Comeuppance Pt. 04

"Danny, Elias, did I get that right?" They nodded, chuckled, and Danny said, "Yeah, that's close enough, although I remember something about the profound desire of the administration to help us do those things."

Rene continued, "Anyway, we put together a lengthy wish list, since they were offering and the price was right. Unbelievably, they didn't even flinch!" he exclaimed. "So, three reconnaissance and surveillance drones will arrive tomorrow, with a second MRAP. The first arrived while you were in San Antonio, along with a couple of RPG's of our own.

"We're also getting some damn nice body armor, a bunch of advanced assault rifles and tactical shotguns, and plenty of magazines and ammo. Hell, we're even getting a helicopter from the DoD! It's a Bell UH 1 Huey that has been upgraded with all the bells and whistles! We actually share it with Coyote County to our west, but it is housed here and the pilot will live here.

"Most counties with helicopters complain they can't get pilots, but our pilot fell into our laps. He's a big, scary-looking, tattooed-up red-haired Irishman named O'Leary, who has combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"First thing he did is tell us that we needed 'to properly arm that old piece of shit,' and helped us amend our order. DoD fuckers didn't blink at that either, and Homeland didn't blink at funding three new positions to 'reduce our personnel shortage.' Red's getting one of those as copilot / weapons officer, but he's also an experienced helicopter pilot who can fill in when Red's off, assuming we can hire a second pilot / deputy, as the position funding calls for.

"The other is a skilled UAV pilot! He's going to train three of our deputies, including Danny-boy, to operate the UAVs, so we'll always have backup.

"So, long story short, a few scoundrels from back east get shot up, a gang from New Jersey tries to kill your heroic sister and wife, and suddenly Cow County's got firepower like LA SWAT, and an eight-year maintenance budget to keep it all in working order!"

They exchanged looks and shook their heads in disbelief, and then sat down to get serious about planning. The toys were fine and dandy, but Clay and the girls were in danger right now in San Antonio, where the weapons were no help.

****

Sean (Red) O'Leary was the irrepressible force Rene had described. Brash, opinionated, foulmouthed, straightforward, and yet both personable and highly creditable, he joined the LEOs at Jack's table early the next morning for breakfast and coffee. Jack poured a second cup for everyone, and began, "Red, we are working on a plan to secure my wife and sister, who have a bounty on their heads. We want to share that with you, and ask for..."

Red leaned back, chuckled deeply, and said, "Let me stop you right there; I'm not here by chance! In fact, the Sheriff didn't recruit me; I recruited him. I'll give you a little background, and then we'll talk. I don't want to start this off on false footing.

"By the time the withdrawal from Afghanistan was completed, many of the special operators of the 75th Ranger Regiment were disheartened, and exhausted from overuse, including me. Captain Cross resigned first, and he was followed into retirement by myself and a dozen of my best friends from Delta Company of 1st Battalion.

"We all took some time off to unwind and acclimate to the real world. I was offered commercial jobs, but chose to pilot a search and rescue helicopter in Dallas. That wasn't really my thing, but it was a way to be useful and make money, so I did it.

"Captain Cross was living in McKinney, several members of our unit had relocated to DFW, and we got together every weekend. Everyone was employed in the private sector, just going to work and back, doing time and getting paid, but bored and dissatisfied.

"One night over a few beers, we came up with a plan to offer a range of security services, and Delta Cross was born. We're all equal partners, but we spent too much of our money getting land, buildings, and equipment for our business, so many of us have taken other jobs to pay our expenses. Don't get me wrong - our new business is doing okay. Hell, it's slowly beginning to make money, but - we miss having a reason besides money for getting up every morning.

"When the assholes were assassinated down here, we tried to figure out which branch of the service the assassin came from. In our opinions, the kills were too neat to be anything other than a special operator, but we didn't see any signature signs.

Our unit intelligence officer, Charlie, showed up ten days later, opened his laptop, and wove a fascinating tale of widespread intrigue, betrayal, and most un-American activities by elected officials and their influencers. That story caused us to get stinking drunk and spend the night scattered around on the floor of Captain's house.

"We talked about it over coffee the next morning, grew even more offended, and decided we had to know everything we could about the offenders and their stalker. 'This just might be the cause we've been looking for,' Charlie said, and we agreed.

