The Ladder

Authors Page

T. D Worley is a retired construction manager and is the author of four additional books in this series – The Second American Revolution.

‘Jake’s List’

‘Jacob’s Turn’

‘Marathon, Tx’

‘Red and Tex: Retribution and Redemption’

Worley has traveled and worked extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Haiti, France, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Married to Susan Hosack, they have three grown daughters. They live on Cedar Creek Lake, Texas.

Worley has a Master’s degree in Political Science, and his thesis was published.

E-mail - hoop_daddy46@yahoo.com

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The Ladder

By

T D Worley

Copyright 2014 by T D Worley

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The Ladder

By T D Worley

The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living, and the get rich quick theory of life.

Theodore Roosevelt

The Ladder

Chapter 1

Red rolled over on her back when she woke. She had to think for a minute to remember where she was. Pulling the sheet over her, she reached and shook Tex with her hand, Time to get up.

Tex didn’t move for a few seconds, but he finally turned over and faced Red. Damn, you look good in the morning, he said, admiring Red’s supple body. He pulled her against him and kissed her. Both always slept naked, and as they nuzzled against one another, their thoughts went from the work they had to do that day to the physical satisfaction they found with each other.

They showered together, and after drying one another off, dressed quickly. Red said, We are supposed to be downstairs to meet Heather in ten minutes.

If we’re late, it’s your fault. You shouldn’t be so damn beautiful and sexy in the morning, said Tex, with a smile.

Red put her arms around her husband’s neck and kissed Tex. She said, You don’t look so bad yourself in the morning.

They took the stairs to the lobby and found Heather having coffee and a bagel from the continental breakfast bar. Red and Tex picked out some fruit to go with their coffee and sat down with Heather.

Did you do anything special last night? asked Tex, looking at Heather.

Not really. I had a beer in the lounge, talked to a few married men who were doing their best to impress me, and then I went to my room. Really exciting, huh? she replied.

I’m going to be tied up with this interview for a couple of hours, so if you girls have any shopping to do here in Miami, this would be a good time to do it. I’ll call you when I’m through, and we can hook up for lunch, said Tex.

Wait a minute, Tex. Tom insisted I didn’t get more than ten feet away from you. He didn’t like the idea of you coming here in the first place, in spite of Dr. Brown’s request you to do this interview. Don’t you think Red and I showed go to the studio with you" exclaimed Heather.

Heather’s right, sweetheart. There are more than a few people in this area that are really down on you for not supporting unlimited immigration from Cuba. I also think you should wear your vest to be on the safe side, said Red.

Tex argued fruitlessly against the girls, went back to his room and put on the Kevlar vest. When he returned to the lobby, the girls were waiting for him at the front door. Red had already asked the door man to have their rental car brought out front, and when it arrived, she took the driver’s seat. Heather took the front passenger seat and Jacob sat in the back. Heather checked her pistol, and then Kay’s, to be sure they were prepared in the event of any trouble. Tex disliked the overly cautious attitude of his wife and Heather, even though it had been scarcely eighteen months since six Iranians arrived in America for the sole purpose of killing him. Fortunately, the fatwa on Jacob was rescinded when the United States government agreed to allow some American born Muslims to return to the country.

This was the first trip for any of them outside of Texas since Heather’s trip to San Francisco. They took full course loads at Sul Ross so they could graduate in May, and the heavy workload precluded most of the activities related to the Movement. Tex did use Facebook and Twitter to let his vast following know he had not stopped working for the betterment of the country, but he had to concentrate on his studies if he was to graduate on schedule. His internet outlets acted as a sounding board, and Jacob did read many of the comments made for and against the policies he advocated. He was impressed by the fact that his following now included many young Americans: a group that had not participated in the political processes on a regular basis for decades. Tex knew that their participation was essential for maintenance of the changes that were wrought the past four years. Young people, heretofore, had participated only when a particular candidate brought new excitement to a race. Tex and other leaders stressed to this generation that this was their country and what they did or didn’t do would mold the future of the country.

When they got to the studio, Heather and Red escorted Tex casually inside. They appeared to those in the studio to be two pretty assistants for the famous Jacob Collins, but both women were carefully assessing those around them and looking for any detail that was out of place. Heather made a study of all the individuals to ascertain if they were carrying weapons. She looked for bulges on their backs where many carried back holsters these days. No one was wearing a jacket to cover shoulder holsters, so Heather was satisfied that she and Red were the only ones armed in the studio. When Tex took his place at the conference table along with four more participants, Red had already taken up a position to the right of the room and Heather took the left side.

