Operation Intelligent Design: Retribution Part Two

Press Release:

DoD reports two officials working on a classified assignment have been reported missing.  They are releasing information in the hopes that someone will recognize their pictures and notify authorities immediately. 

 

There were two separate ID photos one was an older white male, late fifties, glasses, balding, slightly overweight rounded face, a white female in her mid to late forties, long flowing red hair with a hint of copper highlights, blue eyes, slender face.

 

Scuttlebutt says the two were having an affair and by DoD standards even single people who work there are breaking the law.  They were not likely to do it openly so someone knew something they were not supposed to and Bingo needed to find out what that was.  Brandon wanted them to let it go for a while and follow the storyline; he had a reporter he could call for information rather than go snatching someone who might not be involved with “Intelligence Security.”

 

“We can’t do that Brandon and you know it.  If they sense we got someone looking for info your reporter will likely turn up dead or at the very least missing.  They will not find the body for a while, it will likely be burnt to a crisp, and the fingertips burned with acid like the others.  I know you are in love with this person, do you still want to ask them to do it?”

 

Brandon dipped his head, he knew then he had made a mistake just an hour ago, he phoned her and asked her to do this favor for him not telling her the risks that would be involved.  He swallowed hard choking on his phlegm as he tried to think of something else.  Dawn noticed this and touched his hand, when he looked at her she nodded in a way looking at Bingo that told Brandon he needed to tell him the truth that he already had.

 

Brandon choked again, “the thing is I already did ask her.”

 

Bingo pulled over and slammed on the brakes causing Brandon to fall off the seat and Dawn on top of him.  “What the hell did you do?  What the hell were you thinking Brandon?”

 

Brandon helped Dawn off the truck floor and stared at the floor wiping dirt off his hands but did not respond to the question.

 

“Answer me!”

 

“I wasn’t thinking.  I wanted answers and with these two missing likely our connections to the truth, possibly the real parents of Michael and Mandy, we needed to know something about them.”

 

Bingo did not say another word; he pulled back onto the road kept driving south toward the only safe house they had left, his old cabin.  No one they worked with knew about it except for Mandy, he took her there once before she married Morrison to talk to her about him.  His mind wandered to that day as he pulled into the driveway.

 

“He’s a great guy I just thought you should know about his background.  He’s done a lot of nasty things in his past he might not tell you about.”

 

“I know Dad (giggles), he’s alright we’ve been sleeping together he doesn’t seem to have any nightmares about anything in his past.  He’s told me what he could about that…”

 

He was woken back up to reality when he smelled something burning it was his cabin.  By the looks of it, the fire had been raging for several hours the fire crew was just cleaning up when they parked the truck.  Dawn was grabbing his arm hollering at him but he never heard a thing.  This was his special place where he hid the photos of the kids growing up.  He often thought of them as his own little family, never married barely dated, he was too insecure about safety to risk someone’s life that way. 

 

“Bingo!  Did you hear me?  We need to get the hell out of here now!”  Dawn was still screaming and pulling at him.  Brandon was sitting behind the wheel ready to go.

 

Bingo sends a text to Grizzly who was off working on the package pick-up, “Safe burnt down, status on the package?”  Clearly, he was agitated and lost now that the one secret place in his life was gone.  Brandon was trying to bring him back but he was lost in the days when he was near the twins while they were still babies.  How he held them both, fed them, treated them like nephew and niece till they got to an age when he knew he could no longer bear to be near them, knowing full well why they were still alive and separated from their real parents through a lie.

 

Finally, Dawn got him to snap out of it when she smacked him, “wake up, you got me into this you better get me home to my family!”  She cooled off a bit when he turned and she saw a tear running down his face.  “I’m sorry; you should go back now before I get you killed too.”

 

Brandon headed for the nearest airport in Battle Creek but he already knew unless they chartered a flight getting on a plane would be impossible.  They couldn’t go to the National Guard for a helicopter transport without the DoD knowing where they were.

 

A buzz on his secure cell made him focus on something else for a minute.  “Package picked up but one got dropped before it could be properly cared for, second is unsecured at this point.  Will report when I have it in secure position.” 

