Starting Over Ch. 04

"Okay. Mommy?"

Maggie rushed over near the phone and started speaking. "Maddie, honey, are you okay? Is everything alright? They haven't hurt you, have they? They..." I shushed her by putting my hand in front of her mouth and her eyes shot daggers at me.

"I'm okay, Mommy. I just want to come home. How come I'm going to sleepover at this place?" They had obviously been trying to keep her calm by telling her lies about why she was there.

Before Maggie could speak again I took the phone off speaker. "Maddie, just be patient. I'll be coming to get you tomorrow. Everything is going to be fine." Maggie was trying to get at the phone and her father was holding her back. I nodded to him. She was making too much noise, so I walked into my bedroom.

The icy tone of the head drug dealer returned. "Okay, that's enough. You just bring the money and apologize to me and my friends and everything will be fine."

"Don't worry; I have the money right now. I can bring it first thing in the morning. I suggest we do it someplace public."

"No, we do it at my location or not at all."

"What's the matter? You afraid I might get away? You afraid you won't get your chance to kick my ass personally?" I thought goading him in this manner might work.

"Fuck you, asshole. I just don't want you thinking that you can play any tricks on me."

"Then I'll give you several locations and you pick one."

"No, it's here or it's off."

I thought by poking at his desire to personally kick my ass that he'd fold, but he was smarter than that. I also had no leverage. "Okay, agreed. Where is it?" He gave me an address. I wrote it down and showed it to Craig. He gave me the thumbs up. He knew where it was and we could work with that. "Agreed. What time?"

"9am sharp." He hung up.

I went back into the other room and Maggie attacked me. She was calling me names and yelling about her daughter. I just took it while her father and Craig pulled her away from me.

I directed everyone from the family into the other room. I told them to make themselves as comfortable as they could. Then I closed the door and turned to Craig and the three Rangers. I asked them for their first names. The two best shooters were Marty and Carl. The third guy, who was touted as the kind who could get into anything and take someone out quietly was Vernon. We sat down and Craig explained what he knew about the place. He also said that this guy was sloppy since he gave us the address the night before. He should have withheld it until the morning. He was probably just a cocky shit who knew nothing about strategy. He probably also assumed that we had our hands full with the family and could not call on assistance.

We went on Google maps and most of the area had been filmed, but the interior was still an unknown. It was a large warehouse in a line of warehouses, but we had no description of the inside. We figured that that was not his normal place of business. He wouldn't want to bring attention to it or burn his usable drug dealing location, but he either owned it or it was abandoned. Craig got on the phone to see if he could find that out this late.

Marty and Carl said they had just been to the range with their rifles and everything should be perfect for them to get a shot pretty well exactly where they were aiming. Anything within 500 meters would be easy. After that it would be a little iffy to be too accurate if people were bunched up. We studied the place and figured there was nowhere in or around that building that would require a shot that long. We discussed whether or not I should take any weapons at all, but we figured it would be immediately lost when they frisked me. We went through the most common scenario.

I would approach the building and be watched. Once there, they would let me in the door after frisking me for wires and weapons. All I would be allowed to bring in was the money. Then there would probably be a location within the warehouse where the leader and Maddie would be. They would take me there for the exchange. We decided that if I took the money in initially we would lose leverage so we decided that I would leave that outside with someone and go in to make contact. I would ensure that Maddie was freed before the money was handed over. I would use myself as the collateral at that point. After that, we were unsure about what the leader's goal was. He was either predisposed to kill me or he just wanted to humiliate me and make a point. We figured that if he just wanted to humiliate me or make a point that he would probably just send a couple of guys to beat me up and put me in the hospital. So we settled on the fact that he planned to kill me. That gave us plenty of motivation, especially me, to make sure we had a very good plan.

Since the guy made the mistake of giving us the location already, we decided it was time to check it out and put some more details in my plan to save my own skin as well as Maddie's. It was approaching midnight and the three Rangers gathered up their stuff and we left. We rode in Craig's SUV, a large Bronco. We stopped at a Subway and got them something to eat and I called my daughter to speak to her one more time. If things went south, I wanted to say bye, though I didn't tell her that. She was a night owl and was still up on the East Coast after being at a party.

