The Rampage of Ryan O'Hara (26 page)

Judd appeared taken aback by that comment. In a trembling voice that was likely barely audible to Tucker and Hatcher in the hallway, Judd asked Ryan, “Who are you? If you’re…you’re not from the president’s office, then who are you?”

Ryan smiled but said nothing.

“You’re the one I was asking the White House to protect me from, aren’t you?” Judd asked.

“Yes, I’m the one. You’ve been living on borrowed time and that time has now expired,” Ryan answered.

Surprise combined with the fear already on Judd’s face as his eyes shifted away from Ryan’s and focused on something behind him.

Ryan turned instinctively and saw two men standing in the doorway with their weapons pointed in his direction.

A few seconds passed before Tucker spoke and ordered Ryan to throw his gun down. When he hesitated, a more forceful command was issued. “NOW!” yelled Tucker.

Ryan dropped his magnum to the floor. The second man asked, “Are you still in the business of freeing the oppressed peoples of the world?”

“What did you say?” Ryan asked, wanting to make sure his ears weren’t playing tricks on him.

“You heard me, O’Hara.”

Ryan looked into the blue eyes staring at him through the holes of a black ski mask and recognized the voice. “Donny?”

Before Hatcher could answer, Tucker interjected, “What the hell, Don, do you know this guy? Because if you do, we have a major problem on our hands.”

“We may not have as big a problem as you think, Frank. What say you, Ryan? Do we have a problem?” Hatcher asked.

“For my sake, I hope not,” was all Ryan could say.

Tucker suddenly yelled, “Sit down and stop moving around!” but he wasn’t talking to Ryan. He was addressing Judd, who had emerged from the water and was standing in the middle of the tub.

Judd complied and sat back down in the hot water and remained still while the others talked.

“Okay, friend, we don’t have a lot of time. Suppose you tell me who you are and what you’re doing here. I’ll be better equipped to make a decision about what to do with you after I’ve heard what you have to say,” Tucker instructed.

Ryan was about to answer when Hatcher answered for him. “His name’s Ryan O’Hara, Frank. We served together in the Fifth Special Forces a few years back. Isn’t that right, O’Hara?”

“That’s right,” Ryan replied.

“So what are you doing here tonight?” Tucker inquired.

“I’m here to kill a dirty little communist son of a bitch named Jonas Judd, who was part of an organization that dedicated itself to killing cops and blowing up government buildings during the sixties and seventies,” Ryan said.

“And why would something that happened so long ago be of interest to you?” Tucker asked.

“Because one of the cops they murdered was my grandfather, who died when this prick and other members of Lenin’s Legion made a bomb that blew up in his patrol car. This asshole’s fingerprints were found about a mile away from the scene in an apartment they were using as a bomb factory.”

“Yeah, well, it all makes sense now. It’s you who’s been going around the country bumping off all those MRC people who’re hell-bent on upsetting our system of government and replacing it with communism, aren’t you?”

“I see you follow the news,” Ryan said somewhat sarcastically. He was apprehensive but at the same time annoyed that his mission had been interrupted by Hatcher and this other guy. They were obviously in the house for the same reason that he was—namely, to kill Judd. The only question remaining was whether he’d be leaving with them or would die in the bathroom with Judd.

Tucker looked at Ryan and then asked Hatcher, “So what do you think we should do, Don?”

“I think we should blanket him into our operation and let him do what he came here to do. I’m confident
he won’t say anything. He’s a silent warrior and he’s used to not talking. On top of that, his goal is parallel to ours, although for different reasons. Let him do the honors and we can be out of here and on our way,” Hatcher replied.

“Pick up your piece, O’Hara, and finish what you started. When you’re finished, we’ll all leave together,” Tucker ordered.

Ryan bent to pick up his revolver, but Tucker had another idea. “Kick it over here,” he instructed.

“Why? Are you having a change of heart?”

“No, not all. I just don’t want you firing that cannon. It’s liable to wake up the whole fucking neighborhood. Push it over here and I’ll let you use mine. It has a silencer and won’t attract any unwanted attention,” Tucker reasoned.

Ryan did as instructed, and as soon as Tucker had possession of the magnum, he slid his own gun across the floor, completing the exchange. “You can pick it up now,” Tucker said as he pointed the magnum at Ryan.

