Having Fun with Dycke and Payne Ch. 10

47. A Very One-Sided Battle.

Grigory stood in the turret of the Greyhound, holding the fifty-caliber machine gun. He was waiting for the first Humvee to reach the intersection of Appian Way. He could not believe his luck when he saw it stop for the traffic signal. He gave the go signal to the driver and his men and they converged on the small convoy.

His men had two problems: First, the left turn lane had an eighteen-wheeled food delivery truck blocking their approach. They had to go around it or under it to get to the limousine, from the southeast corner. Second, the right lane also had an eighteen-wheeled truck that posed the same problem for the attackers coming from the northeast corner. The six men in the two chase cars sat directly behind the last Humvee waiting for the go word. When they received it and started to open their doors, the cars on their left hand side crashed into them and continued pushing them until they were flush against the cars on their right. The men inside started firing their weapons and were cut down from three sides by the men and women of the FBI.

Grigory mistakenly took this as a good sign. He thought the attack from the rear had started, as the Greyhound took its position less than fifty feet in front of the first Humvee. He opened fire with the fifty-caliber machine gun, which cracked and then destroyed the bullet-resistant glass, in seconds.

The agents inside saw the fifty-caliber, and knew that the window was outclassed and dove for cover. The man and woman in the rear of the Humvee got out and used its armor plate as protection. They returned fire using the assault rifles, with the armor-piercing rounds the FBI had given them.

The FBI agents in the back of the two eighteen-wheelers exited the trucks and joined the fray, just as the group from the southeast corner started closing in on the limousine. The FBI showed them no mercy and cut them down in a hail of bullets before they reached the truck.

The men attacking from the northeast corner did not fare any better when the agents who killed the men in the car turned their attention toward them. They cut them down, en masse, as they lowered their heads to go under the truck. The men from the southwest corner had a longer distance to run to get to the point of attack. By the time they were halfway there, they realized that this was a trap. They turned around and rushed back to cover. As Gregory's' remaining men hurried through the bushes into the parking lot, they saw twenty-four assault rifles pointing at them. They stopped instantly.

Alana looked at them and said, "Fire." Not one round missed. If this was a contest, twenty of the twenty-four rounds were in the 'ten ring'. There was no arguing about who shot the other four rounds. Other agents ran north, to try to block the westbound escape route on Dorchester Road.

The men in the Greyhound were unaware of the devastation that had been wreaked upon their comrades. However, more and more armor piercing shells started hitting the RV and it was taking a beating. A dispassionate voice ordered the men in the vehicle to stop firing and surrender, or they would join their friends, who are already dead.

Grigory stopped firing and descended into the Greyhound. He told the driver, Yakov, to follow the escape plan to the Ashley River. Yakov put Greyhound into gear and pushed the throttle to the stops. For its purpose, the Greyhound was very fast. It had viewports that gave it a three hundred and sixty degree field of vision, without turning the turret. However, those inside it could not see what was going on above it. The Greyhound turned west on Dorchester Road heading towards Suwanee Way, at fifty-five miles an hour. If it had passed this way, a few minutes later, it would have been greeted by a hail of gunfire, which might have disabled it. Alana's' group was just out of range and they were pissed that they missed their chance to end this shit.

Gabby sat in the Jet Ranger helicopter, 500 feet above the fighting. She was advising FBI Agent Dick Gutting and Alana of every move the bad guys' were making. When they took off to the west, on Dorchester Road, Gabby said, "Five will get you ten that they are going for a boat ride."

Dick Gutting said, "No bet." He called the Sheriff's Department and told him to advise the people on the river that they were going to have heavily armed company, very soon, and backup was on the way. He issued orders to his troops, who got back into their trucks. One truck went west, while the other one went east. Many agents stayed along with the police to clean up the mess, secure the scene and to try to straighten out the traffic backlog, which now was over a mile long, in every direction.

Two cars did go through the intersection, undisturbed. The limousine pushed the disabled Hummer out of the way and proceeded to the Temples' house, with the second Hummer following behind. Everything had gone according to plan and while they were talking about it, Marti said, "Everything went better than we had planned it. We were extremely lucky."

