Dark as Daylight Ch. 12

Lucius threw a lightning left hand to Zeke's throat.

He did not wait for him to hit the ground. He turned, picked up his towel, and sat down on the bleacher seating.

Zeke fell to the mat, holding his throat, gasping for breath. Attendants rushed to his aid, fearing he might die, because he was unable to breath.

William Zabo was on his feet clapping; roaring his approval.

Frank was clapping nonstop. The best of the best had been defeated by one masterful blow.

Zabo said, "Stephen, I want to talk to that man."

"Right away Mister Zabo."

As they sat together, William didn't hesitate. He told Lucius that he was now his personal body man. Wherever he went, Lucius would be no further than 3 feet from him. His personal conversations were no exceptions.

'3 feet Lucius, if I can't touch you, you are too far away from me.'

Wherever I live; you will be provided personal space, or housing close by. You are now in charge of my personal safety team. I expect you to train them up to your standards.

Zeke's salary is $225,000 per year., and you dispatched him in less than one second.

You will receive $450,000 per year. I expect you to earn it. There are many people out there that do not like me. You will dress in a suit and tie every day. I will send you to my tailor to be fitted for those, and everything else you will need to accompany me.

You will need a federal weapons permit and a local permit for New York State. I never carry a weapon. I couldn't hit a target if it was 5 feet from me. Do we understand each other Colonel?"

"Since I have to go through the extra trouble to carry 2 permits, make it $500,000.00 a year, and we have a deal."

"Good bye, Lucius." Him

"Good bye, Mr. Zabo."

Lucius turned and walked out of the facility.

William expected him to come running back, at any second, to accept his deal, which he would cut down to $240,000.00, to show him precisely who was in charge. As the minutes ticked by, he realized he was playing chicken with the wrong man.

He shouted, "Find him, and bring him back here."

Everyone in the gym ran towards the exit prepared to search high and low for Colonel Lucius C. Canyon. They didn't have to look far. He was sitting on the hood of a car two spaces down from the entrance to the gym.

"He wants to see you Lucius."

"You can tell him where I am."

"Do you really want to push your luck that far? I don't believe I have ever seen him tell us to get someone who's walked away from an employment offer before, especially one that pays so much."

"Okay, we will call this one a draw. I win one, and he wins one. We will start out, with a clean slate."

"He's never done that either. He's always started out at least one up on everyone he employs."

"Why don't you tell him that you caught me walking 30 blocks from here. It will be good for your image."

"If I told him I walked 30 blocks, he would laugh at me. He knows my legs would have fallen off before then. Let's go inside, and get this over with."

"Stephen, I believe you and I are going to be friends. You have his ear, and I have his body. Let's try to keep him intact."

"Your job is going to be harder than you think. His interests are global, and so are his enemies. It does not matter what the person's race, color or creed is. He has made friends, and enemies in all corners of the world."

"I am used to that feeling. Fighting in the Balkans, you learn never to trust anyone, until they've earned it. Even then, you leave room for a 40% chance of error in your judgment."

************************

"Mister Zabo, we found him."

"How far away was he that it took you so long?"

"He was sitting on the second car down from the entrance to the facility."

William laughed. "I knew you wouldn't leave."

"I knew you wouldn't let me go."

"How long were you prepare to wait out there?"

"I gave you 10 minutes, you used up 6 of them. You are a very inpatient man Mister Zabo. You have to learn how to control those impulses."

"Are you telling me what to do Colonel?"

"Do you want to stay alive?"

"The answer to your question is yes."

"The answer to your question is also yes."

"Then we have a mutual interest. I want to keep you alive, and you want to stay alive. In order to accomplish that, you are going to listen to me when it comes to your safety. When I tell you to jump, you are going to jump. You are not going to ask me why, or where the enemy is, you are just going to jump."

"I knew there was something about you I liked, when I watched you being interviewed on television. Now I'm sure I knew I was correct. Welcome aboard Colonel."

"How do I address you?"

