Monster (80 page)

“Easy, Kay,” McDaniels said. “Go ahead, Mehmed.”

“I thought to bug the inside of his house. It was completely empty except for a table and chairs in the kitchen. He had only a fold up cot with blankets. I heard noises from the basement.” Mehmed paused, taking a moment before going on. “I…I checked in the basement. He has two young girls chained and gagged down there. I should have… done something, but…”

“You did right, kid,” McDaniels broke in. “Don’t think no more about it. We’ll make sure this guy never gets back to that house again.”

McDaniels took his cell-phone out and called Reskova. She answered on the first ring.

“Cold?”

“We have more going than we thought, Red. Take down this address.” McDaniels gave her the address Mehmed had been watching and a brief outline of their predicament.

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Reskova exclaimed. “Here’s how we’ll do it. I’ll call in Tom and Jen to go with me. We were following an anonymous tip and are now investigating who is responsible. I’ll take Dino in case the bastard has an explosives factory on the premises too.”

“Good thinking. Don’t worry about the occupant surprising you but he may have friends we don’t know about.”

“We’ll be careful. Tell Mehmed I said great job.”

“I will, Red, bye.”

“AD Reskova said great job, Mehmed,” McDaniels turned in his seat to tell him. “She’s taking Tom and Jen with her to take care of the house.”

“I am sorry I snapped at you Mehmed,” Rasheed apologized.

“I should have called in before doing it. I saw a way to get into the house unseen when I checked it out. He had left a second floor window partially open. They do such things in Syria, even today. This thing he does in the basement is not legal here, is it?”

“No,” McDaniels replied solemnly, “but it happens.”

“We will kill this monster,” Mehmed stated. “I am glad we do not turn our heads and look the other way when this happens.”

“I guess we should have been more specific in going over our laws,” Donaldson said, after telling Rasheed to turn right at the next light. “You did so well on the testing series we gave you, Kay and I assumed too many things. I’ll go over more basic stuff with you from scratch.”

“I should have known this could not be sanctioned here,” Mehmed replied. “I did nothing when al Zoubi did much the same thing. He… he made me ashamed to be a man.”

“I checked on our accommodations at the old warehouse before you came over, Colonel, in case we get the two of them alive.” Donaldson put a reassuring hand on Mehmed’s shoulders. “The minefield of course has been cleared, but everything else is in place. They have the gate locked. I have the key.”

“Are you sure you guys want to go that far? We can work this another way.”

“If these guys think they can do this stuff and all they get is their rights read to them, we might as well paint bulls-eyes on our backs, Colonel,” Donaldson replied. “We need an object lesson.”

“I agree with Pete,” Rasheed spoke up. “If we do nothing but arrest them, I will have to go into hiding with my family.”

“I am with you, Cold Mountain,” Mehmed added.

“Just so we’re all on the same page. It seems I’ve managed to turn a whole section of the FBI rogue.”

“As you explained to me,” Rasheed replied, “we were not put together in this group to play with the computers. This route looks very familiar. We’re heading toward Nancy’s old apartment.”

“They’re going to the restaurant we first followed Nancy to,” Donaldson agreed. “It will be nearly impossible to grab them from there.”

“If Kojovich meets with the kid inside and leaves his men waiting in their car we can be waiting when he comes out.”

“Not bad, Kay.” McDaniels smiled over at his friend. “He’ll probably have one of those tinted windowed Lincoln Towncars or something like it.”

“What about the kid?” Donaldson looked up from his screen. “What’s the name on his license, ah…”

“Abdur,” Rasheed said. “Abdur Hamdan.”

“I will take Abdur,” Mehmed spoke up.

“Use this.” McDaniels removed a Taser gun from his bag and handed it to Mehmed. “Do you know how to use it?”

“Yes, Sir. Agent Donaldson gave me extensive weapons training.” Mehmed accepted the weapon and put it inside his coat. “I was hoping to just beat him senseless and stuff him in the trunk of his car.”

McDaniels laughed with the others at Mehmed’s offhand remark. “It’s broad daylight. Wait near his car. Zap him as he gets in. Pete will climb in on the other side. If he spots you before you can Taser him, you’ll have to do it the old fashioned way. He cannot get away. I don’t care if you have to open up on him. Make sure he goes nowhere.”

