“YEAH, if I was there, I’d get my beauty sleep too!” Troy said in her ear bud.
Alex laughed.
“Are you ever going to tell us why this mission is called ‘Something Big’?” Mathew asked.
“Probably not,” Alex said.
They started the day at Fort Carson. The Fort set up a command center for Raz, Troy, Matthew and, by temporary assignment, Heath Walker. Her Sergeant would act as a relay for all the factions – US military, Mexican police, and the new Fey Team. Alex, Vince, Joseph, Larry, Trece and White Boy were going to complete the first new Fey Team retrieval. They picked up a medic at Fort Carson. So far, the medic had been too intimidated to utter a word to them.
Much to the Jakker’s chagrin, the Army insisted on flying them to Fort Hood. He whined until he realized he could nap the entire way to Fort Hood. Tonight was going to be a long night. He needed his rest.
There was another brawl at Fort Hood. The US Calvary, along with about a billion soldiers who showed up when they landed, wanted to be involved in the first new Fey Team retrieval. Air Force brass got involved. Army brass got involved.
Alex dragged Zack and the rest of the team to dinner at Fort Hood’s finest steak house, Texas Land and Cattle. Alex picked at her salad while the men argued over steak. Joseph was paying the bill when Alex received the call.
Joint team, joint effort.
The Jakker could fly to the destination but the Cavalry would take them out of the country. They picked up another medic and piled in a Hercules. They would land at Mérida Air Force Base, hoped into a Black Hawk and head to their destination. The Policía Federal had monitored the situation all day. They were set to take over when the team slipped away.
“How does it look?” Alex glanced jealously at the men sleeping in the compartment.
“Very quiet, sir,” Heath said. “They put him to bed at six as we expected. Outside of the guards, we haven’t seen any activity for the last hour.”
“We’ll go radio silent once we land at Merida, I expect...”
“The last heat and infrared to your pocket computer fifteen minutes prior to destination,” Raz said. “You’ve said...”
“Seven times,” Troy said. “Plus your Sergeant just IMed us not to fuck up.”
“No fuck ups,” Alex said. “We have to do this right.”
“Yes sir,” Heath, Matthew, Troy and Raz said.
“Is Peaches still working?” Alex asked.
“She checked in an hour ago,” Matthew said. “She says she will have a report for you when we return.”
“Great.”
“I want to protest again. You should not be on this assignment,” Matthew said. “Your hip is less than two months old and you’re still wearing a cast on your arm.”
“So noted,” Alex said. “I have a black cast specifically for this assignment. I’m supposed to be swimming and walking.”
“So noted,” Matthew said.
“Ok, I need ten minutes to get my head straight,” Alex said. “We’ll talk when we’re done.”
“Yes sir,” Heath said.
“Be safe,” Raz said.
“Love you, missy,” Troy said.
“I can’t top that,” Matthew said. “We’ll talk in a few. You’ll take pictures?”
“Larry has the video camera,” Alex said. “He’s practiced on Helene, so I think he knows how to use it. Bye, Bye.”
Alex took out her ear communicator. Leaning into her seat, she closed her eyes. Three years ago, missions were easy. Even with the Boy Scout to slow them down, they completed more missions that year than any year before. She looked up when Joseph sat down next to her. He held out his hand. They sat hand in hand the rest of the way to Mérida Air Force Base. Once there, all loss, pain, and uncertainty slipped away. They were trained professionals.
There was work to be done.
FFFFF
One hour later
Thursday night
May 15 – 10:30 P.M. CDT
Outside of Cancun, Mexico
“Ready?” Alex pulled up the hood to her wetsuit.
Joseph went down the line checking parachutes. Trece checked body armor and White Boy checked everyone’s weapons. Alex and Vince were parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico where they would meet a CIA-operated fishing trawler. Trece, White Boy and Joseph would parachute onto land.
“Alex, I have your target,” Zack said over the intercom. “They’ve signaled.”
