Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset (29 page)

DANTE
: What
the hell.

Dante speed dialed Travis’s number and held
the phone up to his ear. Just as it reached his ear, Cal carefully
tapped his molar three times and the cell phone exploded with a
shriek.

West collapsed to the floor, his hearing in
his left ear thoroughly wiped out. He lay unconscious as Cal tried
to find a way out of his restraints. Neil had been very clear on
the last point. West would only be incapacitated for a maximum of
three minutes. Cal had to hurry.

T
he
team on the helicopter waited anxiously as Neil patched into the
onboard system and clicked away.

NEIL
: I’ve
almost got it. There.

Everyone looked expectantly at the video
monitor to see the change. Neil had been right. What before looked
like only a few spectrums now looked like a rainbow where every
color bled into the next.

TRAVIS
: You
want tell me how the hell this helps us?

NEIL
:
Patience, Trav.

TRAVIS
: I’m
about out of patience, Neil. My cousin, your friend, is down there
right now having that fucking gangster do who knows what to him. He
might already be dead.

ANDY
(placing a hand on Travis’s shoulder): We don’t know that,
Trav. Neil’s doing his best. So show us how this works,
Neil.

NEIL
(pointing at the monitor): Now this is all just theory, but
I’m thinking that if we zoom in close enough we might be able to
see the vents.

TRAVIS
(now
somewhat calmed): What are we looking for?

NEIL
: It
should almost look like a little fire. You know how you look at a
flame say coming out of a pipe? I’m thinking if I got the
calibration right, we’ll be able to see that.

The group spent the next minute staring at
the screen as Neil zoomed and panned over the terrain. Brian almost
jumped out of his seat pointing.

BRIAN
:
What’s that right there?

NEIL
(looking at where Brian’s finger was): Let me zoom in. That
looks like a vent! Now let me follow it up this way…

ANDY
:
There’s another one!

TRAVIS
:
Good job, Neil. Now keep following those vents and let’s see if we
can find that damned rabbit hole.

+ + +

In under a minute, Cal had somehow managed
to scrape the zip tie on his left wrist almost all the way through
on the rusted bed spring. He gave one last tug and the tie popped
off of his bloodied wrist.

He glanced back down at the still
unconscious West. His internal clock told him he probably had less
than a minute to get out. Cal didn’t want to find out if his body
could handle a hand-to-hand fight right now.

+ + +

The helicopter crew tracked the vents to a
location just over a mile from the main house. There they found
some kind of tiny structure that appeared to be a sewer drain.
Travis decided to start the search on the ground there.

After hearing from MSgt Trent that there was
a third steel door behind the second, Travis ordered Trent to leave
two men to guard the house and bring the rest via helicopter to the
possible tunnel exit.

TRAVIS
(to
the pilot): Put her down right over there in that field. We’ll hump
the rest of the way.

NEIL
: Where
do you want me?

TRAVIS
:
Stay on the helo and give us updates from the air. Doc, I want you
ready with whatever medical gear you have.

BRIAN
:
Roger.

TRAVIS
:
Andy, how do you feel about going in first?

ANDY
: I’m
game.

TRAVIS
: OK.
The rest of us will provide support.

PILOT
: Ten
seconds to LZ.

TRAVIS
:
Roger. Let’s go get our boy.

+ + +

Cal had almost removed his last restraint
when Dante started stirring. He looked up in confusion and shook
his head trying to clear the cobwebs. Attempting to focus, he got
up to his hands and knees just as Cal snapped the last zip tie off
of his left ankle.

With speed that surprised Cal, Dante got to
his feet and reached in his pocket for a gun. Staggering on
unsteady legs, Cal snatched the baseball bat from the ground, swung
it backhanded, and connected with West’s firing hand just as he
extracted the pistol from his coat.

The weapon fired and clattered to the floor
as Dante clutched his hand.

DANTE
:
You’re gonna pay for that, boy.

Dante stepped backed and grabbed a wicked
looking filet knife from the bench. Cal was trying his best to stay
on his feet but his head was reeling. His body had taken a real
beating. He had to focus. His life depended on his ability to stay
on his feet.

A
ndy led the reinforced team up to the iron sewer grate that
was mounted into the side of the hill. The criss-crossed iron bars
were big enough to fit an arm through but no way near big enough to
fit a person. The stench was foul. He could see water draining out
through his night vision goggles and smelled like it came from a
local cow farm. Sweeping the area, he looked for some kind of
entrance. Where the hell was the exit? Looking back to his left he
stopped.

ANDY
: Did
you hear that?

MSGT TRENT
:
Sounded like a muffled gunshot.

ANDY
: Yeah.
Came from inside the grate. You think you can move it?

MSGT TRENT
:
Let me take a look.

Trent shouldered his weapon as the rest of
the team provided cover. The huge man felt around the edge of the
grate for some kind of release or handhold. Nothing. Next, he
reached inside the opening and started methodically feeling along
the inner edge. Halfway around he stopped.

MSGT TRENT
:
I think I’ve got a handle here but it’s locked.

ANDY
: Where
are the hinges?

MSGT TRENT
:
On the left side.

ANDY
: You
think we can blast through it with a little demo?

MSGT TRENT
:
Won’t that give us away?

