Coldfall

by Dirk Patton

  “Just look at him!” she exclaimed. “You’re trying to tell me people won’t know he’s drugged to the gills?”

  “Try him,” White said.

  It went quiet, Ashley staring at Sam.

  “Why did you kill my father?”

  We all looked around in surprise when Tanya spoke. Sam raised his head and looked directly at her before answering.

  “I don’t know who your father is.”

  “The ranch in Idaho,” Tanya said. “He was the owner.”

  Sam looked at her for a long moment before shrugging his shoulders.

  “It was the mission. The first phase of the plan, but I don’t know the ultimate objective.”

  White was right. Sam certainly sounded lucid and his eyes were clear. We all stared at him for a few moments, then I looked at Tanya. Tears were in her eyes. Stepping past Ashley, I put my arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her close. She resisted briefly before turning and wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “We only have about half an hour before the cocktail begins to weaken,” White said softly to Ashley. “Get the statement recorded and ask your questions while he will still answer.”

  After a long pause, she finally nodded. The director and an assistant were standing close and quickly got Ashley seated and wired for sound as another man rushed in and refreshed her makeup. She was hesitant at first, but as Sam responded in what appeared to be a completely natural manner, she relaxed and plunged ahead.

  Tanya and I stood watching, tightly holding each other as he looked at the images from the trail cam and described what was happening. When he had finished, Ashley asked him why he had killed all the people, receiving the same answer he’d given before.

  She ran through a few more questions, then asked him to narrate the video of the assault on the FBI office in Wyoming. He did so, explaining what was happening and why, expanding into describing contacting someone who would modify the video from the internal security cameras to match the narrative that was released to the public. A few more questions and she was done.

  The two guards stepped forward and escorted Sam out of the studio while the director and his crew immediately went to work on putting everything together. Ashly removed her microphone and let out a deep breath before joining us. She walked directly to Tanya, who still had tears in her eyes.

  “You okay?” she asked softly, taking Tanya’s hands in hers.

  “Nothing I didn’t know,” Tanya said, sniffing. “Just hard to hear it from the man who murdered my parents.”

  Ashley looked at her for a moment, then folded her into her arms. I felt the same way Tanya did, but had managed to keep from crying. I was through crying.

  Chapter 45

  Ashley was still holding Tanya in her arms when the door burst open and five heavily armed men rushed into the studio, BK limping through right behind them.

  “Sir, we’ve got Reapers inbound!”

  Two of them bracketed Mr. White, grabbing his upper arms and hustling him toward the door at a dead run, just like the Secret Service evacuating the president from a dangerous situation.

  “BK, you know what to do!” White shouted before disappearing.

  “What’s going on?”

  BK ignored me and hurried as fast as he could to where the studio crew was frantically packing up their gear. The director slapped a jump drive into his hand without a word, then BK was running toward us.

  “Move!” he shouted, gesturing at the door.

  “What the hell’s going on?” Ashley cried as we charged through.

  “Reapers,” BK said. “Drones with missiles! We’ve gotta get the hell out of here!

  That silenced any questions or complaints and we charged across the open floor to an SUV that BK indicated. All the large rolling doors were open and armed men were loading into the Hummers and racing for the outside. We piled into the vehicle, a Ford Explorer, and BK hammered the gas, sending us shooting forward with a lot of tire squealing.

  He didn’t slow as we exited into the night, making a hard right and screaming behind a parked Humvee. Two men stood to its side, a large box like device mounted in the back pivoting to aim at the southern sky. There were several loud pops and whooshes as multiple somethings, trailing long flames, shot out of the box. Everyone other than BK jumped, a brief squeal of fright coming from Ashley.

  “What the hell was that?” I asked as BK turned onto a narrow dirt track and headed into the trees.

  “Stinger missiles,” he said, turning the headlights off and lowering night vision goggles over his eyes.

  “As in anti-aircraft missiles?” I asked in surprise. “They’re shooting something down?”

  “Got a pair of Reapers, most likely equipped with hellfire missiles. They have to be taken out before they get into range.”

  We were quiet for a moment and I stared nervously at the darkness all around. Couldn’t even see the trees that I knew were there. Glancing into the backseat, Tanya met my eyes and I could see the fear in hers.

  “Where are we going?” Ashley asked. “Are we going to be far enough away to be safe from a missile?”

  As if her question were prophetic, there was a sudden flash of light from behind that lit the night sky briefly. Everyone other than BK turned to look out the back, then several seconds later a rumble that sounded like thunder rattled the Explorer’s windows.

  “We are,” BK said, nodding at the mirror. “There’s going to be ground forces right behind that strike. Probably more contractors like the dickhead we captured. Now we have a job to do.”

  “What job?” Ashley and Tanya asked in unison.

  “This,” he said, holding up the jump drive the director had given him. “This was a contingency we’d hoped we wouldn’t have to use.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked.

  BK took a breath and let out a sigh. Started to speak, then jammed on the brakes and brought us to a sliding stop. I was afraid something was wrong, but he remained calm, watching through the windshield. A few seconds later, there was movement immediately outside my window and the door popped open.

  “Get in back with the girls,” Trippy said.

