Chapter 87: Monroe
Thoughts of Angel and Zachery encroached at odd times-a smell, the turn of a jaw, even the flow of a burqa. Monroe, the king of control, had trouble compartmentalizing their memories, but knew if he didn't focus on his adversary it created incredible danger for those he loved.
One of Monroe's first missions introduced him to Uday Hamid Hussein. Their paths crossed many times through the years. Monroe always knew the man needed to die. Uday, especially harsh on women, singlehandedly killed more innocents with torture, starvation, and beheading than most terrorist groups. A few weeks before, during a compound raid to capture Uday, foreign operatives uncovered documents detailing Monroe's civilian life. The accurate files had pictures and maps of Monroe's home residence. After the raid failed, the U.S. government notified him immediately. Monroe agreed to this assignment to draw the cold-blooded killer out where Monroe could finally end his worthless life.
Dressed in a black t-shirt with BDU vest and pants, Monroe had everything he needed in his multiple pockets while maintaining maximum mobility. He scaled a six-foot wall and made his way inside the secure grounds belonging to Fahid Ahmed Mohamed. Though rich, Fahid was a relatively minor player in the world of terrorism, but he had ties to Uday. Monroe wanted Uday and the government wanted information located on Fahid's computer. It was a win-win.
Dark clouds cast an eerie moonlit glow over the still night. There was enough moonlight that Monroe could see without night-vision goggles, but it wasn't a gift. If he could see, so could the guards. He made it to the inside perimeter and settled low, beside an outside electrical box. From his pocket, he pulled a small electronic device that detected frequencies between 25 and 45kHZ. Once he identified the alarm's central control wires, he spliced the lines and attached another small box to circumvent the entire system. He could now move around freely as long as he remained out of sight of the cameras.
Unwrapping a twenty-foot length of rope from his waist, he tied it to a metal hook, which he removed from one of his many pockets. On his first swing, it caught on an iron balcony rung and he pulled himself hand-over-hand to the second floor. He gathered the rope and circled it back around his mid-section. Next, he removed a glass cutter from a vest pocket, circled the glass with the tip, suctioned the piece out, and unlocked the French door from the inside.
It was approximately 0330, and the house remained still and quiet as he made his way inside. Fahid's office wasn't hard to find. Monroe unscrewed the casing to the computer console and attached a high-speed heterostructure download device to the hard drive. It began wirelessly transmitting the contents, completely bypassing the need to turn the system on or acquire a login password. Once the process began, he systematically searched the office. Several items looked promising and, after carefully folding the documents, he placed them in his front vest pocket so his arm wouldn't cause a crinkling noise when he moved. A small green light showed the download complete, so he reassembled the computer casing and stowed everything back where it came from.
He looked out the window and decided it wasn't his best means of escape. Turning to the door, sudden blinding light caused his hand to raise and momentarily shield his eyes. Thousands of volts immediately incapacitated him to where he didn't feel his body hit the floor. The Taser continued to discharge while they secured his arms behind his back. He couldn't stop the heavy boot from connecting with the side of his head before everything went black.
***
Cold water pouring over his body woke him. His temple throbbed and his arms felt like lead weights pulled them from their sockets. Through half-closed eyes, he saw Fahid standing before him.
"My friend is awake. Very nice of you to visit me, Mr. Monroe. I have someone on his way here who also wishes to visit. I think you want to meet him, true?" Fahid's English, straight from an Ivy League University, had only a touch of an accent.
Monroe's naked body was secured tightly to a metal chair. He looked around, not seeing his clothing in the room. He imperceptibly pulled on the restraints to test their hold. Tingling at his wrists and ankles assured him he wouldn't slip the ties. Two guards armed with automatic weapons stood at the door. Dried blood from previous captives splattered the walls and the odor of urine and feces permeated the still, warm air. The sudden blow to the side of his head wasn't unexpected. Blood traveled down the back of his throat as he spit. Saliva and blood sprayed toward the man who punched him, but the real fun began after Uday arrived.
Monroe knew his slow death served a purpose for the cold-blooded killer. Accepting the inevitable was impossible, and Monroe held out through busted ribs, broken bones, and the loss of several teeth. Thoughts of never seeing Angel or Zachery again kept him fighting. He let his mind drift and follow swirls of rope as he wrapped them around the people he loved. Only in his subconscious did he hear Uday's threats to kill his family if he didn't cooperate. Uday wanted names of U.S. sympathizers. Monroe smiled on a gurgle of blood. He trusted Zachery to protect their family and adhere to Monroe's letter.
Finally, through the pain, and sorrow for those he loved, he reached his decision while he consciously could. His handler didn't know his exact location and no one was coming to his rescue. Monroe wasn't afraid of torture or death, but he refused to give Uday the pleasure of severing his head or burning him alive.
His solution was World War II old-school, but effective. His tongue found the depression in his back tooth and dislodged the rubber bead surrounding a glass ampoule. He lifted his head, staring straight into Uday's eyes. "Fuck you." He bit down. A split second later, his body seized and he didn't feel the next blow to his skull.
Angel and Zachery rested within the intricate weave of rope and kissed. Monroe watched them sway, loving their unique bond. A tug on his hand made him glance down. Zachery pulled him into the web and then his amazing lips found Monroe's.
Peace at last.
The world went black.
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