Chapter 10

"Has everyone met everyone?" I asked to open the orientation session. My crew sat scattered around the great room in the mansion. I heard a chorus of yeses. "Good. My role in this assignment has to be confusing for some of you. I'm the principal. I'm also the agent for the operatives hired for this assignment, but that's not all. I'm the lead operative, as well. Do any of you want to address this issue?"

Green said, "If you're the principal, we can't protect you if you won't listen to our advice. That's the first and foremost principle in the protection profession."

"I agree, Dan. That's why I assigned the task of securing this property to you and Maria as opposed to protecting me. Everyone, this assignment doesn't fall comfortably into any niche in our business. You're not here to protect a principal. You're not here to release a captive or find a missing person. You're here because someone wants me dead. I don't know who wants me dead, and I don't know why. You've been brought into this assignment to help me answer those two questions. What I do know is this person or group who wants me dead hired Joseph Karsh, a master assassin, to kill me. This means Karsh knows the identity of my enemy. In three or four days, we will abduct Karsh. I will interrogate him, and Karsh will tell me everything he knows about my enemy. That's it. That's what this assignment is about."

I took a deep breath and looked around the room, searching for negative thoughts about what I'd just said.

I continued, "A successful conclusion to this mission does not eliminate the threat to my life. Karsh assigned my assassination to one of his most bloodthirsty, ruthless hit men, a man named Joel Hall. Hall resides in Las Vegas, possibly in Karsh's stronghold. We know very little about Hall, but through various means, we have located Karsh. We know where Karsh lives and works, what he looks like, and some of his habits. Joel Hall is another matter and doesn't matter except he continues to be a threat, and I believe we'll also face Hall in a bloody confrontation during this mission.

"Over the last few days, I've had two people here on the ground gathering intel. Robyn Berdan is a Protect & Serve staff member. She is a skip-tracer and private investigator. Robyn, please take the floor and tell us what you know about Karsh."

She rose to her feet and gave the assemblage a bright smile. "A picture is worth a thousand words," she said and clicked a remote.

A photograph filled a screen that had been erected in front of the fireplace. With a laser pointer, Robyn put a red dot on a man in the photograph. He was about fifty years old, looked very fit physically with a rugged, handsome face - distinguished came to mind.

"This is Joseph Karsh," she said. "Karsh is an alias, by the way, or at least I found no record of this man using the name Joseph Karsh in the public sector records I'm able to access." She grinned. "And I can access most of them." She clicked the remote. "More photographs of our target out and about in Las Vegas." Six separate photographs filled the screen. "He employs six bodyguards," she said, pointing out six men on the six photographs with the red dot. "And a driver."

"I know the driver," Jasper said. "I used him on a job here in Vegas about ten years ago. I can't remember his name, but I remember the circumstances. He's a superior driver but a poor excuse for a human being." He shook his tangled mop of red hair. "His name will come to me. I'll let you know when it does, Robyn."

"Which means, he'll recognize you," I said.

"Not true. He's never seen me. I hired him sight unseen from what I believed at the time was a reliable referral source. That's what causing my memory problem. I saw the driver one time. He was demonstrating his driving skills. That's why I know he's a superior driver. Because he was concentrating on the course he was driving, he didn't notice me. After that job, I didn't use the driver or referral source again."

"Do you remember the referral source's name?" I asked.

"Yes."

I said, "After this meeting, give his name to Robyn, and she'll do a quick-and-dirty dossier on the man. We might have a little talk with him. Go ahead Robyn."

"I've identified one of the bodyguards." She laid the red dot on one of the men in the photographs. "His name is Ward Lucas. Unlike Joseph Karsh, Lucas does exist in public sector records. He's not a nice man. Three arrests for assault, one conviction. He's currently wanted by the police. He broke parole." She held up some papers. "This is his dossier. I'll leave it here on the table if anyone wants to read it."

"It's obvious, even in that photograph, that he's carrying a weapon," Corny said. "Does the State of Nevada issue conceal-carry permits to felons?"

"No," Robyn said. "I checked."

"How did you identify him, Robyn?" Heather asked.

Robyn grinned. "From a can of beer he left on a bar. I lifted a print, and a friend of mine in the LVPD ran the print for me."

