The Wrath of Mamba: A Novel

By J. R. Brice

Paula Fisher Davis has already survived insurmountable odds to achieve professional success, striking beauty, and great wealth. Now retired from her previous life as a well-respected and legendary contract killer, Paula is looking forward to living out the rest of her days with her husband on their impressive Texas ranch. Surrounded by faithful bodyguards and an elaborate security system, Paula feels completely secure. But all of her dreams for her future disintegrate on a dark and deserted roadway in Acapulco, when she is kidnapped.

Tortured and beaten by those who will stop at nothing to achieve revenge, Paula escapes her abductorsonly to learn that the men have brutally murdered her husband. Furious at the senselessness of his death, Paula calls on an old friend for help. Desperate to find her husbands killers, she immerses herself once again in the dangerous life of a government assassin. As she reactivates her code name Mamba, Paula is now the one seeking retribution. Unfortunately, as those who mistakenly find themselves in her way quickly discover, the wrath of Mamba is always final.

In this suspenseful tale of intrigue and danger, the Mamba will not rest until her merciless mission is complete.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: May 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781426962554

J. R. Brice

J. R. Brice is a Florida native who is currently serving his country as a US Marine. A highly decorated member of the armed service, he has several tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq to his credit. His other titles include Trinity Count, The Rosebud Report, Mamba, and Genesis Ship.

Book preview

Contents

Mamba – A History

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy-One

Chapter Seventy-Two

Chapter Seventy-Three

Chapter Seventy-Four

Chapter Seventy-Five

Chapter Seventy-Six

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Chapter Seventy-Eight

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty-One

Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Three

Epilog

Mamba – A History

Mark Sage opened the door and walked confidently into the crowded meeting room. He paused a moment looking around the room at the twelve people seated there. There were ten men and two women seated at the rather large table in the center of the room. He closed the door and walked silently to the head of the table while looking at their faces. They were all young men and women, early to mid twenties at most. He also knew that two of the men were in there late twenties. As he reached the head of the table he poured himself a cup of coffee from an urn on the table and sat down.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am Mark Sage. I am the head of Blackthorn Security and ultimately your boss. I haven’t met with you yet and wanted to see all of you before you start the next phase of your training. While I haven’t personally met you, I already feel as if I know each and every one of you. I’ve gone through your personnel files with great interest. Each and every one of you has gone through an extensive background check as well as a psychological screening process. You have been submitted to lie detectors, and interviews that some of you may have felt extreme.

Mark paused taking a sip of his coffee. I am pleased to announce that the twelve of you will begin your training effective next Monday. Today is Friday and I suggest that at the end of the day you go out and live it up a little over the weekend because for the next six weeks you are going to go through hell.

May I ask a question sir?

Yes you may ask any questions you like today. That is the purpose of this meeting. I will be telling you exactly what your function will be here at Blackthorn and it is a chance for us to get acquainted. Now what is your question?

There were two other marines that I came in with. I haven’t seen them in a few days. I was wondering where they were?

You are David Phelps aren’t you? Well if you are talking about Steve and Jim, they didn’t make it.

Didn’t make it? What does that mean?

There were sixty eight of you who applied for a job here. The twelve of you seated here are the only ones that passed all the tests so far. There is one last test for all of you to make and that is completion of my six week training class. I don’t expect all of you to make it through that class either.

Training? Training in what? I thought we were going to be bodyguards.

Mark smiled. You will be going through extensive training in hand to hand combat among other things. My class has crammed sixteen weeks of training into six long grueling weeks. You will have no contact with the outside world. You will train seven days a week, often from dawn till late at night. You…

Hey, I already know hand to hand. That’s in my application.

And you will get a chance to prove it. Pass the next test and you will be glad you went through the class, because it well may save your life.

And if we don’t make it through, then what? Are we gone like the rest of them?

Mark shook his head. No, every one of you have completed all the tests to qualify for a position as one of Blackthorn’s bodyguards. If you fail to complete the course you will still have that option open.

Then what is the purpose of the course?

Every one of Blackthorn’s bodyguards goes through the course once a year. Failure to pass the course will disqualify you from our other field assignments, but you will remain as bodyguards.

You mean the missions, right?

Yes the missions. During the course of the last four weeks evaluation process you may have heard rumors of missions. I am here today to explain what those missions are and I am also here to give you a word of warning. You have heard the rumors, now you will hear the facts. If any one of you ever talk to anyone at all about what you are about to hear, you will disappear off the face of the earth.

What do you mean disappear?

Mark stared at each and every one of them in turn. You will cease to exist. Your life will end. You will be killed. If you don’t like that little fact, I suggest you get up from the table now and walk out that door, but if you stay then what you hear in this room stays in this room. If you walk out, you will still be bodyguards, but you will never hear of any or participate in any missions.

You mean you would kill us?

Mark didn’t answer; instead he took another sip of his coffee. Any takers? Anyone wants to walk, then do it now because if you talk to anyone about what you hear here today you will be considered a threat to national security and be treated as such. Looking around at their faces, he was pleased to see no one rise. Alright then here it is. Those of you that pass the course will be offered a chance to join an elite team of men and women. There are several teams. Team size is normally six or eight members depending on the mission.

And what are the missions?

The missions vary. You will be paid a much higher mission salary while on a mission and you will be paid a substantial mission bonus upon the successful completion of a mission. Make no bones about it. These missions are often extremely dangerous.

