importantly, he hadn’t heard from either Terrence Zheng or Jack Malone. His greedy mind hoped they were too busy to call because they were torpedoing SSI.
Ponder figured that it was impossible for a security contractor not to be into some kind of illegal activity. Hell, he’d skirted the law for years. Jack Malone knew how to find things and would be even more effective with the Zheng’s help.
Still, he couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong. He moved to his laptop and checked the email account he shared with Zheng. Nothing. Next he scrolled through his other email accounts for word from Jack. Nothing again.
Ponder allowed himself to think about the worst case scenario. If the assholes at SSI had figured out not only his involvement, but also the actions of Zheng and Malone, his path was less certain. The thing he had to focus on was the money that would soon be in his bank accounts. He’d scatter the funds to the four corners of the globe through transfers he’d already arranged with his international brokers. Ponder would be paying some hefty fees, but it would be worth it. With his money safely stashed he could make a new home anywhere.
Cracking his knuckles, he imagined Trapper silently stalking his quarry. If he survived, fine. If not, there would be one less person to pay from his treasure chest. Ponder smiled despite his nerves. Maybe a new house in Costa Rica was just what he needed.
Chapter 28
Camp Spartan, Arrington, TN
12:35pm CST, September 28th
“Are they all gone?” Travis asked Dunn, who’d just stepped into his office.
“Yeah. The last SUV just rolled out with Agent Jack Malone hog-tied in the back.”
“Did you get everything squared away with the Bureau?”
Dunn nodded. “We shouldn’t have another audit for a while. They even apologized and thanked me for helping with Malone.”
“Good. Let’s get some more personnel out to Cal.”
“Isn’t the weather turning to shit out there, Skipper?”
Travis’s eyes went cold. “I don’t care. If they can’t fly onto that fucking mountain, get them as close as we can.”
“I’ll go with them and make sure it’s done.”
“I can’t spare you right now, Todd. We’ve got to…”
“I’m going, Skipper,” Dunn interrupted curtly.
Travis looked at his friend in surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time Dunn had put his foot down. The fact was he’d gotten used to having Dunn around. With his own time in the field effectively at an end, he’d kept his head of security with him. Although barely in their forties, but still fit enough to be in any Special Forces unit, they’d both become consumed with the day-to-day running of SSI. There were times Travis longed to be on the battlefield again. His position as CEO pretty much negated that option.
“I guess it would be wasted breath trying to persuade you to stay?”
“It would.”
“Why now?”
“Honestly?”
“Honestly,” Travis answered.
“Two reasons. First, it’s been a while since I’ve been out with the boys. No disrespect, Skipper, but sticking close to the office can wear on a guy.”
Travis smiled and motioned for Dunn to go on.
“Second, I’ve got a really bad feeling on this one. I think Cal’s gonna need every man he can get.”
“Then let’s get our things packed,” suggested Travis, already heading to the locker room.
“Wait…but you can’t go!”
Travis swiveled around and flashed Dunn a sly grin. “Why not? I’m the boss. I think you’re right. Cal needs every man we can spare.”
Dunn’s mouth was hanging open. He couldn’t order his boss to stay behind.
“But what about…?”
Travis stopped the question with a raised hand. “Come on, Todd. If things blow up in our face it’s not gonna be because I jumped on a plane to rescue my cousin.”
Dunn knew he was right. They were both warriors and felt compelled to run to the sound of battle.
“Okay. You let Haines know what we’re doing - she’s gonna shit by the way - and I’ll mobilize the men and book the flight.”
“Make sure you get the craziest SOB pilot you can find. We’ll need one to fly into that snowstorm.”
Dunn returned his boss’s smile and said, “I think I know just where to find one.”
+++
Thirty minutes later, Travis, Dunn and twenty four fully loaded SSI warriors climbed into three separate helicopters. They’d make the quick hop to Nashville International Airport and then catch a special flight out to Wyoming.
Travis put on a headset so he could talk to Dunn.
“Who are we meeting at the airport?”
Dunn smirked at the question. “It’s a little surprise, Skipper.”
“You know how much I hate surprises, Mr. Dunn.”
“I think you’ll like this one.”
With no explanation forthcoming, Travis turned back to his phone and texted Cal again. None of his previous attempts had gone through. Must be the weather out there.
The flight didn’t take long, and Travis peered out the window as they neared the airport. Instead of heading to the helicopter pad Travis was accustomed to,
the pilot veered the aircraft to the south. He turned to Dunn.
“You want to tell me where the hell we’re going NOW?”
Dunn could see he’d maxed out his boss’s patience. “We’re getting a lift from the 118th Air Wing.”
“The Air National Guard?” Travis couldn’t remember ever having any interaction with the unit. Their base sat right next to Nashville’s airport.
“Yeah. I’ve got a buddy I served with in the Army. He left the Army and re-enlisted as a First Sergeant in the Air National Guard. I gave him a call and asked if they were looking to run any practice drops. He said yes and the deal was done.”
“Did you say practice drop?”
“Oh, yeah. Didn’t I mention that we’re gonna parachute in?” Dunn’s smile reminded Travis of a certain overly-chipper instructor he’d had at BUDS. The damn guy always seemed so cheery about making the SEAL candidates do anything dangerous.
“You’ve got to be shitting me, Todd.”
“Now why would I do that, Skipper?” Dunn asked innocently, the bright smile still plastered on his normally serious face.
+++
To expedite the process, the helicopters landed just yards from the waiting C-130 Hercules. Dunn’s friend made the quick introductions and had a crew waiting to help load gear.
“You sure this is just gonna be a one way trip, Todd?” the grizzled First Sergeant asked.
“That’s all we need. Thanks again for the last minute lift.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Your pilot, Captain Jeffries, is known as a little bit of a cowboy around here. In fact, his call sign is Cowboy. Might make for a fun ride.” He patted Todd on the back and moved to help his men finish loading the packs.
Dunn looked at his friend in confusion then stepped in line to board the aircraft. By the time he got onboard, Travis was chatting with the pilot. Capt. Jeffries looked to be about sixteen years old. Despite his youthful appearance, he sported a very blond and very waxed handlebar mustache. A pair of aviator sunglasses was perched on his head, and he leaned his small frame casually against the plane’s bulkhead.