The conference was being taped for a later broadcast, so there were only technicians, soundmen, and camera operators in the small studio. Neither woman heard much of the discussion because their attention was constantly on those in the room. After an hour and one-half, the moderator closed the discussion and gave each participant five minutes to make a closing statement. Tex, looking directly towards one of the cameras, made his five minutes count. He reiterated the progress that had been made in the country and outlined specific goals for the future. He left no doubt that there was still work to do and the country couldn’t sit on its laurels. Not to move forward meant the country was going backwards. When all the participants were through, they stood, shook hands with one another, and congratulated each other for the informative discussion. Tex insisted that each would get a chance to see the edited product before it aired on national television. He knew how easy words could be omitted through the editing process and give an entirely different meaning to a sentence, and he refused to let this happen to his statements. That was the reason he preferred live performances. The audience was not at the mercy of an editor.

Heather was at the exit before Tex left the stage. Red stayed a few steps behind Jacob as he walked to the door. Heather opened the door and took a position directly to the left of the door as Jacob exited with Red close behind. Red unlocked the car door and got in. She was about to put the fob styled key in the ignition when Heather stopped her. Pop the hood, sis, she demanded. She looked around in the engine compartment, and when not finding anything suspicious, closed it firmly. She then knelt down and looked under the rented SUV. Standing up, she said, Red, we better call a cab.

Red knew the look on Heather’s face meant she was serious and quickly got out of the rental. Heather used her cell to call 911 and report a suspicious package was attached to the frame of her car, and it would be prudent to get a bomb squad to studio as soon as possible. Red hailed a cab and she and Tex left immediately. Heather stayed behind to handle the local police.

She explained to the police she was in charge of security for Jacob Collins and because of recent threats against him; regularly checked all his vehicles before allowing him to board. The police lieutenant was impressed with both Heather’s expertise and beauty. When the bomb squad arrived, they cordoned off the area and began the arduous removal procedure. Heather stayed until the package was removed from the rental unit, gave the lieutenant her phone number, and then got a cab to the hotel.

When she got to Jacob’s room, Red and Tex were having a sandwich courtesy of room service. Got you a BLT, said Jacob, pointing to the tray on the table by the window. Thanks, Heather. I owe you another. I never thought someone would be so brazen to plant a bomb under the car. Do you have any idea who was behind this?

Probably some nut case from that ‘Free Cuba’ group. They are the ones making the most noise. To pin it down to who ordered it is going to be difficult. I think we need to send a message to those bastards before we leave. I have notes on all their leaders: phone numbers, addresses, etc. Lefty is flying back in tonight, so if you are up for a little action, we can hit them hard and be on the way back to Texas by midnight. It’s up to you, replied Heather.

It’s tempting, but I really would like a name for sure. Get Lefty a room here and arrange for a cab to pick him up. Let’s do a little snooping around this afternoon and evening and see what we come find. A message doesn’t mean shit if they don’t know where and why it’s coming, said Jacob.

Red got her laptop and began doing background checks on members of the ‘Free Cuba" group. She found one man to be of particular interest. Listed as their chief of security, the man was an ex-special forces officer. Finding this, she called her friend Leo in the Dallas FBI office to see if he could pull up any additional files through their records.

It was nearly two hours before Leo called back. Red, this fellow, Franco, you had me check out has quite a history. He’s a native born Cuban-American and served eleven years in the army before he was pushed quietly out. Has a hell of a record with all kinds of commendations, but he was refused reenlistment because he went rogue in Afghanistan and took out several tribal leaders on his own. Since that time, he has contracted with everyone from the CIA to British Intelligence. It doesn’t appear he has a political agenda; he works for the money. He does have a lot of experience with explosives, as you would expect for someone who was in the Special Forces. Hope this helps you out. Oh, I do have his most recent address if you need it.

Red got the address and thanked Leo for his help. You need to make a trip to Marathon and spend a few days with us, she said.

I’ll take you up on that soon as I can make time. Since I was promoted to bureau chief, I haven’t had time to breathe, replied Leo.

Red repeated her conversation with Leo to Tex and Heather. Hearing about Franco, Heather started forming a plan in her head. She said, Here’s an idea. We visit this fellow Franco, lean on him hard and see where that trail leads. If he is a hired gun and doesn’t have political motivation, I doubt I will have to pull out more than one or two fingernails before he gives up whoever sent the order. Based on what you heard from Leo, Red, he probably built and placed the bomb, but he takes orders from someone else. That’s who you want, isn’t it, Tex?

