by R Weir
“Let’s eat,” announced Hunter. “Who knows when they’ll feed us again.”
Both grabbed a plate and drink, taking it to their beds. The food was good and filling, helping to calm Hunter’s stomach. He hoped drugging him wasn’t going to be a daily thing. Being loopy would make it difficult to think clearly. He needed his wits and skills to get them out of this mess.
“I understand Athena gave you a few lessons on fighting?” remarked Hunter after nibbling on the smoky, maple tasting bacon.
“Her and Shen both. They wanted me to be able to defend myself considering what was going on.”
“When it comes to martial arts, Shen is one of the best. And Athena is a good hand to hand fighter. Smart they worked with you. If you feel threatened, don’t hesitate.”
Olivia nodded while chewing on the apple slices. “I sensed you and Athena were an item at one time.”
Hunter looked over, surprised she knew. “What gave you that idea?”
“Instinct and I asked her about it. She always appeared mad at you for no reason. I figured you two were together and had a bad breakup. Much like Mom and you.”
“You know that story as well,” remarked Hunter after swallowing down the OJ. “It would seem my personal life is an open book.”
Olivia grinned. “Mom told me the story before hiring you. Thought it might come up along the way and didn’t want me surprised by it. Even had a couple of pictures of you, her and myself when I was small. I didn’t remember you…being only a baby.”
“It was a long time ago. I cared deeply for your mother, even though it didn’t work for us. But I was happy she found the right man. Jose appears to be a great father and husband.”
Olivia nodded, she finished up her breakfast, before wiping her face on the cloth napkin. “He is my dad, and always will be. Unlike the man who showed up yesterday.” Her good mood turned sour.
Hunter understood the family dynamics. Growing up his parents had divorced, leading to a stepfather, who wasn’t a bad man, he just wasn’t good at rearing kids. In his mind they were only baggage that came with his mother. Both had passed on years ago, his real father off to who knows where. There had been no word from him in decades. Might have been a contributing factor in why Hunter’s own relationships had never lasted. Though he didn’t dwell or blame his childhood on who he’d become. It was the choice he made freely.
Finishing up his food, Hunter grabbed the empties and put them on the plastic tray. He was looking at the two spoons, wondering if they would work as a weapon. He suspected they would check and decided he’d not attempt to hide one away, figuring they’d realize they were missing. It wasn’t worth the risk for such a small reward. As he turned to walk back to the bed, he saw an envelope slide under the door. Reaching down to grab it, he read the outside and saw Olivia’s name on it.
“It’s for you,” mouthed Hunter while handing it to her.
She opened it as Hunter did his best to block the camera from seeing her, in case it was important news.
“Oh my,” she said reading the card inside, and then handed it to Hunter.
The handwriting was sloppy, but legible. Hunter read it to himself, the words surprising to hear.
“Happy Birthday,” it read on the outside. While inside was written, “Please forgive me. I’m sorry to put you through this. I promise I’ll help you all that I can. It wasn’t my intention for anything bad to happen to you.”
Hunter put the card back into the envelope. He wasn’t certain what to make of it. But it seemed they might have an ally in Isiah Sellers, his initials at the bottom. The question being: could they trust him? At the moment there were no better options presenting themselves.
Chapter 55
The day dragged on for Hunter, lying in a firm bed that made his back ache. He had determined Olivia was correct and the choice of movies they were given was limited—hardly for their tastes. He could ask to allow Amazon to deliver DVD’s to them via a Prime account but knew that had no chance of ever happening. And streaming movies was out of the question. Right now, he’d have killed for one of those books he had thought about in the freezing cold of the other room. Hell, any book, even a romcom would be better than staring at the ceiling. Talking to an eighteen-year-old had its limits, their life experiences not crossing over…beyond this instance. And Paige wouldn’t be thrilled with Hunter sharing the forays and adventures of his love life. Or the private work he’d done since his expulsion as a US Marshal. He wasn’t the best role model for a young woman to pattern herself after.
On the other bed Olivia did her best to keep her mind busy. She’d been stranded for several days, each one feeling longer and longer. She missed her phone, longing to listen to the music she loved. Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and so on. Her endless playlists designed to enhance her various daily routines and moods. She missed texting her friends, the constant back and forth, covering the latest news and gossip within and outside her circle. Messages typically typed out in a matter of seconds, with text slang and emoticons to communicate news in less than 160 characters. A shorthand for the digital age.
When the morning turned into afternoon, Hunter jumped out of bed to yell at the camera.
“Good lord, at least bring us a deck of cards so I can show this young lady how to play poker!”
He spent the next several minutes making faces at the camera, hoping to entertain whoever was watching. It was quite possible they would conclude he’d gone insane, but he didn’t care. He looked in the cabinet, finding a box of saltines. He started eating them in full view of the lens. It was better than doing nothing.
There was noise at the door ten minutes later, Hunter wondering if they were coming to sedate him. The order came to step back. Travis walked in with his gun drawn, followed by Sellers. Hunter stood there, his mouth still full of crackers, attempting to swallow them.
“I want to talk with Olivia,” commented Sellers, looking at Hunter.
