Stone’s Promise

By D.L Brumley

After narrowly missing putting down Denny Craven at the end of Stone's Way, Zack and his partner Dounia Al Zanawi have reached a level of frustration that does not sit well with either. Denny, having come out of the assassination attempt unscathed, begins a counter campaign to rid himself of not only Zack, but takes on the entire CAPSTONE-X team. Promising himself he will spare no expense, nor effort in putting down his arch rivals, Denny calls on the resources of the Consortium, a Washington DC based group of the most powerful men and women in North America, to assist in his effort. Denny's plan brings some success, executing two of the CAPSTONE team, and managing to send the rest scattering for safety. Come along, as Zack takes on the bad guys, in a head-to-head battle for the heart and soul of the American People.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669834540

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Copyright © 2022 by D.L Brumley.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 06/21/2022

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Contents

Acknowledgement

List of Characters

Prologue

Chapter 1 DC Rendezvous

Chapter 2 Welcome to the Jungle

Chapter 3 Majorca Circumstance

Chapter 4 Trouble in Paradise

Chapter 5 Old School Dandy

Chapter 6 The Seduction of Ting

Chapter 7 Credi Potest

Chapter 8 Pearl Harbor Exchange

Chapter 9 The Great Escape

Chapter 10 The Sleeping Giant Awakes

Chapter 11 Exposing a Spy

Chapter 12 The Place of Strength

Chapter 13 Stand Down John

Chapter 14 Drop off on North Monroe

Chapter 15 KL Calamity

Chapter 16 Shopping for Trouble

Chapter 17 The Hurt Locker

Chapter 18 The Missing Tapes

Chapter 19 Key Suspicions

Chapter 20 Oklahoma Get Together

Chapter 21 Target Sighted

Chapter 22 Felonious Temptation

Chapter 23 Hisyam’s Dilemma

Chapter 24 Swimming with the Fish

Chapter 25 Our Man Flint

Chapter 26 Lord Have Mercy

Chapter 27 The Promised Land

Chapter 28 Beating the Odds

Chapter 29 Utopia

Chapter 30 Death Pays a Visit

Chapter 31 The Farmer in the Dell

Chapter 32 Eighty Acres

Chapter 33 Healing the Body

Chapter 34 Light at the End of the Tunnel

Chapter 35 Healing the Heart

Chapter 36 Escape at the 38th

Chapter 37 A Stunning Revelation

Chapter 38 Chinese Checker

Chapter 39 Remedy in Arlington

Chapter 40 The Consortium

Chapter 41 Kwan’s Finale

Chapter 42 Meeting of the Minds

Chapter 43 Junjie’s Quietus

Chapter 44 In Extremis

Chapter 45 The Government Strikes

Chapter 46 Life’s Lessons Learned Well

Chapter 47 Letting go

Chapter 48 Starting Over

Chapter 49 Fortunate Son…and Daughter

Chapter 50 The Sanction

Chapter 51 The Real Deal

Chapter 52 Out of the Fire and into the Frying Pan

Acknowledgement

To family and friends who have supported me through the entirety of bringing this book to life.

List of Characters

CAPSTONE-X Team

Senator Charles Clyborne, Founder

Penny Waterson, Conservative Activist; wife of Senator Clyborne

Zack Stone, Former US Army Special Ops

Marty Bellenkamp, CEO. Former US Army Special Ops

Reggie Yarborough, Former US Army Special Ops

Kyle Faulkner, Former US Army Special Ops, assassinated by order of Denny Craven

Bobby Littler, Former Navy Seal

Dounia Al Zanawi, Former Kingdom of Bahrain Army Special Ops, Assassinated by order of Denny Craven

Belinda Armona, Civilian Employee

Kor Risik Diraja, Royal Intelligence Corps of Malaysia

Lt. General Dato Abdul Haji Muhammid, Director of the KRD

Colonel Mohammed Rahman bin Osman, Chief of KRD Special Branch, Assassinated by PRC Special Operations

Lt. Raji, Colonel Rahman’s Aide.

Corporal Chan, driver

Lt. Colonel Hisyam bin Rasyid, Deputy Chief of KRD Special Branch

Major Habib bin Samad, Executive Officer, KRD Special Branch

Sergeant Major Brahma Singh, Senior Enlisted Advisor, KRD Special Branch

Lieutenant Lee Tin, Special Ops, KRD

Lieutenant Chun An, Special Ops, KRD

Lieutenant Fang Hui-Chao, Special Ops, KRD

People’s Republic of China

He Huan Cui (Swee), President of China

Chan-ging Li, Chief of Intelligence

Da Jiang Zhao, Recruiting Division

Junjie Lei Shih, Recruiting Division, eliminated by Zack Stone

CIA

Director of CIA, William Hemsley

Denny Cravens, Chief of Special Activities Division, CIA, eliminated by Zack Stone

John Wahl, Deputy Chief, Special Activities Division, CIA

Alice Rothschild, Secretary, Special Activities Division, CIA, Assassinated by order of Denny Craven

Meagan Landry, Replacement Secretary for Alice Rothschild

Director’s Scheduler, David Miller

Director’s Secretary, Wilma Ford

Washington Power Players

Mike Spencer, President of the United States

Constantine Handy Heinrich, Chief of Staff

Ambassador William Stanhausen, Exec Branch IG

Lonnie Howard, VP of the United States

Stanley R. Vincent, Director of National Intelligence

Timothy Smith, Director of NSA

LTG Malcom Cavanaugh, Director of DIA

Ambassador Neil O’Casey, Secretary of State

LTG William Stark, Commandant, Special Operations Command

Benson Pomeroy, Director of FBI

Lenny Black, Deputy Director of FBI

Dansby Hollister, Attorney General

Consortium Task Force

President Mike Spencer

Attorney General Dansby Hollister

Director of the FBI, William Cone

Director of the U.S. Marshall’s Service, John Macy

Chief of the Capitol Police, David Peltry

LTG William Stark, Commandant, Special Operations Command

The Consortium

Avery Scorsese, U.S. World Bank

Senator Brown, Illinois

Senator Selby, California

Senator Fontaine, Michigan

Representative Kramer, Oregon

Representative Talbot, Virginia

Representative Moreno, California

Representative Cardoff, Ohio

Foley Herman, SAMCO Oil

Whit Ventura, Northwestern Oil

Vernon Cox, Value King Discount Stores

Julien Duran, Canadian Trades and Commodities Commission

Enrique Aguilar, Sinaloa Cartel of Mexico

Oliver Sandusky, CAL Software Inc.

