Category Archives: Action thrillers

“About a week ago, some guy Jim knew in the past, when he was training the guy to be a sniper before he went to the Marines, came out to see him and scared Jim shitless. He said this guy is real bad. I’m beginning to think you are the bad guy. If you are, I have something to tell you but I want some assurances first.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

Jack put the cloth bag back over Dom’s head, tied his body and legs to the chair, and tipped it back. Jack held Dom’s head still while Kathy poured a thin stream of water on the cloth bag. Dom began to struggle immediately. Jack motioned for Kathy to keep pouring. The struggles grew faint and Jack said “enough” and took the bag off Dom’s head. Jack set the chair upright and within a few minutes Dom stopped choking.

Jack said, “Enough or do you need another session?”

With his chest heaving Dom said, “No! No more! Are you trying to kill me?”

“No, Dom, you’re trying to commit suicide. No assurances. Just answer my questions. The next session will be much worse. Let’s start again. What were you going to tell me?”

“Conrad told me the day before yesterday that Eddie told Jim to send a team to this guy’s house to pick up the brunette woman who was with the bad ass who visited Jim’s camp in Montana.”

Kathy left immediately to call Kelly in McLean. Jack said, “Dom, you have five minutes. Give me details now or you go into the ocean.”

Dom said, “I don’t know who or when. A team is usually three or four people.”

“Okay, tell me where the women are held by Conrad and Jim.”

“Bobby keeps them in an abandoned mine on Jim’s property that he fixed up. I’ve never seen it but it can’t be more than a 15-minute walk from the shooting camp. Conrad has an old farm five or six miles south of Leesburg on Route 15. I’ve been there twice and can sketch out the directions. The holding area is in the barn through a hidden trap door.”

“I’m going to give you 15 minutes to draw two sketches that I can understand and follow. If you’re successful, you will live. One wrong move and one of two things will happen. The first is I’ll send this recording to Eddie. The other is that you will go for a boat ride. Agree?”

“I swear I never want to see you or that woman again. Eddie would be even worse. He enjoys killing.”

“When you go back explain your absence by saying you laid the blonde who left with you. Use another story if you have one. But no mistakes. Don’t even think about tipping off Eddie or anyone else. I can get to you no matter where you go. You will never know what happened.”

Jack put a cleaned up Dom back in the trunk. Kathy got behind the wheel and said, “We have to get back fast. Kelly and Sally went to Tysons Corner Shopping mall to pick up some things. Kelly went to bring the car up while Sally waited with the packages. The car never came. Sally went out and the car was still there but no Kelly. Conrad’s crew must have picked her up. She had her own keys and drove home and told Lou and Storm. Lou has his team together.”

“Okay, we’ll drop Dom near the casino. There’s an alley a half block away where I can get him out of the trunk without anyone seeing us. We turn the rental in and drive home. I thought about the plane but driving will probably be just as fast.”

Kathy pulled into the alley. Jack jumped out and helped Dom out of the trunk. Jack said, “Dom, you’re really not a bad guy. Why don’t you just retire before something really bad happens to you? You keep quiet and no one will ever find out what happened tonight.”

Dom said, “Strangely, I feel good. Thank you for letting me live. I’m done with this stuff. Hope I don’t see you again.”

“Don’t worry, Dom. You won’t see me if I come back.”

Dom walked off and Jack got back in the car. Kathy looked at Jack and said, “Never mind the chit chat, we need to get moving.”

“I’m going to call Lou and have him bring his team, Shadow, and Sally to Leesburg. They can meet us in town at the corner of Route 15 and 7. Sally can dig into Kelly’s hamper and bring a piece of her underwear so Shadow will be sure of what we want him to do.”

There were no boaters or fishing people near the boathouse or 50-foot pier when Jack led a hooded and cuffed Dom out to the boathouse. Kathy slipped inside to get, as she said, “untarted.” Jack said to Dom, “Good, so far you’re following instructions. Remember no yelling, no attempts to escape, and to speak only when told to. We’re going into a small building. I’ll guide you to a chair. You may have something to drink if you continue to behave. Understand?”

Dom nodded his hooded head and sat when Jack pushed a chair behind his knees. Jack said, “Okay, let’s begin. Tell me about your role in the kidnapping of young women to be sold in the Middle East and Asia as sex slaves. Jim Marshall has talked to me. The sniper you used is dead. Unless you cooperate fully you will soon be weighted and dropped in the ocean. Now do you feel like cooperating?”

