Chapter 4: Assassins

“Everyone who lives long enough to love deeply will experience great losses. Don’t let fear of loss, or the losses themselves, take away your ability to enjoy the wonderful life that is yours.”

― Barbara “Cutie” Cooper, Fall in Love for Life: Inspiration from a 73-Year Marriage.

“Hi, Lauren; thanks for the tea. The first cup always tastes the best.”

“Dad, sorry to disturb you. How are you feeling?” Lauren asked the following day.

“Fine, so many memories.”

“How are you?”

“I’m all right.” Jason sighed. “I’m sad, mourning Sarah, but I feel her presence and warmth. Most of the memories are happy.”

Jason looked at Lauren and canted his head to the right.

“Lauren, you look worried?”

“Clarke wanted to see you today. He turned up here this morning at 7. You were asleep, and I told him the doctor wanted you to rest for a few days after the stent. What’s the rush? Dan put him off until Monday. Clarke said it was urgent. Clarke and Dan landed up shouting at each other. Gourley stood smirking behind Clarke. Clarke was furious you were asleep and not available. He insisted you remain in town. Dan told him to screw himself and go through him next time.” Lauren grinned. “Clarke said you were ‘under suspicion’ and must remain in town. Dan thinks the man is obsessed with you and crazy. Clarke worries Chuck and Chloe. They heard the whole exchange. Chuck firmly believes the detective is a vampire and almost has Chloe believing him. Chuck has been asking how he can make bullets and where he can buy silver. I heard him and his friend Bird, the Nerd, talking about it!”

Jason laughed. “I know Clarke, Lauren. He will lose, but it costs us emotionally and take a lot of effort to handle him. Thanks for putting him off; I feel drained,” said Jason as he sat at the table, patting Rosie and Lilly. “I must take the dogs to the park; I want fresh air. The dogs have been nagging me to walk them.”

“I’ll take you, Dad; I don’t want you to go alone.”

Jason struggled to walk twenty meters without becoming breathless and stopping.

He threw the ball using a plastic launcher but involuntarily hissed as he hurt his chest throwing the ball. Lauren took over.

“The park is lovely; I enjoy the river, the calm, and the fresh air; I must come here more often,” said Lauren.

Jason glanced at the sapphire river, smiled, and turned to watch the dogs. “Lauren, look at that strange group of men in faded burgundy robes. They are looking for someone. One of them has an iPad, shit the other has a weapon. Get behind the tree. They might be some crazies!”

Jason gently pushed Lauren behind the broad trunk of a tree. He bent forward stiffly and sideways, his hand on the rough bark.

“They headed for the carpark, but now they are coming our way,” said Jason. “I think they saw me, don’t expose yourself.”

A branch at head height sizzled, caught alight, then fell to the ground.

The men shouted excitedly.

“They’re shooting at us! I’ll call the dogs; I don’t want those nutters to hurt them. Remain behind the trunk, Lauren.”

“Ouch, they hit me in the arm,” Lauren shouted, peering at her left bicep. “It’s just a graze, Dad, but it’s burning like crazy. You tell me to stay behind the tree, but you keep looking around the trunk, and I’m the one who gets shot.”

Jason turned to look at her. “I am dispensable; you are not!”

Lauren laughed. “I don’t understand why I’m laughing.”

Jason peeked around the tree and yelled at the dogs.

First, there was shouting, then screaming.

Using the tree to support him, Jason knelt and peered around the trunk close to the ground.

“The dogs are attacking them. Lilly has the one with the weapon on the ground, and Rosie is chasing the others. Lauren, call the cops,” said Jason peering around the tree.

“I’m already on it, Dad; they will be here in five minutes. They took me deadly seriously after I told them of the robes and the priests shooting at us.”

“It’s weird, they’ve disappeared, but the dogs caught one of them. I’ll have a look,” said Jason, pushing himself upright using the tree.

“Dad, please don’t go. Wait for the police. Those guys may come back; stay with me, please! I don’t want you to have another heart attack.”

The dogs worried the priest’s body.

Jason called them.

They returned to him, tails wagging.

Jason patted his dogs and fussed over them.

Lauren helped Jason walk back to the car. Two pairs of uniformed police arrived minutes later, followed by an ominous black truck. Twelve heavily armed and armored men poured out the back and entered the park.

“Dad, they are looking at a body and torn clothing on the ground.”