General Harold Hassenbach, U.S. Army

General Clip Branch, U.S. Marine Corps

Admiral John Phillips, U.S. Navy

Benjamin Tuttle, U.S. Airways

Tom Hardy, Eastern Dock Workers Union

Sherman Rockland, SCADUS Pharmaceuticals

Others

Ben Sparrow, Ex-U.S. Army Special Ops, friend of Zack Stone

Wilson, Assassin for hire

Jake Lemon, Assassin for hire, killed in shootout with Fargo, ND Police Department

Alonso Zee, Assassin for hire

Devereaux Chuchoteur de cheval, Assassin for hire

Solly Granger, ex-CIA friend of Zack Stone, Assassinated by order of Denny Craven

Arwyn Flint, Private Detective, and close friend of Sen. Clyborne

Dorn, Coordinator of Hawaiian abduction team

Rupert, Man in charge of abduction team

Blaise, soldier

Danny, soldier

Makani, trailer/spotter

Din, North Korean Intelligence Officer

Kwan, Ethnic N. Korean Chinese assassin, eliminated by Zack Stone

Mel Eastlick, Currency Expert, Dallas, Texas

If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission properly.

____David Hackworth

Prologue

The 3.5 L V6 engine whined in protest, the tires losing traction with a loud squeal, fishtailing wildly. Stoltz quickly regained control and floored it, pulling quickly away from the back of the safe house. Speeding along Sixth Street North in Arlington, Stoltz was making a beeline for Reagan Airport. He wanted to put as much distance between the van and the safe house as possible, in the shortest amount of time. He finally slowed to a more moderate speed to stay out of trouble with any local cops that may be nearby.

Barely escaping with their lives, each of the three would-be assassins had reached a level of frustration none had experienced before. Denny had once again slipped through their fingers. The perfect chance to put Denny away for good, had been wasted. Each knew they had been out maneuvered, and they were none too happy about it.

How the hell does this guy manage to keep one step ahead of us, asked Zack? He must have the best network of informants on the planet. There was no way this guy could have known we were in town. He does work for the Agency though, so I am sure he has every mode of transportation into DC monitored. Airports, train stations, bus depots or anything else that could bring a person to the area. I would not be surprised if he monitored cabs.

Stotlz said, In Germany, we monitor all computer systems of known transportation entities around the clock. That is how we found out about Demitri Pasternak. He is the man Denny hired to kill Sandra. I would bet a penny the CIA has every computer in Washington DC wired directly into a central location in Langley. The man can’t be that smart Zack. He is getting help from somewhere.

You’re right Stoltz. But also, Denny is just plain lucky sometimes.

Dounia had been silently chastising herself for not taking the shot she had with Denny right in her sites. Guys, I had him right in my sites, and didn’t get a shot off. Sure, would have made things turn out better than they did. As she set seething about the missed opportunity, she chuckled a bit about the way things had gone at Denny’s safe house.

It’s okay Dounia, said Zack. You were a bit handicapped as we were working under minimum damage operations. There was no reason to take a chance on hitting one or more of the guards. Funny I say that now after we had to shoot our way out the back of the house and took out four guys anyway.

I know, but still. I just feel bad we missed our chance to get this pig.

Well, right now, we need to think about what is next. Denny is going to put people out on the street to find us. We need to pull out of DC for now and get together later, in a month or so. The next time, we will come in under deep cover. Zack, Dounia and Stoltz will assume different identities. Perhaps, we will get lucky and get word that he is travelling somewhere. He sure would be easier to get to if that happens.

Stoltz said, Yeah, I am thinking the same thing about getting out of here. I have resources to get me out of this area and back to Germany that Denny couldn’t possibly know about.

Good. Dounia and I are going to get our collective tails down to Key West. That is where we told the Senator we were going to be anyway. That good with you Dounia?

Yes, I think all three of us could use some down time. I need to get Denny Craven off my mind for a while.

They pulled into the rental car area at Reagan at ten minutes to five. After quickly turning in the keys and getting their final receipt, they cabbed to their hotel in Tyson’s Corner. When they arrived at the Staybridge Suites Stoltz said, Let’s go up to my room. You still want to call Alice Rothschild before we leave don’t you?

Yes. It is after Five PM so she may not be there. I can tell her to call my phone just as soon as she gets the message. If she is as scared as I think she is, she will call.

When the three got to Stoltz’ room, Zack looked in his phone’s favorites list and found her number. He remembered entering the office number months ago, given to him by Sandra Casey. He pushed the dial button and waited for a connection.

The message box was activated and Alice’s voicemail came on. You have reached Alice Rothschild, Secretary for the Special Activities Division. I am either away from my desk, or currently on the phone with someone else. After the beep, please leave your name and number and I will return your call just as soon as possible. Thank you and have a nice day.

Zack waited for the beep, then said, Sorry I missed you Alice. This is Zack Stone, a friend of Sandra Casey’s. She may have mentioned me to you sometime during the recent past. I know the situation that you find yourself in and I would like to talk with you and see if we can help each other out. My number is 301-373-1299. I will look forward to your call very soon.

Hmmph, guess we missed her.

Why don’t we order up a snack Zack, asked Dounia? I am a hungry soldier right now. Haven’t eaten since this morning.