Dom responded with a muffled but clear yes. Jack heard Kathy coming down the pier and waited for her. When she came in Jack said, “Just in time to begin our question and answer session. I should warn you, Dom, that we know the answer to many of the questions. If we don’t think you’re giving us good answers, we’ll introduce you to the science of water boarding. You should know I don’t care much if you die during our questioning session. On the other hand we would rather let you live if you convince us of your willing cooperation, now and days from now. Bottom line is you don’t have to die. This session will be recorded and sent to your friends if you don’t convince us we can trust you. I’m going to turn the light down and then take off your hood so I can see your face.”

Kathy switched off all but a dim overhead light. Jack pulled off the hood and said, “Okay, tell us how you met Jim and Conrad.”

“We were all 18-year-old recruits getting our combat infantry training at Fort Bragg before going to Vietnam in November of 1970. We became good friends and hung out together. We saw some combat together but not much. The war for us was beginning to wind down. Everyone knew we would be pulling out soon. No one wanted to get killed in a war that lost its meaning. I got assigned to work in an enlisted men’s club when I hurt my knee in a pickup touch football game. Made a contact with sergeant who was skimming from the club’s funds. After the war I looked him up and returned the favor by introducing him to my family. My family had very long and deep ties to the Jersey mob.”

“I asked you to tell me the story of you, Conrad, and Jim and the kidnapping scheme. I don’t want your life story.”

Jack nodded at Kathy and said, “Bring in a bucket of water. I remember seeing one just outside the boat entrance. Dom, the salt water is to remind you water boarding is in your future if you don’t tell me a straight story. Salt water because I don’t want any fresh water in your lungs in case you ever get to be autopsied.”

“This guy, Eddie Hawkins, is the whole story. He is now a Chief of a Police in Baltimore. I take orders from him and pass them on to Conrad who contacts Jim. I’ll tell you now, I’m afraid of Eddie. Even with my family connections, he would kill me in a heartbeat if he thought I was a danger to him. My family would do nothing. Eddie is responsible for many many kills. He likes to kill. Men, women, kids it doesn’t matter to him. It’s all business. I have enough money and would be out of here but Eddie makes me stay here to run his spotting of young women who come into the local casinos. I pass the names and descriptions on to Jim who is Eddie’s boss of the hard stuff. Jim is also scary. He was a hitman for years before Eddie switched him over to trafficking in young women. Jim and Conrad both have holding areas for the women before putting them in the transportation chain. Jim’s wife runs the holding pen. You said they were sent to Middle East and Asia. I didn’t know that. Why the fuck are you messing with me? You know more than I do.”

“Keep talking Dom, and mind your manners. I ask the questions. Your part is the answers. Maybe you need a taste of the water treatment. If I stop messing with you, you stop breathing. Now move on with the story. I want some detail.”

The next day, Jack rented a Bayliner 255 Cruiser. It was just the right size with room to sleep four. Later the same afternoon Kathy found an ideal waterfront cottage on Brigantine Boulevard just north of the Brigantine Bridge. She signed a month’s lease and paid in advance with cash. The boathouse, in addition to covering a small cabin cruiser, also could sleep two with a small bath and breakfast nook.

“We’ll question Dom here in the boathouse,” Jack said. “Bring him in the trunk of a rental into the garage and hustle him along the pier to the boathouse. No use waiting. We go tonight. About 10:00.”

“Good! I hate waiting around. Good thing I brought my war paint. Gives me a chance to get ‘tarted up’ for the casino cameras. Our timing has to be near perfect. Even then some luck would be nice.”

Kathy turned heads that night when she walked through the front entrance to the Silver Chalice in her short black skirt, black sleeveless jacket, and four-inch heels. The ruffled white blouse showed off a deep cleavage. Her blonde hair was loose and swinging. A necklace of small diamonds matched the diamond earrings. A ten-carat emerald on her right hand was impossible not to notice. Her left hand was bare. Make-up covered the faint white band from her wedding ring. The casino floor was busy, but not crowded. Kathy made her way to the bar where she ordered a tequila-based bloody Mary. The bartender set the drink on the counter and said no charge. Carrying her drink, Kathy moved about the floor until she spotted Dom looking over a high stakes blackjack table. Kathy moved over to the table and out of the corner of her eye noted Dom moving to pull out her chair. Kathy looked up, smiled at him. She thought, This guy looks much younger than his age. He is obviously meticulous. Every hair in place, perfectly tailored tux, and a recent manicure. Kathy sat down, smiled at the dealer and slid $5,000 in front of her. The dealer pushed over ten $500 chips. She caught the dealer flash a look at Dom still standing behind her.

