Apples and Serpents in Paradise

A Plan is Made

The building that had once held the records for the United States military when they had a base on the island had been converted into a public library. After Charlie had given the two big men Teuila had hired a few of the weapons in his cache he thought about the old records in the library.

They were well armed, but neither of the men knew where the hideout was. If there were any old records in the library, it might help the men locate where the hideout was that the gambling, prostitution, and drug dealing was happening. There couldn't be many men there. At least that was what Charlie figured. The more men they had, the more conspicuous they'd be.

Shawn Needham watched Charlie take a sudden interest in the old archives. It was obvious he was searching for something from the war years that could be useful in finding the hidden casino. He didn't know what he was looking for, but Needham knew that once Charlie did find what he was looking for he would know it.

Shawn had been told about the two big men in town who stopped by the radio station. It also appeared that these men had his Jeep. It wasn't broke down as at all. Doctor Bao had given the Jeep to these two men. How they were connected to Doctor Bao, Needham didn't know. It was possible that they had some connection to Teuila. She was far from clueless about what was going on where her island was concerned.

Shawn was beginning to wonder if it was time for him to take his share or the profits, and beat it. While the getting was good. Shawn didn't know whether or not Charlie could find anything in those records to point him to Vic's hideout. He didn't want to be there if Charlie discovered the location of the casino.

Timothy Lagi was ordered to place Shawn Needham under arrest by the new Police Chief. Zach Nathon. Who was still in the future hotel looking over the map Charlie King had brought him. There were plans for the old shelter in the archives left after WWII. It might have been kept secret during the war, but once it was over the plans had simply been left behind like the shelter and the rest of the base the Americans used.

Charlie King turned up with more than the plans. He had Nasher Spencer with him. Both of them were armed with M14 like the ones he had given Harry and Zach. In addition both men had Colt .45s. With them were thirty sturdy fishermen, farmers, and townsfolk. All of them armed with M1 Garlands and Colts. Where the mass amount of weapons came from, Zach didn't know. What he did know was he suddenly had a small army he never thought he'd have.

Zach would have a lot of questions for Charlie King, but not until after everything was finished. Many of the islanders knew the secret location of the base, but few of them had much knowledge of the layout of the former Army base. With the plans, Zach had found out there was more than one way into the base.

"We could go in the old fashion way, like a bunch of coppers raiding a speakeasy, but that could get ourselves killed, as well as any innocent civilians who are in the base."

Charlie pointed to the front entrance of the compound. "Station a guard of five or so men here. Set up your Bar machine gun here too. More for intimidation. Fire a burst in front of anyone who comes out the front, and that should stop them dead in their tracks." Charlie pointed to a space designated a car garage. "Enter through here."

"Sounds good. We drive them through the compound to the front where the men there will be ready for them." Nash thought he understood what Charlie was thinking. He didn't.

"No." Zach said. "In the process we will end up losing our men and the islanders could be hurt as well."

"I suggest we take the rooms one by one." King said. "Once we secure one room, we move to the next. Civilians we send to the garage where a couple of the men can guard them as we make our way through the compound. The other men will try to move forward to the front gate. Or they could try to secure a room. Or even take hostages. If we can get them all in one room we can negotiate if they have hostages. The quieter we are, the quicker we secure rooms the better off we will be."

"People may still die." Harry commented.

"He's right." Zach understood what Zach was planning. "It will have to be done quietly. We clear each room. What happens if we cross a room with hostages or where the men are held up tight."

"Negotiate, or if necessary post guards on the room and continue." Charlie explained. "After we cleared the base we go back and either negotiate or wait them out."

"I'm going to have a lot of questions after this is over." Zach said as the men began to get ready to go to the base itself.

"We will all have a lot of questions." Nash had never seen this aspect of Charlie before. He had never shown any indication that he was anything but a flaky, absent minded electronics expert.

"I won't answer them, but you can ask those questions if you want." Charlie smiled at Zach.