“I know how to beat these guys over to the restaurant,” Donaldson chimed in. “Turn left at the light, Kay. We’ll be in a position to see what they’re going to do.”

Ten minutes later, the agents waited as Hamdan parked his car in the small lot next to the restaurant. Kojovich then arrived in a black Mercedes Benz with darkly tinted windows. McDaniels exchanged satisfied grins with Rasheed. Kojovich exited the rear of the car quickly and entered the restaurant. The Mercedes moved to a space at the curb past the Restaurant. McDaniels motioned for Mehmed to get into position.

“Pete will join you as soon as we make sure of taking his people in the car. If Pete can’t join you, I leave it up to you how to proceed,” McDaniels told Mehmed as he opened the rear door. “Take no chances with him.”

“I will not fail, Cold Mountain.” Mehmed closed the rear door and jogged across the street to the restaurant parking lot.

“Do you have any ideas on how to approach the Mercedes, Colonel?” Donaldson asked.

“Yep. Kay, circle the block. Double-park right next to the car. We’ll take them the old fashioned way and knock on their window with our badges and ID’s out. Once we have them stashed in our SUV we’ll wait for Kojovich in his own car.”

Rasheed nodded his agreement and started the SUV. As Rasheed pulled away from the curb to bring them into position, McDaniels noted Donaldson had greeted his idea with silence.

“You’re not happy, Pete?”

“I… it’s just that…”

“You wanted a gun battle in the street so we could kill the guys in the car fair and square? I thought you understood there can be no survivors from this little action.”

“I did, Colonel. I mistakenly separated the collateral damage in my mind from what we were doing to Kojovich and Hamdan. I know those guys in the car ain’t innocent bystanders. It just takes a few moments to…”

“I’ll handle Kojovich’s men,” McDaniels interrupted. “I need you to concentrate on taking them down quietly. This has to be completed in a couple of minutes. I’ll show my badge to the driver and get him to roll down his window. I’ll zap him with my stun gun while you get the drop on his partner through the same window. We hit the door unlock switch and Kay takes the passenger. If you can stomach going that far, Pete, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Sorry, Colonel, I’ll get it done. I know what’s at stake.”

Rasheed parked alongside the Mercedes. Moments later, McDaniels stood at the driver’s side window with his FBI identification pressed against the tinted glass. Rasheed moved around the SUV from the driver’s side to reach the passenger side of the Mercedes from the rear. Donaldson slipped over to the left of McDaniels in time to hear the men inside the Mercedes cursing. The driver’s side window rolled down.

“What the hell do…” the driver began. McDaniels’ stun gun crackled loudly as it pinned the driver’s left hand to the doorframe.

Donaldson covered the stunned passenger with his 9mm automatic while reaching in to click the door unlock switch, allowing Rasheed to pull open the passenger’s door. Before the passenger could look around, Rasheed stunned him on the neck, causing the passenger to pitch forward into the dashboard of the Mercedes. Donaldson threw open the SUV side door as McDaniels gripped the driver by the lapels. He dragged him out of the driver’s seat. Without pause, McDaniels threw the driver into the back of the SUV.

Leaning into the vehicle, McDaniels reached across the console, gripped the moaning passenger, and dragged him across from the passenger seat. McDaniels repeated what he had done with the driver. Donaldson had already plastic tied the driver and gagged him with duct tape. While Donaldson turned his attention to the passenger, Rasheed re-entered the SUV’s driver’s seat. They were moving away from the restaurant in seconds.

Rasheed parked the van down the street. The three men rushed back to the Mercedes with Donaldson continuing on to join Mehmed in the parking lot. After a quick glance around to see if they had drawn any attention, McDaniels sat in the back of the Mercedes. Rasheed took the driver’s place, started up the Mercedes, and drove around the block. He parked next to the curb less than half a block up the street from the restaurant and shut off the engine.

“Ah, Cold, that was very good,” Rasheed stated with satisfaction.

