Dark as Daylight Ch. 08

"William, we are ready to move."

"Godspeed Lucius; remember, they came after us first."

"They will regret that to their dying days, which may be coming up very soon."

"My friend, Jemma will kill me if anything happens to you."

"Jemma will come after me if anything happens to me."

"How did it ever come to be that we are both afraid of the same woman?"

"You married her William; you are supposed to answer that question. I'll talk to you, when I get back from the Windy City."

"Oh Lucius, a funny thing happened this week. The law firm of Coffman, Lexall, and Brophy has stopped its' representation of the men who attacked my home."

"Perchance you wouldn't have had anything to do with that, would you?"

"Me; you know I believe everyone is entitled to a fair trial. However, if you are listening in on the attorney's communications devices to see who they are advising of this cancellation, you may get a nugget of information that is useful."

"I told you Alfonse was good."

"I was hoping you would think I did it on my own."

"I could never think that of you William; you never threaten people."

"I'm beginning not to like you."

"Again?"

"Yes, again, and again."

"Goodbye William."

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

"What you feel against your rib is a 9 millimeter handgun. Let's continue walking down the aisle, leave your wagon at the end, and walk out of the store with me. If you cooperate you will not be harmed. If you don't, you will be dead. I'm not going to ask you if you understand, because I'm sure you do."

They walked out of the supermarket, down a long line of cars to a large white van. The rear door opened, and the 2 women got in.

The Colonel said, "Good morning Blanca; yes, we know your name, the names of your two children, and everything else about you. As Wendy has already told you, this has nothing to do with you, and you will not be harmed if you cooperate with us. Are you willing to do that to save your life and the lives of your children?"

"I know you're going to kill us. I've seen your faces, you have to kill me, and you will kill my children too."

"Have you seen my face Blanca? Have you really seen the faces of anyone in this truck, or did you just go shopping as you normally do? If you just went shopping, this never happened; am I correct?"

"Do you swear by God sir?"

"I am not a particularly religious man Blanca, but if it will soothe your soul, yes I do. Now, have you had a normal day today?"

"Yes sir I have. All I did was go shopping."

"Blanca do you have any dreams for yourself and for your family?"

"Yes I do. I would love to return to Spain, and live like a normal family. It is much too expensive for me and my children to get there, and to live as I wish for them to live. Mister Watley's garage would be big enough for my whole family to live in, but on what he pays me, I have to live in a one-bedroom house."

"The Watley's live in a 22 room mansion, and you live in a one-bedroom house. Does that seem fair to you?"

"No sir, but there nothing I can do about it. He pays me $180 dollars a week. That does not go very far with two children."

"What if I could make your dreams of going to Spain a reality?"

"I would kiss your feet if you could make that come true. I could be with my family again. I miss them so much."

"Where does your family live Blanca?"

"Just outside Valencia, in an area called 'Pobles de L'Oest."

"Do you have a checking account?"

"Yes sir, I do."

"Give me your checkbook please."

The Colonel opened his cell phone, and hit speed dial.

"Hello."

"Rod, Lucius Canyon."

"Identify."

"Peacemaker."

"I thought you were at work Lucius?"

"I am. I want you to transfer $500,000.00 into this account immediately, no questions asked."

"Go ahead."

"Routing number 6670941315. Account number 402491355096. How long will it take to show up in her account?"

"I'll make a personal call to a friend at Chase. It will be there in 2 hours."

"One more thing, I want you to buy a 4-bedroom home in Spain just outside Valencia. It's called Pobles de L'Oest under the name of Blanc Rosa Lecello. Get her a lawyer, pay him for everything, and advise him if he screws her, his balls will be down his throat when they bury him."

"That may take a little time Lucius. Spain's laws on land transfers are a bitch. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get it done."

"That is absolutely perfect timing Rod. The next time I call you, it will be for 3 first-class seats to Valencia."

"This woman must be worth her weight in gold."

"I'm sure she will be."

"Stay safe Lucius."

"Thank you Rod."

"Blanca, you heard my side of the conversation. In 2 hours you will be a modestly wealthy woman, and soon the owner of a house in Spain. That is what you wanted wasn't it?"

"If what you're saying is for real, it is more than I could ask for in all of my life."

