by Mike McNeff
Robin nodded again.
“The most serious wounds are to the right side of your neck and head. You had a lot of glass and metal shrapnel there. Your prior wounds made the penetration of the shrapnel easier this time. Some of the shrapnel came very close to some vital areas. You had extensive surgery in that area, including taking out shrapnel that went through your skull. That's why you have been out so long. Luckily, you apparently have a hard head and the shrapnel didn't penetrate too far. “
Robin cleared his throat. “Water.”
“Oh, honey,” Karen cried. She reached over and poured water from a pitcher into a glass. She took a straw off of a tray and put it in the glass. Karen held the glass so Robin could sip water. After a few sips, his throat felt better.
“Cathy?”
“She's fine, Rob. She has been alternating between you and Andy.”
“Where am I?”
The nurse spoke. “You are at Walter Reed Hospital, in the custody of the United States Army Military Police. As soon as we can, we will be moving you to Fort Bragg.”
That's interesting.
“I'll be back in a while,” the nurse continued. “We're going to have to get you as close to a sitting position as we can. We need to get you well enough to move.” Without further comment, the nurse left.
“How are the rest of the kids handling all of this?” Robin asked.
“The first couple of days were rough for them, but the Marine guards took Casey and Eddie under their wings and they keep them busy. Laurie is doing okay. She's been moody. She is doing much better since Cathy came.”
“How about you?”
“I've been miserable. Rob, I am so sor…” Robin gently put his fingers on her mouth.
“No apologies. I screwed up. We need to just think ahead and love each other.” Karen leaned over and kissed him.
“How are the guys? I know some were badly hurt.”
“Everyone got back, but almost everyone was wounded except for Ernie and Gary. Marv and Jamie are still here with you. Both will recover, but I guess Jamie will take a while. They have everyone else at Quantico.”
“How are the other families?”
“They're doing better now that you guys are here.” Karen looked pensive.
“What's up, Babe?” Robin could feel sleep starting to come over him again.
“Rob, we've been forbidden to talk to anyone. They tell us if we do, you will all go to prison. Bill Grassley has told us to be patient—that all of this will be worked out, but we need to be quiet. The press is going crazy with stories of an official complaint by the Mexican government about a military incursion by the U.S. that resulted in the death of over sixty Mexican citizens. Our government is denying any knowledge of it, but everyone believes the U.S. did it.”
“Don't worry, honey. The most important thing is that we got Cathy back.” Sleep overtook Robin. “I'll deal with it as soon as I can stay awake.”
For the next seven days, Robin fought pain, minimizing the pain medicine the doctor ordered him to take. He pushed the limits, trying to get back on his feet. Karen stayed with him day and night; Robin noticed she looked haggard. On the morning of the fourth day, the doctor came in to the room.
“How are you doing today?”
“Doc, I want to stop the pain medicine.”
“I don't advise that. You still have a lot of pain.”
“I don't care about the pain. I want to get my brain out of this fog. All the pain medicine is doing is interfering with my brain trying to heal me. As long as I know why I am hurting, I'll be fine. I also want to get out of here. I need to see my kids and my men.”
The doctor looked at Robin, sizing him up. He turned to Karen. “Well, Mrs. Marlette, you certainly know your husband.” Robin looked at Karen.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
Karen smiled. “I told the good doctor that as soon as you started feeling a little better you would start giving orders.”
Robin sighed. “Sorry, Doc, I'm not trying to be demanding. I am just stating my preferences.”
“Well, Sergeant, if you think you're ready, I won't stand in your way. There is some basis to your assessment about the pain medicine and environment being better at Fort Bragg. You will have to continue your physical therapy there. If you can stand the pain, I will release you with a prescription for pain medicine you can take at night so you can sleep.”
“I'm ready to go, Doc, as soon as I visit my men who are still here.”
TWENTY NINE
By the time the plane ride to Fort Bragg ended, Robin's pain medicine had worn off. Robin hid his agony as the children greeted him and Karen, but they could see the bandages and the torso cast. He saw the concern in their eyes.
Eddie held on to Robin's hand and would not let go. He put Robin's arm across his shoulder. “Here, Dad, lean on me. I'll help you.” Robin hesitated, but looking into his son's eyes, he couldn't say no. “Thanks, Eddie, I could use the help.”
Two MPs helped Robin into the back seat of a van and drove the family to their quarters, located in a section of Randolf Pointe, cordoned off by MPs. All of the men and their families were housed here. As they walked through the makeshift entry, two MPs came to attention. One of them winked at Eddie.
“I'm not a military officer, gentlemen. No need to come to attention for me.”
“On the contrary, sir,” said a sergeant whose name tag read “McManus.” “We don't know all the details, but we have general idea of what you and your men did and why security is needed. We are honored to be here, sir.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.”
As they passed through the gate, Robin saw Burke Jameson standing with the help of a crutch near a door that turned out to be the entrance to Robin's family quarters. Robin walked up to Burke. They painfully embraced in a bear hug.
