Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset (56 page)

He laughed at the pettiness of the
recollection. Compared to the rest of his predicament, the blow was
a minor inconvenience. Neil had a bad feeling about why they’d
kidnapped him as he’d walked back from the sushi restaurant two
nights ago. It made it even worse that they’d known exactly where
his remote locator was. That was, until they’d taken care of
it.

Neil reached down to the
neatly bandaged stump that used be his ankle and winced. At least
they’d had the courtesy to knock him out and supposedly had a real
doctor cut his foot off.
Look on the
bright side, right?

He sat back and adjusted his Prada
eyeglasses. Neil wouldn’t be walking out anytime soon, but he
started to prepare mentally for whatever horrors awaited him. A
small part of his subconscious hoped Cal would come bursting
through the door at that very second.

+++

“You’re sure?” Nick Ponder asked into the
phone.

“Yeah. They just landed. You want us to
follow them?”

“No. I’ve got another team waiting in Teton
Village. We already know they’re staying at Hotel Terra. With the
slow season it’ll be easy to keep tabs on them. I want you to stick
around and let me know when the rest of their guys land.”

“Okay, boss.”

Nick Ponder, a fifty-five year old former
Green Beret, hung up the phone. He stood up from his simple metal
desk and stretched his hulking six foot six frame. Over the past
few years he’d grown out his beard into an unruly black tangle. He
kept his head shaved bald. Being imposing and ruthless were two of
Ponder’s gifts. He’d learned it in the military and carried on the
tradition when they’d kicked him out in 1996, and he’d started his
own company.

He still worked out daily and could best
most men half his age. Seven years ago he’d relocated his company
headquarters to Wyoming. Ponder enjoyed the wilderness but liked
the secluded fortress much more. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do
out here. It was perfect for staying under the radar.

After the little incident with that prick
Calvin Stokes Sr. back in 1999, business was harder to come by.
Before that, Ponder was a growing force within the mercenary world.
At that time, he’d leveraged his contacts to recruit close to one
hundred men and had them deployed to most of the world’s shitholes.
Well, at least the ones where some little dictator needed some real
warriors to protect him.

Looking back, he knew his expansion into
protection for the Mexican drug lords had been stupid. It’d seemed
so easy though. The money was ten times what the majority of
security contracts were. If it weren’t for that fucking Marine
Colonel, he’d probably be smoking Cohibas in Antigua right about
now.

It was gravy up until he got the ultimatum
from one of his competitors. He still replayed the conversation in
his head whenever he didn’t get a contract he thought he
deserved.

“Nick, this is Calvin Stokes with Stokes
Security. I was wondering if you had a minute.”

Ponder’s head was full of cocaine sampled
from his client’s latest shipment. He only knew Stokes by
reputation. The guy was a former Marine and apparently a real
hard-ass. “What can I do for the Marine Corps, Colonel?”

“I’m not sure how to relay this, so I’ll
just go ahead and say it. We’ve been hearing rumors that you’re
providing protection for the Jimenez cartel.” Stokes let the
accusation hang. If Ponder had been clear headed he might have
handled the situation differently. He would’ve denied it.

“So fucking what? Even Mexicans need
protection!” Ponder laughed out loud at the joke.

Col. Stokes exhaled. He’d hoped to have an
intelligent conversation with Ponder. Yes, The Ponder Group was
technically competition, but a certain respect was assumed between
American security contractors. He’d never dealt with Ponder
directly, but had heard stories of the man’s exploits, both in and
out of the service. The Army had drummed him out at the rank of
Major after a little ‘situation’ in the Philippines. The unofficial
report, provided by Stokes’s contact at the Pentagon, gave vague
details of how Ponder had singlehandedly slaughtered the families
of five men suspected of being conspirators in a planned terror
attack. Ponder had freely admitted to the atrocity and thrown it in
his superiors’ face. He even called them cowards for not doing the
same.

Apparently the rumors were true, and the
idiot had just admitted it.

“Look, Nick, I was just giving you a
courtesy call before I turn this over to the authorities.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!”
Ponder yelled into the phone.