"William will do fine."

"Thank you, sir. Where are we going now?"

"You're on the clock already, Lucius?"

"You're paying me; I go where you go."

That was the first day they met, 37 years ago, and they've been friends ever since.

*********************

2 hours later, as they were continuing their flight to Charleston, they were advised by the at the Atlanta Center, there was at least a 1 ½ hour delay landing there, due to heavy thunderstorm activity in the area. Thunderstorms was a mild way of putting it.

Patty acknowledged the transmission.

"Kelly get Lucius up here."

"Right away Patty."

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes there is, at least a two hours' worth. We're going to be holding over Charleston. Thunderstorms are moving through the area, and there is some traffic ahead of us waiting to land. You better call your friends and tell them you are going to be delayed in getting to them."

"Let's hope they can hold out, until we get there."

"I'm sorry Lucius, but there's nothing I can do."

"I understand."

**********************

As the scout for the opposition force cleared the parking lot, he saw the entrance to the building site. He stayed as close to the wall as possible.

As he crawled along to get a better view, a shot rang out that pierced his helmet, and his head. It was the first warning they received that they were not going to reach their objective, without a fight.

Olaf took charge of this group, and he had another idea.

He pointed to 25 men. "Go back to the parking lot. Get the strongest cars not the prettiest cars, and bring them here. They may have the front covered, but we can drive in there, faster than they can shoot at us.

Three or four of us can get into each car. The remainder can stay outside them, and use the cars as cover, as we draw closer to the opening. We will overwhelm them with our firepower, before they know what's happening."

The 25 appointed men ran to the parking lot, picked out the 25 heaviest cars, trucks, and vans, and drove them back to the assembly area. 19 men were going to be running alongside these vehicles, and use them as cover, while firing their automatic weapons. This may not be easy, but it was better than doing it, without any cover at all.

Then Olaf said, "If the car in front of you stops for any reason, keep going, push it out of the way. Don't keep the rest of us out in the open. I will be in the last car, I want all of you in there, before I am."

His men like that. He was proving his bravery, not by going first, but by going last. It meant he had a chance of being stuck out in the open, and being subjected to the most enemy fire.

He yelled, "Let's go get those boys, and go home."

There was a loud cheer. The engines started, the cars were packed with armed men, with weapons pointed out the windows. Olaf gave the sign to start, and they were off.

As soon as the first car turned the corner, it was subjected to intense fire, by the men protecting the entrance. They threw hand grenades that missed. Their bullets hit the sheet-metal of the cars, or cracked the glass between the driver and the passenger.

Depending on who you were, you are either the luckiest persons alive, or the people shooting at you were the worst marksmen ever. The opposition force would know soon enough.

As they reached the pavement, the first car increased its speed to over 50 mph with less than 100 yards to go to the entrance. Everyone following him increased their speed. Suddenly there was a dip in the road, and no one could see the first car, or the second car, or the third, or the...' No one had the common sense to stop, because each time the car in front hit his brakes, the car behind him pushed it into the bear trap, and then followed it in, because he couldn't see where he was going. The cars behind them were doing what they were told to do at the briefing, and eventually most of them fell down the sides of the Bear Trap.

The 19 men, who were running alongside these cars, saw the Bear pit stopped, and were cut down from behind, before they could warn the drivers of their impending doom.

The Bear Trap filled as the last four cars approach it. The first car didn't hit his brakes, it turned its wheels in an attempt to hit the wall of steel and rubber that faced it. It didn't work. The car rolled over, and stopped on top of all the other vehicles, resting on its wheels, like a cherry on a cake. All four men inside were still alive, but unconscious.

The last three cars were able to make radical turns, and attempted to make a break for it. Each was met with machine gun fire, which ended the lives of the cars, and their occupants. Olaf died bravely, but sometimes bravery is not enough.

Harry connected the last wire to the charging unit. He put his ear plugs in and he yelled, "Fire in the hole!"

