by Ali Vali
“You’re right. We had our suspicions but weren’t sure she was in the country. Ever since we found Jeffery, we’ve been trying to figure out how they got in without the border patrol knowing, but thank you for the confirmation,” Drew said. “Jeffery is now at Gitmo and being much more cooperative as he settles in. Once she’s stable, Rachel will be joining him there, and the only way they’re getting out is if we have to turn it back over to Cuba, which isn’t happening in our lifetime.”
“What now?” Aidan asked.
“Now we give you everything we have, and we deliver the president’s order to sail. You leave tonight,” Drew said, and the room seemed to have the air sucked out of it.
He placed the reports they’d need on Buckston’s desk. “I’ll wait for you at the dock, but I want you to enjoy your family dinner. That’s an order, so take your time.”
“What about Captain Umeko?” Berkley asked.
“It’s in the report, but you’ll have enough time on the Jefferson to get through it. Right now, don’t waste a moment you have with your families,” Drew said.
“Thank you, Drew, and thank you, Wiley. If you hadn’t been there today,” Aidan said, and stopped when Wiley nodded.
“Believe me. We’ll all need to stick together before all this is over,” Wiley said.
“Then let’s go eat and enjoy the night as much as we can,” Berkley said. “We can lay all this aside for the moment and enjoy the company of the people we do this for. Later on, we’ll pick up our swords again and fight the good fight.”
* * *
“Tell me,” Dick Chandler said. He stood on the wide porch of the house he’d built as a replica of the house he’d grown up in. The ranch in Montana that had been in his family for generations had always been his sanctuary—a place where he remembered listening to the stories his grandfather told him over and over again of a time when people were much more civilized. A time when people knew their place and didn’t want more than they deserved. They were satisfied with what their leaders and bosses gave them.
“They’re loading the last bit of supplies,” Dick’s contact at the base informed him. “From the activity around the ship, I’d say it’s ready to sail. The thing is, though, the crews aren’t just loading the Jefferson.”
“What do you mean?” The troops in his compound were performing the last training exercises for the day, and they appeared unstoppable. They were ready, had been for months, but the nervous tingle of excitement still went up his spine as he thought of the moment the combat would be real instead of training.
“It looks like some destroyers are accompanying the Jefferson, and that might be a problem if they know where you are.”
“The move to release Jeffery might’ve failed, but there’s no way he told them anything. His training was too complete, and I have every confidence in him. He knows we haven’t forgotten him, and we’ll rescue him when the time is right.” Some of his soldiers seemed to notice his presence and went at each other harder as if to impress him. “Stay on post, and call me if you notice any changes. From all the reports I’ve gotten, it doesn’t matter how many ships they send. They’re all headed in the wrong direction.”
“Yes, sir.”
He saluted the troops and went inside. The failed attack had been his idea, and Rachel had been adamantly set against it. In fact, her displeasure had manifested in her not calling him since he’d put her in harm’s way. She’d been right in that he’d allowed his feelings for his son to come before the mission, which he’d sworn never to do or even contemplate. He also would never admit it, and she’d have to accept that as well.
Most important, he had to make Rachel understand her job wasn’t finished. He pressed her number, and his anger ignited when it rang more than ten times with no answer. For someone who kept complaining about wanting more respect and responsibility, she was acting like a spoiled child.
“What’s wrong?” Robyn asked when he sat and placed the updated reports they got from the Pentagon on his desk.
“Have you spoken to your sister?”
“The day before we attacked. I haven’t heard from her since.” Robyn crossed his legs and tapped the heel of his boot with his index finger. “Is there a problem?”
“She’s not answering,” he said, trying her number again.
“Sir, this is Private Marva Brian,” the woman said, and whoever she was, she seemed to know him. “I’m with Rachel.”
“Put her on.”
“She was injured, sir, but she’s recovering. A call would’ve come sooner, but she’s in no shape to talk, and we were trying to stabilize her.”
Dick hesitated, not quite trusting anything about this, and until he was sure he hung up. “Who’s Marva Brian?”
Robyn moved to the computer and searched their system. “She was in the national guard, and Vander recruited her. Once he was killed, I guess Rachel replaced him with Brian. Why are you asking? This is a nobody.”
“The nobody answered Rachel’s phone and said Rachel’s been injured.” He pressed the phone’s antenna against his chin and considered the best course of action. “I thought we had protocol in place for that.”
“We do, so we should’ve heard from this bitch before now. What happened to Rachel?”
“Brian didn’t say. Who do we have left in the area?” He waited for Robyn to look so he could plan their next move, which would be to bring Rachel home. It was time to regroup before he gave the final command that would either destroy him or change history. “Locate someone trustworthy and find Rachel. I want her back here.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Robyn said, saluting.
“Do that, and then get ready. Olivia Michaels is sending who she thinks is her best into battle, and I want them crushed no matter where they sail to.”