So was Iraq and I got paid for shit over there, but you still didn’t answer the question. What are the missions?

From time to time when the leaders of our country feel that there is no other safe, prudent or legal way to stop a threat to this country, they call on us. It is our job to eliminate that threat. We stop it anyway we can. That will be your teams’ assignment if you pass the course. To eliminate threats to national security by any means possible.

Do you mean what I think you mean?

Mark nodded. I do. If there is no other way to eliminate the threat, then at times you will eliminate the individuals. You will kill them if that is your mission assignment. This is not by any means a license to kill. You will eliminate only the threat and only when that is the mission assignment.

And the government knows this? Is that legal?

Only a select few know of the missions and no it is not legal by any means. Neither is some of the shit that these ass holes do either. Those who do know also know that it is a last resort to stop a threat. One taken only when other means fail or the threat is so imminent that it can’t be stopped by any other method.

And what happens if we get caught?

If you are caught in this country, you may be prosecuted. If you are caught in a foreign country, chances are you will be executed. The key is not to get caught. You will not be operating alone and every conceivable step will be taken to insure that you do not get caught, but it is still dangerous. When you are on a mission, you will have the entire resources of Blackthorn Security backing you up and believe me, Blackthorn resources are very extensive. You may also have the services of the CIA, FBI and NSA backing you up, depending on the mission.

So we are going to be spies. David looked around the room. Hey guys, I’m going to be double oh seven.

No, you are not spies. You will be assassins. You will become extremely proficient killing machines. There is no double oh anything, so get that shit out of your heads right now. You and your team members may have to spy on your target, but the extent of that will only be to determine the most effective and safest way of eliminating your target.

David jerked his thumb at the wall, indicating a poster hung there. Then what is that? That is about the tenth one of those I’ve seen around here.

Mark looked over at the poster. A black haired beauty dressed in skin tight black spandex was posed in a striking position. She had on high heals, which he knew to be higher then normal. She had a Sig9 strapped to her waist. From the other side of the belt hung a K-Bar killing knife. There was a slender stiletto strapped to her calf. A thin pin prick of light on her forearm highlighted the slender needle there.

That ladies and gentlemen is Mamba. If any one of you comes even close to her abilities I will be extremely pleased.

She’s real. Does she work here?

Oh, she’s real alright. She is one of the most efficient killing machines I’ve ever known.

One of the women present spoke up now. You mean for a woman.

Mark shook his head. For a women yes, but she didn’t take out women. I’ve seen her take out men, very capable men so quick it would make your head spin.

Anyone can kill with a gun Mr. Sage.

Mamba didn’t kill with a gun. She killed with her hands or with that little syringe you see on her forearm.

What’s in the syringe?

Black Mamba venom.

Isn’t that a kind of snake?

According to her, it’s one of the most deadly snakes in the world and believe me, she would know. A single drop of Mamba venom is enough to kill two or three men and it can kill in as little as ten to twenty minutes.

Wow! I’d like to meet her sometime Mr. Sage. She sounds like an interesting women.

And I suppose that the fact that she is sexy as hell has nothing to do with it?

Well that helps. Is she single? When can I meet her?

She’s retired and happily married now, but you may get a chance to meet her. She has a ranch in Texas. A big one. She has a thousand yard rifle range on it. I sometimes send some of my snipers out there for practice.

Retired? What is she old or something now?

Mark sighed and poured another cup of coffee. You know every time I hold these get acquainted meetings she comes up. She always comes up and I always spend the time to tell you about her.

Why is that?

In a way, Mamba is a legend around here. Everyone knows of her. There are I’m sure some very exaggerated stories floating around about her. Some are true and some are all bull shit. As I said, she’s retired now so I’ll tell you what I know about her to set the record straight and clear your heads about all this James Bond shit you’ve all got floating around in your heads. I also want to remind each and every one of you that what you hear today or any day at Blackthorn, stays at Blackthorn. It is never to be discussed with anyone. If you have a pact with your significant other to always tell the truth, then you better learn to lie to them about what you do. I don’t give a shit if you are bedding the hottest babe in the world, you keep your mouth shut about Mamba or anything else you hear or do here. Open your mouth and you are a threat to national security and you and the person you spoke to may be next on the mission assignments. Is that clear?

Yes sir. Perfectly clear.

Good. Now since she is legend around here. Here are the facts and I’d appreciate it if you don’t interrupt with a lot of questions.

Mark took a sip of his coffee and began. Paula, code name Mamba, grew up on a small horse ranch in west Texas about eighty miles east of El Paso. Her childhood had been strict with her mother constantly after her about her posture, often making her walk around the house balancing a book on her head. She had never been allowed to slouch in a chair, often getting scolded if she did at the dinner table. Her mother died when she was nine, but her father had continued the lessons in posture. The result, she often silently thanked them for, was that her posture was perfect and she walked with the grace and elegance of the finishing school she never attended.

At twelve, oil was discovered on her father’s ranch and her life then changed dramatically. Where before her father had been a good loving caring father who worked hard raising horses, he quickly fell prey to alcohol. With no need to work any longer he changed. He no longer worked the ranch, instead spending days in a drunken stupor or traveling to the whore houses in El Paso. In a moment of sobriety upon her high school graduation she had convinced him to let her attend college in Austin. He had set up an automatic transfer of funds and Paula had gone off to college. If it had not been for the automatic bank deposits to her account in Austin, her college days would have quickly come to an end as her father fell deeper and deeper into the lost world of alcoholism.