"Good work, good buddy," Heather said, holding up her thumb.

Corny stood up and walked to the screen. He pointed at one of the bodyguards. "I've seen this man before, but for the life of me I can't remember where or when." He grinned. "In other words, the name Pavlov doesn't ring a bell."

A collective groan echoed in the room.

Corny ignored the groans and said, "Seriously, Robyn, if I remember his name or the circumstances in which I met him, I'll tell you."

"Thanks, Corny. I'll also leave these photos on the table so you and the rest of the crew can look at them at your leisure. Next comes the stronghold." She clicked the remote and an aerial photograph flashed onto the screen. "This is Karsh's compound." Using the laser pointer, she said, "The property is surrounded by an eight-foot high, concrete-block wall. Vehicular access is through wrought-iron gates here, and walking-traffic access, here. The gates at the back of the property, here, aren't used. They're chained and padlocked. This is the gatehouse. Armed men occupy the gatehouse, twenty-four/seven in shifts, two men per shift. The garages are here. He garages an armored limousine, an armored sedan, and a standard SUV on the property. Karsh doesn't drive - ever. I'll let Ruben tell you about the security systems protecting the compound." She hit the remote. "This is the floor plan of the main building." She clicked the remote again. "And this is the second floor. Karsh entertains lavishly, using the outdoor pool area or the great room to hold his parties. When he entertains, he uses valet parking. No vehicles, except his, are allowed through the gates, and that includes deliveries."

"Thanks, Robyn," I said. "Ruben, tell us what you know about Karsh."

"All right. Robyn, put up the site plan, please, the one I marked up. Thanks." She handed him the laser pointer. "The red exes are video cameras. As you can see, the grounds, the gates, and the street in front of the property are covered with no dead areas. The blue exes are infrared or motion sensors. I'm sure I missed some of these sensors. This area inside the wall going around most of the perimeter," he waved the pointer, "is a no man's land at night when vicious dogs are let out to play. Morgan and I talked. The only way into the compound is by way of a frontal assault, so we eliminated that approach to take Karsh. We'll take him when he's out and about in Las Vegas."

He sipped from his coffee cup. "Robyn, please put the photos back up that show Karsh outside his stronghold. Thanks. Notice that when he leaves the compound he uses the limo and takes two bodyguards with him, as well as his driver. The bodyguards vary. The driver doesn't. All four are armed, including Karsh. Four armed men aren't our problem, though. Our problem is the fact that Karsh doesn't venture off the compound very often, and we've noticed no pattern in his destinations or any consistent reason why he goes out. More surveillance and intel are needed. Put up the party girl, Robyn."

A woman's face graced the screen. "This is Sandy Davis, a party girl. Notice that her lip is split and swollen. Karsh is into rough sex; Sandy isn't, so she was willing to talk with me. According to Sandy, Karsh uses cocaine and pops pills." Ruben grinned. "She also gave me the driver's cell phone number."

"That's good news, very good news," I said. "Horace, turn that sucker into a transmitter."

Horace smiled. "Will do."

Dean asked what we meant by turning a cell phone into a transmitter. Horace explained.

"Thanks, Ruben," I said. "Folks, Ruben is second chair for this operation only to me. In my absence, he's in charge. Horace, tell us about what you've been doing. For those of you who don't know, Horace Reed is Protect & Serve's electronic-surveillance specialist and spy-gadget guy."

"We tapped Greenfield's phone," Horace said.

"Some folks in this room don't know about Greenfield," I said.

Horace described Greenfield and Modern Security and how the man and his firm fit the mission. "So far, we haven't gleaned much from the phone tap. Joel Hall did call Greenfield once." He hit a button on a tape recorder, and we listened to part of a telephone conversation. "I played that tape to let you hear the sound of Joel Hall's voice. That's it from the Greenfield tap. Oh, Greenfield badmouths Morgan to his idiot cronies, that sort of thing, but as an intel source, Greenfield is worthless. Still, we'll maintain the tap for a few more days. I've ordered a phone tap on the landline in Karsh's compound. Notice that I said landline - singular. He has only one hardwired telephone number for the entire complex. That tap should be completed by early afternoon, and it cost you a bundle, Morgan. Sorry. The tap will be made at the main switching banks for the local telephone company. As you suggested moments ago, I'll turn the driver's cell phone into a microphone this afternoon. That's it so far. Oh, I've also been working with Green to secure this location as best we can given the circumstances."