The 40 pounds of dynamite that lined the bottom and sides of the Bear Pit exploded simultaneously.

If there were any men in those cars, beneath the surface, who survived the initial debacle, either the concussion from the blast, or the blast itself killed them.

As for the car, and the four men in it that was resting on top of the pile of debris with their brothers in their steel coffins; they had just returned to consciousness. They wondered where they were, and what was happening. The next thing they heard was the explosion. Their car rocketed 400 feet up into the air, spinning on all axis'. As the car stabilized, nose down, it descended into and were eaten by a wall of flames. It was not an easy death for those 4 men, and their 153 brothers in arms, but it was mercifully quick.

The explosion was a wake-up call for the commander of the group following them. It was so loud and so strong the earth shook beneath his feet. He knew he lost his expeditionary force, because they weren't carrying explosives. His enemy would not use such a large explosion to advertise a partial victory, or a loss. This was going to be a longer day than he thought, and he changed his mind on how to attack them.

"Get me South on the communications net."

"The commander wants to know why."

"Tell him to get South on the communications net and listen."

"He said he won't do it unless you tell them why."

"Tell him we are going home."

"He's connecting South on the line now."

"I thought he might."

"I'm here Henryk. What you need?"

"Pawel, I need us to change plans. They have the entrance too well covered, even though we know how it's done. I just lost 160 men trying to get in, with no success. How far South of the target are you?"

"I am at the staging point. I can attack anytime you are ready. I've been waiting for the commander to give me the word to go."

"I will have my men at my staging point in 30 minutes. I want you to join with me in the center. Do not go up their main roads to the entrance. That is where their strength is. We will head for, and attack up their center. Their defense is focused mostly towards their sides. All they have in the middle are permanent obstructions. We can combine our forces in their middle, and use those obstructions against them. If the estimate we received of their fighting force is correct, we should overwhelm them, with our numbers.

We must move forward quickly. The faster we get close to them; we take their airpower out of the equation. Keep moving forward; do not retreat. The faster and closer we get to them; the worse off they are. Move forward and move fast; get that into your men's heads. Forward and fast is the way to live and win."

"That is excellent thinking, Henryk. I would do anything to keep those helicopters away from us. Every time they fly by I lose 20 or more men."

"That little one is a pain, but when that black one comes by, he is death incarnate."

"Yes he is. I wish I had a missile for him, but I don't. He's free to roam around the skies avoiding our rifles, killing us at will. Let's get started. Let's set our watches. I will be at my staging point in 30 minutes. We will start our attack in 60 minutes. The time now is 15:45U.S.T. or 3:45 P.M. E.D.T.

"60 minutes, I will meet you in the center. Best of luck my friend."

*****************

"What the hell are they up to now?"

"What would you be doing if you just lost over 100 men?"

"My first question to myself would be 'how?' My second question would be 'why?' There wasn't that much gunfire, especially if they knew or heard they were using cars."

"Laura, that was a scouting party. The main group is a mile behind it. We have to assume they had radio contact with each other, and they knew about the cars. Right now they're changing their plan of attack."

"Tom, I think we better go look at the maps. I think our friends are going to come at us from a different angle. Even though they have our playbook, after this little incident, I don't think they're going to bunt; I think they going to swing for the fences."

"I really love your baseball metaphors, Joe. I'm a football man. Could you tell me if it's a long pass or a draw play please?"

"Listen to me you two, I would like to hear you speak about the defense of this place in clear and perfect English. You have the boys to protect. I have the Attorney General of the United States to protect. We are on the same team, let's play the same game."

"Tom, you are married, you talk to her, she's ruining all my fun."

"From what I am told Joe, you risked life and limb to protect her from danger. Where is her ring?"

"I have some very choice words for you my friend, and they start with, "Fuck Off!"

"Oh, so she's that far under your skin is she?"

"Guys, I'm right here, and both of you can go to hell. We have to look at maps to protect three people. Let's do it and forget about his sex life, because it's not going to intersex with mine."