While in college she studied herpetology, the study of reptiles. She went on to get her doctorate, specializing in the study of snakes. While in college she dated several of her classmates, but nothing serious had developed. She started to dislike and distrust men after one of her dates had slipped something into her drink. She woke naked next to him in bed, not knowing how she got there. From that moment on she had begun to use men, dating them only once for her sexual pleasure and then discarding them like the trash she felt they were.

This dislike for men turned into real hatred when she returned home after graduation to visit the ranch where she had grown up. The ranch had fallen into disarray and was badly in need of repair. She returned to find her father passed out in the living room clad only in his underwear. She dumped his bourbon and made him lunch. He seemed to have trouble remembering her and had kept calling her by the name of the housekeeper, now long gone, that Paula had hired for him before leaving for college.

That night her father paid a visit to her room. He raped her, calling her by the housekeeper’s name. She had been weak back then, simply a woman with no means of fighting back. In his stupor, her father had either not even recognized his own daughter or no longer cared. Disgusted with her father, Paula had gone out to the barn in search of an old friend. She returned moments later with a huge diamond back rattler. One she remembered that had made a home in the old silo near the barn. Gently squeezing the rattler’s neck, she proceeded to allow the snake to bite her sleeping father on the neck. He had awakened in pain and using the snake as a shield, she had led her father out to the front porch were he collapsed on the steps. She left him there and returned to bed. His death was later ruled an accidental snakebite by the local sheriff.

She killed her own father?

She did. Now if I may continue. She inherited the ranch and over fifteen million dollars that the oil company had been direct depositing into her fathers account. With great plans in mind for the ranch, Paula had canceled the new job she was supposed to start in San Diego. It was then that the IRS stepped into her life. Her father had not filed an income tax return in years. With back taxes, interest and penalties, Paula lost the ranch and walked away with only five million. She had lost the ranch and left her home with a deep hatred of men and the IRS.

She formed an offshore corporation in the Caymans and opened a numbered account. She was determined never to get screwed by the IRS again. For a while she traveled. While in Europe she met a German Baron. As it turned out, he was a very rich German Baron. He had lost a son to a Black Mamba bite while he had been on a photographic safari in Africa. His son had died because there had been no anti-venom available. The Baron had offered to give Paula a research grant if she would try to perfect a better anti-venom in Africa. Paula had agreed and had spent the next year in the Congo trying to develop a new type of anti-venom using chicken eggs rather than horse blood.

Near the end of the first year, the Baron paid her isolated camp an unexpected visit. At first Paula had been pleased with his visit because he had brought along more funds for her research. That had changed later that evening when the Baron caught her alone in her lab and raped her. In the struggle, one of the lab cages had gotten knocked over. The cage contained a Black Mamba and the Baron had been bitten three times before the snake slithered out the tent flap.

Knowing in part of his wealth, Paula used the anti-venom as a tool to coerce a numbered account number and passwords from the Baron. She promised to administer the anti-venom if he paid her ten million dollars for raping her. Convinced she had accurate information from the Baron she had administered only water and let him die.

Holly shit!

Mark took another sip and continued. Later she discovered that the account held over one billion dollars. She transferred almost all of it to her own numbered account in the Caymans. With the help of one of her African laborers she had disposed of the Barons body miles from her camp. Her laborer had mutilated the Barons body. The resulting investigation determined that the Baron had gotten lost after leaving her camp and fallen into the hands of rebels who had robbed and murdered him.

Not knowing why, Paula had kept the Baron’s laptop computer and quickly left Africa when she was informed by the Baron’s estate that her research funds would cease. While in New York she met a man and for the first time in her life she had fallen in love. She had realized that in watching the Baron die, that she no longer had a hatred for men. That hatred of all men had been replaced by a hatred of rapists.

Paula moved to Austin, Texas and purchased a ranch with the help of her new love. David had been a private investigator and quickly began setting up ranch security with her. He called in an old friend.

He thumbed his chest. David knew that I was the head of a worldwide security firm. I quickly became good friends with Paula. It was then that she discovered other numbered accounts on the Barons laptop. Accessing the accounts quickly proved that there was several billion dollars in the Barons numerous numbered accounts.

Holly shit! Didn’t anyone know about the money? I mean like isn’t that grand theft?

A check with the Swiss banks quickly confirmed what Paula suspected. There was not a name on the accounts. By Swiss law, whoever had the account numbers and passwords was the legal account holder. What made it even sweeter was that no one but the Baron had known about the accounts. Paula was now a multi billionaire. It also didn’t take long to discover that what she had thought was several billion dollars had in fact been several billion Euros.

Over the course of the next year and a half she discovered more accounts. Paula had not been greedy and at David and my insistence had hired bodyguards and security guards for herself and the ranch. She paid them well too. She could afford the best.

I outlined the new dangers her life would contain. There would always be the possibility of a kidnapping for ransom. The fact that she had a huge ranch and security guards was a give away that she was rich. Her life changed dramatically from that moment on.

