Making Friends Pt. 01

Taylor didn't hesitate, "No! Mark and I are public figures and we get our share of crazies, but never anything like this. Our philanthropic efforts shouldn't be threatening to anyone."

"What about business associates? Does anyone have a bone to pick over some business?"

Taylor thought for a moment, "I'll have to talk to Mark to get his perspective, but I don't think so. Our business dealings are always open and ethical. We're socially friends with most of the people we do business with and I haven't seen the slightest bit of negativity from any of them."

Sue pondered, "Would one of your charitable projects be a possibility?"

Taylor was quick to respond, "We have three projects going right now. One is focused on educational assistance for lower-income families. We're establishing programs from preschool through college all financed by an ongoing trust. I can't imagine how that would piss anyone off.

"The next project is the new museum that should be breaking ground soon. We have to finalize the eminent domain of the land. Before you ask, I don't think that could be the problem. The land in question is currently covered in condemned buildings and is a danger to the community. The landowners of record disappeared from the face of the earth years ago. The back taxes owed go back more than twenty years. It's a four-square-block ghost town.

"The last project is the largest we've ever attempted. We have an urban renewal plan for the old project apartment buildings. Many urban renewal projects focus on replacing old and condemned apartment buildings with modern retail businesses without much regard for the people that lived in those old apartments. Our aim is renewal with a focus on improving the housing of the people that live there. We are trying to improve the environment. If their quality of life improves, their outlook on life becomes less bleak. Happier people commit less crime and make better mentors and parents."

Sue was thoughtful, "I won't rule anything out, but the urban renewal project may be our best bet. There is bound to be a criminal element that would like things to stay just the way they are. Happy people are bad for the drug business.

"Dave and I will do what digging we can, and I'll let you know whatever we find out. I'll stay in touch. I'm so excited about Friday. I can't wait to tell Dave."

They ended their call and Sue walked out onto the dojo floor. Dave saw her and walked over with a concerned look on his face, "We're under surveillance. There's a car parked out front with two guys watching the front. There's also a new homeless guy hanging out behind the dojo. He looks the part, but his aftershave gave him away. Someone has taken an interest in us. What did Taylor have to say?"

Sue quickly filled him in on their conversation. David nodded along, "Whoa! Chet and Lacey huh? Wow, that's interesting. Dinner on Friday sounds awesome."

Once Sue finished, Dave thought for a moment, "As soon as she gets the police on board we need to ask them if they have us under surveillance. If it isn't them, it has to be our bad guys. We don't have much right now, but one thing I am sure of is that whoever is behind this has some deep pockets. Those two guys were professionals, hired hitmen. I think there is a one hundred percent chance that last night was only the first attempt. Whoever is behind this is heavily invested in removing Mark and Taylor Thomas from the equation."

Taylor called a short while later. Police chief Tressel bent over backward to help and told Taylor to have us call him directly. As soon as Sue got off the phone, she called the chief, "Hello, Chief Tressel, I can't thank you enough for talking to me."

The chief was all business, "Mark and Taylor are wonderful people and are a treasure to this town. They've changed a lot of lives for the better and deserve to be protected. Tell me what you need and I'll make sure you get it."

Sue got right to the point, "Are we under surveillance by law enforcement?"

"I'll check. Let me call you back in a few minutes."

It took him twenty, but he called, "I've checked local, state, and federal, and all were pretty clear that they had no idea who either of you are. Are you sure you're being surveilled now?"

Sue expected his skepticism, "Mark and I worked personal security for a few years. We know how to spot surveillance. If it isn't law enforcement, then we have to assume it's the gang behind the assassination attempt.

"Here's what I would like to do chief, with your approval. I don't want to confront them. I'd like to discretely find out who they are and do our own counter-surveillance. We need to know who these people are and their motives. We need to strategically attack their motive while Dave and I work on taking away any opportunities.

"I'm giving you a heads up, so please make sure your guys know. Dave and I are licensed for open carry and from this moment on, we will be armed. Our bad guys haven't hesitated to use firearms and it's damn difficult to punch out a bullet. We shoot hundreds of rounds a month to keep our skills sharp."

