by Dirk Patton
“How do you do that to another human being, son? I’ve had murderers and rapists and arsonists and every stripe of despicable human trash walk through my courtroom, and they all had one thing in common. Know what that is?”
“No, sir.”
“No conscience. No moral compass. All that mattered to them was that they got what they wanted. No one and nothing else mattered. It’s called a sociopath.”
He stopped talking and I stared back at him and, for once, I kept my mouth shut.
“I’ve heard the stories about you. What you’ve been through and what you’ve done in service to this country. You obviously have the Admiral’s trust and respect. And when I listen to you speak and evaluate what you say, you’re not one of those people. You care about others, probably more than you care about yourself. So, help me understand how you reconcile the actions I witnessed the other morning.”
I took a breath and opened my mouth to respond, but the Admiral’s door burst open before I could utter a word. Mavis dashed into the room, spotted me immediately and launched herself into my arms. She buried her face in my shoulder and I hugged her tight. Dog, on her heels, rushed over, circled me twice then sat down facing the visitors.
“I’m very sorry, sir,” Martinez said from the open doorway. She looked mortified. “We were waiting for Colonel Chase and I guess she ran out of patience.”
“You okay?” I whispered to Mavis.
I could feel her head bob, but she didn’t speak.
“Thank you, Captain. That’ll be all,” Packard said, dismissing Martinez who closed the door as she backed out.
“You asked me how I can reconcile my actions,” I said, looking at the judge with Mavis in my arms. “This is how. And my pregnant wife. Because of me, they’re targets for the enemy. There’s no mercy in my soul when it comes to someone trying to harm them. So, charge and prosecute me. Lock me up. I don’t care. But it’s going to have to wait until this is over and everyone is safe.”
33
“That went better than expected,” the Admiral said when the Chief of Police and Judge Humphreys had left his office.
“What’s going on?” Mavis asked.
She’d finally stopped strangling me with a hug but refused to allow me to put her down.
“Just working some things out,” I said.
“And did you?”
“For now,” I said, being intentionally vague.
The judge had agreed to quash the warrant for my arrest but had been quick to add that he wasn’t giving me a pass. He was simply taking into account the circumstances that had led to my actions. I was let off with a warning that my past behavior could be considered if I ran afoul of the law in the future.
Turning, I headed for the reception area, intending to pry Mavis off and leave her with Martinez. As I reached for the handle, the door burst open again, slamming into my arm. Captain West hurried into the office, hesitating when he saw her in my arms.
“There’s a call for you, Colonel.”
“Excuse me?” Admiral Packard asked sounding even more surprised than I was.
“Is Rachel okay?” I asked.
“It’s not about her. It’s from...” his eyes slid to Mavis then came back to me. “Major Black’s friend.”
It took a beat for his meaning to register, then the Admiral and I traded stunned looks.
“Okay, honey. I’ve got work to do. You need to go back outside with Martinez.”
Mavis finally let me put her down.
“You mean Jen?”
“Jen? Oh, Jennifer. Yeah. She’s waiting for you.”
“Why do you call her Martinez? Her name’s Jen.”
“I’ll explain it to you,” Martinez said from the open door.
She held her hand out and Mavis took it and left with her. Dog waited a beat, then raced out the door with them. Captain West closed it behind them and came to stand at the Admiral’s desk.
“Viktoriya?” I asked, receiving a nod.
“What the hell does she want?” Packard asked.
“I don’t know, sir. She refused to tell me.”
“Trace the call?” I asked.
“Untraceable, but I’ve still got Chief Simmons working on it,” he said with a shake of his head.
I looked at the Admiral, waiting. After a long hesitation, he nodded his head. Captain West reached out and pressed a series of buttons on the desk phone. I didn’t hear anything, but West motioned for me to proceed.
After saying Hello three times and receiving no response, I was about to question West when Viktoriya spoke.
“How is your daughter, Colonel?”
I stood rooted to the spot, a cold rage passing through me.
“What do you want? Calling to surrender?”
“You should know better,” she said with a dismissive laugh.
“Isn’t this getting old? Don’t you have better things to do?”
“You are a difficult man to control, I will grant you that.”
“What do you want, Viktoriya?”
“To offer a proposal.”
“The only offer I’m interested in is your head on a pike.”
She laughed again before continuing.
“I am assuming that Admiral Packard is listening.”
“I’m here,” he said with a sour expression on his face.
“Excellent! Then here is my proposal. President Barinov. You want him dead and a more moderate leader in place. Is that a correct statement?”
“Continue,” he barked at the phone.
“I have the trust of a significant number of senior officers. They are unwilling to challenge Barinov directly, but if he were to be removed, permanently, they would support my ascension to power.”
“The Colonel has briefed me on your fantasy,” Packard growled. “The enslavement of the American people is not something I will ever agree to.”
“As I explained to Colonel Chase, anyone who is unhappy would be free to leave. No one will be coerced.”