Tom laughed. "Laura did you just hear what you said?"

"I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"This is the truth so help me God. You said, "Let's do it and forget about his sex life, because it's not going to 'INTERSEX' with mine.' I don't believe that was a slip of the tongue. I believe it is something, deep in your subconscious. You want it to happen, and soon."

"You're out of your mind. When did you become a psychiatrist? We just met a few hours ago. The only reason he jumped across my body was because there was an incoming mortar.

Afterwards, I told him he was an idiot for doing it. I am a big girl. I am a law enforcement officer, and I have been for 18 years. If I die, I die. I have been in that position many times before. I take that risk every time I wake up in the morning, strap on my weapon, and put on my badge. This little boy comes to work, and stands behind 15-foot tall fences. Then, he sits around all day, while a genius works. He makes 20 times the amount of money I do, and does less than 1/100 the work.

So as far as needing him to protect me from anything, it's bullshit. When the big bad man walks around the corner, with a double barrel shotgun, and it's pointed at you, it's me that'll put him down, not him."

"Tom, I think you made her angry."

"Joe shut up and get the maps so we can look at what we're up against."

"Yes ma'am."

*******************

"I don't see it. There's no way for them to come at us except from these two angles. Every other way is blockaded. That's the way we set up our defenses against attack. That's why the roads to the alternate building sites worked so well. They had to come at us directly from the side, or at a 60° angle, and we have them dead both ways."

"Everyone we had come in to test it agreed. Every attack we tested against it failed. Where are they going to come from?"

"You two are either blind, or idiots. They're going to make believe they are the British, at Bunker Hill. They are going to walk straight up this hill. They are going to use each one of the barricades, you have there to control traffic to hide behind. They are going to move from place to place, until their right at your throats, and then they are going to cut them."

"How do you see them doing that, little darling?"

"They will stay as far away from you as is humanly possible, and they will join their forces in the center. They have over 600 men, if you kill 100 of them on the way in, which is a gross overstatement, they still have 500 men in the position you are the weakest. You can't compensate, because you don't have enough ground, or men to oppose such a massive force coming up the center of your defenses.

If I were you, and thankfully I'm not, I would get your mini-guns, and as much ammunition as you have for them, to your 60^o positions, and align them towards the center in a hurry. It's the only chance you have of holding this high ground.

The problem is you leave your flanks exposed. It's too late to do anything about it now. I'm going to bring my people up to protect the left flank of the min-gun. Tom you're going to need some people on your right. When my mini-gunner goes down, I will replace him. When I go down, one of my people will replace me, and so on down the line, until we run out of ammunition, or people. If it's ammunition, it should end up as a bare knuckle brawl, and may the best man or woman win."

"Where the hell were you, when we were designing this fortress?"

"I was working in Las Vegas, for the FBI. Did you assholes think of asking anyone from law enforcement to take a look of your design?"

??????????????????????????

"From your silence, I will take that as a no. You probably had Generals and Admirals look at your plan. They probably wet their pants over how wonderful it was. Every barricade you put in is not only a barricade against them, it's a barricade against you. Every blockade you put up is a blockade not only against them, it's against you also.

Julius Caesar knew better than that. When he built a fortification, there wasn't a bush or a tree within 500 feet of any wall he built. No enemy could sneak up on him, and nothing he built could be used against him.

You guys are assholes. If you want to be smart get some men and put them down behind those barricades now, before those smart guys out there, start marching up your sternum, with ill intent towards your throats. You may not be able to stop them from getting here, but you sure will slow them down.

I know you're expecting relief to get here, but give them time, and that's what you need right now, time."

"Tom if she's right, we can take guys off the far right and far left corners and move them to the center barricades. We can have them start an in-place action, in an attempt to keep them from the running the center unopposed. We may be able to keep them from starting up the hill several times, if we get the helicopters to assist us from overhead. That's going to be tough, because they're going to be shooting at close quarters to our guys, and it is going to be dark. We will let them decide whether to fire or not."