Simon

Simon - A Hannah Todd Story

Simon - A Hannah Todd Story

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. This work is copyrighted by the author. All characters involved in sexual activity are eighteen years of age or older at the time of portrayal.

This is the continuing adventures of Hannah Todd. I would strongly recommend you read at least some of "The Bridge," "Badass," and "The Auction," which provide the backstory for most of the characters in this story. And if you've been reading me, thank you for your continued support. Your comments are priceless, so please leave your wisdom so I might improve my writing.

Simon - Part Twelve

Mid-September is a good time to do a mission in the south. Not too hot, not too cold. After observing the two drones down at Simon's cave, we had a pretty good idea of the layout. Herb even managed to get one of the drones into the elevator and followed Keep Collette to Simon's office on the fourth story, where he opened the bookcase to reveal the riches beyond. Both in data and gold.

It's time for a full court press, and with that came a meeting at the Greenhouse. All hands on deck.

Although we never saw more than a dozen or so of Simon's soldiers at any given time, there were shift changes, and his people would come and go on an every other day basis. It would be on the off day we would make our move. Catch them between shift changes. And give them little to come back to.

So, on Thursday, the 14th, we had our all hands on deck meeting at the Greenhouse. As usual, it would be Duane's mission, but I spoke first.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have yet another mission. This one at Simon's place of residence. Despite his absence, it appears that there is plenty of activity, and we have to bring it to a screaming halt and take what will advance us to the next step. Whatever that may be. Herb and Danny have compiled footage our wasps have taken of the cave dwelling we are going to be raiding. They will transfer the edited version onto your tablets for you to study. You all should know every inch of the place like the back of your hand when the mission begins. Duane will tell you the rest."

"Alright, team," Duane said. "The mission kicks off on Tuesday, the 19th. Everyone will be wearing civilian clothes, no cammos for this one. We'll be driving down there in three of the big SUVs, except for Ronnie, who will be flying the Bell 407x down with Dom, Herman and I. Hannah has already set up accommodations for three couples and a threesome of bow hunters taking advantage of an expanded deer hunting season. The couples; Juicy and Alec, Romy and Hoagie, and Caroline and Anthony will be staying at a nice place in the Smokeys. Details to be given after the meeting. The deer hunters will be Rapper, Ninja and, of course, Archer, who will be supplying the bows and arrows and time instructing on the range. Any questions so far?"

Nobody had any questions, so Duane continued.

"The mission is going to go like this. The cave, or cavern, has one entry point we know of; a large garage door. Teams one and two will be dropped off at the woods near the site. They will hike in to a point close to the cave. Team two will break away from the group and climb the mountain with smoke grenades and clay to block the vents. Team three will be in the Bell 407x on standby at an abandoned airfield we have found fifteen minutes from the cave."

All eyes were on Duane as he spoke, and it was quiet as church during a sermon.

"Team one, led by Herman and I, will prepare to enter the mountain with the passcode we have found, after team two lofts the smoke grenades down the vents and blocks the tops with the clay. That will assure the smoke goes down and does its job. Gas masks will be worn by all inside operators. We expect that their people who can will start to flood out of the mountain. They will be coming down the elevator and down the side stairs. In the meantime, team three will land on the landing pad and the team, except for Ronnie will exit the chopper and secure the outside, either killing or capturing fleeing soldiers and other employees of Simon."

He looked around at the team, and everyone was still focused on the mission details.

"Team one, I want at least one of you to secure the red door. It is the entrance to what appears to be an escape hatch, the terminus we have not yet found. Herman and I will head to the office on the fourth story and secure the valuables. Once all the enemy combatants are secured, Herman, Avi and I will decide what comes with us and what stays. If we get one bite of this apple I'd like to make it count. Questions?"

"I'll secure the red door," Archer said.

"If you find someone heading to that door, don't kill him, but capture him. He is the one who knows the most and will be quite valuable to us. Can you do that?"

"Arrows can wound as well as kill. I've got this."

