Justifiable Homicide: A Political Thriller (Robert Paige Thrillers Book 1) (45 page)

The advantage of using a knife rather than a gun is silence. Guns make noise. Knives don’t. The disadvantage is the mess a knife makes. The person doing the stabbing or slicing has to be very careful not to get any blood on himself and that’s difficult to do. The CIA showed Paige how to do that, but it was a skill best learned by practice, and that was something Paige didn’t have.

Another problem with using a knife was that you have to get up close and personal. Paige didn’t know if he could do that, especially with Santos. Stabbing him would be like stabbing a slab of muscle that had military training and that didn’t want to be stabbed. Santos was an especially scary guy, both because of his muscles and the look Paige saw in his eyes when he met him. He had the look of a killer. He looked like he had killed before, and his military background had given him opportunities to practice and hone his skills. The same could be said for Tomás.

Paige had some karate training and knew how to kill with his bare hands, theoretically. He had trained with Sensei Shigeru Kimura, a former all-Japan national champion and world champion in the Shukokai style, in Hackensack, New Jersey, and had studied Tae Kwon Do with Henry Cho in Manhattan and with Masters Brown and Cook in Fayetteville, North Carolina while he was a visiting professor. He even managed to win some medals in karate tournaments, but winning medals was one thing. Killing people with your bare hands was something else.

Paige decided to use his Glock on all of them. He’d just have to find an appropriate time and place, where there wouldn’t be witnesses and where the noise wouldn’t be a factor.

Although Paige had decided what weapon to use, he still felt uneasy about the decision to kill them. They were all family men. He’d met their wives and children. He’d be creating four widows in the process. Their children would have to grow up without a father.

Wellington caused him the most problems psychologically. He had recruited John. He and Sarah had become friends. He had had dinner with them numerous times. He’d watched their children grow up. He’d have to treat Wellington and the others as targets, not human beings, just as Sensei Kimura had suggested. If he didn’t, he would lose, which meant he’d be dead.

“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

Thomas Jefferson

“To preserve the freedom of the human mind then and freedom of the press, every spirit should be ready to devote itself to martyrdom.”

Thomas Jefferson

“Have you heard the latest? A lawyer for the TSA agents who were arrested for killing 14 protesters at the San Francisco airport is saying that the National Defense Authorization Act allowed them to do it in the interest of national security.” Paige and Sveta were listening to a radio broadcast by Howard Klein, a conservative national radio talk show host, while driving north on Route A1A to Hollywood Beach. They were on their way to a quiet dinner at the Thai restaurant on the beach. Sveta looked at Paige, a shocked look on her face. She reached for the dial and turned up the volume.

Klein continued, “The U.S. Attorney General’s office just issued an amicus brief concluding that the agents did not violate the law because they complied with procedures. It argued that the protesters should be classified as enemy combatants because one of them punched a TSA agent after allegedly being assaulted, kicked and stomped on. Ladies and gentlemen, I warned you that this kind of thing would happen if the National Defense Authorization Act was allowed to pass. Now it is the law of the land and my predictions are starting to come true.

“It’s time to wake up, America. I told you that this law would allow the military to detain and even assassinate protesters, talk show hosts, journalists, bloggers, or anyone else who holds an anti-government position. Now that there’s no longer any distinction between the military and civilian law enforcement, the TSA or any cop on the street can get away with murdering anyone they want for any reason they want, all in the name of national security. They’re not going to be prosecuted.”

The commentator continued. “I just learned that George Rothstein, the lead attorney for the group representing the families of the murdered protesters, has been arrested for treason. The U.S. Attorney General is alleging that his defense of the protesters is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. The FBI has frozen his bank accounts. The California Bar Association has filed papers to get him disbarred. The judge hearing the case is under pressure to dismiss the protesters’ case for being frivolous.”

