Coldfall Page 21

  “Did you know my dad?” I asked, taking another drink.

  “Knew of him,” BK said. “Sorry I never met him. Think I would’ve liked him, even if he was a Jarhead.”

  He softened the comment with a grin, leaning forward to look at Tanya.

  “Heard yours was a SEAL,” he said.

  She nodded.

  “And the two of you stole some cameras and killed a couple of feds, huh?” he asked.

  “What?” we both said in unison, glancing at each other in concern.

  “We didn’t kill anybody!” Tanya said emphatically.

  “Hell no, we didn’t!” I chimed in. “Popped off a couple of rounds to make them believe I was serious, but they were alive and well when we left. Not a scratch on them!”

  BK nodded and slowly turned his head to where the prisoner was seated, leaned against a tree.

  “More of your work, dickhead?” he called.

  Sam stared back at him and didn’t answer. BK shook his head in disgust then turned back to us.

  “Well, there’s a whole big manhunt going on just for you two, but the FBI sent it in the wrong direction so dickhead and his boys could get to you. They don’t want that evidence comin’ out. And if they knew about this video, they’d stop at nothin’ to keep it from bein’ seen.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that and after a few seconds of silence, BK grunted and slowly got to his feet.

  “Better get movin’,” he said, then turned to the prisoner and tugged on the rope attached to his restraints.

  I got to my knees to work my arms under the body of the man I’d learned was called Doc. Tanya bent to help and I glanced toward BK to see if he was coming. Before I could get his attention, Sam suddenly leapt off the ground. His hands, which had been behind him while he sat against the tree, came free and he spun a kick that landed solidly on BK’s wounded leg.

  BK stumbled back with a roar of pain as the man took off like a shot, disappearing almost immediately into the thick brush. Not thinking, I grabbed the rifle out of Tanya’s hands and sprinted after him.

  Chapter 38

  I crashed through the forest, ignoring the branches on a sapling that slapped across my face. A twig snapped and I started to spin before I realized Tanya was right behind me. Facing front, I ran, unable to see the escaped prisoner, but able to follow his trail. He was running, leaving clear marks on the forest floor.

  Running hard, I followed the trail, hoping to catch a glimpse of the fleeing man. Rounding a turn around a large rock outcropping, I saw a flash of motion to my right, but before I could react he slammed into me and we tumbled to the ground. Two hard fists pummeled my face as he began levering the rifle out of my hands. I fought back with a fury, but he was winning the battle until Tanya threw herself into the fray.

  The impact of her body tore him away from me and I rolled onto my knees in time to see him savagely elbow her in the face. She was knocked clear, tumbling to a stop against the base of a tree and he was rolling, trying to open distance between us. Leaping up, I charged in, aiming a kick at his exposed head, but he pivoted and swept my legs from beneath me, sending me crashing to the ground.

  He lunged, arm extended, grasping for the rifle. I was momentarily stunned from the impact with the forest floor and if Tanya hadn’t reached out and grabbed his foot, he probably would have taken the weapon away from me. But her hold slowed him just enough for me to whip my foot around, the heavy boot connecting solidly with his skull.

  Stunned, he went still, his eyes unfocused as he flailed about. Jumping to my feet, I brought the rifle to my shoulder and aimed at his face.

  “Don’t fucking move!” I shouted.

  Head swiveling to look directly into the muzzle of the weapon, he stopped trying to get to his knees. His eyes still showed the effects of my kick, but he recognized what was pointed at him. Finally, he sighed and lowered his head to rest on his arm.

  Tanya slowly climbed to her feet and picked her way around him to stand at my side.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Busted lip.”

  In my peripheral vision, I could see her gently probing her mouth with a finger. I was pretty sure one of the blows the bastard had landed had broken my nose. My eyes were watering and I could feel a steady throbbing accompanied by warm blood running off my chin onto my shirt.

  “Kill him,” Tanya said. “He executed our dads.”

  I’d already had the same thought. My finger was on the trigger and I wanted to pull it.

  “Whatcha gonna do, son?”