Great idea, said Stoltz. I could use a bite to eat myself. What say yee Zack?

Sure I am all for a bite. You two go ahead and order. Please get me a coffee and pastry Dounia, if you don’t mind. Appreciate it. I want to do a little more research on Ms. Rothschild while we are waiting. Her name sounds very familiar, maybe like the Rothschilds of Europe or something.

Dounia said to Stoltz, Hey I am going to run up to our room, shower up, and change my clothes. I feel kind of grimy right now.

Ok. And since I know there is no such thing as a quick shower for a woman, I will be sitting here enjoying a good book.

Oh haha Mr. Smarty. I will be back here in half an hour.

So that is your idea of a quick shower?

While Dounia and Stoltz were busy fussing with each other, Zack looked up Alice Rothschild’s personal data sheet. It took him awhile to find it, but he did find it. He was able to find the sheet, by carefully going through the CIA’s unclassified web-site and following all of the correct prompts. Once he got to the personnel roster, he was able to locate the personal data sheets filed by phone numbers. How very clever these people at Langley are Zack was thinking.

For the next half hour he ran through Alice’s data sheet, and in the family history section found an interesting fact about her. She was indeed from a well know family, the daughter of Conrad and Chelsey Rothschild, and the granddaughter of Aline Caroline de Rothschild of the Austrian banking family. Zack could not help but wonder how the grandchild of a famous banking family ever wound up in the United States working for the Central Intelligence Agency. If I ever have a chance to ask her I am going to.

Stoltz had showered, and sat patiently waiting for Dounia. He knew she would not be back in half an hour, so when she finally did arrive he was sitting on the couch reading a car magazine. He was all set to give her the smug look.

Forty-Five minutes later, Dounia knocked on the door twice and entered. She stood looking down at Stoltz and said, OK wise guy. Go ahead and say it.

Zack was laughing under his breath and finally said, Hey, why don’t we try this. The two of you go and get our snack. Time’s a wasting.

Dounia and Stoltz laughed, then went and got the food.

Geez, said Zack outloud. Those two are having way too much fun. Details, people, details."

Five minutes after the two jokers left the room, there was a light tapping at the room door. Now why are those two knocking, Zack asked himself. I wonder if they forgot the room key.

● ● ●

In a rather seedy part of Beijing, just behind a cold store on the triangle corner of Jingshen Road and Dashisanli Road, a man wearing jeans, a t-shirt with Chinese writing on it, and a patch over his left eye, sat looking at his latest recruits. Junjie Lei Shih, a highly placed operative in the Recruiting Section of the Chinese Department of Intelligence, was meeting with his recruits for last minute instructions. Lieutenants Lee Tin, Chun An, and Fang Hui-Chao, all had family in the People’s Republic of China, and no choice but to cooperate with Junjie. Although their relatives were extended family, some whom they didn’t personally know, the three officers were not in a position to say no to the man with the patch covering one eye. After all, it was just a short fly south to their immediate families in Malaysia.

The three young Lieutenants had just finished the Chinese Army’s Command and Staff College, sent there by the Malaysian Army. It was hoped that the three could work passive intelligence gathering while there, but the Chinese Government had different ideas. Not only had they been caught gathering information to send back to the KDR in Kuala Lumpur, the Chinese had turned the tables on them. Under threat of family members being killed, all were being forced to act as operatives for the Chinese Department of Intelligence. As they were indoctrinated by their handler, each had willingly accepted this most difficult situation, or at least this is what they led the Chinese to believe.

All were members of the Malaysian Kor Risik Diraja, assigned to the Special Branch. This branch bore a striking resemblance to the CIA’s Special Activities Division. They were part of a team that worked world-wide missions of apprehension and elimination of Malaysia’s enemies. Lieutenant Lee was eyeballing their tormentor, but he did it without showing it. This prick is going to get his someday.

It is most fortunate that you have all decided to cooperate with us. Considering the alternative I commend you all on a wise choice. We are not asking you to spy for us gentlemen. We already have people in place that do that. Rather, we would like you to do the job that you have been trained to do. Only along with finding and eliminating Malaysia’s enemies, from time to time you may have an additional job of getting rid of one of our targets. Should you passively discover information that will assist in that additional job, by all means, use it. Do not question the assignments that we give you. Just take care of business.

Yes sir, said the three Chinese-Malay Lieutenants. The three were a bit unsure about how to deal with the man with the patch over his eye. They knew him only as Junjie, but did not know what roll he played in the Chinese Military apparatus other than he was an intelligence officer. Lee’s fear was what Junjie might possibly do to his family. Lee actually was not afraid of the person Junjie, but rather his power to do what he said he would do if there was no cooperation. So I will play this assholes little game and go along with it for the benefit of getting the hell out of this place.

A final warning to you gentlemen. Every move you make will be watched by our people. And probably your people. Do not get overly complacent. It will not serve you well. Remember, live your lives and do your job, and by all means do not get caught doing what we are asking you to do. I doubt very seriously if your Colonel Mohammed Rahman would be happy with you killing people that he has not specifically designated for elimination. A real weakness of his.

Gentlemen, I bid you farewell and I expect to hear great things are being done by you for the People’s Republic of China.

Yes sir, and farewell, they all said in unison, as if reciting a poem." Lee added a thought to the farewell. Yeah you dog, farewell for good. I do hope I never you again, because if we should find ourselves on an even playing, you are history.

After the Malay officers had departed, a man of considerable heighth and girth came from behind a curtained off portion of the room. He walked, or rather wobbled, to the table where Junjie sat and took a seat across from him. As he placed his large derriere on the chair, it squeeked loudly in protest at the significant weight that had been deposited upon it. Junjie was a bit concerned, afraid that the gentleman might actually crush the chair and hurt himself.

Junjie you have done great work for the party. I assure you that these recruitments will be noticed by the Chairman. You will be rewarded for your efforts, I promise you that.

