Broken Battlefield, Mended Hearts (Breaking Protocol Series Book 2)

by Willow Brooke

  After two huge glasses that helped numb the now throbbing incisions, he found his way to bed and let the drunkeness slip him into the abyss.

  Chapter Six

  The whole moral of the team was at an all-time low. With one wounded, and one fallen, they were short on numbers and even shorter on drive. It had only been a week and a half since ‘the incident’, and time was closing in on them. After their ambush, the platoon had been forced to go back and plan the whole operation over again. They had three days to complete a new objective and get home for the funeral.

  “Okay, it’s now or never. We have the Senator pinned down, and his backup teams illuminated. I want everyone on high alert when we go in there. Pop, you are leading Kodiak, Romeo, and Juju to search out our bomber and get rid of him. He wants to meet his seventy-two virgins, let’s make sure he gets his room full of dudes. The rest of you are with me. Remember, he has to be alive. Injured is acceptable, but he has to be breathing and have a heartbeat, troops. Any questions?” Dom addressed the team. As he looked around, faces were sullen and energy low. Something had to be done before they went in there. “I know we all have Venus on our minds, but you are failing to realize this—if we take this son of a bitch down, his death won’t be in vain. Let’s get a little revenge on this mother fucker and get this done!” This got a rise out of them. Their adrenaline pumped and excreted in howling battle cries. “Let’s move!”

  The entire troop bounced off with a new mission…revenge. Have mercy on the people that stood in their way and got the brute end of their wrath. Pissed off soldiers were worse than a pissed off hormonal woman. All of the security cameras that had been placed were disabled and looped to keep their presence unknown. With trip wire and IEDs used for booby traps, they treaded lightly with every step.

  The team rushed into the old warehouse, charging like silent ninjas in the ambush of the decade. In near total silence, throats were cut and necks broken leaving no alarm to the horde of insurgents inside. By the time they were noticed, the team had split off to carry out their specific duties. Kodiak, Romeo, Pop, and Juju found their target only moments after they penetrated the underground bunker. Once underground, it split into two halls. One to the left and one to the right. They had opted to go right first, then double back if necessary. There were a few branches off the main corridor, but all had been dead ends except one. The place was set up like an Egyptian tomb.

  Behind the second to last door voices could be heard. Bingo. It was go time. With Pop in the lead, he busted through the doors with the others right behind, taking the room by surprise. Six people, including their suicide bomber, Ismal Omhar Azizi, was here, but the Senator was nowhere in sight. “Fuck! Find out where Senator Nelson is!” Pop yelled at the others who were busy securing their prisoners until they found out the information they needed.

  Juju demanded answers from them, getting none. Kodiak fired off a shot and killed one of the men, loosening up their tongues immensely. Their bomber refused to utter a single sound, but the other four sang like canaries. Some of the information seemed to be reasonable while other parts they knew was a total crock of horse shit, but at least they had something. One thing did stand out—the Senator had help. One of the hajis rambled about the ‘other American men’ who had the place wired and were more than willing to flatten the entire compound and kill everyone. He said there were tunnels that ran under the main room that led out behind the mountain range. If this were true, the team needed to secure the end of it and get the hell out of there before the alarm sounded of their arrival. From the sounds of things, Dom’s team would need some backup, and fast. Pop radioed his warning to the others. “It is about to get hot, troops! Dom! This place is wired tight. They have escape tunnels that run from their room to the mountains somewhere. We are en route. Call for grunts and air support!”

  Dom’s voice responded back, “Roger that. When you get to the main halls I will guide you in. It should be clear, but watch your back on the side rooms.”

  “Roger.” Pop turned back to his men. “Time to go. Juju, clean up the mess.”

  “Roger that LT.” As the others moved toward the door, Juju turned and without hesitation popped a round into each one of the hostages. He fell into formation and exited without so much as a single glance back.

