Hard Case VI: The Killer Inside (John Harding Book 6) (7 page)

“Yeah. Jess is driving so we’ll have him let us out close. See you there.”

“Yep.” I turned to Lora. She was already reading me. “Don’t worry. We’re eating, babe. Denny’s bringing one of the good guys to meet with me about something. It won’t wreck our evening. We’ll go after the zombies right after dinner as planned.”

“We’re holding you to it, Dark Lord. Your plates filling up again, DL.”

“Don’t I know it. The swim may have been a Bad Karma trigger.”

“You did good, Dad.” Al gripped my hand. “Maybe it was a good Karma trigger.”

“Whenever Denny makes a special trip to intercept me anywhere, it’s usually a bad sign, but he has a real Navy Seal Commander with him.”

“You mean like the guys that got Bin Laden?”

“Yep. I’ll introduce you to him. We’ve done some joint missions together.”

“Those two could not be meeting you for anything small,” Lora said.

Small doubt about that.

* * *

The walk to Scoma’s with clear skies, lights, and the dark ocean beyond made us all glad we wore our winter clothing. Wind from the Bay blew steadily, a cutting cold, piercing every uncovered body part. We reached the small lane called Al Scoma Way leading to the restaurant, ready to be inside a heated restaurant. Luckily, we didn’t wait long for a table, only long enough for me to order a Bud and Beam, Lora a white wine, and Al a Shirley Temple. Knowing I would be having company, I savagely attacked my Beam brother, getting a refill before being led to our table. It put me in buzz land with a feeling all was right with the world for nearly fifteen minutes, when I spotted Denny poking his head around the corner. We had already ordered our dinners, so I stood and waved them over.

Lieutenant Commander Wilders wore slacks, sweater, and black leather jacket. The lean, grim features I figure rarely leave his face looked particularly foreboding this evening. I introduced him to Lora and Al after they both hugged Denny. Tom smiled gracefully, shaking each of my lady’s hands with solemn demeanor. We adjourned to the bar, where Tom ordered a draft beer while Denny and I ordered the brothers Bud and Beam. Tom did not waste time getting to the point once we were left alone at the end of the bar.

“One of my men got careless down in Tijuana, John. He’s been seeing a girl there whenever we’re at Coronado. His girl called us. The cops had him under surveillance. She said they broke into her apartment Friday night - four heavily armed men in Tijuana police uniforms. Angela said Smitty figured it was the typical shakedown, although he never drives there for that very reason. He speaks Spanish like a native. Angie explained he offered to pay for whatever ‘help’ they could give him. ‘Help’ is what the crooked cops call it when they pull their extortion ploy. If a Gringo offers a bribe outright, they nail the sap for suborning the police. They simply took him away without negotiating. She has been unable to find out where he is. He is not in the Tijuana jail system, but when she went there, Angie saw two of the men who took Smitty. They pretended to not know what she was talking about when Angie persuaded one of the desk personnel to inquire for her.”

“When Tom called me, I contacted all my resources in DC. The Mexican Government has no idea about what or why. They claim to have put pressure on the Tijuana Police Department for information, but we got nada,” Denny added. “Tom’s man has disappeared. No one is asking for ransom or trade or anything. I even called Lucas’s friends in Red Dragon Security. They have contacts all along the border on both sides because they furnish armed security for companies doing business in and out of Mexico. Chuck and Sal did a network call with me two hours ago. There’s a rumor of a captured Navy Seal being held by the Tijuana Cartel.”

Damn. This sucks. “I’ve heard of that Cartel. It was one of a few we researched before helping Clint pull Lynn out of Mexico. They were big once, but after the government smack down in the Baja Peninsula, I heard they were reduced to some small time gangsters.”

“True,” Denny replied. “Now, they want back in the game. They’re doing everything they can think of to raise money to get their operation big time again, including kidnapping and border infiltration. Chuck and Sal told me they’ve dug multiple tunnels between the Tijuana area and San Ysidro across our border. Word is Isis has already made a pact with the Tijuana Cartel to smuggle men and God knows what into the US. I believe they’ve bought Tom’s man for a future playing card.”

