The Ghost Ch. 02

He looked at her eyes with ferocity, "You have exactly two hours, after that, I'm leaving."

***********

In an undisclosed location - Mexico 0800

Kelsey woke up, her arms over her head. Her head felt as it was split open and she could only see through one eye, her other swollen shut. She looked up and found her wrists were bound in cuffs, dry blood from where they had cut into her skin. She looked around and noticed the stone walls surrounding her. Sunlight poured through an opening high behind her. All she could remember was when the men overtook her position and the stock of the rifle hitting her in the head. She closed her eyes and thought about Mark.

The door slammed open from a Hispanic man, dressed in a nice suit. He was accompanied by another well-dressed European maybe. "What do we have here? Were you looking for me Chica?"

Kelsey did not answer, she just looked at the man in front of her with blurry vision.

The bigger European looking man drew her head back and backhanded her, causing her lip to split open. Instantly the metallic taste filled her tongue as the pain traveled across her face. "Answer the man when he speaks to you bitch."

She looked back at the man and spat some blood in his direction, and when he was about to strike, the Hispanic man stopped him. "I like women with some fire in them. Let's play Chica, who are you working for?"

She looked over at him, her vision clearing slightly, "Who says I work for anyone? Even if I did, they won't acknowledge me, even if you wanted them to."

Juan looked over at Vladimir, "See, I told you she had fire, and she's smart."

Vladimir smiled back at him, "she has a nice body too, I'd like a piece of it."

"Soon enough big guy." Juan walked over to her and ran his hand through her blood-soaked hair. "My boys really roughed you up. Don't make me do anymore damage to your beautiful skin. Tell me what I want to know, and we can end this quickly."

She shuddered at his words, not even a year ago, she was in a room like this and had several men taking turns hurting her, abusing her. She would want to die quickly, and not suffer like her sister Lilly had. "I was on a mission to capture Juan Guijosa; which I assume you are him."

"So, you weren't here to kill me? Interesting." He let her head go and walked toward the opposite wall. "The United States sent you, am I correct?"

"Y-yes."

"Bueno see how easy this was, Chica. No more hitting, no more pain, just a conversation." He walked back over to her and bent down to look her in the eyes. "I already knew everything, I just wanted to see if you would tell me the truth. You see Kelsey," Her face went pale, "I've known about you for a long time, and since we are friends now, I think we should celebrate this occasion."

She did not like the sound of his voice, the pure evil dripping off his tongue. She fought to get out of her restraints, with him just laughing at her. He stood up and walked to the open door, with the bigger guy in tow. "I hope you enjoy my hospitality." He turned and was talking to another man, "Refugio, you and two others show her some hospitality, and please don't hurt her too much." All three men laughed loudly as they disappeared down the hallway.

She closed her eyes and spat out more blood from her lip. 'Please God, send Mark to help me.'

********

Somewhere over Southern Texas - 1000

Rosa and Mark were flying overhead, waiting for Dickenson or Wesley to give them permission to enter Mexican airspace. "Mark, you know we may never find her."

Mark never answered her, he just went over his things one last time. The intelligence he was given had several different targets, but three were showing an uptick in activity. He knew if he could get the go ahead, he could hit all three especially since they were in the air.

He heard Dickenson call out to the pilot, "Command to Tank 1, we have a no go."

Rosa's head dropped; she knew this was so wrong. Mark grabbed the headset, "Excuse me sir, why is it a no go."

"I was ordered to stand down, so are you Mark, come back to base."

Mark looked at Rosa, then over to the pilot. He yelled over at the pilot, "Do we have enough fuel to be in the air for a while?"

"What is your definition for a while sir?"

"Enough for me to hit these targets."

"Sir, unlike you, I would be court martialed if I disobeyed his orders."

Rosa leaned forward and grabbed Mark by the shoulders and pulled him back into his seat. "Mark, I understand how you feel, but we can't go about it like this."

The pilot had already turned around toward Area 6. "Rosa, if we don't find her and extract her now, it's hard to tell what they will do to her, before they kill her, if they already haven't."

"Mark, please, when we get back, let me work on it. I promise you; I will do everything I can to find her."

