Closer (17 page)

Then, he walked over to his bag and removed a gun. He closed the distance in three strides and placed the gun in her upturned hand. “Take this. In case.”

Her fingers closed around the gun. She felt safer having it.

“Now you have to promise me something,” he said meeting her eyes. “Promise me you will be here waiting for me when I get back.”

“I couldn’t leave you now, Michael.” She hoped she wasn’t revealing too much with her statement.

He appreciated her sincere words. With promises spoken, he could continue with his mission. He leaned into her soft body one more time, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her again for good measure. Then he turned and left her standing alone in the living room.

Michael, Rob, Steve, and Ahmed were barreling down the highway doing seventy-five miles per hour. They were an hour outside of Pittsburgh. It had been a tension-packed, thirteen-hour drive straight through from Maine to Pennsylvania. Ahmed tried, unsuccessfully, to gain their sympathies.

“But I have a wife and two boys,” Ahmed cried in the back seat. He knew he was going to die, along with the rest of the terrorists if these men were successful. And by the looks on their faces, they were going to be successful. His only hope was to escape once he showed them the house.

Michael knew he needed to contact Kevin, his brother who worked with Homeland Security. He knew the hour, and that he probably should have called earlier, but with everything else going on, now was his window. He looked at the clock. It read 0000. It was now or never. He dug his cell phone out of his front pants’ pocket and scrolled through his list until he came to Kevin’s number. He pressed six and then send. Kevin picked up on the third ring. “Hello,” he said in a sleep-filled voice.

“Kevin, it’s Michael.”

“What’s going on? Do you know what time it is?” Kevin countered through the phone.

“Yeah man, I know, and I’m sorry, but this couldn’t wait.” Sensing the urgency in his brother’s voice, Kevin became immediately alert. He walked into another room to avoid waking his wife’s peaceful sleep.

“You’re not going to be happy, man, but we need your help,” Michael said.

“Who’s we?” Kevin asked.

“Listen, it’s a long story, but Rob, Steve, Tony and I need you on board with this. They have Lizzie,” Michael beseeched looking at Rob who was driving the car.

“Who does?” Kevin asked confused.

Michael explained the condensed version of the situation to Rob, including the attempted kidnapping of Emma, until Kevin was pissed off that they hadn’t contacted him sooner.

“What do you need me to do? You know I’ll do it.” Kevin exhaled. He had been holding his breath through the entire story. He couldn’t believe his brothers, the men who he served five tours with, left him out of this. Of course, he knew why. They had to do things he couldn’t do given his current state of employment. But he was still pissed they wouldn’t trust him enough to include him. He rationalized that that was exactly what they were doing now, including him, bringing him in when they didn’t have a choice.

“We need this to be above reproach. None of us have clearance or authority anymore. But that isn’t going to stop us. We are going to get Lizzie,” Michael stated succinctly to one of his best friends.

“Where is this going down?” Kevin asked, praying to God it was somewhere within driving distance.

“Homestead. Your backyard,” Michael said, thankful Kevin worked for the Homeland Security building in Pittsburgh.

“Thank God! Otherwise, coordination would take days.” Kevin said, pulling his pants on with one hand. He slipped into a t-shirt and sat down to tie up his boots. “I can have a five-man team ready in under two hours.” Kevin said, switching the phone to a different ear to put his other arm through his jacket.

“Thank you, Kevin. We have to be in on this though. We found Ahmed; we are taking Lizzie out of there. And we certainly are having a hand in taking down those motherfuckers,” Michael declared.

“Of course. I will talk to my boss. He will be relieved that this closure will come in under our office. But we need to take as many alive as we can,” Kevin said scribbling a note to his wife. He grabbed his keys from the tray on the table nearest his door and locked his six deadbolts from the outside.

“Rendezvous at this address.” Kevin rattled it off as Michael programmed it into the GPS.

“How long will it take you to get there,” Kevin asked sliding into the front seat of his car.

“It says about twenty minutes,” Michael said. “But Kevin, we don’t want any shit on this. We are going in. If you can’t guarantee your boss will be on board, we are going straight to the hold up. I must be clear, you must be clear, we are the one’s bringing Lizzie out,” Michael challenged.