Fiona replied, "It is amazing how 'lucky' you get when you have good intelligence, study hard, and put all the pieces in the right place. Then, you execute the plan, exactly as you practiced it a thousand times."

Marti said, "Smart ass!"

The professionals in the car seemed at ease, or at least less tense than they were before. The passengers were still in a state of shock. Even Dycke could not find it in him to come up with a joke or something to lighten the mood. There had been so much shooting and noise around them, silence was wonderful.

When they arrived at the Temples' house, Piker said, "Dycke, why don't you stay with us tonight?"

Dycke said, "Thanks, dad, but I've had enough killing for one day. If I am in the same house with Steve, I may be the next one to die, and I would not want that to happen."

Alletta said, "Dycke, you must remember, Joey will be here tonight. She can teach Steve another lesson, if you want?"

"Thank you, mom, but that is violence, also. I have seen and heard enough of that today. However, tomorrow is another day, and we will see what Steve is up to then."

Steve said, "Do I have any say in this?"

Everyone in the car said, in unison, "No!"

Steve said, "Dycke, I swear one day I am going to get you."

Dycke replied, "Steve that is exactly why you have no say in the matter. However, tomorrow I will be over to see Joey teach you a lesson."

Joey said, "Yes! I did not get the fire my gun today, because my job was to protect Alletta. Tomorrow, I can take my frustrations out on you, Steve. Isn't this a wonderful world we live in?"

Dycke said, jokingly, "Can I hear an 'Amen'?"

Eleven out of the twelve people in the car raised their voices and said, "Amen!"

One voice said, "Oh shit!"

Eleven people laughed. Steve chewed on his tongue.

Payne asked, "Is it okay if I come over and stay with you?

Dycke said, "Do you remember the bet that you lost?"

Payne replied saying, "Marti, Fiona, Gracie, and whoever else is there will see me!"

Dycke said, "They are sworn to secrecy. They will only take pictures."

"You are incorrigible. If I am naked, you will be, also. Then I will have them published."

Dycke asked Piker, "Dad, I own a newspaper, right?"

"Yes Dycke, you do. It is a daily paper in Cannes, France. It is exceedingly profitable, and runs pictures like that all the time. It will not be a novelty at all."

"I guess they can airbrush my face out if I want?"

"Dycke, you own the paper. If they do not do what you want them to do, just tell them that you will close the newspaper or hire new staff," Piker said.

Payne said, "Daddy, are you ever going to take my side?"

Piker said, "When your mother starts paying all your bills, I will start taking your side again."

Payne screamed, "Daddy, that's not fair. She has the first penny her great grandparents gave her. She is so tight with her money she probably does not remember where all of it is. When you told her she was a millionaire, I bet she thought it was a one followed by nine zeros."

Alletta looked at her daughter and said, "Do not be funny, Missy. Everyone knows that it is only eight zeros." Everyone in the car started laughing.

Piker looked at his wife, who had a sly smile on her face and winked at him.

As they pulled up in front of the Temples' home, Marti received a beep on her walkie-talkie. She put the earpiece in and listened to the conversation: Gabby was relaying a message that the men in the Greyhound were now in a twin-engine powerboat on the Ashley River, heading east towards the harbor. Units were being put in place behind them, if they turned around. The units in front of them were on high alert. The FBI had alerted the Coast Guard just in case the boat got through the defenses that were set up in front of them. Gabby announced that the boat had just entered the U-turn of the river and would be in sight in less than two minutes.

Her next announcement was, "Contact!" Two people in the boat were down. The boat was turning around, and the left engine was on fire. One man had jumped overboard and was swimming for the South shore. The man on board the boat was westbound. The engine was still on fire, but the boat was moving very fast; no one knew why that engine has not exploded, as it was burning like crazy. Dick Gutting cut in to say that the man who had jumped overboard was shot and killed, while attempting to escape.

Gabby called in and said, "Alana and company are lined up on the northern shore, waiting for the boat to pass. There is less than one minute, before they see the boat." There was a short, tension filled, pause, and then, "Contact!"

Over the next thirty seconds, a thousand rounds of armor piercing shells riddled the boat from stem to stern. Both engines exploded, and the man driving the boat was torn to pieces. There was not enough left of him for a positive identification.