The police streamed towards them from cars and an armored truck. Lauren waved them over to the car, where they sat waiting.

“What happened here?” The senior sergeant asked.

“My father and I were taking the dogs for a walk. We saw a group of six men weirdly dressed in robes with hoods. The robes were a faded red. One of them had a darker burgundy robe. He acted as if he were in charge. Another was carrying a weapon. They behaved as if they were looking for someone, using an iPad to track and then pointing. They headed toward this car park and then turned to walk our way. We were close to the children’s playground, past the toilet. We hid behind that big tree, the first one after the end of the fence,”—Lauren pointed—”The one on the ground had a pistol-sized weapon in his hand.” Lauren coughed. “They shouted to each other in a foreign language. A branch on the left side of the tree crackled, caught alight, and fell. We realized they were shooting at us.”

The police officer wrote furiously. When he looked up, Lauren continued.

“My father called the dogs, as he didn’t want them to get hurt.”

“Did they shoot at the dogs?”

“We heard screaming and shouting, and when we looked around the tree, we saw the dogs attacking them. The dogs caught one of them and had him on the ground. The others ran off and disappeared.”

“Sir, what did you see?”

“It was exactly as my daughter described. My first thought was it was a terrorist group looking for victims. The robes looked different from any terrorists I have seen on TV. They also had reddish faces. I would swear one had blue hair and another had red hair. They cut the hair page style. The hairstyle was like the actors you see in Medieval movies. The men were clean-shaven. I couldn’t hear them clearly as I am a bit deaf. I heard shouting but could not distinguish the words,” Jason informed him. “The one wearing more prosperous burgundy was tall and had white hair. At first, as they dressed unusually, I considered they were actors making a movie, but I got worried as they purposefully headed toward us. The weapon had a smooth shape, unlike a pistol. I kept us behind the tree. I peeked around the tree and saw them moving faster our way. The branch sizzled and came down. There was no gunshot sound. It was bizarre but disturbing.”

“What vehicle did they use?”

“That was no vehicle on the road. When they ran off, they disappeared one after the other.”

“Was anyone injured?”

“Lauren has a burn on her bicep. My dog Rosie has a burn along her flank.”

Jason showed the police officers Lauren’s injury, then called Rosie over and pointed to the burn extending down her flank.

“Both dogs have blood on their muzzles,” Jason added. “You can get DNA from them. They bit two or three of the other men. Then we’ll take Lauren to the doctor and Rosie to the vet.”

Lauren switched on the news before dinner.

“A group of robed men shot at a father and daughter taking their dogs for a walk in Tompkins Park in Applecross this morning. The dogs, a pair of Rottweilers, saved the pair, an 80-year-old man discharged from hospital yesterday and his daughter from the attackers, but not before the attackers shot the daughter in the arm. The police recovered a body and weapon, described as a futuristic energy weapon. The dogs killed one of the attackers and chased the others. The police recovered a body and DNA evidence of at least two others from blood found on the snouts of both dogs and two robes found at the scene. The police found a sandal some distance from the body but informed me they could not identify the clothing or shoe manufacturer. The assassins shot at and burned the back of one of the dogs. The dog attended a local vet who informed us it will recover from its unusual injuries. Joe Joseph will report what he found at the site of the attack.”

Joe appeared on the screen holding a microphone.

“I am at the tree the elderly man and his daughter hid behind in Tomkins Park. The assassins shot at this branch. It is nine centimeters in diameter. I estimate the assassins shot at it from fifty meters away. They burned through the branch. I also found seven three-centimeter diameter holes burned deeply into the trunk.”

Joe walked to a different position, then pointed to seven holes bored into the tree trunk. “These holes penetrate almost through this enormous tree,”—he pointed his laser into a hole and looked at the readout—”It is 57 cm deep, over half a meter!”

“What did the police tell you?”

“The police believe the dogs saved their owners from being killed.”

“Amanda?”

“Thank you, Joe. The police will not confirm this is a terrorist attack. We communicated with weapons experts in the USA, who told us the army had developed energy weapons, but they required bulky energy supplies. The military denies all knowledge of a small, powerful portable energy weapon.” The anchor looked directly at the camera, “We will report further on these unusual events tomorrow as more information becomes available.”

Dan looked at Jason and shook his head.

Jason grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

“Grandpa, could they be aliens?” Chuck asked.

