H&K: Path of Knowledge

Chapter 15

Katharine drove deep into the New Jersey Pine Barrens, far from any houses or cities. She turned down a dirt road, taking her farther away from civilization. Her passenger would be unconscious for a long while yet. Her destination was an old water pump house from some century long ago. When the headlights of the Audi shone on the pump house, Katharine pulled to a stop. She opened the driver’s door and got out.

The sounds of the night came to her from the darkness as she approached the pump house. She forced the door open. An automatic light came on. The small box Graff had recently deposited there rested just inside the door along with several other items within the building. Opening it, Katharine pulled out a smaller box with a switch on one side and what appeared to be a small satellite dish on another side. She walked away from the pump house.

As she approached the Audi, she pointed the device at the vehicle and flipped the switch. The device hummed and started to heat up. Katharine allowed the device to hum for almost a minute as the Audi’s electrical system started going crazy. The headlights flashed, the horn honked, turn signals flashed, and the doors locked and unlocked. Finally, with a loud bang, the battery exploded as all the electronics within the Audi short-circuited. The EMP device fried all the electronics including Samantha Craig’s cell phone and tracking device in her purse. Luckily, Katharine remembered to take her purse inside the pump house.

Katharine returned to the Audi, opened the passenger door, and dragged the unconscious Samantha Craig from the car and into

the pump house where she handcuffed the assistant DA to the large pipe sticking up out of the ground. She wrapped a vest about the unconscious woman’s torso that she retrieved from a locked case in the far corner, an innocent-looking vest made of canvas with small pockets all over it in the front, back, and on sides. Wires ran from each of the pockets to a small electronic box between the unconscious woman’s breasts. Katharine flipped a switch on top of the small box. She then retrieved another device, one with a handle and an antenna.

Katharine took a seat on the box at the door to wait. Soon, Samantha Craig would be waking up. Katharine smiled to herself. She had to remember to thank Graff at the next opportunity she had.

As dawn approached, a groggy Samantha Craig began to wake up. Then everything started coming back to her as she spotted Katharine sitting by the door.

“Where the hell am I and why am I handcuffed?” Samantha Craig demanded.

“I’ll ask the question, bitch,” Katharine glared at the assistant DA. “Do you know what I’m holding?”

“It’s a dead man’s detonator,” Samantha Craig stated. “Correct. And have you noticed your new vest?”

“My god!”

“Scream all you want. GOD isn’t about to help you.”

“Why am I wearing a suicide vest?”

“Because, the moment you lie to me, I walk away and release this trigger.”

“Why are you doing this?” Samantha Craig quietly asked.

“Because you had my cousin killed and you are trying to hurt the rest of my family,” Katharine caught herself as she voiced the one thing, she had not uttered but to one other person until now.

“Who am I trying to hurt? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You had Liam O’Reilly killed, bitch,” Katharine nearly screamed.

Samantha Craig’s face went pale. She brought her face down to her handcuffed hands and rubbed the side of her neck, pressing briefly behind her left ear. She looked up at Katharine, a look of defiance on her face.

“You won’t hurt another person, my family, or anyone else’s. But first, we have some chatting to do.” Katharine hissed at Samantha Craig.

*****

Hank heard the door ease open as Karen continued to gyrate over his groin. In a flash, he sat up, grabbed Karen, and rolled them both to the opposite side of the bed into the floor. As he did, three men in suits entered the room carrying tasers. The closest fired, and the leads struck a pillow as Hank pulled it from the bed and into the air. The other two men circled the bed. One caught a lamp in the face as Karen leaped to her feet, grabbing whatever she could find as a weapon. Hank jumped at the first man, spinning him toward the third man. The third man fired his taser as Hank pushed the first man in front of him. The leads impacted the man’s chest, sending fifty thousand volts coursing through his body as he fell to the ground writhing in agony.

