The Book of Joshua I - Trust (The Gems & Gents Series 2)

  Books by Iris Bolling

  THE HEART SERIES

  Once You’ve Touched The Heart

  The Heart of Him

  Look Into My Heart

  A Heart Divided

  A Lost Heart

  The Heart

  NIGHT OF SEDUCTION SERIES

  Night of Seduction/Heaven’s Gate

  The Pendleton Rule

  GEMS & GENTS SERIES

  Teach Me

  The Book of Joshua I - Trust

  The Book of Joshua I

  TRUST

  Copyright © 2013 by Iris Bolling

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Printed in the United States of America

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9801066-9-5

  ISBN-10: 0-9801066-9-9

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2013914687

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

  SIRI ENTERPRISES

  RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

  www.sirient.com

  To Loretta R. Walls

  Trust and Believe

  A dream can become a reality.

  Chapter One

  Africa

  An explosion rocketed through the darkness of the midnight hour, filling the air with orange flames and black smoke. Men began shouting, pointing and running towards the area of the buildings that had erupted.

  BOOM! Another explosion pierced the night, knocking some of the men off their feet, causing more confusion. Men dressed in brown, khaki, military uniforms with guns drawn rushed from other buildings toward the flames. Voices of shock and fear filled the once quiet night. The explosions were the perfect decoy for the covert action taking place ten miles away.

  Dressed in black, with a ski mask covering his face, CIA Operative Absolute, watched as a third explosion burst into the night. Securing the thin binocular tool in his pocket, he closed his mind to the confusion and focused on the mission at hand. Crawling, belly down, from his hiding place in a ravine, he made his way to a large tree at the end of a fork in the gravel road. Fifty feet away, perched behind another tree, he pulled a slim palm size device from his pocket, aimed it at the root of the tree, then pushed a button. To a trained eye, the thick root was a latch. A well disguised latch, but a latch nonetheless.

  The green light on his handheld device indicated the opening was clear of explosives. Patience was paramount to his mission. Remaining motionless, his senses alert, he listened for any sound or movement. In the jungle, or in a rural area, there were always night sounds. Eliminating the natural sounds of the critters that belonged, from the two-legged creatures who could take his life, was an art form. It was his best asset.

  A light ruffling of gravel, proved his patience prudent, footsteps were approaching. This confirmed he was in the right place. That tree was the entrance to the tunnel that would lead him to the mansion.

  Absolute’s mission, sanctioned or not, was to extract the hostage inside the mansion without inciting an international war. This restriction made his mission more difficult. Hell, casualties were a way of life in his job. Keeping the countdown meant he had to be selective. He could not just kill anyone who was in his way. He hated that. The sound of another footstep cleared his mind of all thoughts. A smile formed on his face. Perhaps he could have a little fun after all.

  Slowly, his six-four frame rose against the tree trunk. His normal weapons of choice would be air to land missiles, however, this situation called for a little, just a little, diplomacy. The missiles were out. As it stood, the explosives would have to be explained. He pulled the night vision glasses down to his eyes. From his pocket he took out a device that resembled a straw, placed it between his lips, and waited. A few moments later, a guard walked within ten feet of him. He pursed his lips and blew. A dart, filled with enough tranquilizer to drop an elephant, struck the guard in the side of his neck. He fell unceremoniously to the ground. Knowing the guard’s partner would hear the sound and investigate, Absolute remained in his position. The other guard called out to his partner, then approached with his weapon ready to fire. He bent over his partner and soon found himself suffering the same fate as a tranquilizer dart struck him as well.

  Only the sounds of nature, and the faint shouts from miles away filled the air. Absolute waited a few moments, listening for other guards. Once he was certain no other guards were in the area, he moved from his position.

  Standing over the fallen men, he reached down and removed the miniature darts from their necks, leaving no trace of his presence. He simply removed the clips from their weapons, placing them in his army fatigues pants pocket, then continued with the mission.

  Absolute was an expert on setting explosives, better still at finding and deactivating them. Crouching on the ground, he examined the tree trunk. A tiny light appeared on his monitor, indicating an electronic feed surrounding the tree. He pushed a button deactivating the feed. Satisfied the area was clear, he began tapping the ground with his booted foot. There was a hollow, five by five area at the base of the tree. Stooping, he ran his hand over the ground where he originally saw the latch. Different objects on the ground moved at his touch. A stone did not. Shining his penlight at the stone, he pushed it down, nothing happened. Pushing left, then right, still nothing happened. He continued to run his hand over a longer stretch of the ground. He discovered another stone that did not move. Following his previous motions did not reveal the results he desired. “Damn.” Thinking for a minute, he stretched his long arms out to reach both stones, pushing simultaneously. His reward was the sound of the latch releasing. He looked at the crack of an opening and noticed what he’d thought was a twig, was a handle. Using his penlight, he checked the joints of the opening to ensure there would be no danger upon entering the underground facility. Believing it to be clear, he pulled the wood trap door that was covered with artificial turf up, revealing a stairway leading to the tunnel.

