Solemn Duty (1997)

by Leonard B Scott

  Ashley looked around and shrugged. "Looks pretty modern to me. I don't smell anything unusual."

  The doors opened and they stepped in. Eli pushed the button for the fifth floor and leaned against the wall. "I can smell clean starched sheets and disinfectant"

  Ashley was going to make fun of him until she saw the beads of perspiration on his forehead. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for asking me to share the stars with you this evening, Tanner. I happen to like your company, too."

  Before Eli could respond, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. He let her hand go but patted her shoulder. "Hold that thought and we'll discuss it when we leave." They entered the dimly lit hallway. Across from them at the nurse's station stood a young female captain nurse updating a patient's file. A tall black MP sergeant was beside her. The soldier held up his hand. "Sony, folks, but visiting hours are over," he said politely.

  Eli motioned to himself. "I'm Special Agent Tanner, FBI, and this is Special Agent Sutton. We're here to talk to Colonel Anderson. He's expecting us."

  The MP sergeant nodded. "I will need to see your IDs, please."

  Eli got his out first, and the MP motioned to Ashley to stop looking in her purse. "That's all right, ma'am. The colonel's room is just two doors down and on the left"

  Eli glanced in that direction and looked back at the black officer. Are you his only security?'

  They sergeant nodded again. "Yes, sir. There was an FBI agent who stayed outside the door, but he left this afternoon saying the threat had been downgraded. We still have orders to watch him, though, until he's discharged. Is there a problem, sir?'

  Eli gave the young soldier a smile. "No, I just wasn't aware they had already pulled our people, Sergeant. Thank you."

  Seconds later Eli knocked on the door and stepped into the room. He was pleasantly surprised to see Anderson smiling and sitting up in bed with a bag of Cheetos at his side. Sandy Anderson, too, smiled. She got up from a reclining chair and pushed the remote, turning off the television. Anderson extended his hand with a grin. "Agent Tanner, good to see you.

  I hear you're a fellow vet."

  Eli stepped up and took his hand. "How did ya find out about that, sir?"

  "The agent that was watching over me told me. He was quite a fan of yours. I didn't realize you were a pro when I met you the other day. I'm sorry. Hello, Agent Sutton, it's good to see you again, too. I'm afraid you caught Sandy and me watching `Saturday Night Live' like a bunch of kids. I love these damn Cheetos, and Sandy snuck them in for me."

  Eli took a can of beer from his jacket pocket and held it out.

  "I thought maybe you'd like one, sir. It goes great with Cheetos."

  Anderson grinned again as he took the can. "You are a true vet, indeed! Thanks. I've been dreaming about a beer for weeks."

  Eli took another one out from his inside jacket pocket and offered it to Sandy, who smiled and shook her head. "No thank you, I'll let him splurge tonight-he can have mine. Thank you, though. I think Agent Sutton and I will visit the coffee machine and let you two have a chance to talk a few minutes."

  She took Ashley's ann and looked over her shoulder at her husband. "Hon, wipe your lips, they're orange."

  As soon as the women stepped out and closed the door, Anderson's smile dissolved and he pinned Eli with a stare.

  "You got him, didn't you?"

  Eli nodded. "Yes, sir, we did. Actually, he killed himself when we were moving in on him, but he's no longer a threat to you."

  Lowering his head, the retired colonel popped the top of his beer and stared at the can. "He was a good soldier, Agent Tanner . . . a damn good soldier. But so were my men . . . I guess he did what he thought he had to do."

  Eli took the third can from his pocket and pulled back the tab. "Yes, sir, and he came awful close to making Sandy a widow. Remember that."

  Only thirty yards from the two men, in the fire stairwell, Jean Paul Devoe raised his arm and looked at his wristwatch.

  "Two minutes," he said.

  Standing beside him, Kheck Ly chambered a round in his 9mm pistol and looked through the small door window. "Roun and Tralay will take out the guard for you when they step out of the elevator, then it will be safe for you to enter the hallway.