Hank took the opportunity to lunge at the third man, bearing him to the floor. The two struck at each other as they rolled across the floor. The third man got his foot against Hank’s chest, flinging Hank back away from the man. A moment later, taser leads struck the third man in the torso. Karen had knocked the second man out with a lamp. She had then grabbed the taser the second man had dropped and was now using it on the third man.

Hank crawled to the second man who was slowly regaining his senses. Before the second man could move, Hank was on him, grasping him by the head. With a quick twist of the second man’s head, he went limp in Hank’s hands. Hank dropped the man and quickly searched the body to find a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol in a shoulder holster.

“Drop it!” a voice came from the door as Hank pulled the weapon from the holster. The voice was that of Senator Jason Ramsey of Ohio.

The senator stood behind two burly men in suits with Sig Sauers pistols leveled on Hank. Hank let the weapon drop.

“Well, well, aren’t we full of surprises, ex-Mrs. Mitchell?” The senator said as he stepped around the two men and approached Karen. “And who might this be?” he asked as he passed within inches of Hank.

Wrong move, asshole, Hank thought.

Hank spun to a crouching position as the senator passed, grabbing the senator’s legs, and dragging him to the floor beside him. In an instant, Hank reached up to pull his belt from his trousers off the chair where he had placed them earlier. With a quick pull, the garrot came loose from the belt. Hank wrapped the wire around the senator’s neck, positioning him between himself and the two-armed men as Karen dove behind the bed.

“Now if I know Secret Service like I think I do, you two wouldn’t want anything to happen to your package here,” Hank said, standing up, dragging the senator with him, his right hand holding the garrot tight.

“What are your terms?” one of the Secret Service agents asked.

“Oh no, you don’t. Get the hell out and close the door behind you, now! You know all it will take is a sharp tug and the package dies.” Hank growled, knowing the Secret Service agent was trying to stall for time.

Hank’s grip on the garrot tightened as blood trickled from the senator’s neck as it cut into his skin. The senator’s face was turning purple but no matter how hard he struggled, Hank’s grip was stronger. The two Secret Service agents eased back out the door as the three other men were regaining their feet.

“You three, out!” Hank ordered.

They eased out the door as well. Hank brought his knee up between the senator’s legs from behind as the door latch clicked. The man dropped to his knees on the floor in agony. Hank retrieved the Sig Sauer that he had dropped onto the floor.

“Hurry and get dressed. Hurry!” Hank ordered Karen. “Now, senator, if you want to make it out of this alive, you are going to do exactly as I say.” Hank glared at the man crumpled on the floor in front of him.

As soon as Karen was dressed, she came around the bed to stand beside Hank. Hank handed the garrote ends to Karen.

“Pull back and away sharply if he moves,” Hank said as the senator’s fingers clutched at the wire. “Hold it just as it is with the ends crossed and he can breathe, just barely though. He won’t give you any trouble while I get dressed. If he does, I can always shoot him and we’ll have to shoot our way out of the building. By the way, senator, who tipped you off that I wasn’t Michael Mitchell and this is his ex-wife?” Hank asked.

“The district attorney suspected, but an old friend of yours verified it when we sent him your picture,” the senator arrogantly stated between gasps of air.

“Interesting. And is the DA a recipient of your little slave trade or is he just a pawn?” Hank asked.

When the senator didn’t answer, Karen pulled back on the garrote.

“Both the DA and mayor. For years.”

Hank got dressed, flinching as his wound shot pain through his body. Adrenaline had kept him moving. The wound was now taking a toll on him. Karen turned her head to see blood staining the bandage. Her hand slackened on the garrote. The senator started to lunge forward but the sound of the Sig Sauer’s slide froze him in his tracks. A chambered round flipped from the chamber as Hank pulled the slide back to get the senator’s attention. He knew there was a round in the chamber by the indent on the slide.

“Now, senator,” Hank began as he took the garrote from Karen. “You are going to order your Secret Service zombies to back off. We’re taking the rear emergency stairs. Once we’re outside, you will be free to go. Do you understand?”

The senator barely nodded as the garrote tightened as he moved his head.

“Tell them,” Hank ordered, slackening the garrote.