She started doing anti-venom research on her ranch and hired lab assistants to assist her. She bought a one hundred seventy seven foot yacht to cruise the Caribbean with and quickly offered incentive cruises to her guards. Franco, one of her bodyguards and I might add a former Blackthorn employee, formed a security firm and over the course of the next year and a half hired over one thousand returning veterans to be security guards at banks, gated communities and stores in the Texas area. The pay and benefits more than double of any local firm would have terrified most businessmen, but Paula and Franco had no desire to profit excessively from the firm. Work and good pay for the returning veterans was the top priority.

Those first two years after discovering the Barons money had not been all wine and roses either. There had been an attempt to steal her anti-venom process. Then her security had been breached by one of my own men. A creepy little nerd named Matthew Hennings had discovered through electronic eavesdropping that Paula was very rich. In an attempt to discover the account numbers and passwords he killed David.

Paula had been devastated at the news and had vowed revenge, but I had already taken care of the problem. I informed her that Matthew had killed himself. Over the course of the next few months Paula had fallen in love again, this time with one of her own bodyguards. Paul had later proposed to her while on a cruise in the Caribbean and she had accepted.

There had been a major assault on the ranch shortly before they were married and a few others later, but it has been quiet for the last six months with no attempts on Paula or her friends. Paula also knew that becoming her friend posed a danger as well. There had been kidnapping attempts on a few of her friends now in an attempt to get her to pay a ransom. Fortunately they had all been thwarted.

"Her ranch was her private fortress. The ranch is thirty-four square miles in size and surrounded by an eight foot high double brick fence with a steel re-enforced center. Her security guards constantly monitor the hundreds of cameras around the property looking for intruders. The main ranch building itself was also double brick with bulletproof windows and steel security shutters that could be lowered at the click of a mouse button. The doors were solid steel as were the frames themselves. Inside that building with her bodyguards was the only place in the world Paula felt completely safe."

Since discovering her money, there had been three kidnapping attempts on Paula and two more on one of her friends. They had all been successfully thwarted by her faithful team of bodyguards. One attempt had been a full out assault on the ranch by over eighty armed men. That had taken place a little over six months ago and had ended in the death of three of the armed attackers. One by her own hand, and two by her close friend Stephanie. Stephanie, a former agent for the FBI was also a crack shot with a sniper rifle.

Paula’s own head of security had now been with her for almost two years. His name was Franco and he was also one of Paula’s dearest friends. Paula did not treat her people as employees. They all would have worked for her for nothing and had often told her so. Paula had a deep friendship with all of her bodyguards and the security people around the ranch. Her bodyguards all lived in the main ranch house. They slept there, they played there and at dinner time they all sat at the same table as Paula, eating the very same food she did. They drank together, they played together and they traveled together. And Paula always paid for everything. When she traveled with her bodyguards, they stayed in a suite just like her own. While she paid them all a very healthy salary, very few of the paychecks have ever been cashed.

Paula had two huge garages built at the ranch. One of them contained thirty-six vehicles and the other fifteen more. When she went into Austin she always traveled with one or more of her bodyguards and they often alternated vehicles to avoid routines that could be spotted by potential kidnappers. The unused vehicles she often let her security guards use on special occasions at no charge. They were not run down vehicles either. They ranged from full sized stretch limos, to Hummers to big SUV’s and Jaguars.

The ranch had developed a country club atmosphere. When she had originally purchased the ranch it had been only sixteen square miles in size. Originally it had been just another run down horse ranch in Texas. Paula had expanded the property to its present thirty-four square miles and had added a golf course, rifle, pistol and skeet ranges. There was an archery range and a large private lake, which she had provided several types of water craft. Heavily wooded, the land around the ranch had been mostly dried up weeds and scrub brush. This had all been cleared out and now it was thirty-four square miles of plush green grass with tall stately oaks. All of the amenities were available free of charge to all of her employees.

"She also built a private airstrip on the ranch that was home to her two jets and several other aircraft. Paula purchased a Lear-60, which was named Naughty Girl and a custom 747-400 which was named Beautiful Lady. The smaller prop driven aircraft at the ranch were often used by her guards to sky dive. Just like most of you, her guards were all ex military recruited by Franco upon discharge from the armed forces. Many of them had fought in Afghanistan and or Iraq. Paula paid her guards well and the perks she offered were to say the least, out of this world."

I guess so. Did she name the jets?

Mark shook his head. No, I did. Do you want me to continue?

There were enthusiastic nods around the room so he did. She purchased an additional one hundred eighty acres across the country road adjacent to the ranch. There with Franco’s help, she built a gated community with apartment complex’s and several three and four bedroom homes. These she rented at a very discounted rate exclusively to her guards. This had originally resulted in a legal action being taken by some members of the public who felt they were being discriminated against when turned away. A judge had ruled in her favor that it was a private community, exclusive to club members. While there was no formal membership in her private country club as it had become known, you had to be a member to rent in the rental community. Membership in her club was automatic to all of her employees and with the exception of the local sheriff and some of his deputies was not available to the public.

Once a month, on the first Sunday of every month, the ranch was host to a real Texas barbeque. Often a whole steer would be roasted or a couple of pigs roasted island style. All of her guards and their significant others were always welcome. It too was free of charge to her guards. It was held poolside by her magnificent pool located behind the main house. Surrounded by a beautiful oriental garden that Franco had constructed, Paula’s barbeques have become the envy of most of Texas. Paula often felt that many of the young girls that accompanied her guards to the barbeques did so not because of a love for the guard so much as for being able to say that they had been to one of the ranches barbeques.

