B.B.U.S.A. (Buying Back the United States of America) (29 page)

“All right Sarah, you win. I’ll promise to make all attempts to break the password with the files prior to engaging the enemy. But one way or another, they will pay. I’ll try and break the code first, and get them through legal means, but if they reach me first, I’ll be forced to take the law into my own hands.”

“Okay, Leo. You might try calling David, if he’s still there. He should get away from Boise anyway. If they went for Natasha, he may be next. Will you call him, Honey?”

“Of course. Watch your every step, Dear. Keep the kids with you every second, and get out of Africa as soon as possible, Okay? Remember, I love you all.”

“Okay, we will, here’s your mother.”

“Did you hear what happened?” His mother sounded calm in spite of what must be going on around her. “Did Sarah tell you of the danger you are in and that you must leave Challis immediately?”

“Yes, but are you all right, Mom?”

“Of course, but there were other people injured, and a man is dead and the business is a mess.”

“Listen carefully Mom, promise me you will take Sarah and the boys and leave the country by the end of the day.”

“I can’t. The investigators won’t let me. I have to stay and answer questions, see how Ursula and the rest are and then rebuild. I simply can’t just up and leave now.”

“The hell with them! Damn it… Listen to me, please. You all have to get out today.”

...silence. “Leo, when did you learn to talk that way?”

“I don’t. I’m sorry, but this isn’t a game. Do I have your full attention now? Get out! They are trying to kill you! Promise me?”

“Okay…. If you feel so strongly about it, we’ll leave. What about the business and the boarders?”

“Refund their money and have them out within the hour. Board up what’s left to board up, call your insurance company, leave someone in charge and get the hell out of the country today.”

“Okay, okay, one hour.”

“Stick together, and keep the cops there until you leave. I told Sarah that you guys are to fly right back to Boise. I’ll meet you there in a day or so.”

“Did Sarah tell you about Florin and your business and that they are coming for you tomorrow? Oh Leo, I’m so sorry about Natasha.”

“I know. I am so sorry that all this SHIT happened to all of us. Enough! Get packing and quit talking. Don’t worry about Doug and me, we’re big boys. Tomorrow this all ends on my terms. My location, my way! By the end of tomorrow the threat will be eliminated. Never again will they threaten my family and friends.”

“Stop it. You are sounding somewhat deranged. I don’t like this line of talk. I’ll say some protection prayers for all of us.”

“Prayers are fine, but you don’t have time now. Say them once you are in the air. Give my love to my family and tell Traykie I said for him to go into protection mode and be vigilant and alert to any and all danger. Go now, love you.”

“I will, please be careful. You are so dear to all of us and there is no point coming home if you aren’t going to be there.”

“I will, Mom; now get to work.”

Leo hung up the receiver before Joyce could respond and moved to the couch under the bay windows.

Doug followed him and sat in the big blue chair opposite the sofa. “What’s up?”

“The whole world has just turned upside down. Shit. They killed our office manager, and burned down our business. They bombed Mom’s business and tried to kill my family all the way in Africa.”

“How do you know all this?” he asked; his face deadly serious.

“These guys aren’t playing any more. Do you remember Florin? He was the Romanian guy that lived with us for about a year?”

“Yes, he used to go paint gunning with us all the time. What about him?”

“He apparently has been working for the B.B.U.S.A. He called Mom to warn her that a man had been sent to blow them up. Furthermore, he told them to warn us that five men will be coming to kill us here in Challis tomorrow. He is one of them but does not agree with what they are doing and is on our side.”

“Can we trust him?”

“I believe so. Funny, when Mom told the Job Corps Center Director that she wanted Florin to live with us he said the same thing. He asked her if she could trust him with her life, because when you take someone into your house to live with you when you are sleeping, that is exactly what you are doing, trusting them with your life. We both decided then and there that we could trust Florin with our lives, I guess we’ve been doing that from the first night he stayed at our house, and here we are, doing it again. While he lived with us, his word was always good as gold. If he wasn’t on our side, I don’t think he would have bothered to call us at all. That had to be a risk to him as well.”

“So, what do we do about the guys coming tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure, you ready for a little war?”

“How in the hell did you get me into this mess?”

“What’s the matter, are you a little green? Has it been that long since your Army Airborne days in Desert Storm, or Operation Iraqi Freedom and your other tours to Iraq and Afghanistan? You’re supposed to be the warrior. I’m just a business man.”

“Hey, don’t knock it, man. You know I saw a lot of corpses on that highway leading back to Iraq, but I never had to pull the trigger once. I was not responsible for one death during my ten-month tour in Desert Storm. In subsequent tours, I manned the 60 mm on the Humvees a couple of times in active combat, but didn’t go inspecting the damages. I served my country proudly, followed orders, and did my tours with honor and respect for the people living there.

“I’m not entirely sure you know what we are in for. I listened to your headstrong determination on the phone. You used powerful words and I know you are pissed off right now, but what you are proposing is a little war of our own. I know you didn’t ask for it, but you seem too damn eager to accept it. I really suggest you think this one over a bit, bro. Either way buddy, I’ve got your back, and you know that. Just don’t knock my tours of duty because I’ve seen shit no one should ever have to see. This won’t be like paint gunning either. If the shit hits the fan on this one there will be corpses lying on the ground. Even if we survive unscathed, how do you think it will affect you in the future?”

Silence…

Finally, Leo spoke. “Sorry, Doug. Please don’t take my light-hearted sense of humor so personal. I certainly wasn’t dissing your tours. I’m extremely proud of you and your military career and what a true patriot you are. Your country owes you a large debt of gratitude. I was trying to add a little humor and I’m sorry if it offended you.

