Chapter 14: Short Respite

Hope you like the last chapter.

For the following three months they enjoyed relative peace. Jack Daniels began to work his long unused muscles in new ways as Zelda taught him the techniques of Northern Tai Chi and Jeet Kun Do. In return Jack, taught her the combat techniques of the Special Forces. They were surprised so many of the disciplines each had followed separately were the same.

Jack finally told her, "There are just so many ways you can kill somebody barehanded or with a knife. It's inevitable many of the moves are almost identical."

By the end of the third month Jack was as close to what he called "up to combat ready" as he would ever get. Jack realized he had lost too much that he could never get back. Zelda was in the best condition of her life. Melissa was reluctant to join them at first. Then she joined them as they went through the katas. "It's almost like dancing," she told them. Once started, she became as addicted to the martial arts.

Gordon came over unannounced while the three worked out together. "We have big problems." He told them grimly. "Jack, I just got a heads up from my friends in Military Intelligence. Originally there was supposedly enough neurotoxin material in that stuff taken out of your back to kill six men. I can't understand how you survived. I'd call it a miracle if I were religiously inclined. I think your body somehow insulated the black fibers Zelda removed from you. They were supposed to dissolve in your system and time release the poisons very slowly throughout your body."

"Well they didn't," Jack answered. "Anything more timely we can talk about?" He stopped his last move of the kata and began the cool off and do stretching exercises.

"How about this," Gordon answered, "Busch International and Chessman Oil are in business with members of the president's family. They are part of a banking, oil and mining consortium that headquarters in Berne, Switzerland. Their main assets are mineral concessions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Oh yes, they also have ties to the leadership in Somalia."

"We already knew the little bastard was corrupt," Jack said, referring to President Wheeler.

"One more thing, I caught the clown who blew up my house and killed my wife and her lollipop." Gordon gave Jack a grim smile. "It was almost by accident. He was still driving cab as a cover and as I went to get into his cab, I recognized him and we had a nice little chat. He didn't know much, but what he did know he shared with me. He was a member of a cell with orders to eliminate me, as we already knew, but also you, Jack."

"It all seems to be related to something that happened in Afghanistan." Gordon looked troubled. "You guys do what ever it takes to keep on keepin' on here. I think it's about time to bring in Military Intelligence all the way."

"There are a couple of people I'd like to contact. We have way too much going on here at the same time. I'll call you later." Gordon headed toward his car, deep in thought. Jack noticed his friend did not seem to mourn his dead wife very much if at all.

"We don't talk on the phones about anything more sensitive than the weather. My paranoia keeps growing bigger and bigger," Jack told him in a flat voice.

He quickly walked into the house to their bedroom. It was now official that he and Zelda slept together and would soon be married. He smiled to himself as he considered the changes being made in his life almost by the hour. It felt good to have a realistic hope he would recover much of what he had lost physically due to the neurotoxins. Zelda and Melissa were the best things in his life. He shook his head in wonder as he thought of the future with Zelda beside him.

"I still have a crazy idea that might not be so crazy after all. Remember when I asked, what if I was accidentally shot with the wrong ammunition? What if the wrong clip got loaded in the wrong weapon? Remember I said there was supposed to be another senator who was anti-the whole damned war in the Middle East. He was supposed to come along and got detained by a bad case of the screaming shits. The silly bastard drank some of the local water and he got nailed big time. What if he was the intended target? On the other hand why go to such extremes? Simpler is better, usually, and this is way too complicated. There has to be a simpler explanation that makes more sense."

"Jack, maybe they are going to just forget about us. They have left us alone for over three months now. Maybe we can get busy and get on with our lives once more."

"We better get busy and get married. I'm tired of waiting." He looked at her solemnly and added in a soft, quiet voice, "I love you and want you with me forever."

Slowly she came to him and hugged him tightly. "I can't imagine life without you. It sounds like something a giddy teenager would say, but I am yours forever." She placed her face against his chest. "I love you so," she whispered.

As his arms closed tightly around her he said, "Oh yes, Zelda, me too. All those wasted years before I met you. Oh yes, me too."

"When are you two going to get married? You act like a couple of teenagers around each other." Gordon came through the gate, Trish was right behind him. "Come on in the house I may have some interesting news."

Mystified, Jack and Zelda followed them inside. Jack sat at the head of the table in his usual place. Zelda sat on his right and Gordon on his left. Patricia wandered into the living room and came running back out into the kitchen. "There's a police car out front and that weird Karla is coming up the walk."

Jack rushed to sit in his wheel chair while Zelda hurried to the front door. She opened it wide and demanded, "What do you want?"

Before Karla could answer a uniformed cop pushed his way forward and said, "I have a warrant for the arrest of Gordon McReady." He reached down and loosened his side arm in its holster.

"Let's see that warrant," Zelda demanded.

"Since you are not named in the warrant, you have no business looking at it," Karla Von Krupp smirked.