“Anything else from base?” Alex asked.
“Nothing new,” Zack said. “Catch you on the flip side.”
“Go!” Joseph said.
Vince jumped from the helicopter. Alex gave Joseph a quick hug.
“Go!”
Alex dropped in a military free fall to catch up with Vince. He pointed to the fishing trawler. They fell together toward the ocean. Pulling her chute, she followed Vince into the water. Vince swam to Alex. Bobbing in the open water, she laughed. They swam a few feet to the fishing trawler. The agents on board pulled them into the boat.
They were on board the ship when Trece and White Boy took off from the helicopter. Five miles off shore, Joseph and Larry jumped from the helicopter. The boat slowed at a rock formation two miles from shore. Alex and Vince slipped into the water.
Even with two weeks of open water swimming practice, Alex lagged behind the Navy SEAL, Vince. He was undressed by the time she arrived. He helped her with her wet suit. They stashed their wetsuits and made their way toward the residence. She saw a flash of light indicating Trece and White Boy were in position. Falling back, Alex nodded to Vince.
The men would secure the location before she entered. That’s how the Fey Special Forces Team had worked. The new Fey Team would do the same. It made sense.
She hated the long minutes of waiting. Every sound could mean disaster. She let out an anxious breath. Looking at her watch, she saw it had only been two minutes. Jesse appeared beside her.
“Wish I was here,” Jesse said in Spanish. “We had fun waiting for the guys. You never know what will happen!”
Alex nodded.
“Nervous?”
Looking at him, Alex nodded.
“You usually are. I’ll be right here,” he said. “Me and my arsenal of scary ghostie weapons.”
Alex chuckled at his exaggerated horror movie voice.
“Maria finally told me what was going on,” Jesse said. “You were right. I was wrong.”
Alex furrowed her brow. She signed, “What are you talking about?”
Jesse’s head dropped back and laughed. She smiled at his glee.
“Maria is adopting my mother’s youngest children. I have a sister who is six months old and a brother who is two years old,” Jesse said. “My darling mother is incarcerated… three time loser… for life this time. She lost custody. No one knows who the father is. Maria is very excited. And...”
Alex heard a low whistle indicating her team was entering the residence.
“So am I,” Jesse said. “I was angry at first, but... Maria loves babies and...”
Alex pointed to Jesse.
“Me!” Jesse smiled.
Alex chuckled.
“Five minutes,” Jesse said.
Alex pushed her digital fatigue pants low on her hips. She stripped to her tank top and cinched down her exercise bra. Jesse pointed to her head. Using her fingers, she spiked up the blond tips to her military haircut. The back lights to the residence flickered on then off.
“Time to go!” Jesse said.
It was time for the Fey to make her first appearance in almost three years. Alex jogged to the sliding glass door of the residence. With a nod to Jesse, Alex pulled her handgun from its sacrum holster. She pressed the sliding door open.
She crept across what appeared to be a living room. Near the kitchen, she picked up Larry and his video camera. She nodded to him then continued her silent journey across the house.
Turning left, she passed Trece. He pointed toward the two unconscious
men he’d piled into corner of the hallway. Alex smiled. Trece beamed back at her. As agreed, he hadn’t killed the men. Continuing down the hall, she found White Boy with his own stack of unconscious men. White Boy was so pleased with himself he bowed to Alex’s silent clapping.
Using her breath to control her nerves, Alex shifted to cold intelligence officer. Show time.
Joseph waited for her at the door. She nodded to him and he followed her through the door.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” the young woman screamed.
While Alex continued forward to the bed, Joseph detained the young woman. Alex went to the bed. Under a blue cotton blanket, a slim figure lay curled up in the fetal position. When she touched his shoulder, he rolled onto his back. His eyes opened, puzzled then flooded with tears.
“Mr. Joiner? We’re here to free you.”
“Águeda! You have to save her! She’s shackled in the basement.”