“I feel overwhelmed knowing that Natasha has been murdered, my business burned to the ground and my family narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. My Mom’s business is devastated, and the organization is still coming after us tomorrow whether we like it or not, intent on killing us. I feel responsible for it all.”

“How do you figure?”

“I’m sure Natasha was at the office making the copies of the files that I requested when she was murdered. They must have found out our location from her, too. Damn it. She didn’t have anything to do with this organization. She didn’t know a thing! Why did they have to kill her?” Leo put his hands over his face and let out a guttural howl of despair. “Why did I ever get involved with the B.B.U.S.A.? Dang it. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I knew better.”

Doug sat down next to his friend and tried to comfort him by patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll be ready for whatever happens tomorrow. You can count on me all the way.”

“I know I can, buddy. Thanks, it’s extremely comforting. You really are a remarkable friend, you know? Instead of wanting to kick my ass for getting you involved in all of this crap, you’re over here trying to comfort me. Because of my wanting to make some quick bucks, we have practically lost everything, including human life. How are my sons coping? Will they be scarred and traumatized for years after that bombing, perhaps even have flashbacks? What would you have me do, Doug? Run away, continue looking over my shoulder? Don’t you see, I am pissed, and I can’t live like this forever. I really don’t see any other options. We have to take a stand, once and for all, end this thing, don’t you agree?”

Doug considered Leo’s words and slowly nodded. “Let’s plan this thing right then. With five men coming, we are outnumbered. We will need a superior strategy. Most battles are won with good intelligence, better weaponry, advantageous position, and an element of surprise. Let’s start formulating a winning plan.”

There wasn’t time to mourn; that would have to come later. Leo forced himself off the couch and walked back to the phone, picked up the receiver and dialed his home number.

“Who are you calling, 911?” Doug tried a half-hearted attempt at humor.

“No, I’m calling my home to see if David is still house-sitting and alive.”

David answered the phone on the third ring. “David, this is Leo, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m okay now.”

“What do you mean by ‘now?’” asked Leo.

“Some dudes broke into the house a couple of nights ago and beat me up, but I’m all right now.”

“Oh David, I’m so sorry. This mess has gotten out of hand.”

“I just watched the late edition of the news and it looked like your office just burned down earlier this evening.”

“Yes, I know already. Listen up; these guys have killed two more innocent people. You may be next on their list. Go to our closet in the master bedroom by the gun safe. There is a file next to the safe. Grab all the files in the two lower drawers, grab a couple of guns, load them, and jump into my Bravada. The keys should be hanging on the key ring in the kitchen.”

“What about the cat?”

“Just leave Bart in the house with a couple of big bowls of water and dry cat food. Leave the lid up on the toilets; he’ll manage for a few days. Take off as soon as you can. Meet me at the old stone cabin as quickly as possible. You know what I’m talking about? The one you’ve wanted to rebuild forever.”

“Oh yes! I know exactly.”

“Do it all as fast as possible. I am sure this line is tapped, so they can hear our plans. I reckon you will have less than thirty minutes to get out. Take the scenic route.”

“Let me get a pen. You know me, I have to write all this down or I’ll forget something important.”

Leo paced the floor for the few paces the phone line would let him move. His frustration was reaching enormous levels while he waited for David to get a pen and paper, even though he did realize that with David, it was necessary. David had Attention Deficit Disorder and had learned to live with it by being careful. Everything was too important for him to get something wrong at this point.

“I’m ready now,” David’s voice came through the line loud and strong.

“One, put food and water out for Bart, and leave him inside and leave the toilet lids up. Two, get all files in the lower drawers of the file cabinet next to the gun safe.” Leo needed to be accurate and quick but paced himself so David could keep up. “Three, bring some guns and ammunition. Four, get keys for Bravada from the kitchen and get out fast. Did you get everything, David?”

“Yes, got it.”

“I doubt if you even have thirty minutes left now. If you are caught, you’re probably dead and we don’t have a chance in hell of ever breaking that code. What you don’t have we’ll get – don’t waste time packing clothes. Get the guns, files, put food out for Bart and get out of there. Okay?”

“I’m on my way,” David hung up the phone with a loud clang before Leo could even say goodbye.

“I suppose you already have a plan?” Doug asked.

“Well, just the start of one, Doug. We’ll meet David at the old stone cabin in Custer tomorrow, shortly after sunrise. He will have the files, so we’ll hopefully be able to break the password. David will be removed from the greatest danger, and if they find us it will be on our turf. Custer was the only place I could think of that David would know about, without saying it out loud so everyone listening would know as well. When he worked one summer at the Custer Museum up Yankee Fork, he always wanted to rebuild the old stone cabin that Old Lady Lou lived in, but could never get permission without extensive historical research. As a stone mason, he felt there was enough left he could just rebuild it like it was, but they wouldn’t let him. No one should be around this late in the season; they usually close after Labor Day.”

“We’ll take them in our old hunting grounds,” Leo continued. “Their pistols will be pretty ineffective up there. You have your .30-06 with a scope; I still have two rifles here at Grandmas and your shotgun and pistol you sold me. I have an old .30-30 here and Traykie’s semi-auto .22 with a scope that holds a banana clip with thirty rounds. We used it for target practice the last time we came up to check on Grandma and then forgot it here. If they ever find us, I don’t think that they will stand much of a chance against our fire power. If they don’t show, we will hopefully break the password and be able to have the necessary evidence to go to the press and the authorities and blow it all up over the media where they cannot touch us. What do you think?”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get the guns ready, and everything we need and get out of here. Too bad we can’t get into a gun store tonight. You never know, these guys could show up with their own little arsenal of weapons. What if they bust out MAC-10’s or even worse, AR-15’s? A couple of hunting rifles wouldn’t stand a chance.” Doug was ready for action, but still wanted to discuss strategies and explore different scenarios.