ANDY
: I
think it’s a little late for that. Besides, I didn’t like the sound
of that gunshot a second ago.

MSGT TRENT
:
OK. I’ll go get the breach kit from our guys.

Andy nodded and looked back
to the grate.
I hope it’s not too
late
.

+ + +

The two wounded men circled each other
trying to find an opening. They each eyed the pistol on the ground.
The weapon would easily turn the tide.

West took a quick swipe at Cal. Cal dodged
easily and shifted left as West moved closer to his lost gun.

DANTE
: I
can’t wait to carve you up, white boy.

CAL
: Looks
like I’m winning. You’re the one with half an ear.

Dante put his hand up and felt the remains
of his tattered ear. Although wounded, he was far from being out of
the fight. The loss of hearing in his left ear wasn’t going to stop
him. West looked at his opponent with pure hatred. Only one man
would be leaving alive. By the look on his face, West was convinced
he would be that man.

+ + +

The team stepped back and took cover as the
signal was given that the breaching explosive was set. Andy counted
down with his fingers and the demolition man pressed the button on
the remote device.

At the same moment, the loud blast echoed
through the trees.

Andy looked around the tree and saw that the
grate was now resting on its hinges. They were in.

+ + +

Cal and Dante looked toward the open hallway
at the sound of the muffled explosion. Fear crossed Dante’s face as
he quickly calculated his options. He still had an extra escape
route in case the back sewer was found.

CAL
: I told
you my boys were coming.

DANTE
(shaken): They’re not here yet.

As he spit out his last word, he lunged for
the discarded pistol. A second later, Cal was also diving for the
weapon. He was too late. As he descended to the floor, Cal could
see Dante wrapping his hand around the pistol and turning his way.
The world slowed as Cal stared down the barrel of his
executioner.

+ + +

The team rushed into the tunnel scanning and
clearing as they went. They kept as quiet as they could, but the
running water made it almost impossible. Andy pushed hard as he
moved down the tunnel. Fifty feet down he found a door. Luckily,
this one wasn’t made of steel.

+ + +

Cal lurched to the right as the Dante pulled
the trigger. Miraculously, the bullet somehow only grazed Cal’s
head as he descended the final distance to the ground. The side of
his scalp burned from the bullet’s passing. He ignored the pain and
tried to knock the weapon aside.

Dante brought the pistol back around towards
Cal. This time he wouldn’t miss.

+ + +

MSGT Trent barreled through the wooden door
like a freight train. Andy came in right behind with his weapon
leveled. He could see light ahead and heard the sound of another
gunshot.

+ + +

Instead of shying away from the gun, Cal
embraced it…literally. He grabbed Dante’s pistol hand and tried to
angle the barrel up as he pulled the weapon closer to his
chest.

A crash sounded from the hallway and Cal
could see Dante struggling to keep his focus inside the room. For
Dante West, the next few moments would seal his fate regardless of
whether he lived or died. His only hope now was to exact his
revenge before that happened.

+ + +

Andy ran down the tunnel
trailed by the rest of the assault team. His heart pounded as he
readied himself for the scene he was about to encounter. Would Cal
be dead? Rounding the corner his heart leapt as he saw his friend
struggling on the ground with West.
Still
alive
.

+ + +

Dante’s eyes widened as he glanced at the
hallway to see men in black streaming into the room. The two men
grappled on the floor, a fight to the death. The pistol remained
lodged smack in the middle of the two. A hairs breadth either way
and one man would be dead.

Cal and Dante lay locked in a deadly
embrace, eyes blazing and desperate. West’s finger still gripped
the pistol trigger. Cal struggled to point the gun back at West.
Cal saw his opponent pull the trigger twice and felt the loud
double report of the gun.

+ + +

The assault team watched helplessly, not
wanting to take a shot for fear of hitting Cal. His friends each
felt the two gunshots deep in their guts. They all screamed at once
as Cal slumped to the floor.

T
he
funeral was a private affair. All of Cal’s and Jess’s friends
attended.

They’d decided to dedicate a new cemetery on
Camp Spartan itself. With some heavy legal work by Marge Haines,
they were able to get the approval of the state and local
authorities. The deceased was family after all.

The grave site was situated on a lonely hill
overlooking the rifle range. It afforded a magnificent view of the
surrounding countryside. According to Travis, it was where Cal had
taken Jess for their first picnic on the campus grounds.

Cal stood flanked by his closest friends
looking down at the casket holding his beloved Jessica. Although
still gripped with grief, his head and heart had turned the page.
She would never be forgotten, but Cal could live free of guilt. The
death of Dante West had closed that chapter for Cal. He could now
move on as Jess wanted.

The service was short but beautiful. Jess’s
pastor presided over the affair with grace and dignity. Not a dry
eye remained in the crowd. It never ceased to amaze Cal, as he
stood surrounded by some of the fiercest warriors he’d ever met,
that such men often held the most compassion and emotion. It was
what allowed them to do what they did to the best of their
abilities and protect fellow Americans that often criticized their
methods and spat in their face. These were men of duty and
honor.

He was finally home.

+ + +

Cal said his final farewells to Jess’s
parents and split off to rejoin his friends. Travis cut him off
before he got there.