Encountering Evil: Dark Horse Guardians Book Two (5 page)

All eyes were on Lara as she walked briskly down the stairs and strode along the lengthy dock toward Eliot. She was oblivious to the other boaters and yacht club employees as they paused for a moment to watch her gracefully descend the stairway toward the sailboat. She sauntered up to the Hinckley and said, "Hello captain!" Eliot took her leather backpack and then her hand as she gingerly stepped down a built-in staircase into the cockpit of the vessel. Eliot seemed excited and happy to have her aboard and asked if she'd like a brief tour. He slipped the safety harness over her head and made adjustments as he clicked it securely on her. The device would inflate if she went overboard. "Just a precaution…" he smiled into her green eyes. Standing so close to him she smelled the Ralph Lauren cologne
he wore. His animated brown eyes met hers and she smiled.

He brought her into the intimate salon of the boat. As she took a few steps down she noted it was cool and dark inside. The interior was completely constructed of elegant mahogany highly polished so you could see yourself in it. "Nice bright work," Lara smiled. "You know the terms. That's good." Eliot showed her the galley, the head, the master stateroom. "Just showing you where everything is so you'll know your way around." Then, he proudly revealed the large diesel engine in its own
steel-plated compartment. The engine had been running and it made a gentle rattling sound that had a comforting steady rhythm. "Are you ready to go for a sail? There's a good breeze today."

Outside in the cockpit, Eliot looked younger in the sunlight. He wore a polo shirt and a pullover sweater and loose fitting chinos with boat shoes. His brown unruly hair had been recently cut and his face had color. He led her to the wheel and untied the boat. A young man at the dock expertly shoved the vessel off as the diesel chugged slowly toward the bay. Eliot's brown eyes lingered on her. "When we get out into the bay we will turn off the engine and put up the sails…you can help me."

Lara had never been on a boat of this size. She had only been in an aluminum skiff on Panther Pond with Rusty. The 40-foot sailboat felt like a floating house. The ocean breeze was soft but steady and Lara slipped her sweatshirt on. It was cooler on the water. She put her sunglasses on top of her head. Eliot was busy steering the boat and watching the depth finder on his impressive display of electronics. "Come, take the helm, Lara!" he gestured to her to stand in front of him. Lara steered the sailboat and Eliot stood behind her, not too close, but she felt his hand upon her shoulder. "You're at the helm, now, Lara!" She smiled into his dark brown eyes just before he put his sunglasses back on and sensed the joy he was feeling sharing her first sailing experience.

"You're doing great!" Eliot cheered her on. About thirty minutes later they were in the middle of the bay and just before he shut the motor off, he asked Lara to aim the boat directly into the wind. She did, and watched as Eliot expertly jumped up on the bulkhead and instructed Lara to push a button that would unfurl the main sail. Then
she did the same with the jib. Eliot made a few adjustments and, like a flash, he was back behind her shutting off the motor. Suddenly there was complete silence…interrupted only by the sound of the wind lightly flapping in the sails and the halyard tapping on the mast sounding like a wind chime.

At the precise moment the sails filled, Lara felt the boat lurch slightly and the steering wheel felt different. Eliot guided her to veer to a 40-degree angle toward the wind to catch the breeze in the sails. Lara watched with rapt attention as the perfectly white sails billowed out with the steady current of air gently filling them. Eliot showed her the wind indicator atop the mast. Lara was enthralled with the breathtaking silence. The only perceptible sounds were the wind moving lightly over the sails and the water lapping the hull of the boat as it cut through the water with amazing speed. Eliot was now behind her, closer now, guiding her every step of the way. Her hair was flying in his face but it made him laugh. Lara had never sailed a boat, let alone a 40-foot Hinckley, and it was breathtaking. "Oh gosh, Eliot, this is amazing!" she said with
unbridled enthusiasm.

~ Eliot Stone ~

Eliot remembered that Lara had mentioned her husband would be out of town for a week when he called her. There would be no better time to get her on his boat than the present. He was surprised she jumped at the chance. He was prepared to spend more time trying to convince her. But she
had always demonstrated an interest in learning about the boat and he was glad to be her teacher. She was married, yes, but he could still enjoy her company. There wasn't a law against being in the company of a woman you were crazy about, even if she
was
married. Eliot felt Lara's long dark silky hair against his face and once or twice he touched her hair with his hand, slightly pushing it aside.