I didn’t much care what anyone thought about my next action. I threw down the double Beam like it was water. To say I was sick of the pussy-assed rules of engagement we fought with the Cartels, and terrorist shit-heads like these new Isis pricks, would be a ridiculous understatement. It took me a moment to get my head in the game. At this junction, we needed to get Tom’s man back, and it seemed we’d be able to do a lot of extracurricular adjusting while we did it. To his credit, Tom waited. He wasn’t here to plead. He was here to find out what I had to offer, which was why he contacted Denny first. Chain of command even in a situation like this was burned into him. This time, he was right. Denny quickly went through all the legitimate motions faster than a speeding bullet. Denny was here now for the Monster option.

“Here’s how I see it. We move on San Ysidro with any logistical help Red Dragon can give us. We find a tunnel we can capture and hold at both ends. Angela will need to guide a few of us to the cops she saw at the station. It can’t be anyone obvious, so the initial recon will have to be Lynn going with the girlfriend. There’s some danger involved with that option because Lynn is probably wanted by a lot of people South of the border. If anyone tries to take her, there will be an international incident. She’s our best hope of tracking the original cops responsible. From there, we’ll need to find out what they did with Tom’s man, and again, Lynn’s the best for extracting needed information. Once we find out where Smitty is, we hit hard, fast, and permanent. We’ll need boots on both ends of the tunnel we pick. There can be no loose witnesses on either end. If either the Mexican or US governments get wind of this op, it will be a bad day at black rock.”

“Meaning what,” Tom asked.

“Meaning anyone suspicious on either end must be held or killed,” Denny replied for me. “This will be a black op with no backup of any kind, Tom. It will be worse where John’s team extracts your man. His plan will be our only hope of getting Smitty alive, and finding out what this Isis plan is all about. That information could be invaluable as a trading card against elements of outrage coming from the Mexican government or our gutless wonders in DC.”

For the first time, Tom’s patient features crinkled into annoyance. “Wait a minute. Are you saying my team would not be involved in this op? We’ve been on black ops before. I know you bunch think of us as Snow Whites because we have some conscience when it comes to torture and executions, but you’ll need us to make this work.”

I didn’t want to get into a philosophical debate with Tom. “Until we find your man, Tom, we don’t need a Seal Team. Once we have hands on Smitty, we’ll need extraction from a place we’ll have no hope of getting out of without your team’s help. Laredo’s our pilot. We’ll take the tunnel in, stick to our plan, and get hands on Smitty. Then, we call for extraction, under the radar, and all guns blazing if need be. Since we’ll be slicing into the hornet’s nest, we won’t be doing much damage until we get your buddy. We’ll hold the fort until we get extraction. Face it though, Tom. This isn’t a Seal Team thing until we have Smitty. Getting him is up to my Monster Squad.”

I could tell Tom didn’t like it, but he was smart enough to think before shooting his mouth off. When he thought it out, Tom nodded in reluctant agreement. “Good. How long before we have to be in the air on this, Den?”

“I’ll ask Red Dragon in on this immediately. If they can find a likely tunnel, we can get wheels up at 0400 hours. Do you want me to call Clint and Lynn?”

“No. You call Casey and Lucas. I’ll call Clint and Lynn. I’ll also put Dev, Jess, and Tommy on alert to watch the home front. Tonto’s going with us.”

“Agreed. I’m not going into some booby-trapped pit without Tonto,” Denny agreed.

“Are you going along, Den?” That was a surprise. I figured he’d be working the ground crew. Then I remembered Jafar’s wife Samira was due any day. “I got it. Jafar can run the op while still remaining close to Sam. We’ll fly the minions with us too. They could prove invaluable with their Cartel experience. I’ll leave it to Lynn whether she wants Clint Jr, Dannie, and Amara with her.”

“My Maria is close too, but Jafar is young. He’d be distracted. Casey’s Anna still has more than a month yet. Let’s quit boring Tom with the Monster Squad nursery news. I’ll call you in a few hours with an update.”

“Thank you. I’m a little worried about the entourage you mentioned.” Tom held out his hand.

