Chapter 11: The Raid

The Grumman Route Star pulled into the parking lot of the truck stop, the 6.5 liter V8 Detroit Diesel engine grumbling in strain as it moved into the parking lot. With 175bhp and 350lb-ft of torque, the engine was not quite up to moving the step-vans bulk. With its computers, communications systems, radios, generator, battery packs, and separate-from-engine HVAC systems, the van was quite heavy, closing in on its GVWR. Trailing behind it was Miguel’s Ford Taurus SHO.

Jill and Miguel got out and joined the others to discuss the plan further. It was decided that they would have Josh sit in a motel parking lot just outside of town and run the van from there with Larry while Jill would join Miguel for the mission. The group of vehicles left the truck stop in convoy, a collection of Lincolns, Cadillacs, a Chrysler, a Ford, and a step van, heading through Salton City, Kane Spring, and Westmoreland, before the Grumman left the convoy and parked in the motel.

The Mafiosi pulled over and parked a mile north of the supermarket, while the Chrysler and Ford continued on. Miguel parked north of the supermarket, and waited, engine idling. The Chrysler pulled into the supermarket, and George got out, walking towards the door he had went through before with his hands in the air.

Two men came out quickly from behind a dumpster near the door training what appeared to be Uzi’s on him.

“Yous armed?” one of the men said.

“Of course,” George replied, “I’m not stupid.”

“Yous drop that on the flaw, okay?”

“No,” George said, “We play this even. You’re armed, I’m armed.”

“We the ones givin’ ordehs around here, okay?”

“Not to me,” George said, “You can keep them pointed at me if you desire to, but I am not disarming myself. You call Rico over, ok?”

This was a power play. Akilah had an open sunroof, and a Desert Eagle .50AE in her hand, and she was a crack shot with it. At this range, she could vaporize both men’s heads before they realized what she was doing. George didn’t need to be armed, but he liked the feeling of his Sig-Sauer comfortably holstered on his shoulder under his jacket.

“Da boss ain’t gonna like dis, Joey,” the other man said, “He says ‘disarm dem,’ we gotta disarm dem.”

“Shuddup, Mikey,” Joey replied, “Yous alone?”

“Yeah, I’m alone, I just like climbing over center consoles and getting out the of the passengers door, you know?”

Joey put a walkie talkie to his mouth and said, “He’s not givin’ us his gun, but he is alone. I dunno where Larry is, boss, but he wantscha to come out and talk to him.”

Rico came out the door, “You wanted to talk to me, shithead?”

“Yeah,” George said, “You need to get henchmen who don’t have rocks for brains, you know?”

“Whatcha mean?”

“I said to them I got out of the passenger side for shits and giggles, and they couldn’t detect the sarcasm. But I’m not here to shoot the breeze with you, Rico. You have to release your prisoners before I give you the boss.”

“You gotta bring him here before I release them, I tolds yous. Whatsyou mean the boss?”

In the darkness of the car Akilah rolled her eyes; she couldn’t believe that they were dealing with such clowns. They had dealt with stupid people in their travels, but this one fell for Bugs Bunny level word games.

“I have him not far from here, Rico,” George said, suddenly noticing the roof of the building, “He can be here in five minutes, and BAM, pop goes the weasel! But I need proof that his father-in-law and my worthless secretary are ok. I need to see them.”

Akilah was taken by surprise, but keyed her Nextel and said, “Send in the clowns to the tent.”

“Ok, but you gotta come inside, okay?” Rico said, “But whatsyamean by the boss?”

In the van, Josh received Akilah’s nextel message, and picked up the microphone on the CB radio in front of him. He detected movement to his side, far too much movement for the situation. He ducked, and Larry’s fist went over his head and smashed into the radio console with a metallic clang and a electronic pop as the radio shorted out.

