Firestorm, p.12
Firestorm, page 12
Asadi had just moved the reins left and begun a lazy counterclockwise turn when he saw Bridger on the ground about forty yards behind them. A man was kneeling on his back, and another restrained his legs, while a third delivered a kick to the head.
Remembering how Butch had put his horse between Kate and her attacker, Asadi spurred his colt toward Bridger in hopes of doing the same. They were only a few yards away when a man with a rifle stepped in between them and aimed. Asadi heard the gunshot, and he was thrown from the saddle as Grizz crashed forward and tumbled end over end in a cloud of dust.
Asadi scrambled to his feet and turned to find Grizz in an awful display of violent thrashing. He eased to his wounded colt, careful to avoid the fury of hooves that batted the air. “Easy, boy. Easy. It okay. Stay still, please. Just stay.”
Grizz calmed a little at the sound of Asadi’s voice, then rolled to his stomach, dug his front hooves into the dirt and launched his haunches off the ground, the way a newborn foal fought to take their very first steps. But halfway up his body shook, he collapsed forward, and again rolled onto his side. Grizz righted himself again and tried to rise but his front legs buckled, and his belly slammed to the ground. With a pitiful whinny, he looked to Asadi with desperate eyes.
Spotting the red wound on Grizz’s neck, Asadi got down on hands and knees, crawled to the colt, and eased his hand beside the gunshot wound. Grizz’s ragged breathing, nose to the ground, made little puffs of dust that caked on his bloody nostrils.
Asadi had just risen when he heard quick footsteps approaching. Hoping Bridger had broken loose and was coming to help, he turned to find the man with the rifle—the man who shot Grizz. He had been at the house the day before. It was the silver-haired man named Holloway.
By the time Asadi saw the rifle it was already too late. Dragged away by a beefy guard, he only heard the faintest of whinnies, two gunshots, a sad silence that told him his partner was gone forever and there was nothing more he could do to save him.
24
It wasn’t hard for Lacey to track down Victoria. The Kaiser family was as close as it gets to royalty in Canadian, and royals can’t pick their noses, under the covers in the dark, without everyone finding out about it the next day. What’s more, Victoria’s long absence only made the gossip juicier. She was either going to save the Texas Panhandle or bury them all. And given what was happening out at Kohl Ranch, Lacey wasn’t quite sure of the outcome.
As she walked past the white Range Rover she’d seen in front of the bank on Main, Lacey slowed her gait to take in the beautiful grounds of the sprawling Kaiser compound. She couldn’t help but think back on all the times that she and her friend, formerly known as Vicky, had sat out on the wraparound porch after cheerleading practice their senior year, talking about colleges, sororities, and the kind of man they wanted to marry one day.
One thing was for certain. Lacey had never imagined she’d be standing at the front door, hat in hand for a job, and begging Victoria to intervene on her boyfriend’s behalf. As humble pie goes, it was only a slice. But it felt like she was eating the whole damn thing.
Spinning on a heel, Lacey decided to abort the whole humiliating mission when her old friend opened the door. Victoria’s face registered a look that was somewhere between shock and joy, as she embraced Lacey with no less vigor than she had earlier.
“What a wonderful surprise!”
Once released from her friend’s embrace, Lacey took a step back and thumbed over her shoulder to the car. “You know, I really should’ve called first. You’re probably busy.”
“Don’t be silly!” Victoria batted away the notion. “Come in!” She glanced at Lacey’s ten-year-old maroon Ford Explorer with the dented front fender parked in the driveway. “Just didn’t recognize the car. Wasn’t until I looked at the security camera that I knew it was you.”
Just great. Had Victoria also seen the anxiety on her face and the fear in her eyes too? Lacey mentally collected herself and worked to match her friend’s enthusiasm.
“Well, it’s me again.” Lacey followed Victoria through the foyer and into the newly redecorated living room that could’ve easily made the cover of Southern Living.
“Where are my manners?” Victoria stopped and turned. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“Nothing for me. I really can’t stay long.”