“It’s time to stop burying your heads in the sand, America. These acts by the feds constitute nothing less than absolute tyranny. The federal government is out of control and the local and state governments of this country are afraid to do anything about it. Washington is pushing for federal licensing of all firearms, including the firearms used by local police forces. Once they do that, the only people who have guns will be the feds and the people they approve.”

“It’s our own members of Congress who allowed this to happen. I’m posting the names and telephone numbers of all members of Congress who voted for this legislation on my website. Let them hear from us. It is
they
who are the traitors to this country and to the Constitution. If we don’t do ….”

The broadcast went blank. There was nothing but dead air. After about a minute, music started to play. Klein’s broadcasts never included music. It was all talk all the time. It appeared that the American Gestapo was at work.

Sveta looked visibly shaken. “Robert, I really don’t like what’s going on in this country. I thought I had escaped all this when I left Russia. Why doesn’t somebody do something about it?”

“I wish I had an answer to that question but I don’t. The people in this country are asleep but some of them are starting to wake up.”

“Maybe
some
of them are starting to wake up but we need
all
of them to wake up. I don’t have anywhere else to go. I have made a life here. I don’t want to leave and start all over again.” She sounded stressed.

“The problem is that a lot of them support what the government’s doing. They believe the only people the government will go after are the bad guys.”

“But it’s the government who are becoming the bad guys. Don’t you understand?”

Paige turned toward her as best he could. He was driving. “You don’t have to convince me. I understand, and so do a lot of other people.”

“Yes, but not enough other people. I’m scared. The internet connection in my office has started to work much slower than usual. My boss thinks it’s because the government’s monitoring us. We recently got some government contracts.”

“Maybe that’s true, or maybe there’s another reason, but just to be on the safe side you shouldn’t send out any messages that you don’t want the government to read. Maybe I’m sounding a little paranoid, but you see what happened to that attorney who’s defending the protesters. The feds can do practically anything they want and there’s nothing you can do about it. At least not for now.”

Paige thought about what Wellington and his group were planning for Steinman and wondered whether they planned to liquidate any more enemies of the state that he didn’t know about. He also wondered how many cells like Wellington’s were active in other parts of the country and if there were anyone else like Paige who wanted to stop them. He hoped there were others like him, but all he could do for now was think globally and act locally. The interrupted Klein broadcast made him more determined than ever to do whatever was necessary to stop Wellington.

Monday afternoon.

“Hi, John? It’s Bob.”

“Hi Bob. How ya doin’?”

“Fine, thanks. I just got off the phone with Saul Steinman. Their next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday of next week at 7. He wants to finalize plans to have a massive student demonstration to protest the war on terror, and especially the TSA abuses.”

Actually, Paige agreed with Steinman on this issue. He felt very strongly that the war on terror was out of control. The TSA warrantless searches and abuses were only the more visible signs that the war had taken a wrong turn. He felt guilty reporting on Steinman. He felt sorry he had taken the assignment but he didn’t know how to back out of it.

“Thanks, Bob. That’s good to know. I’ll get back to you when we figure out how to proceed.”

After hanging up, Wellington called the Boss and scheduled a meeting to relay the information Paige had just given him. A few hours later they met.

“OK, I think it’s time to put this Steinman case to bed. Let’s get rid of all of them, not just Steinman. If we whacked just Steinman, one of the others might pick up the torch, although I doubt it. Executing all of them will send a stronger message. Get Paige, too. I don’t trust him after hearing that gibberish he was spouting at your barbecue. People like him are destroying the moral fabric of this country.”

Wellington was a little surprised at the Boss’s decision, but he was in basic agreement with it, although he wasn’t happy about the prospect of killing Paige.

“OK. I’ll contact the team and work out the details.”

“OK. Keep me informed.”

“Will do.”

After contacting Jim, Tomás and Santos, he called Paige.

“Hi Bob, it’s John. I’ve spoken to the Boss. We need to talk. Can you stop by the office in the next day or so?”

“Sure. How about this afternoon around four?”

“That would be fine. Give me a call when you get to the parking garage.”

