Erik Stoellar and the Krakow Klub had spent untold billions over twenty years to build their empire It only took a few hours to crumble into the dust of history. Its passing left only bitter memories and pain for those who had been affected.
Purging the military of all the Krakow Klub’s infiltrations would take much longer. Even Maxxine didn’t have a complete list of all of those who had been compromised. Eventually, significant changes in military procedures would result from the attempted coup.
However, the insurrection was not completely over.
****
Lt. Colonel Steven Collins watched the president’s telecast with ever-increasing fury.
He couldn’t believe that he had come so close to success only to be foiled at the last minute. His cruel face became twisted into a snarl. He was in a murderous mood, and that could only mean disaster to someone, or, more likely, to a great many. His menacing eyes revealed the dark and vicious soul that lurked just below the surface.
****
Julia and Sylvia had been watching the TV since the shuttlecraft had left, waiting anxiously for news from the White House. They both sighed in relief when there was a news flash that the president would address the nation from the Oval Office.
General T had been in constant communication with Maxxine and was feeling quite proud of the part that he had played in keeping the island and his charges safe.
All three gave a cheer when they saw John Scott and Jim Slater standing with the president during the telecast. They weren’t the only ones. All around the world, the news spread like wildfire and was translated into untold languages. Now, it seemed that the world might be a safer place, at least for a while.
****
After concluding his speech, President Wilkinson rose from his desk and thanked the cameraman, his secretary, and the Secret Service agents for their support and assistance in this critical time.
He went to his wife and gave her a kiss, saying softly, “I will have you escorted to our quarters now, my dear. Please rest and I will join you very soon.”
He thanked Dr. Allen for his care of his wife and then dismissed everyone, except John and Jim.
“Mr. Scott, John, the nation owes you a great debt for stopping the Krakow Klub. There is much more work to be done, but with your help, we can locate each and every person associated with the evil group. I will be calling on you and Dr. Slater quite frequently in the coming weeks.
“And, now, I’m going to take care of my wife. She has been through unspeakable pain during the last days. I’m going to devote myself, full time, to her complete recovery. I’ll provide her with any, or all, help that she needs. Which, by the way, won’t be at the taxpayer’s expense.”
John nodded in complete understanding. “She’s probably in a very fragile state at the moment. But, from what you’ve told me about her, she’s a strong and resilient woman. I’m confident that she’ll come through this like a champ.
“First, she thought that you were dead in that horrible accident. No one should ever have to experience such a devastating event. I understand that she was in total shock for hours and couldn’t leave her quarters. I’m quite sure that Dr. Newton probably had her heavily sedated.
“I can only imagine what’s going through her head right now. First, you were assassinated in that horrible accident. Then, she was held as a virtual prisoner in the White House by Montrose and her gang. Then she was attacked and subdued in her quarters so that the tracking device could be removed. Then, most unbelievable of all, she wound up in a prison cell on my space station, attended to by robots.”
John had been curious as to how the transponders had been switched, but now he believed that he had the answer. He explained that the transponders were all placed in the same spot on every human’s skull. Knowing the exact location, the device could be removed by measuring the site precisely and removing a small piece of tissue with great accuracy. The tissue would contain the transponder. Such transplants would eventually be rejected by the body of each recipient, but the time it took for that to happen would be enough for their purposes.
“Obviously, to do this, she was sedated with a powerful narcotic of some kind. A small sample of tissue was also removed from Montrose’s skull. Then, they simply switched the two samples, placing Montrose’s transponder into your wife and, vice versa.
“The radiologist from California had been flown to Washington, DC, and he performed the procedure. After he had done his careful measurements, he could be confident that he could obtain the devices without the use of the scanner. The man was duped into his role, so I don’t think that any charges need to be brought against him.
“I’ve been watching Dr. Allen and he’s competent, caring, and professional. I think that he’d do an excellent job heading up the medical office here as your new White House physician. But, you’ll probably have to use your powers of persuasion. I have a feeling that Washington, DC, is about the very last place that he wants to be right now.
“As for me, I’m going to go back to my island for a little rest. In the meantime, you can continue to clean up the military. I’ll provide you with all Maxxine’s reports to help you make your decisions. She has complete information on most everyone that was a part of the network, but it’s still possible that a few may have eluded her detection. She’s working on that premise right now, and I’ll get the results to you as they become available.
“By the way, your White House computer system is painfully antiquated and can be hacked by any high school nerd with a little talent. I’m going to provide you with technology that will be secure it, but it will take a while, so be patient. You’re going to have to develop some new skills.
“Mr. President, you’ve done an outstanding job during the last few days. You’ve cheated death, put the past behind you, and become a strong leader. For that, I salute you. Good show, old chap!”
With that, Jim Slater and John Scott left the Oval Office and were escorted out of the White House to their waiting ship. It was, of course, in stealth mode until they were ready to enter.