"Dom and Juicy, I want you to secure the elevator. There's only one and it is the quickest access out of the place. Nobody but us in and nobody but us out of it."

"You don't have to tell me twice, boss." Domingo said. "It's good to be back in action."

"What of the girls?" Juicy asked.

"Great question, and I have a few days to figure that out. This mission will be toughest on them. Be kind to them and keep them safe. If we don't evacuate them, though, we may have to burn the location, and that way we only get one bite of the apple. Not unexpected. Who else?"

"How well armed is this place? Are there any gun emplacements?" Hoagie asked.

"There are slots on the side of the mountain on the first floor and maybe the third, where the troops are kept. We didn't see any others when we were there," Anthony said.

"Why not use tear gas instead of smoke?" asked Danny. "I know I'm in the Closet, but I just wanted to know."

"The girls," Duane said. "The smoke will be upsetting enough, but it won't do them any harm. The teargas will just kill them. Not literally, but it will cause great panic and pain all at once. The smoke will just cause panic. We'll be able to handle that."

"How long will this take, start to finish?" Caroline asked. "From the time the smoke is tossed till the time we shut it down and take off."

"A lot of that depends on how much stuff we take from the place. I figure the combat end of it shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes and another fifteen to settle things down. If we are taking lots of gold that could take a while. If we have to break into anything, that will take even longer. But let's say from an hour to an hour and a half, if we really hit it. It's pretty desolate out there and we shouldn't disturb anyone. It's a virtual gravel road to this place, so there won't be anyone driving by."

There was a hum through the crowd, but nobody had any more real questions. So Duane summed it all up.

"Those who will be driving out there on the 18th will be spending the night in your hotel. Those flying will fly out early on the 19th. Drivers who will be dropping off crew members will reunite with us where the chopper will be parked and will come in on the helicopter for that final charge. I want Avi, Juicy and Hoagie driving. Dom, Caroline, Ninja, Archer, Rapper and Romy will take to the woods for the first assault once the smoke is dropped by Anthony and Alec. Take the next few days off to think about the mission and study on it. Let's get together here at the Greenhouse on Sunday for a final briefing."

"Hoorah!" rang out from the crew. And off they went to their respective places of rest.

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I wanted one more session with Polo Candido before the mission went off. I had thoughts of taking him with us, but Duane talked me out of it.

"Tell me, Polo; where will I find Keep Collette in this place?"

"He'll be in one of two places. Either in his office or in Simon's. If he's hiding, it will be somewhere in Simon's office. I think he has a false wall or something where he keeps his shit."

"Good to know. Tell me, what's the battle plan if they experience a home invasion?"

"There are gun slots on the first and third floors. They will be shooting from there. They will also jump on one of the armored vehicles and try to shoot their way out."

"I'm planning to smoke them out. What is the drill for smoke or gas?"

"I'm not aware of any. How in the world are you going to do that?"

"Through the vents. It will be late at night, and they will never expect it."

"You're right. Sounds like you have a workable plan. I'd wish you luck, but some of those boys are my friends, and I'd hate to see bad things happen to them."

"If they put their hands up, nothing bad will. But if they fight us, we won't take kindly to it. Peoplewilldie. And we don't want it to be us."

As his nurse, I'd say Polo was healing well, and I would say he's getting around, but we had him chained up pretty good, so he was going nowhere. But he continues to be helpful, so I made sure he was at least well fed.

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On Friday, the 15th, William was back in our area, and he, Holly, Gloria and I took three guards and headed for the shuttered hospital outside of Chester. The real estate agent met us there, and we took the tour. The electricity was turned on and there was plenty of light. Except for all the dust, the space was perfect. There was not much equipment left over as it was sold off when the building was abandoned. The hospital was old, but the bones were good, and we were satisfied that this hundred-bed facility, plus offices and medical spaces, including an ER and operating suites, could do the job. These can easily be converted for other purposes, as deemed necessary by our medical staff.

