Between Right and Wrong Read online

  “Because they knew you put cameras and listening devices in the building and they thought you were one of us.”

  “If they thought that, they aren’t afraid to kill a cop?” Phil may have underestimated his enemy which was a cardinal sin.

  “All I can say right now is, this is an important investigation and when we win, the world will be a better place.”

  “Thanks Mike. Better head home now.” Phil was confident Mike was telling the truth. His lack of hesitation to answer and the confidence of his speech indicated honesty. Phil was sure the ‘two’ Mike was referring to were Tom or Teresa. If it was Tom, he would be shocked. But you never really know how some people or their situations change.

  After they hung up, Phil sat in his office and thought through his next move. Mike said to be normal, so he would go home, as he normally would. He was glad he had Pam bring Roo home with her. It gave him an excuse to see her and make certain she would be safe. Hopefully Don was home to help protect her.

  Strange, he thought, now there was more than he and Roo to look out for. He remembered how military missions were more complicated with a partner. Maybe most people thought it better to have help, but to Phil it was an unnecessary complication that distracted one from the real task at hand. Perhaps that is what kept him from being serious with a woman all these years. So what was different about Pam? Yes, she was pretty, but so were many of the women he had dated. She did have red hair and freckles, and that was rare. He felt a smile on his face and realized he was driving home without thinking of how he would enter the neighborhood, what dangers could be lurking, the different people Pam had warned him were in the area, and how long he could spend with Pam where no one would think it improper.

  Phil thought about driving by the storage unit and exchanging the Volvo for the truck, then thought better of the idea. He was better protected if no one knew of the storage building he rented. As he turned down the drive, he could see the red and blue lights of a police car down the block on the street by his house and his heart quickened. He made himself remain calm as he drove towards his house, wondering if something bad might have happened.

  Driving toward the police cruiser, he could tell it was closer to Pam’s house. His pulse quickened and he couldn’t help thinking there was trouble. He slowed to pull by the police car. A patrol had pulled over a teenager and was apparently writing him a ticket. Phil let out big breath as he turned into his driveway.

  Instead of going in his house, he crossed the street in front of the teen’s car and headed to Pam’s house. Both the driver and the policeman turned to look at Phil as he walked by. It gave Phil a queer feeling and out of instinct, instead of cutting across Pam’s lawn, he turned and walked beside a car parked in the street. Phil turned his head enough to catch the traffic stop in his peripheral vision. The driver was swinging a shotgun out the window and shot the policeman point blank. The second shot hit the car Phil was behind.

  He had dipped down to reach the Colt .45 auto Officer’s Model he had put in his ankle holster prior to leaving his truck. As the sound of the shotgun blast echoed through the houses, Phil turned in a practiced move and shot the driver in the head. He was dead instantly. He pulled out his phone and called 911 reporting the police officer shot as he ran to the man’s body. It was too late. 12 gauge buckshot at point blank range had torn an ugly wound in the shoulder and neck of the officer. Phil realized he still had his gun in his hand. He was cautious to insure there was no other threats, then put it back in the holster. His next call was to Mike. Phil quickly explained what happened. Mike calmly ordered Phil to wait for one of Mike’s ‘response teams’ and told Phil they would be on scene in fifteen minutes. And, if the police showed up before the response team, to go along with them until help arrived.

  Phil had other worries in his mind. He quickly crossed the lawn and knocked on Pam’s door. No one answered. Phil felt a dread flow over his body as if it were raining. He rang the bell. There were many reasons for Pam not answering the door, and Phil could only hope it wasn’t one of the one’s he was thinking. He could hear the police sirens getting closer and knew they would come in armed and ready, so he went out and sat on the curb. He pulled his pistol out of the holster and set it on the curb, about ten feet away. As expected, the first officer on the scene came out of the car with gun ready. Phil raised his hands so the officer could see he was not armed. He was ordered to lay face down and complied. The young officer put a knee in his back and cuffed him. He ran to the fallen officer and then looked in the car. By then two more police cruisers were at the scene and a large black step van was behind them. The police gathered by the young officer assessing the scene, and only then noticed the three who exited the black van in swat uniforms with DHS in large letters on their flak jackets. A man in a suit exited the van with badge in hand and gathered the officers together for a discussion. After they had talked for a couple of minutes, the young officer came over to Phil and released his handcuffs. The man in the suit, whom Phil did not recognize, came over to him and pulled off his sunglasses.