Mark put his head back against the headrest, letting out a long sigh. Under his breath, he said, "She better be alive when you do."

***********

Area 6, Nevada, 1600

Colonel Dickenson sat in his office, staring at the screen. He felt like he was no longer in control of his own unit with this new Intelligence Director lurking in his space. Since he had arrived, strange things had started to happen, and the cartels seemed to be steps ahead of them. The President had a hand in selecting him for the project, and assured Thomas that he was straight as an arrow.

The knock on the door broke his trance as he bellowed out, "Enter."

Rosa walked in and sat before the Colonel. "Why did he call off the mission Thomas?"

"Rosa, your guess is as good as mine. One of his people he brought in said the intelligence was no good. He made the decision from there."

"If this keeps up, you know you're going to lose all trust from Lawson. He is so leery of everyone around him."

"What can I do Rosa? I have my orders that come straight from the President. I can't tell her to go fuck herself."

Rosa huffed, "I'm not asking you to, but you are the leader in this unit. Don't let my boss or anyone else tell you what to do in your house."

"Kind of how you're doing?"

She frowned at him, standing up to leave, "Be an ass, I don't care, but when you lose Lawson for good, you will think about this conversation we had. Then I will say, 'I told you so.'" She opened the door and slammed it closed.

He picked up the phone and called the Intelligence Director down to his office so he could speak to him. Most of what Rosa said was spot on, he knew. The rest she did not understand or failed to realize the military ranks. He was used to the way things were done, and taking orders was duty.

Meanwhile, Mark went to the far side of the base to find Scotty working on the final touches of the new transport for the team. He noticed his friend and was delighted to see him finally. "Hey Mark, how's it going?" Coming over and giving the man a pat on the good shoulder.

Mark nodded his head, then looked around noticing it was just the two of them. "The cartel has Kelsey, Scott."

"How did this happen? Where were y...?"

Mark interrupted him in mid-sentence, "I need your help and I know it will be hard for you to do. I must get her out of their grasp before... "He took a long breath, "Well, you know. I can't bear the thoughts of what she is going through."

Scott nodded, "What do you need brother?"

"I need fast transport to Mexico. By air would be perfect."

Scott thought for a minute and was striking out on ideas. "I know a guy that has been working with me on bringing parts for the new transport. He owns an old Huey, and I bet he could get you there pretty quick." He reached into his pocket and called the man. After some pleasantries, he hung up the phone, and with a smile, "Bad news, the Huey is a no go, but he has a CH-47F Chinook. You could take the Suburban with you for transport."

"Good thinking, when will he be ready to go?"

"He said to give him an hour, but how are you going to get out of here?"

Mark smiled, "Let me worry about that."

An hour later Mark was aboard the Chinook strapping the vehicle down, then himself and the pilot took off for the coordinates given to him. Mark knew the guards would have been discovered by now. They had only been knocked over the head, and he went out through the back gate, making his way to the pilot.

He cleared his mind on the flight, trying to focus just on the mission. Knowing the intelligence that had been given to him before may have changed, he was counting that it hadn't. His mind kept going back to Kelsey. He exemplified what the army psychologist called "the perfect sniper - a man who can kill personally yet impersonally, and who can objectively accept the blood on his hands as a matter of national duty, not just personal conscience..." So why was Kelsey his kryptonite.

His thoughts were disturbed as the pilot yelled over the intercom that they would be landing in five minutes. He grabbed what gear he had outside of the Suburban and put it in the front seat. After that he took off the support straps and climbed into the SUV as the back ramp lowered while the helicopter started to descend. As the green light lit, he started the vehicle, put it in gear and drove off the helicopter. As he drove a few feet, he looked back in his mirror noticing the helicopter already rising, with the ramp ascending.

Being dropped off just a few miles from the coordinates gave Mark an element of some surprise. He felt the pain in his shoulder and resigned to the role fate had decreed upon him. He knew he would die by the gun, the only question in his mind was the when. He mused, why not now, why prolong it? He knew of course, why it had to be prolonged.

In the military, battles were chosen for you, this time Lawson chose one for life. The rest was simply fighting it to the best of his ability and seeing it through. Was it philosophy, or resignation? He didn't recognize it as either, as philosophies to him were no more than idle games. In the end, a man either spent his life or bargained it away, he was spending his.