  Before descending the stairs, he lay on his belly and examined them for any wiring. When he was certain they were clear, he walked slowly down the man-made steps checking for any security feature that would detect his presence. Nothing so far. Reaching up, he pulled the opening down, until it appeared to be closed. He stopped just before touching the last step and flashed his light around the dirt floor, searching for anything out of the norm. Nothing. Stepping down, he followed the neatly carved out walkway that curved the further he walked. Flashing his light, he strategically checked for any motion detectors or land mines that might be buried along the way. So far there were none.

  The interior of the tunnel widened the further he walked. About one hundred feet in, the walkway changed from dirt to cement, the walls were now brick. He stopped. Another twenty feet ahead, there were glimpses of light. The corridor led to a fork, one to the East and another to the West. He turned west.

  A few steps in he saw a detector in the ceiling with a red light indicating the alarm was activated. Slouching down, flush against the wall, he pushed a button on his handheld, waited a split second and watched as lights on the camera flashed three times, then turned solid red again. More buttons were pushed, a second later the red motion detector lights blinked, then disappeared. Whoever
was watching the monitors on the other end, would see the area empty and undisturbed.

  Continuing down the corridor, he came to a door. He tried turning the knob. It was locked. Locked doors meant nothing to him. There was always a way around them. You could go through, under, over or around them. Locked doors, never kept him from entering anything. Pulling out his lock pick set, he settled on his favorite, inserted it inside the lock, then listened for it to click. It did. Examining the door, he noticed another detector at the top. He simply deactivated it with his handheld, then slowly opened the door.

  There were rooms on both sides of the hallway. Moving cautiously, but quickly down the corridor, he peered through the eight by ten window of the closed doors, checking the locks as he passed by. Each room had a bunk bed, sink and a toilet. Cells, he thought as he continued on. Using his night vision glasses, he could see that each of the rooms he passed was empty.

  Up ahead he saw more steps, which he believed led to the lower level of the mansion. Silently, he walked past several more doors peeking inside. He stopped, stepped back and looked inside the room he’d just passed. It was different from the others he had peeked into. Unlike the others, which were single rooms, here he could see there were multiple furnished rooms. On carpeted floors there was a sofa, a table with books sitting next to a lamp, a kitchen table with two chairs next to a sink, a stove and a refrigerator. He moved to the next door, which was the connecting room. There was a full size bed in the middle of the room, a dresser, a closet, and an open door leading to a bathroom. What held his attention was the body on the bed.

  Not believing for one minute his mission could be this easy, he moved back to the first door. Using his tools, he picked the lock, heard it click, then waited. Five seconds later, he was inside the room. Using his penlight, he checked for any traps as he quickly walked towards the bedroom. There was a slight movement inside the room. He stood back in the shadow of the bedroom door and waited.

  A minute later he saw a small figure take a pensive step through the doorway and stop. The figure’s back was to him, as it peered into the room with something in hand. Absolute clamped his hand over the person’s mouth and inserted a dart into the neck. The small figure fell limp. He placed the body on the bed, and then used his penlight to take a good look.

  Shining his penlight on the figure’s face. He quickly looked down the body, then back up to the face. “You are not Princess Zsa Zsa,” he said as he shined the light down the unconscious female body on the bed. The woman was not the sixteen-year-old sister, to his friend Prince LaVeré Ashro of Emure, who had been kidnapped from her home.

  “Who are you?” With his hand held device he snapped a quick picture of the woman, then transmitted it to his handler, with one word, “Identify.”

  The operative sat on the side of the bed with his head tilted to the side, his mind fighting the natural rise of his libido as he perused the woman’s body. Saying she was beautiful would be an understatement. Her hair was in a thick French style braid, neatly pulled back from her angelic face. Long lashes, a perky nose, high cheekbones, and tantalizing lips completed a very alluring package. The rise and fall of her breasts was his first indication this was not a sixteen year old girl.

  The silk pajama pants concealed the remainder of her body from him, however, there was no doubt, she was a well-endowed, full grown woman. He could tell from his body's reaction. The things he could do with her body. His device chirped with a message bringing his wandering mind back to the task at hand. He blinked at the identification. He sent a message back. Contact the lead Senator in Foreign Relations.

  He glanced around the room wondering, what are they doing, collecting women here, and if so, why? Using his handheld device, he pushed a button activating the heat sensor. Holding it up, he walked through the rooms. The sensor, showed three bodies on the lower level of the complex, yet, there was only the two of them. He checked the wall to the left, where the device indicated the still body was located. Whoever it was, he knew the person was alive. He worked diligently knowing his diversion would allow only a limited amount of time to complete his task.

  Running his gloved hand over the wall, he could not detect an opening, but he knew it was there. He stretched out on the floor, using his penlight to examine the baseboard. The opening could not be seen, but he felt the slightest change in the air. He ran his finger along the area where the wall met the floor and there it was, a crack. The opening was upward.

