“Where to, my Fey?” Zack asked.
“Sheridan Circle,” Alex said. “We have a party to get started!”
F
CHAPTER NINE
Monday early morning
October 26 – 3:10 a.m. EDT
Sheridan Circle Mansion, Washington DC
Alex stood with her forehead against John’s chest in the open marble and wood-panel-lined entryway of the mansion. Her left arm was around him while he held her right hand next to his heart. With every breath, she knew she was one breath closer to saying good-bye.
“This time, don’t die,” he whispered in her ear.
She jerked back to look at his face. Their eyes sought each other, and for a moment his cobalt-blue eyes held her brown eyes. She gave a nod in response. His surgeon-trained hand put her hand back on his chest.
“Sir, Miss Emily has asked me to tell you that she, Mr. Cian, Mr. Eoin, and Mistress Amelia are waiting for you in the car,” the Butler said.
They stepped back together. Without ever breaking eye contact with John, Alex said, “Thank you.”
Still holding her hand, he picked up his backpack and walked to the open door. On the stoop, Colin was saying good-bye to his beloved Julie. John flipped around to Alex. Letting go of her hand, he held up his left ring-finger hand. She pressed her left hand into his. While their eyes held, they repeated their vows.
“I love you, John Kelly Drayson, today and every other day for the rest of this life and any other I’m blessed with. Now you.”
“I love you, Alexandra Hargreaves Drayson, today and every other day for the rest of this life and every other I’m blessed with.”
He kissed her hard and ran down the stairs after Julie. Colin, Alex, and Vince waved as the limousine took their families back to their busy lives.
“Nice of Julie to come,” Vince said.
“She saw us get out of the helicopter at the marathon and decided to find out what the hell was going on,” Colin said.
“And?” Alex asked.
“I told her,” Colin said.
“Everything?” Vince asked.
“Everything,” Colin said. “Sobriety, new job, bakery, Special Forces, hostage, trust fund – everything I could think of.”
“Wow,” Vince said. “Feel any better?”
Colin shrugged.
“And?” Alex repeated.
“She said she had to think about it,” Colin said.
“It didn’t seem like you were doing a lot of thinking last night,” Alex smirked. “You retreated to your room and never came out. Didn’t even answer when we knocked to check on you. Raz said he thought you were…”
Alex wiggled her eyebrows to finish the sentence. Blushing to the edge of his white blonde hair, Colin cleared his throat and nodded toward the inside of the mansion. They trudged up the steps.
“She had a lot to tell me,” Colin said. “She was pregnant last spring and lost the baby. We had a tough time having Paddie, so I’m not surprised. And, you’re right Alex; she’s pregnant again.”
“Aren’t you guys divorced?” Matthew asked from the bottom of the stairwell.
“I asked her about that,” Colin said. “Turns out we’re just divorced by man’s law, not by God’s law or that of the Catholic Church. Just because I’m an asshole doesn’t mean she’s going to take on a mortal sin.”
“Catholics,” Matthew shook his head. “Crazy cult.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Vince patted Matthew’s shoulder and went up the stairwell.
“What are you doing awake?” Alex asked Matthew.
“Grace woke up when you guys did,” Matthew said. “I thought I’d skip all the romantic movie good-byes and come down to figure out the schedule.”
Colin touched Alex’s arm and started up the stairwell.
“Zack will be here at 0500 with the whiskey,” Alex said. “Joseph should be here any moment.”
“Leena and Cliff report at 0500,” Matthew said.
“Where’s Joseph been?” Colin asked.
“Denver,” Alex said. “His little Alex had a big Halloween dance at his school. Joseph didn’t want him to have to go alone. He and Nancy were chaperones.”
“Little Alex took his girlfriend?” Matthew asked.
“He did,” she said. “Very big deal.”
“And?” Matthew asked.
“A good time was had by all,” Alex said. “He’ll be here in a bit with photos and details.”
“I’ll tell you, it was great to have Joseph in Denver,” Mathew said. “He was able to coordinate with Leena on nursing homes.”
