"I'll come right to the crux of the matter Mr. Pratt. My mate and best friend, Tony Hodges has accepted a contract to eliminate you and your team. I told him it was a mistake, but he, at this point in time, still believes he can accomplish the task. He didn't know I was coming to see you when he left me to go to our training camp. I left him a note saying where I was. What I'd like to see happen is the two of you face to face talking and not fighting. That's the point of me being here. What have you to say Mr. Pratt?"
"Is that his real name Angness," asked Brad.
"As far as I know. I think it is his real name although he has a passport in another name he travels with."
Billy got up to run the name through the system. Brad asked, "How did this all come about. In other words, how did Tony Hodges begin assignation for hire business?"
She quickly told the story from Japan to Liberia to Brazil. When she finished the team had heard a lot of stories, but this one seemed to be unique as could be. Brad asked, "Did the contract originate from Hong Kong?"
"Yes, but I don't know who it came from. I wish he'd never had called. I know a little about your exploits Mr. Pratt and my friend Tony doesn't know what you've done working for the president. He thinks he's invincible and we all know that is not what anyone should think of themselves being."
Brad was thinking hard what to do and how to handle this situation. What he didn't need was a group of trained fighter's descending on Georgia or any other place for that matter. It was clear this situation would not go away without some attention. He thought about what his Master might say or do in this case. He'd probably say, turn a negative into a positive. Brad liked that idea. He said, "Angness, can you contact Tony and have him come to the base like you did?"
"I've his personal cell number. I'm a little surprised he hasn't called me already. Please let me use your bathroom to call."
"Okay, team what you think of what your heard from our guest," said Brad. All looked at each other waiting for the other one to speak first. Billy walked back in looking around for the lady guest. "She's in the head Billy calling her boss and mate."
"I got the low down on Tony Hodges. He's thirty three, never married and an only child of Pennsylvania parents. Tony was a former first lieutenant Special Forces instructor who suddenly resigned his commission in 2005. The last report from his file states he was in Japan studying history at some temple," said Billy.
"Before we comment Brad," said Wendy, ''let's see what she reports back from her mate."
All eyes turned towards Angi as she came back into the room. Brad could not see any expression on her face to discern the call was either good or not so good. "I spoke to Tony. He's not happy at all. However, he said he'd done some more thinking and would like to meet Brad Pratt at his convenience."
"I send him an open invitation to join us here as promptly as he can. I can't promise I'll be here more than a few more days. Meanwhile Angi, you're our guest. Can you provide us with your word of honor that you will not perform any violent acts upon me or my team?"
"I'd be a fool not to give you my word of honor as to not harm in anyway shape or form. Suffice to say, I'm not a fool. I'm trying to save the life of the man I love. He's a good man Mr. Pratt; just a little off track at this time and place."
After Tony hung up the phone, his second Felix came into the office from out front. He said, "I received a call from Hong Kong. Cancel the contract on Brad Pratt and transfer it to Senator Brandon Totsky. Full payment regardless of number of marks."
"Okay Felix, contact Varney and have him send two guys to take care of the senator. Meanwhile, I'm going to the USA to see who is a better fighter, me or Brad Pratt."
**//**
Paul Hullseth sat at home in his favorite easy chair drinking scotch whiskey neat. It was night time, but not a light was on in his house. He hadn't moved for a couple hours since the phone call from China had come in. He was totally shocked to find out that his wife and daughter had been taken from their vacation cabin and transported to China.
It would be a simple exchange, the voice said in very good English. The blue prints of the stealth sub for his wife and daughter back unharmed. He was to personally deliver the prints in three days time. If not, then, the voice said, 'I can't be responsible for what happens.'
Paul thought the smart thing to do would be to report it to Brad Pratt. He was known to take care of these kinds of things, but this was his life and future, not his. He could take a risk, but Paul thought it foolish to take a risk with his wife and daughter's lives at stake. He took a healthy pull on his water glass of scotch and thought all he had to do was walk into his office in the back of the house, roll up the prints, put them in a cardboard tube, buy a ticket and be off to China.
Naturally his career would be over, but then what would life be like without his wife and daughter. Forget the career and job, save the family; as he drained the glass. He reached out to set it on the end table, but he missed and hit the carpet. He never noticed as he passed out into a dreamless state.
-10-
As the cat subs designer tipped over, Brad and team, along with their guest, went to dinner at the local officers club. Billy and Alice were in a world of their own. Agent Jones and his wife Wendy seemed like an old married couple. That left Brad and Mike to kick around a few ideas while Wade, with night vision goggles saw what looked like a sea going barge making for the shipping lanes. Wade told the ship's captain to follow at a discreet distance. Meanwhile, he phoned Brad.
Brad told him to keep a sharp eye out and that he'd have some aerial surveillance check on the target. Brad passed the word around the table, while looking at Angi to see if anything he said struck home. He saw nothing which meant she knew nothing about the cat sub. That was encouraging to Brad. He'd hoped she was ignorant of the mission they were on.
Brad said to Billy, who was totally enamored with Alice, any update on the good senator or the manufacturing firm Carolina?"
