Dark as Daylight Ch. 08

She darted in between the house and the bushes, but only went in 6 feet before she stopped. She turned, unscrewed the hose from the bib, and placed it on top of the hedge. If anyone got hell for the hose being out of place, it would be the grounds maintenance crew, not her. She proceeded down between the house and the hedge another 30 feet, passing 2 windows on the way. This room was definitely the formal living room, because it appeared never to have been touched by human hands.

She made the first left turn, as part of the design of the house, and stepped back. Quietly she said, "Ladder attached to the house goes straight up to the roof. Passes large window on the second floor, my guess master bedroom. Request instructions."

The reply came, "Go for the roof. Be careful of tripwires, number 5 may be there.

She acknowledged, and made the turn again. She had not taken 2 steps, when the grass ahead of her look different than the grass around it. She bent down and lifted what appeared to be the edge of a piece of sod. It wasn't. It was a pressure plate.

"Pressure plate three feet in after left turn. Disabling, but be careful." "Roger that."

Anything weighing more than what the plate was set for would set off an alarm inside and outside the house. She did not cut the wires that would be too obvious. She took a stone and wedged it beneath the mechanism that measured weight. She tested it by pressing her hand on it, and it didn't move. Satisfied with her handiwork, she put back the sod and made sure that nothing looked like it had been touched. If something looked too perfect, it had been played with, and that was bad.

Not that she didn't believe her work was good enough to be tested by her own weight, but she stepped over the pressure plate, and continued looking for the next trap that might be set by an opponent.

She was looking down, for where her next footfall would be, as her hand reached out for the steel railing. Something like a cobweb, touched her skin. She stopped, not moving a muscle. She leaned her head in to see what was behind the steel rail. One half inch above her fingers was a vial 3 inches long, containing an amber liquid. Protruding from that vial were tiny needles. Once you grasped the steel rail, the needles would pierce your skin, and inject the fluid into your hand. Not knowing what it was, she surmised it would either kill you, or knock you unconscious. You would definitely fall backwards onto the pressure plate, setting off that alarm. James Watley was not fooling around when it came to his protection.

She called the object in, as she cut it off the railing, and placed it on the ground where only she could see it. She would retrieve as she exfiltrated the property.

Kelly thought, "Two threats and I haven't taken my first step up this ladder. 5 will get you 10 one of these rungs is false. He will want me to grab for a higher rung to stabilize myself, and it will go boom. If not, I will receive a huge jolt of electricity, which will make me fall directly onto the pressure plate. Where are my insulated gloves? Oh great, they are in my backpack, back at the hotel. Isn't life grand."

It was a slow process, very slow. She pulled on every rung of the ladder as she moved up. She was above the bedroom window, which had its drapes closed, when she felt the rung move. It wasn't much, but she was very light, and was only pulling with one of her hands. She checked each rail going up to see if there were any more surprises in the form of needles and poisons, but saw none. With only 10 feet to go to the roof she grasped onto both rails and pulled herself, hand over hand, to the top.

When she got there, she found that the roof was pitched, and from where she was no one could see her. There were no cameras or wires that she could see and what looked like gray slate, was actually a man-made adhesive tile.

"I'm on the roof."

"Check the back first."

"Roger that."

A good soldier never asked 'why', even if in order sounded peculiar. You would think your commanding officer would want to know what was in front of him first, but not Colonel Lucius Canyon. The people that recruited her for this mission kept telling her he was the best ever. She was not old enough to know why. Orders like these made her question the people that recruited her. Oh well, we all had the right to our own opinion. She would check the back first.

Her initial thought was to take the easy way and go over the flat area where 3 points of the roof met before leveling out at the low point, before proceeding across to the other side of the house, where 3 identical points met, giving the house it's symmetrical look. The fucking place was huge. She decided to take the hard way, because it was the right way to do it.

She made her way up the steep gradient, and was 4 feet from the top edge of the house, when she stopped to take a break, before continuing up to the peak.

After she finished her energy bar, and had some water she made it to the top, and slowly looked over the other side. She couldn't believe what she saw.