  I jumped when Trippy spoke from right behind me. He hadn’t made a sound, apparently surprising Tanya as well, causing her to jump away and spin around.

  “Jesus,” I breathed. “Don’t do that! How long you been there?”

  “Long ‘nuff to watch you get ya ass kicked,” he said with a chuckle. “So, now’s you got him, whatcha gonna do? Kill him?”

  I stared at Sam, holding the rifle steady with the sights on the center of his forehead. Five pounds of pressure on the trigger and my father would be avenged.

  “Fore you do that,” Trippy said, breaking my focus. “Might wanna think ‘bout findin’ the man payin’ the bills. The cock sucker behind all this.”

  “He’s right, Joe,” Tanya said, moving to stand close. “Not yet. Okay? I want all of them to pay, not just him. And I know you do, too.”

  After a moment, she carefully placed her hand on top of the rifle and gently pushed the muzzle toward the ground. I didn’t resist, sighing and moving my finger off the trigger before engaging the safety. Trippy chuckled again and moved closer to the prisoner.

  “Slick little prick, ain’t ya?” he said, dropping a knee onto Sam’s back and jerking his arms behind him.

  He quickly trussed his hands, stood and yanked him to his feet. Sam met my eyes briefly and I could see a large, purple swelling on the side of his face where I’d kicked him. Trippy shoved him forward and led the way to a small clearing where the others waited. He kicked the prisoner’s legs from under him with no warning, sending him tumbling to the ground.

  “On yer belly so’s I can see them hands,” Trippy said.

  He glared down at Sam, not moving until the man complied with his instruction.

  BK sat with his back against a tree, his pants lowered to his knees. He was composed, but pain showed on his face. Ashley knelt over him, pressing on a blood soaked bandage.

  “His wound tore open when he was kicked,” she said, looking up at Tanya.

  “What happened to you?” Tanya asked, pointing at a large blood stain on Ashley’s leg.

  She looked down in surprise, but didn’t let off the pressure she was holding on BK.

  “I was shot a few days ago. Didn’t realize it had opened.”

  Tanya nodded and picked up the med kit. She went to work on BK, numbing the whole area before re-suturing the open bullet hole. Wrapping his thick leg with a fresh bandage, she told Ashley to pull her pants down and take a seat.

  “Isn’t that cute,” she said as she examined the woman’s leg. “You two have matching bullet holes!”

  I glanced over as she began working on Ashley, then resumed staring at the prisoner. He knew I was watching him but didn’t meet my gaze.

  “You sure it’s worth the trouble of bringing him?” I asked BK, fingering my rifle’s fire selector.

  “Yes,” he rumbled, turning his attention from Ashley’s leg to look at me.

  “No one’s going to believe anything he says if he was tortured to get it. Maybe easier to just finish it here and leave him for the scavengers.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” BK said. “But there’re names we need so we get the right people. He may not know ‘em all, but gotta start somewhere.”

  I didn’t have anything else to say and Tanya was finished with Ashley. A few minutes later, Doc’s body was over my shoulders again and we were moving. BK had a noticeable limp and for the first time I could tell Ashley was favoring her injured leg. Cu
p followed me with his burden, managing the larger body with less difficulty than I was. Trippy was nowhere to be seen or heard, somewhere to our front.

  Several hours later, after multiple rest stops, I sighed with relief when BK helped me gently lower Doc’s corpse into a van. It was late afternoon and carrying the two hundred pound body down the side of a mountain had kicked my ass. After relieving himself of his burden, Cup dug through the van and tossed me an oversized bottle of water. It was warm, but I tipped it back and finished every drop without stopping.

  BK eased himself into a seat, but despite his stoicism I could tell he was in some serious pain. As he got settled, Ashley looked around, then moved away into the thick forest. I had the same need and headed in the opposite direction.

  Stepping behind a large tree, I took care of business and was zipping up when gun fire erupted from the direction of the van. Tanya had the rifle, but I still had my dad’s pistol and with it in hand I ran for the fire road. More shots rang out as I charged through the brush, definitely from a rifle, then there was the crack of a single pistol shot and the forest fell silent.

