Category Archives: Action thrillers

Jack called Kathy and asked her to bring Kelly back to the hotel for lunch. When Jack returned from taking Shadow for a short walk, Kathy and Kelly were waiting for him. “Thanks for the invitation,” Kathy said. “We were thinking about lunch.”

“Eat up, it’s going to be a long day and night. My hired investigators found the Pakistani ringleader, got good pictures of him, his car, and apartment building. He’s the only one who may know where the pipeline is taking Sally McGovern. He shares the apartment with another male Pakistani. I want to grab the leader, Mohammed Azuri, and ask him some questions. Everyone will carry the .22 High Standard automatics with attached silencers and use .22 long, hollow tip rounds. We have three of them in the hidden compartment in the Ford Flex.

“Tonight will be tougher. Unlike Walid, I don’t see how we can let Azuri and his roommate live. Let’s hope Azuri is home alone. If he isn’t, we leave whoever else is there for someone to eventually find. I believe Azuri will be hard to crack and if we let him go, we’ll be looking over our shoulders all the time. He is the kind of enemy that is better dead. We’ll need another panel truck, bigger than the last one, if possible.”

Kathy said, “I’ll get the truck from a different place. Kelly, you check out the apartment building, security issues, entrances, cameras, and take a look at the hallway this thug lives on. The pictures from the investigative team are good. We don’t need too much more recon. No chances and go armed.”

In the next hour, Jack went over the way he wanted this operation to go down. When he was sure everyone knew their role he said, “Everyone get some rest. If we find out where Sally is being taken, we’ll move immediately to intercept and rescue her.”

“Jack, do you believe there is a chance?” Kelly asked.

“Yes. We’ve had some lucky breaks. With some more luck and top execution on our part, there is a chance. You told us Sally is tough and a fighter. That improves our odds. Rescue is one thing. Escaping with a drugged victim is another thing. I put our plane on standby. The pilot is someone I trust and we can take some handguns with us. But, where we have to go will dictate whether we can use them.”

With all personal cell phones left in the hotel, their communications were limited to using the pre-paid cells Kathy had bought earlier in the day. Jack decided to bring Shadow. No one had ever escaped Shadow. He could hold a captive still for hours without help. Kelly’s recon of the apartment produced no new information. It was now 9:00 PM. Everyone was gloved and ready. Jack and Kelly slipped out of the large panel truck and made their way to a locked side entrance. Picking the lock took 30 seconds. They went up the staircase to the fifth floor. Jack hung back as Kelly went up to the door and knocked. In the dim hall light beneath a hat she was sure she wouldn’t be recognized in spite of her association with Sally. She heard someone come to the door and use the peephole. A voice said, “What do you want?”

Kelly said, “You drive a black Chevy Impala?”

“So what if I do? What business is it of yours?”

“Well, I was trying to park and backed into a black Impala parked out front.”

“You did what?” the man said, as he opened the door. Kelly saw that it was Azuri and stepped to her left. Jack charged into the room. He saw a man sitting on the couch watching TV and shot him twice in the head. Kelly followed Jack into the room in one leaping step and knocked Azuri to the floor. She kicked the door shut. Azuri was conscious as Jack pushed his .22 automatic into his throat. Kelly patted Azuri down and found an eight-inch, double-edged boot knife. She checked for a pulse in the man Jack shot. No pulse, but a snub nose .38 revolver was in his pocket. Kelly wondered what a so-called bad thug was doing with a gun like that. She hurried back to help Jack tape up their captive and saw Jack quickly and efficiently turn on a recorder so Kathy could hear what happened next.

Jack taped Azuri’s mouth shut and began to talk to him as Kelly taped his legs and arms. When she finished, Jack moved the silenced-elongated barrel on his .22 automatic from Azuri’s throat to his forehead. He could see his eyes focusing on the weapon. With his free hand, Jack slapped his face back and forth. He sat back for a moment straddling Azuri’s chest and said, “Do I have your attention?”