"Well, since I am the owner of this house I do have a legal right to examine the document," Jack's voice cut in. He held his old Navy cap and ball revolver pointed straight at the cop. "One cop does not come along to serve an arrest warrant. One cop alone does not bring along a civilian. Now take out your ID, Mister Policeman and show it to my lady. I mean like right now."

"Stupid broad!" the imitation cop yelled at Karla. "I told you this wouldn't work.

Karla reached into her purse and withdrew a small automatic. Zelda slipped sideways and around the phony cop. She grabbed Karla's gun hand and twisted until the small weapon was jammed up under Karla's chin. "Make my day, Karla Baby, make my day. Come on and make my day."

"Dirty Harriet you ain't, Zelda. Dirty Harry sounds nicer than you. Just take the gun away from her and make her hurt until she tells you what is going on here."

"Spoil sport," Zelda griped at him and did a take down on the woman. "I thought I sounded very convincing."

"Daddy, These guys have guns pointed at Trish and me," Melissa called from the kitchen. "Now I did as you told me and came along without arguing. It didn't do any good. They still have guns pointed at us." She had a small smile play across her lips.

"Girl, didn't I explain to you that you are only supposed to cooperate with your enemy up to a point. This is that point."

Suddenly Melissa exploded into action and grabbed her captor's gun hand and twisted. The gun fell to the floor. The man followed his gun. Still moving, Melissa grabbed the gun hand of the man guarding Trish and did an under the arm twist. As his elbow straightened out she dropped her weight on his arm. The elbow joint broke. "Ta daa!" she proclaimed as she swept two automatics up from the floor.

"You could have done that up stairs!" Trish exclaimed. "Why didn't you? I was scared out of my wits."

"Upstairs they were watching us real close. Down here they relaxed. Dad always said to wait your time and strike hard. Now do you understand?"

"Where's Gordon?" Jack demanded.

Before anyone could answer Gordon came in the front door. "I found this in the car parked behind the police car." He held up a thin attaché case.

"That is mine!" Karla exclaimed. "Leave it alone. If you try to get in to it, it will explode." She looked at the others triumphantly.

"Well, I guess it's up to you to open it for us," Zelda told her. Even one false move and you're toast. If you refuse I'll get my morning exercise. You're going to be my kick bag." She stepped close to the woman and slapped her.

"Melissa, The next time you do a take down, incapacitate the enemy. You screwed up." Melissa had turned her attention toward Zelda and Karla Von Krupp. The first man she had taken down had a small hideout gun in his left hand.

"Boy, you have one chance. Hand that dinky little pea shooter to Melissa," Jack told him in an even voice.

"Screw you," came the quick reply.

"No, screw you," Melissa said. Zelda came in from the side and twisted his left wrist until the small hideout fell to the floor. Patricia McReady stared in horror at the carnage around her. Both hands clasped her face. A keening wail emitted from her.

Gordon, in a fit of anger, smashed Karla Von Krupp in the face and hurried to his daughter. "Hush, hush now. It's all right," He whispered in her ear. He led her over to the couch and set her down. As he joined her, he said, "Sweetheart, these people brought this trouble to us. We just responded to their threats."

"Can't you just give them what they want so they will go away and leave us alone?" She stared wild-eyed around her in horror, ready to explode emotionally.

"No, we can't," Melissa told her as she joined them on the couch. "Then they would kill us. Besides we don't know where whatever it is they want is located."

"Princess, please go get the duct tape out of the kitchen drawer and start with your two prisoners. Then come in here and get this imitation cop taped up. Miss Von Crapper here and I are going to have a conversation. Zelda will be my interpreter." Karla stared at Jack with bitter hatred. "Oh yes, if her answers are not complete and forthcoming, not to mention truthful, she won't leave here in good shape at all." Jack said the last in a flat voice.

Zelda and Melissa wrapped the two by the kitchen door in duct tape. The one in the police uniform was ordered to join his two friends and taped. "Karla, dearest one, you are next," Zelda told her.

"Strip her down before you do anything else," Jack told them.

"You getting kinky in your old age, Jack?" Gordon called from the couch.

"Not for this skanky trash. I want her strip-searched. Check her hair, behind her ears, and every thread of her clothing. Look at the labels in her underwear. I have a hunch about her. It was staring me in the face all this time and I didn't catch on."

Once stripped the woman looked like a boy. She had no feminine curves. Melissa stared in fascination at the woman. "God, but you're ugly," she said. "I can almost feel sorry for you."

Zelda looked over at Jack and told him, "There are no labels in her suit or blouse. The one in her panties is written in some Arabic style language. What gives, Jack?"

Gordon cut in. "Yeah, that's what I'd like to know. You privy to some information we aren't?"