Have you ever been to one?

I’ve been to several. Now if I may continue. With a vast amount of money at her fingertips, Paula had also not forgotten her hatred of rapists. She discovered that Blackthorn Security did a little more then just supply bodyguards to the rich and famous. She found out about our little known side business.

How the hell did she find out about that?

I told her. I explained that we removed potential threats to the United States from time to time. I told her about the Black Ops. Government sanctioned, permanent removal of extremists with extreme measures. I explained to her that some of my men killed terrorists for the government.

Why on earth would you tell her about that?

You see, Paula confessed her sins to me, that of killing the Baron and her father and the reasons for doing so. She also confessed her desire to kill all the rich rapists she could. Understanding her need, I sent her away to my training school with the intent of keeping her out of trouble and also providing her with basic hand to hand combat techniques should she ever find herself in trouble. It’s the same one you will start next week.

She came away from camp, no longer the weak and feeble woman she once was, but rather now a well trained and very adapt assassin. Knowing that she could not go out and kill all the rapists in the world, she had requested my help. She wanted to work for me. She wanted to kill for me, and she wanted only assignments where the target was also a rapist. I understood and started giving her assignments where the government had its reason and Paula had hers.

What was her reason?

I only gave her missions where the target was also a rapist. As it turned out, she was a very adapt and skilled assassin. Her method of killing became legend around Blackthorn Security. She used the venom from the deadly Black Mamba to kill, injecting it into her victims by brushing past them. Small almost painless needles on her forearms, injected a lethal dose of venom into her victims. She often wore a skin tight black outfit which resulted in the posters you see of her today around the Blackthorn offices. Her code name spread too. It was Mamba. She quickly became one of my most lethal assassins. The end result - Mamba was born. A skilled and adapt assassin with a deep hatred of rapists.

Mark took another sip of his coffee. And that is the story of those posters. Any questions?

Yeah, is she hiring? Mark laughed. You want to go to work for her; you give your name to Bill. He’s my second in command. He’ll put you on the waiting list. It may take awhile. I understand it is a very long list.

She doesn’t mind you telling us about her? I mean some of that stuff sounds a little personal.

I normally wouldn’t say anything about her, but she’s retired now. She got over her hatred of rapists and no longer goes on missions. And mind, no. She doesn’t care that I often tell you this tale. You will notice one thing in my tale of her. I never went into any mission specifics. I never told you once about any of her missions. That is rule one around here too. Besides keeping your mouths shut out there. He indicated the picture window and the street below. You keep your mouths shut about mission specifics to everyone except your own team members. You never discuss past or on going mission specifics with anyone but them. You may also have noticed that with the exception of Matt Hennings who is dead, I never used any last names. The same will go for you. You never tell a client your last name.

Chapter One

Paula Davis slowly awoke into a gray haze. What had been black was turning to gray and slowly the dim bare light bulb in the ceiling came into focus. A shiver went through her as she realized she was naked and on her back. Her arms and legs tied to what appeared to be a doctors examining table in a dingy dirty examining room. Looking around she saw that the room was empty. The door was closed and there was no gag in her mouth. She thought for a moment of calling out, but quickly closed her mouth. Someone knew she was here. Someone had stripped her of her gown and underwear and tied her here. There was a pain just below her right breast. Straining she looked down at her chest. She could see two red marks about four inches apart on her rib cage below her breast. A small amount of blood lined each mark. Taser she thought. She remembered now. She had been tased.

Lying there she wondered if her captures knew who she really was or had her abductors simply kidnapped Mr. and Mrs. Franklin in hopes of prying a few thousand out of her family back in Boise. No she thought. They knew who she was. She had seen both bumbling attempts and professionals at work before. These were pros. It had been a very professional hit, too professional for someone attempting to kidnap the Franklin’s. It had been well planned and they had to have good communication between the tailing vehicle and the parked cars which must have been moved into the roadway only moments before. You couldn’t park two cars in the middle of the road for long without causing a traffic problem in Acapulco. Even after ten at night. The men had been waiting, as her car door had been yanked open almost the moment her car stopped. They had to have had at least two tasers, one for her and one for Paul. She remembered his door had been yanked open the same instant hers had been. No, she thought, they knew who they were after. This was not a small group of amateurs after a few thousand. They were professionals after much, much more.

Paula was worth over fifty billion dollars. They wouldn’t know she had that much, but a about a year ago a British tabloid had come out with a story about her, stating that she was rumored to possibly have as much as four billion in cash stashed away in a Swiss numbered account. That tabloid had led to a grand and foolish assault on her ranch in Texas consisting of over eighty armed men in an attempt to grab her. The men who had grabbed her this time may have felt she had at least that amount.

Paula wondered where her captors were. She was alone right now and had no idea how long she had been out. Even her Rolex was gone. She had no idea of the time. It had been a little after ten at night when they had abducted her, but her mouth had a funny metallic taste and she wondered if she had been drugged after the taser. She struggled briefly against her bonds, but they were tight and she couldn’t get her fingers anywhere near any of the knots.

With nothing to do she laid back and tried to conserve her energy. She was thirsty and her mouth felt dry. She could still feel her wedding band. At least they hadn’t taken that. The emerald engagement ring Paul had given her when he proposed was in her jewelry box in the safe at the resort. She had been wearing emerald stud earrings, but she could not tell if they were still there. Her mind wandered back to how this had all come about, about how she had grown up and how she had become so rich and the problems that had risen because of that.