“Yup, they probably were. I am a great prince from a far-off civilization in hiding here. The assassins have found me and tried to kill me this morning.”

“Grandpa!” Chloe shook her head.

“They took control of Detective Clarke and made him into a vampire!”

“Yeh, Grandpa!” Chuck grinned broadly. Chloe frowned, then turned to Jason.

“Grandpa, is that true?” Chloe asked.

“No, that is your Grandfather’s usual nonsense. No assassins or vampires are chasing after Grandpa, and he is not a prince in hiding.”

Chloe wiped her eyes.

Jason put his arm around Chloe and then turned to Lauren. “I must go to bed after dinner; I feel shattered.”

“Where’s Chloe?” Jason asked the following day at breakfast.

“Diabetes attacked her, Grandpa. She’s in Princess Margaret. The doctor said she is breaking, and all of what has gone on bent her out of shape,” said Chuck.

“Her diabetes has been brittle for some time now, Dad, and they are waiting for a new Insulin pump,” said Lauren. “There is one with a new generation of blood glucose sensors.”

“Yes, I know, Sarah told me. I hope it reduces her hospital admissions. How many times has she been in the hospital this year?” Jason asked.

“Six times in the last year, and she remains unstable. The stress triggered a hypo, and she had a seizure just as we got her to the hospital. She was in ICU for most of the night but is now cheerful but slightly confused in a medical ward. She can go to school tomorrow.

“The endocrinologist says that the pump he is waiting for will be out in six weeks, and he thinks she should get it. The hospital will monitor her closely while the Clarke thing is happening.”

“You and Dan look exhausted!”

“Dan stayed with you and Chuck but couldn’t sleep. I will go to sleep after breakfast,” said Lauren. “Chuck, get ready. Your father will drop you off at school on the way to work.”

“Do you think the Empire is after us, Dad?” Lauren asked.

“I can’t say. I can’t imagine any reason they would try to kill me.”

“Terrorists don’t have futuristic weapons,” Lauren observed.

“It is puzzling, but we don’t have enough information to make intelligent guesses. If someone is after us from the Empire, they oppose our family,” said Jason. “Lauren, I’ll warn the family in Houston, and we’ll be vigilant. Have you told Craig what happened?”

“No, he called after he saw it on the news.”

“This is a great way to get our ten seconds of fame,” said Jason.

Clarke re-appeared at 9 am on Monday, as messy as previously. He wore the same filthy, stained tie; his gut bursting out of his shirt and hanging over his belt.

Jason looked at the sideboard. Chuck had loaded it as before. Jason smiled.

“How can we help you, detective?” Dan asked.

“Mr. Kargo, you were in the army?”

“Yes.”

“Mr. Kargo, the army investigated you. They accused you of war crimes?”

“Yes, and they cleared me.”

“Did it involve murder?”

“I can’t say.”

“The army heavily censored and redacted your record. Do you know why? What were you doing in the army?” Detective Clarke asked as prissy, pretty-boy, mister try-hard Detective Sergeant Gourley smirked in the background.

“I was in the SAS. The army sent me on covert operations.”

“You assassinated people?”

“Among other things,” said Jason impatiently.

“What other things?”

“Walking in the jungle, doing jumps, planning operations, surveillance, liaising with our allies, finding targets, setting ambushes, training, and so on. I did all the usual activities that are part of special forces operations. Later, the army promoted me and moved me into Operations Planning and Intelligence.”

“Mr. Kargo, you were in the Army for how long?”

“I was in the army for fifteen years,” said Jason.

“The army trained you to become a lieutenant, correct?” Detective Clarke asked.

“Yes, I entered the Army after University. They selected me to become an officer.”

“You went into intelligence first?”

“The army selected me to join Army Intelligence after basic training.”

“You were an expert marksman?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you join intelligence?”

“The army chose to place me in intelligence. I learn languages easily and spoke Vietnamese fluently.”

“You faced an investigation while in intelligence, did you not?”

“Someone was leaking information to the Soviets. Counterintelligence found the enemy agent and arrested him. They investigated all of us.”

“Why did you apply for the SAS?”

“I wanted to take a more active role in operations. I was young and idealistic ... I am proud of my service.”

“What do you mean?”

