CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Kaplan was receiving call after call that his compounds were burned to the ground and his girls were gone. The next calls were demanding the return of their money or double the number of women delivered by end of week.

There was no way he could do that. Much to his chagrin, he returned the funds in his bank accounts and then demanded answers.

"You said you would let me know if they sent someone," he growled into the phone.

"I didn't know anyone was being sent. It's probably a Delta or SEAL team."

"It would have been multiple teams, and you should have known!" he screamed. "It's all gone. All of it! Do you understand what that's done to me? Not only do I not have my money, I have no women to negotiate with. I have nothing."

"You have the POWs. Use them as ransom," said the other person.

"Are you mad? Do you know what would happen to me if I tried to ransom them? These aren't just Americans. I've got Japanese, Russians, Australians, Brits. I'll be fucking cooked alive by every nation in the world! I need those men dead so they can't talk. Send me men."

"I can't. I'm being watched closely. I can't send any men to you."

"I need men to get those men off the islands and kill them," he snapped.

"You'll have to do it yourself or just let them die out there. I can't send anything your way. In fact, I can't speak with you again. Don't call this number."

The call abruptly ended, and Kaplan immediately redialed, getting a voicemail message. A few moments later, he tried again only to hear a message that said the number was no longer in service.

"Fuck!" he howled.

On his yacht in the middle of the ocean, he had twelve men on board, plus eight crew. It wasn't enough, and it wouldn't be enough to do what he needed done. He needed to find a way to hide. Hell, he needed to find a place to hide.

"Where to, sir?" asked the captain.

"I'm not sure yet. Do we have any weather to avoid? I'd like to not end up like my brother," he said with a sour expression.

"There is a potential storm to the southeast. We should probably head northwest, which would put us awfully close to Taiwan."

"No. No, not there. Move me closer to the States. If I can get back to my home in California, I have just what I need."

"It's going to take a bit longer, sir. We'll have to go north, then east."

"I understand. Just do it."

"Yes, sir."

"Mr. President, do you have any information for us?" asked Bodwick.

"In fact, Micheal. I do."