President Henry Wilkinson took a deep breath, gave a big smile to his Secret Service agents, and left the Oval Office to walk directly to the residential quarters.
He would spend a little time comforting his wife and then he would return to the Oval Office and the considerable amount of work to be done. But he was ready for it. For the first time in years, Henry Wilkinson was in command of himself and it felt good. He felt up to the job ahead.
If nothing else, he owed it to John Scott to perform well. That was the least he could do for someone who had saved his life, indeed, probably his very soul.
For some reason, the Secret Service Agents accompanying the president both noticed that he seemed taller than before, and his stride was certainly brisker.
****
Soon, John and Jim were in the shuttle again, flying at near maximum speed, headed to Scott Key. After the briefest of travel times, they arrived at the landing area near the villa. John had informed General T as to their arrival time. Julia and Sylvia awaited them in the warm sunshine. John was sure that being back on the island would have a healing effect on them all.
John could see his beloved home with all the beautiful landscaping and golf course. Bougainvillea and hibiscus seemed to whisper a soft welcome as they were moved gently in the soft ocean breeze. He felt a sudden wave of thankfulness and relief flooding over him. Finally, he would be able to relax in his new home. Already, he was feeling the added peace of his island paradise.
He yearned for the calm silence that would only be punctuated by the cries of curious seabirds as they swooped here and there over the water ever on the alert for their next meal. For the first time, in more years than he could remember, he said a silent prayer of thanks for the success of the last few days. Then, he mouthed other thanks to his two greatest assets, Maxxine and Maxx.
Far out in space, there were two very satisfied electronic sighs of relief.
> As they exited the craft, Mitch and Akiro ran up to greet them. Their excitement was boundless, and it seemed that they had become fast friends already. Well, Mitch was in charge, and Akiro was more than happy to show her all the respect that she deserved as the alpha dog.
John and Julia hugged each other tightly, and Jim could see tears coursing down her cheeks. John, noticing them, reached up and gently wiped them away. He whispered softly into her ear, “I’m here, and I’m never going to leave you again. Whatever happens, we’ll be together from now on.”
Jim smiled at the new and softer side of his friend’s character. He even looked younger. It was a special and magical moment that he would never forget.
Then, he stepped off the pathway and picked a red hibiscus from the nearest bush. He approached Sylvia and carefully placed the blossom into her hair. She looked up at him, and he suddenly knew that the past was forgotten, for both of them. All those years of doubt and regret were gone. Her eyes sparkled, and she reached up and touched his cheek. He took her hand in both of his and held it to his heart.
No words were spoken. Not now. No words were needed. That keen sense that what had been forgotten had been resurrected. It was as if they could read each other’s hearts and minds again. For a fleeting instant, they were back on their first date in St. James Park in London. Visions flashed before them, and they were emotionally transported back to that day when they were both overcome with feelings that they had never expected. Feelings that they could not share with any other person. Feelings that had blossomed into love. It was a moment of tenderness and fulfillment that would last forever. And they were lucky enough to have found it again.
Just then, they were interrupted by General T, who spoke in an urgent voice, “Boss, Maxxine needs to talk to you ASAP.”
John motioned for the others to go into the villa and wait for him. “Okay, Maxxine, what’s going on?”
The usually imperturbable Maxxine was in a panic. “Sir, we have a problem. It’s the Greenbrier.”
John’s shoulders slumped, and he suddenly felt exhausted again. “What’s going on at the Greenbrier?”
“It’s that psychopath Collins. He should already be in custody, but I seemed to have dropped the ball on that one. He tried to detonate the plastic explosives that he had planted around the hotel, but they didn’t work.
“That’s why I wasn’t concerned about picking him up immediately. Maxx had fixed all the explosives so that they wouldn’t blow, so I didn’t think that he would present any imminent danger. Unfortunately, I didn’t predict what he would do. I should have been more careful with that one. He’s the worst of the lot.
“Apparently, he’s decided on his own to kill everyone there. He and his men are surrounding the building, and they are heavily armed. There are almost three hundred of them. Congress won’t have a chance. They’ll be mowed down without mercy. The worst part of all is that these lunatics will be enjoying it.”
“Maxxine, what about the remotes? Can’t they protect them? Isn’t there anything that you can do? Have you talked to Maxx? We need some answers quickly!”
“Sir, there are almost nine hundred people in there. A single remote can only protect about a hundred of them from the power of one M16 rifle, and there are so many M16s. I only have four remote crafts stationed at the site. I’ve ordered ten others to relocate there immediately, but there may not be enough time to save everyone.
“In the meantime I have tried to put a shield around the West Virginia Wing to protect them, but there are two problems with that. First the shield is so large that it is very weak at any one point and might be breached by a surge of attackers. Secondly, and perhaps worse there are about ten soldiers, probably guards, within that shield, inside the building. They are, unfortunately, just as protected by the shield as the congressmen.”
“Maxxine, how are the guards armed?”
