by Dwayne Gill
Cane shook his head in frustration. “They’ll keep going. There are more kids she…we saved.”
“Then let me help,” said Barkley. “Give me a list of all the names you know. You must go, though. I promise I’ll do whatever I can.”
It won’t be enough, thought Cane. He knew Barkley cared and would try her best, but he could make things happen that she couldn’t.
“It’ll take more than warrants,” said Cane.
“Then I’ll break the damn law,” said Barkley.
“We have resources we can use,” said Hart. “We’ll get Miami PD on board and comb the city. Trust us.”
Cane had no choice. In the morning he’d be gone, and the only hope the kids would have left would be the two agents.
“Tina Rogers,” said Cane. “She’ll be high on their list. I’m surprised they didn’t go after her first.”
“I’m on it,” said Barkley.
“You’d better be,” said Cane. “If they hurt that kid, I’ll turn Miami inside out to find them.”
*
September 30, 2028
10:00 p.m. EST
Miami, Florida
Vinson and Travis stood in front of Mary Swelling, who was still tied to the bed and gagged. They hadn’t tried talking to her any more but had just received a precious package she’d be very interested in seeing.
“Give me a moment,” said Vinson.
When Travis left the room, Vinson sat on the edge of the bed and faced Swelling. “I don’t want you to suffer any more than necessary, Mrs. Swelling. I could have Travis torture you, but somehow I don’t think you’d cooperate. I’m having to take drastic measures so you’ll see how serious I am. All I want is for you to make a call. It’s simple. Call Cane and tell him you need his help. He’ll know we’re trying to set him up, I’m sure of that. My money says he’ll come, anyway.”
He could tell he was getting nowhere with the woman. Despite not being able to speak, the hardness in her eyes told him all he needed to know. It didn’t matter, anyway. Things had changed now, and he was about to escalate the situation even further.
“Have it your way, Mary,” said Vinson. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with a surprise for you.”
Vinson walked into the living room to meet Travis and two other marked men, Gavin and Tyron. They had Shauna Pool restrained and sedated, lying on the sofa. Vinson had returned here to see Swelling’s reaction and hopefully to gain her cooperation, but first he had news to share.
“We have Bowman,” said Vinson. “Some of our guys grabbed him as he was leaving Fort Bragg.”
“More bait,” said Travis, his thoughts going directly to how it could help them draw Cane out.
“No,” said Vinson. “We have something better.”
Travis’s eyes got big. “What?”
“We know Cane and Daniel are going after the third man,” said Vinson.
“Do we have a name?” asked Travis. His eyes were sparkling with a murderous glint, anticipating what could be their biggest break yet.
“No,” said Vinson. “But we know he’s being held overseas. I’ve got everyone on it trying to figure out where Cane and Daniel are headed. All I know is that they’ll be leaving the base in Eglin. We’ll try to get a bead on them there, but it’ll be tough.”
Travis looked down, disappointed they didn’t have more to go on.
“Bowman was meeting with a colonel at Fort Bragg to get the details, so we’ll find out soon enough,” said Vinson. “Cane and Daniel are likely on their way already.”
“You need me there?” asked Travis.
“We don’t know where ‘there’ is yet,” said Vinson. “We won’t have time to get a lieutenant wherever they’re headed. We have to use the Russians to interfere.”
“They won’t be able to stop them,” said Travis.
“No, likely not,” said Vinson, but then he grinned. “I don’t care if they find this third man.”
“Why?” asked Travis.
“It’s time we tear their hearts out,” said Vinson. “We have Bowman, Webb, and Swelling, so let’s use what we have.”
“And now we have this Shauna girl,” said Travis.
Vinson pointed to the letter from Tina Rogers sitting on the coffee table. “We’ll get this one next.”
“She wasn’t home earlier,” said Travis. “It’s why we settled for Shauna.”
“She’s gotta come home sometime,” said Vinson.
“Cane will expect it,” said Travis.