Chan-ging, I thank you. Coming from you as Chief of Intelligence these words are reward enough for me. It is my duty to ensure that all of China is protected from the uncivilized barbarians that are our enemies. It will not happen on my watch, great one.

I thank you for your assurances Junjie. You and I have been together a very long time in service to our country. We must continue to stop at nothing until all of these vermin are wiped from the face of the earth. Our reward awaits us in another life Junjie, but it doesn’t hurt to be recognized for one’s efforts on behalf of the Party in this life.

That is true great one, but it is you who deserves the recognition, not I. You have led us for what, over twenty years now, and we have methodically beaten back our enemies under your leadership. It is my wish that the Party would recognize your efforts and move you higher in the leadership chain. It would be Intel’s loss, but it is much deserved great one.

Chan-ging smiled and said, I appreciate your acknowledgement of my service Junjie, but moving up in the party is not an easy process. I could have pissed someone off back when I was a young Sergeant in the Army. You never know what will come back to bite you in the ass. Chan-ging chuckled for a moment, then said, And my friend, as you can see, I have a lot of ass that can be bitten."

The two spies laughed with each other for a few moments, then Chan-ging said, Let us retire to the front for tea. A nice green tea with several Tao Su would hit the spot right now. Don’t you think so?

Yes sir. After you.

● ● ●

Penny, why do I suspect that Zack is in DC to take on Denny Cravens with only Dounia as backup? I told him not to go there, but he and Dounia both headed straight there when we let the whole team go on these two weeks of downtime. I do not know why that boy will not listen to my instructions. A couple of months ago I wanted him to rid us of Denny. Said he was not able to do it then because he was still in the army. And now he can’t wait to kill him.

Penny lay on the white sandy beach in Majorca just feet from their private villa. They had opted for a resort in Cala Tuent and both were extremely happy with their choice. Penny lay on a towel, her lithe, supple body completely unclothed and sucking up the afternoon sun. They had enjoyed two whole days of being away from CAPSTONE business and she was now a bit irked with Charles for talking business. After a moment of acrid silence, she finally said, Charles, I like Zack. I say that because he has good instincts, and I trust his judgement. However, I will give you this. He is a bit of a know-it-all at times. He has convinced himself that he is right about everything. What can we do about that? It is like damned if you do, damned if you don’t agree with what he is doing.

I think it might be time to reign him in a little. Yes, the CIA did kill his father. Denny Craven had his God-father Colonel Good shot. Craven even sent a group out to Colorado intending to kill him. With all of that on his mind, I think that getting Denny has finally taken over his every waking thought.

Well think about it Charles. Put yourself in his place. The two men who meant most to him gunned down like dogs in the street. I am surprised he has kept himself together this long.

You are right of course. However, think back to when we formed this little venture. We both agreed that operations were going to be legal and accomplished in a strict and orderly fashion. Those we hire are not going to run off half-cocked on personal vendettas. When it gets personal, we have lost touch with what our mission is. None of this can be personal. Ever.

You are right Charles. Now, can we just enjoy our time here? A beautiful villa, beautiful beach, and two beautiful, horny people loving every minute of it. Please.

I hear you Penny, and I am sorry for spoiling our enjoyable time. What say we go wash our backs, rub each other all over with oil, and be naughty?

What a disgusting thing Charles, she snickered. But count me in. She jumped up and ran howling and laughing up to the pool, not caring if anyone saw her nudity at all. Penny knew she had a body to kill for and really kind of enjoyed teasing onlookers. She grabbed a large beach towel, spread it out, and quickly lay on her stomach. When Charles arrived a moment later, she said, Dibs on the first oil rubbing.

I am married to a selfish woman, aren’t I dear?

‘Come over here and I will show you how selfish I can be. But I warn you, it could cause your heart to beat rapidly for a while."

The two of them laughed, until they could laugh no more. When they finished their lovemaking, Penny whispered into Charles ear, I love you. For an old man you are a fantastic lover.

Charles rolled over and smacked her playfully on her tanned ass. I’ll show you old. You’re rather good yourself my love. I love you back a million times over gorgeous.

● ● ●

Colonel Mohammed Rahman bin Osman and his deputy Lt. Colonel Hisyam bin Rasyid sat having lunch together in the Royal Intelligence Corps’ Officer’s Club. They were dining on succulent Peking duck with roasted mixed vegetables, and lots of Roti Canai made from flour, eggs, and ghee (Indian butter).

How is your Duck Hisyam, asked Colonel Rahman with his mouth full of his own?

To die for Rahman. The two men had been lifelong friends and to each there was no rank between them. When in mixed company, the two would add the cumbersome titles Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel when speaking.

We have many officers returning to base today. Three from China, three from the United States, and two from Canada. I hope that the Command and Staff training they have received will help each become better officers.

Better Intelligence Officers, isn’t that what you mean Rahman?

Well, yes. Rahman chuckled a bit about his oversight. Then he got a serious look on his face. I am still a bit miffed with Lieutenant General Haji, sending three Malay Chinese to China for training. We all know how Chinese Intelligence can easily turn ethnic Chinese, even if ethnic Malay Chinese. With complete support of their government, the Chinese Intelligence people are experts at extracting information from anyone. Our country is about to get past all the difficulties between Malays, Chinese, and Indians and I for one am happy about it. To send these three to China though, was an exceptionally large mistake, I think. It will be in our best interest to keep a close eye on these three individuals.

You may be right Rahman. Would you like me to debrief them and see if I note anything out of the ordinary?

You might want to bring in Sergeant Major Brahma and give him a crack at them. He is an excellent de-briefer and will know right off if there are any issues with them.

I can do that, but Brahma can be a bit caustic at times. He may go overboard, and they may clam up.

We can keep him in reserve then, if needed.

What’s for desert Hisyam?

I would love some of that Sago Gula Melaka (pudding) I saw on the serving cart earlier.