Lawson crested the hill, beginning the drop into the interior valley. The faint lights of a small town were showing, not far ahead. He glanced at his watch and decided he was making it in pretty good time considering. The lights coming closer to him should be Soyatita he thought. He pulled into the small town, finding mostly small homes, among some huts, cottages and an old church.

His coordinates led him to a river flowing through the center of the town. At one side of the river was desert, and on his side was a large home, and it looked to have a basement. He noticed two men at the front door, both armed. He backed up and drove about a block down and climbed out of his vehicle. Grabbing his pistols and extra ammo, he took out to the edge of the river to investigate further.

Across the road was a dock and a boat fuel station. A small shack was located next to it and seemed to be an office for the fuel pump. He found some pebbles and threw them in the direction of the building across the road. The guards heard the sounds and started to look around. Then he sent some into the river, sending the guards over to the bank, where he snuck up behind them.

With the silencer on the end of his .40 caliber, he shot both men in the back of the head. They both fell, one halfway into the river, the other to the side. Not wasting time over the dead, he picked up their weapons, and pushed their bodies into the rapidly flowing river. Looking through the windows of the two-story structure, he found only two more persons in the main living space. Neither were armed, but were drinking alcohol, most likely tequila.

Lawson went to the door and very carefully tried the door handle, finding it unlocked. He then twisted the knob quietly and opened the door just enough to look inside. Noticing the wall between the front hall and living space, he entered the home, closing the door behind him. He listened to their conversation before moving in on the two.

"You think the Punta will be awake when we go back?"

The other one took the bottle and swallowed the clear brownish liquid. "If she is, she won't be after tonight." They both laughed together as they tried to stand, holding onto one another.

"Turn around," a calm baritone voice sounded behind them. As they turned, they both tried to go for their guns on the table. A loud stuttering chatter overrode the sounds of the screaming men, and finally extinguished them. Stepping forward, Lawson gingerly probed the bodies with an extended foot. "Looks like you won't be harming anyone else," his voice with evident satisfaction.

Barely opening her eyes, she heard two loud thuds above her. Trying to get her legs to move, so she could stand, she tried to lift herself, but fell back to the earth. Her mind was foggy, her body broken and beaten, she hoped she would die. When the door splintered open, she shuddered, staring at the tall frame of a man standing in the doorway. Moving her mouth, but no sound came out, as he approached, she fainted.

He could hardly recognize her from the condition she was in. Calling the pilot, he asked him to rendezvous at the location he dropped him in twenty minutes. He hurriedly placed Kelsey in a sheet to hide her nakedness, and another sheet around her for warmth. He carefully picked her up and carried her out of the house and down the block to his SUV. Placing her in the back, he jumped in and started toward the rendezvous.

Along the way, he kept looking into his rearview watching her. He could not tell where her skin and hair were separated on her skull. Her eyes were swollen, and her lips were split. The anger inside of him boiled. As he came over the hill, the Chinook was waiting for him with the ramp down. He slid the SUV around and slammed it into reverse, backing onto the helicopter. He felt it ascend while the ramp was raised.

He hit the microphone at the rear and told the pilot to get back to Area 6 as fast as he could. He then turned and attended to Kelsey. She was breathing, but barely. She had lost a lot of blood from her injuries, so he ran to get the first aid kit. He did not notice any blood gushing out of any of her open wounds, but he started to pack her wounds, being careful of the gash on her head. He placed an antibiotic pad on the gash and then taped it into place.

After caring for her, he went to the pilot and asked him how long to Nevada. He told him a little over an hour. Mark went back to the SUV, climbed into the back where she laid, and held her until they landed. He held her and just watched her for any signs of change in her condition, whispering how sorry he was to leave her alone.

*****************

June 26th, 2019 - 0900

Little Italy, Manhattan, New York

Vincent DiNunzio sat in his leather-bound chair chewing on his cigar. He looked out the window across Manhattan toward the huge skyscrapers not too far away. 'Lucky' Frankie Simone, and Joey 'Two Chins' Tocco both sat on the couch on the far side of the room with Armando Caudillo, waiting for the head of the D'Angelo family to acknowledge them.