Marti took the earpiece out of her ear and said, "It is all over. They are all dead, except for the computer expert in Switzerland and the lookout across from the airport. They will be useful to the FBI to return money to those who were kidnapped. I hope that some of that money will be given to families of the people that died trying to protect them."

The Temples stepped out of the limousine. They started walking towards the house and Alletta stopped, turned around, and said to Payne, "You have school tomorrow."

Payne said, "Oh shit! I forgot. Can I leave from Dycke's house?"

Alletta said, "You get to bed early. No, let me change that statement. You get to sleep early. Do you understand me, missy?"

Payne said, "Yes mother, I understand."

Alletta looked at Fiona and said, "I cannot ask you to be a hall monitor, but if you hear her giggling after midnight, shoot him."

Fiona responded saying, "I cannot shoot him. I am saving for a wedding dress and he signs my paychecks."

Alletta nodded and said, "Then move her to a separate bedroom."

Fiona replied, "I can only do that if he lets me, because he signs my paychecks."

Steve laughed and said, "How do you like it, mom, when he has you on this short leash?"

Alletta said, "I do not like it, not one little bit."

Payne said to her mother, "If you give me access to your money, I may come home."

Alletta turned to Piker and said, "Do you see what you have created? You told her that I have a million dollars and she has become a money-grubbing woman."

Piker looked at his wife and said, "I'm sorry, my dear. My tape recorder was not on. Would you, please say that again?"

Alletta reached down, picked up some loose stones by the side of the walkway, and threw them at her husband. Her aim was so good that every stone hit Steve in the chest.

Steve yelled, "What did I do?"

Alletta said, "It is not what you did, it is what you are."

Steve asked, "What am I now?"

Alletta said, "You are a man, and you take after your father."

Desiree went into a fit of laughter and Fiona had to hit her on her back to get her to stop. When they were able to look at each other, they both smiled at their 'inside' joke. After all, it was April Fools' Day!

48. Time and Tide Wait for No Man...or Woman

Gary opened the door to Dycke's house, after hearing the limousine drive up. It was going to be good to have company again. He loved his computers but sometimes one needed to talk to someone. He walked outside and greeted Marti as she exited the car and congratulated her on an excellent and well-executed plan. Marti told him that he was the reason for their success. The pats on the back for everyone continued throughout the day. Everyone involved in the shooting had to file a report. Even though this was under the aegis of the FBI, they had to take care of the paperwork, immediately, while everything was fresh in their minds. It would be gone over with a fine-tooth comb at the Bureau, to make sure some Civil Libertarian or someone from the ACLU could not come up with a complaint. It would not matter to them how many people had died at their hands, or how many more people would have died this time. The kidnappers had used deadly force to get money and death was the right way to end their reign of terror. It was served to them with the cooperation of the FBI, Interpol, and Dycke Schneider's private army.

Dick Gutting and George Smith stopped by at 7 AM, Monday, to pick up the reports and to congratulate Marti on her group's portion of the assault. Not one member of their FBI team had suffered an injury, and their superiors had given them high praise for their efforts. However, Dick said that he did not want to do this again, for a very long time.

Marti looked at them both and said, "Once in a lifetime is more than enough."

Dycke thanked both men personally before he left, and reminded them to send the bill to Mr. Temple's office.

Dick Gutting said, "It may be a long time in coming, because we have seized two very expensive jets at the executive airport. We have account numbers at banks all over the world. We will have to do some forensic accounting, and when you are talking about over seven hundred million dollars, and fifteen or more kidnapping cases to solve; you might not receive a bill for a year or two, if ever."

Dycke said, "Thank you" once again and left to take Payne to school.

Payne arrived at Northwood Academy unobtrusively Monday morning. She entered through the front doors, which students rarely use, because the parking lot was in the rear of the school. She had Gabby assigned to her, now that she was back at school. Gabby was thirty-one years old, and could not pass for a teenager. She had short, red hair, and a muscular build. Anyone threatening Payne, and seeing Gabby nearby would back off very quickly, to avoid an altercation with her. When Payne and Gabby entered the administrative offices, the secretary asked how she might help them. Payne laughed and said, "Hello, Mrs. Wilson, I am Payne Temple... the newly transformed Payne Temple."