Jack raised his hand again and Azuri nodded vigorously. Jack said, “That’s better. I’m going to ask you some questions. Your life depends on the answers. First, I know your name and that you are from Pakistan. You are the leader of the people who watch young women for the kidnappers. I know the names of all your people, where they live, and that all your cars are stolen. I know more. I want the truth. I’ll punish you for any lies or for failing to answer my questions. Your friend Abdul is dead. He died quickly. You won’t if you fail to help me. It will be painful to resist. Do you understand?”

Again Azuri nodded. Jack leaned over and pressed a piece of duct tape over his nose. Azuri struggled to breathe. Jack turned and whispered to Kelly, “No need to take him out to the truck. We can do the job right here with less risk.”

“He’s stopped struggling,” Kelly noted.

“When I pull off the tape with part of his mustache, he will be ready to help.”

Azuri gasped and choked as he struggled to start breathing again. Jack said, “Are you ready to answer my questions now?”

Jack ripped the tape off his mouth along with pieces of his straggly beard. Azuri started to talk. Jack slapped him and started to put the tape back on. “The rule is that you only talk to answer my questions. If you understand the rule, we can start again.” Azuri nodded hurriedly.

Jack stopped re-applying the duct tape and asked, “Where is Sally McGovern?” shoving a picture of her in front of Azuri’s face.

Azuri said, “I don’t know.”

“Wrong answer,” Jack said and put the tape back over his mouth and nose. To keep his struggles quiet, Jack held his legs still.

When Azuri’s face got red with blue tinges in his lips, Jack pulled the tape off, taking more beard and mustache.

It took a few minutes before his color returned and the gasping stopped. Jack asked, “Same question, but I want a different answer.”

Azuri’s eyes were rolling, looking for something to help him. Jack said, “I don’t hear anything,” and reached for the roll of gray duct tape.

Azuri frantically said, “No! No! I don’t know where she is now but I know where she is being taken.”

Jack patted Azuri on the cheek and said, “That’s better. Tell me more.”

“We turned her over to the Arabs as usual. They are the moneymen. Ali Hussein is the only one I know. He pays me. He was complaining of having to take this one by road to a marina on the big bay. Where she would be put on a boat down the Inland Waterway to Amelia Island, Florida.”

“Sorry! Not enough. Tell me more.”

Azuri looked into Jack’s eyes, saw no mercy, and frantically thought of what he could say. Jack tore off a strip of duct tape. Before he pasted it over Azuri’s mouth and nose, Azuri burst out, “She’s going to Karachi, Pakistan.”

Jack stopped and said, “Keep talking.”

“The boat is called Night Lady.”

“How is she going to Karachi?”

“A big freighter will take her as a passenger with a nurse.”

“Where do I find Ali Hussein?”

“He moves all the time. He ordered me to take my watchers to Baltimore. He will be there. He travels in a room on wheels.”

“Have you ever seen it?”

“Only a picture. He’s very happy with it. Passengers can go from the front with the driver to the back for tea or a snack. Sometimes he moves our women for short distance in his motor room.”

“Where is it now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe on the way to Baltimore by now.”

“Tell me what it looks like.”

“It looks like a small furniture moving truck with windows. It is colored like the desert sand.”

“Where will he meet you in Baltimore?”

“Ali gives me the name and address of a motel. We wait there for him. He meets with me. Gives me orders and tells me another place for my people to live near the woman we are to watch.”

Jack asked Azuri to describe Ali.

Azuri said, “He is a big man. Taller than you. Has a short beard and mustache. Is darker than me. Also has a knife scar from his right ear to the middle of his nose. He’s proud of this scar. He killed the man who cut him. Likes to work with a knife. Does not like guns.”

“Thank you,” Jack said, getting off Azuri’s legs. Then he got to his feet and started to the door, pausing to look over his shoulder, then half-turned to shoot Azuri twice in the forehead. When Azuri’s body was still, Jack and Kelly took off the duct tape and cleaned his face of the adhesive residue and put his boot knife in his hand. Kelly told Jack about the .38 she found in the pocket of the dead man on the couch. Jack pulled the .38 part way out of the pocket to lead the investigators to believe he was pulling his weapon out when he was killed.

