“Thank you, Dr. Chang, that won’t be necessary,” Holly said. “I’m a doctor of psychology. She’ll be well taken care of.”
“That’s very fortunate, under the circumstances. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really must go.”
They thanked Dr. Chang, then Danielle and Holly sat down to process the information. Beach knelt in front of his partner’s wife. “I’m so sorry, Danielle. I wish there was something I could do or say.”
“You could tell me what happened. And please, spare me the bureau cover stories. I have a right to know.”
Beach looked at her helplessly.
Holly rubbed Danielle’s back, trying to comfort her. “Dan, I know you think you need answers right now, but it won’t help anything. You’re dealing with denial, anger, and other confusing emotions. Much better to follow Dr. Chang’s advice and get some rest.”
“So just drug the wife and keep her quiet, is that your only answer?” Danielle regretted her words even as they came out. She leaned into Holly and wept heavily.
“It’s okay, honey. Better to have a good cry. Just remember what the doctor said, James is a very strong man. He’s going to be all right.”
Holly turned then to look into her husband’s pleading and helpless eyes. She reached out to touch his cheek. “Go and find a comfortable hotel nearby. She needs to sleep.”
*****
“He’s heading for the maintenance shed,” Fouts said. “What’s the move, Jake?”
“I don’t want any civilian casualties,” Jake said. “Kerr, you check that caretaker’s cottage. If there’s anyone there, secure them. Dozer, Priest, and Fouts – on me. Albrecht, you cover us from behind the ski lift. If Adler gets past us, pick a spot that’ll disable him without killing him, and put a round into it.”
“A hip shot, it is. Good deal, boss.” The sniper darted off to set up behind the lift.
Kerr took off after him, while the others waited for Albrecht to take up his position. Jake turned to his remaining team members, then reached over his shoulder into his backpack and pulled out a bizarre piece of equipment.
“What the bloody hell is that?” asked Dozer. “Looks like a lacrosse stick and a crossbow had a baby.”
“You’re not far off,” Jake replied. “It’s a net-bow. Priest, this one’s for you. Point it straight at his head, and when he’s fifteen to twenty feet away, pull this trigger. It’ll shoot a specially made net that’ll open just before it hits him.”
“Sounds a bit dodgy, mate. You sure it’ll be strong enough to hold the little prick?”
“It’s made of Golden Orb Weaver web fiber. It’s got four times the tensile strength of the same gauge stainless steel cable. You’d be lucky to cut it with your knife.”
“Golden Orb Weaver?” Dozer said. “You mean the spider? Bloody hell, I remember having to clean their webs off Mum and Dad’s front porch when we were kids. Sticky as buggery and seriously strong.”
“The weaving process makes it hundreds of times stronger,” Jake said. “I’ve got bulletproof vests made of it. I don’t care how many exotic steroids they’ve stuck in him, you get this thing on him, he’s going nowhere.”
“What’ll we be using, Jake?” Fouts asked.
Jake pulled another net-bow out of his pack, unfolded it, and locked the body into place. He handed the weapon to Fouts then reached into his pack again. This time, he drew out two shiny, well-worn rattan sticks, just under two feet long.
“What do you plan to do with those skinny little buggers?” Dozer wanted to know.
“Trust me boys,” Fouts said, shaking his head ominously. “You don’t want to be on the receiving end. I’ve seen our boy in action with those things. He’ll turn you black and blue all over in under five seconds. What do you call them again, Jake?”
“Sticks.”
“Oh, very droll. I mean what’s the name of that thing you do with them?”
“It’s called Arnis – an ancient Filipino fighting art. Yes, I can blacken a good part of your body with them before you know what hit you, but that’s not the point of this exercise. Once Adler’s netted, I’ll be standing by in case he manages to untangle himself. If he does get free before Dozer can stick this paralyzing agent into his neck, you’ll see exactly what they’re for.”
Chapter 26
Kerr’s years of training and experience as a breach specialist were obvious as he crept undetected through the live-in caretaker’s cottage. He knew any occupants would be innocuous, but held his M4A1 in close combat posture just in case.