The senator took a few seconds to rub his throat, blood smearing his throat and hands.

“Clear a path for them. Let them leave. Don’t try anything,” the senator spoke directly to the cameras and the security detail that watched the monitors.

“You act like a man who is sure he’s going to live through this. Believe me, you will be the first I put a bullet in if they try anything.” Hank growled at the senator. “You have no idea how much pleasure killing you would give me.”

Hank waited five minutes before opening the door to the hallway. He pushed the senator out in front of him. Hank eased out into the central area of the presidential suite. No one was in sight.

Suddenly, the power in the building went out. The emergency lighting came on and flickered off. The building was in complete darkness. Men started yelling, calling out orders. The presidential suite was in chaos.

Fifteen minutes later, Hank, Karen, and an unconscious Senator Jason Ramsey were secure in the back of a catering van as it pulled out of the Ritz Carlton’s garage. Tabby sat in the driver’s seat as they pulled out into the early morning traffic of downtown Philadelphia.

“Where’s the Caddy?” Hank asked.

“Bennie grabbed it a couple of hours ago. He’s waiting at the point,” Tabby shot back over her shoulder. “Sarasin sent word. They move in four hours. Said to tell you to get off your dead ass and get your ‘honey-do list’ done, and I’m quoting her.”

“Damn, she’s getting bossy,” Hank laughed.

“Getting?” Tabby chuckled.

“Well, the senator here is going to be giving us more names and locations soon. Time is of the essence now for sure.”

“How did you arrange all this?” Karen asked.

The events of the evening had been a whirlwind of activity even before the power went out in the building. When Hank stepped out into the hallway in the presidential suite, the power went out, all the lights were out including the emergency lighting. Karen felt strong but gentle hands grab her. She was half pulled, half carried to the elevator. Once on the elevator, it shot down like a rocket to the garage. As the elevator doors opened, she saw a beautiful redhead female wearing night vision goggles steering her toward a catering van with no back windows. She saw Hank, also wearing night vision goggles, carrying the unconscious senator over his shoulder. Now they were speeding away from downtown Philadelphia.

“Some friends have been keeping tabs on us since we entered the Ritz Carlton. They arranged for the power to be shut off including the backup and emergency power, which just so happens to be a computer program designed and network controlled by ETI Communications Security Unlimited. It seems, one of their servers went down tonight,” Hank explained.

“ETI Communications Security Unlimited? Michael’s company?” Karen asked, wondering what her ex-husband had to do with this.

“Yes and no. The corporation is a legitimate company for physical and internet security for high-end clients with a sideline of personal security thrown in. But your ex-husband has no idea what goes on from day to day. A single technician can do a lot of good or bad in the right position. Pay someone enough, and you can make anything happen,” Hank said.

“So, Michael had nothing to do with any of this?” Karen almost whispered.

“No. Michael has no idea. It has to stay that way. Lives depend on it.” Hank stated.

“Gotcha, but you have a lot of explaining to do,” Karen relieved but still concerned.

“I’m sure,” Hank responded.

So, Michael had no part in anything that was happening, good or bad, but on the other hand, Hank seemed to have a lot of influential pull and clandestine incidents seemed to occur around him. So, who was Hank? Was he a good guy or did he have a hidden agenda that even Katharine had no idea about?

Senator Ramsey was very forthcoming with the information about where his staff was. He also gave the location of two auction blocks, as the human trafficking underworld called them. The information was sent to Sarasin and the anti-terrorism task force. Sarasin in turn detailed out an international task force to raid those locations. Hank was going to handle Senator Ramsey’s staff personally.

They rendezvoused with Bennie along the Delaware River, on Christopher Columbus Boulevard, at a small club called The Point. They were going to leave the van and take the Cadillac to the senator’s private estate outside Baltimore, Maryland.

“Hank, can I speak with you?” Karen asked as they started to switch vehicles. “Privately?”

“Sure,” Hank said. “We’ll be right back.” He told the others as they got into the caddy.