“That would be up to her,” replied Hunter wiping the crumbs and salt from his mouth.
“What about?” asked Olivia, rising from the bed but keeping her distance.
“It’s personal. And I’d prefer Hunter wasn’t around to hear.”
“I’m sure Travis will let me wander around the property while you talk,” joked Hunter.
“Not a chance,” countered Travis.
“We can take a walk outside,” said Sellers. “It will do you good to stretch your legs.”
“Not without me,” demanded Hunter.
Travis repeated what he had said earlier.
Olivia thought about it for a minute. She and Hunter had discussed secretly the card left, wondering if it was an avenue to their freedom. If Sellers was willing to help, she needed to hear him out.
“I’ll be okay—Hunter,” she said, looking confident. “I can handle myself with him.”
Hunter nodded, seeing no fear in her eyes. He still wanted to make it clear to Sellers not to do anything stupid.
“If you harm her in anyway Isiah,” warned Hunter. “You’ll have to deal with me.”
“You’ll need your jacket,” noted Sellers to Olivia, doing his best to ignore the threat. “It’s cool and cloudy today.”
Olivia grabbed her coat, then walked out of the room, followed by Sellers and Travis, the door locked behind them
Outside the two remained silent. Sellers pointed to walk towards the fenced edge of the grassy field. He stood beside her, keeping his distance. Behind them about twenty feet was Travis as a precaution. Sellers had hoped they could be completely alone and got agitated.
“Do you mind?” he said to Travis. “This is personal between Olivia and me. A little privacy would be appreciated.”
Travis looked confused. “I was told to watch you.”
“You can from a distance.” Sellers raised his hand, pointing all around him at the open space. “Where am I going to go?”
Travis reluctantly agreed, falling ba
ck further out of hearing distance, but not far enough that he couldn’t react if they tried to escape.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” commented Sellers. “I tried to force the issue, which was wrong.”
Olivia nodded begrudgingly. Forgiving him wouldn’t be easy, if not impossible.
“Are they treating you well?” wondered Sellers.
Olivia thought over how to answer. “If you believe being locked away in a room far from home as being treated well, then yes.” Her spite for the man and the circumstances obvious. “Otherwise, I believe you know the answer.”
“I’m sorry, you’re correct. I meant have they harmed you in any way?”
“Not yet. But I understand that will change if Hunter’s people can’t find this man.”
Seller nodded. “He mentioned that to me. My initial reaction was, he was lying.”
“I believe him. Why would he lie?” Olivia grew agitated. “He’s given me no reason not to trust him. He might be the one person who can free me from this nightmare.”
“I’ve discussed this with the man in charge and he’s assured me no harm will come to you as long as they bring this person to him.”
Olivia stopped, turning to glare at Sellers. “And if they can’t? Hunter tells me finding this man will be challenging. Maybe even impossible. Then what horrible things will they do to me?”
Sellers eyes looked away, not wanting to meet Olivia’s. “I won’t…let that happen.”
“How? You’ve seen it. There are people with guns everywhere.” Olivia pointed back at Travis, before walking again. “Believe me when I say, I’m scared of what they might do to me. The men around here are creepy. And Valerie…oh my…I have nightmares about her. She might be the scariest of the bunch.”
Sellers thought it over. He knew this man, Brushstroke, was a powerful and evil person. He’d witnessed the damage he would do. It frightened him. For himself and for her.
“I’m not sure what I can do?” declared Sellers. “This man will kill me in an instance if I defy him.”
“Then you’d rather see me dead or even worse at his hands, other than yourself?” Olivia’s whole body shook. “Then it only proves Mom was right to keep you away from me. I know she and Dad would do anything… include die to protect me.” She took her finger and pointed it at him, speaking low, even though she was mad. “You’re nothing but a coward.”
The words were cold and to the point. Sellers felt them like a stab in the heart. Embarrassed by the weakness and fear that crept through him. He turned around and they headed back to the prison that had become Olivia’s unwanted home.
When they got back to the front door to her prison room, he spent a couple minutes waiting, before he spoke in a whisper.
“I’m afraid.”
Olivia saw in his eyes the truth. One of the first times he’d shown it. She softly and briefly touched his hand.
“As am I.”
She then went to her bed, the door closing and locking them back in.
Feeling the tension Hunter walked over to Olivia, whispering to her so the microphone didn’t hear.
“How did it go?”
Olivia paused, not certain what to say or completely understanding what had transpired.
“I have no idea.”
The words came out, her face flushed as a trickle of emotional tears ran down her cheeks.
Chapter 56
The cover of darkness fell over the two-story home near the Spruce Mountain Open Space. The dwelling back further from the main road, the supposed residence of The Train Man. The main structure along with a detached extra-wide two vehicle garage studied thanks to satellite images provided by digital mapping software. The acreage surrounded by five-foot-high barbed wire fencing, with warning signs saying: “No Trespassing” on most of the fence posts. Ponderosa pine trees engulfing a large section of the land, providing additional cover. It wasn’t an impenetrable stronghold but did have it challenges when approaching without being seen.
