Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Protecting Honor (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Trevor Saunders Series Book 1)

by Jesse Jacobson

  “I understand, but we have no choice,” Wolf said. “You find a position to take out the two who come out first. But do not shoot until you see Qasam with the two ladies. I need them all outside. If you drop his men before he comes out, he’ll duck inside and do exactly what Alfassi said. He’ll force us to let him go and we will never see either of them again.”

  Trevor nodded, “What will you be doing?”

  “I’m going to circle to the south of the lodge and approach from the south. When Qasam emerges, I will approach him from the rear. When you drop the first two I will take Qasam out from the rear.”

  “That’s a dangerous play,” Trevor said.

  “If you have a better one I’m all ears,” Wolf said.

  Trevor shook his head, “Nope. I’m with you.”

  “Just one question,” Wolf said. “Did Alfassi really convince them I was dead and you were on the run?”

  “How the hell would I know,” he said. “I don’t speak Arabic. You know that. For all I know, he could have been giving them the recipe for Barazek.”

  “What’s Barazek?”

  “It’s a Syrian cookie.”

  “Oh. Well, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope he really does want to get out of this alive.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Qasam tossed the walkie-talkie and pointed his rifle at the two women. To Caroline, Honor appeared almost catatonic. She hadn’t said a word or made eye contact with anyone since they had been captured. She merely stared off into space. If they got through this, Caroline wondered about the long-term emotional impact this would have on her. Assuming they lived through this, the experience could leave emotional scars for a lifetime.

  “Which one of you belongs to the man named Wolf?” he asked, in near-perfect English.

  “Wolf is my husband,” Caroline replied stiffly. “In this country, no one belongs to anyone.”

  “Your husband is dead,” Qasam said, smiling. “He was shot down like the dog he is.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Caroline replied, trying to lurch toward him.

  The three men laughed at her effort.

  “Oh, you can believe it,” Qasam replied. “The other one is running like a scared rabbit.”

  “You are a liar!” Caroline yelled.

  “Let me shut this one up,” one of Qasar’s men, Fahti, said. “I like the other one better. She doesn’t talk.”

  “Soon enough,” Qasar replied. He pointed at Honor, “We need this one alive. The mouthy one is insurance. Once we are securely on the road, we can do with her as we please and then dump her body in the woods.”

  The three men laughed again.

  Caroline tried to put the thought out of her head that Wolf might be dead. She had noted that Qasar had a large knife sheathed on his right leg and that he always kept the safety strap unhitched. Her hands had been tied behind her back, but she had been working on them for some time and they were beginning to loosen. If she only had a few more minutes.

  One of the men, Nazir, commanded the two women to stand.

  Qasar looked at his watch, “It is time. Nazir and Fahti, you go outside and secure a perimeter around the SUV. Look for any signs of danger. When you are done, signal me and I will come out with the woman who belongs to the one called Wolf.”

  “Why not both at the same time?”

  He pointed at Honor, “This one will have to be carried,” he said. “She has not moved or said a word. She is in some sort of trance. She has a history of mental illness. It will be harder to move her in this state. It will be easier this way. I will bring one and then come back for the other. Now move. It’s time.

  From his position, Wolf saw the door open. As expected, two of the men emerged holding their rifles in firing position. He knew the Russian-made weapons had telescopic sights. Even though it was quite dark, he hid well as the two men scanned the area for signs of danger.

  After two minutes, he saw Qasar emerge with Caroline only. There was no sign of Honor. He wondered what was going through Trevor’s head at that moment.

  Qasar held Caroline by the back of her shirt collar. He held her at arm’s length in front of himself as they made their way to the SUV. She appeared unharmed. He sighed with relief.

  Qasar and Caroline were now 30-feet from the door. He readied himself. He heard the first pop from Trevor’s rifle and saw one of the men fall. The other two men instinctively turned toward the sound of the rifle.

  The second man began to return fire aimlessly in the direction of Trevor’s shot. Wolf bolted toward Qasar, whose back was to him. He pulled his knife. He planned to knock the gun from Qasar’s hand and then slit the man’s throat. He was closing the gap quickly.

  A second pop from Trevor’s rifle could be heard and Wolf saw the second man fall. So far, so good. Trevor was seconds away from reaching Qasar and Caroline, but fate would intervene.

  Underneath the snow, Wolf caught his boot on a tree root and tripped, falling to the ground. Qasar heard Wolf fall and turned toward him, positioning Caroline between himself and Wolf.

  Wolf stood. Qasar laughed and spoke with a thick accent in broken English. “It appears the great Navy SEAL man was done in by a tree root. How unfortunate.”

  Qasar trained his weapon on Wolf’s head.

  “What will be unfortunate is your overall health situation if you harm a hair on her head.”

  “Thank god!” cried Caroline. “I knew you were alive.”

  “Hang on sweetheart!” Wolf replied. “We’re going to get you out of this.”

  “Maybe her for now,” Qasar said, “but not you.”

  Qasar looked in his scope taking aim at the center of Wolf’s chest.