"Thanks, Horace," I said. "Robyn, is there a location outside Karsh's compound that gives us a line of sight close enough for a parabolic dish?"

She scrunched up her face as she concentrated. "Maybe. What's the range of your dish, Horace?"

"I can get my hands on one that will pick up conversations 300 yards away."

"Get with me later," Robyn said. "I'll show you a potential listening post."

Green deferred to Maria to outline the security they were setting up for the mansion. After she finished, Green said, "Morgan, I figure Karsh and Hall know what you look like, and Colleen, Hall has seen you. I suggest strongly that if either of you leave this compound that someone checks your back door before you return. Jasper and Sifu have agreed to perform this check, and if neither is available, Maria or I will do the checking."

I said, "That's good thinking, Dan. We'll cooperate, of course."

What does "check your back door" mean? Colleen asked silently.

It means someone will check behind us to make sure we're not being followed before we return here so we don't disclose our safe haven to the enemy.

Oh. That is a good idea.

"I have a question, Maria," Corny said. "What firm did you contact to employ the gate guards and the personnel who will monitor the video feeds?"

Maria grinned. "One Horace recommended - Ajax Security. We also asked Robyn to check out the individuals Ajax is sending us. They're clean. No priors."

Corny nodded and smiled. Good, they're being careful, he thought. I watched Corny's eyes move around the room. As a whole, this is the most professional bunch I've ever dealt with. Yep, no doubt about it. I like what I'm seeing. I just might change agents when this assignment ends.

Jasper took the floor next and described our rolling stock. "Besides the vehicles I just mentioned, others are available. For example, when appropriate an ambulance van will be staged near the takedown site. I've also lined up other drivers should we need them."

Dean told everyone about the armory he'd set up in the library. "I was planning to use the office, but Dan and Horace beat me out of that location when they set up the security room there. You'll find handguns, knives, shotguns, and a couple of sniper rifles, but nothing illegal like automatic weapons. Sorry, the boss's orders. I've also included body armor, camouflage and communication gear, flash-bangs and tear and smoke grenades, weapon accessories like holsters and extra magazines, and ammo, of course. If you need something and don't see it, let me know. Anticipating the request, I arranged some private time at a local range for nine o'clock tonight to sight your weapons or just plink away at some targets."

"Will you be shooting tonight, Morgan?" Heather asked.

"No."

"Shucks. Maria, if you get a chance to see Morgan shoot, don't miss it. I'd put him in the top five shooters in the world."

Fuck me, Corny thought. I'd heard he was good, but...

Maria grinned. "I heard he whipped you." She turned to Ruben. "Did you collect on that bet?"

"Partially," Ruben said. "Enough," he added when Robyn dug her elbow into his side.

Colleen hooted.

"What's so funny?" Corny asked.

I laughed, too, and then said, "This meeting is adjourned. I'll get with each of you individually or in small groups for more planning and task assignments."

Heather linked her arm through Corny's. "Come with me, big guy, and I'll tell you about the bet."

Ah, she picked Corny for her new fuck buddy, Colleen thought.

One of them, I said.

There's more?

Always.

Sifu drove through the gates at the mansion. Colleen and I occupied the rear seat and wore disguises because I planned to get up close and personal with the gate guards at Karsh's stronghold.

"Sifu, I can't make an initial mental connection unless I'm within 100 feet of the person I want my mind to touch, and that distance is reduced to 30 feet if an obstruction, like a wall, is between that person and me," I said so he would understand the distance requirements for my telepathic ability. "Once I've made an initial connection with a person, I can reconnect at any distance. For example, I can experience Jim Gill's thoughts right now if I make the effort to touch my mind to his in Washington, D.C."

"That is magic," Sifu said.

"It is, isn't it?" Colleen said brightly.

"So, besides the gate guards, if someone drives out of the stronghold and offers an opportunity for you to put me within thirty feet of the vehicle, take it. I'll tell you when I've made the connection, and you can turn away. I need proximity - that's all."