Billy came to attention. He thought for a second and said, "The senator has been funneling money to his brother's bank accounts. The brother is a lawyer, but not one of the high priced ones. Now that other guy, Rolf Sark, is a real piece of work. He lives way beyond his means and flaunts it. He passes the word that he receives large bonuses, but in truth the wired funds come from Shanghai. That's about it boss."
"Mike, I want to put Rolf Sark on the hot seat. I want to verify my suspicion he used mild steel on the J hooks so when the mother ship submerged, the force of water bent the J hooks releasing the cat sub to float to the bottom. It's time we cleaned this mess up a little. However, we'll put him on ice until we confirm the Hong Kong/Shanghai connection."
Rolf Sark, Chief Engineer for Carolina Manufacturing, sat smugly in his condo sipping a freshly made martini. Rolf had never married. At 52 years of age, he'd sailed past the desire to have a full time nagging mate; as he said to envious friends and associates. His current lady friend, Martha Aggie, age 34, was almost on her way out the door. She'd used up her uniqueness and, frankly speaking; he tired of her cheap perfume.
His phone rang and he happily picked it up with a friendly greeting. Brad Pratt said, "Sorry Rolf to invade your private space, but something has come up that we need your help on. Could you meet me at the warehouse first thing in the morning?"
"Sure Brad. I'll be there at 8 am," said Rolf as he hung up looking at Martha's backside thinking maybe he'd postpone trading her in for a new model for a day or two more.
The next morning, Brad, Mike and the rest of the team, minus Billy and Alice, were gathered around a table discussing the upcoming meeting with Tony Hodges, when Rolf came in. Brad gave up his chair for Rolf. He said good morning to all at the table and sat down with an innocent smile.
Brad was behind him and reached out with one hand to pinch the back of Rolf's neck. Rolf howled in a pain he'd never before experienced in his life. All at the table, save Mike, held their hands over ears to block out the scream. After a long minute, Brad
squeezed another area of the neck and the pain ceased, leaving a grown man in tears; not to mention a warm wet place between his legs.
Brad said, "In as few words as possible, who do you work for other than Carolina Manufacturing?"
"Senator Totsky. Please no more pain. I'll talk and tell you what I know, which isn't much," said a broken voice of a humble person trying to please his master.
Brad had moved around the table across from him. He said, "Go on we're listening."
"Senator Totsky is very close to our company owner and major stock holder. He was brazen enough to tell me his Chinese contact wanted to steal the cat sub. A couple days later, after looking at the prints, I came up with a plan to use weak J hooks that were holding the cat sub to the mother ship. When the mother ship dove, the rush of water would, theoretically, free the cat sub from the mother ship. From what I understand it worked perfectly."
"As a matter of fact Rolf, it did work perfectly. What you and the senator did, along with Scott Bleedslow, amounts to treason against our country. As far as I'm concerned, we're in a state of war at all times. Your participation in this treasonous act amounts to death," said Brad.
Rolf turned his head and threw up his Golden Arches breakfast. It was sad to see him in this embarrassing way, but a grown man should have known better. A man with a high position, high salaries, along with the opportunity to reap the harvests of a finely engineered project, throw it all away for a few bucks.
Brad nodded to Mike who left to fetch a Marine security guard. Rolf would, for the time being, have a lot of time for reflection before the axe fell.
Later Brad was told that he had implicated the son-in-law Lance Shortbill, the president of the company.
**//**
Wade Phillips was excited playing an important part in a mission for Brad. He usually had to spend his time in the office with Nancy Longstreet. However, the entire team played out an important role no matter whether in the field or in the office. Now as daylight struggled to replace the darkness, Wade, from a distance of about a mile away from the ocean going barge, saw some activity on deck. Wade told the fishing boat captain to get closer please.
Wade remembered Brad saying he'd have some aerial surveillance as well as some fishing boats. Wade had heard some plane noise a few hours ago and now he saw a Coast Guard boat heading towards the barge. Actually the boat was coming directly towards his fishing boat.
A half hour later, after an extended boom lifted Wade up and over to the Coast Guard boat, he'd be in on the action. He was escorted to the bridge where the captain said, "Wade Phillips, I presume. I was ordered to pick you up and have you with me when I check the papers and log of the barge in question. Welcome aboard and take a seat over there out of the way please."
While Wade waited for the cutter to reach the barge, he called Brad. Brad told him to listen, record and remember what was said. Also with his cell, use his camera to take shots of the log and work order. Brad said, "The crew knows nothing but someone aboard that barge is taking orders from someone we want to know about."
The ship tied up on the lee side of the onshore wind. It was easy on and off. To Wade the barge was huge with a giant crane sitting amidships with a U shaped rectangle open to the sea in the middle of the barge. Very unique, he thought. The crane was on tracks allowing it to move forward or backwards depending on the usage. Sitting a little incongruous to the modern barge sat a row of rusted containers that were being used for diving, rigging storage and an office. It was in the office they met the barge captain. He made sure everyone knew he was Captain Charles of Virginia.