Yes, that would be great, but I think I am going to go with the Pulut Durian. I love how westerners turn their noses up at the smell of Durian. They really don’t know what they are missing.

Not far away from the Officer Club, a man lay down his headsets. This man had been listening to the entire conversation that the Colonel and Lt. Colonel had just finished. So, you two want to play hardball huh? Well, you are taking on an opponent that you have no chance to get the better of.

The man was quickly on the phone with his boss at Special Branch in Beijing. Junjie, we may have a problem. It is just as you said it would be sir. The KRD plan to interrogate the three lieutenants just as soon as they return. In addition, they will be watched closely until the Colonel is satisfied that they are still loyal to Malaysia.

Mr. Ho, you have done well. If the KRD gets too nosey, it may be necessary for you to deal with them, uhm, in a not so enjoyable way.

I understand Junjie. I await further instructions sir. I’m out unless you have something else sir.

No, nothing. Until we speak again Mr. Ho.

● ● ●

The waves at Waimea Bay were coming ashore big and fast, crashing loudly down on the wet sand. The North Shore breaks on the island of Oahu were quite dangerous this time of year, often reaching heights of up to 40 feet. Already this month 2 surfers had been killed when the full force of a 40 foot wave took them crashing down to the ground literally crushing every bone in their bodies. If you didn’t ride the wave properly speeding along the curl sideways, getting pummeled by one of the waves was a real possiblility.

Reggie and Belinda were laying on the beach sunning their pale bodies, hoping to have a smoking hot tan by the end of their vacation. They were amazed at the courage of the Hawaiian born surfers who took on these waves seemingly unconcerned. Reggie had done a little surfing when he was younger, and was itching to try one of the big waves. But his rational mind protected him from doing something stupid like getting hurt, or even killed if he tried it.

For those on shore watching the break of the waves, it seemed as if a tidal wave was headed towards them. Amazingly after each wave crested and fell it would go no more than fifty feet onto the shore. Belinda asked Reggie, How does the water stop so fast? I mean as the water comes in, it is coming in at a very rapid pace. Its as if there is an invisible force holding the waves in check.

You know Belinda, I’m not sure. It probably has something to do with the down slope of the beach towards the waters edge, and the powerful undercurrent that the waves make. I think possibly most of the water is taken back out with the undercurrent and very little manages to actually get to the beach.

Well if that’s the case that sure explains it. As much as I love our time here on North Beach, I want nothing to do with taking on one of those monsters. Of course I sink when I swim anyway, so no way could I possibly surf.

What say we go back to the hotel and get in some pool and suana time.

Okay. Can we get an afternoon brunch and drink first. I’m not really hungry, but I could use a light bowl of soup, and perhaps a Kona would go nice with it.

Yeah, lets do that. I’ll have a beer with you, but I will pass on the soup.

The two lovebirds walked towards the parking area where they had parked their 50CC scooters that they had rented for the week. They returned to their hotel in less than 10 minutes, parked the bikes at the bike rental long term parking area, then walked quickly to the hotel lounge and bar. A waitress was all over the two of them in a matter of seconds. Belinda ordered a bowl of minestrone soup and a Kona, while Reggie ordered a Kona.

As the two sat and enjoyed their conversation, Reggie notice a man across the lounge looking at him. The man diverted his eyes quickly, but Reggie recognized him from the beach. As he sat there pondering if there was any significance attached to the man being at both the beach and the lounge when they were there, the waitress interrupted his thoughts by placing the order on their table. Ahh, said Reggie. Thank you so much. Belinda nodded her thanks with a mouth full of soup.

After the waitress departed, Reggie looked directly at Belinda and said, Love, I want you to leisurely look toward the table near the entry door behind you. Don’t look yet. When you do I want you to tell me if you recognize him. Get up, go to the bathroom and when you return take a long look at him. Got it?

Belinda looked at Reggie with a concerned look on her face. Of course I will do that Reggie, but I’d like to know what you are thinking.

Let me explain that when you return from the bathroom. I don’t want to clog up your mind with things before you see if you have seen him before.

OK. I’ll be back in a few minutes. She rose and said out loud, Sorry Reg but nature calls. Be right back. Belinda walked behind Reggie as the bathrooms were near the bar which was directly behind him.

In Reggie’s peripheral vision, he could see the man’s head turn toward Belinda as she walked out. He did not look directly at the man for fear of spooking him, but he certainly knew that the man was curious about every move he or Belinda made. Reggie said to himself, he may be looking at Belinda because of her attractive behind, but the coincidence of being at the two places they had been was rubbing Reggie the wrong way.

Belinda took the appropriate amount of time it would normally take her to take care of business in the bathroom. She finished in the stall, then brushed her hair and touched up her lipstick at the sink. A lady was at another sink and asked, Are you enjoying your time here? My husband and I are here for our tenth anniversary, and I swear by all that is mighty that his desire for me has increased significantly.

Belinda smiled and said, Places like Hawaii will do that to husbands and wives. She chuckled briefly, then added, I can’t keep my guy away from me for more than 5 minutes.

The two women had a few more minutes of conversation then snickering lightly said their goodbyes. Maybe we will see each other again.

Sure thing. The island isn’t that big, Belinda laughed. The woman got a good chuckle from Belinda’s comment too.

A minute later Belinda entered the eating portion of the lounge and took a good long look at the man Reggie said he wanted her to see. Oh yeah, I saw that guy down at the beach. He was watching the waves just like we were.

Sorry I took so long Reggie, but I was chit chatting with a very friendly and talkative woman. Her and her husband are here celebrating their tenth anniversary.

So, did you recognize the man there?

Yes I did as a matter-of-fact. He was down at the North Shore beach watching the big waves, not to far from where we were. I thought it a bit odd as he was there alone. Not many people go to the beach alone.

Yeah, I mean, it is just a coincidence that he and us were at both places at the same time. However, you know my business. Our first instinct is to notice people. I caught him looking at me a while ago. As soon as I looked at him, he turned away. Classic sign of someone who is following you.