The secretary looked at Payne with an open mouth and finally shouted, "Everyone, Payne Temple is back, and you will not believe how good she looks." The office staff, including the principal and vice principal, stuck their heads out of their offices to see the new Payne. They gathered around her, as if she was a movie star. The questions came at her, fast and furious, until the principal put an end to it. He said, "Everyone, go back to work. Payne would you go to my office and sit down, please?" He looked at Gabby and said, "Who are you?"

Gabby replied, "I am Payne's shadow. Where she goes, I am close behind. She is never out of my sight."

The principal said, "I will not have that in my school."

Gabby yelled, "Payne, we are leaving. Get your ass out here, now."

Payne was standing by Gabby, almost before the sentence finished, with a frightened look on her face. Gabby took her by the arm, and started marching her out of the office. The principal asked Gabby to stop, and Gabby did. He said, "Would you both, please, come into my office?"

When everyone was seated in his office, he asked what was going on.

Gabby asked the principal, "Have you read today's newspaper?"

The principal replied, "Who has not? That shootout at Appian Way is all over the newspapers and will be talked about for months. They said the kidnappers were after Dycke Schneider, the young man who had inherited millions of dollars."

Gabby said, "Payne, show the principal your ring."

Payne put her hand on the desk, and the principal's face went white. He said, "Please tell me that is not real."

Gabby replied, "Over thirteen million dollars' worth of real. The kidnappers were not only after Dycke, they would have taken either Dycke or Payne, because they are engaged, or any family member that was in that car."

"Oh my Lord, Payne, you were in that shootout yesterday?"

"Yes sir, right in the middle of it."

"How the heck did you have the courage to come to school today?" The principal asked.

"I have Gabby with me."

"Okay Payne, here is what I will do. I am going to write a note, for Gabby to carry around with her. I will talk to each of your teachers, the vice principal, and campus security to tell them that we have an armed security agent guarding you at all times. I am going to give you my cell phone number so you can contact me at any time. The vice principal's cell phone number is here, also. You have a lot of work to catch up on but I will excuse all your absences because of extenuating circumstances. Good luck Payne, now go to class."

Payne stood up and said, "Thank you, sir. This is going to be a very tough week. Everyone is going to want a piece of the new me, and I have to get back into study mode." She took off her ring and gave it to Gabby. She proceeded, a little fearfully, down the hall to her first period class.

The principal picked up his phone, as soon as Payne and Gabby left his office. He called Payne's first period teacher and everyone else involved, to let them know that she and her escort had his full, and unfettered approval to be together on school property, at all times. When Payne walked in to her first period class, the teacher did not introduce her to the class, she simply said, "Please take your seat." Gabby walked to the back of the class and sat at an empty chair, by the wall. There were whispers around the entire room. The students were wondering whom was the beautiful newcomer who had entered their class, and why was there a woman sitting at the back of the classroom, watching them.

The teacher continued with the French lesson and the conjugation of verbs and nouns and asking students, at random, to say a sentence or two using the words they had just learned. Then, she pointed at Payne and said, "Payne would you use these words in a sentence, please."

Payne stood up and used the three words on the board in a perfect sentence, and sat down. There was not a sound in the room.

The teacher looked around and asked, "Is there something wrong with this class, today? You have no nasty remarks to throw at Payne Temple today. No terrible remarks about how ugly her face is? You do not want to tell her to hide her head in a bag. You do not want to be mean to the ugliest girl in the school, any longer. How many of you boys entertained the thought that you wanted to date this girl -- or something less respectful, even -- as soon as she walked into the room? I hope she shoves all your faces into the dirt for the rest of the term, just like you shoved hers in the dirt, for all these years."

As all good teachers seem to be able to do, when she finished chastising her students, the bell rang and she said, "Class dismissed."

All her classmates surrounded Payne like a mob. They wanted to touch her, and talk to her, and Payne became afraid. It did not take fifteen seconds for Gabby to get to her. She was throwing students left and right to make room for Payne to breathe.