“He’s busy,” said Vinson. “If we can’t thwart their plans overseas, we’ll do the next best thing, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”
Travis smiled and looked at the two other marked men. “Gavin, Tyron, get one extra man and bring me Tina Rogers. I don’t care how long it takes. I want that kid.” The two men nodded and left.
“Now, let’s go show Swelling what we have,” said Vinson.
When Vinson entered the bedroom with Travis holding the limp girl, Swelling recognized the kid right away. She thrashed and screamed for minutes while Vinson waited for her to tire.
“I warned you of the measures I’d take,” said Vinson. “Either you thought I was incapable, or I was bluffing.”
Vinson looked back at Travis and nodded. Travis laid Shauna on the floor, removed a knife, and suspended it above the helpless girl. Swelling wailed in agony like she was the one in pain.
“I’m gonna remove your gag, but if you scream, or are anything less than pleasant, Travis will kill this girl.”
Swelling nodded vigorously. Vinson stripped the tape off and removed the rag, which was soaking wet.
“I’ll do whatever you want,” said Swelling. “Anything.”
“I thought you’d say that,” said Vinson. “So nice to hear.” He shoved the wet rag into her mouth and taped it again while she kicked and thrashed. “Unfortunately, my plans have changed. I may not need your cooperation after all. I may only need your life.”
Crossing Lines
October 1, 2028
12:00 a.m. CST
Midway Armory, Chicago, Illinois
Cane and Daniel arrived at Midway Armory and were greeted by Orlando, who looked happy to see them. He and Wayne had assisted Cane with Daniel and Kristy’s rescue weeks ago. Emmett, another friend of theirs, had given his life, so Cane and Daniel had a lot of respect for Bowman’s old army buddies.
“Good to see you both,” said Orlando.
Cane and Daniel shook his hand. “Thanks for helping,” said Daniel.
“As usual,” said Orlando, “Bowman thinks I can work miracles on short notice, but here we are.”
They stood in front of an old, tattered, abandoned army building. “Wayne is in Florida getting another flight ready. It’s gonna be a long ride, so I hope you brought something to read.”
Daniel slapped a bag he was holding. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
“Great,” said Cane. “More quoting irrelevant passages.”
“Our destination is Baku, Azerbaijan,” said Orlando. “We won’t have a direct flight there. We had to arrange several jumps to get there. It’s 9:00 a.m. in Baku, so prepare yourself for the jet lag.”
“I thought William was in Turkeystan,” said Daniel.
“Turkmenistan,” said Orlando. “He is, but the country is Russian-controlled, so we can’t exactly land there. Azerbaijan is independent, and in fact unfriendly to the Russians, and Baku is right across the Caspian Sea from Turkmenbashi, which is exactly where William is being held.”
“Where’s Bowman?” asked Cane.
“I was hoping you knew,” said Orlando. “He was supposed to be here, but I haven’t been able to reach him.”
Cane felt a wave of dread flood through him. He called Bowman, but it went straight to voicemail. “It’s not like him.”
“Believe me, I know,” said Orlando. “Maybe he’s meeting us in Florida.”
“No,” said Cane. “Something’s happened.”
“
What do you want to do?” asked Orlando.
Cane looked at his watch. They couldn’t delay. If Vinson had Bowman, it was only a matter of time before they were on to William’s identity and location, which meant they had to get to William before they broke Bowman. “We’ve gotta move,” said Cane. “We’ll keep trying to reach Bowman, but we have to assume Vinson has him.”
“Our flight is ready to go,” said Orlando.
The plane was a Lear 85, an eight-passenger Bombardier reserved for generals’ flights. Orlando and Wayne must’ve had good connections to access the plane.
“Compliments of Colonel Mathis,” said Orlando. “Even this baby can’t get us across the Atlantic, though. We’ll be flying in greater luxury on the long flight.”
“It’s small,” said Daniel.
“To you, anything is,” said Orlando. “But just wait until you see how nice it is inside.”
The plane looked like it was reserved for royalty, and it also appeared brand new. Daniel roamed to the back and tried to get comfortable. “Seatbelt won’t fit,” he said.