Yes, it is. If we get that name, then we can send the message I was talking about, replied Jacob.

They arranged for another rental and by seven o’clock in the evening, they were sitting a half block away from Franco’s small suburban home. Painted white with a pale yellow trim, the house fit into the neighborhood. There was a Lexus sitting in the driveway and several lights were on in the house. Leo’s research indicated Franco was single which would make it easier to carry out their plan. Heather had dressed in a short skirt and tube top that enhanced her muscular body. Although she had a tan, Red suggested she go over her arms, face and legs with one of the popular instant tan products to make her look even darker. It gave her a distinctive Hispanic look. Red and Tex got out of the car and walked down the sidewalk until they reached the driveway. Quickly and quietly, they took position between Franco’s car and the hedge separating Franco’s house from his neighbor. In a couple of minutes, Heather started the rental and pulled in front of the small bungalow. She got out and raised the hood.

Looking around to see if anyone was taking their evening stroll, she walked up to the door of Franco’s house and rang the doorbell. In a minute the door opened and Franco asked, May I help you? He smiled broadly at the pretty girl standing in his doorway.

I don’t want to be a bother, but my car stopped on me, and my cell phone battery is down. I need to call the rental company and see if I can get some help, replied Heather, who batted her eyes in a flirty way. She noticed Franco was not bad eye candy, either. About five foot nine inches, he was in great shape and very handsome.

Come on in. I don’t have a landline, but my cell is in the kitchen on the charger. You’re not the only one who forgets to charge their batteries, said Franco, flashing a smile at the vivacious beauty standing in his doorway. As soon as he turned to go to his kitchen, Heather motioned for Red and Tex to move.

When Franco walked back into the small living room, he was more than a little surprised to see two more people standing in his living room with pistols pointing at his chest. They had closed the front door. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. I’m going to leave it up to you, said Heather.

Franco now recognized the tall redhead and Jacob Collins. They were the targets he was supposed to eliminate this very morning. I don’t know what you think you are doing, but I going to call the cops right now, if you don’t get the hell out of here. His belligerent bluff did not go far.

Heather said, Sit down and tell us what we need to know and we are out of here. If you want to be stubborn, I can deal with that, as well. First, we know you planted the bomb on our car this morning. We also know you are ex-Special Forces and work as a contractor for whoever has the money. I just need to know who gave the order. Simple, isn’t it?

Red pulled the chair from Franco’s desk and spun it around. Sit down, she ordered.

Slowly, Franco slumped down in the chair, weighing his options. The tall man had not said a word, but he kept his silencer- equipped pistol aimed at Franco’s chest. As soon as Franco sat down, the redhead began securing his hands to the chair’s armrests with the plastic ties popular with police. When Red had him secured, she started checking out the remaining rooms. Nothing in the bedrooms, but he has quite a workshop back there. There’s a couple blocks of C4 laying on his worktable with detonators. I believe that’s proof enough.

See if there is a good pair of pliers. I didn’t bring any with me, said Heather, who was busy securing Franco’s legs.

That’s really old school, said Franco, who was trying to be cool with the situation. I thought water boarding was the in thing these days.

Pain works well for me, replied Heather. We are going to need a towel or something for a gag. We don’t need to wake the neighbors.

Franco had never been captured and tortured, but he had been a part of numerous sessions when torture had been applied to prisoners to get information vital to an operation. Being on the receiving end was new to him, and he did not like the prospect of being tortured to protect some people who gave him money from time to time to eliminate problems.

Franco said, Look, I can give the name of the man who hired me to plant the bomb, if that’s all you want. You already know, I’m just a contractor. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. A look of desperation appeared in his eyes as Heather split the towel and spun it into the shape of a rope. Abel Cruz hired me and gave me the order. Okay, you know as much as I do. You can let me go now.

Jacob said, Who does Mr. Cruz answer to?

I have no idea, replied Franco.

Heather was looking through a small notebook she had taken from her designer purse. According to the organizational chart, Mr. Cruz answers to the chairman of ‘Free Cuba,’ Ernesto Garza. Would you know anything about that? Is Mr. Cruz a free a spirit who dreams these things up on his own, or does he get orders just like you do? asked Heather.

No one does anything without direction from the top, replied Franco, as he stared down at his sandals.

Heather tied a knot in the middle of the towel and put the gag around