The War Planners

by Andrew Watts

  She felt sick. The look on his face—it was as if he felt nothing in asking her this. What kind of man could ask this? She threw out the thought as quickly as it entered her mind. He had given her a second chance in life. Her family was proud of her for serving her country. She would never see them again, but she had retained her honor.

  He continued, “Make it look like an accident. This will ensure that you aren’t questioned. Play the part of the devastated girlfriend. You will graduate from college in a few months. Begin to cut ties with any other friends you had while here. We’ll set you up with your next job. I have big things planned Lena. And I want you to be a part of those plans.”

  She thought of last night. Of skin on skin. Of the way he had made her feel. But it wasn’t who she was. She must remember that. Love and lust were fleeting. Duty and honor were immortal. She breathed in deeply, and then let out a slow release of air through her nose. Lena forced all of her emotion out of her body.

  She looked back at the man sitting across from her. His single-breasted suit was exquisite. Gold cufflinks and an expensive watch. He spent his time in boardrooms and private jets. His connection to this part of her nation’s government was a mystery to her. But she knew of his loyalty to those he took under his wing...and of his brutal reputation to those that crossed him. This wasn’t a choice. It was a hurdle. Like so many she had jumped.

  Lena looked to ensure the barkeep was out of earshot and whispered, “Of course, sir. I will do this without hesitation. I will prove to you my loyalty to my country. My loyalty to China.”

  *****

  Present Day

  David’s internal clock was all messed up. His nap earlier hadn’t helped. He tried to sleep but couldn’t. He checked his watch. It was almost 1 a.m. A cool sea breeze drifted in from the screened window. A bright half-moon lit up the sliver of sea that was visible from his room. The thunderstorms had passed. He had too much energy to sleep. Screw it. He was going to take a walk outside.

  He threw on his clothes and sneakers and headed down the concrete stairs and outside the barracks. Outside he could hear loud bird songs coming from the jungle-covered mountain. A few large moths fluttered around the light positioned above the barracks door.

  David walked along the sandy path towards the beach. He had nothing better to do. Why not? The runway was in between the shore and where he was now. It was a beautiful night. He loved the way the air looked and felt so clear after a storm came through. It was like they sucked up all of the haze and humidity and left nothing but pure crisp air behind.

  David walked past the communications building and heard a rumble in the distance. At first he thought it was the buzzing of an air conditioning unit or some generator attached to one of the buildings. Then the rumble grew into a reverberation. He recognized that noise. The reverberations got louder and changed pitch. A helicopter. And it was getting closer by the sound of it. Why would it be coming here in the middle of the night? An uneasy feeling grew inside him.

  David stood on the gravel path and tried to look into the black sky above the ocean for any sign of an aircraft. Nothing. It was like looking into a black hole.

  A set of dim blue lights flickered on at the end of the runway. He could just barely see them, but it was enough for him to notice. Had someone turned them on for the helicopter to land? David heard a door open directly behind him, coming from the communications building.

  He hid. He didn’t know why he was doing it, but every instinct in his body pushed him behind a group of tall palms and bushes. He then spread himself flat on the ground and held his breath. The moon was out, but he was in the shadows.

  The sounds of the rotors grew and David finally spotted the helo as it passed in front of the moon. Its lights were off. Usually helicopters only did that when they didn't want to be seen. It was probably military.

  David didn’t even hear her. Lena walked right by him, only a few feet in front of his hiding spot. She was alone, wearing some sort of helmet with a clear visor over her face, and walking straight toward the runway. A moment later the helicopter touched down, blowing sand and small shells into the air with its rotor wash. Someone from the helicopter ran out to Lena and then followed her back into the communications building.

  They emerged only seconds later, carrying a large man slouched over their shoulders. It looked like the man was completely limp; either unconscious or worse. If David could have pressed himself completely underground, he would have. Something felt terribly off about this. It was hard for David to see clearly in the darkness. The sound of the rotors made it impossible to hear much more. He held his breath and lay completely still as they passed the bush.

  Then he saw the limp man’s face in the moonlight. It was Bill. They were dragging Bill to the helicopter. Holy shit. Was he alive?

  Lena and the man from the helicopter slowly carried Bill under the spinning rotors and into the cabin of the aircraft. She then left the helicopter and walked back up toward David. His blood chilled. It looked like she was heading right toward his bush. Each step took her closer and closer. The sound of the helicopter was still loud. If he yelled, no one in the building would hear him.

  Just as David thought that Lena had spotted him, she stopped and turned toward the runway. The helicopter lifted off and dipped its nose, accelerating and climbing into the night. David could just barely make out the outline of the aircraft, but he was pretty sure that it wasn’t a Seahawk, like the one his sister in the Navy flew. This helicopter looked different. It was smaller and had an enclosed tail. Like the Maryland state police helicopters that he saw around D.C. Or maybe a Coast Guard helicopter. Could that be a Coast Guard helo? No way. Not this far from home. So who was it? And what the hell was Lena doing dropping off an unconscious Bill into the back seat?