“Without going into the details, I’ll tell
you that we’ve been doing some contract surveillance work for a
Federal agency. I’m bound by our contract to give them everything I
have,” Stokes explained.

“Bull-fucking-shit! You’re trying to torpedo
my ass! I’ll have your ass…”

“No, you won’t.” The cold menace in Stokes’s
voice cut through Ponder’s cocaine high. “Like I said, I’m calling
you out of professional courtesy. Either you wrap things up or
prepare for the Feds to come down on you. It’s out of my
hands.”

It was the one and only conversation he’d
ever had with SSI’s founder. He’d heard the prick died on 9/11.
Asshole.

None of it mattered anymore. He was about to
make his retirement. One last op and he’d be fucking rich. They
might have to fend off some of the competition but that didn’t
matter. Ponder was on his home turf. Plus, with the promise of a
king’s ransom coming his way, he could afford to up his firepower a
bit.

Unfolding his huge frame from the desk
chair, he walked over to the large bay window overlooking his horse
corral. Maybe he’d take a ride after visiting with his prisoner. It
was time to make sure his little investment paid off.

Chapter 3

Hotel Terra, Teton Village, Jackson Hole,
Wyoming

5:39pm, September 26th

Cal threw his bag on the twin bed. The room
wasn’t huge but more than comfortable. Outside they had a little
balcony that afforded a beautiful view of the ski runs. Too bad
they weren’t on vacation.

“How about we go get some food.”

Daniel agreed with a nod. “Where do you want
to eat?”

“Let’s stay close. How about that restaurant
right across the quad?” Cal pointed through the window. “What does
that say? The Mangy Moose Saloon? I could use a beer and a
steak.”

“Yeah, okay.” Briggs grabbed the small
backpack that Cal had recently discovered carried an assortment of
reserve ammunition for his concealed weapons. Daniel took his new
role as Cal’s security seriously. Always the first through the
door, Briggs kept a vigilant eye out for his new boss. Hell, in the
first week they’d known each other he’d saved Cal’s life no fewer
than three times.

The two Marines walked down to the first
floor and stepped outside. It was a short walk across the outdoor
common area to get to the Mangy Moose Saloon. The place had an old
log cabin feel and fit right into the Wyoming wilderness vibe of
the trendy Teton Village development.

There weren’t many patrons as they walked
into the two-story establishment. Briggs paused at the door and
scanned the tables. He did a once over of the Japanese couple
sitting nearest the stage and the four guys dressed in riding gear
sitting at the bar. No threats. Satisfied, he led the way in.

It was open seating, so Daniel chose a small
table with a good view of the bar and dining area. A pretty,
Nordic-looking waitress stepped up just as they were sitting
down.

“What can I get for you, gentlemen?”

“Do you have any local IPA on tap?” Cal
asked politely.

“Sure. Sir, what can I get for you?” she
asked the blonde-headed sniper.

“I’ll have a Diet Coke, please.”

As the waitress walked back to get their
drinks, two men walked into the restaurant and headed to the bar.
Neither man looked toward Cal and Daniel, but the hair on Briggs’s
neck stood straight up.

They were both wearing well-worn outdoor
clothing. The first man was skinny, of average height, with slicked
back black hair and a wind-burned face. His beak nose was the
feature that made him really stand out.

His companion was a full head taller and
walked in with a swagger. He took off his grey beanie, shook out
his light brown hair and sat down on the barstool.

“Give me shot of Beam.” He ordered loudly
enough for Daniel to hear across the room. His smaller partner
quietly took a seat and ordered a beer.

Briggs didn’t know the men,
but he knew the type. It was the way they carried themselves. These
guys were former military, and they radiated danger to the highly
attuned Marine.
Wouldn’t be surprised if
they’re armed too
, he thought.

“Don’t look behind you,” Briggs mentioned
casually to Cal, “but I think we’ve got a little trouble. Two new
friends just sat down at the bar.”

