“Oh, your secret is safe with me, Sal,” said Robert with a big grin. “And, don’t worry about my team, either. We won’t talk. Our focus is on how our witches can help make the world a better place. Sometimes, that’s helping the local authorities find a missing person, someone maybe lost or possibly kidnapped. Other times, we’re providing a task force dealing with terrorists. And, as we did for you, we deal with evil witches.”
“Yeah, I get that. It’s why I asked for this meeting. I want you to deal with what these Zhu-Gung people are doing. And, I figured you’d want to help with all these Chinese girls being exploited. I was gonna have Ben talk to Missy about that but I figured she’d go to you, like before. I’m gonna have Ben, here, stay in touch with you, Robert. Anything we learn which might help your team do what you do? He’ll let you know. We’ll give you a list of all the places where we think these Chinese girls are working. Hopefully, your team can take it from there.”
-----
Missy and her friends were again gathered around several tables they’d pushed together in Cullum Hall. It had been a full week and, after finishing with their languages class, all the KK@KK members had joined their other friends already there. Due to the return of mild weather, there had been several field exercises during the past couple of weeks. And, with the Sandhurst Competition now only a week away, there was a lot of discussion about that. Many of them had been selected for one of the squads competing and considered the exercises they’d recently completed to have been a good preparation.
Missy, of course, had been especially busy that week since she’d needed to make up the classes she’d missed Wednesday morning. After running with her pack all Tuesday night, she’d then needed to spend some time signing several documents, talking with Fred, listening to Mark and Alice about things she needed to know concerning her vast wealth, giving them her guidance and decisions on items that needed that, and of course giving Mike some attention. So, yeah … by the time she’d teleported back to her room and returned to life at the academy, it had been lunch time.
There’d been a softball game Wednesday afternoon. She’d been out in the field Thursday and Friday, returning in time for Major Khan’s class. It was good she could sustain her body by drawing energy from her surroundings, as she’d not had much food or sleep. She’d only managed one call to Robert and that had been after class, on her way over to Cullum Hall. She’d been the last of her gang to arrive.
“Here she is now,” said Sally. “Missy, inquiring minds want to know. Is it true you will not be shooting for your team next week? Some folks are saying that was part of the deal for their getting you.” It had taken a while for the word to get out that she was the academy’s volunteer for the Afghan Sandhurst team. While her company B-3 knew and she’d told Emily, the rosters showing all the participants hadn’t been posted until the day before.
Missy grinned and said, “It’s true. And, yes … that was in the deal. But I will be coaching all their guys on both pistol and rifle. Plus, I’ll be competing in all the other events.”
Sally said, “Since they’re arriving here tomorrow, I guess we probably won’t see much of you until after the competition, right?” All the teams from other schools and academies would be coming in, training and preparing all week, with the official start for the two-day event on the following Friday. There was also a conference they’d be taking part in.
“Right you are! After tonight, I’ll be with them from dawn until dusk, only crawling back to grab a couple hours sleep in my room each night. Sorry!” Missy laughed. “But I shall return once it’s all over. By then, I’ll probably think English is my second language and be talking to everyone in Pashto.”
“Ha, ha,” said Sharon. “We knew they’d want to pick one of us Pashto girls. I’m glad it’s you who got volunteered. I suppose Tracy was crossed off the list due to all the curse words she’s been using since coming back from break.” This got a few laughs.
Kelsey said, “Actually, I thought those curse words would get Tracy picked for this. But, like Sharon, I’m glad it’s you and not me.”
Tracy stood and, in Pashto, cursed them all using a long string of expletives. Then, she sat back down grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Everyone laughed and Marcus piped up with, “Enough said!”
The mood was good and everyone was in high spirits. Somehow, as the end of the year approached, all of their petty annoyances fell by the wayside as their goal for finishing became more and more real and their summer plans were now within sight. The short timer app on Tracy’s phone was saying only thirty-four and a wake-up!” Yeah, they were a happy bunch.
An hour later, Missy and Tracy walked back to the barracks by themselves, so they could talk freely. They’d hardly had two seconds together all week. Missy said, “My pack was really happy with me. It’s quite a thing, running with them.”
“I sort of saw that,” said Tracy. “I mean … Gene and Amanda had described it to me. But, seeing them that night, when they all came charging out together as wolves? Wow. I’ll never forget that.”
“Yeah. I don’t think any of those WIJO guys will either,” agreed Missy with a grin. “But, it’s even more, being the Alpha. I mean … I can draw power from the pack. It’s quite a feeling. And, as you know, it’s not like I haven’t felt power filling me up before. But … just wow. That’s all I can say.”
“Hey, did you ever think it’s maybe because you’re able to get filled up with power? That’s why you could become their Alpha, even though you’re not even a wolf? Just saying.” Tracy giggled.
Missy then filled Tracy in on what Robert had told her.
“Wow! That’s terrible. All those poor girls!” exclaimed Tracy. “Does Robert think the FBI can rescue them?”