The chief grunted, "I took the liberty of checking you and David out as soon as Taylor called. As I'm sure you expected, and I'm just as sure that you know what I found. You're both former special forces NCOs with chests full of medals that you can't discuss. I've never seen so much blacked-out text in my life. I've no doubt that you're both skilled enough, but this isn't a battlefield. There are civilians everywhere and you need to be cognizant of that."

Sue responded directly, "We've both been in urban combat with civilians danger close. We know the risks and the precautions we need to take. It's too much to hope that the bad guys are as nearly concerned about collateral damage as we are. The sooner we can pin down who these guys are and their motive, the sooner we can come up with a strategy to deal with them."

Chief Tressel hung up after promising he would get the counter surveillance started ASAP. Sue and I met in the dojo office and I opened the safe. I handed Sue her holstered Glock and pulled out my own, "These should do for now. They have stopping power but shouldn't have much energy left when they leave the body. I don't want a through and through hitting a civilian."

Sue nodded, "If they wear body armor we'll need to go for the headshot."

We had additional weapons at home, some with significantly more power. Now was not the time for overwhelming force. Now was the time for subtlety while we collected intelligence. Our goal was to resolve the situation using strategy and tactics in the hope that overwhelming firepower wouldn't be needed. Both of us are well-versed in battle and how combat escalates. We both figured it wasn't a matter of if but when more firepower would be needed.

The shoulder holsters bulged noticeably through our sweatsuit jackets, but we both felt the bulges were a deterrence all their own. Someone approaching for an easy kill would think twice if their easy kill was armed. There wasn't a damn thing we could do about a sniper.

We hit the phones and started calling students and canceling classes for the rest of the week. The last thing we wanted was a dojo full of innocent civilians when things went sideways, and both of us knew that the odds were things were going to go sideways.

After the calls were completed we wasted time around the dojo while waiting for the chief to call us back. The risk was too great to leave the dojo with enemy troops set up outside. Sue and I try very hard not to walk into ambushes. Late afternoon Chief Tressel called, "We're about a hundred percent certain it's the Bronson crime syndicate. The two bruisers in the car are both known members. One of them is a lieutenant and a trusted guy. We're struggling to find a connection. The Bronson bunch is known for drugs and weapons. We can't see how the Thomas projects would affect them."

I gave it some thought, "Chief, I would like to dig into the details of the projects. I can't do much research stuck in the dojo and I'm not too excited about us exposing ourselves to a possible ambush."

The chief chuckled over the phone, "Watch and learn my friend."

Sue and I moved to where we could see out the front window without exposing ourselves. Suddenly a squad car came skidding around the corner and stopped grill to grill with the surveillance car containing the two mob goons. The lights were all flashing and the siren was going crazy. Alleged innocent bystanders started scattering. The cop in the squad car approached the window of the car with the mobsters. A short and direct conversation later, the cop motioned and the goons drove away. The cop looked over at our dojo, tipped his hat, got back in his car, and parked in the spot recently abandoned by the mob goons.

I laughed, "Yep, chief, I'd say that about did it. Thanks, we're out of here."

The chief chuckled, "Don't be in a hurry just yet. We need to meet and talk in person. I've got a squad coming for you."

At that moment another squad car pulled up quietly in front of the dojo. I got off the phone and we got into the car. A short drive later and a bunch of hassle about our weapons finally resolved by the chief, we were sitting in a conference room. I took a moment to share my thoughts, "Let's review what we know, or think we know, about our mob guys. I can't see a possible connection to the education project. Certainly nothing big enough to warrant hiring contract killers. I think the same logic applies to the renewal project. The mobs stay away from the projects for good reason. Not only are the mob types hopelessly racist, but they also don't want a war that doesn't at least make them a profit. I think our focus has to be on the museum.

"That entire area is condemned. Nobody goes there because it's too dangerous and there is nothing there worth the effort. That sounds like a great hiding place to me. You've got a huge area in square footage that's a maze of old buildings. You could hide a lot of stuff in there and it wouldn't be hard to keep an eye on it. Anybody moving around would be spotted right away."