  Slowing as I reached the edge of the dirt track, I hesitated a second before showing myself, then my concern for Tanya overrode my sense of caution. Bursting through, weapon up in two hands like I’d been taught, I hurried around the van and skidded to a stop.

  A stranger with a rifle lay dead on the ground. A few yards behind him, half hidden by a tree, Ashley stood with a pistol still aimed at the corpse. She was white as a sheet and had a look of horror on her face. Her hands were shaking as she stared at the man she’d apparently just killed. BK slowly approached her from the side, talking too softly for me to understand what he was saying.

  “Joe! Get the med kit.”

  I looked around to find Tanya kneeling over Cup. A large blood stain was spreading across his chest and she was pressing on what I presumed was a bullet hole with both hands. Trippy, his face like a storm cloud, grabbed the prisoner’s head and slammed it against the van’s door. Sam’s eyes rolled up and he collapsed, unconscious or dead. I don’t think Trippy cared which as he rushed to his wounded friend.

  “Joe!” Tanya shouted. “Get me the goddamn kit!”

  I was suddenly galvanized into action, rushing to the van and grabbing Doc’s kit. Dropping to my knees at Tanya’s side, I ripped it open.

  “Hold here!”

  She removed her bloody hands and I leaned in, pressing down in the center of Cup’s chest. Tanya tore into the kit as Trippy lay down next to him, their faces close.

  Tanya worked frantically, BK and Ashley coming to stand over us and watch. But it was less than a minute before Cup died. Tanya slowly sat back on her legs, staring at the man she had desperately tried to save. We were all silent, save for Trippy who was murmuring something too low to hear into his friend’s ear. When he finally sat up and looked around, tears were streaming down his face.

  “I’m sorry,” Tanya said in a small voice, staring at the ground between her knees.

  Trippy looked at her, took a deep, shuddering breath and got to his feet. Extending his hand, he helped her up and waited until she met his eyes.

  “You got’s nothin’ ta be sorry ‘bout. You did ya best. Ain’t no man gonna survive that.”

  Tanya began crying, but didn’t look away.

  “I mean, it’s because of me! He stepped in front of a bullet to save me.”

  “Not your fault,” BK said firmly. “He died the way he lived. Protecting innocents.”

  Trippy looked intently into her eyes, nodding his head in agreement. Releasing Tanya’s hand, he strode to the prisoner and pressed a finger to his throat. Apparently, he was only out cold. Lifting him off the ground, Trippy tossed him none too gently into the van, binding his ankles and taping over his mouth. Satisfied with the restraints, he put Sam on the floor in front of the rear bench seat.

  Chapter 39

  I helped Trippy load Cup’s body into the van, placing him as gently as I could on top of Doc and Sticks. I stepped back, but Trippy stayed where he was, staring at his dead teammates.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said, starting to turn away and give him some privacy.

  He nodded without saying anything and I was kind of happy to get away. I’ve never been any good at knowing what to do or say when someone’s upset.

  Tanya was repacking the medical kit and I stopped next to her, noting BK checking over the stranger’s body. Ashely stood several feet away, watching and looking like she was about to throw up.

  “You okay?” I asked Tanya.

  She nodded without looking at me, sniffing as she pulled the zipper closed on the kit. Standing, she looked at me, tears still running down her cheeks. Stepping forward, I wrapped her in my arms. She squeezed, holding on as if I were all that was anchoring her.

  “I was going to die,” she whispered in my ear. “He jumped between me and the gun.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just held her as she quietly sobbed. BK had finished checking the corpse and was doing the same with Ashley. Once Tanya regained her composure, I stepped away and tentatively approached BK and Ashley. She was trembling, but listening as he spoke to her in a calm voice.

  “…saved the rest of us.” I heard him say as I drew closer.

  “I murdered him,” she said in a monotone.

  “You did NOT!” BK said. “You killed a man who made a conscious decision to kill us. That’s NOT murder on your part. It’s something that’ll never leave you, but if you hadn’t, we’d probably all be dead. He caught us with our pants down.”