We decided we had to reconnoiter the location to see if we could pre-stage at least the two shooters. We got near the location and approached a neighboring warehouse from the rear. There were several warehouses all in a line here that shared a common roof. Marty and Carl were going to try to find a place to set up for the night. Vernon was also going to get set up. He wanted to find a good place to maybe eliminate some of the drug dealer's henchmen as we got closer to the rendezvous time. Vernon also reminded everyone to do slow movements.

"Remember, quick movements really catch the eye. If you think someone can almost see you in the shadows, move very slowly to cover. The eye and the brain are immediately drawn to quick movement."

I grinned. Another military lesson that we never forgot.

We were able to get onto the roof of the neighboring building and make our way quietly to the building in question. The roof was flat and had a lot of items on it. There were air conditioner units, heat release pipes, and, fortunately for us, fire escape hatches. We found the fire escape hatch for this warehouse and started to open it. Vernon hissed at us and we all turned. He pulled a can of WD40 out of his backpack and gave us a big grin. He then sprayed any moving part on it. We cracked it open a little and there was just a momentary grinding noise and then it quieted down. Vernon just nodded his head at his smart action and smiled. We got the hatch all the way open and slowly crawled down inside.

The warehouse was set up with two offices in the northwest corner and it was wide open the rest of the way around. The fire escape was in the southwest corner and there was some equipment stacked in a few locations around the warehouse, otherwise it was empty. It was good that the roof, the fire door, and everything else around us were quiet, because we saw movement in the end office. We could also hear some music or a TV playing in that room. We maintained our position for about 30 minutes to see if there were any roving patrols, or any other movement, but there were none. Vernon, dressed in black with very dark skin, and well camouflaged, made his way down a ladder to the floor. He made his way stealthily along the wall and toward the office. When he got there, he crouched below the right hand corner of the window closest to the wall and then leaned slowly up to take a long slow peek. He was in darkness and well hidden. He turned to us and held his hands up against the wall. He motioned that there were 3 people in the room. He then used sign language, which I didn't get and it turns out that he and Carl had deaf brothers and spoke sign language to each other a lot. Carl translated softly.

"Three people. Girl is there. Two henchmen. Large, armed. Semi-automatics leaning against wall."

We all looked at each other. Did the leader really believe that we might not check this location out? We had snuck in, but had been ready for action at any time. Now it appeared that we could settle things tonight. Was there a trap? Craig and I looked at each other, both knowing what we were going to say. The Rangers knew it, too.

"Do we go now?" I whispered to Craig.

He looked around. "Better than in the morning." He called Carl and Marty close. "Carl, stay here and watch for others, but keep your weapon trained on that room. Marty, come with us to the floor. Stay back in the shadows and keep your weapon ready to shoot whoever comes out of that room, too." He turned to me. "It's your call, Colonel. Do you want to enter the room first or should I?" He held up a flash-bang grenade and grinned. Then he described what he wanted to do. "We'll have Marty drop something over where he'll be hiding and see if one of these assholes comes out. As soon as the door opens, we'll take him with a shot or let Vernon take him down. One of us will immediately toss the flash-bang into the room at the furthest point from the girl and then we'll enter. Leader goes left, next person right. We take the fucker down and get that little girl back."

I looked at Craig. These guys were going through a lot for me. I pointed to my chest. "I'll go first."

He nodded. He looked at Marty and Carl and they nodded. They looked at each other and Marty said 'left' and Carl said 'right'. Carl lay down on the small landing we were on and got into a good prone shooting position. The rest of us slowly made our way to the floor. Marty moved back into the far shadows and set up. Craig and I approached along the wall toward Vernon in a low crouch. When we got there, we told him the plan. He pulled out a long, serrated edge, hunting knife and nodded. He drew a plan on the floor of the office and where Maddie was. She was on a cot in the far, left corner. It was a great position for what we had in mind. We were ready.

