by Jason Winn
Shelby did. On one side were a series of credit cards. On the other was a business card so old it looked like it had been printed on parchment. There was a phone number and below it the words: “President’s Warrant number 1971-A. Code: Longstreet Railroad.”
The credit cards were obvious—operational funds, and she was pretty sure she was going to need them. Connolly didn’t give off the air of a field man.
“What’s this?” Shelby asked, pointing to the business card.
“That, thankfully, is still active. I checked it this morning. It’s your cavalry, so to speak. You call that number, say that phrase and within six hours you’ll have a platoon-sized military force at your disposal, anywhere in the country. They’re on ready standby at Camp Lejune, in North Carolina. Do not call them in unless absolutely necessary.”
“SEALs?”
“No, they’re out of Little Creek and Coronado. These people have trained with SEALs, Deltas, and the Rangers though. This group has no name and they like to keep it that way. They are attached to the Presidential Manhattan Act and they are required to be constantly at the ready.”
“The Manhattan Act?”
“Signed by Roosevelt at the start of the Manhattan Project. They are an elite rapid response team, designed to handle any groups that may set foot on US soil with the intent of taking valuable research by the use of force, too well armed for local law enforcement to deal with. They were meant as a stop gap, until the 101st Airborne could be deployed.”
“Interesting.” Shelby started to feel a little better, knowing she had a team of commandos to protect her, if she got in over her head.
“You have to understand that the government was extremely paranoid when they were developing the nukes, so they considered every contingency. After the war, the group continued to be ready to defend our most vital research. Project Ajax fell into that category. They will follow your orders implicitly and are exempt from any domestic prosecution. That said, try to keep any collateral damage to a minimum.”
Chapter 56
Madison and Sarah emerged from the mansion carrying metal cases with the last of the latest Moonmilk batch. The result of pulling two all-nighters through the weekend. It was late in the afternoon on Sunday and storm clouds swirled over the mansion, bending the tops of the tall oaks. Whitecaps on the Potomac sloshed against the pier. The oncoming hurricane had provided some good cover for the Iron Ravens to do their part. By the end of the week, they would have caught up.
“Just tell me his name,” said Sarah.
“Fine, he goes by Wrench.”
Sarah’s face wrinkled. “Wrench? Why don’t you ever talk about him?”
“Yeah, he was a mechanic in Iraq. It’s a nickname, I guess. Anyway, you’d like him. He’s nice and you two can share stories about Iraq. And I don’t talk about him, because there isn’t much to say. Every time we’ve tried to get together, something comes up.”
Sarah didn’t respond. Instead, she opened the back of the van and shoved her case in with the rest of them. Madison had decided to store everything in the still-vacant Blue Petal congressional relations office, next to the White House for the time being. The bikers were waiting close by to help with running it up to the fourth floor. Several of them would stay behind to keep an eye on the place to make sure no one tried to take it.
Sean and Jane had installed a new security system with plenty of cameras and motion detectors at the mansion and the Blue Petal office. Madison’s days of ignoring security were over. The places, according to Sean, were now bristling with electronic eyes and ears.
“He sounds like a good person,” Sarah said as she slammed the door of the van closed.
“I don’t know if I want to drag him into my crazy life right now, though.”
“I don’t think it is going to get any less crazy, Maddy.”
“I know, but still.”
“You can’t make everything safe in your life. Eventually, if you want to be with someone, you’re going to have to offer them the chance to take the risks with you.”
Madison thought for a moment. Sarah never ceased to amaze her with her worldly advice. She had the outlook of an old woman and she hadn’t even graduated from high school.
“Oh, don’t forget to leave this behind.” Madison pulled out a deep blue crystal and handed it to Sarah.
“What’s this for?”
“Teleporters, like Langston. I just don’t trust him. He can wait like everyone else.”
Madison’s phone buzzed. It was the Outfit. They described a potential kitchen location, in Fairfax, in a restaurant that just went under.
“What kind of restaurant?” asked Madison.
Sarah perked up, overhearing the call.
“Korean,” replied the lawyer. “Turns out the owner owed the wrong people and skipped town. Landlord just wants to get a tenant in there quick.”
“How’s the kitchen?” Madison asked.
“Should be perfect for you,” said the gruff lawyer on the other end. “It was an Italian deli before the Koreans, and they never changed the gear out.”
“When can we move in?”
“Tomorrow, if you want. The place is empty.”
“How much?”
“Four grand a month.”
“Hold on.” Madison hit mute and looked to Sarah. “Do you care about cooking in a former Korean, former Italian restaurant?”
Sarah got a sour look on her face. “Does it smell like kimchi?”
“I’ll ask.” She took the phone off mute. “Does it smell like kimchi?”
“How would I know?” asked the lawyer. “You want me to send someone over there and smell the joint?”
“Forget it. I’ll take it.” She ended the call and looked over at Sarah. “I’ll fumigate the place first. You’ll be fine.”
Sarah smirked and pocketed the crystal. “Sure you don’t want to come to DC?”
“No. Shelby wants to talk about something, so I need to be here.”