“Well, he knows I’ll get involved at some point. His team will do all they can to interfere with what Zhu-Gung is doing. And, he has Sal’s organization now feeding him with information. Meanwhile, I’ll be meeting with Rafe on Sunday. Can I convince him the best play for Carlos is to have his guys helping the FBI?”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Saturday, Apr 11, 2020
West Point’s Captain Abbot and Staff Sergeant Snelling were assigned to assist the Afghan team there for Sandhurst. They wanted their foreign visitors to have a wonderful experience during their stay and would see to all their support needs. Having welcomed them that morning to the academy and gotten them settled into their barracks, they now brought them over to the mess hall. There was a “meet and greet” meeting for all fifty teams with various West Point officials. Then, they’d all have lunch.
Captain Kamal from the Afghan Army was in charge of the ten students from the National Military Academy of Afghanistan. Two were alternates while the other eight, along with West Point’s female volunteer, would make up the nine-member squad which would actually compete. Captain Kamal had attended this event the last two years and five of the students had previously competed.
Major Khan, Captain Bonomo and Sergeant First Class Town had been invited by Captain Abbot to attend the initial meeting since they could speak Pashto. He hoped their presence would make the visitors feel more at ease since they could ask questions in their native language. He also wanted them there as interpreters, should the need arise. There was a table designated for the Afghans and that was where everyone gathered and was introduced.
When Missy arrived, she found the meeting was well underway and she made her way over to the Afghan table. Captain Abbot introduced her, in English, as the female volunteer who would be on their team. Then, Captain Kamal explained this to his students, in Pashto. He added that, unlike the female volunteers they’d had in prior years, this one could actually speak some Pashto.
Soon, after various presentations and announcements, the meeting ended and they all took their seats to be served their meal. Sergeant Town was quick to explain, in Pashto, that he had completed two tours in Afghanistan and was currently assisting Major Khan in teaching the languag
e class. Captain Bonomo told them he was one of the students in that class and was glad to have this opportunity to speak to them.
With this encouragement, several conversations broke out. Not surprisingly, Sergeant Town had those near him asking about his experiences in their country and he was soon entertaining them with several humorous stories. The fact he was Special Forces, which explained his full beard, earned their immediate respect.
Captain Kamal said, in English, “Fateh Huda is the squad leader this year.” He gestured towards the student sitting on his right. “He has been here the past two years and is now a senior at the academy, so this will be his last time competing.” He then continued around the table, introducing each of the others.
In Pashto, Fateh Huda said “It is good that West Point is teaching our language. Maybe this year we can win since our female will understand our instructions to her.”
Missy asked, in Pashto, “Was that a problem for your squad in prior years?”
“Oh, yes!” said Huda, continuing in Pashto. “Many of the tasks are difficult for females. Having one who cannot understand us? That makes things twice as bad for us. Hopefully, you won’t hold us back too much.”
“Actually, this year, we are being evaluated during the marksmanship events with only our men shooting,” said Captain Kamal. “I’ve been advised Cadet McCrea will not be participating on the marksmanship events. She won’t be hurting our scores.”
“Ah, that is good,” said Huda with a big smile. “Our female last year brought down our scores in most events but especially in pistol and rifle.”
Sergeant Town looked over at Captain Abbot and asked, in English, “Why isn’t Missy going to shoot for their team?” Then, in Pashto, he said, “Cadet McCrea is the champion here at West Point. It’s too bad you won’t be having her shoot for you.”
“Apparently, that was a condition when she was volunteered,” said Captain Abbot. “Her company is very disappointed she is not helping them win. If she were to shoot for the Afghan squad, that would be double the disappointment because she always scores the highest.”
Captain Kamal looked at Missy, as did everyone else. He said, in English, “I was not told the reason. Is this true?”
Missy said, in Pashto, “Yes, it is true. However, I will be coaching everyone, so your team will still benefit.” She looked at each of them. “I will help this squad compete in all events and I assure you, I will not be hurting any of your scores. However, I agreed not to actually shoot and to merely coach instead for those two events.”
“Very interesting,” said Huda, in Pashto. “You sound very sure of yourself, Cadet McCrea. We shall see how you perform during our practice sessions.” He was definitely checking her out now and made no attempt to hide that. Missy was wearing her fatigue uniform, which covered up most of her curves, but nonetheless she was getting looks from most of the men there. While there was some obvious skepticism concerning her ability to help them during the competition, they were all quite pleased with how attractive she was.
Missy grinned and said, “I very much look forward to practicing with your team. I actually prefer being out in the field to being in the classroom.”
“Her confidence is well deserved, Fateh,” said Sergeant Town. “She served with my team in the Korengal Valley last summer. Our team was more than satisfied with her help. We have asked that she continue with us again this summer.”
Several conversations stopped when they overheard this statement. Captain Kamal said, “How is that possible?” He looked at Sergeant Town and asked, “Wasn’t that where Campaign Angel’s Wing was fought? You were there during that?”