Craig and I crawled along the wall, beneath the two windows that showed the office and got on the far side of the door. It opened outward, so it opened toward us. Vernon would need to get the guy coming out first, and then Craig and I would have to swing around the door to enter. Craig and I cocked our weapons as quietly as possible and I pulled the pin on the grenade, holding the handle down until we were ready. Craig waved at Marty and he managed to drop something that sounded like a tin can onto the floor. In that silent room, it echoed loudly. We could hear movement in the room and then the door opened.

It is said that all plans are only good until first contact and that was true here as well, but it worked in our favor. We had evaluated this situation like we were going up against professionals. But these were buffoons and they both decided to come out the door, the second guy carrying his weapon, but the first showing no sign of arms. Vernon was already moving at the first one when he saw the second one. Instead of killing the first one he quickly swiped the blade across the guy's large arm, sending blood flying and the guy to the floor and then tried to do the same to the second one. When the second one reacted a little quickly and pulled back, he missed. I started to stand up and shoot the guy, but Vernon dropped to the ground and yelled 'Go'.

Evidently, these guys were a good team and worked together because the cavernous warehouse was suddenly rocked with the sound of two loud shots from the rifles almost simultaneously. The two guys went down, dead before they hit the ground. Obviously, the left and right directions between Marty and Carl was their way of deciding who had which individual when shooting.

I turned and handed the flash bang to Craig, who carefully took it so the safety handle was held down. I then scampered quickly around the dead bodies and into the room towards the far corner. Maddie was lying there on the cot, her hands tied in front of her, her ankle tied to the cot, and a gag in her mouth. Her eyes were wide, tears spilling out, and she was shaking. I took her in my arms and held her as I removed her gag. She didn't say anything, just burrowed into my chest and cried. Her little body was shaking from the hard sobs and my heart was breaking for her. Six years old and exposed to this. It was unthinkable.

Craig helped untie her other bonds as I continued to hold her. I told her how brave she was, how she had been so good, and tried to make her feel better and relaxed. She had wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and was refusing to let go. I just sat there and waited for her to calm down. I heard Craig tell the others to remove the evidence and then I heard the sound of bodies being dragged across the floor outside. It was almost over.

A couple of minutes later Marty and Vernon came back and put the contents of the two guys pockets in two neat piles on the table. One had a cell phone. I looked at the two driver's licenses and then at Craig. He looked back and pointed to his watch. "It's 3:30. Do you want to wait for him?" We both knew who 'him' was.

I thought about it. "I would love to, but I need to get Maddie out of here and to her mother."

Craig nodded. "That's probably best." He looked at the others. They nodded.

Carl was smiling at Maddie. "You are such a brave girl. Very, very brave and smart." Maddie smiled at the compliment and hid her face in my chest.

I stood up with Maddie clinging to me like a barnacle. "We only have one vehicle."

Craig looked at the others. "Carl, why don't you drive Colonel Jackson and Maddie back to his place and come back immediately. We're going to stay for the big cheese. The colonel can come back after he reunites Maddie with her mother."

Carl nodded. "Roger that. Let's go Colonel."

We left and were back at my apartment at about 4am. I entered quietly, but Maggie was awake on the couch, head in her hands, and thinking about the worst case. When I entered she screamed and leaped the couch to run to us. Maddie finally released her grip on my neck and turned to her mother who grabbed her and held her in a return bear hug. They both cried and we woke the others because they came in, one by one, rubbing their eyes, but all gasping and smiling when they saw Maddie.

I turned to Mr. Bradford and pointed to the satchel on the floor. "Didn't need it."

He looked up at me. "Do I need to ask what happened to the perpetrators?"

"No."

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

He stared at me for a couple of seconds and then stuck out his hand. "Thank you for taking care of this so quickly."

I still felt responsible. "It was my fault; my problem to solve."

He looked at me closely, nodded, and went back to the group who were all touching and talking to Maddie. I went into my bedroom.