"I told you before I was telling you the truth, and in 3 hours you can call your bank and verify that your newfound wealth is there. You must not use your cell phone, or the Watley's home phone to do it. The police will check every phone call that is made from either phone.

Now you must fulfill your part of the bargain. I have the blueprints of the inside and outside of the Watley home, the way it was made. What I don't know is what changes were made on the inside of the house that Mister Watley did not tell the city or county about. Are there hidden escape routes, like mirrors that would move aside and reveal a staircase leading to another area of the house, or to a safe room? How many safe rooms do they have in the house, and where are they? What time do the children leave for school, and what time do the return home? How many men patrol the inside of the house, and how are they armed? Anything that you can think of that will help us get inside quickly, and quietly to get to Mrs. Watley and the children out of the house will be extremely helpful."

Blanca put her hand over her mouth and chuckled.

Lucius became irate. "What the fuck is so funny Blanca? I don't want any of my people getting killed."

"I'm sorry, but you will not believe my answer."

"I will believe any answer you give me as long as it's the truth."

"Should I tell you from the beginning, or just the part you want to know?"

"Just tell me the part I need to know."

"In the house are always Mrs. Alexa Watley, myself, and 3 guards. The guards always carry automatic rifles. Well that's not true. One of the guards always carries an automatic rifle. The other 2 are in bed with Mrs. Watley. They rotate all day long, until the children come home. Then she plays the dutiful mother. She wasn't always this way. She was always a very nice lady, until one day Mr. Watley came home with two incurable sexual diseases. She would not divorce him, because she signed a prenuptial agreement. Her way of getting even with him is by screwing the guards, and he knows it.

The other guard, depending on the time of day, can be found in the playroom. He's either watching the huge television, or playing one of those game consoles. They all do that when they're not with her.

I really feel bad for Mrs. Watley. She's lost a lot of weight, and her face has gotten old. She hates what she's doing, but she hates her husband more for betraying their marriage. He has HIV-AIDS and Herpes. He is taking medications for both. I have heard he is leaving soon to go overseas for AIDS treatment that is unavailable here in the United States."

"Do you know how soon?"

"No I don't, but I don't know what he's waiting for. If I had that disease, I would be fighting it every day, as hard as I could. I hope the girl he got it from was worth it. She cost him a wonderful woman, mother, and wife. She may also have cost him his life."

"How many men patrolled outside, on the grounds?"

"I don't know if you would call them guards. The gardeners are there twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday. I have never seen anyone walking around, or driving around on carts patrolling the grounds."

"How many men are on the gardener's crew?"

"I've never been interested enough to count them all, but there are at least a dozen men, possibly more. They use 4 riding mowers, and all the other things that on menus to keep the property looking good."

"How many cars do you see in the driveway every day."

"Including mine, there are 5."

"So there's Mrs. Watley's car is parked in the garage. You, the 3 guards, and who else?"

"I don't know, I only feed 4 people, plus myself. I've never seen anyone else."

"Ladies and gentlemen, that is our Joker. We have to find out who owns that car, and the rotation of their schedule. Blanca, safe rooms, how many are there?" Him

"There is one downstairs by the playroom. There is one off the main dining room, and there is one off each wing of the house, by the bedrooms. They are very big, and well equipped with weapons, oxygen, and gas masks, first aid kits, and food for 10 days. They have blankets, pillows and blowup mattresses for 10 people in each of them."

"How are you so exact about all of that Blanca?"

"They have me wash the linens and clean each room on alternate weeks."

"Fastidious bunch, aren't they?"

"What time do the children leave for school and get home?"

"A private car service brings them home at 3:15P.M. exactly."

"When does Mister Watley get home?"

"I don't know. I'm gone before he gets home."

"What time do you leave?"

"I leave the house at 4:30 p.m., not one minute later. They do not pay me overtime."

"Tell us about the alarm system."

Blanca picked up her pocketbook, open the wallet and took out a business card.

"Here is the code for the alarm system. You have to put it in twice, otherwise the alarm company calls the house to see what's wrong."

"Why do they allow you to have it written down?"