“The next plane will accommodate you better,” said Orlando. “Let’s just hope we don’t go down on the way to Eglin, for your sake.”
They made it to Eglin Air Force Base before they even got settled in. The pilot taxied them to a remote part of the base. Cane could already see their next plane rolling out of the hangar, and it was one he was familiar with.
The Lear 95 had only been in production for three years and was built for long trips. At a top speed of .92 Mach, it was also the fastest of any Lear by far. On a trip this far, the plane would save them valuable time.
A scruffy-looking man met them on the tarmac as they exited the Lear 85. The man looked like a solid, seasoned soldier, and he was obviously happy to see them.
“Dirk,” he said as Cane approached. The soldier saluted and looked the three over, his gaze settling on Daniel. “I hope this isn’t a stealth mission,” he said. “And what’s up with the leg?” He was referring to the prosthetic Daniel was holding.
“Trust me, you want these two on your side,” said Orlando. “I’ve seen that leg in action. He’s as lethal with that thing as you are with a gun. I’m Captain Bowman’s old friend. Name’s Orlando.”
Dirk smiled. “I’m more than happy to accompany you guys. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for months.”
Wayne came up behind Dirk and waved the group forward. “We gotta get in the air,” he said. “We’re not technically supposed to be here.”
“Still no word on Bowman?” Orlando asked Wayne.
“Nothing,” said Wayne. No one seemed surprised, though Cane had hoped his old friend would be waiting for them here. Cane called Hart to tell him about Bowman’s disappearance before they boarded the plane.
The inside of the Lear 95 was more spacious and elegant, far better suited for Daniel’s large body. “I feel like I’m on vacation,” he said. He could even stretch out his legs, a rare luxury.
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” said Dirk. “Because we’re headed to hell.”
Once they were in the air, Wayne updated them on the coming events. “We’ll refuel in London. We should touch down in Baku at 1:00 a.m., but it’s nine hours ahead of Chicago time, so it’ll be 4:00 p.m. back home when we get there.”
Cane had experienced severe jet lag in the past and knew it wouldn’t be an issue for him, but he wondered about Daniel. “Sleep as much as you can,” he told Daniel. “Your body will be thoroughly confused later.”
“We have American troops waiting in Baku,” said Wayne. “They’re preparing as we speak. They won’t offer mission support, but they’ve arranged transportation. We’ll travel by boat across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenbashi, which is about three hours away. After that, they’ll have a ride waiting at port, but we’ll have to approach through the woods. Ideally, we’ll grab William, get back to port, and boat back to Baku.”
“Sounds like a lot could go wrong,” said Daniel.
“Things rarely go as planned,” said Dirk.
Cane liked how the soldier talked. He could tell Dirk had experience in these types of missions. Cane had been forced to improvise on the fly on assignments in the past. When dealing with lots of moving parts and synchronized planning between people, even seasoned soldiers, rarely did everything go according to plan.
“Murphy’s law,” said Dirk. “They don’t know we’re coming, do they?”
Cane looked at Wayne, studying the man’s reaction. Cane was worried about Bowman’s status, to be sure, but also knew how his capture could impact the mission.
“We don’t know,” said Wayne. “If they have Bowman, they’re gonna try to break him. He’ll either tell them nothing, or he could disclose William’s identity.”
“If they find out who William is, he’ll be dead before we get there,” said Cane.
“Will Bowman break?” asked Dirk.
“He taught me how to withstand torture,” said Cane. “He knows the drill. We only need him to hold out a few more hours.”
“He’s a tough old bird,” said Orlando. “He knows the basic timeline, too. I’d bet my life he won’t budge until it’s too late for them to intervene.”
“But how many American soldiers do the Russians have as captives?” asked Daniel. “Won’t they be able to narrow it down?”
This was a good point, but no one knew how much information Vinson and the Russians had. If they knew William was an American POW, they might connect the dots without Bowman’s help.
“We can’t know any of that,” said Wayne. “We’re approaching this as if we have a head start, but we don’t know what we’re stepping into.”
