Authors: CG Cooper
“God bless you for what you’re doing,” Kathy said to him as he turned to go.
He looked back and gave her a funny little smile, then nodded and got back on the bus.
Kathy waved her goodbye and then realized that she hadn’t called Father Gerald. The delivery would be all anyone would talk about for the next five years. What a wonderful opportunity to help those poor children.
+++
Felix smiled as the bus pulled out of the church parking lot. He could only assume that the rest of the deliveries had gone according to plan. Even if one hadn’t, the others would easily make up for it. From what his masters had told him, it would only take one to be a success. If more than one succeeded, so much better.
The dominoes were about to fall. All he needed to do was tip that first one over.
Chapter 36
Southern California Airspace
8:56pm, March 15
th
Cal read the note on the screen. It sent cold tendrils snaking up his back. The jihadis had planned well. The Delta team was the first to discover the letter. An almost identical one had now been found at the two other scenes. They each had the proper seal from the corresponding archdiocese of the given church This had the markings of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Cal read it again.
Due to the increasing pressures placed on parishes along the Mexican border, the Church has tasked us with placing these children within our own archdiocese. As we are sure your parishioners will understand, this is a noble cause as these children deserve nothing less than our enthusiastic assistance.
As the volunteer team will tell you, the archdiocese had also included a shipment of supplies to get things started. You should also be given a thousand dollars for discretionary spending for the initial care of these young orphans. Please ensure that you use these supplies, as they were donated by loving supporters who would like nothing more than for them to be utilized.
Follow-up instructions will be provided within the coming days. Should you need immediate assistance, please call…
They’d checked and the phone numbers matched except for the very last number. A convenient oversight, and one that would be ignored by whoever they might find on their late night delivery.
The bastards had even done that part right. By taking the children in at night, they were almost assured an easy drop-off. The guy Lt. Heron had interrogated even told them that should they find no one at their designated church, they were to break into the building, stash the kids in a secure room, and lock them in. A call would be placed, and someone would show up to find them.
Simple.
So what was their goal? No one had found anything. The kids were getting a thorough check, and so far, other than the obvious exhaustion and fear, they were good. Travis had suggested that they get the rest of the supplies to a HAZMAT facility for inspection, and the first shipment had just arrived. Travis told the commander of the team of experts to comb every thread of those blankets and to put any other work aside until it was done.
Things were rolling, blocks were being checked, but they still didn’t have the last bus or the Pope.
Cal tapped his cousin on the arm to get his attention. “Trav, can you figure out a way to alert the Catholic churches in California, Arizona and Nevada?”
“Sure. What do you want me to tell them?”
“Just tell them to contact us once they get the children. Don’t freak them out, but give ‘em a story about how we’re the follow-up crew or something. You’ve been in Washington long enough to come up with a bullshit cover.”
Travis rolled his eyes, but nodded.
As his cousin got working, Cal’s eyes went back to the computer. He reread the letter again. There had to be something he was missing, a coded message, anything that could help him figure out what this was all about. Until that happened, the Pope was still down there somewhere, carted along by the twisted machinations of the Spanish jihadis.
+++
Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church
Carefree, Arizona
9:25pm
The bus pulled into the empty parking lot and Felix got his first view of the Church complex. There were seven buildings that made up the church and corresponding preschool. While there were similarities to the Catholic places of worship he’d seen in Spain, this one and the others he’d chosen in America just seemed different. Whether it was the affluent culture or the fact that his skin crawled at being so close to the belly of the beast, Felix didn’t like it. The fact that it made him uncomfortable pushed him farther. If he’d learned anything from this journey, it was that service to his faith required periods of extended discomfort, like Allah was testing him each step of the way, daring him to fail, to quit, to show weakness.
But Felix was too far along for that. The blasphemer in the seat across from him was proof of Felix’s newfound faith. The way he rationalized it was that if his faith wasn’t strong, if he hadn’t pushed himself and his men to the edge, then surely this prize would not be sitting there with blank eyes like he was looking through a haze.
When the bus stopped, he and his remaining four men got out with the Pope in between them. Their weapons were hidden but ready. It wasn’t hard to break into the front door and disable the alarm. Apparently his new companions from Los Angeles had ample experience in such things.
Felix had studied the blueprints of the church and knew exactly where to go. When they got to the worship space, they marched straight to the altar. A wooden cross with a wreath hanging over the crosspiece greeted them. Felix tore down the wreath and threw it into the pews.
“Get him changed,” Felix ordered, setting a pair of duffle bags on the floor. He unzipped one, grabbed a mass of white from inside and tossed it to one of the men. “Make sure he puts it all on. If he doesn’t, do it for him.”
The man nodded and took their prisoner to the side. There would be no bathroom privacy for the holy man. He would change right there in front of his enemies.
As the Pope stripped himself down and discarded his former disguise, Felix and the others set about organizing their own cargo. Tripods were erected and bulbs were screwed in. Once they were done, Felix checked the equipment. It all worked.
“Get him on the cross while I get ready,” Felix said, grabbing a pile of neatly folded clothing out of one of the bags. He made his way to a side room to get changed. No need to expose himself to the man who would soon be burning in hell. That would be bad luck, Felix thought, going over the rehearsed lines in his head as he closed the door.