“Each is armed with an M16 and a loaded clip of sixty rounds. Also, each carries two extra clips. That is a total of 180 rounds per soldier. What do you want me to do?”
Before John could say a word, Maxxine shouted, “Oh John, they have started shooting!”
“Lethal force, Maxxine, NOW!”
Chapter 14: A Bitter Victory
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt
Atrocities always seem to be a part of all wars. Human beings are complex creatures, part rational and part emotional. Humans are further complicated by the fact that each of those parts is shaped and molded over the years of their existence by various external forces, some good, some bad and some just plain evil.
One of the most influential forces a human being ever faces is war. Being subjected to battlefield conditions has a profound effect on virtually every participant. The experience forever scars many. Others are affected in ways that change them forever. Battle brings out the best in some, the worst in others. It leaves almost no one unaffected.
The stories of heroism and patriotism that are used to inspire young men to go to war are quickly forgotten when the shooting starts. Few, if any, are truly prepared for the horror of a battlefield. There is just no way to practice for the sounds and smells of death all around. Such conditions often create heroes, as young soldiers rise to the challenge and do things that even they did not know they were capable of doing.
But from the chaotic horror of war sometimes comes another creation. A human being becomes something truly horrific—a beast that is capable of performing atrocities beyond the imagination of most normal human beings.
The war in Afghanistan produced many heroes and a few beasts. One of those beasts was Captain Steven Collins. He was a Special Forces officer who spent three tours of duty in the hell that was Iraq. He then served another three in Afghanistan. He saw things and experienced things that changed him forever. He may not have been a good person at the beginning of it all, but in the end he was a beast who thrived on inflicting death on others.
Whether the beast that Collins would become was buried inside him from the beginning or created by those wars can never be known for sure. What is known is that a young American soldier arrived there with a desire to serve his country by killing its enemies. What returned, after all those tours of combat, was a monster who simply wanted to kill!
Number Eleven had many operatives in Afghanistan. They were not necessarily officers or even military personnel. Eleven, knowing human nature, understood that there were many “invisible” people who could be counted on to gather information and she used them extensively. Her agents were all multilingual and were sometimes bartenders, sometimes prostitutes, sometimes waiters and waitresses in restaurants.
She was forever amazed at how talkative people could be when they assumed that the low-paid local person serving them couldn’t understand a word of their language. After a couple of drinks, many tongues loosened and many secrets were revealed.
Captain Collins was referred to her after one of her agents observed his actions in a remote mountain village. His company was looking for Taliban fighters and found an AK47 rifle in a dingy hut occupied by a family of five. The family pleaded that it did not belong to them, and it had been hidden there by someone else. Collins, who had lost several men in an ambush the previous day, was unmoved. He had the father, mother, and three children kneel before him and personally shot each in the back of the head with his service pistol.
It was his first time to commit cold-blooded murder. But it would not be the last time. Collins had become a casualty of the atrocities of war. Now the world would have to pay the price. He had killed in cold blood, and he had enjoyed it. It would happen again and again. Soon, it was a necessary act; he lived for the thrill of his next kill.
Captain Steven Collins was recruited into the folds of the Krakow Klub with the promis
e that he would be allowed to pursue his newfound thirst for blood in the future. He was carefully groomed for his role and eventually promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel over the next few years. He would eventually be given the command of the Scorpion Battalion.
The Scorpion Battalion was not an official unit of the US Military. On paper, all of the members were assigned to other units. Only General Lew McGowan knew of the Scorpion Battalion. As the commander of ARRCOM, McGowan, had been able to create a special situation fund. He used it to organize, train and prepare the Scorpion Battalion for their very special future task. Collins was given the authority to select personally each of the nearly three hundred members. He was the iron-fisted leader of the group, and his authority was absolute.
Finally, the day came for Collins and the Scorpion Battalion to prove their worth. They were assigned to the Greenbrier for Operation Omega. Omega was a code word for what was planned to be a mass murder on a scale that would shock the nation. Of course that was its purpose—to shock the nation.
****
The Greenbrier situation was about to turn lethal. Lt Colonel Collins had heard of the fighting around the White House. He sensed the order to begin operation Omega would come soon, so he began his preparations. Calling his company and platoon leaders together, he outlined his plan.
First, he assigned a squad of ten men plus the squad leader to the inside of the West Virginia Wing. He ordered the squad leader to place one soldier at each end of the four long hallways; also a soldier at the front entrance and one at the rear entrance. The Squad leader, Sgt. Alvarez, was to have his radio on at all times and to wait for orders from Collins. Their primary purpose was to be traffic directors, ushering the members into their rooms and making sure that they remained there.
Omega was an appropriate code word for the operation. As the last letter of the Greek alphabet, it is often associated with “the end.”
Collins considered Sgt. Alvarez and his squad expendable. They would be killed, along with all the “guests” when the explosives surrounding the West Virginia Wing detonated.
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