  Caroline sensed Qasar was ready to shoot. She had been working on her ropes the entire time and had finally freed her right hand. She reached for Qasar’s knife and pulled it cleanly from the sheath on his right hip. In one smooth motion, she drove the knife into his right leg.

  Qasar howled in pain and reached for the knife, releasing the rifle and Caroline in the process.

  “Drop to the ground!” she heard Wolf scream.

  Caroline fell to the ground, leaving Qasar exposed, still holding his right leg. Wolf flipped his knife to a throwing position and slung it toward Qasar. The blade lodged deep into the center of his chest. He grabbed at the knife stepping backward before falling.

  Trevor arrived on the scene just as Qasar hit the ground. Caroline rushed to Wolf. They embraced. She was crying freely and kissing him. “I knew you weren’t dead. I knew you’d come back for me. I love you so much. I was so scared you were hurt.”

  “And I love you to,” he said. They kissed.

  “Where is Honor?” Trevor asked.

  “She’s inside,” Caroline replied. “She’s a wreck but physically she’s not harmed.”

  “Is anyone in there with her?” Wolf asked.

  Caroline shook her head, no.

  “I’m going for her, now,” Trevor said.

  “No one moves!” a deep male voice called out. It was Alfassi. He’d somehow freed himself and was now holding a rifle on all three of them.

  “How’d you get free?” Trevor asked.

  “I had a knife in my boot,” he said. “It appears you Navy SEALS didn’t think of everything.”

  “We had a deal, Alfassi,” Wolf said.

  “I am altering the deal,” he said. He pointed at Trevor and Wolf. “Both of you drop your weapons and move four paces to your right. Put your hands on your heads and drop to your knees. Do it now!”

  “You sure you can handle that weapon with a bullet hole in your hand?” Wolf said.

  Alfassi smiled and fired two shot toward the men’s feet. Both bullets struck the ground no more than a foot away from their feet.

  “Think about what you’re doing,” Trevor said.

  “Shut up!” screamed Alfassi. “Do as I say, or I’ll shoot.”

  Both men complied. When they were on their knees, Alfassi turned to Caroline, “Yo
u go and get the girl. Bring her to me. No funny business or I will kill both men right in front of you.”

  “I’m not going to let you take her,” Caroline insisted.

  “You have no choice in the matter,” Alfassi replied.

  “Yes, she does,” another female voice called out. Alfassi turned toward the direction of the voice.

  A gunshot rang out. Alfassi grabbed his chest. He gasped for air. Blood gushed from his mouth. He lowered his gun and fell to his knees. He tried to raise his gun again. Two more shots rang out, pelting Alfassi in the stomach and shoulder.

  Trevor and Wolf looked toward the sound of the gunshot. They saw Honor, standing in a wide stance. She was still holding a pistol in firing position.

  Trevor stood and ran toward her. She dropped the pistol and fell into his arms as he approached. “Oh, my god,” she cried out. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

  “I’m here,” he said. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m not,” she said. “I was never in a trance. I was faking it the whole time. I thought, with my history, they would buy it and they did. They worried about me so little, they even left a weapon behind. Thanks to you, I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be, Trevor.”

  “You are, my sweet Honor,” Trevor replied. “You are.”

  They embraced. “I’m never going to let you go,” she said.

  “I’m counting on that,” Trevor replied.

  He kissed. It was long and deep. Trevor held her close to him.

  Wolf stood, picked up the pistol he had earlier tossed and walked to Alfassi, who was still alive but on his back and bleeding badly.

  “You can still save me,” he said to Wolf. “We had a deal.”

  “There’s no saving you, I’m afraid,” Wolf replied. “Even if I wanted to, and oddly enough I don’t, you’re too far gone.”

  “But you were going to get me immunity,” Alfassi cried.

  Wolf pointed to Honor, looked back at Alfassi and shrugged, “It seems your application for immunity has been rejected.”

  He watched Alfassi struggle for several more seconds as the life drained from his body. Soon, he fell limp.

  CHAPTER 11

  The next few days went by in a blur. The CIA and FBI were called in to clean up the mess and provide a thorough investigation. Trevor and Wolf were represented by Navy advocates. Honor’s father was brought up to speed. He thanked the two men for saving his daughter.

  As expected Wolf and Trevor were exonerated of any wrongdoing.

  During the course of the 5-week investigation, Trevor and Wolf went back to active duty. Caroline went back home with Wolf. Trevor and Honor spoke on the phone many times before his upcoming deployment, to where, she didn’t know. It was classified. The calls between Trevor and Honor became fewer and farther between as he prepared for his assignment.

  He had called to say goodbye the day before he was deployed. He warned her that he would be out of touch for a while, but was unable to be specific about where he was headed or how long he’d be gone.

  She said she understood, but deep down she feared he was slipping away. After all, when it came down to it, she had known him for only a fleeting moment. Although the passion they shared meant everything to her, for Trevor, that brief snapshot in time was likely fading more and more each day, she thought.

  Trevor had promised he would be in touch with her when he returned from assignment. Her worst fears appeared to be coming true.

  Her father worried that the trauma Honor endured would set her back from the progress she had made with her emotional development, but his fears turned out to be unfounded. Facing such hardship head on had provided her courage, and the relationship she had forged with Caroline and the two Navy SEALS had strengthened her resolve. Honor was now far stronger than she had been prior to the kidnaping attempt.