With his back to the bar Cal couldn’t see
what Daniel was talking about, so he just nodded. He knew better
than to question the Marine’s senses. Briggs was a man of few
words, so when he talked you listened. Not to mention he had an
uncanny sixth sense when it came to danger. The man could sniff it
out like a hound dog.

“So what’s our play?” Cal asked.

“Let’s just see what happens. Maybe I’m
wrong.”

Cal smiled and nodded.

Their drinks were served a minute later. Cal
took a long pull from his large mug and savored the bitter goodness
of the local beer. He’d have to ask what brand it was.

“Any movement from our friends at the
bar?”

Briggs shook his head.

“You think we’re good to order?”

“Yeah. Let’s keep it casual. If I’m right
about these guys, I don’t want to tip them off,” Daniel
instructed.

They ordered their food and made random
small talk as they ate. Cal had hoped to use the time to plan their
search for Neil, but it looked like that would have to wait until
later.

Finishing quickly, they asked for the check
and paid. The two men at the bar were still downing their second
drinks as Cal and Daniel made their way to the exit. There wasn’t
even a glimpse in their direction by bird nose and his
companion.

Briggs hoped the warning was just in his
mind. It would make their search for Patel a lot harder if they
already had a tail.

“Let’s take a little walk around the village
and digest some of those ribs we just ate,” Briggs suggested.

They headed uphill toward the large ski lift
that was running the last tourists off the mountain. Both men were
in excellent shape but could still feel the effects of the
elevation. During their time in the Marine Corps, they’d each
trained at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport,
California. They knew it would take a couple days to acclimate to
the decreased oxygen. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to test their
sea level legs quite yet.

After thirty minutes of walking through the
modern ski village, and ducking into most of the little shops,
Briggs led the way back towards the hotel. He hadn’t spotted the
two men from the restaurant. It didn’t really surprise him. Teton
Village wasn’t big. It would be easy to be observed and not even
know it. It would be easier to lose a tail once night fell.
Darkness was already imminent.

Daniel took a right turn past a small
playground, heading toward the hotel’s front desk. Instead of
walking into the hotel, he continued past. The darkness was almost
complete as they walked by the little sushi restaurant and headed
up the street toward the mountain. Briggs wanted a little free
space to see if anyone was following.

Just as they rounded the corner past the
last neighborhood, a set of high beams switched on and blinded the
companions. They heard an old truck door open and saw a man get out
and walk toward them.

“You two weren’t planning on going up the
mountain were you?”

Briggs could now make out the man’s shape.
He was wearing a Park Ranger’s uniform.

Cal answered first. “No, sir. Just taking a
little walk after dinner.”

The young man came closer. “Just wanted to
make sure. We’ve had a lot of bear activity up that way.” He
pointed up the mountain. “Bears are hungrier than usual what with
the lack of berries this year.”

“Lack of berries?” Cal repeated.

“Yep. This is my first year, so I don’t
really know the details, but the old-timers are saying the weather
kept the wild berry bushes from growing enough fruit. We’ve even
had one grizzly break into a house looking for food. Luckily the
family was out of town at the time.”

“Thanks for the heads-up. I think we were
gonna turn around soon anyway.”

They said their thanks and headed back down
to the hotel. Once they were out of earshot, Cal coughed a laugh.
“I almost pulled my pistol out when those lights came on.”

Briggs chuckled too. “I don’t think that kid
knows how close he came to having his truck shot up.”

Now that the tension was broken, they
enjoyed the cool night air as they strolled down the hill. It was
the last night of calm they’d have for the rest of the trip.

+++

“We got eyes on the two guys. You want us to
hang out?” the man with the beak nose asked his employer on the
phone.

“Yeah. Get a room at Terra, and be up early
so you can stick close. They’ll probably start asking around about
their friend. Just make sure you don’t lose them,” Nick Ponder
instructed.

“You got it, boss.”

“And, Trapper…”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Don’t do anything to them until I give the
okay.”

The skinny man known simply as Trapper
licked his lips as he thought about the coming confrontation. “I
know, boss. You just let me know when.”