Lacey wasn’t sure, but she thought her old friend looked a little relieved.
“Okay, well another time then.” Victoria checked her watch, just like she’d done at the bank. “I’ve got a phone call with the Chicago office coming up anyhow.”
“Oh, well, I’ll get right to it then. There are a couple of things I wanted to talk to you about and the first one is a job. I’ve applied for an office manager’s position with Talon, and I’ve got all the qualifications.” She dug into her purse, pulled out a résumé and handed it over.
Victoria kept her hands at her sides, letting it hang awkwardly in the air. “I don’t think so.”
Lacey was stunned. “You won’t even take a look at it?”
“Nope.” Victoria gave a quick shake of the head.
Still surprised, Lacey wondered if this was because of her divorce with Travis. Could Victoria really be that petty? She was struggling for a response when her old friend smiled.
“Lacey, you are like family to me. Your qualifications begin with loyalty, which stands for a hell of a lot more than what’s on that paper.”
“Oh, well, that’s great news. I was a little worried there for a second.”
“Now, don’t get too excited just yet. It would probably just be on a temporary basis to start. But I know I could sure use an assistant. Would something like that work?”
“Well . . . yeah.” Lacey eased the résumé back into her purse. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.” Victoria’s demeanor had changed in a millisecond from sociable to professional. “You’re a good fit for Talon and we’d be lucky to have you.”
“Whew.” Lacey wiped pretend sweat from her brow. “I had a whole speech planned and everything. You won’t regret this. I promise.”
Victoria’s smile looked a little plastic. “I’m sure we won’t.”
Following an awkward pause, Lacey added, “Just one more thing.”
Victoria glanced at her watch again. This time it was purely a signal, a reminder that she was very busy. Lacey was tempted to take the job and run but knew the victory would be hollow if she couldn’t help Garrett as well.
“It’s about the Kohl Ranch, Victoria. As head of Talon acquisitions, I’m sure you have a big say in what happens on that property. And I was wondering if maybe you could—”
“Let me stop you right there.” Victoria’s smile vanished. “I’m sorry about the Kohls’ situation. I really am. But years ago, a contract was signed, people shook hands, and a sum of money was paid for the rights to those minerals. Because your boyfriend doesn’t like it doesn’t negate the fact that a deal’s a deal.”
“Okay.” Lacey was struck by how quickly the conversation had turned. Victoria’s response was so smooth it almost seemed rehearsed. “Well, if there’s anything you can do to at least ease their burden it would certainly be appreciated.”
Victoria’s smile returned. “Best thing the Kohls can do to relieve their burden is obey the law, rather than attack my men who are out there just trying to do their jobs.”
“Attack them? My understanding is Butch was just trying to protect Kate Shanessy from some idiot who tackled her.”
“I’m not talking about that, Lacey. We fired that idiot driver on the spot. I’m talking about what Garrett and Bridger did out there. The whole family is out of control.”
Not only was the news to Lacey out of the blue, it was so outrageous that she was tempted to call it a lie. But given what had happened with Butch, she knew better than to protest Victoria’s claims just yet. “What are you talking about? What did they do?”
“I wasn’t out there for the incident with Bridger, but I was standing right there when Garrett went berserk. Witnessed the whole thing.”
“Witnessed what, exactly?”
“What I can only describe as a meltdown.” Victoria shook her head looking confused. “He drove out there and attacked our guards. Tried to commandeer our machinery.”
“Garrett? Are you sure?” Lacey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “He’s so levelheaded. There must’ve been a reason.”
“A reason to resort to violence?” Victoria scoffed. “Two of our workers had to be taken to the emergency room in Pampa.”
“And Garrett did this?”
“Ask him yourself. We had to call law enforcement out there and everything.”
Lacey was in a state of mind that was somewhere between shock and embarrassment. She wanted to argue but it was impossible without the facts. Naturally, she wondered why Garrett hadn’t called. This wasn’t like him. Of course, this whole situation had him stirred up. Maybe he’d been pushed too far?