"Can you remember a 9-digit code for $180 dollars a week? They think I'm stupid, but I have a Culinary Arts Degree from the best school in all of Spain. I received a scholarship to attend the school for all three years. I came here to get a job at a fancy restaurant or hotel, with my degree and letters of recommendation under my arms. That was when the downturn in the economy hit. This was the only job I could get. They pay me dumb wages, so I act dumb. I only make sandwiches for them, not even eggs."

"You haven't stolen anything from the house, have you?"

"No, I would never do that. I may be poor, but I have my pride. Did I tell you about the camera system in the house?"

"No, and I forgot to ask you about it."

"The cameras are hidden inside the walls, and you could never guess they were there. The reason I know it's there is because when I go in to clean up Mrs. Watley's room, and change her sheets before the children come home, they have black cloths hanging over certain areas of the room. Her room has 3 cameras in it.

Mr. Watley can access the entire system from work. The entire house is being taped all day, every day when he's not at home. What he doesn't know is that the Mrs. sent me to an electronics warehouse to pick-up a machine that erases tapes. Apparently she made a deal with a person at this warehouse to take it out of the original box, and put it into a plain brown box, with a hole in the back so the thing could breathe, and the electrical cord could come out and be plugged in. He gave me the instructions and the warranty information, but told me it was ready to go, and all that needed to be done was to be plugged in.

I took some things that were in the closet with Mr. Watley's tape recorders, and move them out, and the guards put this thing in there. Before they plugged it in they removed their wallets, watches, and rings, because they didn't want them to become attached to the magnet thing.

I know Mister Watley was angry about something one Sunday after that thing was put in, because he was very agitated. I was called in to work that Sunday, because they were having a party. I was paid $200 dollars for the day. He was not very good company."

"Do the guards know the access and egress codes for the safe rooms?"

"No, I don't even know them. Only Mr. and Mrs. Watley know those codes."

"Are they written down anywhere?"

"I don't know. If they are, they would be in Mr. Watley's office."

"Mark bring 6 extra charges of C-4."

"Yes sir."

"Is there anything else that you can think of that I haven't asked you about the house that we need to know? Are there hidden stair cases? Does he have access to hidden weapons anywhere in the house we should be aware of? Anything at all we should know about?"

"Oh my lord, YES! I forgot. In his office, he has a big oak desk. I was cleaning it, and I must have touched something I wasn't supposed to. A part of the desk that appear to have no drawers popped open, and it was filled with hand grenades, a small shotgun, and a silver hand gun with his name etched on it."

"Where were you when the door popped open?"

"I was cleaning the side where his chair is. The left side, under the frame."

"Is Mr. Watley left or right handed?"

"He is left handed sir."

"Does anyone have anything else to ask Blanca?"

"Yes Colonel."

"What type flooring are we dealing with?"

"Real Italian marble throughout the downstairs. Luxurious carpeting in the remaining parts of the house, including the safe rooms. The bathrooms are Italian tile."

"What kind of bathroom facilities do they have in the safe rooms?

"They have normal toilets that are connected into the house plumbing."

"You have to be kidding, no one would make it that easy."

"Well, thankfully, Mr. Watley did."

"Does anyone have anything else?"

"You have kept your part of the bargain Blanca. Everything I promised you will happen. Now you have to complete your shopping and go about your daily chores as you would normally do. One day during the next month, we will pay the house a visit, and hopefully there will be no bloodshed. When we are finished, like any good citizen, you will call the police and tell them what happened. We were all dressed in black, from our shoes to our Ski masks. We wore dark glasses so you couldn't see our eyes. We will tie you up, but you will be able to get out of it in about 10 minutes. Make sure your wrists have rope burns on them. The police will look for that. If you don't have them, they will think you are a part of what happened. We won't have to put tape over your mouth, because there will be no one to hear you. Weeks after all this happens, you will tell the police that you are so upset you're going home to your parents. If the police need you all I have to do is call, and you will talk to them over the phone. If they tell you that you are a suspect, tell them you are a Spanish national, and you will fight extradition. By that time, Mrs. Watley will be safe at home, with her children, living a happy life all over again."

"The only way Mrs. Watley will ever be... oh, oh! Can I go shopping now?"

"Enjoy the rest of your life Blanca, bring up your children well."

"I will spoil them on oranges."

"Watch your step getting out."