Down a quarter mile parked on the side of a road, was a large black van, the occupants waiting for darkness to inundate the area. Cameryn and Shen sat in the front seats, three more men sat in the back, outfitted in dark battle gear and armor, weapons and night vision googles. The men provided by Amari Sarr after a digital meeting they had earlier that day. The three men were to breach the home, hopefully without injury or loss of life, capturing The Train Man so Cameryn and Shen could question him. The commando team were highly trained in invasion and search techniques. The plan for the three of them to approach from the south side of the house, cutting through the barbed wire, disabling an outside light where they could enter the back entrance undetected. While Cameryn and Shen waited, ready to provide backup if necessary.
When it was sufficiently dark enough at around 8 p.m., the word was given via the wireless communications they all shared, the van moving closer to the house, headlights off, the road devoid of any cars or people. The three men jumped out the back of the van, H&K MP5 guns at the ready, crossing the terrain parallel to the south side, through a wooded area, careful with their feet, the night vision helping them navigate in the darkness on this cloudy night. One in the lead, known as Black Fox, another his cover man, Gristle, the third watching the rear, Shank. Part of the training they had practiced many times before through the years, intuitively knowing each other’s actions without thinking.
Cutting in towards the house it didn’t take long to reach the fencing, which was still a distance from the main buildings. Black Fox scanned the scene watching for any danger and then with hand signals, directed Gristle to cut the barbed wire, which fell harmlessly to the ground.
Stepping through Black Fox went more slowly, watching for anything out of place. Trees still lined this section, though beginning to thin out, the two structures now in sight, a couple of lights illuminating sections of the inside. He motioned for this team to stop. Using the cover of the trees, they kneeled to the pine needle laden surface. Gristle grabbed from Black Fox’s backpack an infrared thermal camera to read the house, hoping to detect occupants. Turning it on and holding it up, he scanned the house slowly from the back to the front. He did it a second and third time to confirm, finding no heat signature’s that indicated any people were home.
“We’re inside the fence and near the house,” whispered Black Fox into his microphone. “No indication of anyone inside. Shall we proceed?”
Cameryn looked at Shen and both agreed. “Yes. We’ve come this far. Let’s see what we find.”
Black Fox motioned with his hand. “Take out the light.”
Gristle pulled out his 9mm Sig before adding a silencer and shot out the light on the tall wooden pole, illuminating this entire side of the house, with one bullet. The darkness provided them additional cover now that the ponderosa pines were gone.
Putting away the heat sensor, his gun at the ready, Black Fox stepped carefully out of the tree line, until he suddenly stopped, holding up his left hand in a fist. He pulled up the night vision and turned on the flashlight built into his gun. At his feet were wires, one he was about to trip. Likely attached to an explosive device. A booby trap for anyone entering the properly. He pointed downward with his open hand for his cover man to see.
“Shit,” mouthed Gristle.
Scanning for additional wires with his flashlight, Gristle kneeled to the ground carefully. Tracing the wire with his light, he found it was attached to a small explosive device in the ground. Pull on the wire and it goes off. But clipping it leaves it inert. He pulled out his multi-tool device, flipping to the wire cutters and carefully snipped the wire. He then pulled out a can of neon paint, to mark the spot.
“Could be more,” whispered Black Fox. “Extreme caution going forward.”
With each step they got closer to the house, finding one other mine, it now disabled and marked. As Black Fox reached the back door, he pulled out the heat sensor again, still not finding anybody in the house. The question now, was the back
door rigged. With Shank watching their backs, Black Fox checked the backdoor finding it unlocked.
“It would appear they’re begging us to walk in,” he whispered. “Check for an open window.”
Gristle worked around the north side of the house, being careful where he walked. There were several windows, none of which were open. With the end of his fighting baton, he busted a corner of the glass before ducking, waiting for any reaction. When none came, he opened the window waving for the others to come over.
Black Fox went in first, followed by Gristle, Shank outside providing cover. While inside they cleared the room they were in, which appeared to be an office. They found a desk, chair, computer, printer and filing cabinet. When the room was secure, Shank came through the window, and they proceeded to check the rest of the house.
From the living room, to the kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and bathroom, they strategically searched each nook and cranny. There was no one on the first floor. What they did find was the front and back door rigged with explosives.
“Both doors are armed,” Black Fox announced. “Enough to do a lot of damage. Remain sharp. There could be more.”
Cautiously they proceeded up the stairwell and down a hall, checking each room. They found four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with no more explosives. All was clear until they reached the last bedroom. On the floor next to the bed was a woman with long red hair. She’d been shot in the head, likely dead for more than an hour or two, since rigor hadn’t set in and the blood on the wood was still wet.
“No one in the house but a dead woman,” Black Fox proclaimed into the com. “Looks like a GSR to the forehead.”
Cameryn and Shen, looked at each other, asking for a description. When they got it, they knew it was the wife. It was a violent way to cut ties with a loved one.
“Fuck,” said Cameryn. “I’m guessing he bolted and didn’t want her tagging along.”
“Probably arm candy to enhance his cover,” added Shen. “Hard to suspect a happily married hobby shop business owner as a gun dealer.”