  “Phil, holster your gun.” Phil complied and turned back to the man. “Mike will call you and tell you where to meet to give your statement. I suggest you write down exactly what happened ASAP so you don’t forget anything. You are free to go. We will keep your name out of the news, but you need to keep your head down. Apparently someone doesn’t like you.” The man spoke without any hint of emotion. After he spoke, he went to the first three officer in swat gear, who were writing down information, putting up police barrier tape, and taking pictures.

  Phil was anxious to insure Pam and Roo where alright. He scurried to her door and rang the doorbell. There was no answer. He rang it again and knocked loudly.

  Then he heard her shaky voice, “Phil, go away.”

  “Pam are you okay? Where is Roo?”

  “Get away from me, back up from the door and I’ll let your dog out, but go away.” She was in tears.

  “Pam, why, are you hurt?”

  “No, I saw you, I saw you shoot that policeman and that guy in the car. You’re horrible, leave me alone, and don’t ever come back.” She was crying more now. “I trusted you and I was wrong!”

  Phil started to try to explain, but the door opened and Roo came rushing out. He could do nothing but tell the dog to heal and walk home. Why did she say those things? What could she have thought she had seen? Phil was troubled and wanted badly for Pam to understand but for now he knew he had to get home and think. Mickey was hidden, and obviously it pissed someone off. This time Phil won, if that is what this was, a win. Phil made up his mind he would not lose again.

  Phil pulled out the information on his farm. He had written the neighbor’s contact number down on the folder holding the deed. Using a drop phone, he called the old man’s number. The man and his wife were warm and friendly each time he had spoken to them. He explained to the man that he had a family member staying at the house and they were having trouble making ends meet. Phil asked them if they would mind dropping off some groceries and that he would pay them back for their trouble. The old man gladly agreed. Phil told him they had been sick and if he would leave it on the porch, they could be sure not to pass along whatever sickness they had. The man understood and told Phil he would go out first thing in the morning to leave a couple of bags. Phil thanked him and hung up. The food Phil had stored at the ranch was rationed for one person. These extra groceries would insure Mickey and his family had enough food for the next couple of weeks.

  Phil went into his bedroom and pulled out a tactical bag. Opening it, he went about the house gathering items he may need in an emergency along with some defensive items. When he was done, he put the bag inside the door to his study. He let Roo outside for a while, and sat back in his recliner to reflect on what he should plan. He had not forgotten the knot Paul had given him, nor the man who shot Roo. He would not forget someone coming to his house; twice if you counted Mickey’s visit. He also did not forget Mike’s
words and that there was a lot about that investigation he did not know.

  The military missions he completed were usually for balance. A rouge foreign military leader was using his power to upset an important region in the world, and other such situations, many of which were a blur in his memory now. He only knew, he always figured a way win and get back home. Phil knew instincts played a role but mostly it was the lessons Ernie and the other instructors drilled into them; skills in martial arts, weapons, and tactics passed along from one generation of fighters to another. He carried that pride and it drove him to succeed. It was not just for himself but for all those who sacrificed. All of those who took time to teach, took time to write down techniques and lessons learned and yes, failures. He had been part of that history and part of passing along that knowledge to the younger recruits. Stories of his missions would edify those who came after. Failing now would scar that history, so, he could not fail.

  CHAPTER 12

  He left after work on Friday, intent on going over to Pam’s and straightening out things. He wanted to explain what happened and hope she could understand. Why would she think he was guilty since the police did not arrest him? He just couldn’t understand how she could think he would murder.