 

“It’s a shame Grizz still hasn’t learned better code word usage if the DoD reads this they will know we are onto them.”  Bingo giggled his first time laughing in weeks.

Dawn took the cell from him, typed in some codes and the next thing they knew the phone number was changed and it was connected to Grizzly’s cell via a new secure line.  Brandon pulled over a mile from the airport, turned to Bingo, and smacked him awake.  The look of surprise and anger made Brandon giggle which caught Bingo and Dawn by surprise as Brandon hasn’t even laughed once since they met him at the funeral for the twins.

 

“Shouldn’t be doing that to a sleeping General young man.”

 

“Generals shouldn’t be sleeping when they are riding security.  It’s almost time to pick up Grizz you should make sure he’s in place.”  Brandon still was all business when it came to the mission itself.

 

Five minutes later the text came, “Package secured, pick up eminent if you don’t stop by and assist with delivery.”

 

“I’m gonna kill him when I see him.  DoD will have flagged these secure texts and we are running out of secure line codes to use.”  Dawn was now furious though strangely attracted to the old retired Seal.  She could feel her pulse race a tad, as she thought about that fighting with the old Seal, of course fighting was a relative term in her world.  The last person she fought with is how she got her son Damien James, not her only child but her best fights thus far for a single military Mom.

 

Damien James Barnes was a retired commo NCO who had little time for a wife in his world of high security communications consultations.  Working for major corporations and the Pentagon itself who while he was working for them left him stalled at E-7 despite his initiating some of the most ultimate advances since the use of Navajo Indians during WWII or at least how he told it.  Dawn met him at the end of his career, he was older, fatter, and with her own “daddy issues” perfect for seducing a young enlisted commo specialist the military took from being an underground hacker to elite security status working for the man.

 

In their six months together, she had fallen hard for him only to find out once she was three months pregnant he didn’t feel the same way about her.  To him she was just another enlisted female to use then discard as if she never truly mattered.  This wasn’t much of a surprise after all the parent of two had already experienced this two times before but failed to learn from her mistakes.  Now she should move on and maybe when this is done she’ll just concentrate on her business and not keep looking for love.

 

Another text from Grizz, “Pick up point Apple 12.”

 

She giggled as she read the text, “he’s consistent in his odd texting skills didn’t we tell him specifically not to use fruit terms?  It’s a trigger for the DoD computers searching texts and phone calls.”

 

Brandon just shook his head, Bingo sat quietly for a few minutes, “Too bad he’s in love and can’t think straight.”  Giggling like a two year old, he was close to acting like a five-year-old calling out the sitting in a tree line about Grizzly and Dawn.  But when he turned around, he noticed her face and clearly she didn’t realize it herself and he just gave up a secret Grizz must have been trying to hide from her given his current duties as the crew sniper again after Demon’s death.

 

They drive to the Columbia Multiplex on the backside of Columbia Avenue and with matching trucks it just looks like two business trucks meeting at a public parking lot for something before going to a job site.  They park next to Grizz’s vehicle he gets out walks up to Dawn, smiles and whispers, “I used Apple just for you sweetheart.”  She playfully slaps him in the arm as Bingo and Brandon move to the back of his truck.  Brandon puts a silencer on his 9mm as Bingo pulls the door open there on the floor sits the package, A plus sized redhead with steel blue eyes, bright colored glasses and purple heels with a hint of glitter.

 

Brandon raises his weapon points it at her when Bingo pushes his weapon downward as if to seem like her savior in the hopes of gaining her trust, after all, they need information from her and she won’t easily give it up if she’s defensive.  "No one here really wants to hurt you.  We just want some information from you if you give this information, we will let you go."  Bingo thought he had her but her eyes told a different story and Brandon saw it, he was certain of one thing, she was involved, but he didn't know how.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about.  I have nothing to do with what you're looking for.”  She replied acting innocent, but Brandon saw something in her eyes.  They told him she knew something about Michael and Mandy's death.  He just wasn't sure what it was but he knew how to get it out of her.  Brandon got in the truck with the gun to her forehead and started unzipping his pants.  Knowing this would send her into panic mode, afraid she was about to be raped.  Grizz is grabbed Dawn as she began to rush into the truck he'd recognized the tactic before it was often done to provoke a response from female operatives in the field who were trained to not give up information.