Wade notice that Captain Charles was no man's fool. He'd shrewd eyes and they were flitting from one person to another. Under his captains hat Wade could see pure white hair and with the amount of wrinkles and weathered skin, the old guy was pushing 70 at least. The formalities out of the way, the Coast Guard Captain said, "Captain Charles, what are your work order and I'd like to see your paper work please."
"Captain Charles said, "I always cooperate with the authorities Captain Bliest." He reached into his desk, rummaged around until he found an envelope with some papers inside. He handed it to Bliest. Bliest saw it was an order from a local South Carolina company to retrieve a sunken thirty foot boat. Bliest handed the papers to Wade and he asked:
"Captain Charles, have you located the sunken boat yet," asked Bliest.
"Yes, we have sir. After our divers examine the best way to lift it up, we'll probably have it on board sometime today. Is there a problem sir," asked Captain Charles.
"I'm not sure Captain, but continue your work while I contact my base for further instructions." Wade left with the Captain Bliest and he still held the papers in his hand.
Back on board the cutter, Wade called Brad again. He said, "Brad a company named East Coast Charters from Charleston apparently hired the barge. I'm fairly sure the barge captain knows what or has an idea what he's trying to bring up from the ocean floor. The crew is probably ignorant of course. What are your orders sir?"
Brad had Billy and Alice check out East Coast Charters. As he figured, it was a dummy corporation. Upon a deeper check, it came up as being owned by Senator Totsky's brother.
Brad called the Coast Guard Captain Bliest telling him to wait until a Marine security team to arrive. The security team would secure the barge and Captain Bliest was to place the good Captain Charles under arrest for the time being. After he told the captain what his orders were, he talked to Wade to listen to anything Captain Charles had to say. The last thing he told Wade was, "Good job Wade."
-11-
Tony Hodges hadn't set foot in the states for many years. It felt on the one hand, kind of strange, but on the other hand, like he'd never left. The one thing he did notice was there seemed more fat people than before as he, like Angi, took a taxi to Kings Naval Base. He felt a little chill from the fall air in northern Florida. He'd been in the tropics for a long time.
The driver wanted to make small talk, but Tony wasn't in any mood to chat about the weather or sports. In his mind, he was preparing for the upcoming fight with Brad Pratt. He'd decided to forgive Angi as she was only looking out for his best interest. Be that as it may, to continue what he had planned for his life, he must defeat the man who many said was undefeatable.
In his book of life, there was always one better somewhere. It was rumored there was none better than the old Chinese Master in eastern China. It was also rumored that Brad was his student. However, rumors are rumors and the proof is in the pudding, as his mother always said. Tony noticed they were turning into the base where the security station was. Angi had told him a van would be waiting with her in it.
As he stepped out of the taxi, Angi ran towards him. Later he wondered about his reaction to her as she leaped into his arms. It felt good and it was not usual for an Asian to show affection in public. Angi led him to the van then introduced Alice. Alice flashed him a nice smile. Soon they were on the way to their temporary housing that Brad had arranged.
It was late and Brad had told Angi to take a rest and tomorrow would be soon enough to discuss the day's activities.
**//**
As the evening progressed, a hung-over Paul Hullseth sat in business class of China Air for the long haul to Shanghai. He never left a note for his boss or for his latest girlfriend with whom he left snoring in his condo. This would be, perhaps his longest ride of his life. He didn't look forward to hearing a foreign language he didn't understand; nor did he look forward to looking out over the mass of black heads streaming to god knows where. His life as he knew it was over, gone, and it left little hope for his family either.
The nice looking flight attendant offered him something to drink as they reached cruising altitude. He looked up at a smiling white teeth Asian with kind eyes. He thanked her and opts for coffee black and strong. She left
while he thought about that ass hole Senator Trotsky who lured him into this mess. Trotsky and his brother Alvin; who reminded Paul of a has - been who sleeps in his suit. They'd cornered him one night in a bar and painted such a rosy picture he fell head over heels for both the blonde they provided and the pile of money that would fatten his bank account for doing almost nothing. He almost called it off the next day, but when he checked his balance, low and behold, a mini lotto resided in his name. Unfortunately for him, the glee of being rich was way too short. Now his wife and daughter were captives in China and he'd be forced to build another cat sub.
**//**
Senator Trotsky was sweating. Not from exercise and it being too hot, but knowing his butt was on the line with Carolina Manufacturing and its chief Scott Bleedslow. Additionally, he felt the slow trickle of sweat run down his back from the heat of the government looking for the missing cat sub. He thought, as he wiped his forehead with a soiled hanky, how could a perfect plan go awry so quickly.
He'd just hung up the phone with his father, Howard, who sat on Carolina's board. His father and Scott Bleedslow were tighter than bark on a tree. At first he never realized he'd be the scape goat if it came to that end of things. However, he could feel something slipping as the hours passed.
The first indication was when the Chinese connection balked at his wanting more money fed to his bank account. Actually, his brother's account, but that's neither here nor there. The second indication that made the hot flash run up his head was when he heard that the barge was visited by the Coast Guard. The last indication was when he tried to call Rolf, both his condo and cell weren't answering.