  On Tuesday, Honor had been thinking about Trevor the entire day. It was Valentine’s Day, she had been checking her phone for texts or calls every twenty minutes, thinking this might be the day she finally heard from him.

  At 6:30 p.m. her phone finally rang. She looked at the display and answered, “Hello, Daddy,” she said. Her tone obviously reflected disappointment.

  “Try to contain your enthusiasm,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she replied.

  “Still no call, I take it,” he said.

  “No,” she replied.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just called to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she said.

  “Has your brother called you yet?” he asked.

  “No, but I’m sure he will,” came the reply.

  “Where are you?” he asked.

  “Starbucks,” she replied. “I’m having a hot chocolate.”

  “Well, get some rest, sweetheart,” he said.

  “Goodbye, Daddy. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Honor sipped her hot chocolate, and read a book for about twenty minutes. Her phone buzzed again. It was a text, undoubtedly from her brother.

  She looked at the display. It read, Caller Blocked.

  She opened the text. It read, Happy Valentine’s Day my sweet Honor. I’m so sorry I haven’t called. I just got back from my assignment. It went longer than expected.

  It was Trevor. He hadn’t forgotten her. Her face lit up. She couldn’t text back fast enough, I’m so happy to hear from you. I miss you so much.

  I miss you too, he texted back. Do you like flowers?

  Of course I do. Who doesn’t?

  Good, I sent you some. I miss you.

  Her heart began to melt.

  You didn’t have to, she texted. Did they go to my home address?

  No. Look behind you.

  Honor looked behind her and saw a young Starbucks employee with a green apron standing behind her, holding a gorgeous vase filled with red roses – her favorite. The employee was grinning from ear-to-ear.

  “These just arrived for you,” he said, sitting them on her table.

  Honor began to tear up, smelling the beautiful flowers. She wondered how Trevor knew where she was. Then she remembered, her father had asked her where she was. He must have told Trevor but how did he get them here so fast. She texted him, They’re so beautiful. Thank you so much. You must have paid a pretty penny to have them delivered here so fast.

  Actually, I didn’t pay a thing, came the reply.

  I don’t understand, she typed. How did you get them here?

  I brought them myself. Turn around.

  Honor dropped her phone and turned around. Trevor was standing there, as tall and as gorgeous as any man she’d ever seen in her life. He was in his military fatigues, holding his SEAL cap in his hands.

  “Oh god!” she cried as she fell into his arms. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she planted kiss after kiss all over his face.

  The employees and patrons of Starbucks began to applaud. Under normal circumstances, Honor would have been incredibly embarrassed but on this occasion, she barely noticed the cheers and applause. She was only focused on Trevor.

  “I thought you forgot me,” she said.

  “Never,” he replied. “In six months, I’m here for the duration.”

  “You’re retiring,” she asked.

  “I am,” he said. “I want to reopen the lodge, and I want to be near you.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked.

  “I’ve never been more sure,” he said. “I love you. There’s no place I’d rather be and no one I’d rather be with than here and with you.”

  She smiled, “I feel the same. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “What’s next?” she asked.

  “I have dinner reservations for 7:30 at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle,” he said. “Afterwards, I booked a room for the night at the Four Seasons.”

  “Forget Ray’s Boathouse,” she said. “I want to get you naked as soon a
s possible.”

  “Talked me into it,” he said. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  “This time, I’m ready,” she said, smiling broadly.

  EPILOGUE

  Trevor and Wolf turned onto Benson Road in Kent, Washington, a suburb southwest of Seattle.

  “I think it’s two blocks down,” Wolf said, checking the navigation.

  “What time does this place close?” Trevor asked.

  “Five o’clock,” came the reply. “It’s five minutes before five, now.”

  “Perfect.”

  It was Wolf who first saw the sign, Latner and Allen Auto Repairs. The old Dodge Ram pulled into the parking lot, just as they saw the open sign turn to “CLOSED.”

  The two SEALS walked up to the front door, which had not yet been locked for the evening. They opened the door and stepped inside.

  A man in his early thirties approached them as they entered. He was medium height, balding and portly.

  “We’re closed now, boys,” he said. “We reopen at 6:00 a.m. in the morning. We’ll take care of whatever you need then.”

  “We’re not looking for car repairs,” Trevor said. “We’re looking for Christian and Greyson.”

  “I’m Greyson,” he said. “My business partner is Christian. He’s in the back.”

  Trevor nodded at Wolf, who began walking toward the back.

  “You can’t go back there,” Greyson called out.

  Wolf ignored him.

  “What exactly do you boys want?” Greyson asked.

  “We’ll get to that,” Trevor said. “By the way do you carry a radiator fan that might fit a 1985 Dodge Ram.”

  “No,” he said. “For a truck that old, you’d probably have to pick up one of those at a salvage or look online.”

  Trevor grimaced and nodded, “That’s kind of what I thought,” he said in a disappointed tone.

  Wolf reappeared leading another man by the arm.

  “Get your hands off me,” the second man said. “Who the hell are you?”