“Michael, I know you don’t trust a governmental agency not to keep you tied up with red tape, but trust me. I will make it so that you, Rob, and Steve are in on the take down. Rob will be the one to bring Lizzie out,” Kevin reassured his friend as he sped down the highway towards his office.

“Thank you, Kevin. I knew we could count on you. We’ll see you soon.” Michael pressed the end button and relayed the conversation to his brothers.

They pulled into an empty parking lot not fifteen minutes later. Rob pulled into the spot closest to the door. About five minutes later, Kevin pulled in next to Rob. They all got out of their cars and Kevin greeted each one of his brothers. God, it was good to see them. He made sure to make eye contact and hug each one of the men who had saved his life on more than one occasion. He gave an evil eye to Ahmed. Having a terrorist, alive, in his office, would get him anything he needed. He would make sure this went down the right way, with their assistance. He gave his guarantee to his brothers that they would be held harmless for their actions, which would fall under the guise of Homeland Security. It was a small price to pay for these men he was bound to for the rest of his life. He knew, without doubt, that they would be there for him.

Rob pushed Ahmed in front of the men who followed Kevin to the outer door. Kevin pulled out his security card and swiped the card reader to gain entrance into the building. Then Kevin had to briefly explain his visitors to the officers stationed at the security desk. They were granted entrance to the elevators where Kevin swiped his access card, and pressed the button for the third floor.

Once inside the bullpen, he telephoned his boss and the five-man team. They were all set to arrive in the next twenty minutes. It was now 0045. It wouldn’t be long before Rob got to hold Lizzie again. Michael wondered how Emma was doing with Tony. He knew he didn’t have to worry about the terrorists, but that still left Special Agent Daniel Ingrams. If he didn’t trust Kevin, he would not have made contact with a governmental office at all. Other than Kevin, Michael had no idea whom he could trust. He was glad he explained Special Agent Ingrams’ role in the events of the last few days to Kevin as well. This had to occur without any outside agencies knowing. Kevin assured Michael his agency had the authority and would not alert any other agency.

“Promise me something,” Michael continued to the men at his side, “promise me that we won’t risk Emma again.” The men nodded.

The team arrived at the same time as their boss. They must have ridden the same elevator up because they entered the bullpen at the same time. The men got to their feet. If Kevin wasn’t able to convince his boss, then Michael guessed they would be spending the next few years in prison, and he could kiss the future he hoped to create with Emma goodbye.

“In my office, Kevin. And bring the prisoner,” his boss commanded.

Kevin led Ahmed to the office on the upper floor of the bullpen. His boss had Kevin close the door. Kevin explained the situation to his boss and his relationship to the men who stood in the bullpen. He explained how they needed to be a part of this take down and were highly trained Green Berets six months out of the military. After Kevin’s explanation and information gathered from Ahmed, his boss acquiesced.

“Just so we are clear, you three will follow my orders. This is a hostage retrieval mission, and I will permit you there, armed, but my team takes lead,” the boss asserted, looking the men square in the eyes. If any of them had a problem, he needed to know now. Rob, Steve, and Michael agreed.

“Let’s get Lizzie,” Rob announced to the men as they geared up for war.

The men traveled to the city of Homestead and found the quiet neighborhood of Munhall. The two-story houses were asleep for the night. The porch lights shown from the road as they traveled passed the well-maintained 1920’s era homes. It was there that the terrorists were holed up in a two-story, brick house. They used Google street view and identified the house at the bullpen. It had a blue metal awning on the front porch of the house. They gathered as much intelligence as they could before embarking on the mission.

After further interrogation of Ahmed, the men learned there were three men left in the cell. It originally started with five, but the guard Michael killed, and Ahmed in their custody, left three in the house. Three terrorists in the house plus Lizzie.

Zillow.com could be a useful website as they learned the house had four bedrooms and a full basement. This information proved essential to the mission. They assumed the bedrooms were located on the second floor of the house as was standard of the construction in that area.