“We made it, Boss,” Burke said, the mischievous sparkle in his eyes brighter than ever. “According to the news, we caused a helluva lot of trouble.” Burke's face broke out in a broad grin, cut short as he reached to hold the bandage on his right cheek.
“Well, I think that fits our style just fine,” Robin replied. He stepped into the quarters and saw almost the entire team and their families were there. Two things he saw gave him pause. First, all of them, save Ernie Jackson and Gary Perkins, were bandaged in various places. Second, Marv Allen and Jamie Slater were not there at all. Pain filled his heart. Each one of these men had done this for Cathy, for him.
Robin looked about him for a minute. “As you all know, I'm not a man of few words on most occasions.” Knowing chuckles rippled through the group. “Today is different. I simply cannot tell you how thankful Karen and I are for the sacrifice all of you gave to get Cathy back. I thought I could go it alone. I had a plan.” More chuckles; Robin smiled. “I guess I always have a plan. It's just sometimes they don't work out too well. As our various wounds testify, I probably would not have made it, which means Cathy would not have made it.” Robin's head bowed.
“Hey, Rob, do you know how long I have been waiting for a free fire zone?” Emmett piped up. “In 'Nam, we had fucked up rules of engagement that wouldn't let us kill the bad guys. When we hit that compound, I felt liberated. We knew these were righteous bad guys; we knew they were out-and-out dangerous, and most importantly, you taught us that we were more dangerous than them—and by God, we proved it. We love you and Karen and the kids. So shut up. We're burning daylight.”
A roar of laughter erupted from the group. Robin stiffly walked amongst the team and their families, thanking them and answering their questions about the future as best he could. During the reunion, Bill Grassley called Robin.
“Rob, two vehicles will be by to pick up the team at 1300 tomorrow to take you to another location on the Fort. We'll settle the team's situation then.”
“Okay, we'll be ready.”
“No questions?”
“Not now. We trust you, Bill.”
“I'm glad to hear that. Both o
ur futures depend on it. We'll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, bye.” Robin rejoined Karen and went back to talking with his men and their families.
Soon just the team remained, and Robin sat down with his men. Pain and exhaustion were haunting him, but he needed to find out some things.
“I'd like to get filled in on what happened to everybody during the raid. Rick and Mark, how did the perimeter fight go?”
“Actually, Sarge, if the original intelligence had been good, our plan would have worked,” Rick said. “The Arabs threw us off. There had to be thirty to fifty of them.”
“That's a fact,” Mark chimed in. Those charges and grenades you gave us were the reason we all got out alive. They took care of a lot of assholes, but there were still a lot of them left.”
“How did you two get wounded?”
“We both got wounded getting everyone into the extraction vehicles, as did Mr. Young over there,” Rick explained.
“Having those two vehicles in the same place was a mistake,” Rick continued. They became the targets of most of the enemy firepower.”
“I agree,” Mike said. “That's also where Carlos and I were both wounded.”
“Me too,” Emmett said.
“There is a lesson learned. Where is Carlos?”
“The Feds have him and Jorge under wraps more than us,” Burke said. “And, by the way, the Feds got Jorge's family out of Mexico. They are here with him now.”
“I'm glad to hear that, since we promised him.”
“Well, Mr. Santos over there jumped on ol' Grassley's back and wouldn't get off until he took care of it.”
“Who got us out?”
“The Air Force got us out,” Mark said. “Another one of their choppers got you out too.”
“Jesus, how many choppers were down there?”
“I counted four,” Mark replied.
“That's about right,” Rick agreed. “HRT and Delta were there. They are the ones who got the Arabs off your back when you got cornered…even captured two of them alive.”
“Amen, brother,” Rocky chimed in. “I was never so happy to see the FBI in my whole life. I take back every bad thing I ever said about them. Those guys fast roped in there and started taking care of business. Then the Air Force PJs came in and started getting us out.”
“I tell you, Rob, I didn't think we were going to get out of there.” Burke's bandaged face bore a solemn look. “I thought we reached the end of the trail in that dirty little hole.”
“We didn't give up, did we? We kept on fighting.”
“I don't know how you did, after taking that burst in the back. You did make me feel a little better when you blew the Arab away with your .45.”
“They really pissed me off!” The group laughed. “I'm just happy I wore my ballistic vest. I wouldn't be here.” Robin took a long, painful breath. “Tomorrow at 1300, we're going to be taken to somewhere on the Fort. Grassley says our situation will be worked out then. It is probably going to be both good and bad. We're facing federal prosecution for a lot of crimes. I know you all have been told to keep quiet or you will go to prison. That tells me they don't want to do that, but assuming they don't, it won't be for free. They are going to want something from us. The only way we can get through this with a minimum amount of further damage to us and our families is by sticking together.”
“Are we screwed, Rob?” Ernie asked.
They have taken a public position that gives us some bargaining power. We can only make the most of that power by staying united. I talked to Marv and Jamie before I left Walter Reed and they are in. Is there anyone who wants out?”
“Our families are scared, Rob,” Gary observed. “My wife and I are so close to retirement” Gary's voice trailed off.
“That's my point, Gary. All of our families want and need security. We need to stick together and make sure we take care of each other.”
