Penny's Revenge

By Leonard PettyJr.

A retired Marine Corps commander, also mother of two, seeks retribution for the unthinkable murder of her two children. As she already mourns the death of her husband who was KIA in a foreign country, the loss of her children will lead her to an old adversary risen from the ashes of a drone attack ordered by Penny when she was on active duty. Her vengeance will take her around the world on the hunt for those responsible. This unique suspense thriller full of betrayal, lies, and murder will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647015565

Book preview

Chapter

1

Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith, my name is Detective Foster. Uh, is it all right if we talk, Mrs. Smith? Uh, first I must say that I’m terribly sorry for your loss, and I give you my word that my detectives and I will do everything necessary to discover why this happened to your family. But first, Mrs. Smith, I must ask you some questions to get started. Will that be all right with you?

Sitting at the end of a love seat, with her hands interlocked in her lap and in a trance, recalling the moment she recognized the knife in her little girl’s head, she didn’t respond to the detective’s question.

Mrs. Smith, did you hear me? Can I ask you some questions?

I’m sorry. Sure, Detective. Uh, what do you need to ask? Penny responded reluctantly.

Do you have any idea of anyone who would possibly want to hurt you and your family so badly? Detective Foster asked gently.

No, Detective, Penny responded quickly and surely, but in the back of her mind, she knew that the only person who would want to kill her was hiding underground or dead himself.

Looking toward the foyer as the coroner brought down the first of the gurneys, Detective Foster asked, Can you tell me what you remember of this morning? He turned toward her and sat down on the adjacent sofa.

I was preparing breakfast, and as I was finishing up, I called upstairs to Regan and Carl and didn’t get a response after a few minutes. Penny, taking a deep breath, continued. So I made my way upstairs and found my babies… Penny looked at Detective Foster with bloodshot eyes horribly red from tears and said, Dead.

There was sudden metallic clicking sound as the coroner came downstairs with the last gurney and had to release the legs to elevate it and rolled it away.

Mrs. Smith, the coroner said that your children where, uhm, the way you found them for about six or seven hours, so to say, sometime late to early this morning, maybe around midnight or so. My question to you at this point is, were you here alone, and what time did you retire for the night? As Penny was about to answer, Foster and her heard a commotion outside.

Get out of my way, damn you! A huge man in military dress was arguing with officers securing the scene. Damn it. Do you see these stars, son? If you don’t let me through right now, you’re gonna wish that whore of a mother of yours never pushed you out of her fat ass! The marine veteran admonished as he sized up the two officers. The officers looked at each other and were about to resist when Detective Foster stepped into the doorway.

Excuse me, sir. Is there something we can help you with? Foster inquired as he scowled at his two officers.

Are you in charge of this peanut gallery? asked the imposing man.

Sir, this is a crime scene. Yes, I am in charge, and we are the Gary Police Department. Now how may we help you? Foster responded, annoyed.

Son, I am General John Clark of the United States Marine Corps and a close friend of the family who resides here, and I demand to be taken to them now! the general ordered.

Sir­— As Foster was about to defend his position, he was interrupted by a small voice from behind him.

Detective, it’s all right. Please let him in, requested Penny in an exhausted voice. Reluctantly, Detective Foster lifted the yellow tape, allowing the general to pass.

Apologies, sir, said Foster as the general walked by with beware in his stare. Penny stepped back into the house and stared up to the second floor, where her life, as she knew it, had just ended.

Suddenly a large hand palmed her shoulder.

Commander, I’m so very sorry. Is there anything you need me to do, Commander? the general asked.

General, what are you doing here? Penny asked, eyes still fixed on the second floor.

Uh, I was, uh…on my way to Indianapolis and thought I’d stop by here to say hello to you and the kids. I had no idea something like this had occurred.

No, why would you? Penny said softly as she turned to face the general.

Would you mind waiting for me in the next room, General? I need to finish up with the investigators.

Yeah, uh, sure, Commander, the general said, almost stammering over himself.

Detective, do you need anymore of me today? There are arrangements I need to make for my children.

Let me get my people together, and we’ll let you be for today. If I have any questions, I’ll call you.

Thank you, Detective, she said in a monotone voice. In the forefront of her mind, the knife in her daughter’s head, the handle so prominent and intentionally left behind, sent a clear message: the Scorpion had resurfaced.

Chapter

2

As the investigators and forensic specialist left, Penny had finally been able to catch her breath, and in doing so, she recalled that the last time she saw General Clark was in Luanda, Angola, where her mission to successfully track and kill the infamous Scorpion failed. He was a psychopath who was responsible for attacks all across the continent of Africa as well as the overwhelming flood of opium from the Congo to Europe to the United States. Her mission resulted in the an airstrike stemming from intel on the ground from trusted inside sources close to Scorpion. However, his wife and two children were lost in the strike. Later reports surfaced that he vowed revenge on all responsible for the deaths of his family, but he later went underground and had been there for three years until Penny’s husband was on mission in Nigeria, carrying out surveillance on a terror cell, when he was ambushed in broad daylight in a bazaar. His body was found with a knife jammed into the crown of his head, on the handle an embellishment of a scorpion with rubies for eyes. Her mind just couldn’t process that her babies were gone, but someone was about to have hell to pay.

General, can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water? Penny asked in a mumbled voice.

Commander, come here and sit down next to me, and I’ll fix us a couple of scotches, he said as he patted the seat next to him on the sofa.

Just bring the bottle, she said as the plopped down on the sofa.

My girl, how long has it been since you and I have had a sip of scotch together?

Yeah, exactly four years ago when thought Scorpion was dead, but he survived and murdered my husband.

Commander, that— He was paused midsentence by her next statement.

Now he’s come back and taken my babies, she said while standing again. The general stood motionless at the bar.

Why do you think Scorpion is alive? he inquired in a shaky voice when suddenly there was the familiar click of a safety being released on a Desert Eagle.

The question is, how long have you known Scorpion was alive? she asked while standing ten feet away with a highly trained aim on the general’s head.

"Tell me. Now!" she demanded in a tone a military man could admire.

Commander, I wasn’t sure… that the intel we’d received was reliable, he stammered the words out before being cut off again.

How long, damn it! Penny’s eyes began to tear, her pulse quickened at the thought of pulling the trigger, but mostly by the images, the haunting images—her babies lying motionless. She saw blood, not her babies but the general’s.

Commander, please give me a chance to explain! His back was still to Penny; he was literally shaken and didn’t want to face her. She’d been a part of his life since he first met her at Camp Pendleton. If only he could make her understand his position, maybe he could survive this.

"Turn around—now!" The general turned around, his gaze lowered, his demeanor helpless.

Look at me, you son of a bitch!

Please, Penny—

Don’t Penny me. You want a chance to explain, start talking, but I promise you, if I think for even a moment you are lying to me, I will paint my walls with your blood and use your brains as decorations. Now start talking.

"Six months ago, I was in Washington, acting as a military adviser to President Petty. We were working on strategies to combat the growing unrest in South Africa cause by an organization called