 

Almost immediately, she began to panic, her face turning flush Brandon paused before pulling out his weapon to give her a chance to give up information.  "I know you don't want me to do this.  I don't want to do this.  Tell me what I need to know and nobody gets hurt."

 

"My name is Veronica Hammond.  I lived at 51 Broad Street, my husband's name is Michael, my daughter's name is Mindy, and I will give you whatever you want.  Just please let me go!"  She was obviously panicked by trained well enough as an operative to act as if she was somebody else rather than the person she was.  Brandon gave Bingo a look that told him it had to be done, and then Bingo pulled Grizz and Dawn out of the truck.  Dawn was clearly upset tears rolling from her eyes.  She did not like this tactic as a female.  She knew what it was to have the stunned over despite only being an analyst if she could have she would've shot Brandon to stop him from doing what he was about to do.

 

"Close your eyes.  This won't hurt a bit."  Brandon said that as he leaned in toward her, his lips touched hers.  Her skin tingled with goosebumps.  She had felt those lips before it was just nine months before at a Halloween party.  She'd gotten pretty inebriated when this young man in a mask walked up to kiss her good night.  "It's you."  She whispered as she opened her eyes realizing this was the man she fell in love with one kiss.  "Why didn't you just tell me if you'd told me I would give you the information you were asking for.  You didn't have to take me like this."

 

"Had I told you I don't think you would have given me the information.  If I believed, you would have.  I would have just asked," Brandon said.  The look in his eye as he sipped up his pants  He set down next to her, took her hand in his kissed it gently, and then sighed.  "We need to know about.  Intelligence Security and I don't have time for the usual runaround.  We need information now."  Veronica took a deep breath.  She knew she had to telling, but he wasn't going to like the answers.  This was only going to lead to more questions.  Intelligence Security was a blackout group that no one at CI or NDSA likes to talk about.  They were classified and most of the information about them was so censored it was hard to get any answers.

 

"All I really know is that they are blackout group that does black ops for CI and often NDSA.  Is so far off the books there is rarely a paper trail leading back to anyone."  She looked into his eyes to make sure that he understood she was not lying.  She reached into her pocket and handed him a thumb drive as if she knew she was going to be grabbed.  He took the thumb drive called out to Dawn came around the corner, red-faced gun drawn.  She stopped short when she realized that Veronica was snuggled up to Brandon as if she knew him.  Brandon then handed her the thumb drive and without saying a word.  She went to work to see what was on the drive in it.  There was any information they can use to find out who killed Michael and Mandy.

 

She open the drive there was numerous files regarding Intelligence Security that everything was censored and incomplete.  There were several mentions of an operation regarding Codex.  There was nothing concrete and nothing directly mentioned either of the twins or why they were killed.  There was, however, a mention of a particular operation called codename "Vanquish" this operation seem to have something to do with what the agencies used to call a fundraiser.  Only this fundraiser was planned years in advance of its apparent operation, which did, however, seem to have something to do with the twins.

 

It appeared that the twins were used to set up a code that was entirely based on the operation with the codename "Vanquish" this appeared to Dawn to have something to do with their death because his children if they had set up the code they were likely the only ones who could decode it.  Besides, those with the key, which seem to be nicknamed "Forte" though that nickname almost, seem like a ruse to mislead those investigating the fundraiser at a later date.

 

The more she read the more Dawn got frustrated because there were plenty of answers that only lead to more questions about exactly why the twins had to die.  "Veronica, you need to answer some questions for me or you need to tell me where I can get those answers."  Again, Don's face was turning red.  Clearly, she was angry and frustrated looking for answers, but she couldn't seem to get which only frustrated her more when it appeared the Brandon seem to have lost interest in avenging Mandy's death.