  He pulled into the drive and looked at her house. Don’s car was in the driveway. Good, he thought, maybe Don could help make sense of all this.

  “Welcome home Don, glad you are back. It’s been a while.” Don met him with a partially open door.

  “She doesn’t want to see you Phil.”

  “Has she told you everything that has happened since you were gone?”

  “Yea,” he was brusque, “But she changed her mind and I am on her side. Leave her alone.”

  “Don, I don’t know what she saw but if I could just talk to her, I could explain.”

  “You’re wasting your time, Phil. Besides she isn’t here and I don’t know when she will be back.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She left a note. She got out of town and she didn’t say when she would be back.”

  “Don, is that safe? I know you moved here to keep safe.”

  “That’s all over Phil. She can go where she wants now. I’m sure she has to reassess her life after changing her mind over you.” He closed the door. Phil stood there a few seconds. There was really nothing he could do now. He wondered how long it would take to know if Pam would ever come back.

  Phil went back home and brought Roo in the house. The dog had a way of coming close to him and wagging that big otter tail, which helped Phil relax and take his mind off of his troubles. He ate dinner and finished editing the report he would turn in to Mike on the shooting. He had settled back in his chair to read when the phone rang.

  The voice on the phone was low and gruff. “We want Mickey. Bring him to Elm Street. You got four hours.”

  “I don’t have Mickey, who is this?” Phil was hoping the man would answer, but he wasn’t so dim.

  “Just bring Mickey. You think quick. You think about that little red head of yours. Maybe if you are smart we can make a trade.” The man hung up.

  Phil quickly dialed Pam’s number. Her voicemail picked up instantly. He called Don but got the same response. He knew he would never turn Mickey over to anyone but Mike. Some quick thinking was needed. Phil knew the building quite well. From the pictures he had gotten, he knew the habits of those who frequented the building. He texted Mike; then called Lou.

  “You still fly that helicopter?” Lou had asked Phil a hundred times to go fly with him. Phil hated helicopters but this time he needed a ride.

  Lou was surprised, “Yea I was going to go up tomorrow, wanna come along?”

  “Lou I have an emergency. Can you take me up tonight, no questions? I promise to fill you in later.”

  “Sure my friend, I’ll call the hanger, meet me in Addison. I can have it ready in an hour.”

  “You’re a good friend Lou. See you there.”

  Phil scurried to get changed and grabbed the gear he had packed. As he passed through the house he picked up a couple of more weapons from the hidden places he kept them. He was strangely calm. More so now that he made up his mind. He was tired of these people calling the shots. He was plenty mad that he had let it go on as long as it had. He was also mad about getting shot at twice. He had waited long enough to get even for Roo losing his eye.

  It was dark by the time Lou hovered over downtown Dallas. The adjoining building to the Elm Street property was separated by a parapet wall and Phil expertly dropped out of the chopper onto that roof. He wondered what Lou must have thought when he saw Phil dressed in all black, but Lou didn’t ask nor say much except what he needed to say as a pilot. It was obvious Lou had done this type of flying before. His expertise and precision as a pilot was on display. Phil had only to drop about 10 feet to get on the roof where he wanted. As soon as his feet hit the roof, Lou was off and away as if he had somewhere else to go.

  Phil spent time to organize his thoughts and his gear, letting his eyes get use to the dim lighting on the roof before he jumped the wall onto the next roof. He moved without making a sound and was acutely alert for any sounds or movement that may warn him of an attack. He knew the two break rooms the maintenance team used and remembered Mickey’s comment from the night they first met. He had said he wasn’t like all the rest. This had to mean the other ex-convicts were not opposed to the activities Paul was up to. Meaning all of them would be considered a threat. If he was right, they would have Pam in the upper floors in case any unexpected visitors entered the building. The upper breakroom was the only room secure enough, as the rest of the upper floors were gutted.

  Phil slipped into the staircase from the roof to the top floor and silently made his way down the cantilevered stairs to the eighth floor. Knowing full well if he was discovered he may sacrifice not only his life, but Pam’s as well. If she was alive.