Rounding the corner into a hallway leading to the master bedroom, he saw light radiating from a narrow door halfway along. Based on the configuration of doorways in the hall, he suspected the lit room was a toilet. His suspicions were confirmed as he approached. Pinching his nose with his left hand, he maintained control of his weapon with his right, and emerged directly in front of the caretaker.
Sensing Kerr’s presence, the caretaker lowered his newspaper. The shock of seeing a large man in full military gear, pointing an assault rifle directly at him, caused his bowel to loosen audibly. His flatulent greeting broke the tension, and Kerr lowered his weapon.
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re already seated.”
“No shit!” the caretaker replied.
His unintentionally comical response brought a chuckle from Kerr. He slung his weapon to relieve the man’s apprehensions.
“You mind telling me what the hell you’re doing in my house?” The old man asked.
“Sorry for the intrusion, but I’m here to evacuate you,” Kerr chuckled again. “No pun intended.”
Anxiety combined with the absurdity and embarrassment of his situation brought suppressed laughter from the caretaker. “I swear I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous situation in all my years,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Shanghaied in the damned toilet by an armed comedian. I’m never gonna live this down.”
“I think this can be our little secret. Now – down to business. Unfortunately you’ve been caught in the middle of an FBI operation. Is there anyone else on the property?”
“Not a soul until the weekend.”
“Okay, you’ve got two options: stay right where you are and lock the door, or we find you somewhere safe to hide until the fireworks are over.”
“I’ll go with option ‘A’ if that’s all right with you, young feller.”
“Okay. But you have to promise to stay put, with the door locked, until I come back and let you know it’s safe to come out.”
“Wild horses, son. Wild horses.”
“Good man. Hope everything works out okay.” Kerr shut the toilet door and spoke into his comms unit. “The resort’s deserted except one civilian. He’s secured. Your move, Jake.”
“You copy that, Albrecht?” Jake asked the sniper.
“Copy, I’m set.”
“Kerr, you cover the rear of the maintenance shed from the cottage in case Adler gets past us. Remember, we need him alive.”
“Copy that.”
“Let’s move.”
Jake took off toward Albrecht’s position, closely followed by Dozer, Priest, and Fouts, They skirted past the ski lift, tracing the edge of a pond on their way to the maintenance shed. Arriving at a side entry, Jake directed Dozer and Priest to another door near the far end of the building, while he and Fouts stayed at the first door. When the Australians were in position, Jake counted down from three, and the four men breached simultaneously.
The morning sun shone through windows and cracks in the structure’s corrugated iron walls. Beams of light caught dust in the air, casting hazy streams of brightness throughout the interior. A tractor blocked their view of the rear wall, while snowmaking equipment, snowmobiles, and tool shelves provided cover in other areas.
The men hugged the inside of the doorways, checking the rafters and far corners for any sign of Adler. Seeing nothing, Priest and Fouts took up their prearranged positions, standing in the open doorways, net-gun
s at the ready. Dozer crouched beside his brother, holding the syringe of paralyzing agent in his left hand, his right balled into a grapefruit-sized fist. Jake crept along the side wall, trying to get a better view behind the tractor. He rounded the rear corner of the machine, looked underneath, and behind the huge tires. Adler was nowhere to be seen.
Preferring to meet the madman head-on rather than being jumped while checking blind spots, Jake moved into the center of the shed. A good ten feet of space all around him, he let his arms drop loosely to his sides. His thin, high-tensile rattan sticks hung past his knees.
The open invitation was irresistible to the trapped serial killer. Despite his wounds, Adler bolted from the cover of the snowmaking machine with startling speed, charging directly at Jake. The bigger man reacted with catlike reflexes, ducking down and to one side, simultaneously striking several staccato blows to Adler’s side as he passed.