"I understand," Sifu said.

"That being said, I would appreciate your comments and advice on Protect & Serve's staff members and operatives that you've met. Yours, too, Colleen. Let's start with the operatives. Ruben?"

"A good man," Sifu said. "Solid, talented, loyal and honest."

"Ditto," Colleen said.

"Heather?"

"I like her," Sifu said, "but she could cause dissension."

"True, Sifu, but she would also smooth any ruffled feathers before the dissension got out of control," Colleen said. "What she is is a likeable slut."

Sifu chuckled. "Yes, she is that, but also effective in her job."

"Corny?"

"Very experienced, very professional," Sifu said.

"I sense he has doubts about joining the organization," Colleen said.

"At first," Sifu said. "No longer, and once he commits, he will be very loyal."

"Dan Green?"

"Very experienced, very professional," Sifu said. "Stuffy, though. Too, serious. Still, his experience and professionalism will enhance the organization."

"I believe he has more doubts about the organization than Corny," Colleen said.

"You could be right, Colleen," I said. "That we plan to abduct someone goes against his morals. He alone presented negative thoughts when I described the mission."

"Ah," Sifu said. "Morality is the source of his... stuffiness. He is a person who sees pure blacks and whites, no grays. Correct me if I'm wrong, Morgan, but I don't believe this is necessarily a bad trait for a protector. It would be a bad trait for a recovery specialist, though."

"You're not wrong. Maria?"

"She's great," Colleen said. "Smart, tough, not too full of herself."

"Ditto," Sifu said. "And, she's sold on the organization."

"Let's turn to the support staff. Robyn?"

Colleen giggled. "She's atwitter."

Sifu laughed. "Also very good at what she does. A keeper."

"I agree," Colleen said. "She reminds me of Maggie in that regard."

"Jasper?"

"Solid, loyal, knowledgeable. I like him," Sifu said.

"He's been there for you whenever you needed him and at a moment's notice. I can't imagine anyone else in his job," Colleen said.

"Horace Reed?"

"Good at what he does, but he has a problem," Sifu said.

"What problem?" Colleen asked.

"He believes a woman's place is in the home, barefoot and pregnant. I watched him. He related to Dan Green and ignored Maria. She noticed the slight, too."

"Argh. He was reluctant to work with Heather in St. Louis, and I wondered then if he had a problem working with women," I said. "Is the problem fixable?"

"Ingrained prejudice is difficult to reverse," Sifu said. "Did he work with Heather?"

"Yes, his involvement brought a successful conclusion to that contract. He'll be working with Robyn today to set up that listening post. I'll query her about his behavior. Dean Woodhouse?"

"Professional, loyal, knowledgeable," Sifu said.

"I like Dean," Colleen said. "No, it's more. I consider Dean a friend."

"A keeper," Sifu said. "When I turn right, we'll pass the gates to Karsh's compound."

"Lower the passenger window, Sifu," I said and lowered the right-rear window. Don't slow down. Drive normally.

Karsh's estate appeared about twice the size of the mansion and its grounds.

Very impressive. The chain link fence topped with barbed wire that followed the perimeter wall about ten or twelve feet inside the wall was ugly, though, and the grounds needed some TLC.

Did you make a connection? Sifu asked.

Yes. Drive down the street about a mile. Turn around and park where we won't be conspicuous. I'll monitor the guards, and...

I heard Hall is returning, guard one said.

Fuck! He's such a hard ass, guard two said. When? I might call in sick that day.

Tomorrow, I think.

Sifu said, "You were saying?"

"Hall's scheduled back in Vegas sometime tomorrow. The gate guards don't like him."

Yes, sir, guard one said. I wasn't privy to whatever or whoever caused the guard's response. I suspected that the gatehouse was connected to the main house via an intercom.

Open the gates, guard one said.

"Someone is arriving or leaving, Sifu. A guard is opening the gates."

Sifu turned the sedan around and drove down the street at a normal speed toward the gates. His timing was perfect. A car drove out of the stronghold just after we passed the gates and turned in directly behind us.