  Dom guided the team to where they were, directing them turn by turn over the earpiece. There had only been one room they had to stop and clear before they moved, making their arrival no longer than a couple minutes. “Glad you could join us. Our target has been identified behind these doors with the voice recognition software. Now, from what we can tell, there are six, maybe seven people in there. We have no idea what the situation is until we get in. Everyone, stay tight. Do not, under any circumstances, alienate from the group. We stand as one. Air support should be arriving in less than ninety seconds, so we need to get in and get out. Ground troops are stationed along the ridgeline searching for the exit caves, and the Black Hawks and Kiowas are ready to spot the weasels the second their head pops up. Let’s get these bastards.”

  The group formed into a diamond shape with Hulk and Dom in the lead. The door was already mounted with explosives when Pop and the others arrived, requiring the simple push of a button to blast the steel door open. The moment the path was opened, the team ran forward. Inside, they were met by three gunmen they didn’t recognize as being of importance who were soon dropped. The other three occupants were none other than good ol’ Senator Nelson, Ted Dante who was the Governor of California, and a man they didn’t recognize. Stacked all around them were wooden crates. Some of the lids had been taken off, revealing stacks and stacks of weapons. Son of a bitch! Dom and Hulk moved to one target while the others did the same, disarming them and getting them all three face down on the ground. Once their wrists were zip tied, they were hoisted back into a standing position and shoved forward toward the exit. “We need to get out of here now! Move! Move! Move!” Dom instructed the others. They all hustled out, making good time back up into the warehouse. The sound of choppers could be heard above, and Dom radioed in an update. Instead of the birds blowing the place, they were called off to allow troops in to search for evidence and information. There was a group waiting for them a few hundred yards away to take the prisoners off their hands and get a full status report. Once they had been filled in and a round of pats on the back given, the team hopped in their truck to head back to camp.

  ****

  The next morning Joker woke with a raging hard-on and a hangover to match. It had been way too long since his last sexual escapade, and his Johnson was objecting painfully. He rolled over just right where the morning sun beamed through the slit in the curtain, sending immediate knives through is skull. Fuck. I broke my own rule. No Gatorade and pain relievers ready. I didn’t even set the damn coffee pot. Double fuck. His mind debated over covering his head up and drifting back into the sick free blackness, or trudging through the house miserably and getting the after drinking next morning supplies. When his stomach let out a grumble loud enough to scare a grizzly bear, the misery choice won out. After a long pep talk, he managed to get to the kitchen without incident and start the coffee to brewing. With only Kool-Aid in the fridge, he opted for three big glasses of ice water to help the rehydrating process to wash down the three pain relievers he had found in the bedside drawer. It was going to be a long ass day that was for certain. Before he could get his cup poured, there was a knock at the door. Considering that no one ever visited him out here, this was definitely an unusual shock. Still clad in his boxers, he stumbled back into the bedroom to grab his favorite black sweats and slipped into them on his way back to answer. “Coming! Shit, hold your horses,” he yelled after the third head-pounding bang against the door. After turning the locks, he swung it open to find none other than the woman who had haunted his dreams last night—Bella. “Oh…uh, good morning. Come in please make yourself comfortable.” She nodded a thanks and stepped in, keeping her eyes to the ground refusing to mak
e eye contact with him. Acting more shy than her normal personality usually allowed. “Coffee?”

  “I would die for a cup or twenty.” She perched on the chair that rested by the tiny table, watching his every move. “Cream and sugar please.”

  “Coming right up. So, is the main house crawling again?” He knew that some guests wouldn’t leave until after the funeral, which was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Not many military knew of the situation due to their covert status, but the tiny town all knew Leland and Brody, and had taken it upon themselves to adopt the whole team as extended family. The local church had given so much support to them all, taking up donations to help Bella and the kids with expenses and had given gifts bought by the congregation to the kids. It was both a blessing and a curse to those who needed solitude. He sure in the fuck had no intentions of walking straight into the hunters lair in the meantime, even if that meant living on cans of chili and beef stew until it cleared out.