Adler tried to stop, but the mixture of oils and water on the floor, combined with his forward momentum, caused him to slide two feet closer to Priest’s waiting net-gun. The madman managed to keep his balance, oblivious to the Australians’ presence. He was a dangerous, cornered animal in a final bid for his freedom. Wild-eyed and ferocious, he focused on the source of Jake’s dreadful stinging strikes. His broken ribs throbbed with renewed pain from the rattan sticks’ penetrating energy. Adler’s momentary hesitation was long enough for Priest to fire his net-gun.
The contraption shot a ball of golden mesh directly at Adler’s head. For a split-second, Priest thought it would bounce harmlessly off his target, but three feet before its destination the ball sprung open, spreading rapidly against the friction of the air. By the time it reached Adler the net was almost fully open, quickly encasing its target like butcher’s mesh on an Easter ham.
Dozer didn’t hesitate. He barged forward, the syringe poised near his face. As he swung his arm downward, Adler managed to skirt sideways, avoiding the strike. Dozer unleashed his right arm, plowing a powerful hook into Adler’s jaw. The crazed killer winced only slightly, while Dozer backed off, shaking his fist in pain. The golden mesh slowed Adler just enough for Jake to move in and strike with more accuracy. Arms swinging hypnotically, the whip factor brought the tip speed of his rattan sticks to nearly two hundred miles per hour as he neatly placed two powerful strikes onto Adler’s left temple. The crazed animal’s eyes rolled back in his head, just long enough for Dozer to lunge forward and stab the syringe into Adler’s neck.
Fouts had sprung from his position and shot his net-gun from twelve feet away, further hindering the madman’s movements. Adler struggled so hard against the nets that it seemed the paralyzing agent wasn’t going to do its job. Jake knew the drug would work eventually, but Alder’s massive adrenalin burst was fighting its effects. He drew one stick back behind his body and bounced the tip off the concrete floor. Capitalizing on the immediate boost to the stick’s tip speed, Jake perpetuated the stick’s motion, adding more energy as it flew through the air, making a loud whoosh, until the tip thudded into Adler’s neck.
Despite the lightness of the rattan, the sudden termination of the stick’s trajectory released overwhelming energy directly into the nerve cluster at the base of the madman’s neck. Adler was out like a light for a few seconds, and by the time he came to, the paralytic agent had overcome his depleted adrenalin level. The synthetically enhanced serial killer was finally down.
“Well, that worked,” Dozer said, exhaling mightily. “What do we do with him now?”
“The paralytic agent lasts about an hour,” Jake said. He removed his backpack and pulled out a black leather case about twice the size of a wallet. “But that’s’ not going to be enough for what I have in mind.”
Jake unzipped the leather case, exposing a syringe and three small bottles of clear liquid. He plunged the tip of the syringe into the first bottle and drew up some liquid, then did the same with the second and third bottles. “We don’t know what he may be resistant to, so I’m not taking any chances. With what I’m giving him, he’ll be sound asleep for at least eight hours. Sorry, Dozer, but you get to carry him out of here.”
“No worries, mate.”
The big Australian grabbed the golden mesh, drawing the ends together to form a sack, then heaved Adler’s unconscious body over his shoulder. “Where to?”
Jake punched a number into his phone, and spoke for a moment before turning to the group. “A chopper will be here in fifteen minutes. We’ll get as close as we can to Chow’s body, and drag him out of there, then drop you guys back at your vehicle. I know Walker wants you back at the Test, but the Aussies and I have a plane to catch.
“We do?” Priest asked.
“I heard from Equilibrium. Ugolev is on his way to Kiev, in the Ukraine. Now that Adler’s taken care of, our plates are clean, so we’re on the move. We can get some shuteye on the plane.” Jake included the others. “I know it’s a pain in the ass, but I need you guys to take Adler on a detour on your way back to Kentucky. Kerr, I guess you can let the caretaker know all’s clear. Any idea what you’re going to tell him about what went on here?”
“Trust me, he won’t be asking any questions,” Kerr said. “But I’ve got one for you, Jake: why are you hanging onto Adler? I mean, shouldn’t you be handing him off to the FBI?”
“Don’t worry about the FBI. I’ve got plans for our freaky little friend.”