  With the helicopter out of sight, Lena walked back towards the communications building. David couldn’t see the entrance from his hiding spot, but he lay in the bushes for a full ten minutes to be sure she was inside.

  What did this mean? What was going on? Had Bill gone to her and tried to get off the island? Was this their way of moving him? Did they kill him? David was less sure of who he could trust now than at any time since his kidnapping. He definitely could not trust Lena. Was this Red Cell even legit? Should he try to get off the island or get word out somehow? He had no idea how he could do that.

  David finally got up and quickly dusted some of the sand off his clothes. He walked as quietly as he could back to the hotel, looking at the communications building as he went by to make sure Lena didn’t pop out. There were no windows that he could see through, but there were glass slits at the top of the building that were emanating light.

  He arrived at the barracks building and opened the door as slow as possible. He did not want to be seen.

  He heard the crunch of someone walking on the gravel coming from the path behind him.

  David’s heart raced as he slipped inside and closed the door. He didn’t know if he had been spotted, but it sounded like someone was following him. He tiptoed up the stairs onto the second floor. Coverless halogen bulbs lit the hallway. The brightness ruined his night vision and forced him to squint. He fumbled for his room key as he got to his door.

  Footsteps echoed from the concrete stairway David had just walked up. He was almost inside.

  “Hello David.” Lena said. She walked towards him.

  There was nothing he could do about the look on his face. That look of instant shock and fear at seeing the one person he hoped not to. He then gave the best impersonation of nonchalance he could muster.

  “Hello. What are you doing up here?” He didn’t know what else to say.

  She was all business. “I would ask you the same thing, David. Why are you up so late outside your room? Were you outside?”

  “Um, yes. I thought I heard…a helicopter.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yeah. It woke me up. I just went to the door on the ground floor to see if I could see it.�
��

  “And did you? See it?”

  “Nah. It was too dark. Do you know what it was doing here? The helicopter?” His fingers hovered around the metal door handle.

  “Did you go outside?”

  “No. I just looked from the door. Why? Is that Okay? I don’t want to break any rules.”

  She cocked her head and said, “The helicopter was taking Bill back to his family. His wife is sick. He wanted to get home and see her. I helped him to do so. The helicopter was the best way. I can’t say more. Security. You understand.”

  “Oh, sure. Sorry. Well that’s great that you were able to help him. I’m feeling pretty tired. I should get to bed. This jet lag is playing havoc with my circadian rhythm. Thanks Lena. See you tomorrow.”

  Lena took a step toward him and he instinctively cringed.

  She said, “David, it looks like your outfit may have gotten a bit sandy. Better brush off.” She swiped particles of dark island sand off his shirt. He was covered in a thin layer of the stuff from lying on the ground outside. Her face was inches away, and her emotionless eyes peered into his own. He felt his palms sweating. In another place and time, it may have been a come-on. But here, it was chilling.

  He whispered, “Thanks. Goodnight.”

  With that, he turned back inside his room and shut the door behind him. He stood on the other side of the door sweating, and listening for her footsteps. He heard nothing. Was she just standing there too, listening for his movements? If he stayed still that would be suspicious. He winced as he locked his door, about thirty seconds later than seemed appropriate. A deadbolt never sounded so loud. He then turned out his lights and got into bed. He could hear noises coming from outside for the next few minutes. It sounded like Lena was going into Bill’s room and rummaging around. Probably packing up his things. A few minutes after that, there was silence.

  His thoughts drifted back to his family. Two days earlier David had been wrecked with fear, captive in a car trunk, his future safety unknown. His prison had expanded to an island, but David once again was a captive.

  There was no way he would get any real sleep tonight. He wasn’t sure what tomorrow would bring. Were they prisoners here? Who could he trust? Had Lena killed Bill? Even if he wasn’t dead, was Bill removed unconscious just for asking to leave? Was secrecy so important that the CIA would imprison them all? A worse thought: was Lena even CIA? He never saw the face of the man that helped her carry Bill. He was concealed by his helmet and mask. But that helicopter didn’t look like any he had seen in the Navy. Was she even American? David was only certain about one thing: He must figure out how to get off this island alive.

  **********

  A Note from Andrew Watts:

  I hope that you have enjoyed The War Planners. If you would like to find out what happens with David, Lena, and “the War”, please sign up for the reader list at andrewwattsauthor.com. No spam, just an email when the sequel launches.

  And if you have time, I would greatly appreciate a review on Amazon!

  About the Author:

  Andrew Watts spent ten years as an officer and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. During that time, he flew missions chasing drug smugglers in the Eastern Pacific and disrupting pirate attacks off the coast of Africa. He was a flight instructor in Pensacola, Florida, and helped run ship and flight operations on a nuclear aircraft carrier while deployed to the Middle East.

  Today, he lives with his family in Ohio.

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  Acknowledgements:

  To Jimmy Buffett: Thanks for helping me to meet my wife.

  To Becca North: Thanks for your push to get me started.

  To my wife & family: Thanks for everything.