“Papa, I’m here!”
Leaning on Vince, the woman, they’d thought was a cook, made her painful journey across the room. Vince helped her sit on the bed next to the man.
“Papa, we’re free!”
Cecil Joiner Sr. wept in earnest.
F
CHAPTER FORTY-eight
One day later
Friday Night
May 16 – 6:14 P.M. PDT
Sav-UR-Buks Hotel, Barstow, CA
Alex arrived at their hotel room to find that John had already been there. Tonight was the first night they were medically approved to be together. It was even a month since she had her belly button re-pierced.
And he was at this car auction.
He said he would make it up to her. Looking around the room, she had to admit that he’d tried.
The floor was covered with red rose petals and white rose petals covered the bed. Her favorite champagne was chilling with an extra bottle in the refrigerator. He set out a new silk chemise for her to wear. There were a dozen white roses next to the bed. Candles littered every surface.
The bathroom was adorned with a dozen red roses. The cheap motel soap had been replaced with her favorite soap as well as lavender and Epsom salts for her favorite bath. He had even switched out the towels from standard hotel towel to fluffy lavender colored towels. Alex pressed her face against the towels. They smelled like lavender.
She smiled. Picking up a red rose, she wandered back into the room for a glass of champagne. A note and a ring box sat next to the chilling wine. Tearing open the envelope, Alex found a white card engraved with: John Kelly Drayson, MD.
In John’s fluid handwriting, he wrote:
Don’t put it on until I get there. Please.
Desperately in love with you,
John
Alex closed her eyes. Hoping it wasn’t some big diamond thing, she flipped the top of the box open. Shocked, she dropped the box. She fell to her knees to pick up the box. Tucked inside the box was an identical ring to her wedding band and a note that read: ’With this ring, I thee wed.’ Stamped into the top of the box was the name of the tiny jewelry store where they bought their original rings.
She’d never in her wildest dreams believed she could have her wedding ring back. Like so many precious things, the ring was lost. Until now. She held the box to her chest as if to welcome it back into her heart.
Not willing to let it go, Alex carried it and her champagne into the bathroom. Using Jesse’s lighter, she lit the candles and took a long soak in the tub. When she was almost a prune, she got out of the tub. She carried her glass and the ring box back into the bedroom then dressed in the new chemise. Pulling back the covers, she laughed. John had put rose petals in the sheets too.
She dusted the petals onto the floor. Smiling, she slipped under the warm covers. He had replaced the cheap hotel comforter with a down comforter. She nestled into the feather bed he had placed on the sagging queen bed. Pulling the comforter up to her nose, she smelled lavender again.
She fell into a sound sleep knowing he would return soon.
She woke to his lips on her nose.
“Hi,” she said. Sitting up, she turned on the side lamp. “Thank you for all of this.”
“Shhh,” John said. Taking the ring, he kissed her left hand and slipped the ring on. “With this ring, I thee wed.”
He kissed her lips and her tear drenched face.
“He remade the ring,” John said. “I sent him the old ring and he reformed it. ‘Not a problem.’ That’s what he said. He remembered us. He asked me if you were still so skinny. Remember how skinny you were?”
She kissed him.
“I was really skinny after Special Forces training and much less scarred. Did you like that better?”
He kissed her lips with a fervor that took her breath away.
“Every moment is different. Every moment is wonderful. This moment is so much more perfect than the last. Every day that passes, I have only loved you more, wanted you more, and you’re so beautiful.”
He stood to get the bottle of champagne. He smiled as he poured two glasses.
“You wore it,” he said. He slipped his fingers through the tiny silk strap of the chemise.
“Of course,” she said. “Did you buy some cars?”
John blushed.
“What?”
“We are the proud owners of a gorgeous Audi R8.”
“For two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
“We’re supporting the DEA’s efforts in the war on drugs.”
“Two-hundred thousand dollars?”