She backed down, and transmitted, "Holy shit, I have company. One perp, who is aware that I'm here."

"Get down."

"Not an option."

"Silent kill."

"Tell the other guy that please? Leave me alone I'm going to be busy."

They two combatants were 30 feet apart, definitely within kill zone for any professional with an automatic weapon, but it was also going to be noisy as hell. Why the hell was he looking the other way? There wasn't enough room for anyone to come from behind him, and this guy was definitely comfortable looking between the ridges of this roof, lying on the ground, feet spread, arms resting on the surface, with the weapon pointed at the exit point of the angular pieces of roofing that flattened out in front of him.

As she considered her options, she knew she had to get within 10 feet of him to use her knife, but that still put her at risk for the gun that was in his hand. How the hell did he know she was here? The second floor drape was probably not part of the second bedroom. It was the only answer. She must've hit something that started a camera, or an alert system that allowed the guy to get into position to kill her as she went towards the front. Oh shit, Check The Back First!" Maybe this guy was not as dumb as I thought he was."

She moved along the lower bank of the wall as quietly as she was able to, while listening for the other guy to breathe. He was smart, he knew the lay of the land, he was disciplined, and he knew his job.

She was 3 out of 4, plus she had one advantage at the moment, she knew where he was, and he didn't know where she was. Usually, in combat, that was decisive.

Without thinking, she almost moved up to far, and was within about 6 feet of her target now. She remembered a tactic they used during drills at Officer Candidate School, and just wondered if she could pull it off here? It might work, and if not there was always the gun.

She took off her black mask, and kneeled. She put her tiny ammo pack in her right hand, and put her 9 millimeter in her left. She threw the ammo pack high in the air, arching it to land near the person on the other side of the peaked roof. As soon as the pack started on its way down, Kelly moved up the wall.

Then she heard, "What the..."

With Kelly standing on the peak of the roof, with her gun pointing down at him, she said, "Give it up copper, it's over."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Mister Watley sends his regards. Don't tell me no one told you there was going to be a drill this week."

"Fuck, those guy's downstairs don't tell me nothing. They get all that fine pussy and I get sunburn."

"I take it you're not the one who set up all those traps to keep people from getting up here?"

"Hell no, some Delta force guy did that; big as a mountain, hands like a surgeon."

"What your schedule for the rest of this week?"

"Tomorrow is my last day. Julio comes on 6 a.m. the following morning."

"How many days is Julio on?"

"Four."

"You don't swap notes with him do you?"

"Hell no, do you think I want them to know you got me?"

"It took me 37 minutes longer to get you then my last guy."

"37 minutes, that ain't half bad."

"Hell, I could hardly hear you breathing. Can we get down out of this place now, I don't want to take that ladder again. Don't tell those ass holes I was here. I have to kill all three of them next week. The boss is going to have a fit when I do that."

"It will serve them right. Come with me, we will go this way."

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

"What the fuck is things?"

"It's an ultralight. Mister Watley comes up here opens these doors, starts up the engine rolls down the ramp and off he goes. It's amazing. Of course, it takes 6 of us to get it back up here, but that's not his problem."

"Why is it, we do the hard work and they get rich?"

"I'll be damned if I know."

"Let me out the side door, I don't want the 3 idiots to know what I look like when I come for them next week. What does Julio look like?"

"5' 10" 160 pounds, dark wiry hair and a pencil mustache. If you really want to piss him off, after you beat him, tell him Jimmy says, "Cuban coffee is for whores." He will go absolutely ballistic."

"You are one of the good ones Jimmy, just don't fall asleep on the job, Mister Watley will have our heads."

"You take care sweetie."

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

When she saw the look in Lucius eyes she wanted to run back to Jimmy.

"What in God's name do you think you were doing over there? You were supposed to kill him not to make love to him. What was going on in your mind Kelly?"

"Honestly sir, you were. The plan calls for timing, and we are not ready yet. If I took Jimmy out up there today, and Julio found him in 2 days, we are fucked. As it is, I bullshitted him into thinking this was a drill and that he did very well. At this point we know we can do the snatch and grab Monday or Tuesday, with Julio on the roof.