  Anderson's room is number 514 on your right. I will follow fifteen paces to your rear to protect your back."

  Wearing hospital pajamas and a robe, Jean Paul chambered a round into his Italian .22 and put it in the waistband of his pants. He reached up, patted the gold chain in the breast pocket of his robe and smiled. "You have done well, my friend. As always. Your reconnaissance of the hospital and of the target is commendable." He raised his wrist again and looked at his watch. "One minute."

  Just ten steps from the fire exit doorway, in a vending machine canteen, Ashley set her coffee cup down on a table and made a face. "This stuff is terrible."

  Sandy Anderson smiled. "You get used to it." She took a sip of her coffee and lowered her cup. "So you really think it's all over, Ashley? I miss my home and miss our lives."

  Ashley nodded and patted the woman's shoulder. "It's all over, Sandy. Once your husband is released, he can finish that cradle and you can start thinking about how wonderful it will be to be called Grandmother."

  "Oh God, don't remind me. That's one thing I'm not ready for. . . . That's not true, I really am. Bob is the one who is having a hard time accepting the fact he's going to be a grandfather . . . maybe not now, though."

  Ashley began to respond but heard the elevator doors open down the hall. She didn't think anything of it but then heard a faint coughing sound followed by another, only slightly louder.

  She stepped toward the doorway and froze. To her right a very good-looking, small man stepped out of a fire exit doorway.

  She immediately stepped back and reached for the pistol in her purse, then turned to Sandy, putting her finger to her lips. It was the heavy gold chain around the handsome man's neck that worried her, and she told herself she wasn't going to take any chances. Motioning Sandy to get against the wall, she did the same and waited for him to pass the open doorway. A second passed, then another, and finally she saw him. She tried to move but couldn't. She took in a breath and suddenly stepped out and barked. "Freeze! FBI!" She glanced quickly down the long hallway and saw two men on both sides of the colonel's room door pressed against the wall, and just behind them she saw the form of the young black sergeant on the floor.

  She screamed, "Eli, watch out! Men at the door!"

  One of the men stepped away from the wall and she saw a flash. Something zipped by her ear. She crouched, stepped back and yelled at the good-looking man. "Lay on the floor and don't move!"

  Behind her, Ashley could hear Sandy sobbing. "Oh God, this isn't happening. This isn't happening."

  Hearing Ashley's scream, Eli had pulled his pistol and chambered a round. He stood against the wall next to the door and heard a spitting sound. Backing up, he fired into the wall where he thought he heard the sound and grabbed the doorknob. He took in a breath, pulled back the door and fired to his right at a moving figure. Spinning, he was shocked to see a man's face only inches from his pistol barrel. The man's eyes widened and he brought his hand up, holding a gun. Eli fired.

  The back of the man's head exploded and showered the side of the wall and hallway with blood and brain matter. Spinning back to his left, Eli saw the other man was down, rolling on the floor and firing his pistol wildly, as if blinded. Eli raised his pistol, but a bullet slammed into the room's doorjamb and was followed by a thunderous cracking sound that echoed down the hallway. He ducked back inside the room knowing the bullet and gunshot had not come from the wounded man.

  Two steps back inside the canteen, Ashley heard the booming report, too, and glanced to her right, where she'd heard the shot. She winced at seeing a small man running toward her with a pistol pointed at her face. She ducked just as she heard another report, and felt the air of the bullet pass by her ear and s
lam into the Coke machine behind her. Dropping to a knee, she began to fire, but it was too late, the man was already on her. Suddenly she felt as if she'd been hit in the head with a ball bat; everything became blurry and she was falling.

  A fire alarm at the end of the hall began clanging as Jean Paul quickly rose up from the floor and pulled his pistol. He hurried into the canteen and joined Kheck Ly, who was peering around the door with his pistol ready. The woman lying at Ly's feet was rolling her head back and forth. Blood oozed from a wound in her forehead where Ly had slugged her with his 9mm Sig Sauer.