“What’s up? I understand a lot has happened and I promise you answers. But the truth of it is that the answers are going to take a long time to explain.” Hank told Karen.

“That much I am certain of. But I need to know, was tonight all an act or what? You are not the man I assumed you were.” Karen said as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

“What do you mean? I’m no one special.” Hank replied.

“Beyond the playful teasing,” Karen whispered.

“Really. What do you mean? You have to spell it out for me because I’m dense sometimes.” Hank tried to understand what Karen was saying.

“You know what I mean. Of it was an act for the surveillance cameras but I know what I felt. It wasn’t my imagination and no man can fake that.” Karen continued to whisper.

“Hell, Karen. Are you talking about my hardon? Do you think you would not affect me? I’m only human. Any man in his right mind would be aroused with you gyrating on top of him.”

“Did it mean anything? Should I be worried that we went too far?” Karen pleaded for an answer.

“Listen Karen. I was aroused, ok? It happens and especially during a stressful situation like we were in. But it wasn’t real for the most part. Ok, it was real in an abstract kind of way. But it’s not like we had sex.”

“Ok. I just wanted to know if something did happen. Did we start something we can’t finish is my question?” Karen said before turning back towards the car. “I was aroused, that’s the problem. And it’s been so damn long.”

“I can imagine,” Hank whispered when he thought Karen was too far away to hear. “You were definitely aroused, there is no question about it. I nearly had to get a towel.”

Hank didn’t see the look on Karen’s face or in her eyes as she got into the backseat of the Caddy. She had mixed feelings about what had happened. On one hand, they were acting to keep from blowing their cover even though it had already been blown. On the other hand, she felt as if she had enjoyed herself a little too much, to the point she had climaxed twice by just gyrating on Hank. She didn’t know what to tell Katharine or if it would cause problems with Katharine’s marriage or their friendship. Time would tell.

*****

Katharine waited at the end of the dirt road. The sound of a helicopter in the distance mingled with the sounds of the night. A few minutes later, lights appeared on the main road at a distance. Finally, a tan Chevy Lumina pulled to a stop next to Katharine. Graff lowered the passenger window.

“Need a lift?” Graff asked.

“Thanks.” A moment later, a loud explosion ripped through the Pine Barrens. The old pump house was obliterated along with

the Audi and what had once been Assistant DA Samantha Craig. Katharine shuddered inside as she forced the remorse that was rising within her to the back of her mind.

“Did you get everything you needed?” Graff asked.

“Much more,” Katharine said as she opened the door and got in. “Loads of information and leads.”

Katharine had spent a day interrogating Samantha Craig. With the laptop and satellite feed, Graff had left for her, she had managed to access several offshore accounts that Craig and Martin had been hiding money in as well as several accounts that led back to the human trafficking group.

During the interrogation, Katharine learned that someone was searching for Hank, someone by the name of David Wright. Craig had no information on why this man was looking for her husband other than Wright was willing to pay a handsome reward for any information about Hank. Craig elaborated more on those that this guy Wright was searching for, after some physical eliciting by Katharine. Sarasin was one and two others as well, Sanchez and Lowell. Why would anyone be looking for information on Hank and how did Sarasin and the other two fit into it? In the distance, a helicopter flew low over the Pine Barrens heading north.

*****

As Hank drove the black Cadillac up to the main gate, the senator gave his authorization so that they could enter the estate grounds. Hank and Bennie were decked out in black combat gear. Tabby and Karen were positioned outside the estate walls at a vantage point to watch over their approach. Tabby had her silenced sniper rifle.

Surprisingly, they entered the estate mansion without conflict since the senator was leading the way through the door. The five private armed security inside the mansion was no issue for Hank and Bennie. The senator led the duo to his private quarters where they found eight young females from ages ten to sixteen, of different nationalities, locked in a room that opened only into the private chambers of the senator.

“I should hang you up by heels and skin you alive,” Hank growled at the Senator. “But this is what you are going to do and you better not make one mistake or I swear I will skin you alive.”