She was dealt a king and an eight. She had gambled quite a bit and knew the odds. She decided to stand pat. The man next to her did the same. Two other players took hits and went over 21 and lost their $500 bet. The dealer looked at Kathy’s showing eight of diamonds, turned over his hole card and dealt himself a four of hearts for a 16 and a ten of spades, putting him over 21. He paid Kathy and the man beside her. Kathy lost the next round. She increased her bet to $2,500 and won two in a row, both times with a diamond card showing. Kathy stacked her chips and said, “Diamonds are my lucky charm.”

Dom was still hovering behind her chair. He noticed her drink was low and sent for another. When the drink came Dom reached over her shoulder to put the drink in front of her. Kathy acted startled and bumped his arm, splashing tomato juice and tequila all over Dom’s jacket and white shirt. She jumped up and said, “I’m so sorry. You startled me. Let me help clean up this mess.”

Dom said, “My fault. You’ll have to excuse me while I get cleaned up.”

Kathy said, “Me too.” Her cleavage and white blouse were splattered. “Is there a place I can clean up? I can’t win at blackjack unless I feel elegant. It’s hard to feel elegant after a shower of a bloody Mary.”

“Come with me,” he said. “I have a suite in the hotel. My fiancée is there so you will be properly chaperoned.”

Kathy smiled. “Do I look like I need to be chaperoned?”

Dom laughed and said, “You’re safe with me.”

Kathy got up, pushed her chips toward the dealer, put the cash into her evening bag and transmitted the go signal to Jack. She took Dom’s arm and said, “Let’s go.”

She had studied Ted’s sketched layout of the casino and exit to the hotel elevators. Exiting the casino’s security perimeter with Dom, she saw Jack waiting for them by the elevators. Kathy maneuvered Dom so he was between Jack and her. Jack took Dom’s arm and when he started to struggle, pressed a nerve on the inside of Dom’s forearm near the elbow. The pain was intense. “Dom Salvatori, if you want to live, listen and obey. I want information, then you can go and never mention our talk to Jim or Conrad.”

“What’s this all about?”

Jack pressed harder on the nerve and said, “I ask the questions. You answer.”

Kathy was on her way to bring the car up to the nearby exit. Jack had passed her a note with the keys showing where the car was parked.

When Dom nodded, Jack said, “Come with me. No fuss or I’ll break your neck and leave you in the parking lot.”

By the time Jack and Dom exited the hotel to the parking garage, Kathy was pulling up. She popped the trunk. Jack put Dom out by cutting off the blood flow to the brain and put him in the trunk. Kathy drove out of the parking garage and they were soon pulling into the garage at their rented waterfront cottage.

Jack and Kathy checked into the hotel Lou selected. When they were settled in the next morning, Jack called Lou and asked him to bring the others and come over. The beachfront hotel was perfect for a meeting site. It had several entrances, a lot of foot traffic by upscale shoppers passing time, and a large parking building that connected to the hotel. Lou arrived with Ted and Warren. Lou introduced them and Jack gathered them all around the large dining table.

“Tell us what you have,” Jack said.

“Ted got a couple of pictures of the guy Conrad met for coffee,” Lou said. “The pictures match the description we have of Dom and Ted heard a waiter in the casino address him as Mr. Salvatori.”

“Good enough,” Kathy said, turning toward Ted. “What else do you know about him?”

“The staff treated him with respect but he is not the boss. I believe he is probably number two or three. Does not wear a wedding ring. Doesn’t need to hit on the female staff. A number of them were more than friendly to him. I saw him go up in the elevator and come down 30 minutes later in a fresh outfit. He either lives in the hotel above the casino or there is an executive area in the hotel people like him can use. My bet is he lives in the hotel on the sixth floor where the elevator stopped.”

“Anything else?” Jack asked.

“While he was upstairs, I explored the corridor with a discreet sign pointing to the parking garage. The door to the parking garage is near the elevator. It opens on a short corridor leading to the garage. I was lucky. The area for staff parking was right there. I think it was only for the top management as there were only eight spaces. Dom’s black Cadillac CTS was there. I saw no parking lot attendants and there were no cameras, not even a mirror. No ticket on the window or lying on the seat inside. Probably the attendant at the entrance just waves him through. Inside the casino I saw several cameras. Anyone going in there is on the surveillance cameras. It looked like many other casinos with the cameras manned by staff in a monitoring room. I did not see any cameras in the elevator. On the upstairs floors I don’t know but probably there are corridor cameras.”