I let them have about 45 minutes to themselves, and then I came out of my room. I addressed them all, because they all looked up when I came in. "Okay, folks. You can stay or leave, your choice, but I have more work to do. I'll be back much later today."

They all just nodded and Mr. Bradford held my gaze for a couple of seconds. I started towards the door when a small missile barreled its way into my legs. I turned to Maddie and picked her up.

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson." I got a very strong hug from her.

"You're welcome, Maddie." I put her down and she raced back to her mother. Maggie didn't say a word and barely looked at me.

When I got back to the warehouse it was 6:30am, I didn't see any problems out front, so that meant that the leader had probably shown up and been captured by Craig and the boys. I walked up toward the warehouse and Carl stepped out from behind a dumpster. He grinned. "We have him inside."

We walked over and he opened the door for me. We stepped inside. Craig, Marty, and Vernon were sitting on chairs, having more Subway when we entered. The leader, whose name I had never known, was sitting in the middle of them, facing backwards in a chair, tied over it with his chest pressed tightly up against the back. He looked up at me with anger and I just smiled. "It's a beautiful day, eh?"

He just glared at me and the others chuckled. I motioned to Vernon, the closest individual. "Remove his gag." He did so and the guy just continued to glare at me. "Nothing you want to say?"

He thought about that for a second and then spoke. "If you let me go, I promise to never intrude in your life again."

"Your promises don't mean anything to me. I only believe promises from people I trust."

He glanced around the room. "Then you're going to kill me?"

"Isn't that you had planned for me?"

"Probably. I hadn't made up my mind yet. I wanted to see how you reacted to my demands."

I looked around the room. As I got to each man with my eyes, he answered. Carl nodded, agreeing with killing him. Vernon agreed. Marty did, too. Craig, however, stood up and came over to me.

"You think you will be okay with that?" He spoke low and kept it between us.

I looked at him. "I don't know. The man is a menace to so many people its ridiculous. On top of that he personally threatened me and a 6 year old girl. You think we should let him live?"

Craig looked over at him. "I just don't like killing someone so coldly. Maybe there's another way out?"

"Like what?"

"We have him rat on somebody and we check out whether or not that's a good deal with my brother. Once he rats on someone, he won't stick around here. They'll kill him in an instant."

I thought about it. "Okay, ask him. But the deal is that we have to have access to all his monies and we'll let him keep half. The rest we get to use for others."

"Sounds good to me." Craig went over to the leader, who was looking a little frantic, but controlling his physical reaction pretty well. "What's your name?"

"Ken."

"Well, Ken, here's the deal. We have decided that you have one chance to live. If you lie to us, you die. We'll give you an overdose of your own product and leave you here. If, however, you give us the name of your supplier, we'll give you until tomorrow to get out of town with half your money. The other half stays with us. What do you think?"

"75%."

Craig stared at him for a second; shocked that Ken's first words were a bargaining of the amount of money he could keep. "50% take it or leave it."

Ken hesitated and Vernon came over with a large bag of what looked like heroin. I was not sure, but they were. He looked up at me. "Found it over in the office."

Ken suddenly perked up. "Okay, 50%. I have about $25 mil in some accounts and I can move half to wherever you guys want it. The man who is our major supplier is Jon J-O-N Yong Y-O-N-G. If you let me go, I'll get my half and get the hell out of here. Just give me until tomorrow noon before you tell the feds."

I looked over at him as Craig walked away, making a phone call. "It's going to be a little different than that. First, we get a computer over here so that we can have you transfer half the monies to another account. Then you can do whatever else you need to do to move your 50% somewhere. Then we drop you at the airport. As soon as we feel you are out of the country, we'll provide the name to the Feds."

He looked around. "Deal." He was suddenly much more relaxed and I was amazed at how easy this had been.

Craig was over by the door and jerked his head toward the outside. "Be right back." He was gone for a couple of minutes and then came back in with a laptop. "You should be able to do whatever you have to do on here." He set up the computer, logged in, and then went into the office to make another phone call on his cell. He shut the door so we couldn't hear.