“Don’t be. We have ways of doing things which may appear crazy to anyone in the military. We’re with you on this, Tom. Like I told you we don’t leave anyone behind. It may be a rough exit, so we’ll be glad to have your team flying in with Laredo.”

“I heard you’re the backup pilot, John.”

“That’s classified,” I joked. “The only way I’m working the stick on our escape helicopter is if Laredo falls out of it while he’s flying us home. We have a new one with stealth technology, and plenty of seating. Laredo keeps his baby primed for use, so don’t worry about transport.”

“You’re not going to drink all night like those secret agents in the movies, are you, John?” Tom fired a parting shot with a grin as he walked away with Denny.

“Just for that… I’ll think about it.” No I won’t. That’s it for me. Dinner, then zombie hunts for the girls while I brief my team. Lynn will be the first call. She’ll need to think about whether to leave Clint Jr with Dannie and Amara or bring them all along.

My meal arrived after I sat so Lora must have had the waitress watching for my return before bringing my warmed food. Lora and Al had cleaned their plates, so they must have enjoyed the meal. Lora was working on her second glass of wine, but Al switched to soda. They had cherry cheesecake while I ate.

“He has his mission face on, Al.”

“Yep. It better not mean the zombie hunting is off.”

In between mouthfuls of clam chowder I shook my head in the negative. “I’ll be calling people while you two practice your zombie hunting skills. Remember, shoot for the head, Hon.”

“Why’d you tell her that, Dad? Now, she’ll probably get out of last place.”

“Oh… you are so going down tonight. I’ve been taking a dive every time we played this stupid game. I didn’t want you to finish in last place with your face hanging out in the picture. No more nice Mommy. Tonight, I singe your eyebrows off.”

I ate in peace listening to the zombie battle banter appreciatively. I was anxious to see if Lora had indeed been holding out or not.

* * *

I called Dev, Jess, and Tommy first, because I would need to be on the road by 3 am. We reached the 7D Experience while I finished my support calls, in line with the girls talking trash to each other before the zombie apocalyptic gamer battle. Lora emerged first, her fists pumping in the air, with the less than thrilled Al trailing her in full dejection mode. It was clear immediately there would be no self-deprecating, modest thrill of victory. I listened intently to Lora’s account of placing third while Al placed fifth. It was an ugly, no holds barred tale of zombie annihilation at the hands of killer Lora. Al, of course, secured an immediate rematch. I resumed my calls.

It took only moments to finish my briefing after Clint established a secure connection. I gave them a few laughs with my tale of the battling zombie hunters. “I know it’s not much time to deal with this, but if we’re going to do it, we have to fly at 0400. Would you like me to give you my Mission Impossible option – your mission, Clint and Lynn, if you decide to accept it, involves multiple international felonies, torture, and murder?”

“You don’t need to sugarcoat it any more than you already have, Cheese,” Lynn said. “You had me on board the moment you mentioned mission. I was getting ready to put on my Bat-woman costume and hit the streets for a couple hours. I’m so bored I nearly washed the dishes.”

I was laughing when Clint chimed in. “You think she’s kidding about the costume? The only joke in what she said was that she’d clean anything for any reason.”

“That’s a lie. I clean your son.”

“Okay you two. I will assume we’ll be picking up all travelers at 0330 in the am.”

“We’ll be ready. I guess you don’t know anything about this girlfriend, huh?”

“Not really, Lynn. It may be necessary for you to motivate her a bit so she doesn’t fall apart before pointing the guys out to you in the police station.”

“No worries there. She cared enough to contact Wilders when she could have simply kept her mouth shut. Whether this Smitty likes her or not, we may have to bring her with us on the way out. You know how the bad guys are down there. They don’t leave loose ends lying around.”

“Good call, Lynn.” I hadn’t thought about that, but I am now. “We’ll bring her with us. See you tomorrow morning.”

“Hey… before you go. We saw on the news there was a big guy who jumped off the Ferry boat to rescue a woman that fell overboard. He asked to be kept anonymous. That wasn’t you, was it? You may as well admit it if it was you. By tomorrow there will be camera pictures and videos of the whole thing.”