  Sitting on the floor Indian style, with the device in his hand as if playing a video game, he pushed another button, a red line appeared. “Hmm, an electrical current.” Following the flow of the electrical current on the device, he looked at the wall where it stopped. He tapped the baseboard with his hand. Nothing happened. He then stood, applying a bit more pressure on the baseboard with his foot. Bingo. The wall slid up, opening to an adjoining bedroom.

  Inside a small figure sat up in the bed. Absolute ducked under the moving door, to silence the person before she could speak. The young girl began to squirm under his grasp. He whispered in her ear, “Zsa Zsa, I’m here to take you home.”

  The girl froze. He moved the night goggles from his eyes. He could see the frightened, uncertain look in the young girl’s eyes. He put a finger up to his lips indicating for her to be quiet, and then he removed his hand.

  Zsa Zsa held on, wrapping her small arms tightly around his neck. He could feel her body shaking with fear and relief as tears rolled down her cheeks. She spoke English with an accent. “Did my father send you?”

  Zsa Zsa was holding him so tight, it took a moment for him to pull her arms down as she sat on the bed. He wiped tears from her eyes as he spoke. “Your brother LaVeré sent me. Listen, we don’t have much time. I need you to be very quiet and stay behind me.” He put a band on her wrist. “Never take this off.”

  Zsa Zsa nodded. “Okay,” she replied as she slipped on her shoes.

  He took the girl’s hand as they walked into the other room. Absolute tapped the baseboard with his toe, and the wall retracted.

  When they walked by the bed, Zsa Zsa gasped. “Is Akande dead?” the girl asked with a shaking voice.

  Absolute looked down at the woman. “No. Let’s go.” He took Zsa Zsa’s hand to walk towards the door, but the girl pulled back.

  “We can’t leave her,” the girl cried out.

  “Zsa Zsa, we have to go, now.”

  “She cared for me, I cannot leave her behind.”

  “Yes, you can and you will,” Absolute said as he picked the girl up.

  “No, no,” Zsa Zsa cried out. “You don’t understand. This is not her home. She was taken, just like me.”

  Exasperated, Absolute sat the girl on her feet. “You speak English. Therefore, I assume you know what the word quiet means.”

  “Never assume,” Zsa Zsa said. “It makes an ass out of you and me.”

  The reply made him smile. “Where did you hear that?”

  “From my friend in the United States.”

  With younger sisters, he had dealt with teenagers before. He knew not to dismiss what they had to say. Bending down on one knee, he looked into the girl’s eyes. “Okay, what do you mean she was taken?”

  “Akande, that’s her name, she told me she was taken and placed here a short time ago. I don’t know the entire story, but I can tell you, she cannot remain here. They will kill her once they learn I have escaped. If we do nothing more, then get her out of here, it should be enough to ensure her safety.”

  She may be young, Absolute thought, as he listened to her speak, but her assessment of the situation was accurate. He rose, walked into the other room and returned with the woman across his shoulder then looked down at Zsa Zsa. “No more talking until we are out of here, understood.” He pulled his night vision glasses down.

  “Understood,” she nodded and followed him out the door. “It’s dark.”

  Absolute turned to the girl frowning. She could not see the look in the dark, but he hoped
the swiftness of his turn would give her the message. He took her hand, hooked her fingers through the belt loops of his pants, then held them there indicating for her to hold on.

  Absolute enlisted in the military because his big brother had. During his time at Quantico, he was recruited for clandestine operations with the Central Intelligence Agency, or simply the CIA, and he never looked back. His trainer remains one of the best operatives at the United States’ disposal. He drilled in him to be ready for all possible outcomes. Retreating the way he’d come, so many things could go wrong, he thought. Every scenario possible played through his mind. He was prepared for each of them. What he was not prepared for was his body’s reaction to the woman he was carrying. He pushed that aside and thought of the more pressing issues.

  His escape plan, for two, had to be altered. How would the woman react once she awakened? Would she be friend or foe? The thought of leaving her behind to die was not something his conscience would allow him to do. Neither of the captives were dressed properly for an escape. Their clothing could be spotted in the dark. The one over his shoulder did not have on shoes and the other was too young to understand the situation was dangerous.

  Absolute stopped when they reached the outer door. He braced the woman on the ground against the wall, then pulled Zsa Zsa out beside him. Using his handheld device, he pushed a button. The red lights blinked three times, the beam was solid again.

  “What did...”

  He quickly put his hand over the girl’s mouth. Turning his penlight on, he flashed it in her face, then put his finger to his lips indicating for her to be quiet.

  Zsa Zsa nodded her head. “I do apologize.”

  An exasperated looked covered his face. He shook his head, knowing he had to hurry up and get them out of the area before the girl gave their location away. Quickly, he pulled out a thin cord, hooked one end to his pants and the other to a buttonhole on Zsa Zsa’s pajama top. He stood, put the woman back over his shoulder, then walked the remaining distance to the steps leading out.