Do you really think he is following us babe? If he is, he is good at it, because I never even saw him between the beach and here. Reggie, why does it seem like someone is always following us or spying on us. The longer we are together, the more nervous I am becoming. Is this something I should be alarmed about?

I don’t think it’s anything to worry about Belinda, but I damn sure noticed him looking at us.

That’s what I mean Reggie. Seems your red flag is always up. Do you ever get a chance to relax?

-Chapter One-

DC Rendezvous

Zack looked through the peephole to see who was knocking. A rather tall woman stood there, a wide-brimmed hat covering most of her face. Zack could only see her mouth and chin. Well now, who is this?

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to Zack. She was probably at the wrong room looking for a friend or relative. He decided to open the door just wide enough, so that he could talk face-to-face with her.

Can I help you ma’am, he said as he opened the door. His right hand was holding the grip of his 9MM, his index finger on the side of the trigger.

Yes sir, I think you can help me, and perhaps I can help you. My name is Alice Rothschild, Denny Craven’s secretary.

Oh Ms. Rothschild. I was just looking at your data sheet. Did you get my voice mail Ms. Rothschild? As he spoke, he loosened his grip on his pistol, then let it rest in the holster.

Indeed, I did Mr. Stone.

Please, come on in. You sure got here quickly. I only called maybe half an hour ago. Zack opened the door just a bit wider so that the woman could enter the room. As he started to close the door, he caught a glimpse of movement down the corridor. On second look, it was gone. Nothing but an empty hallway. Hmmm, what is going on here he thought to himself. Zack locked the door and joined Ms. Rothschild at the table in the small kitchenette area of the room.

Do you know if you were followed Ms. Rothschild? I am quite sure I saw movement down the hallway when you entered the room.

I don’t think so Mr. Stone, but anything’s possible I guess.

Well that aside, should I be worried that you know my name Ms. Rothschild? We have never met before. He was smiling at her when he said it.

Nothing to worry about Mr. Stone. Your picture is in your file. It was not difficult for me to see that you are Zack Stone once you opened the door.

Ah, I see. It is nice to meet you. Did Sandra tell you about me Ms. Rothschild?

Mr. Stone it is a pleasure to meet you and Sandra did mention you to me. She spoke very highly of you Mr. Stone, the professional’s professional. She also said I could trust you and if I ever needed your help, I should find you. Well, I found you, and I really need your help.

How did you find me Ms. Rothschild? This is not my room. It belongs to my partner.

Yes, I know. I also know about your partner, Mr. Stoltz. Sandra said I could trust him as well. In fact, he saved Sandra’s life over in Germany not too long ago. Completely foiled the attempt on her life.

You obviously are quite enterprising, being able to find us. How did you know we were at this hotel?

I checked the agency’s, uhm, records winky, and saw that Mr. Stoltz was registered here. I jumped to a big assumption, that being, if Stoltz was here, then you probably were here too. Your record indicates the two of you have worked together several times in the past. Had you not been here, Mr. Stoltz could help me find you. When you called, I was sitting down in the lobby. I am one of those people that forwards my office phone to my cell when I am out of the building at Langley. I saw you when you got here about an hour ago. I overheard Mr. Stoltz when he said let’s go to my room. When I saw the two of you my heart jumped for joy. You entered with a woman that I do not know.

By records, I am assuming that Langley has access to all hotel records in the greater metropolitan area of DC.

That’s right Mr. Stone. Langley can find about anyone when they want to. I took advantage of the system, so I could meet you and ask for your help.

The door to the room opened and Zack went into immediate security mode. His 9MM was out of his shirt in a matter of a split second. The fact that it was Stoltz and Dounia mattered not. When he saw them, he lowered the weapon and put it back in his shoulder holster. After seeing the movement in the hallway earlier, he was just a bit on edge anyway.

Dounia said, Well will you look at this. I go away for a few minutes, and you already have another woman in the room. Hi, I am Dounia al Zanawi, and I thought Zack was my boyfriend. She smiled at Alice, which brought a titter of laughter from her.

Oh, no worries, Miss, I am a confirmed spinster. I like men, but not really interested in a relationship just yet.

Then I think I should spend time together with you a little more often. I love Zack, but he can be a pain in the ass.

That broke the ice as all four of them got a good laugh from that one.

Bernard, Dounia, I would like to introduce you to Alice Rothschild, Denny’s secretary.

They exchanged pleasantries followed by a bit of small talk amongst the four. After a few minutes, Zack explained to Stoltz and Dounia how she had found them.

How fascinating, said Stoltz. I am going to have to bring this to the attention of our intelligence department back home to see if we can do the same. Hope you don’t mind Ms. Rothschild.

Please, everyone calls me Alice. And no, I don’t mind, if you don’t ask me how we do it. The coy look on her face indicated that she was now playing with them a bit."

Oh no ma’am I’d never do that, said Stoltz, rolling his eyes upward as a gesture of his goofing around with her."

Anyway, Zack stated, what is it that we can help you with Ms. Ro…, uhm, Alice?"

I am sure you already know that I am a plant by President Spencer. He specifically put me in the Special Activities Division to keep both a recorded and written record of Denny Craven’s activities. When Sandra Casey took over as Acting Director, then later Assistant Director, we worked together as a team appointed to monitor Denny. I am here to tell you; I know beyond any doubt that Denny had Sandra killed. I am also here to solicit your protection because I think I am his next target. If he has not yet figured out, I am a plant, it is only a matter of time. All the loose lips in this town make it impossible to keep something like this hidden for very long. Denny is a paranoid schizophrenic type person, not to mention an evil one. He takes no medication and really is quite egotistical about himself. In his mind, he can do no wrong. Killing me would be like swatting a fly to him. And do you know what is so funny? He treats me very well, never bogs me down with routine work, and only on rare occasion does he even ask me to get him coffee.