Sergeant Town smiled and said, “Yes and so was Missy. She was a Private First Class then, assigned to our team so the Army could evaluate women in combat. After your military won the big battle, ending the campaign, we wanted her to return to West Point. But we are glad she will be coming back, training with us. Of course, who knows? If she is with us again when we need to do any fighting? So much the better!” He nodded at Missy and the respect and admiration in his glance was obvious.
“I know some of the officers who participated in that campaign,” said Captain Kamal. Looking at his students, he continued with, “That was one of our greatest victories. The U.S. spearheaded that with their special operations forces, allowing us to conduct a great air and ground assault, stopping the Taliban. We captured many prisoners.”
Fateh Huda said, “Yes, we studied that at school this year.” He looked at Missy and Sergeant Town. “You were both part of that? Okay, now I admit to being impressed. And, I’m even more interested in our practice sessions now.”
Since this animated discussion had all been in Pashto, Captain Abbot interrupted to ask, “Can someone translate for me? What are they all talking about?” He looked at Major Khan and Captain Bonomo.
“Sergeant Town was explaining how Cadet McCrea served with his team last summer,” said Major Khan. “After surviving the Korengal Valley, she is well equipped to assist in their upcoming training and competition.”
“Yes, yes, of course!” Turning to Captain Kamal, Captain Abbot said, “We here at West Point are dedicated to providing the best possible support and Cadet McCrea will no doubt prove to be very helpful. Good luck to your team!”
-----
Wagner Shen was once again on the phone, updating Shiu-Yuen Chong, while Antony Ying sat nearby. “Yes, progress has been excellent. We have placed almost all of the girls you sent us. We can take another shipment this week and, perhaps, again two weeks after that. Our people are now very busy, delivering our drugs and handling things with the girls.”
“What about the D’Amato and Morelli organizations?” asked Chong. “Will they be doing anything about losing business?”
“Well, the truce amongst the families is still in effect,” explained Wagner. “None of the business they are losing is due to any infringement on agreed upon territories. Their customers are freely choosing to come to us for the better prices and because they want these new girls. That’s allowed and doesn’t violate any agreements. So far.”
“And, their suppliers? They are losing business. What will they do?”
Wagner looked over at Antony and smiled. “That’s what we’re counting on. We have now interfered with their business enough to bring retaliation. We don’t know if they were behind the FBI making those arrests but, if so, that strategy did not work. It helped us get control of many operations. Violence will probably be next. And, we will be ready for that.”
The Zhu-Gung organization had managed to get over a hundred of its “soldiers” into the U.S., taking advantage of the inadequate border security and the tremendous infrastructure which Zhu-Gung provided. These were not ignorant peasants entering on their own. No, they were trained mercenaries. Plus, they had false identification documents, funding and the coven helping them. Hiding in New York City’s huge metropolis had not been difficult. Similarly, weapons and ammunition had been smuggled in, along with all the drugs.
Chong asked, “What about this Missy McCrea witch at West Point? Have you been able to confirm she is the one who killed Richard?”
“Oh, yes,” replied Wagner. “Antony and I were able to attend one of the games where she was playing, away from the academy. It was not difficult to gain access and, as soon as she came onto the playing field, we both recognized her. She was the witch we sensed but could not find at our apartment building that time. And, I sensed her presence the night when Richard was killed. We don’t understand how she can make herself invisible. Maybe there’s a spell we never heard about before.”
“Well, we definitely will want to learn that spell. We also need to understand what other abilities she might possess. Will you be able to bring her here to Hong Kong? I am very interested in this witch. She must die in a way that other witches will know about, as a lesson to them all. No one can defy Zhu-Gung!”
“There should be an opportunity once she finishes the year at West Poi
nt. That’s just over a month from now. Antony and I have been discussing various options. We will come up with a good plan when the time comes. We are thinking that will also be the right time to attack the federal prison and rescue Peter and the others.”
“Excellent,” said Chong. “I will have our corporate jet available for bringing her and our people home then.”
After Wagner finished the call, disconnecting, he looked at Antony. “You could have said something, if you wanted.” The call had been on speaker phone, so Antony had heard everything.
“I had nothing to say, Wagner. We are on the same page. The only thing that concerns me is how to kidnap Missy McCrae. We need to develop a good plan for that. We can invade the prison easily enough, when the time comes. But, grabbing her? I’m not so sure.”
“Well, now that we know it’s her, we have some people to help with that. They are finding out all there is to know about her. And, whenever she leaves the academy, they will be watching and will follow her. We will find the right opportunity. Once we kidnap someone she cares about? Maybe a boyfriend or a family member? We will then convince her to do as we say.”
Antony nodded. “We will need to deal with whatever protection wards she has placed around those loved ones. But you are right. We will find a way.”
Chapter Thirty
Sunday, Apr 12, 2020
Missy had spent the day with the Afghan team as they’d gone around surveying the route they’d be following and gotten a briefing at each station where an event would be conducted. Then a schedule was established for when each of the fifty teams could practice the specific military tasks required for those events. For some events, a team could have more than one practice session, if that was desired. And, there was some flexibility in the schedule, in order that requirements for all the teams could be accommodated.
Missy Goes to Hong Kong (Missy the Werecat Book 8) Page 19