The next morning an impromptu press conference was held by the press secretary of Senator Jason Ramsey of Ohio concerning the senator’s health. A brief teleconference showed the senator in bed with an oxygen mask covering his face. It was announced that due to health reasons, the senator was stepping down from his elected position. The senator tried to speak and thank those who had elected him but broke out in coughing fits. A medical team stood at the ready behind him before the video feed terminated. Tabby stood off to one side in one of the medical team’s outfits.

Tess sat watching the press conference with a cup of coffee in hand. Tristan and Shannon were still asleep. Merium had excused herself to go to the store for groceries. Suddenly, the back door was busted in. Merium had shown Tess and Katharine where the emergency guns were in the safe house. One was attached to the back of the couch Tess sat on. Tess immediately reached behind the sofa she was sitting on and retrieved a Beretta 9mm pistol. Just as she was pulling the gun free, three men rushed into the room. Two had shotguns and the third had a pistol. Tess slid her hand with the weapon down between the couch cushions before they saw the gun.

“I understand you’re looking for me,” the man with the pistol stated. “You didn’t like our little warning?”

“You killed Liam?” Tess asked trying to control her anger. “Yeah, I killed that sniveling little geek. I would have even if Samantha Craig hadn’t ordered his death.”

“You killed my cousin,” Tess hissed, her voice barely auditable.

“That’s right. Now we’re going to finish the job. But we are going to have some fun with you first, courtesy of Samantha Craig of course. She wants us to take our time with you and make the humiliation last as long as possible. We’re going to kill your kids in front of you while we take turns with you.” The man laughed.

The three men lowered their weapons as they started toward the couch. The man with the pistol began undoing his belt. In a flash, Tess pulled the gun from between the cushions and began to fire. Bob had taken her to the range numerous times as well as combat simulations and hostage situation simulations. Tess fired three shots at each man, two in the chest and one in the head. Like dominoes, the three men dropped dead on the floor.

Tess leaped to her feet, searching the house for any other intruders. She found none. The back door had been kicked in. The lock and deadbolt had been torn from the door facing. She closed the door and wedged a table chair under the doorknob. She then pushed the kitchen table against the door. With the door secure, she rushed upstairs to her children. She found them huddled together in the closet as they had been taught to do at home if someone was to break into the house. Tess took them in her arms and held them tight.

“I just had a visit from three guys claiming to have killed Liam. Their bodies are in the living room of the safe house,” Tess said into the cell phone once Graff answered the phone.

“I’ll take care of it. Are you safe for now?” Graff asked.

“For now. Merium went to the store earlier. I’m not sure if she’s all right or not.”

“I have a cleaner team on the way. Stay put,” Graff said as he terminated the connection.

Thirty minutes later, Merium returned to find the three bodies and the back door in pieces. Tess quickly explained what happened just before two men showed up in a van with a sign on the side that read Crime Scene Cleaners. The two men took care of everything. They removed the bodies from the safe house and fixed the back door with a metal fireproof, bulletproof door before they left. Tess and the children remained upstairs until Merium assured them that everyone was gone. They finally descended the stairs to find Merium preparing brunch as if nothing had happened. The only difference was that Tess had placed the Beretta in her waistband with an extra magazine in her back pocket.

Two days later, the news reported that retired Senator Jason Ramsey had passed away in his sleep due to complications from an ongoing illness.

As soon as Bob was back in the city, he headed to the safehouse where Tess and the kids were. Tess hadn’t told Bob that Katharine had snuck off to places unknown, nor did she mention to Bob or Katharine that three men had broken in and tried to rape her and kill her and the children. However, before Bob arrived at the safe house, Katharine walked through the door.

“Where have you been?” Tess asked Katharine. “I’ve been worried sick.”

“I had a few things that needed handling, but everything is fine now,” Katharine replied.

Hank stood at the bottom of the stairs to the private jet as Sarasin’s team boarded. They each said their goodbyes and shook hands. The stairs were retracted. The door closed as the engines roared to life. Hank and Sarasin walked away from the jet as it began to taxi down the runway. They watched as it lifted off on its way to another assignment.