Interesting story. However, I am sure you know, he can charm the socks off anyone if it will get him the information he needs. Why are you staying with that psycho in charge? Have you gone to President Spencer with this yet? Or anyone else for that matter?

Yes, I have. However, he keeps asking me to stay because of the information that I am accumulating on Denny. I try to tell him I am in danger, but I think he does not know how in danger I really am. I work with this sick bastard, and he slips a little more toward insanity every day. I really think he can go off his nut one day and kill every person around him. You know, going postal, so to speak.

Oh, there is no doubt about that. You may not have yet heard that we took a crack at eliminating him earlier today. We did not accomplish anything other than walking into a well-planned kill zone by that crazy son of a bitch. We are all lucky that we got out of it alive. It was as if he knew we were coming after him, but we cannot figure out how he could have known. Any ideas?

I am certain it is someone working at Clearwater Farms who told him you were coming to Washington. Well, at least you and Dounia. He did not know you were coming Mr. Stoltz, but I am sure that is of little comfort to any of you at this point.

The only people that knew we were coming to DC were members of our private security firm, CAPSTONE-X.

Alice looked meaningfully into Zack’s eyes, and before she could say a word, Zack threw his empty coffee cup across the room. The cup did not break, but it fell behind a bed on that side of the room. Zack stood rigid, with his eyes closed and turned a shade of red that Dounia had never seen on him before. He finally let out his breath and seemed to calm a little.

Are you telling us we have a mole?

No, not necessarily a mole to my knowledge

Then who at the ranch is working for Denny?

I do not know, but I have intercepted several e-mails from someone calling themselves Gray Fox. The e-mails are gibberish, like how are you sir, yada-yada-yada. But. If you have the key to breaking the code, you can read it plain as day. I happen to have that key. I lifted it from Denny’s desk and made a copy for myself."

So, who is this Gray Fox?

I have yet to figure that out. Denny constantly puts pressure on those he hires to get immediate results. Knowing that, an educated guess would be that an intermediary has gotten to someone on the inside. Likely it is one of the household employees.

OMG Dounia. All the help have free reign over every inch of Clearwater Farms. That is somewhere around twenty-five people. I thought Penny told us they were all checked out, vetted, background checks, the whole works.

Zack, unless she told you before I came on the scene. She never said a word to me about any of the help.

Well, I will be put on a spit and hog roasted. Denny has a line directly into the Farm. How in the hell did he slip somebody past the Senator and Penny? I just want to throw up right now. When you and I decided we were coming here, we were talking about it in the open. Any of those people could have heard what we were talking about. You do know that we are lucky to be alive right now, don’t you?

Such is the world of Denny Cravens, said Alice. He has spies in every agency in the United States and a lot of them around the world. He has at least one person in all the European, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and South American countries. He can reach out and grab information from anyone, anywhere, whenever he needs it."

I must give Denny credit for being able to get inside Clearwater, but we ourselves gave up the information. I wonder what else the psycho knows. If any of our team have secrets, he probably knows about it and won’t hesitate to exploit it.

So, Mr. Stone, you see the situation I am in. I have got to get out of here and hide somewhere Denny will never find me.

Why don’t you go to the president Alice? Surely the President of the United States can manage this.

You would think so wouldn’t you Mr. Stone. I know he is trying to stop Denny the best way he knows how. But. As he told me, Denny has people everywhere and if he were to hide me, those people would keep snooping until they found me. To tell you the truth, President Spencer is a bit afraid of Denny. Not physically, because the president would kick his ass. It is what Denny can have done to him and his family that he is afraid.

"As he should be. Denny can reach out and touch anyone whenever he wants. So, what would you have me do? I am more than willing to help you. However, you should at least tell the president that you are going into hiding.

Mr. Stone, I thought about that too, but no, I will not tell the president. Too many bad people around him.

Did you bring all of the evidence against Denny with you?

"I have it in a safety deposit box at my bank. It is the only place I could think of that is even close to safe. However, bank officials can be bought, so who really knows if it is safe. I also have a copy on a thumb drive that only I know how to find. I will not tell you that location. If, and when the time comes to get it, only you and I Mr. Stone will go to retrieve it.

That is incredibly wise of you Alice. Do you need to get anything from your office?

No, there is nothing there of value to me. I am ready to go Mr. Stone, wherever it is I should go. Got a bag downstairs, which I need to get by the way. I will empty my checking and savings accounts out Monday morning, and I have all my identification documents and my passport. I will call my landlord and tell him I have moved and that he can have anything that I left.

"Okay then. We will take you to your bank to get whatever you have in the safety deposit box, as well as to get your money. I have a friend, a very trusted friend, close to here. You will stay in his house and be more than safe there. He has a room, in his attic that is more like an efficiency apartment and everything you need for your comfort is already in place. Food, toiletries, a television, even a desktop computer. Stay off all social media accounts that you have for obvious reasons. Once we can put together where your destination will be, we will make transportation arrangements to get you there. Do you have relatives still living in Austria Alice?

Yes, I have several cousins living in Vienna, and my grandfather still lives in Salzburg. Staying with him wouldn’t work as he is under a nurse’s care.

Okay, so Austria is a possibility. I will work out the details once we get you to my friend’s house.

Will I be safe from him?

Of course. He is 78 years old. His wife passed a couple of years ago, and it was as if he had lost an appendage. You do not have to talk to him at all if you don’t want to. He understands the predicaments that people get into, and his only involvement is to hide them. Says his wife would approve of his Christian like behavior to others. Other than providing you a place to stay temporarily, his other bit of kindness is keeping out of his guests’ business.

Alice said in response, My only concern is how he has kept himself under the radar and away from Denny’s people.

He is a former CIA employee. He knows how to hide himself and others very well.

How long do you suppose I will have to stay in hiding here in the area? The quicker I can get out of this crazy city, the better I will feel and the safer I will be. She smiled, then said, Ah, to be in Vienna right now, with torts and coffee. One can only dream I guess.