"Hell, we didn't risk our lives for ten years or more protecting democracy, only for Democracy to be usurped by Kakistocracy. If you don't know the term, Gentlemen, it means government by the worst, least-qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.

"Charlie had run up against a brick wall in cyberspace, and the Captain's sources dried up as more and more important people were pulled into the quagmire. Speculation was rampant about 'who else is involved,' but arrests ceased. We didn't know if that meant the wicked ones had all been arrested, or a cover up for the others was in force.

"And then the hired guns came after Jack and his ladies. That was enough for us - we no longer had any doubts that the purge of the guilty was incomplete, so we jumped in neck deep. I went after this job, Charlie went to the dark web, and Capt'n worked his sources in DC. It took several days and many bitter complaints from Charlie about being blocked by some mysterious force online, but we got the gist of the story on day three.

"After a few days, I verified a few critical things down here, most having to do with Jack, and a plan was developed. Just in time, it seems.

"After the sheriff invited me to this meeting, I called the Captain. Delta Cross will provide security for April, Janice, Clay, and Jack, and we'll do it for whatever Jack was prepared to pay whomever he hired. Believe me, our guys are worth much more than any other private security group you can get, yet, in this case, they are willing to work for expenses and a little toward our bank note.

"Why? Because you know and we know there is more to come, and we strongly suspect you guys - or at least Jack and Alfred, know a lot more than you've disclosed, about the immoral men and corruption that is destroying this country!"

Jack looked quizzical, then asked, "What do you think, Alfred?"

"Mornin' boss, High Sheriff, Deputy, Trooper, and Ira. How's about you adjourn to the basement so the three of us can see you better?"

Everyone at the table looked confused. "So this is Casper?" Jack asked.

"Sure looks like it!" Alfred replied in a delighted voice, "But we'll know more soon enough."

O'Leary frowned, asked himself 'Ira' - how did he know? The LEOs chuckled at Alfred's voice materializing out of the ether, and Jack invited everyone to get a refill before moving to the living room. Once ensconced in front of the bank of monitors in the basement, Jack looked directly at it and said, "Do we need to formally introduce ourselves? It seems like you guys already know us."

"I'm Abraham Cross, and I'm with Charlie Callaghan. Charlie and Red have told us so much about you we do feel like we know the four of you - but who is Alfred? Charlie says he's a formidable foe in cyber world, but that's all we know."

"Capt'n, that's not exactly what I said," a new voice corrected via the monitor. "I said, 'I've fought tougher men, but I really can't remember when'."

Alfred chuckled, and then, sounding vaguely like Johnny Cash, replied, "He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile."

"Sue! I knew it was you! Damn it's good to know I'm not losing my superpowers!"

"Hey, Croc! Where's Mule?" Alfred answered.

"Her old man was a lifer, so she's sticking it out for another tour to please him. But that's good; she's helpful, being there in the pentagon.

Red had perked up as the cyborgs chatted back and forth. "So Alfred is The Boy named Sue?"

"He's one and the same, I.R.A. - the guy that kept us from getting slaughtered at Khanabad, among other things! And as much as you and I want to relive and rehash it all with him, we've got a major storm brewing in San Antonio, and a Category 5 to deal on the east coast. Captain..."

"Let me give you a bit more background before we launch into our current problem, and assure you we aren't trying to take over," Captain Cross interjected. "Let's make that clear - we want to be your allies in these operations, not step in and direct them."

"Look, Captain, we called Red in this morning to ask for his help in securing the women," Jack stated. "The law enforcement officers here with me are skilled in their professions, but I think I can say on their behalf that none of us knows what you guys know about the world we've been sucked into.

"I can stalk and kill, I can defend my home, and maybe I can hire a security team to keep them safe until they are back down here on my turf, but I have no idea how to deal long term with the committed enemies April and Janice have acquired. And as committed as they are, their commitment will grow exponentially in the near future!

"I'm not willing to talk about that except in person, in an absolutely safe setting, such as a Faraday Cage. I happen to have one here, so that's one option; do you have others?"

"We can be there for breakfast tomorrow," the Captain replied. "Will that work?"

