Dig two graves, p.3
Dig Two Graves, page 3
The sun was just starting to set as they made their way down the trail. They were walking hand in hand, enjoying the peace of the evening. Up ahead Joe noticed two men coming up the trail. One was carrying a bolt action rifle, the other had a pump shotgun. They were wearing sleeveless cut off t-shirts and dirty baggy jeans. The one carrying the rifle was thin and lean, while the other looked like he rarely missed a meal. Joe’s alert level went to high. It was legal to carry a handgun in a state park in Texas, but rifles were a different story, and there was only one reason to do so, especially at this time of day, poaching. As they got a little closer, the thin one said, “Hey Ashley, new boyfriend? Ray’s gonna love to hear about this.” Ashley didn’t reply. “Unless you boys are looking for trouble, you best move on.” Joe said. “Oh, we ain’t looking for trouble Mister Green Beret, but Ray, now he’s a different story. He won’t be too pleased with you keeping his girl warm.” The thin one said. The fat one just grinned and chuckled. “If he comes around here looking for trouble, I’ll sure give it to him in spades.” Joe said. His hand was resting on the grip of his 1911, waiting for either one of them to make a move. He watched them continue up the trail and waited several minutes after they were out of sight to start back down the trail. “I’m sorry about that Joe, I’ll tell you all about it later.” Ashley said. “No worries, darling.” Joe said. They made it the rest of the way down the trail to the truck, Joe made a report to the local game warden, whom he knew personally and let him know the last location of the two men. The game warden nodded, said he was very familiar with those two, and that he would head up that way and see if he could spot them. They climbed up into the truck, and as Joe pulled out, he couldn’t help but notice that Ashley was visibly shaken.
On the drive back, Ashley explained that the thin one was Carl Sumner, her ex-husband’s cousin. The larger one was Willie Smith; he had been Carl’s friend since first grade. She said that those two had been in and out of jail numerous times for various offences. After her husband went to prison, they started coming around more, saying that Ray, her ex-husband, had told them to keep an eye on her for him. She told him that those two were cowards and wouldn’t try anything, especially if Joe was around, but Ray was mean, he was dangerous. Joe assured her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her and said that he wasn’t worried about Ray at all because he still had several years left on his sentence. Joe knew what the bastard had done to her. She told him at the restaurant. He had seen the few scars that he had left on her, and his blood boiled just thinking someone could harm a girl like that. He asked her where she wanted to go. “Just take me back to your place Joe, if you don’t mind.” She said. “I don’t mind a bit.” He replied. They drove the rest of the way to his house in silence, her hand gripping comfortably to Joe’s. Once they were back at his place, Joe got her a beer from the refrigerator, popped the top on it, and handed it to her. “Can you give me a ride to work in the morning?” She asked. “Of course,” was his reply. She had really enjoyed spending the day with Joe. It irritated her some that Ray’s cousin had tarnished the end of that day. Ashley finished her beer and went to sit beside Joe on the couch. “Want to watch a movie?” He asked. “Sure,” she said.
Chapter Four
Dallas, Texas
Lt. Hugh Davies looked at the cell phone laying on his desk in disgust. He had just gotten off the phone with Kevin Argyle. He had called Davies to make sure everything was still set up to be in place when the time came. Davies had assured him that it would be. Argyle insisted that everything had to be precise and pulled off like clockwork for the plan to work, and Davies was instrumental in that. He had warned him already what would happen should things not go according to plan. Davies had hung up the phone filled with a sense of dread. Argyle wasn’t a man to be ignored or trifled with. He could only imagine the type of wrath that someone that high up in the government could inflict upon a lowly police lieutenant. He didn’t want to think about it too much. His job was supposed to be simple according to Argyle. All he needed to do was to arrange for all of the S.W.A.T. team to be at a training course several hundred miles away. He also would have to divert the majority of his on-duty units to a fake call at the exact time that Argyle gave him. Davies reasoned that just doing those things wasn’t illegal, and he would be in the clear if things didn’t go his way. Davies had risen through the ranks of the Dallas Police Department by being tenacious. He stuck to the book when he could but wasn’t afraid of thinking outside the box if it were necessary. This was one of those times when thinking outside the box could potentially benefit him career-wise in the long run. Plus, the money that Argyle’s venture capital firm had provided for him to do what was asked for had been staggering. It was just an up-front payment, there would be more to come if this operation were successful.