They were briefly interrupted by Fachini, who’d come upstairs to find out what was going on. “Everything all right, boss? What’s going on? What the… Who the hell is that?”

“It’s okay, Dominic. We just recruited him into the group. He’s gonna show us his stuff in just a second. Go on back downstairs. We’ll follow in a couple of minutes,” Tucker said.

Fachini left.

“Let’s get on with it, Mr. O’Hara,” Tucker said.

Ryan turned to Judd, who was begging for his life. “Please, please…”

“Please what, you crummy little twat? I’ll bet you’d swallow a johnson if you thought you could weasel out of this fix. Wouldn’t you, you miserable little motherfucker?” Ryan snickered as he leveled the automatic at Judd’s torso.

“NO, PLEASE, I’M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE. NO, NO! OH, FOR THE LOVE OF…” begged Judd as the first of twelve bullets jerked his body, throwing him violently into the side of the hot tub.

“FOR THE LOVE OF WHOM, JONAS? FOR THE LOVE OF LENIN? I KNOW IT’S NOT CHRIST.” Ryan laughed and continued firing as blood spilled from Judd and turned the water red.

With a blank look in his eyes, Judd gasped out his last breath of life and began sliding slowly beneath the water.

Satisfied, Ryan turned to Tucker and asked, “Now what?”

“Let’s trade weapons and get out of here,” Tucker answered.

After the exchange, Tucker inserted a new clip, chambered a round, and led the way downstairs. He motioned for Fachini and Meeker to follow. “We’re finished here,” he said as they headed out the door.

Once outside, Tucker approached Dodge and Coleman and asked, “We’re done. Did you have any problems out here?”

“Lutcher and Young had a little action on the other side of the house,” Coleman said.

“What kind of action?” Tucker asked.

“A couple and their dog came up the hill behind the house and the dog started barking. They killed the
dog and secured the couple with duct tape,” Coleman explained.

Tucker was annoyed. “Shit, this is just what we didn’t need. The rest of you stay here. I’ll go around back and try to determine what, if any, problems these people might pose for us.”

Lutcher was the first to approach Tucker as he rounded the corner of the house. “We have a problem here, Frank.”

“Yes, I know. I heard about them from the others.”

Lutcher pointed toward the young couple, who were seated against the house about fifty feet away. “I was about to take care of them before they became your problem, but Floyd told me to back off and wait for you.”

“What do you mean, you were about to take care of them, Dave? Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Tucker asked. But he already knew what Lutcher meant.

Lutcher was perplexed. He wasn’t expecting a reaction like this, especially before he’d even told Tucker what had transpired between him and Young.

“Well, Dave, I’ll ask again. What do you mean, you were about to take care of them?” Tucker demanded.

“He means that he wants to blow their brains out, Frank,” the reply came from Young, who had come up behind Lutcher.

“Sterling specifically said to leave no witnesses,” Lutcher protested, “and he’s depending on us to carry out his orders.”

“Dave, have you lost your mind? These kids can’t even see your face. They’re not a threat to us at all,” exclaimed Tucker, who was beginning to question his
own judgment for having been careless enough to pick Lutcher to be on his team.

“Look, Frank, if you and Young don’t have the will to do what Sterling directed, that’s your problem. Just stay the fuck out of my way because I’m going to do it whether you like it or not.” Lutcher drew his weapon and backed away.

He didn’t get far before he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg and fell screaming to the ground.

Fachini emerged from the shadows and nonchalantly asked, “Should I finish him?”

Tucker shook his head and then made a point to say, loudly enough to be heard by the young couple, “No, the president wants us all back tomorrow for debriefing. He’ll want to talk to our friend here before he hands him over to the chief of staff. Just tape his mouth and bind his hands up behind his back. Someone can help him down to the van.”

After being taped, Lutcher was pulled to his feet and brought around to the front of the house by Tucker and Young. Hatcher walked over to the couple. They were staring at him as if they thought they were about to be shot. They were probably surprised when he said, “We don’t kill innocent bystanders, but I’m advising you that if you leave here before daylight, we’ll be back to make an exception to that rule. Do you understand?” The couple acknowledged by nodding their heads. “Good. Then I’ll be on my way.”