“Leena will need our help moving her mother this week,” Alex said. “You’ll have to track that.”
“She’s on my list,” Matthew said. “Fey wives?”
“Since Nancy couldn’t make it, Maria, Jennifer, and their kids are here this week to help Troy,” Alex said. “I think Jen and her kids are going back tomorrow. Jen will help Troy get settled in Denver. She’s already talking to schools and therapists. Maria works for Dad. She and their kids are here until we leave. Did you see Jesse Jr. and Luis with Hermes and Hector James?”
“They are very cute,” Matthew said. “His boys are so… Troy.”
“Little charmers,” Alex said. “I think they’ll adjust. But we’ll have to take it slow.”
“And Troy?”
“Light duty,” Alex said. “We won’t know about custody issues until this evening at the earliest. It depends on how fast the criminal investigation is wrapped up.”
“When’s your pick up?” Matthew asked.
“They are sending a car for Zack at 0600,” Alex said. “He’s due at JFCOM for a 0830 meeting. It’s about a two-hour drive. You guys can catch a few more hours of sleep. I need to put a few balls in play before I get dressed.”
“Team breakfast and briefing at 0515,” Matthew said.
“Good thinking,” Alex said. “Now off to bed. We have a lot of plans in motion, but we have no idea what we’re walking into.”
“You’re going to…?” Matthew asked.
“Work,” Alex said. “Raz is with me this morning until we leave. I have a lot of phone calls to make. I’ll need help getting dressed.”
“And Troy’s stuff?” Matthew asked.
“I need to review the reports,” Alex said. “Eoin and Cian think they found something. Raz and Vince aren’t as sure, and Raz is concerned that Troy will be blamed nonetheless.”
“Why?” Matthew asked.
“Not sure,” Alex said. “See you in a few hours. Can you do reveille?”
“0500?” Matthew asked.
Alex nodded.
“Got it,” he started up the stairwell. “See you in a few.”
Alex smiled and went to her work area. Raz was supposed to meet her but she hadn’t seen him that morning. She pushed open the door and stopped short. Like walking into a wall, the wafting odor of fresh ground coffee hit her. She could only revel in the smell. Raz laughed. Opening her eyes, she saw him walking toward her with a cup of coffee.
“Where did you…?” she started.
“They had an extra machine,” Raz said. “They were willing to get up to make it for you, but I thought that was silly.”
“I may as well get as much coffee as I can in me,” Alex said.
“Before the whiskey?” Raz asked.
“Indeed,” Alex said. “You have my costume together?”
“Trece found the shoes last night,” Raz said. “He left them here.”
“Perfect,” Alex said. “What do we have?”
“Troy? Or this stuff?” Raz asked.
“One second.”
Alex held up a finger, closed her eyes, and drained her coffee cup. She felt more than saw him refill it. Without opening her eyes, she drank another cup and sighed. She pressed the warm cup against her heart.
“Ready?” he chuckled.
“Ready,” she said. “Troy, then work.”
“What were Cian, Eoin, and
Jimmy arguing about last night?” Raz asked.
“What did you see?”
“I saw John break them up,” Raz said. “Cian was mad. The second John stepped away, Cian went after Jimmy with fists flying. Eoin held him back. I was just about to get involved when John stepped in again. I saw Jimmy give a real apology, but Cian was angry, angrier than I’ve ever seen him.”
“The IRA is back,” Alex said. “Or so the reports say. There’s talk that the IRA is looking for money. Jimmy’s concerned that Cian and Eoin are funneling money back to Northern Ireland. He’s not the only one. I wouldn’t be surprised if every expat volunteer gets a visit from MI6.”
“Seems like a reasonable question,” Raz said. “Why did that piss Cian off?”
“Oh…” Alex sighed and closed her eyes.
“What?” Raz asked.
“It’s the same old thing,” Alex said. “When they came, Cian and Eoin said all they needed was a chance to have the life they wanted. Cian’s furious that Jimmy doesn’t get that.”