  The team was expected back any day. With the flight conditions being shaky from other activity going on, she had almost hoped they would be running late. There was no way to prepare for what was going to take place tomorrow. If it could be stalled, the longer the better. Her kids…how was she going to help her kids get through it? As it was she already had a doctor visiting this afternoon to prescribe her ‘something to help get through this troubling time’. It had better be something to make her totally stupid stoned because there wasn’t much else that could even compare to helping. Maybe it was the ranch vet coming to give her a horse tranquilizer. That might do the trick. With only a few hours left before the reality nightmare began, she ran again. Joker was such a sweetheart, but also in an odd way was a sort of connection to Jared. He was almost like her brother in a sense, and she needed anything to feel closer to him. Without thinking, she had taken off out the back door in a desperate dash for help…even though she had no idea what help she was searching for. Now here she sat, looking like a complete and utter fool but didn’t give a flying fuck. Her life was over. Who cared about looking proper and saving face? Shit-fuck-damn-whore-mother-son-of-a-prostitute! Her mouth and mind didn’t usually cuss more than the occasional damn or shit except in the bedroom, but right now all she wanted to do was blurt out the worst words in the world to get the anger and pain out. Her mind was jerked back to reality at the sound of Joker’s voice. “Bella? Are you okay? Bella?”

  “Oh…uh, sorry what was that?”

  “I said here’s your coffee. Are you sure you are all right?”

  “Yes. No. Fuck I don’t know.” She put her head in her hands and covered her face. Joker knew she was in hell, not just from the obvious, but the way the word ‘fuck’ blurted out of her mouth was a dead giveaway since she didn’t use it often. Never had a cuss word seemed so wrong coming from a single person. He turned and walked over to the freezer, pulling out a bottle of Irish Cream and walked back to the table. He added a shot to her cup, and one to his for good measure. Hell, he needed it too. “Here, this is better. Drink up.” He lifted the cup to her lips and coaxed her to take more than a tiny sip, not lowering it until a good third of the warm liquid was drained. After, he sat it down. Taking the chair next to her, he reached for her hand.

  “Thanks. Sorry I ran to you…again. I just…I don’t know where to turn, what to do, or think. I can’t deal and I am running from reality. You give me a sort of connection to him. I don’t know how I am going to get through tonight and tomorrow. And the kids… How do I console my babies when I am in pieces?” The tears streamed down her cheeks. She hadn’t gone a single day without crying. Hell, she hadn’t been able to go a single hour without bursting into wails. Mrs. Sanders had given the children time to snuggle and get comfort from her, but then was there to take them and get them busy on something else to avoid them sinking into the black hole of despair. Bella had walked in while Mrs. Sanders was going through one of their family albums and asking questions, drawing giggles and happiness back into them once again. ‘Remembering the good and focusing on that is the key’ everyone had told her over and over. Well, she sure in the heck hadn’t figured out how to manage that one yet. She couldn’t pray to join him because of their babies…but the thought made her rethink her outlook on people who did commit suicide. She had always thought them selfish and cowardly with no means of responsibility or devotion to God. That easy way out seemed enticing. No more pain, no more confusion and sorrow. But, she had Skyler and Heather. They were her saving grace, and her reason for breathing.

  “Don’t be sorry for coming here, Bella. You are welcome any time. Think of this as your own personal fort. Things get rough, run to the tree house. I will have alcohol on the ready and a shoulder to cry on…and when the time comes, an ear to cuss and scream at. You aren’t alone in this…I have no idea what you are going through. I know what I feel and the agony I am tormented with. You…you are a very strong woman and a survivor. There isn’t a single member on our team that stands up against you, sweetheart. I wish I could be more for you, but I haven’t figured out how to cope either.” Her tears jerked from her chest again, this time easing the moment he pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace. It was a start… Little by little, he would hug and hold until it was out of her. After she calmed some, she pulled back and wiped her face and nose on a paper towel he handed her. In one gulp she finished the coffee, opting to pour straight Irish Cream into the cup and drink it. Half a cup later, her nerves were finally starting to ease. She could feel the comforting numbness start to ease her muscles and her emotions. Numb emotions were better than hysterical ones. So what if she needed to become a lush for the rest of her life, right? Damn. One day at a time. After Bella thought she could keep it together enough to speak, she turned and looked at Joker. His eyes showed the same shadowing and haunting cast that hers did when she looked in the mirror. She took another drink for courage, and said, “I am going tonight you know. Everyone else is going today, but I want one last night. They weren’t going to let me, but Michael threatened enough people that they reluctantly agreed.”