Slow down just a little, I said. There that does it. Move ahead and turn right at the next corner. I connected with the driver, the only occupant of the car. Sifu, you once told me that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. We just got lucky. The driver is one of Karsh's assassins. Let's get out of here before we're noticed.

Not lucky. Magic, he said.

"Robyn, it's Morgan. Where are you?"

From listening to her thoughts, I knew she had a problem I might be able to solve for her, so I'd called her on the phone.

"I'm with Horace. The listening post I thought might work doesn't. It's not quite high enough for a good line of sight."

"Is there a telephone pole nearby?"

She laughed. "Now, why didn't I think of that? Yes, there is, but hanging onto that pole and manipulating the parabolic disk could be troublesome. Hang on a sec."

Horace, can you mount the disk to that pole and manipulate it from the ground? Robyn said.

Probably, Horace replied. Pushy broad.

Yep, Horace had a problem working with women.

Let's do it then, Robyn said.

By let's, do you mean me?

Jeez, he's contrary. A thought. If you'll have it mounted, I'll talk to Morgan about assigning someone to tend it. Conversation.

No need. I'll pull a tech from the surveillance firm I'm using here in Vegas.

Great, gotta run.

"Morgan, problem solved. Thanks for the tip. Horace is assigning the task to a local tech. I'm leaving now to return to the mansion."

"I'm on the way there, too. We'll talk after we both arrive."

I ended that call and called Green. "Dan, it's Morgan. Sifu, Colleen and I are returning to the mansion," I said.

"All right. I'll send Jasper out to check your back door. Where are you?"

When Robyn arrived, I was removing my disguise. I asked her to gather Ruben, Corny and Heather and told her my sidekick and I would join them momentarily.

"What's up?" Ruben asked when I sat on a sofa in the great room.

"Questions and answers," I said. "Besides Karsh, who lives in his stronghold?"

"The driver," Ruben said. "The bodyguards and gate guards come and go in shifts."

"Three shifts?" I asked.

"Yes, seven in the morning, three in the afternoon, and eleven o'clock at night."

"How do they arrive? I mean, Robyn, didn't you say that no vehicles except the limo, the sedan and the SUV are allowed on the property?"

She frowned. "That's not precisely correct. The incoming bodyguards and gate guards arrive in a sedan. The gate opens, the arriving gate guards step out of the vehicle, and then the sedan drives farther inside. Shortly, the departing bodyguards stop at the gate in the same sedan, the departing gate guards get in the car, and they drive away. By accident, we were driving by during a shift change, and deduced the other times, checked and discovered we'd guessed right."

"So, vehicles other than Karsh's are allowed on the property." I knew that for a fact. I'd observed a rental car driven by one of Karsh's assassins drive through the gates.

"I suppose," she said, "but I've also watched deliveries stopped at the gate. The gate guards accept the delivery, and the delivery truck drives away. Also, party girls arrive in cabs, and a cab picks them up at the gate when they leave. These cabs don't enter the compound."

I said, "You stated Karsh entertained lavishly. How does he handle his guests' arrivals and departures?"

"According to the party girl I interviewed," Ruben said, "he hires valet parkers, and uses the limo to ferry the guests from the gatehouse to the main house. The valet parkers use the land each side of the walled compound to park the cars."

"Karsh owns that land, too," Robyn said. "Also the land behind the compound to Arroyo Road in the rear."

I said, "How many hours total have you watched the comings and goings at his compound? It can't be many, or you would have been noticed, either by the gate guards or by whoever is monitoring the video feeds, and neither you nor Ruben mentioned security personnel other than bodyguards and gate guards. Someone has to monitor those feeds and other security devices installed at the compound."

She blushed. "Two hours, three tops, for me, and at that I had to change vehicles three times."

"I've spent more time monitoring the compound than Robyn," Ruben said. "But most of it was at night with light-gathering equipment and in places dead to the cameras and infrared sensors."

"Don't take this personally, Robyn. You, either Ruben, but you've seen so little of what's happening at that compound that I don't think you can make blanket statements. I drove by the gates an hour ago and watched a car leave - one occupant, the driver. What about servants? You haven't mentioned any? That's a big place. Karsh would need servants to keep it up."

"I didn't see any servants come and go," Robyn said.