“They’ve worked their asses off,” Raz said. “I didn’t think they’d pull it off.”
“I was skeptical too,” Alex said. “But they’ve done it. They aren’t going to blow it by sending money to the IRA.”
“They’re involved in our other little project,” Raz said.
“Exactly,” Alex said. “They want to help people, not go back to the horror and despair politely called the ‘Troubles.’”
“Seems like something Jimmy would get,” Raz said.
“Jimmy has to be sure. He’s been assigned to secure all the Kellys. He feels like it’s real prejudice. He told John later that he’s concerned for his life.”
“And the life of every Kelly?” Raz asked.
Alex nodded.
“Holy pressure, Batman,” Raz said.
“Batman?” Alex squinted and cocked her head. Raz laughed. “You’ve been spending way too much time with Sami. Why didn’t she come this weekend?”
“Work,” Raz said. “She has to defend the desperate in court today. Plus, Val’s in town.”
Alex nodded. Samantha, her elder sister, was best friend’s with a movie star. The two had been inseparable from the moment they had met at a high school beauty pageant. People who say that gorgeous women can’t be friends have never met Samantha and Val.
“Speaking of which,” Alex said. “Shall we cast aside global politics and love to dive into the intrigue and suspense of intelligence work?”
“Intrigue and suspense?” Raz burst out laughing.
“Computer research and telephone calls sounds so much more boring,” Alex said. “I’m going to…”
She pointed to the coffee pot. He nodded. She filled his cup and made another pot. When she sat down, it was time to work. The next time she looked up, Zack was standing in the doorway in his full dress uniform. He held a bottle of Red Breast Irish Whiskey and two shot glasses.
Time for a different kind of work.
FFF
Monday morning
October 26 – 5:45 a.m. EDT
Sheridan Circle Mansion, Washington DC
“Alex?” Zack held out another shot of whiskey.
Unable to move while Max was tucking her short hair under a nylon wig cap, she held out her hand. Zack put the whiskey in her hand. Max dabbed the whiskey onto the cap.
“Close your eyes,” Trece said.
Alex closed her eyes and he flicked whiskey on her face and put some behind her ears. He set the whiskey down to pick up the bright pink curly nylon wig with straight bangs. Trece dabbed whiskey on the wig. Alex bent over and Max rooted the wig on her head. Margaret appeared with a comb to straighten out her pink bangs which covered half of her eyes. Alex batted inch-long, blue false eyelashes, which matched her cosmetic contact-lens-altered blue eyes.
“Sparkles,” Leena said.
Everyone stepped away and Leena doused her with glitter dust.
“Captain Jakkman?” Leena asked.
Zack hugged Alex and rubbed his face on her neck. While they were hugging, Leena sprinkled glitter dust over them.
“What do you think?” Alex stepped back for the team to take a look.
She flicked her short blue and green pleated schoolgirl shirt to show off the sheer pink thigh-high sheer stockings. She scooched up the pink, padded push-up bra with silicon bra inserts tucked inside to show breast flesh in the neck opening of her white see-through tank top. Trece held out an arm so she could step into five-inch clear plastic heels.
“Can you walk?” Raz asked.
Alex walked to him. The team clapped.
“I don’t think she’s disheveled enough,” Margaret said. “Hookers usually look a little more… used.”
The team turned to look at her.
“What? I used to see them in Farmington,” Margaret said. “They work across from the Walmart.”
“Not unlike JFCOM,” Trece laughed.
The doorbell rang and White Boy went out to greet the driver.
“Dishevel me,” Alex said.
“You too, Captain Jakkman,” Margaret said.
While Zack was being woman handled, Max got his hand wet with whisky and smudged her overdone make-up. Joseph and Colin tugged her here and there. Matthew reached into her bra and shifted her breast so the edge of the nipple showed.
“You must be really good friends,” Leena said.
“Went to SF training together,” Troy said from the doorway. “Confirming that I’m out but available today. The boys and I have to meet with the Social Services this morning and the DA this afternoon.”
“We’ll keep you apprised,” Matthew said.