  Jean Paul glanced at the other woman, sitting against the wall holding her hands against her ears, screaming hysterically. A shot rang out and Ly ducked back. He looked at Jean Paul and yelled to be heard over the clanging and screaming of the woman. "Roan and Tralay are dead! We must leave now before we're trapped."

  Jean Paul's jaw muscles rippled in frustration and anger, but he knew he had to think of the others. He nodded, motioned to the bleeding woman at Ly's feet and yelled, "Use her as a shield. I'll take the other one!"

  In Anderson's room, Eli was on his stomach. He quickly peeked down the hallway and ducked back. Behind him he could hear the colonel on the phone yelling, ". . . shots fired and at least one dead that I can see! Goddamnit, hurry!"

  Eli readied his pistol and peeked again, but jerked back as bullets tore into the floor and ricocheted down the hall. He peeked again and, seeing movement, was about to pull the trigger, but jerked back and lowered his weapon. "Shitshit, shit! They've got the women! Colonel, tell them to seal all the post exits and that the shooters have two women as hostages!"

  Eli stood, peeked around the corner of the doorjamb, then broke into a dead run down the hall, toward where he'd seen the fire door close.

  Baileys Crossroads The two guards at the front desk rose when the executive elevator opened and five men stepped out, led by Peter Wong.

  Peter smiled and motioned to the other men all carrying large athletic bags. "These gentlemen are with me. We'll be working on the twelfth floor, installing new equipment."

  The shorter guard took a seat behind a computer. "Names, please?"

  Hu Nim brought his hand from behind his back, holding the silenced .22, and shot the guard in the face. Nim turned slightly and shot the other guard in the chest, stepped forward and shot him again in the head just as he fell. Raising his pistol and aiming at Peter's forehead, he asked calmly, "Where is the security room?"

  Peter lifted his shaking hand and pointed at a room only ten paces away. Bun Sani dropped his bag, pulled the silenced Mac 10 from beneath his jacket, and walked toward the door.

  He kicked it in and fired from the hip as he entered. The two startled men seated behind a panel of six TV security screens only had time to turn and face their killer before being riddled.

  Nim lowered his pistol and again spoke calmly to Peter.

  "Are there any more guards anywhere in the building?'

  Peter stammered. "A-A roving guard makes the rounds of the twelfth and thirtieth floors. Y-You should be able to see him on the security monitors."

  Sani nodded as he looked at the screens. "He is on the twelfth, walking clown the hallway."

  Nim raised his pistol again, pointing it between Peter's eyes.

  "We don't need you anymore, Mr. Wong." He fired. Peter's head snapped back and he fell to the floor like a rag doll. Nim looked at his three men and spoke as he walked toward the elevator. "Sani, you will take out the guard then join us on the thirtieth and help us set the charges. We'll have your bag."

  Inside the elevator he pushed the twelfth and fourteenth buttons and looked again at his men. "Remember, the night shift workers are on the fourteenth floor. No one should be on the thirtieth, but be ready when placing the charges to eliminate anyone you see. Bring, all your firing wires back to me at the elevator lobby. You'll have exactly seven minutes once the doors open. Mainframe computers are first priority. I will blow my whistle at six minutes and thirty seconds. Anyone not at the elevators at seven minutes will be on his own. Once I push the detonator, we will have only six minutes to clear the building.

  Rendezvous at the rally point in the executive parking lot. Any questions?'

  Hearing none, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch. "I have 10:55 hours and ten seconds."

  Fort Belvoir, Virginia Out of breath, Eli threw open the bottom floor fire exit door and crouched in a shooter's stance, spinning left then right, looking for a target. Seeing no threat or movement but hearing tires squeal, he stood erect as a new dark Ford van sped out of the parking lot and headed north toward the main road leading off post "Shitshit shit!" he said aloud, and bent over to take in a breath. Above the clanging fire bells he could hear the sound of sirens.