“Mmmm. It’s owned by JAM property as well as a Lexus SUV and a Cadillac STS. As we agreed : one sedan, one SUV, and one fun car.”
“How can a two-hundred thousand dollar car be fun? I’d be so worried about dinging it.”
“I’ll have you know, we used great restraint.”
“We?”
“Raz, Max and I. We bought the cars together.”
“I’m supposed to believe that the three of you, together, used restraint? That’s not likely.”
“We didn’t buy the 1959 El Dorado or the sweet red Spitfire convertible or the perfect 1960 convertible black Thunderbird for that matter. For the record, we didn’t put even one bid in on the Indian motorcycle or the Russian fighter plane either.”
“But you know who did?”
“Mmmm.”
“You realize you will fight over who drives the Audi,” she said.
“You’re going to fight over a car?”
“Very funny. I’m driving my CJ. It’s the only car I know how to drive!”
He laughed. “I have some other news.”
Alex smiled her crooked smile. The very core of him ignited with heat and passion. He pressed her back to the bed. His mouth took her lips for his own. His mouth pulled at her chin then her ear. His hands cupped her breasts.
“You have news?” she asked.
Panting, he groaned and rolled to the bed.
“You do that on purpose,” he said.
“I do that because I can,” she said.
They laughed.
“May I fill your glass, beautiful wife?”
“I’d love some champagne.”
John poured more champagne. He held his flute to her lips and she took a sip. They kissed.
“I have a job,” he said.
“What?” Alex asked.
“Yes, I’m no longer the Mooch. I was offered a position at Denver Health with a faculty assignment at the University,” John said.
“I thought those departments were full,” Alex said.
“They are,” John said. “I’m working half time on two teams. The head of trauma saw the work I did on Troy and found funding for me to work for him. The arterial disease team pitched a fit.”
“Of course, they didn’t want to lose you.” Alex began unbuttoning his shirt. “I don’t want to lose you either.”
“I’m so glad.” He kissed her then shifted his shoulders. His shirt dropped to the ground.
They pulled his white undershirt off together. Alex stroked his taut muscular chest. Tugging on the dog tag that bore her name, she pulled him toward her for a kiss.
“I have more good news. I was given a month off,” John said.
Alex squealed and hugged him.
“I thought you couldn’t get time off!”
“I thought so too, but they gave me the month. They didn’t have money for a signing bonus so they offered the month off. When I get back, I’ll work and finish my residency at the same time.”
“That sounds like a lot,” Alex said.
“It might be, but it’s only a couple months. Then we’re done.” He beamed. “You may call me Professor Drayson.”
“What are you going to teach me?” Alex unbuckled his belt.
“Oh love.” He kissed her. He placed his hands around her face. His cobalt blue eyes held her brown eyes. “Thank you. You’ve made all of this possible for me. You’ve paid for everything, supported me, encouraged me, dragged me along, and most of all loved me. What was vapor — a crazy orphan’s fancy — is now a reality. I’m a vascular surgeon. I never could have done it without you.”
“Your dreams are important to me,” she whispered.
His eyes welled with tears. Her fingertips caught his tears. He kissed her fingers then clutched her to him.
“I love you so much,” he said.
“Not more than I love you.”
“So a month of bikinis!”
“What?”
“I wanted to take you to Majorca, but you need to get this cast off. So we compromised on Kauai.”
“We?”
“Max and I. We leave from Barstow.”
“What about my work?”
“Details, details. Raz took care of it. You’re on vacation for a month. He and Samantha are going to join us in a couple weeks.”
“Wow.”
Alex untied his lacer cowboy boots. He pushed them off. Her hands stroked his feet as she slipped his socks off.
“Oh…”
“Yes?” Her eyes raked his face. “What’s wrong?”
“I won’t teach right away. I’ll just do research. Do you think that’s all right? I was so excited to have the position we wanted that I accepted while you were on TDY. I haven’t signed the contract though. I said I had to talk to you first.”
Learning to Stand Page 40