The chief nodded, "Let's run with your idea for a minute. Assuming your logic is correct, we need intelligence. It would be great if we could get a good look at the place, and were able ot complete an extended search. That's not going to happen with any success. As soon as a cop shows his or her face, they'll bolt and I doubt that they'll leave anything behind."

I nodded, "You're right so we won't do it that way. We need a way to get their soldiers out of there long enough to do our search, and we need them to leave the stuff behind when we do it.

"OK, I think what we need is some event that they need to react to quickly, but that won't make them suspicious. A power outage probably won't do it. I'm sure they'll have plenty of batterie powered lights. Can't control the weather. A flood would probably do it, but those things are a little hard to make up on the fly."

The chief chuckled, "I believe we might just be able to make one up on the fly. Let me get with some folks and see what we can do. That brings me to security. I'm well aware that the mob guys are getting information from sources on the force. They likely have sources seeded throughout the city government. I'm going to limit who gets read-in on this and I'm asking you to do the same."

That wasn't a problem for us at all. We didn't plan on involving anyone else at this point. A cop gave us a ride to the parking garage and we headed home. Chet was waiting for us when we arrived. He stepped out of the limo and scanned the area as we walked up, "David, Sue, it's nice to see you both. Can we talk inside?"

We escorted him inside and he stood rather nervously. I shook his hand, "Relax Chet, you're among friends. Tell us what you need."

He got right to business, "I'm not enough to protect them. Lacy has some skill with a pistol but she's never been in an active shooting situation. Not to mention that I've got just one set of eyes and I'll need to sleep at some point. I need your help."

I turned toward the hallway, "Follow me. I need you to carry some stuff."

We went out to the garage and I opened our two gun safes. Sue and I had a mumbled discussion as we made our selections. I swapped out the Glock for my two 1911s, one on my right hip and the other on a shoulder rig. Grabbed the M4 assault rifle that I had heavily customized and rounded out my guns with a twelve-gauge, drum fed, assault shotgun. Sue was pretty similar with the exception of her lighter handguns and her own personalized M4. I got Chet to carry the cased rifles and shotguns out to the car while we bagged up ammo. Ten minutes after arriving home Sue and I grabbed our go bags and we were gone.

We arrived at the house much to the pleasant surprise of Mark and Taylor. Chet stood in front of his employers and friends, "I know you wouldn't ask Sue and Dave, but we need their help. I can't protect you by myself against a determined assault."

Mark started to say something, but I interrupted before he could, "Chet's right. He cares about you enough that he swallowed his pride and asked for our help. I'm ashamed that I hadn't already offered to help with security. My only excuse is that it's been a strange day.

"So, no being brave shit from either of you. You've been forced into a world that Sue and I know well. Let us protect you and you must not hesitate when we tell you to do something. Agreed?"

Mark nodded, "What I was going to say was thank you Chet, and thank you, Dave and Sue. We will follow your instructions to the letter."

Taylor held up a hand while texting with her other, "There is someone else you need to protect before Mark or me."

A young woman walked through the doorway and Chet smiled happily when he saw her, "Kala!"

She ran over to him and jumped into his huge arms. She gave him a big smack of a kiss on the cheek and he set her back on her feet. She realized we were in the room and turned toward us as her face turned beet red. She was absolutely gorgeous. There was no doubt who her parents were. She had her mother's amazing figure and facial features, and her father's dark hair and blue eyes. She was a fully formed woman, but I could tell that she was still very young.

Taylor took her daughter's hand and led her to us, "Kala, I would like you to meet two new and dear friends. This gorgeous woman is Sue and the hunk next to her is David."

She let out a girlish giggle as she looked at Sue, "Wow, you're really pretty."

She turned toward me and I could see the red rising up her neck and flowing over her face as her eyes met mine, "Hello Kala, it's very nice to meet you. You're as beautiful as your mother."

Her response of, "Uh huh" while her eyes remained glued to mine made Taylor laugh out loud, "I know honey, he does that to me too."