“Special forces training is hard going. The work was exhausting and dangerous. The Vietnamese constantly attacked our bases, and the jungle war left me with nightmares. The enemy infiltrated us and our allies and compromised our missions. The jungle was dangerous, and the enemy was ruthless. Knowing who was friend or foe was impossible. Fortunately, they promoted me, and I went into operational planning.”

“How did you adjust after the war?”

“I found it difficult. My wife and my family were supportive.”

“Tell me about your marriage?”

“What do you want to know?”

“Was it a good marriage?”

“It was a good marriage and partnership. There were a few downs, but it was mostly level or good, often perfect. We agreed on most things. As do many, we had a few financial pressures early in life, but we were comfortable later. Both our families were helpful and supportive when we were young and struggling. Our children were excellent students and sports-mad. Sarah was a fine wife, mother, and, above all, a good woman.”

“You were happy to help her?”

“We helped each other. She was an exceptional judge of people and unraveled people’s problems for me. I liked structuring and editing documents, which I did for her.”

“You loved your wife?”

“I did. I wouldn’t describe our marriage as a grand passion. Neither of us had a romantic view of marriage. We both believed in making a marriage and partnership work. It was a loving relationship, and we were close.”

“Mr. Kargo, how far would you go for your wife?”

“I did not help her kill herself. Sarah was an undemanding woman who was fiercely independent. She would never ask me to help her die. Neither of us wanted heroic medical interventions when there was no quality of life.” Jason sat with his head in his hands.

“You knew your wife well?”

“Yes, I knew her as much as one knows another after fifty years. She was a woman with few secrets and was without guile.” Jason rubbed his eyes.

“She knew I wouldn’t help her suicide.”

“Mr. Kargo, I believe you knew but chose not to be present to prevent her from killing herself.

“I have found hardware store receipts that show you bought thick cord in the past.”

“I didn’t buy it for my wife.”

“Three months ago, you bought rope?”

“Yes, I did. I built a swing for my grandchildren. It’s hanging from a tree in the backyard. Dan tied the rope to the tree.”

“Did you use all the ropes?”

“No, I had some left.”

“Where did you put it?”

“It should be in the garage on a hook on the wall.”

“Mr. Kargo, the rope your wife bought is in your wife’s study. There is no rope in the garage. How do you explain this?”

“I cannot explain it.”

“You conveniently were not at home until too late to be of help.”

“I returned earlier than usual because of the party. I usually get home an hour later. I have had the same routine for years.”

“Did you try to resuscitate your wife?”

“No, her body was cold and was already rigid.”

“Mrs. Craddock, will you still insist that you put up the rope?”

“My mother bought the rope six weeks ago and asked me to put up a basket. I forgot. Three weeks ago, she asked me again. She pointed to the rope in the garage and asked me to put up the rope for a basket. She told me dad was too unsteady to stand on a ladder.”

“You told me you helped them because they both had balance problems. Why did she tell you again?”

“I forgot, and she reminded me despite her memory issue.”

“How did she remember Mr. Kargo was having trouble with his balance but forgot you knew?”

“I don’t know. Some things she remembered, some she forgot. Dad’s balance is not great. Dan and I have changed their light bulbs for the last ten years. He could not have carried a ladder and climbed it to put up the rope.”

“So, Mr. Kargo, how do you explain cycling and maintaining your balance on a bicycle, but you can’t climb a ladder?”

“My cycling friends will tell you I have been having balance issues, as will my doctor and neurologist. Both doctors advised me to stop cycling, but I was not ready to do so.”

“Mr. Kargo, I don’t find your replies credible. You are used to killing and can plan well to achieve your aims. You set your wife up to die.”

“No, I did not.”

“Did you arrange the chair for her and tie the noose?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“So how did a woman with dementia tie a noose? Somebody helped her. How could she plan to do it and remember to kill herself?”

“Have you looked at her computer?” Dan asked Clarke, who ignored him. He looked at his watch, then at his colleague, and excused himself. Clarke spoke after pausing at the door and turning around.

“Don’t go anywhere, Mr. Kargo; we’ll have more questions for you. Don’t leave Perth.”

“Detective, are you arresting my father-in-law?” Dan asked.

“Not yet, Mr. Craddock, but it’s inevitable,” said Clarke, “I will show myself out. But no doubt we’ll speak again soon.”

“My client will go where he will unless you arrest him. He will remain in contact.”

Dan shook his head as Jason and Lauren watched the detectives walk to his car and drive off.