“OK, will do. See you then.”

They met at the appointed time and proceeded to the alley.

Wellington spoke first. “I’ve spoken with the Boss and he’s decided to exterminate all of them at their next meeting.”

Paige gasped. The moment he dreaded was about to arrive. He didn’t know what to say, but he had to say something.

“Ah, OK.”

“You sound a little hesitant. Are you sure you’re with us on this?” Wellington could detect Paige’s hesitation. He perceived that Paige didn’t approve of the Boss’s decision.

“Yeah, I’m with you. I’m just surprised that he wants to get all of them. I thought he just wanted to kill Steinman.”

“Things have changed. He wants to send a bigger message. Anyone who protests about what the government is doing is guilty of aiding and abetting the enemy. That’s treason.

“We’re going to get together at my place Saturday around four to work out the details. Sarah and the kids will be in Orlando visiting her parents, so we’ll have the place to ourselves. Can you make it?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there.” He didn’t know what else to say. It’s all he could say.

Wellington continued. “I think we’ll proceed along these lines. The professors will start arriving around 7. Let’s give them time to get there and settle in. At around 8, you’ll make some excuse to go out to your car. That’s when we’ll come in and do it. You can just get into your car and go home. We’ll do the rest.”

“OK.” Paige didn’t know what else to say. He was stunned. The time had come and he wasn’t ready for it. Perhaps he never would be.

“OK. See you then.”

Tomás Gutierrez was at home, sitting in the family room in front of the TV. His seven-year-old son, Julio, was sitting on the floor reading a book. His wife Teresa had just gotten up to go to the kitchen.

His eyes were open. He was looking in the direction of the television, but he wasn’t seeing what was on the screen. He was thinking about the phone call he just got from Wellington, telling him that everyone in Steinman’s group was to be killed, including Paige and Steinman’s wife. The time had come to make a decision. He could either go along with the plan, or he could ask not to be included in this particular hit. He never thought about resigning completely because he believed that assassinating politicians and others who were abusing the Constitution was the right thing to do. He owed it to his family to do something. He couldn’t just sit there and let his rights and his son’s future melt away.

He briefly thought about killing Wellington, but that wouldn’t solve the problem. Not permanently, anyway. Jim and Santos could finish the job without Wellington, and even if he executed all three of them, the Boss would probably replace them with other people he probably wouldn’t know. He decided to call Wellington and try to opt out.

He got off the couch and started walking toward the garage. He had to find a place where Teresa and Julio wouldn’t be able to hear him.

“Honey, where are you going?” Teresa had just walked into the room with a bowl of potato chips and three glasses of Diet Pepsi.

“I thought I’d go to the garage for a second. There’s something I want to check on.”

“OK, but hurry back. You don’t want your Diet Pepsi to get warm.”

“It will only take a minute.”

As soon as he entered the garage he turned on the light, closed the door behind him and took out his cell phone.

“Hello, John? This is Tomás. I’d like to opt out of this one.”

There was a long pause before Wellington replied. “But you can’t do that. You’re part of the team.”

“Yes, I know. I still want to be part of the team. Just not for this one time.”

Wellington exhaled. “Let’s not talk about it over the phone. Let’s meet somewhere before work tomorrow.”

“OK.”

Wellington decided to make it as easy as possible for Tomás to meet him. “We can meet some place close to your office. Where do you suggest?”

“There’s a 7-11 a few blocks from the Carnival Cruise Lines offices. Do you know where it is?”

“Yeah, I think so. I can find it on the internet.”

“OK, let’s meet in the parking lot around 8:30.”

“OK, I’ll see you then.”

After they hung up, Tomás went back to the family room and Wellington called the Boss.

Tomás felt somewhat relieved, but also anxious for the matter to be resolved. He tried to enjoy the potato chips, Diet Pepsi and his family, but his mind kept bouncing back to the conversation he had just had with Wellington. He thought about what he would say and how he would present his case.