Jack looked at the others at the table for confirmation, and then answered. "Yes, Captain Cross that would be ideal. We're looking forward to actually meeting you."

"And I'm looking forward to meeting the Croc in the physical world," Alfred/Sue interjected, "so I'll also be back early tomorrow, Boss. Now that I know my nemesis really is a friendly ghost I can get a lot more done, so I'm about to disappear on ya."

"Before you go, we're going to need a little of that ready cash for this next exploit."

"No prob - it will be there when you need it. Hasta la vista."

"Captain, how soon can you detail someone to look over Clay and Janice? I think April is probably safe as long as she's confined within Fort Sam Houston, but I'm growing more concerned by the moment about my sister and cousin, given who we're facing."

"We sent men to San Antonio after talking to Red last night, so they are already in place, Jack. For now, they are maintaining overlook. Please let your sister and cousin know they have security and that the team plans to meet with them tomorrow on the base - your wife too, if she will allow it.

"Don't worry; we have connections at JBSA-Fort Sam and are welcome there."

"I'll make that call when you hang up," Jack assured him.

They said their goodbyes, and the voices went silent.

After sitting in just long enough to have a say, Jack left Red and the LEOs engaged in planning and coordination. He spent the first half of the afternoon with Ernesto de la Hoya, his segundo (second-in-command) at the business. After that, he met with Bud Allee and Jose Hernandez about the cattle operation, and then with Tomas Martinez about the farming operation.

Jack was exhausted by 8:30, so he bathed, got ready for bed, and called Janice. She put him on speaker so Clay could participate in what she assumed would be a friendly call, but Jack kept it low key and quick. "Been busy as a bee hive today and I'm flat-out exhausted, but there are couple of things I want to let you in on before I hit the bed. First, some of my associates are going to meet with you tomorrow. I don't know when or where yet, but be prepared. They will have important documents I need both of you to review and sign - April too.

"Second, I'm swamped down here, and it seems that April is going to be tied up with physical and occupational therapy for a while, so I'd appreciate it if you two could come help out for a couple of days. We can divide up the duties, do some planning for the next week or two, and then we can take turns helping April as her rehab progresses."

Anticipating her resistance, Jack stated, "Sis, I know you want to be there for her all the time, but I really do need the two of you here for at least a day or two. We'll spend some of the time getting prepared for April's return, so it will benefit her too. Let her know tomorrow after you speak with my associates, who will drive you down here. You can leave the pickup on the base, okay?"

Janice began her protest, but Clay interrupted. "Cuz, if he didn't need us, you know he wouldn't ask. Let it be, do as he asks, and we'll be back with April in a day or few.

Turning back to the phone, Clay said, "Bro, we'll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep - you sound like shit."

****

Maybe it was the exhaustion that sapped his body but left his mind revving, dreaming vividly of the world and the woman he lost. April appeared as the most gorgeous and athletic cheerleader he'd ever seen, bouncing around on the sideline as he ran for touchdowns when they were sophomores. April in her cute little tennis skirt, winning district, regional, and state, while he cheered from the bleachers; and April as the most beautiful prom date in school history.

He awoke during the hot makeout session after the prom, got up to pee, and went back to bed after trying to clear his mind. Instead, as soon as he drifted off, April in white walked regally down the aisle on the arm of her father, her eyes locked on his with every measured step. April, dominating the reception with her joy and excitement, and then devilishly torturing him, keeping him stiff during the drive to the airport in San Antonio and the flight to the Yucatan.

Once they were in the honeymoon suite at the resort on the Costa Maya, he learned that what had heretofore been 'the greatest sex of his life' was a mere prelude to the symphony of married sex.

Physically, naked April was absolute perfection; sexually, she was the flexible, athletic dynamo he, and every other male who had seen her since puberty, thought she could be. They took the tours, saw Tulum and the pyramids, sunbathed on the white sands, and swam in the azure Caribbean; but mostly they fucked, or made love. Their mutual attraction knew no bounds, and, at age 21, they were indefatigable.

No, they weren't virgins; they had become satisfied lovers over the past three years; or so they thought. Somehow, the ceremony and the exchange of rings transported their love and lust upward, onto a new plane, and they found layers upon layers of satisfaction neither could have imagined. They had been in love since junior high, but the love they felt as they boarded the return flight transcended anything they had experienced or believed possible.