He couldn't believe she was there with him actually steering his sailboat. He had dreams with scenes like this often. He imagined putting his hands around her lovely figure and nestling his face into the tender nape of her neck. But he knew physical contact would put her off. He settled for being close to her. Just being in her presence was enough for now. Although his well-meaning friends constantly fixed him up with blind dates, he never wanted a woman so much in his life as he wanted Lara; he doubted anyone else could understand the love he felt for her. He couldn't think of dating anyone else. He knew Lara was unaware of the primitive feelings he nurtured for her.

"There's my place…" Eliot pointed out his estate. Lara gasped, "Oh, Eliot – you never showed me your botanical garden! Who planted all of that?" She removed her sunglasses to get a better look. He gave her the information, “Secret Gardens, owned by Grant Hawkins. He’s the guy I told you about. I wish you’d walk through it with me; you're always rushing off, Lara. I never get a chance to spend
time
with you." He hoped she would linger at his estate next time and enjoy a walk in his garden. "Look, Lara. Two houses from mine…there's a saltwater farm for sale. It's a beauty. It's the old Clearwater place." Lara asked Eliot to hand her the binoculars and she peered through them turning the knob until the lens produced a perfectly focused view. "Oh my God Eliot! Clearwater Farm is
beautiful
! Is there a chance I could get a tour of it?" Eliot smiled, "When do you want to see it? I know the owner. He's a member here at the yacht club. He may even be in the dining room tonight. I'll see what I can do." Eliot put the auto-pilot on and ducked down to use the head. He tapped the speed dial on his phone for Sterling Brown. "Hey, Sterling, are you going to be at the club tonight for dinner?"

When Eliot came back to the helm, he turned the auto-pilot off and stood behind Lara, closer now, and lightly brushed her hair away and spoke into her ear. "You can see the place tonight after dinner if you'd like.” Lara turned to him, astonished, "Really?" She was so close now all he could think of was planting a kiss on those lovely pink lips, but he didn't. Instead Eliot smiled, "Or, we can stop over
before
dinner so you can see the place in the daylight." Lara's green eyes lit up, "That would be
perfect
!" Eliot was more than happy that he could arrange the private viewing for her. When she turned and smiled like that and looked into his eyes, his heart nearly stopped beating. He had all he could do to restrain himself. He inhaled deeply as the wind blew her hair against his face and he fought the urge to embrace her. She expertly sailed the boat toward the mooring and Eliot rolled the main sail into the mast and furled the jib tightly.

His body leaned against Lara as he moved to reach the engine key
and he enjoyed the gentle contact. The diesel chugged toward the mooring and he shifted the engine into neutral. With the grace of an athlete, Eliot picked up the rope from the mooring ball with a long-handled hook and secured the boat to the mooring. He called the launch on the radio. Eliot turned his attention to Lara, "You, my friend, are quite a sailor – we must do this again." Lara was animated and incredibly beautiful as he gazed at her standing in the cockpit of his boat -- a picture he wanted to remember. She smiled and hugged him, "Thank you, Eliot, for a wonderful adventure!" He embraced her, thoroughly enjoying the one minute of exquisite pleasure. The embrace was interrupted by the sound of the yacht club launch.  Eliot helped her climb down the stainless steel ladder from the stern.  He held her hand as the launch shuttled them back to the dock and she turned and smiled at him.

Eliot could tell that Lara was exhilarated with the sailing trip. Her hair was now free and blowing around her face as the launch pulled alongside the dock. The handsome bronzed young man running the launch helped Lara out of the small boat onto the dock. The expression on his face said it all; he looked like he had just touched a movie star. At the dock, Eliot practically had to run up the stairs behind her. Her long legs looked lovely in those shorts. "Slow down Lara!" Eliot laughed. She hopped into her Fiat as Eliot scrambled into the passenger seat and
they drove to Clearwater Farm. "Sterling knows you're coming.” Eliot chuckled, caught up in the moment of Lara's excitement. "I can't wait to
see
it, Eliot!" He howled, "Slow down, the turn is right here." Lara pulled the Fiat off the road onto what looked like a separate street, but it was the driveway to Clearwater Farm.

