Elite Part 11

1306 hrs

I know that word.

Its the name given to the geographical mining report for the new reserves. Its also the nickname of King Charles, the name I was trying to place in the Director’s listing.

The ‘wildcat’ is a wild feline creature and believed to be original species of the domesticated house cats. Its a unique creature that can be found in almost all habitat from savannah to forests. Its also present in many myths of man from Vikings to Egyptians and also Mayans. Its represent in the form servitude or pagan worshipping by the believers. In my context to King, he is the unique creature who is claimed to be a self made businessman and made millions. He claims he is a servant of the people in providing jobs as he did owns a mjor sized business empire including mines, and many considered him ‘god-like’ for his numerous charities to the poor and needed. But we in the Governor’s office knows of his sly workings with the underworld and the link to the Governor. His name is associated with land grabbing and confiscation of mines conceessions. He is the wildcat; they don’t killed, they mauled you with their claws.

His real name is Hector Fernandez, immigrant of twenty years ago to the island. And that was the name on the Stellar Corporation Director’s List. He is the one who is financing the smelting plant for the rare metals.

‘Marcel, I know the name.’

Both brothers’ turned to look at me. I explained about the findings and the new smelting plant. The current mines are only mining on the smaller veins of the real source; the core of the metal deposits. The initial report showed it and we were commissioned by the President to review with a thorough check. If this is true, the amount of investors coming to the island will be tripled and the value of the mines wil increased.

But King Charles knew of this beforehand, and he also initiated a new smelting plant on the edge of the island. His proposal was pending the approval of the Governor who argued in favoured of it. The current smelting plant is on another island nearby with no tourist attraction. But I know the Governor is in pact with King Charles which is why he is pushing for the development. I may be an employee of the Governor, but I am also an islander.

More to it, General Mahua is also said to be intimidating the other miners to sell to him, and he has suceeded with three of the five larger ones. He has controlling stakes in their sharesholding of the mines. That why we are investigating him as we are trying to avoid a monopoly on the supply.

‘Do you have the reports?’

‘Yes, I do. I was supposed to give it to the Governor this morning until you guys showed up. Let me get it for you. It in the Evidence Room.’

She went to her briefcase and checked her contents. The files are missing from her case.

1324 hrs.

The hacker came to me and report to me his findings. It was one call I dislike to make.

‘Colonel, the hacker said the file is not there. They could had erased the whole folder or did it offline in their notebooks.’

Across the city at the residence of the Governor, Colonel Mathew put down his comms set and looke at the Governor.

‘Its not there. It seems Ms Melanie has the only copy. You were right, the engineers did not keep a copy as their contract, and they handed over everything to your office. Or more accurate to your assistant, Ms Melanie.’

‘A problem that I have foreseen. I have someone which may be with Melanie now. He’s been told to tail the brother. He is a policeman and he is missing from the list of policemen your men killed. Melanie is with his brother on the run, The car your men shot at was his. We will wait for my men to call then.’

‘I hope so, Governor as my contract with you is only to be here until 1800hrs and then I am off. And your twenty million is well accounted for by then. You could add in the five million if you need me longer till 2400hrs. I could consider that as overtime wages.’

1333 hrs

I saw Ben standing there with his ‘bertha’ at the door. Marcel and Melanie slowly stepped back with me towards the shelfs which holds the evidence boxes. I know that Alicia is still out there and she will be safe for now.

‘Who are you working for Ben? Mahua or the Governor?’

‘Lieutenant, it was actually the Governor. I am the seventh member of Special Ops. The Governor told me to be in but stay out of the meetings. He reckons he may need me to be his backup squad. Just in case any of you goes rogue. He called me last night at about 0230 hrs or so, to keep an eye on you. And if you do meet Melanie, I am to look for a file named ‘wildcat’. If I am interrupted, do as I am obliged to do so. So you three are my interruptions now. I was about to leave by the side door with the files, but I saw you three coming in. Yup, there is a side door at the back of the room. We did it for emergencies like coffee runs or to dip a stick in the mistress.’

‘But you could had run, Ben. With the files.’

‘Yup, but I left ‘bertha’ here on the desk. I am her’s and she is mine. So I turned back in and trhe rest you know.’

‘Ben, the Governor is rogue. Wildcat will destroy our lives here. You are also affected by it, think about your kids and their kids.’

‘Screw you, Lieutenant. I was shot and then diagnosed with terminal; and none of them came over to see me. Not even you except the time I opened my eyes from the coma. I care not for the island or the kids. I got my money in the bank, and the Governor paid well for my services.’

