Hunter's Rain (21 page)

“According to the boy, two cars blocked them on the open road. Then masked men attacked the Volvo, breaking its windows. They dragged Mrs Jackson out of the car and took her away. Then one of the sadistic bastards carved the boy’s forehead.”

Henderson felt an anger rising within him.

“Cody,” Dales pressed on, “I can guess how you’re feeling right now, if it’s anything like my own response. But I need you to keep a tight lid on this when the news spreads. Next to the colonel, the soldiers on this base respect you more than any other officer…”

“I want you to ensure that none of the soldiers get it into their heads to go looking for some kind of revenge. That includes the NCO’s. You got that?”

In the commander’s residence, Jackson sat at the desk in his ground floor study, writing. He did so with a measured deliberation. When finished, he neatly folded what he had written, and put it into the plain, white envelope he had placed close by.

He sealed the envelope, and left it on the desk.

Footfalls on the stairs made him leave the desk to check. The senior Base doctor, bag in hand, was on his way down. Jackson closed the door to the study, and when to meet him.

“How’s he doing, Doc?” Jackson asked..

“Given his traumatic experience,” the doctor replied, as he came down the last step, “remarkably well. I’ve sealed the wound. He’ll be okay. I’ve given him something to make him drowsy. It’s very weak, so don’t worry. He may not go down for a while, but when he does, he’ll have a calm sleep.”

The doctor shook his head slowly as they went into the living room. “What kind on animals did this? However used that knife had the skill approaching that of a surgeon. They were precise cuts, and that blade must have been extremely sharp. The sort of thing that could peel the skin off someone so finely, pain would hardly be felt, at the start. I believe Josh screamed more in fear, than in pain. The real pain came later, long after those bastards had gone. Ironically, that’s when he was bravest.”

“But he really will be okay?”

“Oh yes,” the doctor replied. “The cut will heal well.”

“While it’s healing, the bandage will of course keep it hidden.” The doctor gave a tiny smile of wonder. “Know what he said to me? ‘Doc? Can I have a special bandage? You know…like the ninja turtles. It will be my headband. Think Dad will say it’s okay’? I told him you would.”

Despite the way he felt, Jackson allowed himself a brief smile in return. “He can have his headband. I’m glad his sister’s with friends. I would not have wanted her to see this. Gives me some time.”

“Smart boy you’ve got there. Very clever move with his cell phone.”

“It was. Good presence of mind.”

The doctor, a bespectacled lieutenant-colonel called Melville, now asked, “What’s your next move?”

“Get the people who did this.”

“How?”

“I have some ideas.”

Melville gave Jackson a close scrutiny. “If I may speak as a friend, Bill, and not as a lieutenant-colonel, be very careful how you handle this. Watch your step. There are those would like to see you fall.”

“Aren’t there always such people wherever you go?”

Melville nodded. “Yes. But I don’t want them to get a man I look upon as a friend.”

“I’ll watch my step.”

“And as your doctor, I’d suggest you take a rest before doing whatever it is you’re planning.”

“I’ll listen to your advice as both my friend, and my doctor.”

“But you may not necessarily take it.”

“I did not say that.”

Melville’s smile was rueful. “I know you too well, Bill. Now I’d better be going. Mmm…I suppose you want me to hold fire on my report.”

“Only for a short while. What’s more, I don’t want the news going round the Base. I don’t want anyone getting ideas of going off base to kick some ass. We don’t need that kind of trouble.”

Melville nodded. “I’ll see to it.”

“Can I talk to Josh? Or should I leave him alone for now?”

“You can talk with him. He’ll probably pop off in the middle of your conversation, though. If he switches moods, don’t read too much into it. He’s got plenty to assimilate emotionally. He may also avoid talking about Elisabeth.”

“I understand.” Jackson held out a hand. “Thanks for coming, Pete.”

“What for?” Melville said as he shook the hand. “You watch yourself, Bill. You hear?”

Jackson nodded as he showed Melville out.

“If there’s any ass to be kicked,” he said to himself as he heard Melville’s car leaving, “I’ll be the one doing it.”

He went up the stairs to the boy’s room. Josh was awake, playing the same game on his mobile.

“Hey, soldier. Winning that game yet?”

The boy looked up from his game with a huge smile as Jackson sat down next to him on the bed.

“Dad! Ahh,” he went on in some annoyance. “It’s tough…but I won’t give up.” Then he brightened. “Did the Doc tell you? I’m going to get a cool headband.”

“He told me. Ninjas?”

“Well, not exactly. More like rapper stuff. I know you don’t think rap is cool…”

“Some rap. Not all.”

“So? Can I have one?”

“You can.”

“Cool! I might change my mind, though.”

“That’s okay. Josh,” Jackson, tentative, continued, “can we talk some more about what happened? Not a long talk. Just a few things I’d like to clear up.”

The green eyes looked at him with unnerving directness. “You want to know if I spotted anything.”

