Page 72 of Very Special Forces

"You areSergeant McTavett?" I asked. He nodded.

"Then Ihave it on good authority that you have a tank and I happen to belooking for one."

"I don'thave a tank. I don't know what you mean or who you are but I don'thave what you want." McTavett gulped and gazed out the window,alarm spreading across his face.

"But youknow who does." I let that sink in.

"I thinkyou've got the wrong guy."

Iproduced the photo on my cell phone that I snapped of the mysteryman dressed up in Simmons’ uniform and lifting the keys in thewarehouse and pushed the cell phone over to him. Alarm deepened onMcTavett's face and he started to rise, hurriedly throwing a coupleof crumpled bills on the table. As he did, I saw the tattoo on hisforearm, unmistakable in the bright sunlight.

"Sit,"growled Solomon.

McTavettsat.

"This isyou wearing Simmons’ uniform while he suffered from food poisoning.You took the keys for the tank, loaded it onto a tank transporterand took it off base. You drove to Montgomery and dropped it off. Iwant it. Where is it now?"

"Listen,lady..."

"Don't'listen, lady' me! I'm not talking about a purse on sale here.You've got a choice right now. You tell me where that tank is or Igo to your superiors at Fort Charles and I tell them everything Iknow and then you’ll spend the next few years missing your wife andkids and wishing you'd made a deal with me in the firstplace."

"Who thehell are you?" McTavett asked, his face paling rapidly.

"Doesn'tmatter. All that matters is the location of your tank. Whatever youwere paid to steal and deliver it, I'll double it."

"Iwasn't paid anything."

"Cut thecrap. We know you took it. We're giving you a betteroffer."

"No,that's just it," said McTavett, his face crumpling. Tears prickedhis lower lids. "Oh, shit! I'm done for anyway. I didn't get apenny for taking that tank. They've got my wife and kids. If Ididn't steal it, they said they would kill them." He turned hiscell phone towards us and pressed his thumb on the screen. A videobegan to play. It looked like it was being shot from a car window.Across the street, a young woman pushed a buggy with a small childinside. Ahead of her, a small boy on a bicycle turned around androde uncertainly back towards her, then stopped with a big grin onhis face. "My wife and kids are in North Carolina visiting her mom.Someone sent this an hour ago. It's the fourth video I've gotten.They're watching them. They haven't stopped watching them all week.So, if you want a tank, I can't help you. I can't sell it. I can'tmake any deals. I dropped it off and I'm supposed to keep my mouthshut until it's moved or my family is dead."

Solomonand I exchanged a glance. I took back my cell phone, pulled out mybusiness card and laid it on the table. "This could be your luckyday," I told him. "We're private investigators not bidders onstolen weaponry."

McTavettblinked and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "You'renot?"

I leanedin. "Seriously? Do I look like I buy tanks?"

"Thewoman who wanted it doesn't look like she buys tanks either," saidMcTavett.

"I thinkyou'd better tell us everything," said Solomon.

"I'm nottelling you a thing until my family are safe. For all I know,they're watching me too and they can see me talking to you." Heglanced nervously out of the window, his eyes roaming the parkinglot.

"We'rejust a couple of friends who dropped by to meet you," I said. "ButI will tell you there's two Army personnel in here who are genuinebuddies of ours and they're pissed at what you've done."

"Ireally didn't have a choice." McTavett's shoulders sagged and heflopped against the backrest of the maroon booth. "I didn't want toset up Simmons but I had to in order to get the tank and I had tosteal it. Please, you have to help me."

"Writedown the location of the tank and then we'll secure your family,"said Solomon. He produced a pen from his pocket and grabbed anapkin from the stack.

"How canI be sure?" asked McTavett.

"Becauseyou don't have a choice," I said. "We'll help you out of this messand we'll make sure your family is safe. I think you can assumeyour career in the Army is over."

"I don'tcare. I just want Josie and the kids to be okay."

I tappedthe back of the photo. "Write the location and then tell useverything you know."

Chapter Seventeen

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