Thank you for the reviews and sorry for the delay. I'm procrastinating on writing this ending. I don't want to rush it and write a good story and then short change the ending. Bear with me. I'm getting there. I have other projects I'm working on and excited about and I'm just good for a couple of hours of really good writing a day. The rest is mediocre.

Previously -

Bobby pulled out first followed by Lester and then myself and Hector. Hector had not had the chance to scan the cars for listening devices so I had left Tank with the task of calling Bones and Vince at the airport to tell them to send the plane and head south. Right before we got to the tunnels I heard through my earpiece from Bobby. "Pin has already disabled the audio device in this car. He's moving to your car, Ranger, when we stop in the tunnel." Good job. We would be able to communicate freely in two out of four cars and he and Hector may be able to quickly disable another or all when we stop. So far so good.

Chapter 25

Ranger's POV

When we got close to the tunnel on I-95, the traffic was moving slowly. The two contract Rangemen were directing traffic ahead as if there was an accident in the tunnel. When we pulled in, the changes were made easily and the audio devices in the other three cars were quickly disabled as well. Manny and Ram were going to wait until all four cars were at least a mile down the road and any satellite following them would be looking elsewhere before taking the Council members out of the tunnel to the waiting vehicles.

One of the operatives' phone rang and I picked it up and Buckley snapped, "Do not slow down again or stop under any circumstances. I don't trust Manoso. He sent a plane out of Trenton/Mercer airport and three vehicles are now moving south. He has something up his sleeve. Keep me informed of your progress." He disconnected and I grinned. You have no idea. You're a dead man walking.

Brux was with me and I dialed General Sun Tzu. "Manoso?"

I said, "General sir, we are on our way. Robert Buckley is the TIO member and SAD leader and he's currently at the CIA office in McLean on Colonial Farm Road. He sent four, maybe five cars and operatives including the one that took our member, Stephanie Plum, to Virginia. We took them down and commandeered the vehicles. His plan was to either have his men take their heads in my garage or subdue the members with a high-tech ultraviolet neck apparatus for the ride to McLean. We are currently in those cars with Pin and Brux on our way. The other members should be safely back at Rangeman by now." I looked at my watch. "We should be there in one hour and forty-two minutes."

Sun Tzu said, "Excellent work, Ranger. We have been busy ourselves. We have taken out a third of their numbers at home. It seems that the rest have been called to await your arrival. We scanned and eliminated one NSA member in Maryland. They have developed several weapons to harm humans, psycho-electronic weapons, bio-electronic weapons, EMF neural monitoring weapons, RNM EEG devices to remotely track individuals and they are working on a new type of mind control device. We will need to find the rest of these NSA members and program them to go into the Fort Meade Army Installation to sabotage or remove these weapons and plans. I have a team going after the NATO Gladio members. Ranger, our job is never done and it gets much harder with advances in technology."

"I'm trying to get the Council to approve one more of my team and you'll have an entire platoon of fighters, sir. I'll contact you as we get closer," I said.

"Very well. I look forward to meeting you and joining to fight our enemy. We have acquired identification and will be going in to reconnaissance before you arrive. We will await your call," Sun Tzu disconnected.

I repeated the conversation to the rest of our team and I waited for Buckley's call giving us instructions for our arrival in McLean. He couldn't just have us pull up to the door with hostages. I was expecting an off-site location somewhere nearby.

I called Tank to get an update and he said that Strix was with Binkie and he was in pain. I remembered that part of the change and it was bad. All the guys were tough enough to endure and even Steph had a high tolerance for pain. Still, it would be hard to watch her change and be in so much pain. He said that all three Council members had scanned and fed from all operatives in the cells. They had mentioned an address in Bethesda Maryland on Woodmont Avenue. Tank said, "They didn't get much more information than that out of these guys."

I said, "They're probably just low-level muscle in the organization. We can't use them and the other side won't want them now. We'll take care of them when we get back. For now they're food and Binkie is going to be fucking hungry soon."

Tank lamented, "I didn't need to hear that, man. Am I gonna' have to watch my back and worry about the little fucker humpin' me for a bite of my sweet meat?"

I guffawed, "Bink's not little and who says you're sweet?"

"He's little compared to me and all my women and Stephanie say I'm sweet and so is my…"

I said, "Whoa now! Down boy." He chuckled.

