Death Toll Rising Read online

  DEATH

  TOLL

  RISING

  Copyright © 2017 Terry Keys

  All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author is unlawful piracy and is theft of the authors’ intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes) written permission must be obtained by the author [email protected].

  ISBN-10: 1542386330

  ISBN-13: 978-1542386333

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Death Toll Rising

  FREE EBOOK!

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

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  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank all of my fans! I write because of you. I read all of your letters and emails personally and I always respond to each and every one of them. I am still touched and moved each time I hear from one of you about how a book of mine made you feel. My hope is that not only this book but all of my future books continue to entertain you.

  Terry

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  Prologue

  Dry, lung-scarring heat forced Akio Yoshida to take a deeper, harder breathe than he was used to. Japan’s prime minister had barely reached the bottom of the private jet’s staircase, and he could already feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. If there really was a hell on earth, he’d found it. He had made several trips to the United States, but this was his first to Houston, and the rumors about the humidity and the unbearable summer climate had proven to be true.

  Bush Intercontinental Airport was as busy as it ever was. Planes landed or took off every few minutes it seemed. It rivaled Japan’s Narita International Airport, Akio thought to himself. A dozen armed U.S. soldiers were already in place and surrounded the small plane. A handful of prescreened journalists and photographers also stood nearby trying to catch a glimpse of Akio. They all wanted the shot for their newspaper or website. A handful of onlookers gathered as well.

  Akio was in Houston to attend the world’s first Religious International Summit. The goal of the summit was to bridge the gap between various religions around the globe, repair strained relationships, and start to build peace. The summit would include leaders from Japan, China, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, Israel, France, Italy, England, Germany, and a handful of African nations. The summit was scheduled to begin in two days. Yoshida was the last of the visiting country leaders to arrive in Houston. He still had a few days to spare and planned to tour a few places in the highly cultured city. Among his stops would be the Johnson Space Center, the Holocaust Museum, and the USS Texas which intrigued the man more than it probably should have. The USS Texas was the last remaining vessel that was active during WWI and WWII and was an amazing part of both world and American history.

  Houston also boasted a very impressive Chinatown that Yoshida wanted to visit. This, he had decided, would be his first stop. A few drinks and, if it went as planned, a few special guests to keep him company.

  Rush hour traffic in Houston was legendary for being some of the worst in the nation. It was nearing five p.m., which meant any type of travel would be a nightmare. Yoshida and his team had overlooked this detail when scheduling arrival time. What would typically by a forty-minute drive to Chinatown would now easily take closer to two hours, Yoshida was informed.

  A tall, square-chinned, middle-aged man with a sergeant badge approached Akio. The man, Sergeant Butler, bowed to the prime minister.

  He extended his hand to shake. “Konnichiwa, sir,” Butler said.

  Akio bowed back. “Konnichiwa. It is an honor to be here in your country.”

  “We are honored to have you, sir. You have the entire power of the U.S. Secret Service at your disposal.”

  Suddenly, two of Yoshida’s men rushed to his side. Akio raised his hand, gesturing the men to stand down.

  Butler looked both men firmly in the eyes, almost beaming through them. “I want to assure you every conceivable security measure has been taken. The health and well-being of the prime minister will be my number one concern until we put him back on this jet in five days,” Butler sternly announced.

  “Thank you, Sergeant Butler. My men are very protective. I have an incredible security team; I want them quickly brought up to speed.”

  “Yes, sir. I will bring them up to speed in short order. The United States military is the finest in the world. If we can’t protect you, no one can. Every detail needs to run through me before it happens.”

  A few of Yoshida’s men smiled wryly but no one replied.

  Yoshida was escorted to a waiting limousine. Butler and a few of Yoshida’s men climbed in behind him and started discussing the security details.

  Yoshida’s team had informed the U.S. of his itinerary, and his first stop, Fu Fu Café, was fully reserved and awaited the prime minister’s arrival. The restaurant topped many lists as the best place to eat in Houston’s Chinatown, and Yoshida was eager to give it a shot.

  Private entertainment had also been arranged and would be provided by a small local band. The restaurant was known for being open late, upward of five or six a.m., which also suited the Japanese leader. His late-night parties were well-known.

  “Sergeant Butler, we have been moving twenty minutes but have only traveled a short distance. Is there a problem with this route?” Yoshida asked with a look of concern on his face.

  “It’s rush hour here in Houston, sir. Any route around the city will be equally
as bad.”

  Yoshida threw his hands up in the air. “So it’s like this every day here?”

