Chapter 10

Lt. Dean Matthews stepped down from the Tactical Response Team’s mobile Command post, readjusting his armour vest as the last hint of dusk turned to darkness. Three modified Humvees were parked, ready to deploy the teams: Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. He was hoping for a peaceful resolution to the situation ahead but had to be ready to take swift action if the assailants were to use their weapons.

He realized this wouldn’t be an ordinary raid. The Response Team hadn’t been called out to a sudden domestic situation gone badly or a failed bank robbery with hostages. They were dealing with two unknown men who are now believed to be responsible for the murders of at least seventeen women.

The two men they’re after have been hunkered down in the building for weeks. From Dan’s account of his visits and conversations with Arnie, C-4 explosives were placed inside the east entrance and at least one hostage’s room. The Lieutenant had to expect the main and west entrances to also be armed with explosives. He knew they were at least armed with handguns and probably more weapons besides the C-4.

With the layout of the building and parking lot, a surprise assault was out of the question. The team would arrive in their three Humvees, blocking the exits of the parking lot, and quickly deploy to opposite ends of the building, covering the main entrance.

How the situation unfolded was completely up to the kidnappers.

Dan arrived at the staging area wearing his disguise, parked his pickup, and then unloaded his trike and trailer. The paramedics and firemen, gathered waiting for the Police assault to end, gazed at him with indifferent eyes.

Several uniformed officers cordoned off the road, letting no one else enter. Sorry, Sir, I can’t let you go any further; it’s too dangerous.” An Officer stopped him from riding his trike.

Dan felt frustrated at being stopped and looked for a way to get past the barricade. He noticed Detective Armstrong and peddled over to her unmarked car. She just finished a phone call and looked at the stranger approaching her.

“Burning the late night oil, Detective Armstrong?” he joked.

“Do I know you?” She asked, eyeing this out-of-place street person.

“It’s me, Dan Davenport. This is the disguise I’ve been wearing when collecting bottles and metal around the building and talking to the brothers.”

“It’s a very convincing costume. I’m here because of your information. This is now a multiple homicide investigation. Plus, I don’t want to sit at home as the devoted wife while my husband’s life may be in danger. My husband, Tom, is a member of the Response Team.”

“I imagine it must be difficult to leave work at work with both of you being Police Officers.”

“We try to do as much as possible, and more now than ever. When this is over tonight, I’ll tell Tom the news we’ve been waiting for and trying to get for several years. I’m finally pregnant!”

Congratulations, Beth!” He smiled, eyeing her barely visible baby bump.

“And if it helps you any, every available forensic expert at Tampa PD and St. Petes PD examined the bottles you gave us. By obtaining finger prints from family members, we have confirmed that your wife, Erin St. Clair, Allison Taylor, and Julia Bennett are their current hostages. We also found prints belonging to Susanne Reardon and Claire Robinson.”

“The prints of the two men have been entered into the AIFIS fingerprint program, but there have been no results so far. Whoever they are, they’re very good at not leaving behind any evidence. They haven’t even had so much as a parking ticket. We’re still searching other Police Forces for any information on twin brothers named Charles and Arnold. However, based on the ransom video you provided, an arrest warrant has still been issued for them both for kidnapping, extortion, and sexual assault of your wife. We can serve an arrest warrant without a last name and identify them later on.”

“But the most pleasant news I can now tell you is about the phone call I just had from the Tampa General Hospital. Your wife’s coworker, Wayne Anderson, isn’t dead. When he was found, he was barely alive and was identified by the Police. It was determined for his own safety and the safety of the other victims that he be publicly announced as deceased. Only a handful of people knew, including his parents, that he was actually alive.”

“I was told he suffered a depressed skull fracture to his left Temporal Lobe from the bullet striking the side of his head. Surgeons repaired his skull and left him in a light coma to prevent and monitor any brain swelling. His brain suffered very little swelling, so the doctors eased him from his coma. Within an hour of stopping his coma medication, he began to wake up. It’s too early to tell what sort of permanent injuries he might have to his hearing, speech, and memory.”