  Finally he took in enough air to straighten up again. Holstering his pistol, he walked toward the parking lot and took out his cell phone. He began pushing keys and put the small phone to his ear just as the FBI Emergency Operations Center operator answered. "This is Agent Eli Tanner, my location is Fort Belvoir Army Hospital. Four male assailants just made an attempt to kill Colonel Robert Anderson, patient at said hospital. Attempt failed. One assailant dead, one wounded. However, one MP sergeant is dead and one Army captain nurse is badly wounded. Agent Ashley Sutton and Colonel Anderson's wife taken hostage. I say again Special Agent Sutton and Colonel Anderson's wife taken hostage. Two, possibly more, assailants escaped heading north off post in black or dark blue new Ford van toward Highway One. Request immediate support. MPs are presently en route, but need local support and helicopter support ASAP. Assailants are Cambodian, I say again, Cambodian. They are dark-haired, brown or lightly brown-skinned males. They are armed and extremely dangerous. My cell phone number is 326-1560. My location is currently in parking lot north of hospital. Request notification of deputy director immediately and inform him of situation.

  MPs arriving at scene and I have to get off now to tell them direction assailants fled, out."

  A light green MP car skidded to a halt beside Eli, who had his arm up and was holding his ID. He approached the car and tried to speak calmly. "I'm Agent Tanner, FBI. Two armed assailants just fled north in . . ."

  Woodbridge, Virginia On a ridge seventy yards from the house, Kaing Nay watched the approaching station wagon through his night vision scope attached to an M-16 rifle fitted with a sound suppressor. He brought a small Motorola to his mouth. "Soy, visitors approaching in car. They have their lights off. Car just stopped . . . four men getting out . . . wait, a fifth man just got out. All are carrying what look like Mac 10s. They are approximately fifty yards from house. Two men are leaving the others and are walking up the road. Begin the party. Over."

  Inside the house, Soy Poc smiled as he pressed the sidebar on his Motorola. "Party beginning. Out." He walked two steps, pushed a cassette unit's Play button, and immediately the voices of the team filled the spacious living room from four corner speakers. Turning, he walked to the back door, where his scoped rifle was leaning against the wall. He picked it up, shut the door, and stepped into darkness.

  A minute later he lay behind a mound of dirt where he had prepositioned the electrical detonator. Taking out his Motorola, he whispered, "I am in position. What is the situation, over?"

  Kaing spoke into his radio. "Two men coming your way toward back of house. The other three are approaching front.

  One has stopped. The other two are heading for front entrance.

  You should see your two now."

  "I have them both in my scope. One is raising a handheld radio. They are both moving toward back door. Give me an up when yours enter."

  "Roger, one of mine has radio to his ear. They are by the door. One is backing up . . . he just kicked in the door. Both are in!"

  Soy's two men disappeared inside the rear door. He lowered his head then depressed the detonator. For a millisecond, a brilliant flash of light turned the mound into instant daylight, which was followed by a horrific blast. Soy cover
ed his head as pieces of brick, burning wood, and shingles plummeted to the ground around him like huge hailstones.

  On the ridge, Kaing saw the house disappear in the explosion and saw the remaining man standing on the driveway blown twenty feet back onto the road. His mangled body was smoking. Standing and bringing his radio up, Kaing spoke in a normal tone of voice. "Soy, the party is over. All are finished.

  Meet me at vehicle. Over."

  Baileys Crossroads Hu Nim watched the last of his men climb into the van, then nodded to Kenny Chun. "Drive slowly and obey all traffic rules." Kenny was about to shift to Drive when a flash of light blinded him. An instant later a crack of thunder rolled over the huge parking lot.

  As Hu Nim looked out his window, debris began to fall onto the pavement and the landscaped gardens at the base of the building. The sound of crashing glass was louder than the explosion as he rolled his window down and looked up at the structure. As expected, not a single pane of smoked glass remained and smoke poured out of the thirtieth floor's skeletal remains, completely hiding the upper floors that he knew would be an inferno.