Rest assured Alice, we are going to do our absolute best to make this happen as quickly as we possibly can. After what you have done for this country, you deserve it.

-Chapter Two-

Welcome to the Jungle

The three young Malay Army Lieutenants sat in the back of the Malaysian Airlines Airbus A380-800 having a refreshing mango juice and a pastry. They were about an hour out from Kuala Lumpur and were having a spirited chat. None could come to terms with the fact the Chinese Army expected them to kill on demand.

Lee Tin was expressing his immense displeasure to the others about the Chinese forcing them all into this awkward situation. Becoming an agent for a foreign country is just not my cup of tea. Yes, I am ethnic Chinese, but I am a Malaysian first. I will not do what the man with the eye patch has told us he expects of us. My inclination is to tell Colonel Rahman how the Chinese coerced us by threatening our families. What I can’t figure out is why they want us to do their killing for them. My understanding is they are pretty darn good at eliminating people quickly and quietly."

Chun An grunted his agreement. I was born in Kuala Lumpur, and I know of no other life than that of being a Malaysian Citizen. I hold no allegiance to any country other than Malaysia. The Command and Staff College there in Beijing is nothing more than a breeding ground to recruit spies. I will not do the things that this crazy eye patch guy tells us to do. And as to your question, they want to use us as scapegoats. We kill who they want us to, they have immediate plausible deniability.

It seems then we are all in agreement, said Fang Hui-Chao. The last 10 years have brought peace and stability between all the ethnic groups in Malaysia. Our Malay and Indian brothers respect the Chinese now. I will do nothing to tear that apart. It has taken our country far too long to reach this understanding with each other. My loyalty is here, not in China. Colonel Rahman is a wise leader. He will hear what we tell him with an open mind and react accordingly. And I couldn’t agree more Chun with your assessment of why they want to use us to do their dirty work. But as you said Lee, they are particularly good at elimination of people. I mean why would they even trust us to do it?

My brothers, Lee said, I am at a loss as to why they want us to do their killing. It must be as Chun has said. Create a way of denial. Anyway, I see we agree on not doing their bidding. I see remarkable things ahead for Malaysia, and like it or not, we are part of that very bright future. Being a part of something that will put our country’s name in good standing with our partners is truly something to strive for. I will be damned if China is going to take that from us. All three of us have worked far too hard to just forget all the sacrifices the three of us have made to get to this point in our careers.

The conversation continued. The trio of officers were in fact a bit afraid of what may lie ahead when they revealed what had happened to them. They all knew there were no guarantees that the outcome would be a positive one. All were, however, loyal to the country of Malaysia, and were willing to take the chance that Colonel Rahman may not receive their message well.

In a seat to their front sat an innocuous looking and quiet man, he of Korean descent. As Kwan thumbed through the pages of a magazine, he was listening to the three Lieutenants conversation via a transmitter that he had hidden near them. The fact that he was a Chinese spy never dawned on them, so they went about their conversation unconcerned. Had they known that he was a notorious killer for the People’s Republic of China, they would have clammed up immediately.

The Korean was thinking to himself as he listened. These three cannot be of Chinese descent. They run their mouths like westerners at a barbeque. I am sure Chan-ging will have me eliminate these Meongchenonghan eongdeong (dumb asses) just as soon as I tell him what they are saying. What bravado they show when not looking directly into Junjie’s one eye.

The Malaysian aircraft landed about twenty minutes later and to the Lieutenants’ surprise, they were met planeside by Lt. Colonel Hisyam, accompanied by several enlisted military police officers.

Gentlemen please follow me. Colonel Rahman is waiting in the officer’s lounge to have a chat with you. The two of us have decided to debrief you all prior to meeting with your families. Your wives and children are waiting in a separate room from the one we will be in.

Lieutenant Lee, the most outspoken of the three immediately asked, Is there a problem sir?

No young man. Not yet anyway. It depends on how the debriefing goes.

Yes sir. We will be quite forthcoming with you. In fact, it was our intention to seek an audience with you tomorrow when we reported to work. We have a lot to tell you sir. Not much of it particularly good.

Hisyam remained silent. The military policemen walked to both sides of the three officers’ politely escorting them as they followed Lt. Colonel Hisyam. Each of the Lieutenants were lost in their own thoughts, mostly thinking, Surely the brass does not think we are not loyal to Malaysia’s cause?

When the group entered the officer’s lounge, the enlisted military policemen remained in the corridor, just outside the door. Colonel Rahman stood as the three returning officers entered. I want to welcome the three of you home. You have been separated from your families for what were possibly the longest 12 weeks of your young lives. He proceeded to shake hands with each of them and offered them all a seat at a table in the middle of the room.

Lieutenant Lee was the first to speak. On behalf of my colleagues we thank you for the time that you have taken to greet us. We assume, however, that to do so signifies that somehow, we might be in hot water of some kind sir.

No Lieutenant, you are in no trouble. We did this because of where you were. No offense to your ethnic backgrounds, but the People’s Republic of China are notorious for turning people who have family members in China into active collectors of information. So, my first question is, did the Chinese Intelligence Department ask you to spy for them?

Lieutenant Lee looked at his colleagues and they both nodded for him to answer. Sir, they most certainly did. They tried to coerce us into killing their enemies when we were out on certain missions. Chan-ging Li, their Chief of intelligence directed an underling to threaten any family member inside of China that we might have with immediate extermination. We of course had to play along with the man that we would do as he asked.

Do you mean you agreed to do their bidding Lieutenant Lee?

Absolutely not sir. Our loyalties are with Malaysia. This is the only home we have ever known. It is our feeling that our Malay and Indian brothers have accepted that we are different in ethnic makeup but have only one home. Malaysia. I do not know China. I only know Malaysia sir, and I will gladly take a bullet rather than do harm to her.