“That’s a big relief. I’m sure he’ll get all the help he needs. Now I’ve got to go and see Lt. Matthews.”

“Dan, I can’t let you go up there; it’ll be too dangerous.”

“Is it too dangerous for me or for my wife? I’m the only one who can be near them and not raise suspicion. Besides, because of my book, it’s my fault that Claudia is in there!”

“You know that the Response Team will do their best to rescue your wife and the others safely.”

“I know that, but that isn’t good enough for me.” He then recited his conversation with the Lieutenant about the failed bank robbery and the dead hostages.

“I can imagine you coming to me after this is over with that stone faced look. You put your hand on my shoulder and said, Dan, they were able to save all but one of the hostages, and unfortunately, your wife was killed during the rescue. We’ll have to conduct tests to see if the bullet came from the assailant’s gun or a stray from the Response Team.”

“It might not end like that.”

“I can’t trust them to do their best and might.’ I have to be there with her! She’s my wife, and I love her. At least if I die, we die together!” His eyes became misty.

“I understand your anxiety and wanting to be more involved in getting to your wife. If you’re that adamant about doing this, then I have a suggestion for you,” Beth offered.

Dan peddled past the command centre and over to the first Humvee. He could hear the whirring noise of the gears from the robots as they were each tested before being sent out. An officer trained the robot on him to check the video feed. “Say something to the robot,” he asked.

“Your mother was a Lada car made in Russia!” he joked. The robot extended its arm, opening its hand to clutch him by the throat. “Sorry, my mistake; it says made in China on your ass!” He laughed.

“I will deal with you later, Earthling,” it replied in its robotic voice, and the group chuckled.

Lt. Matthews stepped out of the Humvee and asked, “Who the hell let you up here?” He scorned Dan, looking at him and then back to the staging area.

“I snuck past the barricades,” he lied.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going inside the building.”

“Like hell you are, it’s too fucking dangerous! We can’t be responsible for your safety.”

“I’m not asking you to be responsible for my safety. I’m the only one who can go near those two without raising suspicion. Besides, it’s my fault that my wife is in there!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t allow it! Officer, escort Mr. Davenport back to the staging area!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll leave!” Dan began to peddle away, then suddenly turned and pushed hard, flying past the first Humvee. “I’ll leave the back door unlocked for you!” he yelled over his shoulder.

“You have about twenty minutes!” the Lieutenant yelled. Dan waved his arm over his head, acknowledging he had heard his warning.

“Lieutenant, an Email just came in!” An Officer handed him the paper.

He read quickly, “The two men have been identified as Charles and Arnold Sullivan! The Judge has signed an updated arrest warrant with their last names on it!”

Lt. Matthews deployed the three Humvees, each carrying a five-person Tactical Response Team, stopping just out of view of the building. The Alpha Team covered the east entrance, while Bravo took the west, and Charlie covered the main entrance.

Each Team prepared to send in a Police robot capable of detecting explosives, providing surveillance, and contacting the kidnappers. The Robots were equipped with high-definition cameras, sensors, and a robotic arm. They are able to fire small stun grenades or tear gas. A cell phone was attached to the arm of Charlie’s robot to establish communications with the Sullivan brothers.

Standing in their main room, Chuck and Arnie had a clear view of anything passing by their road-facing windows. The lighting inside was very low-lit for easier detection of any movements below them.

They toasted a celebratory beer, having just treated Erin to another climaxing session on the fucking machine. While she fought to suppress her cums, Chuck was fucking Allison, and Arnie was savouring Julia. Claudia had been cuffed to her chair and made to watch.

“Someone’s out there!” Arnie said seeing the motion-sensing floodlights activated. “Oh, it’s only William going to the back room. He must be expecting more junk to be dropped overnight,” he said watching him get off his bike and disappear out of sight. Dan picked up the crowbar, bolt cutters, and flashlight, creeping to the back door.

“I’m going to the grocery store, then calling Davenport for our next money drop,” Chuck said, gathering his gun and van keys.