“If our luck holds, Kojovich will jump right in the back and away we’ll go.”

Chapter 57

Full Circle

Inside the restaurant, Kojovich joined Hamdan at a booth the younger man had picked out. Kojovich accepted a menu from the waitress who appeared at the table to take their order after Kojovich was seated. Kojovich ordered coffee and the restaurant’s lunch special. Hamdan had already ordered. After the waitress returned to fill their already present coffee cups, she left them alone. Kojovich looked at Hamdan expectantly.

“Well?”

“I had trouble.” Hamdan held up his plaster encased wrist. “Rasheed was waiting for me. There were three other men and a woman. One was the young Syrian I warned you of. He…he broke my wrist and they took our identification. One…”

“You fool!” Kojovich leaned forward over the table. “I told you to never…”

“I did not see what was going on until it was too late,” Hamdan interrupted, holding up his uninjured hand in a placating gesture. “I assumed Rasheed was alone. The Syrian did not come into the shop from the back until…”

“Do you not see what you have done?” Kojovich cursed under his breath, leaning back in his seat again. “You have compromised your work at the Mosque and exposed our interest in Rasheed. I thought only his wife and daughter worked in their store.”

“They do. We thought to… ah… scare them a little,” Hamdan replied haltingly, and then more expressively when he saw rage engulf Kojovich’s face. “It is not as you think. I only…”

“It is over,” Kojovich whispered back menacingly. “Tell your…”

Kojovich quieted as the waitress appeared with their orders. After she walked away, Kojovich leaned forward again.

“Tell your people we are done with this. Do not contact…”

“There was a big man there too,” Hamdan cut in. “I thought he was a customer because he walked out of the store when we came in. When we confronted Rasheed, the big man returned. He ordered my companions around in Arabic. He appeared in the shop as if…”

“Christ!” Kojovich whispered, waving a hand at Hamdan angrily. “It has to be McDaniels. Get in your car and drive. Do not look back. Call your people later after you are in a different state. They will know your ID is a phony. Stay away from your house. If…”

“But…but I have all my…” Hamdan began, an icy fear racing up his spine as he remembered his captives and the computer he had.

Kojovich stood up from the table, leaving a fifty dollar bill near his untouched meal. “If you wish to live you will walk out of this restaurant and disappear. I must get back to my…”

Kojovich shut up, shaking his head before continuing on. “Never mind. Get out of here. Do not let yourself get taken.”

“Wait,” Hamdan called out, grasping at Kojovich’s sleeve. “What of…”

“It’s over.” Kojovich twisted his arm out of Hamdan’s grasp. He hurried toward the entrance without looking back.

* * *

Hamdan followed after a moment’s hesitation. Kojovich was already out the door by the time Hamdan reached the restaurant entrance. He watched as Kojovich’s Mercedes arrived in front of the restaurant. Kojovich slid quickly into the backseat with only a glance toward the restaurant before closing the car door. Hamdan exited the restaurant. He stuck his hands in his pockets, glumly staring down at his feet as he walked toward his Chevrolet Lumina. As he unlocked and opened the driver’s side door Taser needles struck him. He jackknifed backwards to the parking lot surface. Mehmed ran up and quickly reached in to hit the automatic door unlock switch. Seconds later, he stuffed Hamdan into the backseat as Donaldson entered the rear passenger side door on the opposite side to receive the stunned Hamdan. Mehmed sat in the driver’s seat. One minute after Tasering Hamdan, Mehmed was driving away from the restaurant parking lot with Donaldson plastic tying Hamdan’s hands and feet.

* * *

“Hello, Mikhail,” McDaniels greeted Kojovich as the Russian settled into his seat after closing the rear passenger door.

Kojovich jerked his eyes away from Hamdan at the restaurant entrance to McDaniels’ formidable presence. He reached for the 9mm automatic inside his jacket pocket, only to have his wrist caught up in a tightening vise. Kojovich, a brutal man himself, with more than average strength, pitched back against the rear passenger door in agony as the bones in his wrist crackled sickeningly. McDaniels calmly reached into Kojovich’s coat to disarm him. With practiced expertise, McDaniels patted Kojovich down for weapons.