Gary nodded his head. “I'm in.”
“Anybody else with questions or concerns?”
“We assume you have a plan, Rob,” Ernie observed.
“I do, but in this skirmish, we are strictly tactical. We're primarily dealing with Bill Grassley. He is somebody we all trust. I don't believe Bill is working for Customs anymore. It seems to me he is in the intelligence business now. We'll have to see.” Robin looked around for more comments. “All right, let's hit the sack. We'll see everyone out front at 1245 hours.”
After everyone left, Robin painfully made his way to Karen's bedroom. When he approached the door, it opened. Karen stood there, her lovely image filling Robin's heart and soul with warmth and questioning anxiety.
“Welcome to our bedroom, Sergeant.” Tears began streaming from Robin's eyes. Karen gently put her arms around his neck. “Robin, you have to know I will always love you.” Her mouth met his, soft and moist. Karen's tongue told Robin of the passion waiting for him to heal.
THIRTY
Jack Moore, Oscar Leighton, and the rest of the Lima Two-One crew stood at attention as Chief Williams formally retired from the United States Air Force. The Chief stood ramrod straight in his dress blues. Jack thought if Mrs. Williams smiled any broader, the expression would become permanent.
It had been a close thing. The transfer of Chief Williams to the Air Force Rescue chopper saved him from disciplinary action. He now stood proud in his retirement ceremony with full honors. The Air Force awarded Chief Williams the Silver Star and a life saving award for his actions in pulling Robin off of the hill in the clandestine operation. Jack wore a contented smile.
Two black Chevrolet Suburbans picked up the team at 1300 hours. At 1332 hours, they sat in a large conference room inside the Delta Force Command Center. The conference room did not look like a typical government room. There were no windows, and large monitors and high-end electronics and computers lined the walls. It contained quality wood furniture and a collection of original military action paintings hung on the beige walls. The room maintained a sense of urgent formality. Bill Grassley came in with another man. They were followed by a Major General.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I'd like to introduce you to Major General Dave Buchanan, the commander of Delta Force. This is Mr. Jordan Yates, CIA Deputy Director of Operations. He's now my boss.” Several members of the team looked at Robin and smiled. “When I told Robin about this meeting, he surprised me when he had no questions. He told me all of you trust me. I hope I will live up to your trust.
“As you all are very well aware, you violated many United States and Mexican laws. The Mexican government wants your heads. They have filed a formal protest and are threatening to go to the International Criminal Court. We have, of course, denied everything, with appropriate slips to the media.”
Robin spoke up. “Can't we shut the Mexican government up by threatening to tell the world about the Arab terrorists they harbored?”
“That issue has been secretly discussed, which is why this incident won't go any further than a formal complaint to the U.S. government. That doesn't mean you're out of the woods. There are special interest groups in this country and others who want to know the whole story, who are claiming that this whole operation amounted to genocide.”
“That's all bullshit, as you know,” Robin said. The men made comments of approval.
“We know and will protect you from all of this, but there is a price.” Grassley saw no surprise in their faces.
“I see Robin has figured this out also.” The men laughed. “All of you are finished as law enforcement officers in Arizona. Your records at DPS and the Phoenix Police have been confiscated. To them, you no longer exist.” Grassley looked around the room again. “We have hinted, but not confirmed, that you were all killed.”
“We are going to move you to the Northwest. We have substantial military assets there that can get you to where we need you, when we need you. You will work for us, the CIA. We will not want you full time. Just when we need a team no one knows about.”
Robin stood u
p. “First things first. We need money to live on. How can we survive if you are not going to need us full time?”
Grassley looked at Yates, who nodded and stepped forward. “We are going to set you up in business. We are proposing a worldwide export/import business. You will be fully capitalized, including transportation assets and a generous five-year operating budget. We want the business to be located in the Seattle area.”
“Do we get to run the business?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, what will be our status when we work for you?”
Bill Grassley stepped forward again. “When you deploy you will be absolutely covert. You will have nothing with you that connects you with us. If you are captured by anyone unfriendly to us, you will be on your own. If you are killed, your families will receive the benefits of the rank we will give you in the Army.”
“You're confusing me, Bill.”
“We will provide you with all the support we can for a mission, whatever it takes. But if we are using you guys, it is because we cannot be connected with the operation. Our basic plan is to give you the mission. You plan it. You tell me what you need in support and money. When we agree, that will be the deal. But make no mistake—if you get captured by unfriendlies, you're on your own. It may be that way even with friendlies.
“The reason we are giving you all a rank in the Army is because, as a team, you will have to have access to military facilities for training and such. You will all be given a rank that befits your experience, education, and training. We can negotiate the ranks if necessary.”
“How much do we get paid?”
“As I said, you will be giving me a budget for each mission. Once we agree, that's it.”
“Can you give us about fifteen minutes?”
“Absolutely.” Grassley, the general, and Yates left the room.
“Okay, guys, you heard it all. Any comments or questions?”
Gary looked around. “Rob, at some point can I opt out of the missions? I'm asking because I am not getting any younger.”