Lying there now tied to the examining table, Paula wondered at Paul’s thoughts earlier that evening. He had been concerned that they might be overdue for another attempt. She had felt safe in the fact that Mark had provided them with false passports and identities for their anniversary. He had even booked two look a like’s into a hotel in Seattle using their names. She had felt overly secure and had dismissed his concerns. She wondered now where Paul was and if he was all right. Her thoughts drifted back to earlier that night.

Chapter Two

Paula looked across the dinner table at her husband and smiled. An hour ago they had been making love in the vast bed of the honeymoon suite at the Quinta Real Resort in Acapulco. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t really their honeymoon. They would be married six months tomorrow. Tomorrow was their six-month anniversary of wedded bliss. When Paula traveled with Paul on vacations she always made a habit of checking into the best hotels and always booked the honeymoon suite. After all she could afford it. Paula was a billionaire and money was something she spent freely.

Normally she would have been traveling with at least two of her bodyguards, but this trip was something special and she had expressed a desire to be alone with her husband on their six-month anniversary. After all, Paul had been one of her bodyguards at one time and she had fallen in love with him. She felt perfectly safe in his company. Paula was now also very accomplished in the martial arts herself. The very fact that they were traveling under different identities also gave her a sense of security. When you are rich and Paula was very, very rich, there was always the danger of an abduction and kidnapping. The poor would simply try to rob them; the rich would kidnap them for a very high payoff. Because of this Paula often traveled under different names.

Both Paula and Paul were armed, courtesy of Mark Sage. Mark Sage was the head of Blackthorn Security and had been Paula’s guardian angel now for almost two years. They had flown in to Acapulco a week ago today on Paula’s private Lear jet, Naughty Girl. After clearing customs they had been met by one of Marks men who had provided them both with nine millimeter Sig9’s. They would return them to Mark’s man just before departing in about a week. Paula’s was in her purse and Paul’s was in a shoulder holster concealed behind a well-tailored sport coat. There was no obvious bulge visible at all and Paula knew how to spot an armed man. She also knew he was carrying a much smaller semi-automatic .25 in an ankle holster.

Since their marriage they had been traveling over much of the world, returning to her ranch just outside of Austin Texas to rest up between trips. They had gone on a month long cruise on her luxury yacht Miss Viper, with her friends from back home. She had always enjoyed the cruises with her friends on board the yacht. Paula employed six full time bodyguards now and she now had over thirty-six security guards patrolling the grounds around her ranch in Texas.

During the course of the last six months Paula had fallen more in love with Paul every day. He was a ruggedly handsome man. By no means a pretty boy handsome; he had a long barely visible scar running from his right ear across the cheek ending down by his chin. His well-built six foot two inch frame was covered in a multitude of scars that included everything from gunshot wounds to shrapnel and knife wounds. At thirty-four his short cropped dark hair was beginning to show some gray around the temples. He had sparkling blue eyes that looked up at her now. A slight boyish grin spread across his lips that reminded her of Paul Newman’s grin in the movie Cool Hand Luke.

Paul for that matter had fallen for her almost the moment he had met her long ago when she had first been introduced to him. He had been assigned to her on a trip to Geneva by Mark Sage. She had requested another of Blackthorn’s bodyguards on a permanent basis and Paul had volunteered. He had been smitten from that very first meeting. Paula was a tall woman at five foot eleven. Her long black hair hung half way down her back when it was down, as it was now. Her ice blue eyes had an effect on everyone that looked into them. They would often change showing emotion. Right now they were a warm inviting pale blue that held sensual promise, but he knew that when angry they turned to a cold hard Artic ice blue that would send chills down the spine of any who had angered her. Paula was thirty years old and she weighed in at one hundred thirty pounds. Her sensual body and perfect posture was more like that of a goddess, often turning every male eye as she walked into a room. When she walked it was like a cat walking. Even in heels as she was now, there had been no tell tale click of heals as they entered the restaurant. Her picture perfect posture effortlessly held her shoulders back and her chin up. Her smile would melt even the coldest of hearts. Paul smiled again, and he had just made love to this woman again.

Finished with her meal, Paula set down her fork and picked up her wine glass. It’s been a wonderful six months Paul.

Paul picked up his wine glass and clicked it against hers. Yes it has Paula. It has been the happiest most enjoyable six months I have ever known. I only wish it could go on like this forever.

Frowning, That sounds a little ominous?

Paul shook his head. Just that it’s been over six months since anyone has tried anything. Kind of makes me wonder.

You mean like we are overdue for another kidnapping attempt or something.

He shrugged. Something like that. You’ve got to admit that you’ve had more then your fair share. What is it, about five or six now? Most rich people may only have one their entire lives. You’ve had six in two years. It’s like someone out there has painted a target on you.

Well the only people that know where we are is Franco and Mark; and Mark has two of his people checked into a hotel in Seattle right now under our own names flashing wads of cash and being a royal pain in the ass to the hotel staff. That should throw every interested party off our track.

"Yeah, but we flew in on Naughty Girl and that plane is registered to DFC ltd. in case you have forgotten."

DFC ltd. was Paula’s dummy corporation located in the Cayman’s that was the source of some of her money. "Naughty Girl flies all over the country Paul and you know it. I don’t pay the pilots and they get to use the plane for private charters when ever I don’t need it. Hell some CEO is probably banging his secretary in it right now while en route to some business function somewhere."