With her mind racing, Lacey had almost forgotten that Victoria had made mention of Garrett’s brother. “And Bridger? He was there too?”
“We’re still trying to get the full story. Sheriff Crowley came out and took down everything that happened. There were multiple witnesses to the event. But it all had something to do with that little foster child that lives with Butch and Garrett.”
“Asadi was involved?”
“Don’t know all the details. Only that he rode his horse onto the site and started harassing our workers. Putting everyone in danger. Including himself. According to the incident report, he ran into our perimeter fence. Just know the horse was injured and had to be put down.”
Lacey’s hand flew to her face. “Is Asadi okay?”
“You mean the boy?” Victoria looked a little confused. “He’s absolutely fine. Not a scratch. Thankfully, our security guards were there to help. He’s lucky he wasn’t killed.”
“And Bridger?” Lacey asked.
“He, on the other hand, was a big problem. We may have to file charges, which could affect his law license.”
Clearly, Lacey needed to talk to Garrett. Victoria’s revelations were more than just embarrassing, they were troubling. She knew that what was going on at the ranch was unfair, if not devastating, but all this was hard to hear. Garrett and his family were tilting at windmills. Their issues and concerns weren’t fabricated, but they were certainly delusional if they thought fistfights with a powerful corporation would solve any of their problems.
Victoria put her hand on Lacey’s shoulder and leaned in. “Look, I hate to sound like a snob, but the Kohls—well, they’re . . . of another sort. Garrett didn’t grow up like us.”
Of another sort?
If Victoria meant that the Kohls were men whose greatest ambitions centered on something other than wealth and power, then she supposed they were another breed of men. And she was glad of it. But rather than say all that, Lacey just gave a nod as solid as her answer.
“Yeah, Garrett is different from anyone I’ve ever met. Guess that’s why I fell for him.”
As she turned to leave, Victoria tried to stop her, but Lacey kept on the move. Despite her show of defiance, it was hard not to dwell on what had happened at the ranch, and why Garrett hadn’t told her. It was yet another secret that was driving a wedge between them.
25
Kim took a seat by the window in the CIA cafeteria, a room filled with the low murmur of whispering intelligence officers, no doubt having a few unofficial discussions, just as she was about to do with Contreras. Her query on Talon had turned into a face-to-face, which meant he had found something big. And given the fact that he wanted to meet ASAP, it was likely urgent.
Contreras didn’t have any more internal access than she did. In fact, he probably had less. But the Special Activities Center paramilitary officer and former Navy SEAL maintained an open line of communications with a tight group of black ops veterans, many of whom had gone on to earn the big bucks in defense and security contracting. Those positions, particularly ones in the private sector, opened them up to a whole different network of intelligence sources.
Seeing the smile on Contreras’s face as he sat, Kim knew immediately that she and Garrett’s mutual friend had hit pay dirt. “Take it your boys came through.”
Contreras gave a quick look around before opening the folder even though everything he had was unclassified. It was mostly articles from obscure foreign media publications and blog postings. The one on top was from an environmental group in Burundi, featuring an article about government corruption, missing persons, and a familiar Russian private military company—the infamous Wagner Group.
Well beyond what American security firms Blackwater and Triple Canopy were doing in the early wild west days of Afghanistan and Iraq, Wagner’s activities fell fully into the mercenary realm. Operating on Moscow’s behalf in places like Europe, the Levant, Maghreb, and sub-Saharan Africa, their tactics in Ukraine and Syria were rumored to include atrocities such as beating their prisoners with sledgehammers and subjecting them to electric shock torture.
Kim thumbed through the articles, skimming similar headlines until coming to the last one from a media source in Malawi. There was a photo of three bloated bodies lying in a ditch, surrounded by gawkers from a nearby village. The headline above the picture read, More Dead in Wake of Mine Dispute. Wherever Wagner Group was rumored to be operating, it seemed there was a sudden change in environmental laws and national policy.