  I stared at him in surprise until he made a get moving gesture with his hand. Stepping out, I opened the rear door and got in when Tanya slid to the middle of the seat.

  “Where the hell did you come from?” I asked after closing the door.

  BK hit the gas and we were moving again, quickly gaining speed in the pitch black forest.

  “Was out takin’ a look ‘round,” he said. “BK called there was an evac and I tol’ him where to get me.”

  “You didn’t answer,” Ashley said, leaning forward and putting her hand on BK’s shoulder. “What job?”

  “We’ve got to get that video you made out so people can see it. Headin’ for Boise.”

  “What’s in Boise?” she asked.

  “TV station with satellite uplink. We can get this out to every cable and network news outlet all at once.”

  “Why TV?” Tanya asked. “Put it on social media. It’ll be all over the world in ten minutes!”

  BK shook his head.

  “No, it won’t. All those big social sites are either implicit in what’s goin’ on or the NSA has a back door in. We put it on one of them, it’ll get deleted before ten people see it. We gotta get this out to where the government can’t get to it. Once they got it, it’ll be on every channel and hittin’ all their social media feeds. That’ll overwhelm ‘em. Be too much to stop.”

  “The media’s in on this, too!” Ashley said. “They’ll ignore it!”

  “Our estimation is they won’t,” BK said. “This is just too damn juicy. Editors and producers are gonna look at this and start droolin’. This ain’t about false narratives any more. This is ‘bout people bein’ murdered and those involved are goin’ to prison, or worse.”

  “Hope to hell you’re right,” I said, trading glances with Tanya. “But how are you going to get
the TV station to let you upload it?”

  “Gonna ask nicely,” BK said.

  “And if they say no?” Ashley asked.

  “We’ll say, please.”

  Trippy held up a rifle to emphasize his point.

  Chapter 46

  It was the middle of the night and the streets of Boise were mostly empty. We passed a police car on patrol, the officer giving us a long look before going on about her business. Other than that, a couple of older pickups that looked like late shift workers heading home.

  KBID was housed in a large building in downtown Boise. As we approached, I could make out several towers on the roof, red navigation lights flashing in the night to warn aircraft of their presence. Immediately to the building’s south was a three level parking garage and BK wheeled through the open gate, driving a circle until we reached the second level where he parked.

  “Is this the best time to do this?” Tanya asked. “I mean, no one’s awake to see anything.”

  “Sun’ll be up on the east coast in a little less than an hour,” BK said, turning to look at us. “We want this ready to go when the morning shows start.”

  “So, we just walk in?” Ashley asked.

  “Hope it’s that easy,” BK said with a shrug. “We had a friend here who was the overnight producer, more just someone to keep an eye on things, but he was killed in a car crash a couple weeks ago. Don’t know who took his place.”

  “Okay, I get that we can force our way in,” she said. “And we can probably get access to the equipment to upload the video. But what if whoever’s working in there won’t cooperate? Anyone have a clue how to operate the system?”

  She looked directly into BK’s eyes until he turned away, then shifted her gaze to Trippy.

  “That’s just great,” she said, shaking her head. “Everything you guys have done and you didn’t plan for this little contingency?”

  It was quiet in the Explorer for a long beat, Trippy finally speaking in a low voice.

  “Sticks was our guy. Knew how to operate anything.”

  Ashley looked at him for a moment with her mouth hanging open, then slowly lowered her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I truly am. I know he died helping us, but that doesn’t change the situation. What do we do if the TV station employees won’t cooperate?”

  “You won’t like the answer,” BK said after another long silence.

  “Are you kidding me?” Ashley said loudly after she realized what he meant. “You’re going to hurt people to force them to do what you want?”

  “If we have to,” BK said, not meeting her eyes. “There’s a lot more at stake than someone gettin’ their hair mussed up.”

  “Hold on,” Tanya said before Ashley could continue to protest. Everyone turned to look at her. “There’ll be internet access inside, right?”

  “Can’t imagine there wouldn’t be,” BK said. “But I already told you. We gotta be smart about how we distribute this.”

  “Not what I was thinking. I’m talking about their equipment. If a TV station is using satellite communications gear, it’s something that’ll be commercially available. Right?”

  “I don’t follow,” BK said.

  Tanya took a breath before continuing.

  “Okay, so, this won’t be like the military. Highly specialized. It’ll be something the station’s owner probably bought from some company that makes the equipment and is always trying to market it. Nothing secret about it.”

  “I’d think so, yeah.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll bet you the operator’s manual is available online. We pull it up on the internet and we don’t need their cooperation!”

  After a bit, BK nodded.

  “You may be right. But if it ain’t, or if you can’t figure it out, there’s always another way.”

  “I can’t figure it out?” Tanya asked, taken aback.

  “Your idea,” BK said with a grin before he looked at Ashley. “You okay with that?”

  “Not even a little,” she said. “But I understand the necessity. Just promise me you won’t do anything too extreme.”

  “I’ll do my best,” BK said.

  He was apparently tired of the discussion as he popped his door open and stepped out. Trippy was right behind, the rest of us exiting the back seat a little slower. They were already opening the vehicle’s rear gate, unloading vests, weapons and ammunition.