I know and the same plane flew Mark’s decoy people up to Seattle. I just don’t like not having any of your bodyguards around is all.

Why Paul, at one time you would have felt just fine with that. What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you are going soft.

In case you have forgotten. I’m not your bodyguard any longer. I’m your husband. My bodyguard skills are shot. I’ve grown soft yes. Too much good food. Too many drinks and an all too beautiful woman have dulled my senses.

And you are now just as big a target as I am. Are you scared Paul?

Hell Paula, I find my self looking over my shoulder when I go in the men’s room to take a leak for Christ sakes. I’ve gotten used to having Sean or Tom or one of your other guards around. For the first time in my life I feel naked and I’ve got a Sig9 under my arm.

Paula burst out laughing, drawing a few looks from some of the other restaurant patrons. Next time you have to go, I’ll check out the men’s room for you if you like Paul.

It’s not funny Paula. That used to be my job, checking out the woman’s room for you. Doesn’t it bother you that we are alone down here?

You forget Paul. I’ve had two years of this shit now. My first year, I was nervous as hell every time I went to town. Now I guess I’m kind of used to it, besides no one knows who we really are. To everyone at the hotel we are Mr. and Mrs. Franklin from Boise Idaho. You own a small furniture company and your net worth is around one hundred fifty thousand. Strictly small potatoes compared to Mr. and Mrs. Davis who are currently in Seattle. I do volunteer work at the library. We’ve been married ten years and we have two kids, David and Sherry. Age nine and seven. Mark set this up Paul and he’s the best. I don’t think the Franklin’s have a worry in the world except maybe paying for this vacation.

It was about a thirty-minute drive from the restaurant in downtown Acapulco where they had dinner back to the Quinta Real Resort. It was after ten and the road had been dark and deserted. A rarity in Acapulco. Paul had made a comment that he thought they were being followed and the next minute he was slamming on the brakes. Two cars with lights out were parked blocking the road ahead. The next moment the tailing car had slammed into them sending them spinning into one of the parked cars.

Dazed, Paula had fumbled for her purse in an attempt to reach the Sig9 inside. She had glanced at Paul only briefly. He was slumped forward against the steering wheel. The next moment the passenger door had been yanked open. She felt a brief pain in her chest and then a blinding flash of pain had stiffened her body and then nothing until a moment ago when she awoke. She remembered her last comment to Paul before leaving the restaurant. ‘I don’t think the Franklin’s have a worry in the world.’ She wondered where Paul was and if he was all right. The bump from behind hadn’t been all that bad, but he must have banged his head against the steering wheel or the driver’s side window.

Chapter Three

Paula moaned as the blackness started to fade and fresh waves of pain washing across her stomach again brought her to the reality of her situation. She had no idea how long she had been out that time, but every time she had passed out, she felt certain the beatings had stopped. She tried to look down at her stomach, but every muscle in her body cried out as she raised her head up off the examining table.

In a way, she counted herself as lucky so far. They had at first tried some form of truth serum on her. She was thankful again to Mark and his training. She had spent six weeks in Blackthorn Securities private training facility. She had learned everything from hand to hand combat to rifle and pistol shooting. She learned how to tail a subject and how to avoid a tail. How to lie effectively and how to detect lies. She had learned how to beat the polygraph and how to beat most of the truth serums out there.

Her instructor at Mark’s camp had explained how they work. Contrary to myth., they do not force you to tell the truth. Rather, properly administered, you enter a semi-conscious state where the mind takes over and you subconsciously answer questions to the best of your ability. You lose the conscious inhibitions or fear of the consequences of a truthful answer. You answer simply because it is the natural response when asked a question. Without the conscious inhibitions you often answer truthfully. Much like being drunk, you no longer care of the consequences.

The problem with truth serums is that they are tricky to administer properly. Too little and you are still aware of your surroundings and the consequences of your answers, too much and you lapse into total unconsciousness or even death. Sodium Pentothal is often used by surgeons to quickly cause a patient to lose consciousness, which is then maintained by nitrous oxide or other means until the surgery is complete.

She thought this one may have been Sodium Pentothal, but she wasn’t sure. What ever it was, she knew that she had been given too much both times they had attempted to use it. She had lapsed into unconsciousness seconds after the drug had been administered. She was certain they had not obtained any account information from her using the truth drug as they had given up on that and started with the rubber hose. If she had talked, they would have been long gone and she probably would be sleeping the sleep you never wake up from. The rubber hose was something else entirely. When struck across her bare abdomen the short length of hose stung with a fierceness she had never imagined possible. It left wide red welts, which when struck again swelled and began to bleed in spots.

No she thought, they wouldn’t kill her until they were certain of their information. Once they had her Swiss account information, she would have been left here to rot or they would have simply killed her and disposed of her body somewhere in the Mexican hills. She wondered how much longer she could hold up to the rubber hose and what they may start on next.

Looking around she could see that she was alone in the small examining room. The rubber hose they had been using on her lay across a counter in the corner along with the hypodermic and small vile of what ever drug they had used on her. Her clothes lay in a pile in another area of the counter along with her purse, the contents of which had been scattered across the counter. Her Sig9 was nowhere in sight. She could spot some surgical instruments lying on a cloth in another area and wondered if they would be used on her next. There were a few jars containing cotton balls and tongue depressors. Perhaps the man who administered the truth serum really was a doctor or maybe just a quack. He had screwed up the truth serum. She was thankful that they hadn’t gone on to more extreme measures yet. What ever the reason, they were not here now and she was thankful to be alone for awhile.