Nodding, Troy’s entire being seemed to ache to join their action.
“You’re welcome to any resource,” Alex said.
“Thanks,” Troy said. “You look magnificent. I’d take a photo, but you’d probably kill me.”
“Let’s go over this one more time,” Matthew said. “You are breaking into the Joint Forces Command Center.”
“JFCOM,” Alex said.
“The Joint Forces Command is a combatant command center,” Matthew said. “It plays a central role in the US military’s capabilities. All conventional US forces are led through direct contact with JFCOM. The command oversees more than 1.16 million men and women and…”
“Are you reading off the website?” Zack asked.
“He is,” Alex said. “What do we need to know?”
“JFCOM is central to daily operations of the entire US military,” Matthew said. “As such, it is the most heavily guarded of any US installation. There has never been a breach of security there. Not one in its entire history.”
“And?”
“This mission is crazy,” Matthew said. “Absolutely nuts. Even for us.”
“We need to get to the center of the entire military to see if what I think is going on, is going on,” Alex said. “They aren’t going to throw open the doors and say, ‘Come on in and check it out.’”
“How do you know they won’t?” Matthew asked.
“The Admiral already asked,” Alex said.
“If we’re going to do this thing,” Raz looked from Alex to Matthew. “Let’s just get it done.”
“Trece?” Joseph nodded to the big man.
“Two of our team are working the door at JFCOM today,” Trece said. “They give you a thorough going over – body scan and search, x-ray, and hand wand. Before you leave them, make sure you each receive a weapon.”
“You’re trained to automatically check the ammunition,” Joseph said. “Accept the weapon. Do not check it.”
“Do we know how many rounds we’ll get?” Alex asked.
“Six,” Trece said.
“Bullet piercing, government issue, like you’re used to,” Joseph said.
“They will take your cell phones from you,” Raz said. “Complain bitterly. Sergeant Dusty has provided a pocket computer. You will receive that with your weapons. Look for the pocket computer. You h
ave the cord?”
Zack took a battered iPod from his pocket and took out the head phones. He flicked an ear bud off the earphones to show a computer jack.
“They shouldn’t take that from you,” Joseph said. “But you’re going to have to pretend to be listening to music. Did you pick something?”
“Living Colour, ‘Cult of Personality,’” Alex said.
“Our song,” Zack said.
“Your song,” Max said. “Not ours.”
Alex and Max looked at each other and laughed. Raz cleared his throat. As if they were ten years old, they gave him a shameful look and laughed again. He shook his head at them.
“Can we focus on the mission drunk ones?” Raz asked.
They nodded in unison.
“Until you take over, you and Zack are out of pocket,” Raz said.
“We have you on the MI6 x-ray and infrared satellite,” Jimmy said from a computer near the edge of the room. “But we won’t have sound or clear imaging until you’ve acquired the CCTV.”
“We’ll be across the street at the Walmart,” Raz’s eyes spoke his worry. She smiled at her partner. “Vince is already there in the Winnebago monitoring communications.”
“You’ll be on your own from the moment you leave the house,” Joseph said.
“Like Dad’s wilderness training for spies,” Colin said.
“Oh God, I nearly died that weekend,” Zack said.
Alex shook her head at them. The pink wig moved a tiny bit and Max put a hairpin in to secure it.
“Remember,” Matthew said. “You are not wearing body armor. Alex, you’ve worn body armor almost every day for more than a decade. You’ve got to remember you don’t have it on and act accordingly. You too Jakker.”
“Copy that,” Zack said.
“Zack?” Joseph said. “Your cell phone.”
Joseph gave him a Blackberry.
“We tried to mimic your actual phone, so you’d be used to it,” Joseph said. “This phone has a very small explosive device in it. If you need it, it will create a sound for a diversion, but that’s about it. Alex?”
Joseph held out a cheap disposable phone.
“Your hooker phone,” Joseph said. “Both phones will be placed in a cubbyhole near the entrance. We’re planning on getting audio from your phone, Alex. Try not to break it.”
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