  “Can I have one?” I asked when I saw what they were doing.

  “Me, too,” Tanya said.

  BK and Trippy both turned to look at us, then each other. Trippy shrugged and went back to stuffing loaded magazines into his vest. After a beat, BK sighed and passed over two rifles, but held tight as he met our eyes.

  “You do not engage any target unless Trippy or I tell you. Got it?”

  We both nodded and told him we understood. He finally let go and stepped aside so we could come forward and get vests and ammo. A few minutes later, we were ready to go. BK was reaching up to close the hatch when the squeal of tires on the smooth concrete of the parking garage floor caused all of us to look around.

  Headlights were bright on the far wall as a vehicle climbed the curving ramp. BK slammed the gate, Trippy already dashing into hiding behind a vehicle parked twenty yards away. The rest of us ran for the stairwell, but didn’t reach the door before a police cruiser made the final turn and came into view.

  There was a momentary pause, then the engine surged and the headlights swept across Tanya as she dove behind a parked sedan. A screech of tires, then Trippy’s voice shouting commands. BK brushed past me, running as fast as his injured leg would allow.

  I was halfway through the door, Ashley next to me and we were concealed by a support column. Turning, I moved past Tanya to the back of the car and looked toward the idling police cruiser. Trippy stood to the side, rifle tight to his shoulder and trained on a terrified female officer who was holding a radio microphone in front of her mouth. BK was advancing directly at her, his rifle also steady on her face.

  Ashley and Tanya crowded in around me, watching as Trippy shouted for the woman to put down the radio. Slowly, with frightened glances between the two rifles, she lowered it out of sight.

  “Got her?” Trippy called to BK.

  “Go,” he said.

  Stepping close, Trippy stretched his arm out and yanked the cruiser’s front door open.

  “Out!” he said in a calm, commanding tone.

  Slowly, the officer shifted the car into park.

  “You don’t want to do this,” she said, her voice belying the fear on her face.

  “You cooperate, you’ll go home and this will just be a bad memory,” BK called. “Now, do exactly what he tells you and you won’t be harmed.”

  She looked back and forth between them, her eyes the size of saucers. I could tell when she made her decision.

  “No,” she finally said. “You’re some of those militia types, aren’t you? You’re going to kill me, no matter what I do.”

  BK saw the same thing in her eyes that I did. He stepped closer and spoke in a calmer voice.

  “Lady, whatever you’re thinkin’, you don’t wanna do it. We’re not who or what you think we are, but if you draw a weapon, we will defend ourselves. Don’t put us in that situation.”

  I was pretty sure she was half a second away from doing something foolish, and apparently Ashley did as well. Running into the open, she headed directly for the police car.

  “Wait!” she shouted as she ran forward.

  “Stay back!” BK shouted without taking his attention off the cop.

  “Stop!” Ashley shouted again, rushing past him and skidding to a stop near Trippy. The officer’s eyes were locked on her. “We’re not going to hurt you. Please. Hear me out and don’t do something you’ll regret!”

  “Don’t have time for this,” BK growled, but Ashley ignored him.

  “Screw this,” Tanya said, leaping up and hurrying forward.

  Wi
th a muttered curse, I followed her. The cop saw us coming and I could see her take a deep breath of resignation. Tanya ran up to stand next to Ashley and I joined her a moment later.

  “Recognize us?” she asked.

  It took a couple of seconds, then the officer’s eyes widened in surprise and fear as she looked back and forth between us.

  “You the ones that killed those two FBI agents!”

  “We did not!” Tanya said firmly. “Yes, we held a gun on them, but we didn’t do anything to them. That was someone else.”

  “Okay,” the cop said, clearly not believing her.

  “We’re telling the truth,” I said. “Our fathers were murdered and then blamed for the shootout. They were unarmed and we can prove it. That’s why we were there. To get the proof. That’s why we’re here. To get it to the press.”

  “Whatever you say,” the officer said in a voice intended to calm me down. Only I wasn’t upset.

  “Don’t you think you’d already be dead if we wanted to hurt you?” I asked. “Ask yourself why you’re still alive if we’re what you think we are.”

  Very faintly, I heard the wail of a distant siren. BK heard it too, growling at me a moment later.

  “We’re out of time.”

  I nodded without taking my eyes off the cop.

  “We’re going into the TV station. If you try and stop us, I can’t promise what they’ll do.”

  “She’s coming with us,” BK said.

  “No, she’s not,” I said firmly. “She’s not the enemy and we’ve threatened her enough!”

  The siren was growing louder and now it sounded like a second one had joined it.

  “Gotta go,” Trippy said.

  “Remember what I said and remember you’re alive and unharmed,” I said.

  Grabbing Tanya and Ashley’s arms, I pulled them along as I headed for the stairwell. After a pause, BK and Trippy slowly backed away from the cruiser, but didn’t lower their rifles. Pausing at the door with the girls, I looked back as they turned and ran to catch up.

  “That was fuckin’ stupid,” BK said as we pounded down the stairs.

  “Probably,” I said. “But you weren’t going to shoot her. I could tell that.”