  “How… how do…” she began, but was unable to finish the question.

  “How do I live with it?” BK asked.

  She stared at his face then nodded slowly. He paused in thought, taking a deep breath before responding.

  “I remember why I did what I did. I’ve never harmed an innocent. Only someone who was trying to hurt people who didn’t deserve what was going to happen to them. Just like you. You protected lives, Ashley! What you’re feeling is normal. The horror. The disgust. Taking a life isn’t trivial by a long shot. But it’s nothing compared to what you’d be feeling if you’d stood by and done nothing while he gunned all of us down. Trust me. There’s no worse feeling in the world than being unable to stop someone who’s bent on murder.”

  She nodded, but from the look on her face I was pretty sure it was nothing more than an acknowledgement of his words. I didn’t think she’d accepted them. Eventually, she sighed and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

  “I need to sit down,” she said, walking away and taking a seat against the base of a tall tree.

  “What the hell happened?” I asked BK once we were alone.

  “Gotta be one of dickhead’s men,” he said. “I let my guard down. This is…”

  “Don’t fuckin’ say it, boss,” Trippy interrupted. Neither of us had heard him walk up. “My doin’. I was point man. Should’ve noticed the cocksucker ‘fore he could get a shot off.”

  They looked at each other for a long moment, then BK shook his head.

  “Hold on,” I said, waiting until they both looked at me. “Guy had set up an ambush, right? How the hell were you supposed to know he was there? Isn’t that the point of an ambush? Catch people by surprise? Doesn’t sound like it’s anyone’s’ fault to me.”

  “Gots a lot to learn, kid,” Trippy said, turning and walking away.

  BK and I watched him go to the van and drag Sam out onto the dirt road.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked.

  “Gettin’ answers.”

  With the prisoner lying on his back, Trippy opened one of the bottles of water and poured it over his face. After a few seconds, his eyes flew open and he sputtered, coughing up water. Trippy tossed the bottle aside, moved to the corpse and dragged it to the van. Bending over, he grabbed the dead man’s hair and lifted the head so Sam had a clear view of the face.

  BK and I stepped closer. Tanya cam
e to stand next to me, all of us quiet.

  “Ya know this motherfucker?” Trippy asked, shaking the corpse’s.

  Sam didn’t say anything and after a few seconds he looked away.

  “Ain’t how this gonna work,” Trippy said, dropping the head and drawing his knife. Straddling Sam’s body, he inserted the tip of the blade into the man’s ear. “Little trick I learnt from the Taliban. I kin stop right here, or I kin start pushing little at a time. Your choice, but it must hurt likes a raw assed bitch when that tip gets past the eardrum. Done heard harder men an you beggin’ God to take ‘em right then. So, what’s it gonna be?”

  Sam looked up at him, real fear on his face. I couldn’t see Trippy’s, but I was also pretty sure I didn’t want to.

  “Name’s Bucky,” Sam said, eyes locked on Trippy. “He was off following some prick we needed intel on. Got here late, so he set up and waited.”

  Trippy was breathing hard and I could tell he wanted to ram the knife into Sam’s head, all the way to the hilt. He held the prisoner’s eyes for what seemed a long time, then looked over at BK, who shook his head.

  “Need him alive,” BK rumbled.

  Trippy didn’t respond and for a moment I wasn’t sure he was going to listen. But he did, sheathing the knife and bodily throwing Sam back into the van. Climbing in, he sat with his big boots resting on the back of the prisoner’s neck. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes, waiting for the rest of us.

  Chapter 40

  The sun was setting in New York as William Carter strode into his office. Jack Timmons was in his usual seat, a cut crystal tumbler of whiskey in his hand. He looked up from his phone and smiled.

  “Sure looks like it’s working.”

  “Of course it is!” Carter said with enthusiasm.

  Rounding his desk, he dropped into the chair and took his time lighting a cigar.

  “She make the call yet?” Timmons asked.

  “I just received word from Mr. Wise that the request has been made. She didn’t have a choice after the Joint Chiefs refused her order to deploy active duty units to quell the disturbances.”