I said, "That's need to know and I'm not the one that needs to know. Some of Susan Tanner's contacts are NSA and Sun Tzu had already been busy when I contacted him. They've developed some bad weapons to hurt and use humans. We have to take care of that next." I told him about the different types of weapons that had been developed and the one they were working on. He was pissed that the government that he'd pledged his life and allegiance to was involved in this kind of shit and I was to.

Tank said, "I'll call you back. Give me fifteen."

He called me back and says, "I thought my friend the adrenalin beast was in check. My mean dog is still there, man. I like havin' the firepower and the advantage. Dude, I ain't comfortable with what I know now. My inner warrior says fuck these human assholes. They make for some sick enemies!"

I said, "Amen brother. What did you do?"

"I blacked every beady little motherfuckin' eye in those cells," he growled. I snickered and told him that I'd give him another report soon. I hope he decides to join me. I would miss having my friend and partner in my life. Man, he would be like the freaking Hulk of vampires.

The operative phone rang and Buckley barked orders to go to the Woodmont Avenue address in Bethesda. The cars were to pull into an attached parking garage and stop near an elevator door on the second level. The address was not a surprise and I let the team know and called Sun Tzu and gave him the address. He said that Buckley had left the CIA building in McLean and all TIO members still there had been eliminated and placed together with a stern message to the Director of National Intelligence that The Illuminati's evil influence and control in government agencies will not be tolerated. Forty-eight hours later the same message would be left for the Department of Defense when the NSA members were found.

Sun Tzu called me back. "We are here. The garage is secured and there are cameras. We entered on foot so quickly that the cameras will not pick up anything identifiable. I think this may be the location of the U.S. headquarters of the TIO. If that is the case then this is a very good thing."

I asked, "Do you have explosives?" He chuckled and said, "Why of course we do. We are always prepared for the perfect opportunity."

"Excellent. We're at the garage entrance now and entering. Remember they'll probably be armed with the EMP pulse weapons."

Sun Tzu said, "Roger that and as you say, we have your back." We disconnected and I contacted the team and said, "We exit the vehicles at the same time on three. Lester, Bobby and Hector, I want the three of you to take cover immediately. The rest of us are fast enough to disarm them quickly. Brux and Pin, be careful of their weapons."

When we stopped, there were five armed men standing to both sides of the elevator and one was standing with what looked to be a Katana sword. Buckley had not been kidding about the beheading. On my count we opened the doors.

I watched as all six men fell like bowling pins and suddenly an Asian man appeared a little older than me. He was smaller in stature, maybe 5'8 in height with his hair in a bun and a V-shaped beard and mustache wearing a leather jumpsuit. He picked up the sword and turned and looked at me and grinned.

He said, "Japanese Ninhoto Katana. Possibly the sharpest sword in the world. Was recorded as being able to chop through the heads of eight prisoners at once. I am Sun Wu, better known as Sun Tzu."

Lester shivered and said, "Jesus H., man! I think I just dumped a load in my pants."

Sun Tzu chuckled and said, "Not exactly the greeting I usually get." The rest of the team and even Pin and Brux laughed."

Bobby said, "You idiot, Santos. You're making us look bad. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to call you my partner."

I barked, "Enough. We don't have much time and we still have to find Buckley and Stephanie. Suit up!" They began pulling gear out of the trunks and changing clothes. I walked over and shook Sun Tzu's hand. One of his team was gathering all the operatives weapons and carrying them out.

He said, "I think we should take the stairs and spread out with one of our kind in each group. There are six floors to this building. I will take this floor."

I said, "I agree. The woman we're looking for has brown curly hair and blue eyes and a sassy mouth. You'll know her when you see her." I turned to the men. "Hector and Pin are a team. You take level one and start checking the security. Bobby, go with SunTzu. I'll take level three and Santos you're with me. Sun Tzu's men can take the rest of the levels." I gave Sun Tzu and his men walkies and ear pieces and mic's like ours and we all did a mic check and were ready to move.

I finished changing and checked my weapons and looked at Sun Tzu and nodded. "General, at your signal." He moved his arm to give the go sign and we headed into the stairwell. I heard Lester say behind me to Brown, "You didn't really mean what you said did you, bro'? We're best friends, man."

Bobby said, "Nah, man. I didn't mean it, but you're still a dumbass." I did a Stephanie Plum style eyeroll. Thank goodness Santos was already approved to be vamped.

TBC -

(The NSA stuff might be true. A lawsuit was filed against them in 1996 for developing this kind of stuff. The government has tested all kinds of shit on its people in history. Scary thing is that I found all this stuff on the internet and all of it supposedly exists right now. I know, shiver!)