“No matter how you dress it up, it’s still a steaming shit sandwich,” he said.
“But why is it up to you to decide what is best for the American people?” she asked, ignoring his comment. “You were not elected to represent them. You are a military officer. Nothing more.”
“We’re not going to help with your coup. In fact, I’ve already communicated your intentions to President Barinov. You should receive a warm welcome when you return to California. I believe he will be less than tolerant of a traitor in his midst.”
“You would make a terrible poker player, Admiral,” she laughed. “I know you have sent no such message. Nor will you, because I am the only chance there is for your people to survive.”
“To survive as your servants, you mean.”
“Even as we speak, plans are being put into motion to deny access to the mainland. Your military is weak. No longer able to project the power you once could. To attempt to fight your way through to Arizona would be foolhardy at best. The only hope is to work with me.”
“We’ll take our chances,” Admiral Packard said.
“Do your citizens feel the same, Admiral? Are they willing to put their future in your hands when you have not even told them of what is happening to the world?”
“I think we’re done,” he said, reaching for the phone to end the call.
“Perhaps we are, Admiral. Perhaps we are. Very well. I had hoped to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with you. It would have been so much easier on your population. But you are forcing my hand.”
“What does that mean?” Packard growled, a concerned expression creasing his face.
“You will find out soon enough. Good bye, for now.”
There was a soft click and a moment later the speakerphone blared out a dial tone. Captain West pressed a button that silenced it.
“What does she have up her sleeve?” the Admiral asked, looking between me and West. “Colonel, anything else you heard or saw that didn’t seem important at
the time?”
I thought for a few moments, slowly shaking my head.
“No, sir. Nothing I can think of.”
“Does she really expect us to just roll over?” Captain West asked.
“It would seem so. But, just in case, raise the alert level, Captain.”
“Yes, sir,” West said, turning and hurrying out of the office.
“Should have killed the bitch,” the Admiral said when we were alone.
“If it wasn’t for Mavis...”
He nodded understanding and turned to stare out the window.
34
Ten minutes later I was back in the Sea Hawk with Martinez at the controls, headed for the hospital where Rachel had been taken. Admiral Packard had surprised me, not only offering but insisting that he would be happy to have Mavis stay with him. That meant Dog got to stretch out on the Admiral’s sofa and rub as much fur into the weave as possible. In Dog’s case, it’s a lot more than you’d think. You could probably knit a poodle out of what he sheds in any given twenty-four-hour period.
“What was going on in the Admiral’s office?” Martinez asked as she flew.
I spent a few minutes giving her an abbreviated version.
“Should have killed the bitch when you had the chance,” she said.
“The Admiral said the same thing.”
“He’s a wise man.”
“Thought I was supposed to be the crazed, bloodthirsty one.”
“You?” Martinez asked with a laugh. “You’re a pussy cat unless someone doesn’t give you a choice.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Trust me, it was a compliment.”
I nodded my head, then she had to focus on putting us down on the hospital’s helipad.
“Going back to Pearl,” she said before I could remove the headset. “Can’t occupy the pad in case there’s an air ambulance that needs to land. Call me when you’re ready and I’ll come get you.”
“Thanks, Jen,” I said, suppressing a grin.
“Oh, hell no you don’t!”
“What?” I asked innocently.
“Only Mavis gets to call me that. I’m either Captain or Martinez. You pick.”
“Got it. Sorry, Captain Jen,” I said, ripping the headset off and bailing out of the cockpit before she could respond.
I trotted to the door used by the air crews and let myself into the hospital as the Sea Hawk lifted off. There was no doubt in my mind that Martinez would make my life hell the next time I saw her, but I was happy to take anything she could dish out. It was great having her back.
Inside, I entered a triage area which was humming with activity. Hurrying through, I passed into a broad hallway and came to a surprised stop when I saw it packed full of cops. They had all turned in my direction when I emerged, then looked away in disappointment.
“Hey, brah.”
I turned to see the giant Samoan cop from earlier looking at me. Glancing at his uniform I noted his name plate. Tuitama.
“What happened?” I asked quietly.
“Officer got shot.”
“He okay?”
He shrugged his massive shoulders and shook his head.
“Looked real bad, but I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, and meant it. “You guys get the bastard?”
“Was a woman, brah. And nah. She got away.”
“Woman? What’d she look like?”
“Haole bitch. Early 30s. ‘Bout five-eight with long, black hair.”
I frowned. He was describing Viktoriya. Sure, he was also describing a bunch of other women, too, but I don’t like coincidences.
“Where’d it happen?
“Why you asking so many questions?” a new voice interjected.
I turned to see a pair of plain clothed detectives glaring at me and their interest was drawing the attention of all the other cops.
“Your suspect fits the description of a Russian agent that slipped away from me earlier.”
“Russian agent? Who are you? James Bond or something?”
“Hey, brah,” Tuitama said, glaring at the detective and pointing at me. “Major Chase, dude.”
