by Ali Vali
The sound of engines was easy to identify in the silence, and she tensed when the last of the light disappeared. She couldn’t see who it was until they were right on top of them. She felt Harvey tighten his hold, and she’d been right. It was so dark she really couldn’t make out his features even this close.
“Yell so we can find you,” a man called.
They were getting closer, and she whispered in Harvey’s ear. “Unbuckle your lifejacket but hold on to it until I tell you to let go.” She hung on to him until he was done, then repeated the process. “I don’t think this is the cavalry.”
“Okay,” Harvey said, and she was glad to hear his voice was calm and even.
“Where are you?” A spotlight started to sweep around the vessels, but the large swells were working in their favor.
“When it comes around, go under,” she said softly as a vessel cut its engine. Whoever this was obviously had the ability to track their locators.
“Why don’t they know who we are?” Harvey asked, going under with her when the sweep light grew brighter.
“They shot us down,” she said when they came back up. “Start kicking and stay low.” They swam together, diving when the light came around their way.
“Are you hurt?” Their would-be rescuers tried again, and from the sound of it they were paddling. “All you have to do is—”
The man didn’t finish, and his last word was followed by a splash. Berkley turned to see if they’d been spotted, and the guy was swimming behind them. She couldn’t see anything as the spotlight went out and the engine started.
“Come on, Junior.” She started swimming, not wanting to get caught in the prop. “Swim.”
It sounded like more than one boat was there now, which wasn’t good in total darkness if you were the one in the water. “What in the hell is happening?” Harvey asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to get ripped to shreds by a fast prop, so get ready to dive if anyone gets close. The Kodiaks on the Jefferson have smaller engines, which means we’d survive a hit, but I like my butt cheeks just the way they are.” One of the boats sounded close, so she dove, letting the lifejackets do their job and bringing them back to the surface when it sounded like a danger had passed.
“Cletus.” It sounded like a woman this time. “Speak up before we chop your fingers off.”
“Wiley?” The voice didn’t sound familiar at first, but Wiley’s sense of humor was a lot like hers.
“Yeah,” Wiley said, and her acknowledgment was followed by a lot more spotlights. “Keep talking so we can get you up before the sharks around here rip your feet off, since I was nice enough to provide them a midnight snack that’s bleeding profusely in the water.”
“Over here,” she said, and one of the beams of light landed right on them.
“You know,” Wiley said, offering her a hand up as the guy next to her took Harvey’s. “Just because you’re in the navy doesn’t mean you should ditch your plane for a swim. That really pisses off the taxpayers. Don’t those things cost like a gazillion dollars?”
“Okay, smartass,” she said, sitting down and accepting a blanket from the heavily armed man with Wiley. “They were testing my reflexes by shooting three missiles at me. That last one did the trick.”
“Let’s head back then and cull our catch. It’s been a successful night of fishing aside from finding you guys.” The guy at the controls followed Wiley’s orders and gunned the engine.
“Anything you’ll want to gut and mount on your wall?” she asked Wiley, who kept her gun at the ready.
“I have a feeling these are more like guppies used for bait, but I’m an eternal optimist.”
“That’s easy to see, judging by your sunny disposition and your wardrobe enhancements,” she said, laughing at the three guns Wiley had strapped to her aside from her sniper rifle. “Thank you for clearing my dance card though. I doubt those guys wanted to offer us a ride to be kind.”
“I was just being all I could be. The army frowns when you don’t live up to the motto.”
“Good to know, soldier,” she said, saluting Wiley and making them both laugh. “Semper Fortis.”
* * *
“Eagle’s nest, this is Vengeance,” Captain August Shields called in as he dove to get out of range of the shots the destroyers were sending his way.
“Go ahead,” Robyn Chandler said, and August wanted to sigh. He believed in Dick Chandler and in their mission, but Dick’s children except for Rachel were weak links. “I repeat, go ahead.”
“On a regular patrol we spotted three vessels sailing toward the coastline off South Korea. They had planes in the air, and we brought down one of their jets but had to dive to avoid fire.”
“Were there survivors?”
“I deployed a team, but we had to leave them topside. They have radios and enough fuel to reach land, so keep the line open, and send transport if you hear from them.”
“August,” Dick said, sounding upbeat. “Any idea who you brought down?”
“No, sir. When we surfaced, we saw it was the Jefferson and two destroyers and took action when we saw a lone plane. From the maneuvers they were doing, and their flyovers, I believe the ship or all of them picked us up on a radar.” August studied the sweep of the radar, relieved when it was empty.
“Impossible,” Dick said and laughed. “You’re in the most expensive and advanced piece of equipment we have, and we chose the Akula class because of its stealth capabilities. And are you sure it was the Jefferson? According to the Pentagon, that ship is not supposed to be anywhere near here.”
“They’ve found a way around it, since they fired on us, and I believe they missed on purpose as a way to drive us. It was most definitely the Jefferson, since they tried to raise us on radio and threatened to fire on us.” The sub wasn’t fully crewed, but the guys he did have were able to do a decent job of following the course he’d set. They would go back to patrolling the coastline and avoiding the naval ships in the area. “From radar, we’re the only ones down here, but if we hang around, they’ll send whatever subs they have in the area to hunt us. We’ll resume our patrols and inform you of any enemy approaching.”