Thursday, June 5th

The next morning, Kathy went to hang out with Kelly to see how she made out with the forger. Jack decided to call Howie to check on his progress and when Howie said he had something, Jack told him he would be there in 20 minutes. With an extra tip and glimpse of Jack’s badge, the taxi driver had Jack on the pavement outside the building where Howie rented a few offices in 15 minutes.

As Jack walked into Howie’s office, he was met with a cup of very good coffee. Howie was smiling from ear to ear.

“You look like your love life has picked up,” Jack told Howie.

“Better,” Howie grinned. “It is sometimes good to be lucky rather than good. You won’t believe this.”

“Howie, tell me before I shoot you. It would be justified.”

“My teams found every one of your targets. Pictures of everyone they met and all license plates collected. All were stolen. Tracked all the targets eventually to where they were staying. These guys may be bad, but smart they’re not.”

“Howie, that’s really good work. Can you give me all the paper, reports, maps, etc.? Give them all a $500 bonus for such quick work. Emphasize no loose talk. This isn’t over yet. Put all the targets on a discreet 24/7 surveillance. Except for this guy,” Jack said, pointing to a picture. “No surveillance on him. No taking chances. Don’t underestimate these guys. Even dumb thugs win sometimes.”

“How come you want all my paperwork?”

“Remember when I gave you the rules? I said no paperwork. But you do deserve an answer. I don’t know what all the families of these young women have in mind. It could get mired in court work. None of the evidence you have is admissible in a court. Therefore, it is better you don’t have any in your files, in case they learn you did some work on the case. I also paid in cash for a reason. For your purposes, you handle that however you want.

“I would like to put you and some of your people on a monthly retainer. Same fee. They have to be willing to travel with a few hours’ notice and the same rules apply. Agree?”

“What’s not to agree to? I’ll put three of my best on standby. Wait a minute and I’ll collect all the paperwork.”

But Jack was already lost in thought, planning his team’s next move.

Jack and Dan entered the front door to a small, unattended lobby. Jack said, “Let’s try the elevator first.” They stepped into the waiting elevator car and Jack pushed the button for the top floor. “Our shooter probably took the elevator to his shooting hide. Much faster than the stairs and he would have been carrying his rifle and maybe some other things like binoculars and a small bag of sand for a stable shooting rest. Also, he may have been carrying a toolbox for cover. No one stops a man carrying a toolbox in a building open to the public.”

The elevator stopped at the 7th floor. When the door opened they saw they were in plain view to a floor full of people working in cubicles. Jack stepped out and a woman standing outside her cubicle said, “May I help you?”

Jack said, “We’re with the police.” Dan stepped out, introduced both of them and showed his badge.

The woman looked around hesitantly. Jack said, “We need access to the roof, can you direct us?”

The woman relaxed and said, “My supervisor is out. Can you come back?”

Dan, still holding his badge, said, “No ma’am. Police business does not work like that. We are investigating a crime and need to get up on the roof. Now please show us the way!”

The woman backed up a step and stammered, “Follow me.”

The roof entrance was on the other side of room. The door was locked with a lever on the inside. She opened the door and Dan and Jack went up a short flight of stairs to the roof. Dan looked back and said, “Thank you, ma’am. You don’t need to come up here.”

When the door closed, Jack said, “Well, our shooter did not use this rooftop. But it is a good vantage point to look around.”

The rooftop provided a view of the 7-Eleven across Forbes but the access ruled it out as a shooting site. Dan said, “The next building is a full story taller. Do we go there?”

“You got it. The process of elimination. Think like a sniper. We’re done here, let’s go.”

The next building’s elevator opened on the top floor in a deserted hallway opposite a door leading to a short flight of stairs to the roof. “This looks much better,” Jack nodded. At the top of the stairs, they were confronted with a locked door. Jack tried the door and bent down to examine the key entrance in the dead bolt lock. After a minute he said, “I believe this lock has been repeatedly picked. The picker was good but you can see tell-tale small scratches.”

“Want me to go look for someone with a key?”

“No. Just give me a minute.” Jack pulled a few picks from his pocket and had the door open in 20 seconds.

“A man of many skills. You’ve been running with bad company,” Dan said, not smiling.

“No. My wife was with the CIA for some years and she taught me some of her skills.”

