Chapter Nine
Trudy was all set up by the time Dewey had gotten back. She ignored the situation as much as she could but when she turned her computers back on there was a message she couldn’t ignore. She raised her gaze to Dewey.
When he saw her expression, he rushed over to her. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?”
Trudy flipped her computer around, so he could see the news. Stone and Boomer joined him and all three read it.
“Damn it all to hell!” Dewey swore out loud.
“What is it boss?” Parker asked as everyone began gathering around.
“Terik isn’t just setting fires anymore, he’s setting off bombs.” He looked at Parker and Colt. “He got your homes and the town where Danny lives.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “He’s trying to draw us out into the open.”
“He thinks this will have us running around the countryside. Each of us running to safeguard our families,” Stone told them. “He doesn’t know our families are safe.”
Dewey nodded. “He doesn’t know where we are just yet. He’s hoping to draw us out, so he can take us by surprise.”
“He won’t find our families. They’re safe,” Parker stated to no one in particular. “As long as we stay here, we’re all safe.”
“Yeah, but if I know Terik and we all do, he’ll find another way to lure us out of hiding,” Dewey grimly assured them.
Trudy’s fingers hit the keys to her computer and she began to type in commands. When several images came up on her screen, she studied them for a moment then commented on what she saw, “Terik must have other people doing his bidding.”
Dewey went over to her and began looking over her shoulder. He found he was looking into the camera on Terik’s computer. It clearly showed Terik and several of his men lounging in his hotel room. They could all hear them talking in the background. It appeared that they hadn’t left the room for some time.
“How many of them are there?” Dewey asked.
“Besides Terik, I see four. Two of them are missing,” Trudy told him.
“I took one out earlier,” Sniper added.
“Damn it, there’s at least three more men with him than we figured on,” Dewey grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Trudy remembered something she’d decoded earlier and snapped her fingers. “Not necessarily.” She began rummaging through all the paperwork Wyatt had given them when he returned.
“What do you mean?” Stone asked.
“The list of Dewey’s men and their families,” she reminded them. “It lists all the addresses as well as the names of your family members. They could have planted the bombs on a timer. They wouldn’t have to be close then to set them off. All they would have to do is wait for the explosions to happen.”
“That makes sense.” Boomer shrugged. “They have no reason to get excited then.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense,” Dewey countered. “If they were going to take us out, why are they still in the hotel room?”
“He’s got to have access to another crew,” Stone explained.
“I’m fuckin tired of second guessing this little sucker,” Dewey grumbled. “We need eyes and ears out there on the ground. It’s time to call in some friends.”
Boomer just stared at them. “Who do you have in mind? Most of our guys are here or on the road.”
“They and you are where you need to be at the moment,” Dewey assured the other man. “I’m talking about a group of men they won’t be expecting.”
Stone grinned. “The Sons of Satan.”
“Yup. The Sons of Satan.” Dewey smiled. “I spoke to Mountains’ man Hawk when we got back. He offered to help in any way possible. I figure now is as good a time as any to call on the man.”
“What exactly do we want them to do?” Trudy asked.
“What we can’t do,” Stone replied. “We can’t get close to Terik, he knows our faces. Hawk and his boys can be seen around town. Hell, they can watch him and Terik would never see them. He always was blind to whatever didn’t concern him.”
“What kind of man was he?” Trudy asked.
Dewey rolled his eyes. “When I knew him he was cocky, self-centered and thought he was entitled to anything he wanted. He would always go through the chow line first and take what he wanted. It didn’t matter to him that there were hungry men behind him. He always filled his plate. He took twenty minute showers even when we were short on water.”
“He sounds like a selfish bastard,” Trudy muttered.
Dewey and his men nodded. “He was that.”
Suddenly, a light went off inside her head and she got a look in her eye that spoke volumes. A shit eating grin curved her mouth as a plan formulated in her mind.
The only one who saw it was Boomer. He let out a belly rumbling laugh that had everyone in the room looking at him. “Baby girl, I’ve seen that look before. Somebody’s in trouble now.”
Trudy chuckled. “Yup, you could be right.”
Dewey and Stone snapped their heads around to look at her. Dewey finally asked, “What are you going to do?”
Trudy slowly smiled but nobody who saw it could say she was pleased. It was a smile of pure rage. And when Trudy was in a rage heads rolled. “I’m going to teach your Terik a lesson.”
“He isn’t my Terik,” Dewey grumbled. “I sure as hell don’t lay a claim on him.”
Trudy laughed coldly. “Yeah, I’m gonna make him too hot to handle.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Stone growled.