“Are you sure you won’t join the team again?” Sarasin asked. “We work well together.”

“I’m sure,” Hank said as they walked back to the hangar.

“What if I told you we found the sheik and Wright?” Sarasin asked.

“You found them?” Hank asked.

“Maybe. I sent part of the team to verify the lead.”

“If you find them, then I’m back in,” Hank hissed through clenched teeth.

“Fair enough. Now I have a press conference to get to and watch a couple of worms squirm,” Sarasin said, walking away from Hank. Hank couldn’t help but watch as she departed. He knew she was putting an exaggerated sway to her hips with every step for his benefit.

Officer Bob Roy stood back out of sight as the Pennsylvania governor held the press conference. The secretary of State and secretary of Homeland Security stood by for their turn at the podium and the microphone. They were praising the East Coast Anti-Terrorism Task Force for their efforts in bringing down two major terrorist training camps and numerous terrorist cells along the Atlantic Coast. When it was the secretary of Homeland Security’s turn at the podium, reporters raised the question of who was in charge of the task force and where they got their information. The secretary stated that for security reasons, no information could be given on the task force but assured all present that it was an undertaking by multiple agencies, state, and local law enforcement that brought about the elimination of these terrorist threats. The secretary, however, warned that there were still terrorist and Islamic extremist elements on US soil and the task force would remain vigilant.

After the press conference, Office Roy and Agent Sarasin stood in the office of the Philadelphia District Attorney. The secretary and state attorney general shook their hands as the DA stood back next to the mayor of Philadelphia.

“Great job, you two,” the secretary told them. “How would you two like to make this partnership permanent?”

“Sorry, secretary,” Sarasin began, “but I have a team. This mission was a cooperative mission which I have no problem assisting at times. I belong in the field with my team. Officer Roy is a great leader. I suggest that he be allowed to pick his command team.”

“Rightly so,” the secretary stated. “So, Officer Roy, are you prepared to leave the Philadelphia PD behind and take a step forward into national security?”

“Secretary, I am only if the Task Force and I continue with the same latitude we’ve had during this past situation. We did well because we were allowed to act quickly, efficiently, and without red tape. Agent Sarasin is a great asset. I would be honored to continue to work with her. But in the end, the only reason the task force was successful was that we were allowed leeway to do our job,” Bob told the secretary and the rest of the room.

“I am sure we can accommodate those requests.”

“Then the next thing to do is to arrest these two elected officials,” Bob spat out the words “elected officials” as if they were vile words. “They have done their best to block our efforts, to leak information, and to thwart our progress by protecting certain corrupt elements inside the US government agencies and local governments. Elements involved with terrorists, drug, gun, and human trafficking.”

“Do you have proof?” the state attorney general asked, eyeing the two city officials.

“None that will hold up in court,” Bob looked at the two who visibly relaxed. “But I take it on good authority that all past indiscretions will be overlooked if these two were to step down from their elected positions, relinquish all information they have, and cooperate and accept a short federal prison sentence on bribery charges.”

“You are accusing us of treason and wrongdoing? We could sue you for slander. You’ll never work in law enforcement again!” The DA screamed.

The mayor stepped back as his cell phone rang. The blood drained from the mayor’s face. Fear caused his eyes to glaze over.

“I accept,” the mayor nearly whispered as he lowered his phone.

A moment later, the DA’s cell phone rang. His face went vivid red. His fist clutched his cell phone so tight, that his hand went white.

“How dare you threaten me! I’m an officer of the court and…” the DA’s voice trailed off and his face drained of all the blood. “Fine!” the DA snapped into the cell phone.

“Fine,” the DA stated to the room as he placed his cell on his desk.

“Who was that?” the secretary asked the mayor and DA.

“No one. Nothing,” the mayor replied.

“Personal affairs,” the DA stated.

“So, you both agree to the terms?” Sarasin said, stepping forward.

“We agree,” both men stated in lowered voices.