***
An hour later, Shelby showed up with takeout and the two were sitting in the dining room chatting aimlessly about the weather. Madison was growing frustrated with her sister, knowing full well she wanted to give her shit about something. Shelby finally put down her fork and took a deep breath.
“Maddy, something has come up at work and I need to talk to you and Dana. Where is she? I thought she was going to be here too?”
“I don’t know. She won’t answer her phone. She’s probably pissed at me for something.”
Like I’m sure you are, Madison thought.
“I’ll tell you then, but you can’t repeat it to her. I want to tell her myself.”
“Good luck. She’s been flaking out a lot lately.” Madison braced herself for Shelby to tell her that she was getting a divorce or getting posted to an office in California.
Shelby ignored the comment about their younger sister as her face grew somber. She cleared her throat and straightened in her chair. “Maddy, I think you might be in some sort of danger. I don’t know what exactly yet, but I love you and want to see that you’re safe.”
Madison felt the color drain from her face. Shelby had found out somehow.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
The air in the dining room grew cold and a little needle started poking at her heart. Shelby had found out about the Moonmilk, the money, Grandmother’s operations. What had taken her so long? Madison should have been more careful, or better yet, never gotten involved in this mess. She cursed Langston for showing her this world, the greedy bastard. Shelby just sat there and watched her, those eyes scanning for signs of deception. And Madison had no doubt that she’d see her freaking out on the inside.
“Oh?” said Madison finally,
“I can see you’re scared. But, don’t be. I can protect you until I figure everything out. It’s going to be okay, Maddy.”
“And what is this all about?” asked Madison, trying not to start gulping air with every word.
“I
can’t go into all the details, but there was an incident a few months ago and the police found some files with ours and Dana’s names in them.”
Oh, God. An ‘incident?’ No, a better way to describe it was a chaotic mess, with Madison blowing up the evil lair of her archnemesis. Her heart began slamming in her chest. The needle pain in her chest grew stronger than it had been in weeks. Suddenly, she could sense every artery pumping at full strength. Her face felt beet red. She was busted.
Madison forced her eyes to go wide in fake surprise. “What was it?”
“We think it was a terrorist attack, in Maryland.”
“And our names, mine, yours and Dana’s - were in a file? Anyone else?”
“No, just ours. And some other things that I can’t go into. Maddy, we’re working on who did this and trying to get to the bottom of everything. But, for the time being I need you to come with me to a safe place.”
For a brief moment Madison’s fear ebbed. At least Shelby wasn’t accusing her of being mixed up in the Camp Peterson explosion. “Like witness protection or something?”
Or, some FBI interrogation room, she thought.
“Sort of like that. I don’t think it will be long, but Maddy, this is serious and I don’t want to take any chances.”
“I don’t want to leave here. This is my home.”
“Well, it’s not though. Dad has been letting you live here since Uncle Robard died, and I think he’s being very generous, and he’s not going to tell you to leave. But, you know it is the right thing to do. Eventually, this place needs to be sold and now that you and Dana might be the targets…”
Fuck this. I am not leaving over some paper a cop found. I killed those bastards. I fought for this house. I’m not going anywhere. But, Madison knew she couldn’t just tell Shelby that. She’d probably have her arrested right there, and good-bye freedom.
“Targets for what?
“It looks like homegrown terrorists. I’m reasonably confident it has something to do with Blue Petal. But that doesn’t matter now. Maddy, you need to come with me right now and I’ll take you far away from all of this.”
There was something about the way Shelby was explaining all of this that didn’t ring true. Shelby had a way of condescending to Madison, which made her feel as though her older sister wasn’t being completely honest. But that would have to get sorted out later. For now, Madison had to worry about throwing Shelby off the scent and buy some time until she could figure out how to get out of this. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“I want to think it over,” Madison finally said.
Shelby’s face turned incredulous. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Madison shot back in a shaky voice. “I want to think about it. I don’t know if I want to be locked away in a prison right now, just over some paper with my name on it. Unless you can tell me what this is really about.”
“I, I can’t.”
“Top secret, national security.” Madison was raising her voice now. She wasn’t a child and Shelby wasn’t her mother, although she acted like Helen sometimes. “You’re my sister, and if you want to whisk me away from my home and presumably my friends and all, then I want to know exactly what is going on.”
Shelby looked ruffled. She’d clearly expected Madison to take her story at face value, but if she wanted Madison to leave, which she had no intention of doing, then she needed to put all her cards on the table.
“Madison, this is not a situation to be taken lightly.”
“Good, then you’ll give me time to think about it. Is that it?” She slumped back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Are you going to have me arrested, if I don’t come with you?”
Shelby stammered again. At that point, Madison knew her sister had tried to bluff her. The game board just widened in Madison’s mind. She knows plenty she’s not telling me. And then, it occurred to her that there was the slightest of possibilities that Shelby had found out everything. And she wanted Madison out of the way to take over the Moonmilk empire herself. Pulling her away from everything would be the perfect cover to take over. With all of Shelby’s connections, she could secure the operation and rule like Nancy Mosby. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Yes, you might just want the crown for yourself. Well played, sis.