“I have work to do,” Trudy muttered impatiently as she fired up her secure computer. It was one she hadn’t used yet. She was going to break half a dozen banking laws and she knew if she got caught, she would go to prison for the rest of her life, but for this group of men, she would willingly risk everything she held dear.
When Amanda saw the computer, she gasped. “No, you can’t do it! They will kill you.”
Trudy swung her gaze to where her sister sat. “They have to find me first.” Then she looked back at her computer screen and her fingers began to fly across the keyboard. She sank so deep into zeros and ones she blocked everyone else out.
Dewey went over to where Amanda was sitting. Squatting down in front of her, he felt more than saw Stone and Boomer join them. Instead, he stared at her and asked, “What is she going to do?”
Amanda took a deep breath and exhaled. “That’s a computer she built from scratch. It’s completely secure. She’s got firewalls like no one else has. She once told me she only uses it to transfer money all over the world. I think she’s going to do what she did to the drug dealer. She’s going to steal money from someone.”
“Why would she do that?” Stone frowned.
“She’s going to set up Terik.” She lifted her finger in a quote position. “Make him ‘too hot to handle.’ ”
Dewey twisted around to stare at Trudy. When he turned back to Amanda he asked, “How is she going to do that?”
“I don’t know but I’m afraid for her,” Amanda admitted. “If she takes on the Taliban, she’ll be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.”
“Can she do it?” Stone asked. “Can she really break the Taliban?”
Amanda nodded. “She can. I have no doubt about her ability to do it. I just don’t think it’s wise that she even try.” She shuddered. “They are going to kill her. They will keep coming and coming until one of them finally gets to her.”
Time passed slowly as everyone watched her. Even Colt couldn’t keep up with what she was doing.
About four hours after she began, Trudy hit the final key and sat back in her chair. Her entire body ached as she relaxed from her pent up state. She groaned as she straightened her legs under the table. She could barely lift her arms, her shoulders hurt from sitting in the same bent over position for so long.
Raising her head, she saw everyone around her asleep. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she felt surprised to find it was almost three a.m. Getting up slowly, she groaned. Her bones creaked and snapped as she got to her feet. Very carefully, she stepped over bodies as she made her way to the kitchen area.
Getting a cup of water, she put it in the microwave and heated it while searching for the instant coffee. She found it and when the dingier went off, she stirred the coffee crystals into the water. The rich aroma of the coffee filled her nostrils and she had to groan at the first taste of the brew. Closing her eyes, she savored the taste of the hot coffee. So much so, that she missed Dewey joining her. The first she knew he was there was when his arms hauled her close to him. Trudy squealed and her cup went flying as she fought against his hold.
“Shhh…baby, it’s just me,” he whispered in her ear.
Trudy recognized his deep voice and she stopped fighting him. Sagging against his chest, she swatted him. “Don’t scare me like that!”
“Who the fuck did you think it was?’ he growled.
“I wasn’t sure,” She whimpered. “I’ve been so stuck in other things, I forgot where I was for a moment.”
“And what exactly have you been doing?” Dewey demanded. “You never did say.”
“I set Terik up for a very bad fall,” she whispered.
Dewey stared at her for a moment. “And just how did you do that?”
Trudy chuckled. “By doing what I do best.” Was all she would say.
Dewey waited for a long moment before he knew she wouldn’t say anything else. Then he pulled her even closer. “Are you ready for some sleep?”
“Yeah.” She yawned. “I could use some shuteye. I’m tired.”
“Let’s find you a bed then.” He urged her down the hall. When he got to the end of the hall, he opened the door. The room was dark and cozy. The queen size bed was hidden by the shadows but Trudy made a beeline for it.
Dewey followed and before she could say boo, he followed her down. He turned her on her back and his huge body covered hers like a blanket. His lips found hers in the dark.
Trudy felt her heart skip a beat when he swept his tongue into her mouth. She groaned when his hand found her buttons and he stripped away her shirt.
His lips trailed down her neck to her collarbone and then to the fleshy part of her breasts. He pulled down her bra and began licking her nipples.
Trudy arched her back, feeding her flesh into his mouth. Dewey groaned and he sucked her nipple into his mouth. His hands brushed down her body and found the button of her jeans. Undoing it, he pulled down her zipper and his hand disappeared inside the waistband of her underwear. When he found her core, he groaned again at the wet heat he found there. “I need you,” he whispered hoarsely.
Trudy lifted her hips. “Then take me, please,” she begged.
Dewey quickly stripped her clothing off and then his too. When they were both naked, he pushed her legs apart and covered her with his own body. When he slipped inside her, she moaned. His thrusts became longer and harder and soon the rhythm ramped up.