Tucker waited for Hatcher to return to the front of the house and then said, “Okay, we’re all here. Let’s move out in intervals. Fachini, you stay here with the new guy and we’ll bring the van. Watch for us and be
ready to load Lutcher when we pull into the driveway. As soon as he’s in, we’ll leave for the assembly point. Any questions?”

“Just one,” Ryan said. “My car’s parked down the street and I don’t know where the assembly point is. Should I follow you or what?”

“Fachini can go with you and show you how to get there,” Tucker advised.

“Okay, that’ll work,” Ryan said.

Fachini and Ryan waited for the others to return and, after helping Lutcher into the van, retrieved Ryan’s car and proceeded on to the assembly point. They pulled in and closed the door behind them.

Tucker addressed the group. “We’re not going to waste any more time here than needed. I want to be out before the sun comes up. Go ahead and wash the paint off your faces, change into your civvies, and stow the other clothes in the trunks of your cars.”

Pointing to Ryan, Tucker continued, “Hatcher will ride in your car with you, O’Hara. Go back and check out of the hotel ASAP and then hit the road. Fachini, you’ll drive me and Lutcher in the van. Coleman, you’ll take the Honda and Meeker will take the VW.”

An hour later, Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, was free of the nine visitors who’d come in the night and left the town with one less citizen.

M
arkowitz answered the phone. “Yes, what is it? Tucker followed Markowitz’s lead and didn’t identify himself by name. Voice recognition was enough and lessened the chances of detection, should someone be listening.

“The job has been completed but I thought I’d better call and advise you regarding a couple of unexpected developments.”

“Okay, but make it brief,” Markowitz replied.

“We hired a new technician and we’re bringing him back to the shop with us. His job skills are exactly what we’re looking for and he’ll be a valuable asset to our company. I’ll explain later. Additionally, one of the
guys took ill and needs attention. I think he should be dropped off for treatment before we continue on.”

Markowitz had observed the incident behind the house compliments of the command post technicians and their satellite equipment. He was able to read between the lines. “Do what’s necessary,” he instructed.

“Okay, boss, will do. See you later,” Tucker said.

He hung up the phone and addressed Fachini. “Dominic, turn off on the next side road you come to. If it’s in a secluded area, drive a couple of miles and then stop.”

“What’s up, Frank?” Fachini asked.

Tucker moved his eyes toward the back of the van. Fachini understood.

Several minutes later, Fachini turned off the highway and headed into a forested area. After driving for about ten minutes without seeing any traffic or human activity, Tucker said, “Pull over, Dominic, and drive behind those trees over there. This is as good a spot as any.”

Fachini did as instructed.

“Come on, let’s get this over with before someone sees us,” Tucker said. .

Fachini exited the van and accompanied Tucker to the rear. They opened the doors and helped Lutcher out. Without saying a word, they supported him a few yards further into the brush. After removing the tape from his mouth and unbinding his hands, they sat him against a tree.

“So is this how it’s going to end, Frank? You’re just going to leave me out here in the middle of nowhere? Is that it?”

“Dave, I really didn’t want it to come to this, but you left us no choice. You stepped out of bounds and now you’re a liability. It’s nothing personal, but it is necessary. I’m sorry.”

“And you cleared it with Sterling?” Lutcher asked.

“Yes, I did.”

“Kind of funny, isn’t it, Frank? He instructs us to leave no witnesses and then orders the execution of the only man who was willing to carry out his orders.”

“We’ve been through that already, Dave. You knew, or should have had the sense to know, what type of witnesses he was talking about. Those young people weren’t witnesses to anything other than a couple of anonymous people in ski masks. They didn’t see our faces or anything we were doing inside the house.”

Lutcher was remarkably calm and appeared resigned to his fate as he nodded and said, “Well, what’re you waiting for then, Frank? Just do it. Get it over with.”

Tucker leveled the gun and fired. Lutcher slumped to the ground, dead, a bullet in his head.

“Sorry, Dave.”

M
arkowitz ventured outside when he observed the VW and Honda pulling on to the property. It had been two days and he was anxious to find out what had gone down on the operation.