Jack walked out on the roof and over to the side facing Forbes Street. “This is perfect. Let me look around a little more. I am almost sure this is the sniper’s shooting spot.”

Jack looked around, assumed a shooting position behind the low wall bordering the roof and said, “In fact, I know he was here and took his shot from this exact spot.”

“Jack, I know you’re a good, very good, detective but where is the evidence?”

“Look right here,” Jack said, pointing to the top of the low wall.

“Jack, I don’t see anything.”

“Focus on the top of the ledge. See those particles of sand? They’re from the sand bag the shooter used to steady his rifle. On the roof where he was kneeling is a slight indentation made by his left knee. And more sand particles. I think his bag was worn and leaking sand.

“Let’s get a crime scene team up here and enough detectives to question people in this building and other buildings near here. Make sure the crime scene team bags the sand and photographs the knee print. Given the temperature of the roof at the time of shooting, the forensic guys may be able to estimate a weight and height from his shooting position. He also had to case the place just like we did. He may even have found himself in that building where the elevator opens into all those cubicles on the 7th floor. He also had to have a car or truck on the street near here. If my hunch is right it, would be a truck to fit with his working man’s uniform. He would also have been carrying a toolbox large enough for a broken down .22 Hornet. He may have gone into the 7-Eleven where John was shot to check things out. We need to look at all camera footage from the nearby buildings for the period one-hour before the shooting and ten minutes after. Could be any age and male or female. I know you will be told everything has been done. I think you can see it hasn’t been. Captain Shorer will back you. We need witnesses that can give a police artist enough to get a likeness of the shooter.”

“Okay. I am on it.”

“Let me know if you get anything.” Jack turned and walked back toward the access door.

Jack left Howie’s office and hurried to meet detective Dan Reilly at the site of the sniper attack on the patrolmen. Dan was the father of John Reilly who was shot twice at the 7-Eleven near Forbes Street. Dan was standing on the curb when Jack got out of the taxi. Jack hugged his friend from days on the homicide unit. “Dan, I’m really sorry. How is John doing?”

“He’s doing pretty well. It wasn’t life-threatening. Made a mess out of his face and the hit in his arm caused some nerve damage. No one knows whether the nerves will be restored or how much of a recovery can be expected. He’s a tough kid with a positive attitude. I do want to catch the son-of-a-bitch who did this. Thank you for helping. Nobody on the force has your experience in sniper hunting.”

“What have they come up with so far? I have a report from Captain Shorer but just want to be sure it’s complete.”

“The ballistics guys are sure it was a .22 Hornet long rifle, hollow point. No dispute there. Where the shot came from, the shooter’s intentions, why at this spot, and did he try to hit both officers? Those issues are in dispute. We had people on the scene quickly but no one saw anything. My question is did they question people in the right place and ask the right questions? You know anyone shoots a cop, everyone thinks they have the answer. The captain is maintaining command on this crime. I don’t know how long he will keep it. His papers go in soon.”

“Can you show me where John was standing when he got hit?”

“Sure.” Dan took a few steps toward Forbes Street, stopped at a parked car and took the position like his son did leaning against his squad car. “Right like this. His partner agreed and the lab guys support John was standing on this spot against his car.”

“What do you know about the second shot? Interval between shots, where did it hit, and where were John and his partner when the second and last shot was fired?”

“When John was hit, his partner was on his right side and a little in front of him. When he saw John was hit he grabbed him and pulled him down and toward him. That’s when the second shot hit John high on the left arm.”

Jack said, “Stay there,” and walked over to stand where he thought John’s partner would have been when the shooting started. Jack said, “Now you’ve been hit. I pull you like this, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I’m pretty sure our sniper meant to hit both officers. The shots must have been about three to five seconds apart. Of course there may have been more but no evidence. So let’s assume there were only two rounds fired. In trying to save John, his partner inadvertently pulled John between himself and the shooter. That second shot was meant for the partner. The choice of a weapon must have been because the shooter knew he could get close and the sound wouldn’t be so loud. If so, it means that the shooter spent time casing the scene and found a sniper hide that he liked. Easy to get to and easy out. He would be wearing what would blend in at the time of the shooting. If you’re ready, let’s go find the shooting site.”