Chapter 27
Jake led Dozer and Priest through the solid steel inner security door that opened into his enormous garage. A considerable array of customized vehicles and motorcycles glimmered in the stark fluorescent light.
“I do love your fancy toys, Jakey,” Dozer said. “When are we going to take some out for a spin?”
Jake continued toward the stairs leading up to his apartment. “When this operation’s complete, we’ll go for a ride to Kentucky to see Fouts and the boys. How’s that sound?”
“Dibs on the Harley.”
“That’s about the only one you could fit on, bro,” Priest said.
“I can’t help being big-boned. I drank a lot of milk when I was a kid, you know that.”
“Yeah, that milkman sure was around a lot. Not sure it was milk he was delivering, though.”
“Hey, that’s our mum you’re talking about there!”
“Geez, you’re easy to wind up, mate. Settle, petal.”
Dozer grumbled about his older brother’s teasing as he followed Jake up the stairs and through the hidden passageway into the master bathroom.
“Sure is an odd way to make an entrance, Jakey,” Priest said. “It’s kinda weird walking through your bedroom every time we come over.”
“It wasn’t designed with guests in mind. Just drop the weapons in the armory and get your things packed. We’ve got two hours to get to the airport. If you’re hungry, I’m sure Tik’s got something cooking. I’ve got some calls to make.”
The brothers walked through to the kitchen, where Tik was busily chopping exotic herbs and spices. A large pot boiled rapidly on the stove, wafting smells of Asia through the large, open-plan living area. The feisty little woman looked up from her work and gave the pair an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “You still here?”
“Oh, come on, Tik,” Dozer said, sidling over to her. “You know you love us.”
“I not love your smell. Australia man need shower.”
“That’s man smell, sweetheart. You don’t like men?”
“Tik like clean man, not stinky man.”
Tik tried to shove the big man away with her hip, but her effort was comically futile.
“I reckon you’re in the wrong weight class, love,” Priest chuckled. “You might need to gain a coupla hundred pounds.”
“Nah, she’s just the right size for me, bro,” Dozer said, giving Tik’s shoulders a playful squeeze. “I like ’em small.”
“I reckon you’re in there, mate,” Priest said, winking at Tik.
Tik’s face reddened visibly.
“Whoah,
look out, mate,” Priest said. “I think she’s gonna blow. Get outta there while you can.”
Dozer playfully pranced away to join his brother on the other side of the workbench. The Laotian woman gave them her most earnest death-stare, drawing peals of laughter from the brothers. Despite her best intentions, Tik couldn’t maintain her solemnity. The corners of her mouth curled upward just enough to be noticed.
“See that, I told you she likes me,” Dozer said.
“Impossible!” Tik said. “Go away.”
“You two idjits, leave her alone,” Jake said, emerging from his room. “What did I say about putting the weapons away?”
“On it, Jakey.”
The pair walked off to the gym entrance, still ribbing each other and cackling loudly.
“Crazy Aussies,” Tik said, just loud enough for Jake to hear.
“I hear you, Tik. But if you’re going to do something about that crush you’ve got on Dozer, you’ll need to show a little bit of interest.”
Tik’s jaw dropped as she looked at her boss in disbelief. She tried to speak, but was too flustered.
“You think it my first rodeo?” Jake said, teasing Tik’s accent and vernacular. “You can’t fool me, Tik, I know you too well. Anyway, there’s nothing wrong with Dozer. He’s a bit goofy sometimes, but he’s got a heart of gold, and he could certainly take good care of you.”
Still out of her usual orbit of control, Tik clamped her mouth shut and turned back to her cooking. “Tik not talk anymore.”
Jake reached over the countertop to touch her shoulder. “Tik, I’m being serious now. You’ve been alone far too long. I know you like him, so why not take a chance?”
She put down her knife and looked pleadingly at Jake. “Tik not know about love. Not understand silly games. And Australia man have crazy sense of humor. I not know when he serious or not.”
The Killing Chase (Beach & Riley Book 2) Page 19