  As he slipped into the dark out from the staircase on the eighth floor, he lay against the wall listening. The freight elevator was 20 feet away and he could hear voices near it. He peeked around the corner to see an armed man talking to two others who also carried rifles. The pair stepped back into the elevator. As soon as the door closed Phil sprang across the room and sent the guard sprawling with a hard left to the side of his head. The man let out a cry but was not down long when he pulled himself off the floor turning toward Phil with the rifle. Phil was cat like as he closed the distance again tackling the man. As they fell to the floor Phil used the palm of his hand to drive the guard’s head into the concrete.

  With a grunt the man was out cold. Phil dragged him behind the freight elevator shaft. From the bag he brought with him; Phil took out a zip ties and duct tape. He secured the man’s hands and feet, then duct taped over the ties and placed more tape on his mouth. “Good duct tape is hard to beat,” he whispered to the unconscious man. Phil grabbed his bag and slipped across the empty space to the door to the breakroom. He stood in the darkness for a long two minutes listening. When Phil was sure there was no one else on the floor, he tried the door knob. He knocked on the door hoping, if there was another guard, he would answer. Silence. Phil thought he heard movement from the room. The door was locked. Phil took the lock pick set from his front pocket and expertly unlocked the door. Not sure what he would face past the door he took a couple of deep breaths and sprang through the door as it opened. He fell and rolled into a shooting position as his momentum carried him along the inside wall to the room. The room was well lit and empty. Empty, except for a chair in the center of the room with their prisoner sitting upright and a pillow case on her head. Her head was down and she was leaning forward in the chair apparently her hands were tied behind her. Phil closed and locked the door, then quickly crossed the room.

  He was saying, as he crossed the room and reached for the pillow case, “Pam, its Phil. Everything is ok, I’m here.” He pulled the pillow case off her head. As it uncovered her, Phil realized it wasn’t Pam, it was Teresa, T
om’s partner.

  She sprang out of the chair fingers pointed as she struck for the base of Phil’s neck. He was just quick enough to react to his left and her fingers dug deep into the side of his neck. Instinctually he stepped back and grabbed her wrist, swinging her arm over their heads in a circle. It was a well-practiced Aikido move and it landed her face down with her arm twisted into a shoulder lock. The move brought Phil’s knee to rest on her back. She would not be able to get up or out of his grasp. Phil noticed her handcuffs tucked into the back of her waist band and used them to secure her hands. She had been understandably stunned but was quickly re-gaining her senses. As she did she started cussing Phil. Every fowl word Phil had ever heard was coming out of her mouth and she was not whispering. He needed to think and she was a distraction, so he reached down and pulled her shoe off. Taking her sock, he rolled it up and stuffed it in her mouth. His good idea only lasted about half a minute when she managed to spit out the sock and continued to cuss him and threaten his manhood. Irritated, Phil rolled the sock up again and holding her nose and pulling her jaw down, he managed to get the sock back in her mouth without being bit. This time he reached down and pulled the back of the sweat shirt she was wearing up and over her head. Somewhat comforted at her new silence, Phil sat down on the floor beside her to think, when he noticed a tattoo on her back. It was located at the base of her right ribcage. The same tattoo the kid at the marina said he saw on the man whom he supposed stole the Jet Ski. Two triangles facing each other. One was full of what looked like tears; the other had the shape of a pistol in it. Phil thought back to the lessons he had been given by the FBI years ago on gang tattoos. Usually a weapon by a gang symbol meant an assassin, or a defender.

  So, Teresa was, or had been with them. If she was on the same team as Phil she had to have known Phil was there to help and not hurt, yet she attacked him with a strike that could have killed him. Phil decided she was the mole. He didn’t believe it was because he did not like her from the first meeting when she asked Phil what he did in the military. But, now that made sense. Tom knew and Mike knew; there was no reason for her to ask except to tell her people, her family. Now he had to know about Pam and he was sure Teresa knew.