Standing in for Dad Ch. 37

To my surprise, there was no alcohol served with dinner. Sweet tea and ice water only.

0o0

Just as we were finishing up dinner the shit literally hit the fan.

The comms officer relayed a call from one of the reporting phones handed out to the populace for reporting crimes to Captain Barnes, Beth, and me: "We have a situation that requires your attention." Was all she said before connecting a caller.

Beth put her tablet on speaker and politely stated, "This is Lady Isabella de Sousa, how may I be of assistance?"

The voice of a young male snickered, "First, you can spread your legs for me! Second, you can pay me five million dollars if you wish to get your press people back alive and in one piece."

Brad, who was one of the Secret Service people dining with us this evening came over to my seat and whispered, "We have the press tagged with homing devices, we can find them. Also, we can track that phone. I can have the caller watched via Predator and the press located within 3 minutes."

"Do it."

Brad ran out of the room to coordinate those activities.

I looked at Beth and mouthed, "Keep him on for 3 minutes."

Beth nodded and asked the caller, "Okay, I am listening. How do I know this call is legitimate?"

The caller replied, "Easy, just try to contact any of the American President's press corp. But you can do that after we hang up. I want 5 million U.S. dollars in a Swiss bank account by the end of the day today or we kill one press member a day until we get paid, and the price goes up one million a day to pay for the bullet and disposal of the body."

"Well, I can certainly pay that. But I need to know they are all alive before I pay you to get them back. What can we do so that I know I have proof of life?"

"Nothing. You pay the ransom, or they die. If we feel like it, they will still be alive after you pay up."

Beth was silent for a moment, "That really doesn't work for me. You will need to send me a short, time stamped video showing me they are still alive before you get paid. However, we can discuss that later. Give me a moment to get pen and paper so I can write down the account number."

"Make it quick, I don't have all day you American puppet whore."

Beth waited for another thirty seconds and said, "Okay, give me the account number."

The caller gave her what appeared to be a valid account number for a Swiss bank but I had her switch two numbers when she repeated it back. This necessitated a repetition of the account number and by then, we had him. Brad poked his head back into the dining area and gave a thumbs up.

Beth finished the call, "Okay, the money will be in the account by midnight tonight pacific time as long as I have video proof beforehand that the members of the press are still alive. I need that much time to contact the bank and secure the transfer of funds."

The caller hung up.

0o0

June came in with maps. "They are being held in an underground extension to the police department headquarters." She pointed to a place on the building map that was actually located under the secured police car parking area. "There is a long hallway that leads to a set of two cells and the 4 Newsies are grouped in them."

We looked closely at the area. One of the Lieutenants mentioned, "This wall at the end of the hallway buts up against the underground access for the city's water main and is made of hollowed concrete block. We can use 250 grain/foot det cord with the heat shrink plastic covers we have to help direct the explosive charge enough that it will cut right through the wall. It will stun and disorient any guards on the other side and the dust will blind them. This can happen so fast no one would have time to react."

I looked for the nearest access and there was a manhole access half a block away. "Okay, I suggest we have two teams. One enters the main entrance and causes a distraction by blowing doors and disabling anyone in the front of the building. Time a second blast to occur exactly 5 seconds after the first and that is when we blow a hole through that wall with the second team. I will coordinate and give the go when the second team has set their explosives."

Barnes spoke up, "Heavylift, is that street wide enough to get your chopper in there for extraction?"

"Yeah, I can get it in there, but if they have any heavy guns set up in that building I will be a sitting duck. We need Ladyhawk and Batgirl to come in right after the SEALS begin their distraction and use their heat sensor gear to locate and their Gatling guns or missiles to take out any gun emplacements along the street before I come in. I will come in hot and land for only a few seconds, you SEALS need to be there when I land. Every second of exposure counts."

Ladyhawk nodded, "We got your back, Heavylift."

The L.T. Said, "We will give you a 15 second warning through Harry who will do the coordinating."

"So, at the 15 second warning the Apaches swoop in and take out the heavy guns, Heavylift lands and pulls out the first SEAL team, the Apaches cover the egress of the second SEAL team who will be extracted two blocks away," I pointed to another road that ran parallel to the one in front of the police building. When that SEAL team is clear of the building the Apaches egress to cover the pickup and we are out of there."

"L.T. can you give me an estimate of how long from blast to being ready for egress?" I asked.

"He thought for a moment, "If the press are ambulatory, 2 minutes. If we have to carry them, 8 minutes. Given the low ceiling of the access pipe and tight quarters, we can bring body bags with us to zip them in and we can drag them out and lift them up the manhole access with ropes if necessary."

"Okay, Heavylift, unload your SEALS over here," I pointed to a park 4 blocks away. "Craig! Make sure there is a troop transport there in 90 minutes to accept the SEALS and drive them as if it is a normal routine patrol towards the Police station. Have them let the first team out a block away and then go past the police station, making a U turn and letting out the second squad a block in front of the Station where they will wait until the first team is set and ready to go."

"Last thing, I want Overwatch with his sniper rifle on the building rooftop across the street."

Craig got on his phone and the SEALS went to gear up and let their people know about the new tasking order. In 25 minutes Heavylift was in the air with the Apaches in formation. A second Sea Stallion following closely behind.

Captain Barnes said, "Bill, Mary, would you two like to watch as everything goes down? We have good satellite pictures available in our communications room."

Bill nodded immediately and Mary eventually asked, "Will there be a lot of killing?"

I looked at her and shrugged, "When fireworks are set off, you never really know."

Mary gave out a whoosh of air, "Well the worry will be there either way, so yes, I want to watch."

Barnes then said, "Let's set this up in Harry's situation room so the whole family can watch."

0o0

Everything seemed to go like we planned it. Which scared the shit out of me. I had the Predator downloading its tracking of our caller on one screen (who was in the Chief's office at the time) and I was tied into the helmet cams of both of the Apaches on two other screens. A fourth screen had a deep look satellite keeping track of our reporters who had not been moved.

0o0

"Team one to scrappy pappy, in position and ready to rock and roll."

"Copy Team one. Overwatch, you in position?"

"Overwatch is in position. Thermals show no heavy guns at this time. Over."

"Team two, make your approach. Overwatch, take out any threats you see when Team two crosses the road, over."