Surviving (14 page)

He grabbed her and told her to grow up.

              “Maria, do what you have to, but don’t trust the Government to protect you. There are no witnesses and perhaps with some luck all of us can go home and live safely. Scott, burn it down.”

              John pushed Maria out the door while Scott poured gas in every room, lit a torch and threw it into the office. The office blew up like a bomb went off and knocked Scott to the ground.

              Maria said, “John, you just killed two unarmed people. Can you live with yourself?”

              John replied, “Yes, if we keep these monsters from killing my loved ones, I’ll sleep sound at night. Remember, these guys cut heads off and tongues out just to scare people. They raped and killed that young girl.”

              The plan was for Maria to feign being knocked out and be discovered on the GAO grounds while the others bugged out. She already had a cut and a lump on her head from Red.

              Jim and Scott jumped in to the RV and headed for Mobile while Gus and John headed for an airport close to Mobile so they could get home and prepare for retaliation if it came their way. John would rent a car and take the extra weapons to his home in the middle of the night. They would wait a day then fly to an airport closer to Mobile. John started the fire and ran over to the DC 3, which Gus had warmed up ready to fly. They took off and flew straight to an airport just north of Montgomery so they could quickly get home from there. They would then fly to Satsuma to meet up with the RV.

• • •

              The four of them argued for the first 100 miles when Bill suddenly said, “Damn, we are not expected back for three days. We have time to camp at a different place to help our story. We all watch CSI and all those other TV crime scene shows; we have to come up with an unbreakable story.”

              Beth added, “Well we can sit around the campfire telling TV plots.”

They all laughed for a minute and then reality set in, their story had to ring true. Alice talked them into driving over to the “Craters of the Moon” in Idaho to spend their time. They drove over making sure they only paid cash for the one fill up. Alice was the only one to get out of the RV while Bill filled it up. She paid cash for the gas and supplies that she purchased and had a ball cap and sunglasses hiding her face.

              They skipped several high-end campgrounds and stopped at a nice, but nondescript one where their rented RV wouldn’t stand out. They had solved their major problem by making a large makeshift ice chest for Fred. None wanted a quickly decaying body as a roommate.

              They got their stories down pat. They all were fans of police TV shows and knew that their stories had to be good, but not appear scripted. The prepared central theme of being forced off the road, robbed, Fred taken hostage and the bad guys leaving in a hail of bullets. It was dark they had masks “yada yada.” They knew their families' lives depended on them sticking to the story and them not finding Fred’s body for at least a week.

• • •

              “You know this is just great, what the fuck is John Harris doing hooked up with drug lords and terrorists in a battle in the northwest? You just can’t make this stuff up,” said the guy in the dark blue suit to Agent Black.

              There were five men and one woman spread around the table. There was nothing in the room, but a table and six chairs. They had never met in the same room or same city for their once a month strategy session. They did not know who was above them or who supplied the money to cover their very expensive projects.

              They got an update on the GAO Chupacabras and John’s exploits then a heated discussion took place.

              The woman said, “We needed someone to take the fall for the upcoming changes in our country. Our average Joe Blow wants to make the changes, but does not have the guts to do the dirty work. Moreover, where are all of these damn skinheads when you needed a Socialist President killed? This has to happen before our President and his cohorts execute their plot against the USA. We had John set up to take the fall and now the dumb SOB screws up our plans. He was perfect since he rants and raves about our of control government and has the special services background.”

              The Blue Suit added, “Hold on, the Cabra’s are tailor made to be our fall guys, the shame is we have to keep John Harris from killing all of them before they take the fall. Make John and his dipshit friends National Heroes! The people will rally around John and us when we show them that these despicable Narco Terrorists killed their wonderful president and attacked them.”

              The woman said, “Can we tie the Iranians into the plot?

              Blue Suit replied, “Yes, we just have to make a couple of changes in evidence.”

              They all agreed and decided to adapt their plan to blame the “Cabra’s.”

              Blue Suit said, “Miss Brown, you handle the media and Agent Black will handle the Law Enforcement groups. Let’s make a HERO!”

              In a few weeks, their underground compound would be completed and they could stop all of this clandestine meeting bullshit and begin to make things happen. It was time for planning to end and execution to begin.

• • •

              The DC3 was about 75 miles from Satsuma when John’s cell phone started playing, “You’re So Mean” by Taylor Swift. While not a Swift fan, the song fit his ex-wife to a tee.

              John answered, “What do you want now, you got all my money?”

              Ann replied, “Okay smart ass, get someone else to proof your trashy books next time.”

              John quickly changed the tone of his voice and said, “Darlin’, what can I do for you today?”

              “I just wanted to make sure that you are okay, I heard on the news about the horrible things that happened on y’all’s trip. I know the media exaggerates a lot, but did someone actually get killed?” she asked.

              John said, “What did you just say, you heard what from the news?”

              Gus started cussing in the background and John gave him the sign to pipe down.

              John gave her a brief update and said, “Well, we tried to keep this secret so that there would be no retaliation from this bunch of drug dealers. Ann, this is a very well organized group with vast resources. They will be coming for us.”