It was late in the day and the sun cast an ethereal glow on the property as it took on the qualities of an Andrew Wyeth painting. It was a lovely blend of golden sun, green grass, and hazy blue water. Eliot watched Lara as she got out of the car and stood there taking in the amazing beauty of the place. "I'm speechless," she whispered. Then, she turned to Eliot and smiled, "Thank you so much, Eliot." He sucked in a deep breath basking in the appreciation Lara meted out to him. Together they moved toward the back porch door. Eliot was thrilled with the thought of having Lara as his neighbor.

~ Ben ~

The stroll around the mosque the day before the take-down was educational. Ben double checked and triple checked the cameras and discussed with Elvis how to hack them when no one was around. Each of the operatives had specific objectives and took notes and photographs as needed. The mosque was located away from residential housing, remarkably, making the mission a safer bet. They'd have to use electronic devices to disable cell phones and computer systems during the hit. Planning the escape route was crucial. If something went wrong, Ben had a back-up plan and a back-up to that one as well. Ben’s mind was ripe with possibilities. What if someone entered the space at the wrong time? What if people remained inside and they had to kill someone? He had a scheme for his men to get inside the mosque, secure the dirty bomb, and leave with it undetected. The suitcase containing the thermonuclear device had to be taken out of the mosque that evening and whisked away safely. The adrenaline rush for Ben was wild. Not as good as Afghanistan or Iraq, but it would suffice for now. His mind was alert and focused on the task at hand.
There could be no mistakes
. He made a checklist and thought through every tiny detail.

Elvis hacked the security system expertly after the evening prayer service. As the mosque emptied, he blended in. He was dressed in robes and wore a turban as he stood outside the mosque entrance fitted with a tiny earpiece and hidden microphone. Elvis gave Tom the green light. Tom, in the garb of a repairman wearing a tiny earpiece, drove up in a van with a fake security logo on the side. Anyone walking by the mosque would not think anything of it. Tom made quick work getting to the basement and picked the lock on the ancient safe as Elvis stood outside. Inside the large safe, Tom recognized the metal suitcase holding the nuclear device. As he
nervously held his breath, he brought the dirty bomb up to the van in a cardboard box and loaded it carefully and closed the door. Just as he did, a police car pulled alongside the van. "Can I help you, officer?" Tom appeared as normal and calm as any repairman would. Ben was observing the scene from a distance. The officer glanced at Tom and the van and said, "Just keeping an eye on things.”. Tom nodded and responded, "Just finishing up…had a problem with the wireless not working. I just replaced it with all new. Good to go." It appeared that Tom convinced the policeman and Ben watched the patrol car slowly pulled away.

Ben breathed an audible sigh of relief on the comm. "Good work." His voice was a whisper. Tom replied with a sense of urgency, "Let's go." Ben made the call to the FBI on a secure satellite phone. "We've got the device secured and we will be at the drop point in thirty minutes." He hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Then, Ben followed Tom as he carefully drove the van to the warehouse that served as the rendezvous point. The device was taken into custody by the FBI. In his usual disguise with a Yankees baseball cap, sunglasses and a fake mustache, Ben hacked the security cameras first. He
checked the two men for listening devices. "Sorry guys. This is my protocol." Ben looked at the agents, one a young blonde man with blue eyes. The other guy was just as young with curly brown hair, "You never saw us." Ben said bluntly. The two young men stared at Ben as if he was an apparition, but not a word was spoken. Even though Ben was wearing black leather gloves, he shook their hands and quickly departed. Now, Ben focused on phase two…and that might not go as smoothly as stealing the nuclear device.

The next morning before the sun was up, Ben, Tom, Nate, Elvis and Gus were once again in disguise as homeless people and hidden in a thick tree line surrounding the parking lot where the seven targets would congregate before going inside for morning prayer. Seven American jihad recruiters and bomb makers would no longer be praying in the mosque with their sick hatred for the country that took them in and fed and clothed them with such generosity. These sick bastards would go to Allah
sooner
rather than later. They worshipped death, not life. So, death it would be. Ben could never understand the mindset of this twisted theology. If life was not sacred, then what was the point of
the jihadi's
existence?  Ben understood existentialism, but this didn't even fall into
that
category. This so-called religion made no sense. It was filled with repression, yet these men did not repress
their
urges. During Ben's investigation he had turned up pornography, alcohol and drugs in the mosque. The repression and subjugation was reserved only for those they dominated: women and children. The men did what they wanted but their indulgences remained in a secret domain.