Dewey stared into hers eyes as he slammed into her.
Trudy was caught in his intense gaze as she felt each and every thrust he gave her. Lifting her hips increased the feelings he was giving her and she craved more. Her body tightened and she groaned with as she felt her body heat up. Soon, she clamped her mouth shut as her orgasm hit her. She didn’t want to make too much noise as everyone else was sleeping.
Dewey stroked into her a few more times then pushed in deep as his body exploded inside her. He groaned out loud, as he came inside her. He never felt so alive before. This woman drew him to heights he never experienced. How can that be? He was at least 15 years older and had lived through a lot. Yet, she brought peace and bliss to him so suddenly and succinctly. He rammed himself into her a couple more times before he withdrew and flopped down beside her.
Gulping in air, he felt the sweat cooling on his skin. It took several minutes for his breathing to calm down and his heart to stop racing. Wrapping his arms around her body, he pulled her close to him. “Sleep,” he whispered into her ear.
Trudy snuggled down and Dewey pulled the sheets up to cover them. He gently kissed her neck as he closed his eyes. Within minutes, they were both asleep and slept for four hours.
Someone was knocking on the door loudly. Dewey groaned but his mind came awake in seconds. He reached for his pants and his gun. Trudy leaned on her elbow and watched as Dewey made his way to the door. Reaching for the lock, he snapped it open and wrenched the door inward while raising his weapon chest high. “Fuck a duck.” He groaned at Stone as the other man stared at the weapon in his hand.
“I should be saying that, asshole.” Stone growled. He glanced over at Trudy then back to Dewey. “We got movement above ground.” Then he turned and stomped down the hall.
Dewey lowered the gun and looked over his shoulder to see Trudy gathering her clothes. Moments later, they left the room and joined the others at the security cameras.
They all watched as three men searched the immediate area. They were all dressed in black pants and black shirts. They didn’t wear leather cuts but instead, long black duster type jackets. Each one had a knit hat on their heads. Funny, odd, misplaced bulges told the men they were heavily armed.
“Are they cartel or Taliban?’ Trudy asked.
“Can’t tell from here,” Stone replied.
“Can they find this place?” Amanda asked fearfully.
Stone shook his head. “We’re too well covered. The only ones that can find us is someone who knows we’re here. They don’t have that knowledge.”
“Can you snap their pictures?” Trudy asked. “I can run facial recognition on them and find out who they are.”
Colt nodded and snapped their images.
A moment later, the printer began spitting out photos.
Trudy went over to her computers and fired them up. She wanted to check the one she was working on last night. When she saw the results, she couldn’t help but grin.
Boomer saw it and came over to sit with her. “Just what the hell did you do girl? And is it going to come back to bite us in the ass?”
“Oh ye of little faith,” she spoke softly. “I wouldn’t do that to you guys.”
“What did you do?”
“I kinda sorta moved some of the Taliban’s money around and made it look like Terik did it,” she admitted.
“How much money?” Boomer demanded.
Shrugging her shoulders she said, “Not enough to break them but enough to cripple their efforts.”
“How did you make it look like Terik did it?”
“I hid some files in his computer. Somewhere an expert could find them.”
“What did you do with the money?”
“I left some of it in an account under Terik’s name but the bulk of it went into a secret account only I know about.” Shrugging she added, “I did the same thing to the cartel years ago. Even after all this time, they haven’t found it and they never will.”
“When will they find it missing?” Boomer asked.
“I think they already know,” she whispered, pointing toward the computer monitoring Terik’s hotel room. Boomer and some of the others came around the table.
They watched as the one of the men with Terik got a phone call. His eyes registered shock then he turned his head and glared at Terik.
Terik was laughing and joking with one of the other men in the room. The man on the phone listened for a moment then sat down at Terik’s computer. He began hitting keys and speaking quietly to whoever he was speaking to on the phone.
“Can he see us?” Boomer asked.
“No.” Trudy shook her head. “He’s not aware we’re watching him.
“What is he doing?”
“I assume he’s checking for secret files.”
They all watched as the man at the computer searched it for secret files. When he paused and the expression on his face changed, and not for the good, they knew he’d found the evidence Trudy left for him to find.
“Bingo.” She smirked.
They watched as he spoke into the phone then listened as the man on the other end gave him his orders.
Trudy watched as the man slowly reached inside his jacket and pulled out his gun. Hanging up the phone, they saw him stand and turn. He raised his weapon and took careful aim. When he fired the gun, Terik looked at him stunned. Then all hell broke loose and he fell to the floor.