              Ann said, “Well, it’s too late to keep it quiet; the mayor is getting the city geared up to give y’all the key to the city. ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN and everyone else is heading to Mobile to camp out at your house.”

              Ann added, “Well, first you can call off your PI who has been watching me for the last two days. You know I got my half of our money fair and square, catching me sleeping with Paul won’t do you any good.”

              “Ann, I promise you that I do not have anyone watching you, I have no idea what you are talking about and maybe you pissed some guy’s wife off. Look, seriously, it could be one of the guys that attacked us. By the way did you check on JoAnne, how is she doing?” John asked.

              She said, “I checked on her twice and all appeared to be going well. I saw her with David Meeks, the city parks commissioner on Friday. She does not seem to miss you one bit. I told you to bend her over the desk!”

Ann then thought about this mystery man in JoAnne’s life, but did not want to break JoAnne’s confidence so she did not bring him up.

              John suddenly said, “Ann, I am over you and won’t need JoAnne’s services. You won’t believe it, but I met the perfect woman for me deep in the woods of the Northwest.”

              Ann laughed and said, “BS, you are just trying to get me to stop trying to get you laid so you will forget me.”

              John replied, “Ann who?” He then hung up before she could answer.

              John started thinking about who could be following Ann. He finally thought that he would call one of his cop friends to look into it.

• • •

              Scott and Jim were yakking away about their adventures and then about how much they missed their girlfriends when they heard some big news breaking on the radio. Jim yelled for Steve to join them in the front of the RV.

              They heard, “While the details are still unfolding, it appears that a terrorist group has suffered a major setback in an attempt to implement a large scale attack on the USA. While sketchy in details, it appears that the Chupacabra Drug Cartel was plotting to shoot down several airplanes including Air Force One. The attacks were aimed at planes carrying DEA, Federal Marshalls and the President. Fortunately, for the USA, a group of hunters from Mobile, AL stopped them in their tracks. There was a furious gun battle and the good old boys from Mobile wiped the bad guys out.”

              The newscaster went on to say that, the FBI was on top of the case and had teams searching for other conspirators.

              Just then, Scott’s phone rang and John was on the line. “Scott, meet us at the Satsuma airfield. We need to get our stories straight, now we are heroes! Don’t get a big head. The Chupacabras will still be after our asses and now we know they know all about us."

• • •

              John called the tower for landing instructions and received a surprise; the attendant asked if he was the famous John Harris.

              John said, “I don’t know anything about famous, but I am John Harris.

              The attendant said, “I have someone here who wants to talk with you."

              The guy in the Blue Suit said, “John, my friend, I am with the government and I am here to help you.”

              John replied, “Okay, joker who are you and what do you want?”

              “I am with the government, one of the groups that you and Gus used to work for. I need you to land and taxi to the hanger at the far south end of the airpark. The reporters are at the Main Office and you need to avoid them until we talk.”

              John asked, “Do I have a choice?”

              Blue Suit said, “Well that’s a good question and no, John you don’t. However we intend to make you and your guy’s heroes since you screwed up our investigation into the Chupacabras, but somehow did it so spectacularly that our boss wants a hero out of this mess.”

              John asked, “What if I just fly on by and skip your sorry asses?”

              Blue Suit replied, “Another very good question. John, look to your east along the horizon and see the attack helicopters. There are three of them that will either force you down or shoot you down, your choice. I get paid the same. I can be your friend or your undertaker, again your choice.”

              John quickly said, “I think we want to be heroes, we are coming down.”

              They landed and taxied over to the hanger that they had been instructed to park beside. The hanger had five Black SUVs surrounding it and had about ten men dressed in black suits all around it. Gus and John got out of the plane, chocked the wheels and went towards the hanger.

              A guy in a Blue Suit walked up, shook their hands and said, “My heroes are finally here, come on in and join your friends.”

              As John entered the hanger, he saw his RV parked in the back. Suddenly Scott, Jim and Steve ran up to welcome them. They all shook hands and hugged one another.

              The Blue Suit guy said, “Well enough home coming, let’s get down to business. He told them to sit down around a table that was setting in the middle of the hanger. Blue Suit started explaining how John and team had to be heroes to keep egg off the faces of some high level men in Washington or face the death penalty for killing all of those innocent GAO guys. All or nothing! Heroes or Zeroes!

              John asked, “What about the Chupacabras retaliating against them?”

              Blue Suit replied, “First, we have them on the run; second, y’all are some big bad MFs who can take care of yourselves and third, we don’t give a shit if they kill you because you screwed up our operation. However, it is your lucky day because our boss cares about you sorry pieces of shit. He will keep a guard on all of your families for the foreseeable future.”

              John replied, “So we are the bait to draw the bastards out of the woodwork.”

              “Bingo, “replied Blue Suit. He added, “You assholes can keep all of the guns and ammo except for the fully automatic weapons. You are all ex-military types and can handle yourselves.”

              He then spent half an hour giving them their story.

              Blue Suit finally said, “Now you have your story, go meet your adoring public!”