“There’s only so much I can do to help you,” Shelby pleaded. “But, if you’re going to act like this, I’ll leave you here. But don’t call me for help!”
With that, Shelby threw her napkin on the table, got up and stormed out of the mansion. A suspicion crept over Madison that this was not the end of Shelby’s tirade.
Chapter 57
Sarah: We’re good here
Madison: Good. Let me know when you get home
Madison breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Sarah was okay and the Moonmilk was safely out of the mansion. She made a mental list of the customers she’d start making deliveries to and which couriers would do it. With Cedric and Joey dead, she’d have to make some of their runs. It was against protocol, but the Black Fangs weren’t ready for prime time yet, and customers would only wait so long before turning violent.
The sound of motorcycles grew from outside and Madison looked up to see five Black Fangs, heading up the driveway. Relief swept over her to see that the bikers had made it back from their run. Maybe these guys were reliable after all.
Grabbing their money, Madison got up and walked out to the front porch. Dwayne dismounted from his huge Harley and took off his helmet. He had a big smile on his face.
“Piece of cake,” he said, strolling up to her.
She promptly threw him his cash. “Come on in.”
They followed her inside.
“I’m sure they won’t all be that easy,” said Dwayne.
“Mr. Hachette is one of my better clients.” Madison poured drinks for the bikers and handed out crystal tumblers filled with bourbon. She raised her glass and the rest followed. “To many more runs together. Sarah sends her thanks for helping out in DC.”
“No problem,” said Dwayne.
“What was up with your man’s eyes? They were all, like, cloudy,” noted Ham Steak.
“He’s been casting spells,” said Madison. “Cloudy eyes mean he’s almost exhausted. My product rejuvenates sorcerers like him. And mine’s the best.”
One of the other bikers, who had spent the last few minutes admiring the mansion, spoke up. “Yeah, I don’t doubt it.”
“I didn’t build this place. It was my grandmother’s. And I intend to keep it.”
“Somebody looking to take it from you?” asked Dwayne.
“Yes. Which brings us to the next job I have for you. This place has some valuable things in it.”
“No kidding,” said Dwayne.
“Not like that. Things I need for my business.”
“Let me guess, we can’t sell those either?”
“Afraid not.”
“Damn,” he said sarcastically with a wide grin.
“I need protection for the grounds. Sarah tells me that from the patches on some of your vests, you’re former military. She wondered if some of you won’t mind, how did she put it, standing post?”
“Man, I hated standing post,” said Ham Steak.
“Five hundred bucks a day to stand guard, and keep an eye on the place. Sarah recommends two men at all times.”
“I’ll take care of it,” said Dwayne as he pulled out his phone and started to send a flurry of texts.
“And that reminds me. You all need burner phones. You want to work for me, you have to give those up and start using secure lines of communication.”
Madison disappeared and returned with a shopping bag full of new “pay as you go” phones. Ones Sean had recommended. He’d already installed encrypted texting apps.
“Can I keep my phone?” said the only skinny biker. “I don’t want to lose my Clash of Clans account.”
“For now,” said Madison. “We’ve got a computer guy who can probably hel
p with that.” She handed out the phones and the group busied themselves opening the plastic packaging.
“Hey, these are nice,” said Ham Steak.
Madison caught Dwayne’s eyes and motioned for him to walk out of the room with her. Once they were in the ballroom, thick clouds had blackened the sky and the rain was starting to come down again.
“I’m about to move on a competitor. But, I need some backup. Bullets are likely to fly. It could get messy.”
“Okay,” Dwayne said, his head low and arms crossed. He rocked back and forth, listening intently.
“Any minute now,” Madison continued, “I’m going to get a call and my guy is going to tell me where these bastards are. You up for it?”
“They got spells?”
“I doubt it, but I have spells.”
Dwayne’s eyes went wide and a huge smile painted his face.
Madison continued, “The last time I saw them they were just thugs burning down some of my kitchens. They almost killed Sarah.”
“Oh, hell no.”
“Yes. And it’s only a matter of time before they find me and this place. Then I’m dead. So just to be clear, what I’m asking you and your men to do is to travel across state lines, with loaded, automatic weapons, to be accessories to murder. And at the same time, a hurricane is likely to be slamming into the area. You okay with that?”
Dwayne looked at Madison with something likened to awe. She could see that he wanted to ask if she was as crazy as she was rich, but he must have realized she was and stayed silent.
Madison’s phone buzzed.
Sean: Jane has a positive ID on your Russians. They’re up in Baltimore, just like your friend said. Looks like they’re about to try to get some stuff out of a warehouse before the storm hits. Sending you a live link now.
Madison clicked the link and the video of a night vision warehouse came into view. Trucks were driving up to the front. Several men got out, their hands shielding their eyes from the sheets of stinging rain. The scene made Madison wonder if she should just wait until after the storm blew over, but this looked like the best opportunity. There wouldn’t be too many witnesses around, since it was a business district and it was Sunday afternoon.