****

Awakening at 4:42, Jack felt even more confused and sorrowful. How could a love like theirs become a tragedy like the one they were living, and had been living for more than a year? The joy, the promise, the immaculate future they envisioned, wiped away by wicked, dishonorable, deceitful, and despicable men.

Jack's confused sorrow blew like a breeze across the smoldering embers of the rage that has driven him since he learned of their treachery, stirring and inflaming the glowing coals he kept banked.

That rage had erupted like molten lava upon those he believed were the primary perpetrators of April's fall from grace, obliterating them from the earth and charring an undetermined number of their minions and co-conspirators.

Now, he knew that the architect, engineer, and CEO of the extortion and slavery ring still lived and reigned on K Street, and that he had hired mercenaries to extinguish the remnants of the lives he had ruined. Luring him out of his fortress existence was unlikely, as was penetrating it to bring justice.

To a vengeance-filled fanatic like Jack, however, those were merely problems to solve, obstacles to overcome. He would willingly die for his cause -he had, after all, lost his soul in the cold winds of November - but he intended to take as many derelicts as possible with him... including The King!

Having consumed three cups of coffee, the digital New York Times, and the San Antonio TV news and weather before seven, he welcomed the click of the kitchen door latch. Alfred cracked the door open, called out, and entered when Jack invited him to. They greeted one another while Alfred poured himself a cup, and then sat across the kitchen table.

Alfred's grin split his face. "Boss, once we're in the cage, Croc and I have some mind-blowing shit to divulge! Once we knew we were our own nemeses, we got a lot of shit done in a hurry working together!"

"Well, Sue," Jack replied with a grin of his own, "I've also got some mind-blowing shit to divulge! And, later today, we're gonna get a boatload of shit that is preposterously other-worldly, so you two need to get ready to increase your workload exponentially!"

****

Two vans arrived at 8:20 and parked in the barn, away from prying eyes. Rene, Elias, Danny, Ira, and two strangers made their way to the house, carrying three camo footlockers/ammo boxes that took one man on each end. Four strangers followed, each with a suitcase-size wheeled black case.

"Jack, meet our three newest hires - Josh Abbott, Wayne Shillings, and Jesus 'Chuy' Jimenez. Josh and Wayne are helicopter pilots slash deputies, and Chuy is the deputy slash Unmanned Aerial Vehicle pilot I told you about yesterday! Interestingly," Rene said with a wink, "they all know Red, and the four guys you'll meet in a moment; Captain Cross, Charlie the Croc, Top Kick, aka Wash, and Lt. Dan."

After introductions, Jack invited the men to grab a Styrofoam cup of coffee from the restaurant-sized coffeemaker and join him in the basement. Captain Cross interrupted, "Jack, if you don't mind, Charlie, Red, and I will join you, but everyone else is going to be setting up equipment for a while. Your home, barn, and ranch are the perfect headquarters for our work, but we need all our electronic gear in place to add a layer of security from threats, whether human, cyber, or airborne."

They broke for lunch at one - carne asada tortas and chicken tortilla soup, delivered fresh by Uncle Mauricio's Café in Cowtown. No one was ready to go back to the basement until the meal settled a bit, so all dozen loaded into the Sheriff's sixteen-passenger van and rode around the ranch. Red and Josh had flown the helicopter over the place to get the lay of the land from a military perspective, and Chuy had flown AUVs over it during daylight and dark for the same reasons. They led the tour, and discussion of defending the ranch headquarters from intruders or aircraft.

'How sweet it would be,' Jack thought, 'if we could lure His Highness and his underlings out here, rather than having to take them on their own turf.' He knew it was wishful thinking, but these guys knew their shit, and, with the weapons at the Sheriff's disposal, they could set a deadly trap. The question was; what bait could they possibly use to draw The Man and His Minions to a Brush Country ranch? None he could think of.

The reconnaissance ride was over and they were back at the house by four, just in time to greet Janice and Clay and to be introduced to Corky MacGregor and Eddie Peterson, their security team. They crowded into the basement, activated the various security systems, and Jack put Janice on the spot.