  “I’m afraid so, sir. And worse if we encounter an accident along the way.”

  Yoshida muttered something in Japanese that made his men laugh. Butler smiled politely. He felt like he was the ass of the joke, but he wasn’t sure what he’d said or done. Language aside, you can always tell when you aren’t in on the joke. It bothered him, but what the hell could he do about it?

  Yoshida stared in amazement at the gridlock of cars all around him. He wondered why his team hadn’t better planned this out.

  Finally, a little over an hour later, the group arrived at the restaurant. A US-led security team had already swept the place twice and given the all clear for the Prime Minister. The team had established a perimeter and stood outside, armed and ready for Akio’s arrival.

  As the limousine pulled up, patrons who were in eyesight pushed in closer, everyone wanting to catch a glimpse of the foreign leader. Cameras were already flashing by the dozens.

  As the car came to a stop, three armed guards walked over and opened a rear door. Akio climbed out of the limo and bowed, waving to the gathered crowd as he walked into the restaurant.

  The entire waitstaff stood along the front, and each of them greeted Yoshida. The youngest and cutest of the waitstaff escorted Yoshida to his table in a back, a dimly lit corner of the restaurant. Someone had done a great job making sure he got the best service. Yoshida’s affinity for women was no secret.

  Both the U.S. and Japanese secret service teams had the entire restaurant secured. Men with guns and no smiles paced back and forth, ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice. Sergeant Butler had been given direct expectations from the president herself regarding the well-being of Yoshida. Her exact words, “Do not eff this up, Sergeant Butler,” couldn’t have been clearer.

  As the hours rolled by, Akio had become bored with the band. A few weeks earlier his security had prescreened some adult entertainment to accompany him at his request. Akio told the men to send for the women now. He slammed back three more shots while he waited.

  About fifteen minutes later, two young, tight-bodied blonde entertainers stood outside the front of the restaurant.

  Sergeant Butler heard his name called over the radio. He pointed to Akio to stay put. Akio smiled.

  “Butler here what’s going on out there Petty Officer Newman?” he called into his radio.

  “Sorry to bother you, sir, but . . . uh, two strippers—I’m sorry, adult entertainers—just showed up. Said they were called,” Newman nervously replied.

  “Who the hell called them, Newman? And how do you know they’re strippers? Are you sure they are at the right place?”

  “Sir, I don’t know who called them. That’s why I’m calling you. And trust me, these skirts ain’t here for wonton soup. They asked for Mr. Akio by name.”

  Just then, Butler saw several of Akio’s men heading toward the front of the restaurant.

  “Hold on, Newman,” Butler said.

  He turned to the head of Yoshida’s security team. “You guys hire some goddamn girls?” he hissed, putting a hand on the man’s chest.

  “Yes, are they here? Mr. Yoshida is waiting for them. And I’d watch where I put those hands.”

  Butler inched closer to the man, purposefully invading his personal space. “This is not how this is going to work. Everything needs to run through me, compadre. Got it? I thought I made that painstakingly clear a few hours ago.”

  The man pointed in Butler’s face. “Listen, cowboy, we no work for you. We work for Mr. Yoshida. If he asks for girls, we bring him girls. Mr. Yoshida always gets what he wants. You got it?” he taunted pushing a stiff finger into Butler’s chest.

  The two men stood face-to-face and glared into each other’s eyes.

  Finally Butler spoke up. “My orders come from the President of the freaking United States. I don’t give a damn what you or your goddamn boss wants. My job is to keep his ass alive, and we do it my way on my turf. This isn’t freaking Japan. None of you are running this show. This is my show.”

  Butler grabbed his radio. “Newman, pat ’em down and then let them in.”

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  “You heard me. Pat them down, and then let them in. Or do I need to come and do it?”

  “Nooo, sir. I can handle this one. 10-4.”

  Akio’s security man smiled then turned to walk away. Butler grabbed the man’s shoulder and spun him around to face him. “I let them in this time. For the next five days, everything runs through me. No more passes. We clear?”

  The man smiled at Butler again, gave the slightest of nods, and slowly walked away. He turned back one last time and winked at Butler, who gritted his teeth.

  What the hell is this guy’s problem? Butler thought. Here he was, trying to keep his asshole boss safe, and all this guy wanted to do was make it harder.

  As the girls walked by, Butler frowned. One of them blew Butler a kiss.

  Yoshida had moved to a private room by the time Butler got back to check on him. He opened the door to find the prime minister surrounded by three topless girls, one of them already perched on top of the five-foot-five leader.