* * *
Erin Mosley sat in the cell with her laptop on her thighs, filling out reports to use her time wisely while waiting. Jonas had ordered Jeffery Chandler moved, so he’d been relocated that morning and was probably already in his cell enjoying Walby’s company again and Cuba’s hot climate. Depending on how quickly Rachel Chandler decided to cooperate, she’d be joining her little brother for however long they lived.
“Agent Mosley,” the guard at the federal prison said. After what had happened at the facility where Jeffery had been kept, this time Jonas had chosen someplace outside the Beltway, so they were in Baltimore. “The director would like you to report in when you can, ma’am.”
Erin glanced at Rachel’s face, smiling when she saw her breathing change. “Thank you. If he calls back, tell him I won’t be long.” The relaxed appearance of Rachel’s features had changed from the drug-induced sleep of surgery, so Ms. Chandler was probably trying to covertly assess her situation.
Usually injured prisoners and detainees were placed in the infirmary, but this was a special circumstance. Rachel would stay in the cell with two locked doors between her and the guards until she was ready for questioning.
“You can go ahead and open your eyes, Ms. Chandler. This will go smoother if we don’t waste each other’s time,” Erin said, turning on her recorder. Joanna Barker was watching on the closed-circuit system, and she’d give pointers for the next time she sat with Rachel.
“Where am I?” Rachel’s voice sounded raspy, but Erin couldn’t guess what it usually sounded like since she couldn’t find a recording of her in their files.
“You’re in the FBI’s custody, and when you’re fit, you’ll be charged with the attempted assassination of the president.” Erin spoke louder when Rachel started to say something, not in the mood to be interrupted. “I don’t care to listen to your claims of innocence, so save it. I’m here to say that you’ll receive health care until you recover, and then your job will be to answer questions.”
“Do you plan to beat me like my brother, Jeffery?”
“Please, Ms. Chandler. You’re going to claim torture right away, considering you killed President Khalid in front of his daught
ers? Was that your genius idea, or your father’s?”
“The killing needed to happen, and if you were a forward thinker, you’d agree with that fact. Hate me if you want, but we won’t be talking about anything. All your little tricks will be a waste of time on both our parts.”
“That’s what your brother said, and we’re having a hard time shutting him up now. His reward for his complete cooperation was a nice room somewhere outside the United States,” she said, and smiled when Rachel glared at her. “You know, one of those places where the CIA guys won’t be hamstrung by all those pesky rules and laws.”
“He doesn’t know anything.”
“Touching,” she said, and laughed. “I would think you’d take your own wise advice. Trying to be the overprotective sister and convince us not to question Jeffery is a waste of time, at least on your part.”
“He wouldn’t have talked unless you did something to him, so save yourself any embarrassment by telling me he wanted to do the right thing.” Rachel winced when she moved, and according to the doctor’s report, she’d never use her arm again and would have a lifetime of pain. “Once my father realizes what you’ve done to us for no reason, he’ll stick your head on a pike and display it on the White House fence as a lesson to anyone else disloyal to America.”
“I’ll be sure to make time to worry about that later. I promise I will, since it’d be a real drag on my day, but right now we’ll concentrate on the fact you were trying to kill the president,” Erin said, not losing her smile. “Or were you aiming for the little girls mourning their father?”
“I’m so glad you think this is funny.”
Erin shook her head. “I’ll never find killing innocent women and children humorous. It’s an act of uncivilized people who believe in nothing.”
“I’m no different from the founding fathers who fought to save us from tyranny, you bitch. I’m a patriot.”
“Wow. Did you all practice that line? The first couple of guys we found made it sound so convincing. They were so passionate and believed in your great utopian society until they bit down on their cyanide pill instead of facing the consequences of their actions. You don’t exactly scream patriot when you’re foaming at the mouth.” She stood, and the guard immediately unlocked the doors. “Enjoy our hospitality for a while longer. I’ll have a television brought in if you like, so you can watch Jeffery’s court-martial. Every state has an opinion about the death penalty, but treason—the federal government still kills you for that shit.”
“I demand to see him,” Rachel screamed, and Erin rested her hand on the bars that separated them.
“And I’d like to know exactly where your father is, but no one seems to have that information. Right now, sharing it is about the only thing that’ll save you and your brother.” She started to walk away and hesitated when Rachel screamed again.
“I have rights.”
“You sure do, and one of them is to remain silent. As for the rest of all that, you can thank your father, since he was instrumental in changing the rules for enemy combatants. Under the new laws, you have the right to either talk or rot, but sadly not to an attorney.” This was the approach Walby and Joanna had instructed her to take. Only time would see if it would work.
“Any last instructions, ma’am?” the guard asked.
“Make sure you monitor the number of painkillers they administer. We don’t want Ms. Chandler dying of an overdose before her big family reunion. It would definitely ruin the touching moment.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Do you have everything you need?” Maggie asked Berkley as they stood together in an office close to where they planned to board.
“I do, but thanks, Mom.” Berkley put her arms around her mother and smiled when her dad placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll be okay, and hopefully we’ll be back sooner than we planned.”