“If you’re close to the Jefferson, I want you to punch a hole in her hull.”
“Sir, if we were capable, I’d have done that by now. If they can spot us on radar, they’ll sink us before we’re close enough to make a killing shot.” He took his fingers off the radio and took a deep breath for patience. “We’ll need the Vengeance if they intend to bring the fight to you.”
“I don’t agree, but okay.” Dick said the words rapidly, and then August heard a strangled scream, followed by cursing. Whatever was wrong, Dick had disconnected, and for that he was grateful.
“Set a course for the same loop we had before, and take our speed down. I don’t want to surface if I don’t have to, and avoid those ships at all costs,” he said to his second.
“What about the men topside?” the young man asked. “We’re already shorthanded, sir.”
“They should be able to make it back, and once we hear from them, we’ll pick them up. All they have to do now is avoid the show of force Michaels has in the area, and they’ll be fine.” He turned and left after that, since he detested liars, and the more he dealt with Dick, the more he saw his inability to tell the truth. But he was committed. He couldn’t turn back and had to keep the crew from turning on him.
“The only smart play I’ve made today was sending out the grunts. Eventually the others will see we’ve lived to fight another day, but I need the more experienced sailors on board.”
Chapter Nineteen
Every major news outlet carried the beginning of Jeffery’s treason-and-desertion trial, and the reporters seemed frenzied, since this was the first time they’d been granted access to the base on Guantánamo.
Army Colonel Herman Garner stared out the window of his office, missing the quiet that usually prevailed over his base. After the beginning of the
Gulf War, the army had almost completely taken command here from the navy, and now they mostly held the men, and some women, who’d tried to bring harm to America through acts of terror. He didn’t particularly love his new assignment as base commander, but he didn’t totally detest it either. The place was hot, but he’d been fucking hot the entire time he’d served in Iraq, so when his orders came through, the addition of a beach had softened the blow.
“Don’t let any of these guys wander from the group,” he told his assistant. “If any of them try, have them either locked on the boat that got them here or put them in a cell. This isn’t some excuse for an exposé of how we run this place.”
“Yes, sir, and I’ve already briefed the entire base regarding that order,” Lieutenant Michelle Singleton said as she stood in front of Herman’s desk. “The only one we allowed access to Jeffery was the JAG attorney representing him, and his team.”
“Good. Keep it that way. We don’t need to fan the flames the Chandlers have started more than we have to. I always thought that boy was off a few crayons of a full box when he was vice president, and this proves it.”
“The Pentagon sent a statement for you to review and deliver, so whenever you’re ready, we’ll begin.” Michelle handed over a page and waited for him to read it. “Secretary Orr’s people want you to read it as it’s written, sir.”
“They’re trying to get a reaction out of someone, and I don’t think it’s Jeffery,” he said, holding the sheet up and scanning it. “Did you read this?”
“Yes, sir, and I have an opinion about it, but I’m sure you’re not interested.”
“Actually, we have some time, and I would like very much to hear your thoughts.” He pointed to a chair and told his secretary to hold his calls. “What’s on your mind?”
“I know you said you worked with Mr. Chandler and weren’t impressed, but I’ve read a little about what he’s after,” Michelle said, and Herman nodded. “With someone like that in charge, we can start to rebuild the respect we’ve lost around the world under the current administration.”
“You mean the United States as a whole or the armed forces?” He leaned back in his chair, glancing out the window. “Some of that erosion of respect and trust came because of Chandler being in power. Surely you can see that.”
“Respectfully, sir, I disagree with you.” Michelle leaned forward a bit as if trying to intimidate him. “Mr. Chandler worked hard to take the shackles off us when it comes to dealing with these scumbags we take care of and feed.”
“That’s true. It has made some cases easier, but should they be? Everyone is for throwing the rules out when it comes to dealing with really bad people, but when it’s decided you’re the bad person, then it’s not so good.”
“Deciding between good and evil isn’t hard.”
He dropped his feet and faced her. “I’m glad you think so, Lieutenant. You should hold on to that unwavering belief in the coming months.” He stood and started to button his jacket.
“What do you mean?”
“That you didn’t make this very hard for us. You should’ve paid attention to what goes on here, and what it’d be like if you were on the other side of the bars.”
“Are you trying to scare me, sir?”
“Me?” he said, laughing briefly. “No, but people like Walby Edwards should terrify the shit out of you. I know he does me.”
Michelle stared at him, and he could almost see the sense of self-preservation kicking in. She lifted her hand slightly, as if reaching for her side arm, but he wasn’t concerned. When he smiled, she made her move, but her eyes rolled back in her head as the MP Michelle had missed standing in the corner pressed a Taser into her back. The young man allowed her to drop to the ground before he let up on the trigger.
“Where should we put her, sir?”
“Walby wants her strapped to a backboard in the darkest interview room we have. Pick one with no windows and turn on the metronome. He’ll deal with her later.”
“Yes, sir.”