"I can't believe it took me so long to catch on. "Our little Miss Miffed here speaks English as a second language. She was taught well. She has about as much of an accent as a California disk jockey. However her name and her attitude gave her away. The 'Von' she added to her name was for camouflage. Her family name is Krupp. Her grandfather or great grandfather was Otto Krupp, a captain in the German army. He was the best known of those who escaped General Patton when Patton chased Rommel's army all over the African desert. The lady is an Arab, probably a member of the Khomani bunch, if I am not too far wrong."

Karla Krupp stared her hatred at the man in the wheelchair who seemed to know her innermost secrets. "You know nothing," she stated flatly.

"I'm guessing right now, but it all seems to fit together. Madam Krupp has royal blood in her veins. I believe she can claim relationship to the throne through the Aziz family direct. She is a distant cousin to King Abdul. Correct me if I am wrong."

Karla Krupp said nothing. "I called Senator Creel a Manchurian candidate. I was wrong. He was a Muslim candidate. Isn't that right, Karla?" Jack looked down at the naked woman on the floor. "You were trying to get an Arab imposter into the White House, weren't you."

"You will never live long enough to know for certain," she answered him in a voice thick with raging hatred.

"Jack, you scare me sometimes. Here I brought over a bunch of papers purported to be proof of something called 'The Silent Jihad' and you get the same information while sitting in a wheelchair." Gordon shook his head in admiration. "Sherlock Holmes, eat your heart out.

Zelda spoke up, "Jack, what are we going to do with these people. We can't kill them and we can't safely let them go. And I draw the line at holding them captive and then have to cook for them."

"We call the cops. We turn them over to the cops and promise to appear at all court hearings to testify against them. Gordy's friends in Army Intelligence might like to talk to Karla here. Why don't you make a phone call and ask them?" Jack nodded toward the phone on the table near Gordy.

"Get your clothes on," Zelda ordered Karla. "You're disgusting to look at."

Karla Krupp had been accustomed to a life of privilege and authority, first as a member of the Royal House, then later in the United States as an authoritarian figure with Senator Creel. She shook with rage and shame as she dressed. "Filthy pigs," she muttered under her breath. "Lower than Jews. Filth,"

Melissa walked up to her and slapped her face hard. "Shut up," she ordered.

"Take over, Mel is too gentle. I want answers and this, whatever she is, has them. Beat the answers out of her and then take her to San Francisco and turn her over to the Israeli Embassy. They might have a use for her."

"You can't do things like this to someone. This makes you on the same level as they are," Patricia suddenly protested.

"Trish," Zelda told the girl, "Sometimes rules are okay and sometimes they don't mean a thing. This is one of those times. You should see what they did to Jack here. No, kiddo, this is definitely one of those times when if we play nice we die. These people murdered your mother. They tried to murder your dad. Save all your nice for the nice people of the world, but not this scum."

"But my teachers at school said..."

"A bunch of lies," Gordon interrupted his daughter. "I have been over there in the Middle East and fought them. Jack has been over there, all over the Middle East. Ask us who have been there. Now sit there and be quiet and learn." She sat back, surprised at his outburst.

"Karla, tell us about the Silent Jihad." Jack looked at her.

"Go to hell," she answered him.

"Wrong answer," Zelda said and slapped her.

"Jack, did you know the Iranians have a secret laboratory where they are turning out that stuff you got hit with. They bought the formula from the Chinese and have been trying to improve on it enough to make it work right. Although this thing is related to the House of Said, they are working for the Iranians. Creel was an Iranian Candidate. Except he was not brainwashed, he was bribed. I'm guessing in part here, but those guesses sound pretty good to me."

Karla Krupp turned pale as the blood drained from her face. "Who? How? You couldn't know anything." Her eyes grew big around as she shook her head no.

"Call the Jews and see if they do home pickup," Jack told Melissa.

"That won't be necessary, Mister Daniels," a voice said from the front door, "We have been following those two fools over there," he pointed at the two duct taped individuals lying on the floor, "for a month. That other one is a dupe. He won't say anything to anyone if you let him go. In fact he will probably leave town immediately."

"He's one of yours?" Jack asked as he mentally adjusted to the newcomer's presence. "Mossad?"

"Of course. This was his first assignment. He is a new boy with much to learn." The newcomer turned his attention to Karla, "Come along, princess, "We'll have many interesting conversations.

"One thing, who are those two clowns?" Jack pointed to the duct taped pair. "They are Iranian, aren't they?"

"Actually, they are free lancers who worked for the late Senator Creel. The princess here hired them for back up." He looked at Karla the way a shark looks at fresh meat dropped in the water. "I anticipate a long and intense discussion with her highness here. Before she was exiled here to America for her own safety, she was a very busy lady. She trained small children to carry hand grenades into crowded stores and pull the pin. My mother was a recipient of Fawza Said's lessons.

"Take 'em all," Jack said dismissively. "You take one, you take the rest."

"I need to call for transportation. My little Ford won't hold them all." Jack nodded and waved him toward the phone.

"Father," Patricia protested, "you can't just let that man take those people. He has already said he intends to torture them." She looked to Zelda and Melissa for back up.