"What about VIPs of any sort, such as clients, assassins, and the like?"

"A few," Ruben said. "But they arrived and left in cabs, which as you just pointed out, means nothing."

"To enhance our surveillance, we're getting ears," I said. "The parabolic dish, the driver's cell phone, and the landline tap. What we need are eyes." I slapped my forehead with the palm of my head. "Dummy!"

I dialed Horace's cell phone. "It's Ruben. Have you mounted the parabolic dish on that pole yet?"

"It's in the works. Why?"

"Mount a camera with a long lens, as well. I want to know who comes and goes there."

"Will do."

I hung up and grinned. "Eyes and ears, as if we were there. Ruben, is there a place that isn't covered by video cameras on the street in front of the stronghold where we could place a camera with a long lens and aim it at the gates?"

He thought about my question. "Maybe."

"When we're finished here, get with Horace. Check it out, and tell him to install a camera if it's possible, which means we'll need a van nearby to monitor the camera feeds."

"All right."

"Corny, Heather, I'd like you to team up and follow the sedan that ferries the guards at the three o'clock shift change."

"Will do," Corny said, "but why?"

Because I want to know where the bodyguards live so I can connect with them where they live and experience their thoughts while they're in the compound, I thought, but I said, "Plan B."

Corny laughed. "We don't have a Plan A yet."

"Sure we do. When Karsh ventures out in a day or two, we'll converge on him, take out the bodyguards and the driver, and hussle Karsh to a safe house Eileen is arranging for our use as we speak."

"Fair enough," Corny said. "What's Plan B?"

"Not fully worked out yet."

I grabbed Sifu and Colleen, and we took a walk around the grounds. I needed advice.

"You called it, Sifu. Horace has trouble working with women. He thinks Robyn is a 'pushy broad, ' and instead of the can-do attitude he exhibits with me, he resents orders from a female, even if expressed as a request. Whether he's a full-fledged misogynist or merely a chauvinist is still open to question. So far, he's begrudgingly responded to Heather and Robyn's requests. I don't know if Maria asked him to do something or let Green do the asking."

"She asked," Sifu said. "He confirmed the request with Green, and then responded to Green, ignoring her. She frowned and shook her head."

"What should I do about this problem?" I asked. "I see a number of options. I can do nothing, period. I can do nothing until this mission is finished, and then deal with it. I can speak with the women in my crew, tell them I'm aware of the problem and ask for their forbearance. I can talk with Horace now, instead of the women, and there are other options. Waddaya think. Colleen, you first."

"Watch and listen until this mission is finished, and then talk with Horace. From what you said, he begrudgingly responds, and the women are putting up with his attitude. If the problem worsens, talk to one or more of the women and ask for their forbearance. At this point, the mission must come first."

"Thank you, sweet thing. Sifu?"

"If you confront him now, he'll believe one of the women complained, which will amplify his resentment. I suggest you quietly speak to each woman separately and ask for her forbearance. Colleen is correct. The mission must come first."

"Don't talk with Heather now," Colleen said. "He performed for her by subletting the work. Her interaction with him has been minimal. Don't talk with Robyn now. Robyn's already on board. If the problem becomes unbearable for her, she'll come to you. But, Sifu is right about Maria. Have a quiet conversation with her."

"Colleen's advice is sound," Sifu said.

"Thanks, advisors. Next problem. I now know the assignment Karsh gave the assassin I connected with this morning. I've been experiencing to his thoughts and his side of his telephone conversations. His target is a woman, the mother of three teenaged boys. Her husband hired Karsh to kill her. The husband and wife are separated and are in the middle of a bitterly contested divorce. Karsh instructed the assassin to make the woman's death look like a suicide, which should work because she has attempted suicide before. The assassin's flight to Chicago leaves at six o'clock. Question. What, if anything, should I do about this messy situation?"

"Do nothing," Sifu said.

"Stop him," Colleen said.

I chuckled. "You two aren't much help. I knew about those options. Please explain your position. Colleen?"

"Stop him because you can, and it's the right thing to do."

"Sifu?"

"Your magic will alert you to evil on a daily basis. You can't right all the wrongs your magic will uncover. You don't wear tights with a big red 'S' on your chest."

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