“Lou, you selected some real professionals,” Jack said approvingly. “An excellent piece of work. Get some rest tonight and go back tomorrow morning. We’ve all we need. See you back in McLean.”

After the three ex-FBI officers left, Kathy said, “This is a nice suite. Maybe the food is good. Let’s have dinner sent up. I’ll order a surprise for you.”

“Please, not too much of a surprise. Go easy on the broccoli and giant salads.”

After she ordered dinner, Kathy sat beside Jack and said, “You sent them home because you don’t want any witnesses. Right?”

“Lou would have been okay but we just don’t know Ted or Warren well enough to trust them with our lives or our freedom. We need to snatch Dom and take him somewhere for questioning. Depending on what he tells us will tell us whether we can afford to have him hunting us. Tomorrow morning I’ll rent some kind of a small boat just big enough for a cabin. The forecast said the ocean will be mild tomorrow with slight onshore winds. While I’m looking for a boat, see if you can rent a waterfront cottage with a boat slip. You’re good at cover stories. We need some privacy. I don’t want to drag Dom across the beach, day or night. Too many summer tourists out at all hours. I think we can get him out of the casino and into a car. But we’ll need to keep him for at least eight hours. And that could be a problem in Atlantic City at the height of the tourist season.”

For the next two hours, Kathy and Jack worked out their roles in the abduction and questioning of one Dom Salvatori. The plan was simple but, like many plans, it needed some luck to work smoothly.

The green pickup stayed within the speed limit for the next hour and a half. Without using a turn signal, the pickup turned into a gas station-restaurant stop. Fortunately Lou had kept his distance and two cars in front of him pulled into the large parking lot. Lou saw the pickup park and a man get out and walk toward the restaurant. Ted put the glasses on him and said, “He sure fits Conrad’s description.”

“Warren, I’ll drop you off before we get to the restaurant’s entrance. Go inside and see if he meets anyone,” Lou directed. “We’ll watch the door for you to come out. If he meets anyone, we’ll switch and follow the new target.”

Thirty minutes later, Warren appeared at the entrance. Lou moved the car up and Warren climbed in the front seat and said, “Drive around the side. The guy he had coffee with is driving a black Cadillac CTS. He fits the description we have of Dom Salvatori.”

Nosing around the corner, Lou saw the black CTS in the merge lane to Interstate 95. The green pickup truck was nowhere in sight. Lou thought it must have gotten off at the next exit and headed back to Leesburg. He settled in several cars behind the CTS and said, “Well, it looks like we are going to Atlantic City. Jack said for us to buy whatever clothes we needed to stay over for a day or so. One of us will have to go into the casino we see Dom go in. Who knows their way around a casino?”

“I do,” said Ted. “I’ve spent some time in them on FBI business and have gambled a little on my own.”

“Will a $1,000 carry you for a few hours?”

“Hell, I can nurse a grand for half a day, even if my luck is no good. But I can’t mix with even the first level of big boys with less than $50,000.”

“See where Dom goes and who he hangs with inside. Don’t push the envelope. Those guys will spot you using a cell phone camera and be all over you.”

The CTS stayed within the speed limit and turned east on Route 322 to Atlantic City. Lou was still a few cars behind Dom when he turned into the parking garage for the Silver Chalice, a small but upscale hotel over the casino.

“Okay, we’ll be here for a while,” Lou said. “We need to rent a couple of cars and buy some clothes and a few suitcases. Each of us will go into a different hotel. We’ll use the hotel I pick as our meeting place.” Lou used his iPhone to check into the Emerald Hotel. He passed his room information on to Ted and Warren and said, “Rent a car, get some suitable clothes, and check into a hotel, then call me. Ted, after you check in with me, go to the Silver Chalice and nose around a bit. Here’s $1,000. Don’t lose it all in one place. Warren and I will be in my room waiting for your call. Don’t take longer than a couple of hours to check the place out. I’ll call Jack and see what he wants to do.”

Lou dropped Ted and Warren off near a car rental agency and called Jack. Lou briefed him and asked for instructions. Jack said, “Good. We’re moving much faster than I thought. I’m coming up with Kathy. Get us a suite for three nights. Show them your credit card but tell them you’ll pay the bill in cash. Anything you want me to bring?”

“Yeah. We could use a car beacon, a couple of audio bugs with limited range, and short-range communications with earplugs.”

“You got it. I have a stock of surveillance stuff. We’ll be there in five or six hours.”