  Butler shook his head, closed the door, and posted up just outside of it.

  Thirty minutes later, Butler popped his head in again. Another girl was now astride Yoshida.

  “He go all night. He Japanese,” one of the guards jeered to Butler, clearly poking fun at the American. All of Yoshida’s crew laughed.

  Butler knew he should turn and walk away, but he couldn’t help himself. These guys had already pissed him off, and he was done taking their shit. “Well, you guys better be able to go all night. I’ve heard . . . ” Butler put a hand in the air with his thumb and index finger about two inches apart.

  One of the men lunged toward Butler, who never flinched or moved. “Don’t make me have to shoot you, because I won’t hesitate. My job is to protect him, and I have the green light to shoot anyone who threatens my ability to do so. And that includes your dumb ass too, little man.”

  Butler’s radio went off again.

  “Butler here,” he said, never taking his eyes off the bodyguard.

  “It’s Newman. Director Burke is on the SAT phone. He needs to speak with you now.”

  “About what? And why right now, Newman? I’m sure whatever it is can wait. I’m kind of busy at the moment.”

  “I don’t know, sir. He wouldn’t tell me. He said to get you on the phone now. Seems pretty anxious to talk to you, sir.”

  Butler took a quick walk toward the front to retrieve the SAT phone from Newman. When he got to Newman, he hurriedly snatched it from his hand.

  “Butler here.”

  “Butler, listen to me closely. Al Jazeera just posted a 750-page dossier of a supposedly leaked U.S. military operation. It claims the United States government hatched a plan to kill all the leaders here for the Summit one by one. Akio Yoshida was named as the first to die. There are names, places, details of secret meetings that allegedly took place over the last five years. It’s complex, and at first glance it looks pretty damning. This puts us in defcon two, Butler. Go put your hands on Yoshida and don’t let him out of your freaking sight. Do you hear me? You are to sit and wait for further instructions.”

  Butler tried to comprehend what Burke was telling him. He replayed the message in his head again.

  “So someone created fake documents to make the United States look like we’re trying to take over the world? Whoever went to that much trouble didn’t create this as an idle threat.”

  Butler dropped the radio and sprinted to the back where Yoshida was. Several of the other soldiers took notice and ran behind him. He was about twenty yards from the door when he heard the first screams.

  It was coming from the private room. The girls were screaming at the top of their lungs. Why the hell are they screaming? Butler thought. What in the hell was happening?
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  Yoshida’s men who were stationed outside the private room’s door bolted into the room just as Butler reached it. Everyone had their weapons drawn.

  They all stared in horror. Yoshida’s lifeless body was slumped over onto the floor. Butler ran over to check the fallen leader’s vitals. He checked his neck and his wrists. Nothing.

  He turned to the escorts. “What the hell happened here?”

  “We don’t know. He just fell over. We were dancing for him, and he just fell over,” one of the girls persisted.

  Newman burst through the door with his cell phone in his hand. “Sir, you’re going to want to see this—like right now.”

  Newman handed the iPhone to Butler. He held the phone out in front of him so Yoshida’s men could also watch. Perched in front of a camera, sitting on a wooden chair, a man whose entire face and body were covered in traditional Arabic clothing spoke.

  “To the children of Islam, I am speaking to you. The true followers. America’s true self today has been shown to the world. We have been warning you for decades that America has one plan, one goal, and one ally, and that is herself. Today Prime Minister Akio Yoshida was murdered by the United States as part of their plan to take over the world.”

  Suddenly the live video of the man was gone, replaced by . . . What the hell? Butler thought. The video was now streaming from the very room they were in. The camera panned in on Yoshida’s dead body and then around to the US military men who were also present. Butler waved his hand in the air to try to find the hidden camera. He zeroed in on it, took out his service weapon, and fired two rounds into it.

  The video began streaming again from the man in the chair.

  “You see, America has always wanted to rule the world. They have always wanted this to be the way. You saw what they did to Mr. Yoshida. The American plan to take over the world, released by our brothers on Al Jazeera today, is clear, and now the hateful Americans have followed through with the first promised murder. Join with me, brothers around the world. We must stop them. They seek to destroy our way of life and annihilate all Muslims. Leaders of the world, America will try to get you to leave their country now, under a false narrative of protecting you. Do not board any American plane. It is a trap. America has also paid many of your security teams, so trust no one. Islam is coming for you. We will find you and protect you from the infidels!”