“Yes. Anything that might help. Anything you might have noticed about the men who did this.”

“Their cars. They were driving dark Mercedes cars.”

“Sports car? Sedans? Coupes?”

“The one that blocked us in front was a sedan. The one at the back a coupe.”

“That’s good. Anything else?”

“They all had masks, but when I was on the ground, I saw that the men from the car in front had jeans and trainers…”

“Trainers. You’re sure? Not paratroop-type boots?”

Josh shook his head, clear about what he had seen. “Trainers.”

“And the other man?”

“He’s the one that hit me, and cut me. He had normal pants on, and shoes. Good shoes.”

“Two goons, and their boss,” Jackson said, almost to himself.

“And…and there’s the knife,” Josh said, voice rising in a quavering excitement. “I was so afraid, I was looking at it to see what he was going to do with it. It was a small knife with a black handle. He pressed it, and the blade came out.” Josh shivered as memory of the experience came rushing back.

Jackson put an arm about the boy’s shoulders. “It’s okay, son. We’ll leave it for now.”

But Josh wanted to talk. “There…there was a strange…marking on the handle. It seemed to be
inside
. And the men with the trainers…one of them talked about something called
‘semper’
. He didn’t sound very happy. The man with the shoes shut him up. I think the man said something that was important. I pretended I did not hear.”

“That was very smart. The man who said ‘semper’…a
Marine?”

“I know about the Marines, Dad.” Josh was almost scornful. “That’s
semper fidelis
. That’s not what the man was talking about. Anyway, it was all in German.”

Gently, the colonel settled his son into the bed, took the mobile away, and put it on the bedside table. He left it on. The display asked whether the game should be saved at its present level, or deleted. Jackson saved it.

He went on silent feet to the door, and looked back.

“I promise, Josh,” he vowed quietly.

Jackson was back in his study, this time recording a video message.

As he had done when writing, he was deliberate in his choice of words. When he had finished, he made an extra copy. He put each video into a padded envelope, and addressed them.

Just as he had finished, the doorbell rang.

He put the padded envelopes into a drawer, and locked it. Picking up the white envelope, he left the study to go to the door.

He opened the door to Dales.

“Thanks for coming, Jack.” He stood back for Dales, who gave him a wary look, to enter.

As they went into the living room, Dales glanced at the envelope. “Is that what I think it is, sir?”

“What do you think it is, Jack?”

“I’m guessing. You’re going after those people, and that’s the explanation.”

“You’re right…in part.”

“Sir, if I may…”

“You may, Jack. Forget the ranks. This is Bill, and Jack. And this…,” Jackson held up the envelope. “…is for you. Don’t open it until the right moment.”

“Which will be?”

“You’ll know when. This envelope also gives you the Base, in my absence. Take the envelope, Jack.”

Dales stared at him. “Are you
nuts?
I can’t stand by and watch you sink your career…”

“And I can’t stand by and leave my wife in the hands of some sick bastards, especially after I promised my son I would get her back. I promised myself too.”

“Jesus, Bill. I know I cannot possibly understand what you’re going through. But think! We’ve got channels for this kind of thing…”

“Channels that will take forever, while Elisabeth is out there in the hands of some maniacs, scared, and wondering what they might do to her. Do you want a picture?”

“Christ, no. But you’re doing what you would stamp on any other soldier for.”

Jackson’s smile was grim. “The penalties and privileges of command. You can make your own decisions – within certain limits – and be hanged by them. Do you remember that time in the desert? We were standing by a Humvee. Do you remember what you said to me?”

“I remember. ‘Bill, I think you should duck’. Then we both hit the deck.”

“And a bullet hit the Humvee, exactly where I’d been standing. Now the crazy thing about that bullet, was that it was fired from nearly two miles. No way could you have known there was a sniper’s bullet with my name on it, at that very moment.”

“It was a feeling,” Dales said. “Couldn’t explain it then, can’t explain it now.”

“I have that same kind of feeling right now,” Jackson said. “The people who took my wife and assaulted my son, tried to make it look like a racist attack. Now I asked myself, why would anyone want that? Answer, to cause some very nasty trouble. But
why?
And that’s what’s been exercising me. That’s why it’s scaring the shit out me, because they’ve got Elisabeth. It’s also scaring me that there have been no attempts at contact. Nothing. It’s as if she has disappeared off the damned planet. The kind of people who would go to all that trouble, including cold-bloodedly doing what they did to Josh, tells me these are not your average lowlife no-brains.

“We are dealing with something far more sinister. They are so sure of themselves, they can’t even be bothered to make a single call, like any normal sicko kidnapper. They are making no demands. They’re saying to me, we’ll be in touch when we’re good and ready. Meanwhile, you sweat. I overheard an argument between them, through Josh’s cell phone. One man was worried. He never thought his orders meant he was to attack an American colonel’s family. He mentioned a name, and was immediately told to shut up. Josh heard that name. Josh also saw something else, which I hope will help nail them.”