Herman folded the statement down the middle and walked out to the podium they’d set up. “Welcome, everyone.” That greeting calmed the crowd but started the cameras going. “We’ll allow you into the court proceedings in a few minutes, but please stay quiet and courteous as the government presents their case.”
“Will you be taking questions later?” a reporter asked.
“Not today,” he said, holding his hands up when a few others shouted questions. “We’re here to try to convict a traitor to the United State government. Jeffery Chandler is charged with very serious offenses, and he’ll have to answer for those. We just want to show we have nothing to hide because we have a free and democratic system in place, which is vastly different from what Jeffery Chandler and his family would like to replace it with.”
“Are you still searching for Dick Chandler?” another reporter shouted over the crowd.
“The best thing Mr. Chandler can do is turn himself in, but considering the cowardly actions he’s exhibited throughout his entire life, starting with the lengths he went through to not serve his country, in my opinion he’ll only be brought in kicking and screaming. We, though, will never stop looking.”
The doors to their courtroom opened, so he stepped down and headed toward the detention center. Walby was filling out paperwork with headphones on, but he lowered them when he spotted him. He enjoyed talking to Walby and respected him for the job he did.
“Are you finished reviewing everything?” he asked, seeing a few devices along with Walby’s folder on Michelle.
“Good call, and an even better call of waiting until now to move in.”
Herman had noticed Michelle’s rising rhetoric, but she’d tried to keep it under control. Jeffery’s arrival seemed to have broken through all her restraints, and she’d become Jeffery’s link to the outside world.
“She’s sent a few messages, but they’ve all been to people in the States. This is the connection, though.” Walby pointed to a graph he’d been working on, which listed all the numbers they’d collected from the people in custody. She’d used one of them more predominantly than the others.
“Who do you think it is?” Herman asked.
“Could be a major link between some of our unknown big fish.” Walby took the page back and added some more numbers from Michelle’s phone and computer. “I bet a root canal with no meds it’s a burner phone, but we have to start somewhere.”
“What about Michelle Singleton?”
“Give it a day,” Walby said and smiled. “The tick-tick of the metronome is simple in design, but it has a way of crawling into the center of your brain and lodging there like a virus your body wants to dispel. We’ll only do that, once you engage your mouth.”
“That’s one more experience I’ll put on my list of things to avoid.”
* * *
The rescue boats were loaded on board, and Berkley searched the faces of those waiting for them, smiling when she spotted the one person she knew would be there. “Are you both okay?” Aidan asked.
“Cletus got us out in time, ma’am, so I just have water in my boots,” Harvey said, saluting Aidan.
“You head to a hot shower, and we’ll debrief you after that,” Aidan said as a crewmember started to put the equipment away.
“Commander,” Wiley said to Devin. “If you’d like, I’ll talk to you first. I had to eliminate one of the men from the sub when he pointed a weapon in Captain Levine’s direction. The ones who surrendered peacefully are on the Arlington talking to the consultants.”
“Thank you, ma’am. If you’ll follow me.” Wiley gave her a short wave and tilted her head in Aidan’s direction.
“If you’d like my statement, Captain,” she said, and Aidan nodded before following her to her quarters. No one was around, so Aidan closed and locked the door, then gazed at her as she stripped out of her wet things. Once she was naked, Aidan removed her uniform and pressed to her so they were skin to skin.
“My
god, I was scared out of my mind when Harvey stopped so abruptly, and then neither of you answered.” Aidan shook her head, but that didn’t stop the tears. “I can’t lose you, my love.”
“I’m so sorry for scaring you,” she said, placing her fingers under Aidan’s chin and lifting her head. “That was the worst part.” The list of things to be done had to wait a few minutes as she kissed Aidan until she raised her legs and wrapped them around her waist. They both needed to reconnect, if only to dispel all the fear and turmoil her episode had created. “I have to touch you,” she said as Aidan pumped her hips into her.
“Please, baby, I need you inside me.”
It was all she needed to hear to lay Aidan down and put her hand between her legs. Aidan was hard and so wet, her fingers went in fast until her thumb was pressed against her clit. “No matter what, I’m always going to fight to come back to you.” She pulled out and tugged Aidan’s clit between her fingers. “You’re mine, and I love that you are.” Aidan raised her hips, and she fingered Aidan’s clit again. “I love you, and I need you to come for me.”
Aidan threw her head back and clamped her jaws shut, obviously trying to stay quiet, but Berkley challenged her resolve by thrusting fast and deep until Aidan squeezed her shoulders so hard she was sure she’d have bruises.
“Fuck,” Aidan said in a ragged whisper as her hips bucked under her. “I’m…coming…fuck.” She pulled Berkley down to cover her when she was done and shed the rest of her tears. “You’re mine too, so please don’t ever leave me alone. The thought of life without you will break something inside me that I’ll never be able to piece back together.”
“Don’t think about that, darlin’.” She rolled over and put her arms around Aidan to comfort her, knowing the best thing was to let her cry. “You’re never going to be alone, no matter what. My sisters, nieces, and family won’t ever allow it.”
“No. You promised me a home and a family, baby. Don’t you dare renege on that…you swore.”