Davies locked up his office and headed out the precinct to his truck. He unlocked the door, climbed in, and fired it up. With the department being severely undermanned, he reasoned that he could make this happen fairly easily. It had to look legitimate though, he wasn’t exactly sure what Argyle had planned, but he knew enough to know that if things went wrong, he would be caught up in the storm. Argyle would show no mercy and be the first to point the finger at him. Davies knew he needed an escape plan. He had to be prepared for things to go wrong.
***
Back in Washington, Argyle was looking through reports. He was reading up on the service record of Brian Carson. Carson was a former Marine Force Recon soldier who was shipped out of the Corps for unnecessary roughness with prisoners during the Global War on Terror. Argyle had recently brought him on to make sure that Musfari was training his people according to the timetable. Carson wouldn’t take part in the attack itself. This needed to look like radical Muslims, but he had just arrived in San Antonio and should soon be contacting Argyle to give a situation report. He continued to read Carson’s file. It was interesting reading. Carson had joined the Corps in the aftermath of 911 and had excelled at boot camp. He went on to the 1st Marine Division after boot, and soon deployed to Afghanistan. It was on his first deployment that his cruel nature came out. While on a patrol in the mountains his team had come across three herders. Carson and his fellow Marines had been looking for Taliban in the area and figured these men would know where they were hiding. When the men didn’t give them the answers they were looking for, Carson tortured them. He tortured them for hours. In the end Carson’s methods had worked. The Taliban fighters had heard the screams of the men and came to investigate. Brian Carson was the only one to walk out of that skirmish alive.
***
In San Antonio, the cab dropped Carson off down the street from the house that Musfari and his men were staying in. He was under strict orders not to contact the men in the house unless Argyle had instructed him to do so. He made his way around the structure, cautious not to be seen by those inside. Carson found a secluded spot a few hundred yards away from the house that would give him an ideal vantage point. He could see inside several of the windows and should be able to tell if this Hadji was doing what he was supposed to be doing. He would have to make initial contact with Argyle to let him know he was in place. Carson pulled out one of the many burner phones he had packed and called the only number programed into it. After the call, Carson readied his hide for several days of watching. Argyle wasn’t pulling any strings with this op, and Carson knew the wrath that he would have if any of his assets failed him. It didn’t take him long to get his hide set up. This was a rural area, and he had been able to set up in a relatively hidden spot. With the added camouflage that he put in place, no one would see him. He would be able to sleep undisturbed, what little he would be sleeping. He pulled out his spotting scope and began watching the house. The men in the house looked to be going over the tactics of the plan. Musfari was in front of a white board and was showing each man his entry position. With his spotting scope set up and in place, Carson leaned back and cracked open one of the books he brought to keep himself occupied. He would read a while, and watch the house a while, sleeping intermittently in between. Argyle had said that he would only need to be in the hide spot for a few days to make sure that Musfari was sticking to the plan. After that he would get a hotel room and a rental car and set up surveillance from the street for a few hours here and there.
Inside the house, Musfari was going over tactical plans with the men. The afternoon was set for weapon instruction. The men had been attentive during all courses of instruction. They knew how important this mission would be, and how it’s success would strike a crippling blow to the United States, much the same way that 911 did. Musfari went over the attack and approach angles every day, so each man knew precisely where they would insert from. They had roughly a month, and they would be ready. In three weeks, the group would load up the Sprinter van and trek north. One week after that they would strike fear into the heart of every American.
Chapter Five
Southwest of Ft. Worth. The end of September.
