Firestorm 10
FIRESTORM 10
Nic was nervous as she spoke to Pepa.
“I set up a digital camera at the entrance and exits of the warehouse. I kept a log of all registration plates and vehicle types. I noticed at four separate points that vehicles were entering with one tag and leaving with another. So I called a friend of mine who is working toll roads and weigh stations. He checked the tags I sent him. Each vehicle that switched tags had a significant increase in weight from one trip to the next. I tracked the tags to one registered owner. Pablo Sanchez.”
Nic handed her a photo. “He’s deceased. A construction worker killed in an ETA attack on metro lines in 1985.”
Pepa smirked.
“So all we need to do is place GPS units on these trucks, and they’ll lead us straight to their location.”
“Already done Senora.” Nic said proudly. She handed Pepa a handheld GPS tracker.
“Bueno.” Pepa said to the young officer with a smile.
Nic responded. “I fight with my mind too Pepa. If I fight like this, I’ll do fine here?” she said mischievously.
“Si, Nic. You’ll do just fine. Rita, page everyone in. We move at sundown. That gives everyone 8 hours.”
With that Pepa turned out of the room. Jose Luis and Rita chased after her.
“Pepa!” they shouted at the same time.
Pepa turned with an amused look on her face.
“Yes?”
Rita spoke. “You need to sleep.”
Pepa immediately tried to shrug off the suggestion.
Jose Luis grabbed her hand. “Pepa at your best I would follow you to the ends of the earth to fight this fight. So please rest to be at your best.”
Pepa nodded.
“You both are good parents.” Pepa said with a smile. “Rita, wake me in four hours.”
Rita smiled and nodded. She and Jose Luis then shared a shy glance. Before Rita knew it he had grabbed her hand and squeezed softly. With a nervous chuckle he broke the contact.
“I better start pulling inventory from the armory.” He said as he rubbed his hand on his neck.
Rita just smiled and nodded as he walked away.
Silvia looked under the microscope at the rounds and shell casings taken from various ETA attacks. She had isolated several fingerprints and were running a cross scan through Interpol trying to locate the owners.
Silvia made several notes. Apparently on top of their hate speeches, the ETA were expert gunsmiths. These rounds had been fired from weapons with modified barrels. She had never seen anything like it before.
She read her notes aloud.
“The rounds appear to be bored with the inside showing traces of plastic and Teflon. The fired bullets show little to no striations making it nearly impossible to trace a bullet to a gun.”
She fired a Glock 22 into a water barrel that she had requested. The velocity graphs showed up on her computer and were far higher then she had expected.
She then heard the trickle of water on the wood floors. She walked to the back of the water and saw a small hole leaking in the rear of the metal container.
She stood up with shock in her eyes. The rounds were something she’d only heard of once, and they had been thought a myth. Years ago at a forensics seminar in Belgium she had run into a specialist claiming that a new 9x19 mm round was being circulated in the Eastern part of Europe, but everyone had dismissed his ranting as urban legend.
She quickly picked up the phone.
Agent Duarte’s voice answered coolly. “Yes?”
“You need to stop this assault.”
“It’s too late, units are being mobilized as we speak.”
“You need to reoutfit them, these rounds are..”
“What are you talking about Silvia.”
“Exploding Armor Piercing Rounds Agent. Their armor will not stop these rounds, and I’m almost certain that each round contains trace amounts of plastique explosive.”
“I’ll be right there.” Said Agent Duarte as she hung up the phone.
Silvia flipped the left monitor back to the new station. She sought out Pepa.
She finally located her in a temporary quarters room. Pepa was tossing and turning in her sleep. She had kicked the covers off of the cot. Her left arm dangled off the bed.
She was mumbling and a frown marred her brow.
“Silvia!” Pepa yelled in sleep. “Someone help me!”
She began to violently thrash about the bed.
“No!!” she yelled again and then she began to whimper. “I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry!”
Even though she knew it was pointless, Silvia couldn’t bear to watch this suffering anymore.
“Wake up Pepa!” she screamed.
And as if by some miracle, she did.
Silvia exhaled loudly and smiled. “Soon Pepa. I promise.”
Pepa swung her legs to the side of the cot. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stretched her arms to the sky. She began to dress.
Silvia watched every move.
First the black BDU style pants and black t-shirt. She watched as Pepa methodically laced up the black Danner boots. Then Pepa tucked in a nomex BDU shirt into the pants. Followed by a black tactical vest with the words POLICIA in large white letters on the front and back. Silvia knew it was inappropriate, but Dios her wife was sexy. She looked like a superhero with a Sig Sauer holstered on her right thigh. Silvia sighed as Pepa grabbed her helmet, Camelbak and backpack and started out the door.
Pepa paused and dropped the bag on the cot. She reached inside and pulled out a photo of their wedding. Pepa smiled and deposited a small kiss on the photo. She then tucked it inside of one of the Velcro ballistic panels on her vest, near her heart.
“You always believed in angels Peliroja. Dios, I hope you’re mine because I’m going to need help.”
“I’m here Pepa. You aren’t alone.” Silvia whispered to the screen.
“I feel you sometimes…” Pepa laughed.
“I know. I’m right here baby.”
Pepa looked up as if she was praying.
“If I don’t make it through this…” Pepa started. Her voice broke. “If I don’t make it will you please be there waiting for me?”