+++
Southwest Arizona Airspace
9:34pm
Travis took the call, listening intently as the Secret Service agent on the other end relayed the information.
“Got it. Thanks.”
He ended the call and turned to Cal.
“We got a line on the last bus.”
Cal made him a
give it to me
motion with his hand.
“The Archdiocese of Phoenix confirmed that a white bus dropped off nineteen kids and supplies just after eight-thirty. The kids are safe and another team is headed that way to secure the scene.”
“I’m glad you suggested drifting into Arizona. How far do you think we are from its last confirmed location?” Cal asked.
Travis pulled up a map on his laptop and did some quick math.
“I’d say twenty minutes, thirty max. The pilots could tell us for sure.”
Cal nodded.
“Give them the location and tell them to get us there as fast as we can.”
Travis got up and made his way to the cockpit. Not for the first time, he wondered if they would get to the Pope in time.
Chapter 37
Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church
Carefree, Arizona
9:41pm, March 15
th
Felix checked himself in the mirror. Everything had to be perfect. Nothing could be visible just in case his identity was revealed. He was even wearing mirrored sunglasses over his balaclava. Not a sliver of skin was showing, just the way they’d trained him.
He made his way back into the chapel, strolling in as his compatriots gave him short nods of deference. This was his show and the others were just there to watch.
They had done as instructed and the Pope was now chained to the wooden crucifix, a fitting image for the camera. He smiled up at the leader of the Catholic Church, but then realized the man couldn’t see the smile and he turned from the man’s steady gaze. Something about it made him uneasy.
Felix pointed to the man behind the camera and the red light came on. It was time.
+++
Arizona Airspace
9:47pm
The Predators had been close before, but with the new intel, the net closed in. An alert flashed across Cal’s screen and then the voice of someone in Yuma.
“Possible target acquired. Location, Carefree, Arizona.”
Cal watched as the two Predator cameras zoomed in, recording different angles of the church’s grounds.
“Target confirmed,” came the voice again. Cal saw the lettering on the white bus parked close to the church.
“Thank you, Yuma. Please stand by,” Cal said.
He pulled up their current location and measured the distance. Just under thirty miles.
+++
Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church
Carefree, Arizona
9:55 pm
The red light switched off and Felix peeled off the balaclava. He felt energized, like he’d been plugged into a conduit that powered the universe. The words had flowed from his heart and he knew they would fly like daggers into the chests of the American infidels. They would pay for their sins.
Felix looked up at the Pope and said, “Now we leave you. Do you have any last words before I go?”
The Spaniard expected a spit in the face or a flurry of curses to rain down, the final heresy of a condemned man. Instead, the Pope looked down at him with sad eyes and said, “I pray that you find what it is you are looking for, my son.”
Felix stared at the old man, words failing him. He turned to hide his embarrassment and barked, “Get your things. The helicopter will be here soon.”
He made his final preparations without looking at the doomed man again. Felix would never admit to anyone that the look in the Pope’s eyes haunted him, like someone seeing into his soul and finding his deepest fears. He shook the image away and headed for the door. It wouldn’t matter soon. Felix was the one walking away, not the Pope.
+++
Arizona Airspace
9:59pm
“Alpha, we have five possible tangos leaving the building,” came the call from Yuma.
The report was unnecessary but part of the process. Cal and his team had been observing the feed and watched as the figures made their way out of the largest building, leaving one man behind.
“How long until we touch down?” Cal asked the pilot.
“Five minutes.”
The men on the screen didn’t go back to the bus. They crossed the road, running along the western boundary of the church, heading for the short runway. They’d been afraid of that. As soon as Cal had pulled up a map of the objective, the obvious outlines of the airstrip jumped out at him. When he pulled it up on Google and went down to the street view, he saw that the strip wasn’t even surrounded by a wire fence, just one of those wooden railing numbers. The place was called
Skyranch at Carefree
and its website tagged it for what it was: a private lily pad for rich people. Minimal security and easy access. A perfect way for the bad guys to get away.
+++
Skyranch at Carefree
Carefree, Arizona
10:03pm
There was just enough room for the five men to squeeze into the helicopter. One more and they would’ve had to leave him behind. Felix only half-paid attention to the pilot, who was giving them a rundown of the trip out. They would fly low and transfer to a plane in fifteen minutes.
Felix heard what he was saying, but his eyes were glued to the tablet in his hands. He watched the live feed in the chapel, marveling at his mastery. In seven minutes, his people would have proof of their enemy’s destruction. Once he arrived at his safe house, he would upload the footage to where some video expert would edit it, condense the timing, and send it out into the world. The part of him that still felt insecure about others’ perception of him worried that maybe the videographer would edit his monologue. He hoped not. He’d meant every word and felt that they would carry much weight with the millions watching.
He smiled at the thought. Overnight he would be a celebrity, a shining example of what a holy warrior should be. He’d invaded the guarded lands of the enemy, piercing them and billions of Catholics in one fell swoop.
One of the others tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up in annoyance. He met the man’s eyes and then saw him pointing. He followed the finger to where they’d just come from, the main church building. But now it wasn’t just the outline of the top of the buildings, there was something else there, something Felix had never seen in person. It was one of those new aircraft, the ones the Americans were now using all over his ancestors’ land. It took a moment for the name to come as he went for the door handle.
Osprey
. They’d named the aircraft after a bird.