The last month and a half had flown by for Ashley. She wasn’t living with Joe just yet, but she stayed at his house more nights than she stayed home. For once in her life, she was happy. It had been a long time since she had felt like this. Ashley was also excited about their trip to the State Fair of Texas this weekend. It had been years since she had gone. She thought that Joe might be close to proposing, but that could just be wishful thinking on her part. What put the thought in her head was she had seen him come out of the local jewelry store that was a block down from the diner the other day while she was at work. He could have just gone in there to get her a necklace or something. Maybe he didn’t get anything at all, but she hoped it was a ring. She figured, if he did get her a ring, he was maybe planning to propose at or after the fair. They had spent a wonderful month together, and he had mentioned more than once that she would make a great wife. He never brought up her past, or held it against her, he genuinely loved her.
After Ashley had left for work that morning, Joe got out of bed, and walked over to the small safe he kept in his closet. He entered the pin code and opened the door. He reached in and pulled out the small box containing the engagement ring that he hoped to give Ashley this weekend. It had taken a good chunk out of his savings to get it, but she was worth it, especially after she told him that her ex-husband had pawned the ring he had given her to buy drugs. He opened the box and looked at the ring. He still didn’t know exactly how he was going to ask her or when. He had planned to do it while they were at the fair but hadn’t worked out the particulars just yet. All he knew was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He could hardly wait until this weekend. He placed the ring back in the safe, walked outside to the car port, and got busy working on the Jeep he had been restoring. He almost had it ready, and after a few more days spent working, it would be drivable. His best friend, Phillip Cade, had been over a few times, helping him work on it. Phillip had served in the Army in the infantry as well. He had been a Ranger, stationed with the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment. He was with the 3rd Battalion stationed in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Joe heard gravel crunching under tires in his driveway and looked up from under the hood of the Jeep to see Phillip’s Toyota Tacoma coming up the drive. Phillip hopped out of the truck and grabbed a 12 pack of Coors Original from the cooler in the bed. “I brought refreshments.” He said. He opened the box and tossed one to Joe as the two of them began planning the work that they were going to do on the Jeep that day. They worked for several hours, finishing off the 12 pack and starting one that Joe had in his fridge. They stopped work a few hours before Ashley was due to be home, so Joe could clean up and start making dinner for her. He invited Phillip to stay for dinner, but Phillip said that he had his own dinner plans involving a Blonde he had met on Tinder. Joe laughed and waved goodbye to his friend.
The week went by quickly and Saturday morning was finally here. The day started off perfectly for both of them, and it was a good thing that Joe didn’t have any neighbors close by or they likely would have heard his headboard banging into the wall. After their romp they showered and dressed for the day. Joe would be leaving his Kimber in the lock box of the Jeep because the Fair didn’t allow permit-less carry. He would still have the Gold Rush Bowie with him though, and Ashley would have her Glock, because she had a carry license. He walked up behind her and put his arms around her as she was trying to figure out what shirt to wear. “I’ll be ready in a sec,” she said. “No worries, babe,” was his reply. She finished dressing and they headed out the door to the Jeep. It was about an hour drive to the fair, and they should arrive there shortly after the gates opened. Joe was nervous, this was the day he planned to propose. He hoped everything went well and he didn’t mess it up by being nervous. Ashley was excited. The temperature would reach 106 degrees Fahrenheit before the day was over, so she wore shorts and a tank top. Joe was dressed in his usual fashion. He had on jeans and his Justin boots, a t-shirt, and his usual button down. He had the Gold Rush Bowie in its sheath concealed on his back under the shirt. Ashley had opted to carry her Glock in her purse, since what she was wearing would make it difficult to conceal on her body. She had decided to leave her purse in the Jeep, so she wouldn’t have to carry it with her inside the fair.