Contreras tapped his finger on the article. “Buddy from the teams told me Talon hires Wagner for contract security. And for their special jobs, they’ve got former Spetsnaz operators on the payroll, who can be as discreet or indiscreet as the situation calls for.”
Kim stared at the not so discreet placement of the dead African men in the ditch, each with a bullet hole center forehead. She wondered how far removed the Russian government was from this, if removed at all. “Nobody’s called out Talon for what’s going on?”
“There’s no direct ties. No way to link it to Wagner Group or to the company. Just sort of a coincidence. Wagner shows up and clears out any obstacles before Talon arrives to establish high-level government contact and make their deals.”
“Coincidence, huh?” Kim had to laugh. “Given our history, you’d think we’d be watching this closer.”
She couldn’t help but be reminded that the race for energy resources was a factor leading up to Pearl Harbor. And hydrocarbons since then have been at the forefront of every major conflict in the Middle East. The scarcity of rare earth minerals in large finds could potentially pose the same big problem, particularly given America’s heavy reliance on China.
Contreras chuckled. “Syria. Iran. North Korea. Those countries make big headlines. Not Malawi. Aside from that, we’ve had a lot on our plate. Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS, Hezbollah, Quds Force, Boko Haram, Al-Shabab. Hell, we’ve still got a damn shadow war going on in Afghanistan, whether our government wants to admit it or not. Rare earth minerals and Talon aren’t at the forefront of anyone’s mind.”
“Well, maybe they should be.” Kim looked up from the article. “Particularly if there’s a possibility that a company like this is operating over here.”
“That’s Talon Corporation International. Talon Corporation America is a separate entity made up of U.S. citizens entirely. CEO and board of directors are as downhome as apple pie. Despite the similar names, TCI and TCA are separate businesses in no way connected. At least on paper.”
Kim’s mind raced, thinking about all the things she didn’t know about Talon. “Yeah, but something still doesn’t add up. I mean, why bother investing here, with all the red tape and environmental regulations when you can just go to some places in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Where you can bribe whoever you want. Blackmail whoever you want. Kill whoever you want. With no repercussions. I don’t get it. Why take the chance?”
“Probably not as hard for them to operate here as you think.” Contreras shook his head and laughed. “And who says our politicians won’t take a bribe?”
Kim remembered what Bill had said earlier. Once the campaign contributions and money for pet projects started rolling in, concerns on Capitol Hill tended to disappear. It wasn’t officially a bribe, but it wasn’t on the up and up. She suspected a few key legislators were all too aware of what Talon was doing overseas and were just hoping no one else would find out.
“Alright, Mario, this is great stuff. I’ll get this to Garrett and see if he can find anything else. We link Talon to Wagner Group or any of these atrocities and that company’s done for.”
Contreras gave a nod. “Just tell Garrett to give Talon a wide berth. From what I’ve heard from my sources, these guys aren’t too keen on any opposition.”
Kim pointed to the photo of the dead bodies. “They wouldn’t try anything like this over here, do you think?”
Contreras shrugged. “I guess the real question is, what are they after down in Texas and how bad do they want it.”
Kim thought a moment. “Don’t know. But we’ve got a guy down there who can find out.”
Contreras looked a little anguished, which was rare for someone who, like her, had spent most of his adult life living in war zones and grown accustomed to the dangers. “Just tell Garrett to watch his step.”
Suspecting he knew more than he was letting on, Kim pushed, “You know something you’re not telling me.”
Contreras looked out the window into the cafeteria courtyard where a few other Agency staff were taking their coffee meetings out in the summer sun. “Like you, I’ve got my off-the-books Rolodex that I keep for special occasions.”
Although Kim really wanted to know, she knew better than to ask. “And you think this is one of those occasions?”
Contreras turned back to her and smiled. “Don’t know. But the fact that Wagner Group could be involved raises some big red flags.” He looked back to the courtyard. “Russians are getting more brazen all the time. If they’ll assassinate someone on British soil, then why not here? They’re always pushing boundaries. Seeing what they can get away with.”