She wondered again about Paul. Perhaps they were working on him right now or perhaps the day had come and gone and they had given up for the night. She had no idea how long she had been here as there were no windows to even tell her if it were night or day. She knew it had seemed like many hours, but it could have only been a few.

She was both hungry and thirsty. The thirst she could understand. She had been through a lot, but the hunger was a sign of a longer passage of time. She had eaten a full meal just before her abduction and she was starved now. What ever it was, weak from hunger or weak from trying to stiffen her body to absorb the blows, she felt weak. Straining against her bonds, every muscle ached. Paula finally managed to raise her head high enough to examine her mid-section. Her entire stomach was a massive red bruise, from just below her breasts down to her pubic hair. She could see swollen welts across her stomach, some swollen enough to have ruptured the skin where another blow had struck them. Small trickles of blood ran from some of the ruptures and blood smeared much of the area.

Paula dropped her head back down and tried to rest. Sleep was impossible, the pain across her mid-section overwhelming. She would rest awhile. She hoped Paul was faring okay. At least she had the option of ending her ordeal by telling them what they wanted. Paul didn’t have that option. He had no idea what the account numbers were or what the passwords were to the numbered accounts.

She must have dozed off, because Paula jerked painfully as she heard the door latch click. Expecting the same man and the doctor if you could call him that, she was surprised to see another Mexican. This one she had not seen before. The man who had been asking her all kinds of questions, but mostly ones about her numbered accounts and passwords had called himself Hector Valiquez. The man who had administered the truth serum he had simply called The Doctor. He had called another rather beefy Mexican in when he had decided to use the rubber hose.

Paula looked up at this new face now. Lying naked on the examination table didn’t exactly fill her with a great deal of joy as she could see this new mans eyes take in her body. His eyes lingered too long on her pubic area and her breasts for her comfort. As he entered, he quietly eased the door shut. Walking up to Paula he reached out cupping one of her breasts in his hand.

Paula had no desire to be raped by this brute and in fact had vowed to never be raped again. Realizing that there was little she could do in her present condition a plan slowly emerged. She had to get out of here. She had to find Paul and free him if she could and the first step was to get out of the bonds that held her to the table.

Like what you see? Do you speak any English? She tried to smile.

The man’s eyes gleamed with excitement. He started to undo his pants. Oh, si senorita I speak a little English. You are very beautiful I think.

Wait! Please wait.

But why? I am ready now.

I have to pee. Do you understand? I have to pee.

Then you can pee yourself when I am through with you.

Paula shook her head. No you don’t understand. If you take me now I won’t be able to help myself. I have to pee real bad. I will pee as soon as you enter me.

She could see him hesitate. Please. Don’t take me like this. Untie me. Let me pee and give me a little water. Please. I promise you. I will make it worth your while. I will gladly make love to you if you will give me a little water and let me pee.

He shook his head. This I cannot do. I cannot untie you. If Senor Valiquez finds out he will be very angry. I will give you a little water after. He started undoing his pants again.

Paula pouted her lips and forced her lower lip to tremble slightly. Oh, please senor. I do not wish to pee myself here or to pee on you. You are a big man. Very macho I think. What could a little woman like me do to a big strong man like you? Please it will only take a moment and then I will make you feel so good. She threw in a distraction. What is your name?

He hesitated. Thomas.

Thomas, I will make you feel as if you have died and gone to heaven. Please let me up.

Thomas had made up his mind. She was after all just a woman and he was big and strong. It would be much more fun if she gave herself to him willingly. Okay, but you must hurry. The doctor and Senor Valiquez will return within the hour. He started undoing her bonds.

Paula tried to smile through the pain and lied. Thank you Thomas. You will not regret this act of kindness.

As she slid off the table to the floor, Paula feigned weakness and collapsed into Thomas’s arms. She didn’t have to act very hard. She was weak. As she did, she reached out to the counter and snatched up a scalpel off the cloth. Palming it, she looked up at him. Thomas, help me to the bathroom please.

Thomas opened the door and glanced both ways down the hall. This way senora, but you must be quiet. There is another guard in the lobby.

Thankful for the additional information, Paula allowed herself to be led down the hall to the bathroom. Thank you Thomas. May I close the door?

He shook his head. I am sorry senora. It is not what I wish, but I must insist. Please hurry.

Paula did have to go and sat facing him. At the first tinkle of her urine as it hit the toilet water he looked away. Paula was tempted to make her move right then, but she had a good four feet to cover to reach him and in her weakened state was not sure she would be able to do it quickly enough. She would wait until she was closer to him.

Finishing she wiped herself and then turned to the washbasin and ran some water. She washed her hands, keeping the scalpel concealed in her left hand. She splashed water on her face and cupped a mouthful and brought it to her lips. Drinking it down, she wondered if it was wise to drink the water and suppressed a chuckle. Montezuma’s revenge was the least of her worries at the moment. Even the small handful of water gave her renewed strength and resolve as she thought. You are going to make it out of here Paula. Just remember what your instructor had taught you. There is no such thing as dirty fighting when you are