“Get us some more beer and potato chips and a few more frozen dinners for our sexy guests,” Arnie mentioned.

Dan unlocked the back door and shined his flashlight on the metal sliding door. He grimaced as it squealed and squeaked on the roller hinges and slowly inched it open. The single light bulb in the ceiling cast an eerie glow in the damp garage. He was about to enter the large lower room when he noticed feet descending the metal stairs above him. He inched the door almost closed and noticed Chuck getting into the van.

The garage door motor made a humming noise, and the squeaky wheels needed oiling as the door rose above the van. It backed out, and as the overhead door closed to the floor, Dan emerged into the room. He snuck to the dirty garage door window, watching the van back down the lane. It started to leave, going out of sight past the building to where the parking lot and property end and trees begin. The van suddenly stopped and reversed quickly.

Dan was on the third metal step to the second floor and had to scramble down for cover in the small room as the garage door unexpectedly began to reopen. Chuck drove fast into the underground parking lot, the van roof barely clearing the bottom of the rising door. The van jerked abruptly as Chuck slammed the gearshift into park. He muttered to himself while hurrying from the van as the overhead door closed.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Dan heard him swearing, taking two steps at a time to the second floor. The door slammed behind him as he ran down the hallway.

“Get all the bitches into the C-4 room and chain them together now!” Chuck yelled.

“What’s up?” Arnie asked about his brother’s agitated behaviour.

“We’ve got fucking company, and it isn’t Avon Calling! It’s the fucking Police!” He grumbled, turning out all the lights and picking up the binoculars. Arnie crawled on his hands and knees to peer out the tinted window.

“They’ve got the fucking road blocked off! There are three Humvees just passing the parking lot, and I saw three fucking Police robots coming this way!”

“Fuck! How the fuck did they find us?” Arnie worried.

“I don’t know, but you can bet I’m calling Davenport! Now put our bitches in the C-4 room!” Chuck barked as he made sure all their weapons were loaded.

Arnie scrambled to gather the women. Julia and Erin were grabbed by their cuffed hands and told to stand with Claudia and Allison, who were handcuffed too. He took a long chain, interwove it around the girl’s wrists, and padlocked it to the bed frame. Arnie didn’t say a word as he hurried and breathed heavily through his nose. He pulled on the chain to make sure it was firm, turned off the lights, and then padlocked the girls’ room shut.

“Something must be happening,” Claudia said in a low voice.

“What is it? What’s going on?” Allison asked her, growing very nervous.

“I don’t know, honey, but it doesn’t feel good!”

“I’m scared, Claudia!” Young Allison stood close to her lover, clutching her hands for reassurance.

Dan was startled when his ransom phone chirped. He stayed in the room, so the echo of his voice couldn’t be heard.

“Davenport, you fucking asshole, I told you, no fucking Police! Now you have them outside my fucking front door!” Dan cringed at Chuck’s yelling on his phone.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! I haven’t called the Police on you! I’m at home waiting for your ransom call and delivery instructions!” he lied.

“Your wife is fucking dead! I’m going to have the pleasure of the Police watching me put a bullet in between her eyes and splatter her brains all over the fucking room!”

“No, Nooo! I’ve got your money, where do you want to meet?” He said this, looking up at the ceiling as if he could see Claudia.

“Too fucking bad!” and he stopped the call.

“Are we sticking with our original plans?” Arnie asked, anxiously handing a freshly loaded M-16 rifle to his brother.

“Yes, if we don’t get out of here alive, then no one does!” They high-fived. Chuck placed their barricade against the window. “And take out as many fucking cops as possible!”

They stacked a pile of ten, thirty-round magazines close by. Chuck armed the detonation switches for the C-4 explosives at the east and west entrances and kept the trigger for the girls’ room close by. The explosion in the girls’ room would kill them instantly and bring down the back of the building, while the front would become a huge pile of rubble if the main room were brought down.

One by one, the Response Teams were able to turn off the tall parking lot lights, turning the area into darkness.