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

"I miss that idiot already."

"What idiot is that sir?"

"Zachary what the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be babysitting a National Treasure."

"General Marcus arrived 2 days ago sir, with 4 members of his Combat Control Team. The general wanted to talk to you. I told him I thought I knew where I could find you. He sent me to get you. I told him I would be back as soon as possible. I never said when that would be."

"And I was the one they kicked out of the army. You told a 4 Star General more lies in one meeting, than the CIA tells in a week."

"I found you, didn't I?"

"Yes you did. Did you happen to bring your sniper rifle with you?"

"It's in my guitar case sir. I didn't want to scare the police."

"When we are in the clear, site it in for about 450 yards."

"475 yards, yes sir."

"When I get you back to Canada, I'm going to make you cry in your soup."

"Please sir, tell me something new."

"Kelly go into the grocery store and tell Blanca not to scream when she sees you in her trunk."

"Can I scream going in her trunk?"

"This is what you're getting paid the big bucks for."

"Yes sir, and they certainly are big, much bigger than Max got."

"He made it as far as his used car, and if he followed my advice, he's deep in the woods of Canada, playing pinochle with a bear."

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

"That was fast. Here come Blanca and Kelly side by side. Do you think they're forming a friendship?"

"I would doubt it."

Blanca stopped at the rear of her car and opened her trunk. Kelly and she talked for a while to let people pass by. Once there was no one in the area, Kelly slipped into the trunk, and Blanca slipped the packages in on top of her.

As Blanca was getting ready to close the trunk, they could see Kelly's right arm raised in the air, with the internationally known single finger salute prominently displayed. The men in the van all laughed. However, they had to know who had extra car belonged to, and she was the stealthiest of them all.

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

As an unintended consequence of the extended negotiations, Blanca arrived back at the Watley estate at nearly the exact time as the children. She opened the trunk and began to load her packages, when she heard the screams of the 2 angels. Instead of letting them run to her, and see the lady in the trunk, she went to them, and hugged each of them fiercely.

"How much trouble did you get into today Frankie?"

"I never get in trouble. She gets in trouble. I get in trouble, because of her."

"Is that true Aurora? Are you the troublemaker in this house?"

Aurora looked down at her shoes, put her index finger to her mouth and said, "Frankie is a liar. I'm a good girl."

Blanca laughed. She patted them both on their behind's, and sent them rushing to their mother, who was standing at the front door to greet them. Again Blanca's heart went out to Mrs. Watley, because this is the woman she was before her husband trampled on their marriage vows. If the man she met this afternoon was true to his word, Mr. Watley was not long for this world, and Mrs. Watley could return to the wonderful woman she once was.

She returned to the trunk of the car, removed the remaining packages, and closed it just in time as one of the guards came over to give her a hand bringing them into the house. This was the kind of gesture that rarely, if ever happened.

Kelly was thanking her lucky stars it was mid-November in Chicago. It was a cool, windy day, and the trunk of the car, even with the years of odors that were crammed in it, was not that terrible. She did the only thing she could do for the time being. She knew Blanca left the premises at 4:30 p.m., which gave her a little bit more than an hour to get out of the trunk, move up between the cars, and into the bushes along the side of the house, where she would not be seen. She knew the team was set up angularly across the way from her, to give her cover just in case someone saw her make the move from the cars to the bushes. 475 yards was just about perfect. The impact from that round would leave a hole the size of a dime in the man's front, and size of a fist going out to his back. It would definitely not be pretty for the coroner to look at.

They could do the snatch and grab today, but the colonel did not want bloodshed. He wanted it to look as if it was a business disagreement, and money could settle the problem.

At 4:15 p.m. Kelly popped open the trunk about an inch to look around, but more importantly to listen. She lay there for 2 minutes, hardly breathing, listening for any extraneous noise. When there was none, she rolled out of the trunk, and closed it as quietly as possible. In her ear piece she heard, "No movement," which was wonderful to hear. She kept low and close to the cars until she was 4 feet from the house. She keyed her transmitter twice, and again received, "No movement." She checked for obstructions between the wall of the house and the bushes, and saw a hose bib, with a garden hose attached. Those things could always blow an operation, because as hard as you tried, you always tripped over those damn things.