William was swooning at the possibilities, and the price was right. Half of the five million I was putting in, which would give us millions to equip and staff the place. William immediately recommended that we put our bid in and buy the place ASAP. He was ready to get started. Holly had two women to help him with his endeavor and volunteered to negotiate the deal. She thought we could get them down below two million. She'd get Barry Finkel, our real estate guy, involved.

I wanted to show off a little, so I took everyone to the Navy Yard to show them our facilities. Unfortunately for poor Roxanne, at the front desk at RFS, I showed up with my entourage and threw her into a tizzy. She didn't know what to do about all that power all at once. And meeting me in person was a little much for her. Not to mention Gloria Tuttlehill, our richest client.

"Miss Todd, do you need Mr. Royce? I'll get him right away."

"Ease up, Rox. I'm just here to show my friends around and show off a little. But you can let him know I'm here. He will definitely want to know."

"Yes, Miss Todd. Immediately, ma'am. Please hold. I mean, please wait a minute. I didn't mean..."

"Just let him know, Roxanne."

Duane came out immediately to greet his guests. He introduced Herman to William and, of course, Tilly. Tilly was always there. Duane's right hand. If I didn't know better...

After ruffling feathers at RFS we went down the hall to Todd Recovery. Things there, as always, were bonkers. Peggy screaming into the phone at our European operators, and Les McKelly barking orders to her underlings. But shit was getting done, and everyone was impressed. Until Les turned on me.

"Okay, Hannah, out of here. If you've got nothing to contribute, get out. We've got shit to do."

'I bought a hospital, Les. A place to put some of your stragglers. How's that?"

"I'm impressed, now get the fuck out. It might be your name on the door, but this is my show, and I run it as I see fit. Go bother the folks at RFS; they've got plenty of bodies in there."

"I get it, I get it, Les. As you were. We'll be on our way."

"Boy," William said. "You put up with a lot of shit from your employees."

"You heard the woman. It's her show, and it is. I mess with her at my peril. She quits and Recovery goes to shit. McKelly has earned her autonomy. Let me show you Acquisitions. It's much mellower."

So we went back down the hall to Todd Acquisitions, where money was moving and young women were being made as whole as money could make them. No need to tell my guests that this is the place that ill-gotten booty is converted into goodwill for injured parties of the traffickers we had waylaid. These girls along with those rescued because of Recovery's efforts would be among our first patients at the new medical facility.

On the way home, I called Bertha and had her make us a dinner after the kids' dinner, so I could send William off in style. As with the whole trip, he was duly impressed.

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On Sunday, at around ten in the morning, the team came together for their final briefing. Everyone knew the mission cold, and what team they were on and what his or her job was. Most importantly, they knew the layout cold. We went through a verbal drill, and everyone seemed clear on what our mission was and how it would go down. And everyone knew the space we were invading. Thank you, Herb and Danny.

The one thing we hadn't cleared up previously was what to do with the girls. So I rented a bus, under a false ID, and supplied my own driver - Romy LaFleur, to take the girls from the place and drop them at a tourist attraction and have my driver disappear. Full make up and a blonde wig and blue contacts made Juicy look like who she ain't. Nobody would ever be able to ID her.

Everyone had a bag packed and their favorite firearms in tow. Rifles and machine guns had been broken down and stuffed into luggage. Everything we'd need for our mission went in the cars as well. Body armor and night vision goggles were packed away and ready to be used. Alec and Anthony even packed up explosives just in case we have to blow something up. My SEALs always liked the thought of that.

On Monday morning, everyone who was driving or riding jumped into the three large vehicles and sped off to Tennessee. They would check into their hotel that afternoon and get a good rest and a hearty meal to prepare for the next day's activities. Or, rather, the next night's activities.

Very early Tuesday, Ronnie and crew left to fly to the abandoned airfield after stopping in West Virginia to top off the tanks. That's when Duane took the controls and met the rest of the crew at the bleak but serviceable airfield. Just because he wanted to.