“Promise me you’ll keep your head down. The damn military doesn’t tell us anything, but you don’t get spiffy metals because you look handsome in the uniform.” Maggie sounded scared, and Berkley could tell she was doing her best to keep her emotions in check.
“You know I won’t do anything to mess up my pretty face.” Her comment made Corbin laugh and her mother groan. “Find us a house while we’re gone, line up the movers, and tell Junior we’re coming back for him,” she said of their dog. “There’s nothing that’ll keep me from that last ceremony you have to plan. I love you both.”
“We love you too, Cletus, so listen to your mother. Stay safe and come back to us,” Corbin said, giving her a bear hug. “I’m so damn proud of you, kid.”
“Thanks, and keep in touch with the Sullivans. Preston might not be able to share everything, but at least he’s in the know.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Preston said, joining them while holding Aidan’s hand. “We’re all family now, and family looks after their own.”
“Yes, sir, we are,” she said, and Aidan nodded. “Take care, and we’ll see each other soon.”
“You remember everything we talked about, Cletus?” Preston asked.
“Every word, sir, and I won’t let you down.”
The captains of the destroyers accompanying them entered and greeted everyone. “Attention on deck,” the guard outside yelled, and even the retired guys snapped to attention when Olivia Michaels entered the room.
“At ease, everyone, and forgive me for intruding on your family time,” Olivia said softly. “I wanted to come and deliver the orders myself, since this is the first time I’ll send someone into harm’s way on behalf of the American people.”
“We’ll do you proud, ma’am,” Aidan said, and Olivia smiled.
“I trust you and your team will, but I realize this isn’t without peril on your part. The percentages my people have shared with me about the potential numbers working against us are beyond disconcerting, and if they’re accurate, you’ll have more than one person with you who’ll be up to no good.” The president waved an older gentleman forward and tilted her head slightly in his direction. “This operation will be run from the Situation Room, and I’ve placed General Carl Greenwald in charge. He and Drew will be providing everything you need.”
“Thank you, ma’am, and we look forward to whatever intel you have, General Greenwald,” Berkley said.
“You’re taking my best with you,” Carl said, glancing at Wiley. “And we’ll back that up with whatever you need, Captain. Let’s get this done so we can do some housecleaning after you finish. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go back to trusting the man in the foxhole next to me.”
“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll make sure she keeps up,” Wiley said, and Berkley laughed.
“You’ll have some more backup on board the Arlington and the Anchorage, but your final orders won’t come until we’ve verified a target,” Carl said as Drew stood silently next to him. “I don’t have to explain the importance of our mission, and the importance of handling dissenters in the ranks. Do not tolerate any acts of insubordination from anyone, and if dire enough, you’re to handle them out at sea. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Aidan and the other captains said together.
“They’ll be some consultants on board as well,” Drew said, handing folders to each captain. “Should you encounter a problem, these people will handle the questioning. We trust you all implicitly, but it’s important to get the answers we need as the situations arise.”
“They’ll stay out of your way, but let them do their jobs if there’s a problem,” Carl reaffirmed.
“Thank you, sir, and with all that, we’re ready to go,” Aidan said.
“Good luck, all of you, and God speed,” Olivia said, saluting them when they came to attention again. They were left alone once more with their families, and Aidan and Berkley said their last good-byes after pointing to the private office so Wiley could do the same.
“You ready?” Berkley said as they boarded together and turned to face their folks one last time.
&nbs
p; “You’re here with me, so I’m ready for anything.”
“As far as sentimental goes, I can’t top that, my love,” she said softly, trying to lighten the mood as she waved to the four people standing on the dock staring at them as if trying to memorize everything about them. “Go fire this thing up before I start crying.”
* * *
Wiley shut the office door as Aubrey closed the blinds, so they’d have one more moment of privacy. The steady tears falling down Tanith’s face were like little daggers to Wiley’s heart, and leaving now was making it hard to get air into her lungs because her chest hurt so much. She dropped to her knees, and Tanith ran to her and wrapped her arms around her neck.
“Will you do me a favor?” she asked, holding Tanith close, and felt her nod against her neck. Tanith had a hard time with words when she was upset. “I need you to take extra good care of your mom for me. You did a great job of that until you guys found me, but I need you to pick up my slack while I’m away.”
“I promise,” Tanith said, her voice barely audible.
“Don’t let her pick up anything heavy, and make sure she gets plenty of rest.” Tanith pulled back a little with a confused expression, and Wiley almost laughed when she saw her mom grip her father’s arm hard enough to make him wince.
“Mama, are you sick?” Tanith asked Aubrey.
“No, sweetie, but you’re going to have a little brother or sister soon, and we wanted you to be the first to know once we were sure.” Aubrey ran her hand over the top of Tanith’s head and smiled.
“That’s so cool,” Tanith said, and Wiley was glad to see some of her sadness disappear.
“Don’t forget your promise, kiddo, and know I’m going to miss you every second I’m gone. I love you.”
“Please come back okay,” Tanith said, hugging her again. “I love you too, and I’ll write to you. You can read all my letters when you come home.”