Josh sent his elbow outwards and connected with Larry’s gonads, throwing the Nextel across the van as he did so. It was an instinctive move, not well thought out, but it connected with a sound of soft tissue and a screaming Larry; more of a yodel, really. Josh knew Jill always kept her Walther P22 on her person on nights like this, but that she also had a S&W .38 Detective Special in the drawer next to her computer. He had been stupid enough to leave his own PPK in near the drivers seat.

He grabbed the Smith & Wesson and held it on Larry, who had dropped his knuckleduster while grabbing for his balls, thankfully, at least for his sake.

“Dontcha even think of movin’, okay?” Josh said, and felt around in another drawer for a roll of duct tape, saw Larry writhing on his side, and taped his legs together, then his arms. Then, with a swift motion, Josh pistol whipped him and he was out cold.

Josh couldn’t get in touch with the Mafiosi; all he had for them was the radio. He keyed his Nextel, himself, and said, “De clowns can’t be sent in, yuh know what I’m sayin’? De clown wit’ me got all tied up, okay, or what?”

His phone rang, and he picked up, “What happened?” his wife asked.

“Acky, Larry jumped me when I tried tuh radio dem,” Josh said, “De radio is fahrkakt. Yuh got me so fahr? I’m gonna drive ovuh tuh dem and tell dem myself, okay, or what?”

“You do that, Josh,” Akilah said, and then paused, “And, you be careful, okay? I love you.”

“I love yuh, too, Acky,” Josh said, and hung up, stood up, walked over Larry, and through the partition into the drivers seat of the van. He looked around and saw three police cruisers parked within sight of the front of the van, and felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Jessica was concerned with her current situation. Larry’s father had made her feel quite nervous about the whole thing. Her friends had no idea what they were getting into, she was sure. And she knew Jill well enough to know she’d move heaven and earth to try and save her.

She’d known the way these guys operated. They were vigilantes as much as straight private detectives. They could be reckless. They were good at what they did, but they took risks far too often; compared to some of the people they had gone up against, this was a whole new league. When the story had gotten out about her father, even his cop buddies didn’t want to help him. They had seen to it that the other prisoners knew.

Liam had gone back to napping, and while she couldn’t hear much inside the freezer, she got a sense of tension. She had the distinct feeling people in the building were preparing for something.

She shifted around on the floor trying to get comfortable, but she could not. The concerns she felt about the coming events were grave. George and Akilah were skilled, so was Jill, and as much she loved them she knew they were also dangerous sociopaths. They enjoyed the thrill of hurting those who hurt others. She had wanted in on the game, but now she was nervous.

She got up and started pacing around the freezer. She stepped on something, and the floor moved a little. She gasped, and got down on her hands and knees. The floor moved, and it turned out to be a vent. Pointless. She couldn’t even reach her balled fist into it.

She felt powerless. Utterly powerless. She curled into a ball and started to cry.

Akilah picked up her phone and quickly dialed a number; she didn’t bother putting the phone to her ear for what it would say, she just waited a few moments, and then entered a three digit number and hit pound, waited a few more seconds and hung up. She couldn’t communicate much, not like this, but it was simply understood what she meant.

George’s pager vibrated on his belt. That was the signal; things were not right. Do not trust, do not believe, something is not as we had assumed. Funnily enough, he had already begun to assume that. This operation was complicated, intricate, planned, executed, it had brains behind it. That wasn’t Rico; Rico was an idiot employing people who were not adequately competent to assess obvious things.

He swung his right arm as if to point at Rico, but pointed at the roof, and hoped Akilah would read what he was indicating, “You want me to come inside with you?” he said with a sarcastic smile, then shrugged arms way out, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Akilah looked at the roof, and finally saw the sniper on the roof. It was in range, just. The signal was clear. She sprung up through the roof and with a resonating bang fired her Desert Eagle at the sniper; it was quite a distance, but with the 50AE she didn’t need to be very precise. She assume she hit, and re-aimed at the each of the henchmen and pulled the trigger twice, before finally aiming at Rico. The reports of each shot had made Rico jump.