Ben raised his shotgun and his finger reached for the trigger.

1339 hrs

I never liked policemen with present company no exception. I shot him from my jacket pocket with my PPK-L Walther with the seven plus one ammo. Its small and compact for my concealment in my jacket and I shot him at less than 10 feet away. The shot threw him off balance for Marius to grabbed his shotgun and pulled him down like in his training, with the only exception, there is no handcuffs here.

The rest of the men came running and by then, I had both my Uzis’ in my hands.I told you I never liked policeman’s. They can be trigger happy or easy or whatever.

Marcel raised his hands to stop his peers from blasting me to the end of the room, and he explained the situation. He said Ben drew on them and tried to killed them. He wanted to escape with some information the gangs wanted. They didn’t believed him and I can see some of them cocking their guns.

But the saving moment came with the calvary from the gangs.

‘They’re here. Darned bastards are here.’ The ten policemen ran to the front window to see what their two sentries did see. Marius and myself followed suit after I retrieved the extra ammo clips for my Uzi’s. I grabbed one of my MP5A3 and the two spare clips for Marius. I passed the last Uzi to Melanie and told her, shoot and run. But bring along the bags please. Alicia immediately offered to take the one with the grenades and I said no, that’s for mama. I grabbed the remaining duffel bag with my guns and joined Marius at the window.

There are two SUV that looked like mine; must be a popular model and one pickup truck. I counted a total of twelve of them with various guns like the AK47’s and M16. I think they got tired of trying to break the heavy chain, so they told one of their number to drive the pickup tgruck on it.

It was then Mariis took command. He told six of the policemen to take the right and the rest takes the left of the door. He wants them to ram in here and they will catch them in a cross fire. To prove his leadership he told me to go right while he takes left. I grabbed my bag and ran for the wooden crates nearby on the left. I had with me a rookie holding a rifle .22 cadet which is a pea shooter for trainees. Its a single shot rifle and you need to reload each time.

‘Its the only one I ever shot with. And I can load and shoot in 3 seconds.’ He was patting his shirt pocket which probably has the spare bullets there.’

Now I know why I dislike policeman’s; they are too consistent with their training and live action. I grabbed the MP5A3 and cocked it. I checked the clip and knows it fully loaded with 30 rounds. I set it to fire 3 shots per pull, so that he does not blow all us away in one pull. . 

‘Aim, and pull, and then aim and pull again. Good luck and I want it back.’

The rookie was glad to have a real firepower now. He slung the .22 rifle across his back and took the MP5A3. He was smilling like he just ahd his first beer at the age of twelve.

‘Gee, thanks’ But I had to push his barrel off my face. I pointed over the crate to the door and he nodded. Now I decided I will move the next crate five feet away. It was a bad move as the pickup truck not only rammed the outside gate but also the warehouse door, with guns blazing. I managed to jump behind my crate just as the bullets hit the crate.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

I could hear the shooting from the others and I raised my right hand Uzi over my head and gave it a short burst. Then I got up to looked over the top of the crates, and saw the pickup has hit the right wall and the occupants are dead. Rookie was shooting his MP5A3 at the shoulder level and even managed to pick up one gang member with his 3 shots burst. The dead man dropped holding his AK 47 still firing on full burst. Soon it was over, with twelve dead gang members and one wounded policeman.

1401 hrs

I collected the files back and put them in my briefcase for Alicia to carry. I grabbed the MP5A3 and joined the boys. I have with me the bag from Marcel. I checked on Ben but he was dead. The wound was on his left upper chest and it probably hit his heart.

I saw the men organising their defences. Thet pushed the pick up truck back to the damaged entrance and left it there. One of the policeman took a hose to drained the fuel out, into a plastic barrel. He said in a firefight, the fuel tank is a deadly bomb. They dragged the bodies out of the place and grabbed all the guns they can find. Now the policemen looks like freedom fighters with double assault rifles and bandoliers of ammo clips.

The wounded one was given medical aid and wrapped tight with bandages. His wound was not that serious and he will put through. I saw Marius talking to them and telling them to hold the warehouse. Everybody seems to have forgotten Ben or why he died.

I took out the files to read on ‘Wildcat’ and saw the backup pendrive on the file. The note said that this is the back up copy of the files. I took out the pendrive and put it in my rear pocket on the camouflage pants. I did not reliased doing it as its a norm for me to do it in the office of these pendrives if I am wearing jeans or pants with rear pocket. My associate used to called it ‘butt plugs’ these pendrives as we we need to put in these units on the rear of old archaic PC of ours.