Jack led the way across Forbes and up Wood Street. Dan asked, “Why are we going up Wood Street?”

“My sniper sniffer tells me this is the way to go. From what you told me the shooter had to be in a 45-degree quadrant starting at the spot where John was hit. The second shot got my attention. The direction had to be this way. I also ruled out the possibility there could have been two shooters. Both shots came from the same angle. Two shooters would not have occupied the same spot. We won’t go more than 100 yards up Wood Street. By the time we crossed Forbes we had already gone 50 yards. I don’t think a serious shooter would use a .22 Hornet much beyond 150 yards. He was not target shooting. He knew he had to hit his target the first time. No option to move and try again. These buildings all look occupied. I doubt he would have rented space with a line of sight to his target. Too much exposure. So he must have been on a rooftop. The wounds indicated the trajectory was high to low. So that’s why we are walking up Wood Street.”

“I’ll be damned, you got all that from ten minutes at the crime scene?”

“No. From trial and error of hunting snipers. All have their own M.O. We don’t know this shooter’s yet. We’re looking for a shooting site on the left side of Wood Street because that gave him the best angle. We are going in this building and up to the roof. It is high enough to see the target area. You may have to use your badge.”

9 AM Wednesday, June 4th

The next morning, Jack called a taxi and rode to Wilkinsburg, a nearby suburb of Pittsburgh, to see Howie Miller about using his investigative agency. Howie was waiting for Jack and offered him a steaming china cup of dark French roast. Jack looked at the cup and said, “Howie, is this the cup you use to impress clients? Well, I’m impressed. Give me a minute to commune with this cup and its contents and I’ll tell you why I’m here, taking up your time.” Jack drank some coffee. He thought over his opening and said, “An organized gang of kidnappers has been picking young women off the streets of major cities and selling them to clients in the Middle East and Far East. The police are working on it. But with the crimes taking place in almost random areas and with the police reluctant to commit major resources to finding young women of age who are reported missing, they don’t have much to show. To make it worse, the missing girls are often in major universities or employed in large urban areas where no one even reports them missing for days. I represent a number of the families who want to remain anonymous. They have asked me to do a private search for them. Their interest is to get their daughters home again. No interest in court or legal proceedings. The information I’ll share with you, if you decide to take the case, would not hold up in court. I’ll personally vouch for its authenticity. Are you interested?”

“How many investigators do you want me to use?”

“All you have and can get. They have to be willing to travel.”

“Jack, you’re asking me to shut all my cases down. I can’t do that.”

“How much do you charge an hour or day for your people on the job? I assume no one gets paid unless they are working on a contracted job.”

“Right. Nobody gets paid that I am not charging time and expenses to a client. My top guys get $500 a day and expenses. The others get $250.”

“I’ll triple the rate.”

“What! $1,500 per day for my top guys?”

‘“Yes, and a $50,000 bonus for you to manage the show and to be personally on call. Report only to me. No official interaction. No press and no credit for solving a major crime. No telling spouses or lovers or bar talk. A talking out-of-school investigator is out of your agency. Not just pulled off my job. Okay?

“Jesus! Jack, where is all the money coming from?”

“Not to worry. I’ll give you $25,000 cash to get started. If you need more let me know. And our arrangement details stop with you. You start as soon as I leave. What say?”

“I can’t turn it down. I know some serious shit is involved here but I trust you to protect me.”

“I have your back. Just like old times. Do we have a deal? No paper, just a handshake.”

Howie reached across the desk and took Jack’s offered hand. In the next hour, Jack gave Howie the leads he got from Walid and how he wanted Howie’s people to proceed. Jack made it clear that the people were dangerous and wouldn’t hesitate to kill. They were street smart but not pros. Probably had no training.

As he finished his briefing and handed Howie the data and photos, he said, “Just so we’re on the same page, there may be some rough stuff later, but for now it is strictly surveillance with photos and reports. You know the drill. Photos and data on everyone these four people meet. Error on the side of discretion. Don’t spook the targets. You and I will decide if we need to pick up the pressure.”