 

"I know you want more answers, but I don't have any more to give."  Veronica said as she looked deeply into Brandon's eyes.  "I know who might have answers, but I'm not sure you want to go after him, because at this point he knows you're coming, and he has enough people protecting him within our own government, they would easily kill all of you and make you disappear."  This struck Brandon hard as he was suddenly driven back into what he was doing.  He pulled away from her.  This space turned beet red.  He was ready for a new flight.  "Just tell me his name and I'll have his head on a plate."  It wasn't like Brandon but suddenly was waking out of a love fog; he realized that Veronica might've been using him all along.

 

"Pull that thing out of the computer now, Dawn.  It's a trick.  She set us up!"

 

The smirk on Veronica's face told him he was right.  But before he could make any movement, Dawn put a bullet between your eyes.  Brain splattered on Brandon's face as a tear rolled down his cheek.  Clearly, he felt something for, but he knew it had to be done.  And for once, he wasn't the one you had to do it.  This shot, however echoed in the truck bringing Bingo and Grizz to the back door guns drawn, "What the hell is going on?"

 

Neither Brandon nor Dawn said a word as Veronica lay bleeding out in the truck; Don grabbed her laptop, pulling Brandon behind her, got out of the truck.  They all got into Grizz's vehicle and drove away, knowing they had to get it.  As far as they could be for CI, NDSA or Intelligence Security showed up and tried to take them out.  Grizz drove as bingo sat shotgun his weapon at the ready hoping he wouldn't have to use it, but knowing sooner or later they were going to catch up to them.

 

Brandon sat quietly as Dawn cleaned off his face gently wiping the blood off as she kept whispering to him, "it wasn't your fault, Brandon."  Brandon knew wasn't his fault, but he still was upset over the whole thing.  After all, he's the one that chose her to pick up, he thought, because they had made a contact at the party, she would set them up.  But clearly, it seemed to be his mistake.  She must have known all along that he try to take her.  Eventually, to get information about what happened to Michael and Mandy?

 

Grizz drove to the only place he knew he could get any security, and possibly some sleep.  He had a friend from high school named Bob Abernathy, who owned a small bar in a small community Hartlick, which was about an hour from Battle Creek to the West.  They pulled up behind the bar.  Grizz honked the horn.  The man came out and opened the garage door and they pulled in the door closed and they could hear an alarm system arm.  This caused Brandon and Dawn to pull their weapons by Grizz reassured them they were safe.  "Relax; Bob is been in the business longer than we've been alive, at least the way he tells it."

 

The smiling Grizz's face was reassuring, so they put their weapons away.  No one seemed to notice the Bingo was a moving, he was barely breathing Dawn shook him.  He woke up, but his face was ashen and they were suddenly beginning to panic.  They couldn't afford to go to the hospital.  Now, someone would likely inquire about his name, and if they didn't seem genuine in the name they gave the local authorities would be contacted kiss three or four people carrying weapons, new to town would draw attention that they didn't need.

 

Bingo reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture and a letter and quietly whispered to Dawn, "please make sure that she gets this."  When Dawn took the picture and letter from his hand Bingo smiled and gently passed away.

 

Dawn began to panic.  But as she did Grizz grabbed her and looked her deep into her eyes and suddenly she awoke from her panic realized where she was and settled down.  "What do we do now?  It Bingo isn't here who's gonna be our main connection?  I have no idea who he was contacting to get information now do you?"

 

Brandon stood up and said, "I know who to contact" then picked up the satellite phone and began to dial a number.  "This is mandate 121 requesting immediate contact with Mr. Ripple access number 758A175."

 

Five minutes later the satellite phone rang, “Mr. Ripple, it’s B12 I need some information.  Yes, I know you’re in over your head but you can still help me.  Tell me about 51 Broad St.  Don’t lie to me I know you have the information, you sent your wife to me last Halloween to seduce me but she couldn’t go through with it.  I know because she’s dead.”

 

Silence on the phone, he thought Ripple hung up but there was a response suddenly clearly choked up, “Why did you have to kill her?  She wasn’t involved she was just helping me out.”

 

Brandon paused, thought a minute about how to react, and then he just knew, “Fine, you want to get payback…come and get me.”  He hung up.