They could see he wasn’t dead. He was holding his shoulder screaming at the other man. The man that shot Terik ordered the other men in the room to tie him up.
Trudy looked up and found more men watching the camera.
“Looks like Terik is in a little trouble doesn’t it?” Stone commented.
“Oh, he’s in a whole lot of trouble,” Trudy told them.
“How much would that be?” Dewey asked.
Shrugging, she explained offhandedly, “Oh, about fourteen billion dollars’ worth.”
Silence reigned as the tension in the motel room built to the breaking point.
Amanda gasped and sat down hard on the bench.
Trudy glanced from man to man.
Finally, the silence was broken when Boomer let loose a huge belly laugh. He laughed long and hard and finally plopped down in a chair beside Trudy. Wiping the tears away from his eyes, he chuckled. “You took fourteen billion dollars from the Taliban? Damn girl, you got balls.”
Trudy shrugged. “I let them find two billion, so it isn’t like I took it all.”
“Are you sure they can’t tie the missing money back to you or this place?” Stone wanted to know.
Trudy snorted. “Please, give me a little credit here. I wasn’t born yesterday.”
“How the ever-lovin fuck did you find the money in the first place?” Colt exclaimed. “Let alone move it?”
Trudy gave a weak smile. “I have my ways.”
“You said you would never do that again,” Amanda cried out softly. “You promised!”
Trudy went around the desk to her sister’s side. Kneeling in front of her, she took her hands and rubbed them. “I know I promised, but I needed to buy us some time. We needed time to get the bombs where they couldn’t hurt anyone and we needed time to sort out the cartels’ men. I had to do something.”
“What if they come looking for you?” Amanda asked.
“The Taliban doesn’t know about me.” She shrugged. “How can they find me? I’m not on anyone’s radar and they have no reason to hear about me either. They can’t trace the money because as far as they know, it’s gone. There is no trace anywhere of a transfer of that size.”
“What about the computer trace?” Amanda asked. “Will they figure out the file was placed on Terik’s computer from an outside source?”
Trudy shook her head. “Their experts will never find out where it came from. It looks like it was generated from Terik’s computer because it did. I hacked into his feed and did everything off his monitor. And my computer is secure. They can’t trace it back to me.”
“Damn girl,” Colt whispered in awe. “Can you teach me how to do that?”
Trudy turned her head and glared at him. “No I can’t. I don’t share my programs with anyone. They don’t exist anywhere except in my mind.”
Colt held his hands up in surrender. “I’m kidding girl, don’t shoot me.”
“So where is the money?” Dewey asked.
Trudy shrugged. “It’s where it needs to be right now.”
“Hey bossman,” Boomer called out. Pointing to the monitor he said, “Looks like our friends are leaving.”
Dewey and Stone watched as Terik was bound and shoved between two armed men. The man who took the call earlier closed the lid on the laptop and their viewing was cut off.
Trudy got up and came over to disconnect her computer from Terik’s laptop.
Stone reached for his phone and made a call. He asked whoever answered his call to track where the men from the hotel went. When he hung up, he looked around at the expectant faces of his men. “I asked Hawk to send one of his men to watch the hotel last night. He said he would be more than happy to do it. His man, Rafe will let us now where they take Terik.”
“That’s a good idea. Maybe we can tip off the FBI and let them know where Terik is and what he planned to do,” Trudy suggested.
“That should keep him busy while we sort out the rest of his hot mess.” Dewey smiled. Then the smile dropped from his face as he turned to stare at the empty monitors again. “Then we can concentrate and figure out who those guys were and what they wanted.”
“And I need to teach the cartel they messed with the wrong person,” Trudy spoke under her breath.
Boomer swatted her on the ass. “Baby girl, you be careful with that. They aren’t likely to take a hit a second time without coming after you with both barrels locked and loaded.”
“I know.” She nodded. “That’s why this time, I’m going to take more than just their money, this time I’m going to ruin them completely. I’m going to take it all.”
Boomer watched her for a moment before he whistled softly and said, “Damn girl, remind me not to piss you off anytime soon.”
“I need coffee for this job,” she muttered as she headed toward the kitchen. She turned after a few steps and glanced back at Boomer. Slowly, she raised her finger to her lips and glancing at Dewey and Amanda made the universal sign to keep her secret.
Boomer glanced at Dewey then to Amanda then he looked back to Trudy and nodded slowly.
Trudy grinned then headed for the kitchen and the coffee.
Boomer shook his head slowly. He knew the girl was trouble and he had a feeling this time, it was going to come back and bite her in the ass. He could only pray they wouldn’t get caught in the blowback.