Vincent was not one who desired chit chat as he called it. He left it to his Consigliere mostly, unfortunately he and his son Jack were taking care of things in Chicago. He took one last drag from his cigar, letting the smoke out slowly as he crushed the Cuban tobacco in the crystal glass in front of him.

Standing he walked over to the three men and sat in his chair in front of the sofa. "What was so important that I was to be involved in these talks Armando?"

Armando looked at the two large men he was sitting between. "Mr. DiNunzio, I come to you with news from a newcomer into the market."

Giving the Puerto Rican man a look that would make the devil uneasy, Vincent spoke. "Armando, we have been acquaintances for quite some time now. When have you ever come to my home to tell me about newcomers?"

"Vincent, this is not your ordinary newcomer. He is vicious, and he will take out anyone that he feels threatened from."

"Has he been threatened by me? Lucky, Two Chins, do we have anyone on the radar lately?"

Lucky Frank, the Capo of New Jersey shook his head that he had not heard anything. Two Chins his underboss chimed in, "Boss, I know nothing about any newcomer."

"There, you see Armando, no threat made." Vincent said as he lit another cigar.

Armando felt uncomfortable but leant forward on the couch, "Vincent this kid took over the Tejada cartel. He is not a joke and has built his army triple the size of Tejada's. He has teamed up with the Russian Vladimir Sokolov and wants to team with me and you. He wants to rule the world."

Vincent blew out smoke and stared at Armando, "That is quite the story my friend. If this was true, why haven't I heard of this guy?"

Armando rubbed his forehead, "Madelyn Conklin."

"What about the broad." Lucky asked.

"That was this kid. He was sending a message to the President to play ball or he would kill his entire family."

Vincent put his cigar in another crystal ashtray and started to smile. "Lucky, maybe you should offer him a job."

The laughter stopped when Armando piped in with a loud undertone. "Take this serious dammit. I am trying to warn you, he will come here, and he will try to push you into a deal. He is not going to back down Vincent. He has me by the balls and I am stuck now, I don't want you to be in my shoes."

Vincent leaned forward, "The only way you can deal with punks like this is put a bullet between their eyes. He hasn't met me, and if he does, he will soon know his role, my friend." The three mafia men laughed as Armando faked a smile, not having the same feelings as the mafia boss.

***********

Area 6, Nevada - 1000

Rosa stormed into her boss' office, "What the hell are you thinking Adam? He is the best operative we have, and if he hadn't gone after her she would be dead!"

"Cool your pipes Ms. Cruz before I have you sharing a cell with him. What he did could have started an international incident that the state department could not explain. His recklessness would have cost many more lives than that one girl."

Rosa looked at him through her dark eyes with contempt, "Adam, why are you being such an ass. I've been under your command for over ten years, and you have never been like this to anyone."

"Rosa, we are not in a usual situation. This is not fun and games, real American lives are on the line and a rogue soldier is not going to fuck it up for us."

"Fuck you Adam." She said in a low tone, while leaving his office. Going to the infirmary she found Monica Harris standing over Kelsey, holding her hand. She looked much better than when Mark had brought her in. Going over to the nurse, she asked softly, "How is she?"

"Well, if she makes it for the next twenty-four hours, she should pull through, but she will have more than physical scars. She put up a hell of a fight though."

"I hate to ask, but what is her condition?"

"She has a concussion from a fractured skull. Her left arm was dislocated, and three ribs were broken from what looked to be someone stomping on her. Her femurs broke in two places, and her right ankle was dislocated. We had to do surgery to relieve some internal bleeding and found where her spleen had been punctured by one of her ribs, and her liver was lacerated. This doesn't include the sexual torture she endured."

Rosa shook her head, folded her arms across her chest and felt her tears form. Monica noticed her and came over to stand beside her dear friend. "How's Mark doing?" She asked Rosa.

Wiping a lone tear from her cheek, "He's still in that damn cell. Adam wants to make an example out of him."

The nurse gasped, "If she would have been left there for more than twenty hours, she would have died. Why are they doing this to him, he saved her."