First they drove past the inconspicuous house trying to gather all the information they could on their drive by. It was 0130. A perfect time for a surprise attack. The terrorist were still expecting Emma to be delivered tomorrow, which meant they were left unsuspecting, probably sound asleep in the house.

As they drove by, they noticed how well the terrorist’s house blended in with the two-story colonials, fences, and narrow driveways with frozen, leafless, shrubbery on either side. If asked later on media reports, the neighbors would say they had no idea what was occurring in the house as the men kept to themselves. They would also say they only ever noticed two men ever coming or going from the home.

Rob bounced his leg up and down causing the van to shake. He was anxious to get to his Lizzie. “I just have to get her out, Michael.” Rob stared into Michael’s eyes. Being so close, yet so far away was torture. A million things could go wrong. “I am scared to death I am going to find her tied to a bed, already dead,” Rob confessed to Michael.

“You can’t think that way. You have to keep hope alive, Rob.” Michael looked at his brother’s ragged face.

Rob hadn’t shaved in at least a month. This wasn’t the first time Michael had seen Rob with facial hair. It was common for the Unit, while on tour in Afghanistan, to grow beards. Typically, the Army frowned on facial hair, but they were Green Berets, they were allowed to grow their beards. They even held a contest. Who could grow the nicest beard? Rob always won.

As Michael looked at his best friend now, he didn’t sense any of the previous comradery or the levity that took over after being in an incredibly tense situation for months on end. A situation where one could die in an instant. While they were serious in combat, there was something about bombs dropping twenty feet from where you slept that allowed the men to find the humor in life. What were they going to do, cry about it? That wouldn’t have served their mission well.

As they pulled into a parking spot on the street a block down from the terrorist hold up, Rob turned to his friend. “I’m scared. I wasn’t scared in Afghanistan, but I’m scared now,” Rob confessed to Michael. Sympathizing with his friend, Michael knew the fear that Rob felt. He felt it to both times Emma was taken from him.

“We’re gonna get her back, man. I know it is hard, but you have to keep the faith,” Michael said touching Rob’s shoulder.

“Pray with me,” Rob pleaded, his eyes meeting Michael’s. Michael acquiesced and they bowed their heads.

“God, I know we haven’t spoken in about seven months, but I am coming to you now. Please let my Lizzie be alive. Everything else we can handle, but she has to be alive. I don’t know what I would do without her, God. Please, God. You know I have always been a good Christian. I have served my country well. The only thing I have ever asked is that you keep Lizzie safe. Please don’t let me down now, God. Please let me find her alive. It is in your name that I pray and I thank you, Amen.” Michael squeezed Rob’s hand in the stillness of the van’s backseat.

Michael met Rob’s frightened eyes and saw tears. For those few moments, all the danger of the night, all of the thoughts of terrorists, and foiling a plot fled in the sacred quietness of the backseat of the van. Michael sat with Rob and held his hand. He knew Rob needed the reassurance and the comfort that only another person, one who fully understood the gravity of the situation, could offer.

Rob was quick to wipe away his tears, but he knew there was a very real possibility that Lizzie was already dead. Michael knew Rob may not survive if Lizzie wasn’t found alive.

The men, sensing Rob and Michael needed a moment, waited quietly on the street. They had opened the back of the vans, grabbing their gear bags and removing their weaponry. Rob looked at Michael one last time, silently pleading with his brother to do all he could. Michael wouldn’t let his best friend down. After all they experienced in war: the endless nights of shelling; the raids on Al-Qaida hold ups in the middle of the night; the constant danger of life in a war zone; they would make it through this too. Rob never once faltered in his unwavering support of Michael and his fears. He wouldn’t let Rob down now. He would take out the three terrorists himself if he had to…to get to Lizzie. They weren’t sure where Lizzie was being held. All Ahmed could say was she was in one of the four bedrooms, and the last he had seen her, she was tied to the bed with heavy ropes.

“What kind of rope was she tied with,” Rob spat into Ahmed’s face.

“It was a double-braid, nylon rope. Her skin was rubbed raw from trying to escape. If she would have just accepted her fate, then she wouldn’t have so many rope burns,” Ahmed said as convincingly as possible.