“Do we have the layout of the prison?” asked Cane.
“We do,” said Wayne. “We have the original plans from when it was built, eight years ago, which could have changed. We don’t know how well it’s guarded.”
“We’re certain to be outnumbered,” said Dirk. “Something I’m used to.”
The plane passed through turbulence and jarred the men in their seats. Daniel let out a whimper that seemed out of place for his masculinity. “Don’t judge me,” he said. “I’m not used to flying.”
“I guess you’re not gonna be thrilled to dive out of this baby,” said Dirk.
Daniel’s eyes widened. “You mean jump out?” When Dirk nodded, he said, “Oh, hell no.”
Dirk laughed, and it spread across the cabin. “Just kidding.”
Daniel let out a huge sigh. “I wouldn’t trust a parachute to stop my fast fall.”
The brief moment of levity eased the tension, but the danger ahead wasn’t far from their thoughts. Another sign of Dirk’s leadership was how he hid his own anxiety; Cane imagined how his squad kept things light as they approached dangerous situations. Though Cane had never been part of a group of soldiers working together on a mission, he could see how staying relaxed could benefit all.
“Have any of you met William?” asked Dirk. The men looked around at one another, and Daniel shrugged. “How did y’all get tangled in this?”
Cane wasn’t aware of why Dirk had come along, only that Mathis had sent him as a favor to Bowman. How much Bowman had told the colonel was a mystery, and Dirk likely knew nothing about the bigger picture, or of William’s significance. Cane pulled up his jacket sleeve to reveal the marking on his right arm. “Does William have this?”
Dirk studied it a moment. “No. He has scars covering both arms.”
In that instant, Cane realized how William’s identity was being guarded, which made him wonder who had conceived of the idea.
“Why’d they take him captive?” asked Cane.
“Russians,” scoffed Dirk. His displeasure was obvious. “William couldn’t let it go. He went back for a little girl.” Dirk retold the story, telling them how William had gone back to save Mina. “The only way to get her out was for him to stay behind. He would have had those bastards if they hadn’t deployed an EMP. They tried to stall the Chin
ook, but we were too far away from the blast.”
“Saving a girl,” said Daniel. “Sounds familiar, don’t it, Cane? Maybe all three of us have weak spots for women in distress.”
“William saw his own daughter in that little girl,” said Dirk. “I love him and hate him for what he did. But that’s just William.”
Cane cringed again at the capability of the terrorists’ EMPs. He’d hoped the military had hardened their electronics to withstand the blasts, but seeing that BioFare was the one manufacturing the EMPs, they’d been able to outpace the military’s latest hardening technology. BioFare designed the Eguns the Army Rangers used, anyway.
“What’s the tattoo mean?” asked Dirk, still referring to Cane’s marking.
Daniel sat up and showed Dirk his as well. “I’m willing to bet William has a matching one underneath the scar tissue,” he said.
It piqued Dirk’s interest. “What am I missing?”
Cane considered what he should tell the ranger, but the answer was obvious. He was about to risk his life encountering marked men, so he deserved to know what he was walking into.
“You know who the marked men are?” asked Cane.
Dirk nodded. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“We might run into them in Turkmenistan,” said Cane.
Dirk laughed. “Okay. Is that a bad thing?”
“They’re genetically enhanced men,” said Cane.
“Stronger? Faster?” asked Dirk. He was grinning. “You’re kidding, right?”
Cane and Daniel shook their heads. “We’ve killed quite a few,” said Daniel.
“Me and Orlando have fought them, too,” said Wayne. “They’re telling the truth.”
“A doctor confirmed their mutation,” said Cane, though he wasn’t sure he was using the correct terminology.
“Am I in the twilight zone?” asked Dirk. “They have markings, you two have markings, so what does that make y’all?”
Cane was surprised that everyone, especially their friends, hadn’t made the same connection as Dirk. Maybe they had and didn’t want to say anything.
“We’re the other monsters,” said Daniel. “We’re not like them. Our markings aren’t close to being the same.”