They arrived at the fair, purchased their tickets, and made their way through the gate. They strolled through the fair looking at different displays and vendors. They rode a few rides, and as it grew closer to midday Ashley said she wanted to try some of the famous fair food. Joe agreed as all the walking was starting to make him hungry. They decided to divide and conquer, Joe would head to the stand and get corn dogs, while Ashley would go to a nearby stand for drinks. The line for the corn dogs wasn’t that long, Joe paid, and turned to walk toward the drink stand that Ashley had headed off to. He saw her walking his way and couldn’t help but smile. She was absolutely beautiful. Just then as several high-pitched cracks rang out, he saw Ashley fall. Joe dropped the corn dogs and raced to Ashley. He couldn’t make sense of it; she had been shot four times and was bleeding profusely. Joe took out his bandana and pressed it into her wounds to try to stop the bleeding. Ashley was still conscious but was terrified. He quickly removed his button-down shirt and began pressing it on her wounds. What had just happened? Where had the shots come from? Joe looked around and could see that other people had been hit as well. He heard someone approaching him from behind. He turned quickly and saw a man coming fast, holding an AR-15. Rounds ricocheted off the concrete around him. The man was firing. Joe tried to shield Ashley from taking any more hits. When the man was within 10 feet of them his magazine ran dry. Joe acted. He unsheathed the Bowie and closed the 10 feet before the man even had a fresh mag out of his pouch. Using his left-hand Joe moved the rifle out of the way, while at the same time with his right hand buried the Gold Rush Bowie in the man’s stomach. Joe cut a wide arc across the man’s midsection before removing the knife. The attacker’s intestines spilled out onto the ground as he fell. He took the man’s rifle and rendered it inoperable. He thought the threat was over, so he went back to Ashley to check her condition. She was still breathing but had lost consciousness. Joe saw a group of EMTs helping victims, he yelled at one to come over. Just as the EMT arrived to care for Ashley, Joe heard more shots ring out.
Fuck!! He thought to himself. The EMT was helping Ashley, so Joe focused on finding and stopping the next threat. He quickly located the man a few hundred yards away. He picked up the Bowie from where he had laid it on the ground and began closing the distance to the other attacker. This man was in a frenzy and didn’t see Joe approach. Joe maneuvered in behind and brought the knife across the man’s throat, slicing through the jugular. This one was out of the fight. Just then Joe felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and fell to his knees. He had caught a round from another attacker. Fuck, how many of these bastards are there? He thought. He looked at his shoulder, the round looked like it went straight through. He was still in the fight. More rounds kicked up to the left of him. Joe dove for cover behind a concrete barricade while he waited for this third attacker to reload. It seemed like hours had passed since he was at the corn dog stand, but Joe knew it had probably only been a handful of minutes. He wished he had been able to grab the second gunman’s weapon, but the shots from the third attacker interrupted that. Just then the third attacker stopped firing. Joe looked over the barricade to see him frantically trying to reload. He leaped over the barricade and sprinted toward the man, crashing into him and driving the blade of the Bowie knife into the man’s chest. Joe twisted the knife inside the attacker’s chest to make sure he was out of the fight. As he got up off the ground he could hear more shooting. Where are the police? He thought. Joe realized that help wasn’t coming. His shoulder burned with the pain from the round he had taken, but he put that out of his mind. He needed to stop the threat. He ran toward the direction of the shots and quickly found the man trying to target a group of children. Joe rushed up behind him and stabbed the Bowie into the middle of the man’s back. He then turned the man around and buried the knife to the hilt into the attacker’s neck. The fourth shooter fell to the ground, dead before he hit it. Just then Joe went down. He felt several rounds hit him. Joe looked up from the ground and saw the fifth attacker coming toward him. Just then he saw the front of the man’s head explode. A man stood behind the attacker with a 9mm pistol. Joe nodded to the man, a silent thank you. Joe had been hit once in the left arm, and once in his right calf. A third round had grazed the side of his head. He heard no more shots. He picked himself up off the ground and began to limp his way back to Ashley. He wanted to make sure that she was still alive. He fell several times on his way back to her. He was covered and caked with blood, some his, some belonging to the men he had taken down. He made it back to her and collapsed on the ground next to her. The EMT informed him that ambulances were on the way and that she was stable. Joe nodded to the man, then passed out.