The pair of detectives looked at me for a long moment before one of them nodded his head.
“Fuck James Bond. Am I right?” he grinned.
I nodded then shook his outstretched hand.
“So, where’d this happen?”
“The harbor. Pier 38.”
“Son of a bitch, that’s got to be her! How long ago?”
“About forty-five minutes,” the detective said after checking his watch.
“You guys got the harbor locked down?”
“Tight as a whale’s ass,” the other detective said. “You think it could be this Russian you’re talking about?”
“Description and location fits,” I said, digging my phone out.
I made a quick call to Captain West and relayed the information.
“Might wanna give your guys on the scene a heads up. The Navy’s about to descend on the area.”
The detectives looked at me for a moment, then stepped away as one of them raised a radio to his mouth.
“You get your little girl back?” Tuitama asked.
“Safe and sound.”
“That’s good, brah. That’s good. So what you doin’ here?”
“Wife. She’s pregnant and we had a little scare.”
“Got six kids. She be okay. Women be a hell of a lot tougher ‘an us.”
“Ain’t it the truth. Hope your officer is okay,” I said, extending my hand.
He wrapped his gigantic paw around mine for a second, then I stepped around him to the reception station.
“Rachel Miles,” I said when one of the harried clerks looked at me.
She clacked away on her computer, then shook her head.
“Sorry, no Miles.”
I stared in confusion for a second, then realized my mistake.
“How about Rachel Chase?”
She clicked again, then read the screen.
“Doctor’s with her. You can have a seat over there.”
She pointed at a waiting area that was filled well beyond capacity.
“I’m her husband. I’d like to hear what the doctor has to say.”
“Got ID?”
Not only didn’t I have any ID, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even had a wallet. Maybe when I’d first gotten to Australia, but that had been what seemed a lifetime ago.
“No,” I said. “But if you go ask her...”
“Sorry,” the clerk said, shaking her head. “Can’t go back without ID.”
I looked to my left in surprise when Officer Tuitama suddenly began speaking to the clerk in Samoan or Hawaiian or whatever language it was. They went back and forth for a minute then she looked at me and squinted. He said something else and she flapped her hand at him before scribbling a room number onto a visitor’s badge.
“My cousin,” Tuitama explained, then faded away.
“One-oh-seven. Down that hall, on your left.”
I thanked the clerk, peeled the back off the badge and stuck it to my shirt, then hurried in the direction she pointed. The room was easy to find as one of Chapman’s Marines was standing in front of it. I gave him a nod of gratitude, clapped him on the shoulder as he stepped aside then cracked the door open and poked my head in.
Rachel lay in a bed, wearing a hospital gown and a tall man in scrubs stood at her side. They turned to look at me, then Rachel smiled and held her hand out as I hurried to her.
“My husband,” she said to the doctor.
“Is she okay? The babies?”
“Everything is fine,” he said. “She’s healthy and so are the twins.”
“Then what the hell? Why was she bleeding?”
“John...” Rachel said softly and I took a breath and nodded an apology.
“As I was just telling your wife, she needs to eliminate as much stress from her life as possible.”
&
nbsp; “Stress? That’s it? Sorry, Doc, but with everything we’ve been through, I’d know if stress caused something like this.”
“Was she pregnant then?”
He stood there watching me, waiting for a response. His point was valid and after a long pause I shook my head.
“Okay. Now, as I was saying, eliminate stress.” He looked directly at me as he said the word. “Proper nutrition and supplements. The nurse will give you some pamphlets when you’re released. Also, rest. Plenty of sleep. And follow up with the perinatologist tomorrow.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Rachel said, squeezing my hand hard enough to tell me to shut up.
“Thanks, Doc,” I said.
He nodded and started out of the room. A few steps before reaching the door, he turned back and looked at me.
“Mr. Chase. I have some of the supplements she needs so you don’t have to go searching for them. Everything’s in short supply these days. If you’ll come with me, I’ll get them for you.”
“Be right back,” I said to Rachel, then hurried out the door behind the doctor.
He moved fast, striding down the hall to a locked door. Opening it with a key card, he waved me into an office where he dug through a cabinet until finding a large bottle of pills.
“I wanted to speak with you privately,” he said, handing me the bottle.
That sentence sent a feeling of cold dread through me.
“Is she okay?” I asked, only able to produce a whisper.
“She’s healthy. So are the babies.”
“I don’t understand. If everything’s fine, why is this the second trip to a hospital in just a few days?”
“As I said, stress.”
“Stress.”
He sighed and looked at me like I was a little dim.
“First time dad?”
I nodded.
“The female body is truly amazing when it comes to reproduction. The changes and rigors it can withstand would put one of us mere males into an early grave. And she’s young and healthy and obviously in great physical condition.”
“Okay...”
“But external stress can take a toll on anyone, no matter how strong or resilient they are. Other than the obvious, has your wife been under any undue pressure lately? I asked, and she said things were for the most part, normal.”