We also have another way for Mister Watley to meet his end, rather than killing him ourselves. He flies an ultralight out of the back of his home. If he happened to be flying at altitude, and something happened to either the strings that hold it together or the fuel tank had a minor leak that accidentally got larger; sir, people do die in plane crashes."

"How devious of you Wendy. I may have to send you on more reconnaissance missions."

"Can I go with her sir?"

"She would kill you in under a minute, Paul."

"Yes sir, but I would smile the whole time."

"Draw me a diagram of the back of the house where the ultralight is."

"It's an area built into the roof slightly above the second floor. Jimmy said it takes 6 of them to bring it up after he flies it. I found no access area big enough to bring it up, through the house, so they must lift it up using pulleys and ladders.

Watley starts the fan engine, while it's inside the storage area. He releases the brake goes down the sloped ramp, and by the time he leaves the roof he has enough airspeed to fly. Within moments he's over the lake behind the house. If we could make sure he tried to escape using the ultralight, and the strings would last only a few minutes, he would be several hundred yards over the lake trying to make his getaway.

If Paul were to make a big show of his rifle, and tell us about the longest shot he ever made, Watley would try to run in a straight line, instead of turning towards the other shores."

"I like the way you think Kelly. We grab Watley Monday morning as he leaves for work. He will probably have a driver pick him up so that will make 5 total we have to take care of.

Julio shows up at 6 A.M., and goes straight up to the roof. 2 of us will be up there to greet him. Inject him with 1 Mg Propofol. Bring him to the area of the Ultra-Light, but make sure he is not blocking the doors. When you are finished with him, put the mask, open the valve on the bottle of Suprane, and move to the front of the house to give us 'Top Cover.' Remember, we are going to use our rubber bullets first so be accurate. When they see the tank mines in the driveway, and the RPG's pointing at three sections of the car, I believe they will surrender."

"What happens if they think the tank mines are fake, and try to run them?"

"Then our mission here is a failure. We return to base, and wait for another bite at the apple."

Kelly said, "His driver is probably going to be a former Navy Seal. Jimmy told me he was the one that set up the traps going up the ladder, and those traps were really good. He will recognize real tank explosives, and RPG's from fake ones. He will stop."

"That works well for us, but it also presents a problem. If he is a Navy Seal, we are going to have to restrain him in a way that he can't possibly get out. He is a brother in arms, and I do not want to harm him in any way. Let's use 5mg Propofol, as soon as he exits the automobile, and carry him into the house. Let's put him in a safe room by himself. Destroy the phone, remove whatever armaments there are in there, and finally destroy the electronic panel that would give him access to the codes. Don't use explosives, use acid instead. When we tie him up, use the plastic bindings the police use, don't use cord. He will use his sweat, and strength to stretch it out, and get loose in an hour. Don't forget to put the blocks underneath each of the safe room doors we use. We don't want anyone roaming around the house while we're working."

"Paul have you been able to find a firing range?"

"Yes sir. They are quite a distance from here, but it should not be a problem."

"Listen everyone, this should be very educational. How far is the first firing range Paul?"

"17 and one half miles, sir."

"And the second one?"

"22 point 22 miles, sir."

"And the final one Paul?"

"26 and 7/8^s miles, sir."

"Paul, how do you know these mileages exactly?"

"I drove to the first one, and drove back here. I drove to the second one and returned. Then I drove to the third one, and returned. As you indicated, I wanted exact mileages, so I could give you time estimates."

"Did you notice anything interesting about these firing ranges Paul?"

"Nothing particular sir. You wanted me to range my weapon at 450 yards, and that's what I did."

"Did you happen to notice what street they were on?"

"Yes sir, they were all off Beaverton Avenue."

"So what you're saying to me Paul is you could have taken one trip down Beaverton Avenue written down the mileage at each point and saved yourself all that time."

"I could have sir, but I wanted to be exact with the mileage to each range."