Claudia, Allison, Julia, and Erin stood in an uneasy silence. “The next time one of them comes in here and unchains one of us, we have to do something. Kick him, bite him, knock him down—something to try and get free!” Claudia encouraged.

“Shhh, listen… I hear something!” Allison whispered. Eyes searched the darkness as if it would help their hearing improve.

Their attention was drawn to beams of bluish-white light breaking through tiny cracks in the board covering the window. “I hear it too! I think it’s a helicopter! The Police must be here!” Claudia hoped.

“Air Tactical One is now in position!”

“Air Tactical Two, now in position!” Lt. Matthews heard it in his earphones.

Two Police helicopters hovered, with quiet running engines, several hundred feet above the building. The powerful blue and white searchlights lit up the area almost like daytime. Air Tactical One covered from the northeast, while Air Tactical Two watched from the southwest. All four sides of the building were now bathed in artificial sunlight.

“Holy shit, helicopters!” Dan exclaimed, starting up the stairs. Changing light and shadows from Tactical One’s searchlight caused him to stumble, dropping his flashlight. He watched it fall and shatter into pieces on the cement floor. The light beams from the chopper, shining through old windows and cracks, cast eerie-looking shadows as it hovered in place.

“They sure mean fucking business!” Arnie cried, looking up at one chopper. He nervously cocked his rifle, then made sure both their 9-mm pistols were full of ammo. His hands shook as he fiddled with the remote control detonator for the east and west entrances.

Dan leaned his head forward, cautiously peering through the grimy door window. The hallway was almost pitch-black from all the closed doors. The only diffused light came into the hall from Chuck and Arnie’s main room and the two red overhead exit lights.

He quietly opened the door and slinked down the hallway. At each closed door, he tried the doorknob. If unlocked, he quickly looked inside. The next door was locked, and then he remembered the attached little sliding door. Gliding it open, he couldn’t see anything inside. On he went, his only weapons, his crowbar held ready to swing, a bottle of pepper spray, and his bolt cutters.

Dan slowly approached the main room. He leaned against the wall and took a quick glance into the low-lit room. He could make out Arnie hiding behind some kind of metal object. He couldn’t see Chuck but could hear them chatting in low voices.

He darted past the light shining on the hall floor to an open door. His eyes were more adjusted to the dim light; he could see toilet stalls, showers, and sinks. Onto the next room, and it was also empty. After that, he noticed a door secured with a padlock. He slid aside the little door and peered in. He thought he could see several people standing.

This door was the only one he saw with a padlock. He wriggled the bar between the door frame and the metal hasp and gave it a gentle tug. He looked over his right shoulder in case they heard the breaking noise.

Dan could feel his racing pulse pounding in his ears as a second pull loosened the metal. One final pull and the hasp broke free of the door frame. He poised the crowbar to strike as he turned the doorknob and slowly entered.

There was just enough ambient light from the helicopter for him to make out four standing figures. He quickly closed the door behind him.

With scanners set to pick up errant Police conversations, word soon spread through the Tampa area media world that the Tampa Tactical Response Team was poised to go into action. Several news crews made their way to the blocked-off road and prepared to recount any events that unfolded.

The rapid wop, wop, wop of propeller blades cutting through the warm, humid air announced the arrival of a third helicopter. Lt. Matthews trained his binoculars on the intruder. It was the news copter from WZAX TV call, letters, W79ZA9, whiskey, seven, niner, zulu, alpha, niner.

“Get me that pilot right now!” he ordered. “Whiskey, seven, niner, zulu, alpha, niner, You are inside the airspace of Tampa Police Operations! For your own safety, withdraw back and up five hundred yards, now!”

The pilot hesitated. “Pull back now or I’ll call the FAA!” he threatened. He watched the nose dip, and the copter retreated the required distance.

The large screen television in Dan’s TV room had always been left on in case there was any further news about the missing women. Rita and Emma had exchanged the spare bed for the room’s couch for their next loving session when the normal news was interrupted.