 

They all got out of the truck went into the bar, “Lady and Gent this is my friend Bob Abernathy.  He’s a high school buddy.”  Brandon wasn’t buying it the way Abernathy held himself wasn’t like a small town bar owner it was more like a black ops retiree with arthritic hands, bad eyes covered by thick-lensed tinted glasses.

 

“Hey Bob is it?  What year did Grizz get his first car?”

 

“Grizz?”

 

“You heard me, now answer the question.”  Brandon reaches for his 9mm; Dawn follows his lead and holds her down but in a firing grip.  “Do as he asks or this could get ugly boys.”

 

Bob puts his hands on the bar, as does Grizz showing no signs of making a move.  “He got his first car in 1983, it was a beat up Ford Mustang, ’67 I think, it had the ugliest interior I had ever seen in a stang in my life, but he loved it.”

 

Brandon lowered his weapon, holstered it, but kept a wary eye on both of them.  At this point, he didn’t know who to trust anymore and he needed to avenge Mandy’s death at all costs. 

 

“Very good I hope you remember more about his life.  It might come in handy when you help us lie to whomever you contacted when we pulled into your building.  I saw you dial the phone, who did you call and why?  If I have to shoot you in the leg I will, if I have to shoot you between the eyes, so be it.  I don’t want to but if you don’t start talking and make me believe you I will.” 

 

Brandon’s face was turning a deep shade of red, the anger was building up, and he needed to take it out on someone soon.  Dawn walked up, put her hand on his shoulder, “Easy B, let him speak before you have a coronary.”  She giggled.

 

Grizz’s face settled a bit, Bob relaxed and began to explain who he called and why when the door opened.  In walked a female teen about eighteen, blue eyes, long blonde hair down to her waist and her face was very oddly familiar to them both, she looked a lot like Grizz.

 

“This is my daughter Samantha; Bob has been hiding her for years for me.  Raising her as his adopted daughter to protect her from those who might want to take her to get to me, he called her to come see her Dad.”  Samantha ran to Grizz who was almost in tears at this point, Dawn already was, this only made her love him more.

 

“Sam this is Dawn, Dawn this is Samantha, Samantha Michael Abernathy.  And that nut over there is Brandon.”  She politely waved to Brandon and hugged Dawn whispering in her ear, “I’m glad he found you, he has been so lonely since my Mom was killed.”

 

"You'll be safe here, nobody knows about this place.  Grizz can attest to that nobody knows about me where this bar that might be looking for you."  Bob said, trying to convince Brandon.  He was no threat, he could sense Brandon wasn't completely sure yet, but he surely understood why.

 

Bob walked to the far wall.  The bar pushed a button beneath the picture, exposing a safe room.  "Help yourselves to whatever you need.  I'll be in the office."

 

Sam stayed with the team to be near her father helping them pack up with a needed of the equipment and weapons and identifications, including one for herself.  "Dad, I'm going with you this time."  Dawn began to walk towards Sam trying to convince her to stay, but the looking Grizz's eye told her to let her go, so she stopped short and went back to what she was doing.

 

At this point Brandon, seem to be in his own world, not paying attention to much that was going on around him.  He was no longer sure to trust, and he was questioning his own judgment.  He kept trying to be mindful of what he was trying to get accomplished in focusing on the mission, but his mind kept wandering making his focus that much harder.  He wasn't entirely sure how they were going to get the mission finished now with Bingo gone, and most of their Intel connections dead.

 

While his mind was wandering.  He happened to notice the file on the desk marked Codex.  He walked over sat down and opens the file.  The first thing he saw was two pictures clipped to the back of the open cover.  The first page on the opposite side was mostly redacted, but was clearly about Mandy and Michael, and whatever operation.  They had inadvertently worked on as children.  The part that he did notice that seem to be clear, was whatever it was, did have something to do with a fundraiser where the fundraiser was redacted.

 

Grizz announced it was time to go Brandon picked up the file stuff did his backpack and they left.  They all got into Bob's security reinforced F150 crew cab's and Dawn in the front Samantha in the back with Brandon.  They drove away with no intent toward ago as of yet, while Brandon continued to read the file.