"You always amazed me Paul. Alright, one more time, everyone is off and we will form up Sunday morning 9 a.m., at the hotel for breakfast. No one had better be bleary-eyed. We will go to for 2 hours practice the range and then to the nature area for our 7 mile run, and to practice hand to hand combat skills. I don't want to hear anyone complain, so enjoy your off time."

As everyone disappeared into their vehicles Lucius could feel one body behind him.

"What are we going to do for 36 hours Colonel?"

"Why don't you walk back to South Carolina, and tell General Marcus you found me."

"I would have to bring you with me to prove that sir."

"I know, but it was worth a try. Let me call him and see what he has in mind. Get the car, and we will go back to the hotel."

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

To get back to Interstate 90, they had to pass directly in front of the Watley mansion. What they saw disturbed both of them greatly, and Paul pulled off the road and circled back to see what was happening.

There were suitcases in the driveway, both children were crying, and holding desperately to their mother's legs. James Watley was screaming at his wife, making all sorts of hand gestures, while their guards stood away from them, not knowing what they should do.

In a fit of fury, with nothing left in his arsenal to say to her, he pulled back his right arm, and struck her with the back of his hand viciously. He went after her again, but the guards pulled him off her. He continued to scream. He was definitely out of control.

Alexa Watley was being tended to buy one of the guards. She was given water, and a cold compress next to her cheek. When she stood up, she was barely able to walk. She gave an order, which almost was not adhered to, until she shouted it again.

One of the garage doors opened, and a sleek Mercedes sedan was backed out.

Paul said, "Colonel look at the roof."

Looking at the roofline Lucius saw one man standing there with a rifle in his hands. He was in perfect position to use as top cover. He would have to be eliminated first, before they entered the house.

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

They watched as the children were put into their child safety seats, and the doors were closed. The luggage was put into the trunk, and Alexa started getting into the driver's seat. The guard tried to stop her, but she was adamant that she wanted to go alone, with her children.

"Keep a safe distance Paul, but if you lose her, you will be peeing sitting down."

"Thank you for that image sir."

Alexa Watley took a right turn out of the driveway. She was not going towards any of the major highways, and the Colonel was fearful she was going towards a friend's house nearby. Every time she slowed down to make a turn, his heart nearly stopped.

"Put your credentials in your pocket, pull in front of her, and stop her. If you scratch her car, I'll get you a paint by numbers kit so you can repaint it."

"I have no idea why you are so nice to me."

"Neither do I."

Paul executed the maneuver perfectly, and they both came out of the car with their guns drawn, and their identities in their hands.

"Keep one hand on the console, and open the window with the other."

Alexa followed their orders exactly.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Watley, we thought your husband was driving. It's him we were after not you."

"You can have all of him as far as I'm concerned, we're through."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that. He is in a world of trouble."

"That doesn't surprise me at all, what did he do this time?"

"I'll talk about that later, but can I look into the trunk now?"

"Absolutely go right ahead."

"Mrs. Watley did you pack the suitcases?"

She got out of the car, walked to the back, and said, "Yes I did."

"Good, then I don't have to search them."

Lucius did a perfunctory test of the trunk, and found several packs of cocaine and pills (which he planted).

"Mrs. Watley, what hotel would you like to stay at? We know you had nothing to do with this, and it would be unfair to you and your children to have to sit at a police station, while our technicians tear the car apart, and then put it back together. Due to your status in the community, we would like to put you up at a 5-star resort at no charge to you. I just got word in my headset of what happened between you and your husband in front of your home. If you would like us to keep your name and location secret from him, we can do that easily. If you need extra clothing for the children or yourself, the United States government will take care of that also."

"Is this where my husband's taxpayer dollars go?"

"So far this year your husband has cheated the United States government and of 300,000,000 dollars in taxable income. We are getting ready to come down on him very hard. Let me change that we are getting ready to come down on him extremely hard. If we can tie them to one more thing, which we believe we can, he will be tried as an accessory to murder."

"Murder, I can't believe he would murder anyone?"