As usual, I was linked into the bodycams and comm-link and watching and listening from the videoconference room. From there, Herbert and Danny, who were both working the Closet, had me looped into the wasp drones, which were running out of juice, and the links that the team was using. Lizzie, as usual was with me to hold my hand and keep me centered.

The battery of the first drone was running low. Danny flew it to a safe place and perched it out of view. The second drone would be in the structure, the supporting beams, on the first floor. With a good idea at what we will be looking at when we go into this structure. My troops in the field could watch that video, as is commandeered by Danny or Herbert, on their supercells, silently. It's like being able to look through walls. And, Thank God, there was virtually no action on the first floor. Just two guys shooting the shit. Armed, but certainly not focused on guarding anything. How ever this door comes off, in a split second, someone's gonna have to hit those dudes. That's generally Caroline's job. And she took a prone position at the tree line, ready to strike.

Not trusting the passcode, Herman and Duane set charges on either side of the gate. That door's coming off, one way or another. But Duane was on the right side and plugged in the code. Sonofabitch, doesn't that thing open up. Caroline is at ground level, just waiting for the shot.

As the door opens just a foot, it didn't take more than a second when the legs appear, and pfft, pfft, two men down; shot in the legs. Pfft, pfft, head shot, head shot, two gone. By the time everyone was at the door half of them were inside the door, and by the time the thing was open five feet we were at the elevators and Archer was checking out the red door. The smoke was just starting to seep into the first floor.

As the elevator opened, smoke poured out and we took prisoner after prisoner, bloodlessly. Coming down the stairs was the same. Most were unarmed, or sporting just sidearms. Except for one man firing a machine gun. But he was quickly dispatched. They were totally unprepared for what we brought. Although two of them attempted to run off, which Caroline, from the position she had maintained, picked off as well. Never mess with Caroline. She doesn't miss.

The war is being fought on the first floor, which is good. Duane advised his SEALs to unplug the vent and pull out the smoke grenades, which were hot but manageable with a good pair of gloves.

Ronnie showed up with his contingency and put that chopper right square in the middle of the helipad. How he ever found this place I'll never know. And in the dark. I guess setting that flare didn't hurt. Herman just seemed so upset he didn't get to blow anything up. But as prisoners were being gathered, Herman collected the charges we had laid and made them safe for travel.

Then there's the girls. The comm-link is a wonderful thing. It gives me a voice in this whole mess.

"Duane, who is attending to the girls? Is the bus there yet?"

"Relax, Hannah. The bus got here right after we went in. It's been pretty peaceful, although I'm gonna kill someone."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Cause I need a man named Keep Collette. And if I keep killing these motherfuckers, maybe the next one will point out Keep Collette."

"I'm Keep Collette," a handsome young man with a surprisingly commanding presence said. "Who do I have the displeasure of addressing?"

"Goodness, Keep. I don't think I like your tone. How about yes, sir and no, sir? Where are your manners Mr. Collette?"

We counted seventeen souls who were on the payroll, and ten girls who were living in cages barely big enough to lie down in, on the second floor.

Behind the red door was indeed a Subaru hybrid, an all gas Porsche and a Harley motorcycle, old style, big one, gasoline only. They were all pointed away from the door and toward the wall. But the wall was hollow, and open. The opening led to a black stone road which, I expect, led to civilization. Apparently, Simon's house, such as it is, was built on an abandoned coal mine that ran through the mountain. And the other end of the cave had to come out near a road. But you need something for off-roading, like the Subaru to get through the rough spots.

Duane decided to do it on the Harley. That's so Duane. And he did. His bodycam shots were awesome, and I put the shot up on the big screen just to be with him as he rode away into the darkness. He took the ride slowly and deliberately because the rocks and stones that made up the floor of the cave were so slick and unpredictable. It took him about two minutes when he ran into its terminus. It was a blind of some sort that looked like it was controlled remotely.

"Archer," he said. "Are you still with the vehicles?"

"Yeah, I'm waitin' for you to come back. What's up?"

"Go into that Subaru and see if there is some kind of remote or something funky about the dashboard."