  What? Go where? One last night? Joker’s thoughts swirled in a whirlpool before it hit him. Fuck. The viewing. She was going to spend one last night with her husband before he was laid to rest. Son of a bitch no wonder she is in pieces. “Oh, Bella…I didn’t know…fuck. I am sorry.” What could he say? There were no words to answer to that. She was trying to prepare for the last night with the man she married, for the rest of her life. He stared at the table, speechless. After a long silence, he got up and flipped the stereo on, settling it onto his soft oldies track to drown the deafening silence. They both moved to the front room and slumped down in the furniture, hiding from the world. Every so often, Joker would get up and refill their coffee cup, only adding just enough alcohol to ease the tension but not turn them intoxicated. At noon there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Sanders had brought a few covered dishes and quietly walked into the kitchen, not speaking more than a sweet greeting. Without asking she thrust a plate in each of their laps. “Here. Now, I want both of you to clean your plate, you hear? You need to eat. I am not going to have you both coming down ill because you refuse to eat.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Joker took a bite of the juicy roast, humming his approval. “This is delicious, thank you.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Sanders, but I am just not hungry right now. I will eat some later.” Bella moved to put her plate up only to get stopped before she could stand.

  “Oh, no you don’t, missy. I know you are going through a lot, but until you can think for yourself it is my job. I thought you needed something besides the lasagna or numerous casseroles everyone and their uncle have been dropping off and made my special roast and potatoes to give you two some substance. I want your veggies gone too, understand?”

  Bella looked up amused and smiled, thanking the compassionate, and enduringly pushy, woman. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. Now, I have Heather and Skyler busy with Elizabeth for a while. Joker, when she is d
one eating, show her where the bedroom is. She is going to need a nap before tonight. The doctor will be in to see you around three, and I will be back at five to get you. Michael and Alaina already have a bag and sleeping pallet ready. The team is coming in tonight around tenish. Someone will be there to pick you up at sunrise to bring you to get ready for the ceremony. Get some rest, angel.” The older woman bent down and kissed her cheek, running a hand down her hair in a loving motherly caress.

  Mother. Shit! My parents! Jared’s mom! “Oh my God, I forgot to contact my parents, and Jared’s mom! The woman is worthless, but still has a right to know. I need to make phone calls. I am sorry, but I have to go.” She shifted to stand, but was stopped short, again. “It has already been taken care of, sweetheart. Alaina has your parents on a flight coming in tonight too.”

  “What about Jared’s mom? What time does she get here?”

  Mrs. Sanders pursed her lips in a thin line. By the look on her face, both Bella and Joker could tell she was searching for words gentle enough to use. “Vera won’t be attending the funeral. She has..er..other obligations she is committed to.”

  “What do you mean, ‘other obligations’? This is her son’s funeral for shits sake!” Joker’s temper spiked instantly.

  Mrs. Sanders looked back and forth between the two and finally gave up. There was no way Bella didn’t know what a worthless waste of space her mother-in-law was after all of these years, and continued with the truth. “Her first question was how soon she could get her share of the life insurance policy. Alaina politely, and firmly, explained that because of her, there was none and if she ever tried to take money from you or the kids again she would have a nice new apartment with three hot meals, a roommate, and nice security bars on her door. Vera hung up and more than likely won’t be heard from again.”