Kala looked sideways at her mother in question, but Taylor moved on, "Dave and Sue saved our lives yesterday and they are here to protect us. You must follow all of their instructions and you absolutely cannot leave the house without us with you."

I reached out to Kala, "May I have your hand?"

She tentatively reached out and I gently took her hand. I held it while I talked to her and gave it a squeeze when I saw her drifting off into fantasy land, "Kala if anything were to happen to you it would destroy the people that love you. These bad guys will use you if they can. So, no trying to sneak out when you get bored with us old folks. I promise you'll get your freedom back as soon as we can deal with the danger. Will you do what we say when we say it so we can protect you?"

Her face took on a fierce look, "Of course, I'm not some stupid airhead from some B horror movie. I'll help any way I can."

I grinned at her and tried to let go of her hand, but she kept holding mine. I looked down at our hands and her eyes followed. She saw her hand softly caressing mine and jerked it back quickly, "Oops, sorry."

Taylor stood next to her daughter and quietly whispered, "He affects me that way too."

Kala looked up at her mother in shock, "MOM!"

Taylor just grinned at her daughter, "David, Kala is a freshman at Princeton. She's home for the summer."

That answered that question. Kala was likely nineteen or twenty years old but from what I had gathered so far, a very innocent nineteen or twenty, "It certainly makes things easier having you at home Kala. I look forward to getting to know you better."

Sue and I went to work. We toured the house and quickly established rally points in case the house was attacked. Sue and I started a group text on our phones. If the family heard the text alert, they knew to go to the rally point which was the walk-in cooler near the kitchen door leading outside. Chet would alert the authorities while serving as their bodyguardhet set up a security monitor in the living room so that Sue and I could monitor the cameras.

Sue and I geared up as if we were going on patrol. Ballistic vests, Kevlar helmet, the whole nine yards. Then we settled in to wait. The most difficult part of operations like that for me was always the mental highs and lows. When the call to action comes, the heart rate goes up and the fight or flight instinct makes its presence known. That pretty much covered everything from the time we arrived home until we settled in to watch the cameras. Then suddenly, nothing. Hours of mind-numbing boredom. Boredom is dangerous. It makes you lose focus and needs to be fought. The hurry-up and wait day to day life in the military, while aggravating as hell, does serve a purpose. When you live every day that way you adjust to it, you adapt.

This evening Sue and I had no problem staying alert. We both knew that the Bronson crime family would act quickly or not at all. I thought the odds were heavy there would be an attack of some sort that night. They would wait until the middle of the night to execute the attack. Sleeping people are pretty much helpless and not much more than that when first waking. A few seconds of delay in responding to the attack could easily get them all killed.

It started just after three am. Sue caught movement on the camera and we watched as a truck approached the gates to the driveway. The truck moved up against the gates, then through them. The truck drove over the dropped gates and a big Cadillac followed behind. I sent the text message and hoped that they got moving quickly.

I went over and unlocked the front door, then moved back to my ambush position. My tactic was simple. If they had to break down the door the noise would give them away and they would come in firing. I preferred that they have easy access. They would try to maintain silence so that they could get to the Thomas family without a fuss. Sue and I planned to nail them while they were at the entry choke point and clustered close together. That would be much easier to do if they were complacent and not throwing lead our way.

The first guy in had a shotgun pressed to his shoulder. Sue and I stayed hidden as he quickly scanned the room. He nodded his head and moved forward a few feet. There were four of them in the room when the shotgun guy started moving toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. We couldn't wait any longer.

My M4 was idle on my chest rig and my 1911 was in my hand. I shot the shotgun guy, then moved to my next target clockwise. Sue was firing on targets moving counterclockwise. In three seconds, it was over. One guy had gotten off a shot and it knocked my head sideways when it hit my helmet. Good equipment will save your life.

Chet had the State Police there in minutes and made sure that the Thomas family didn't see the carnage. It wasn't pretty. Sue and I had focused on headshots which turned out to be the right move, although messy. They were all wearing body armor.