“Nancy’s struggling with who she is, you know, as a woman,” Joseph said. “And the girls are just old enough to feel the pressure of being bikini thin. And Alex . . . Well, he feels even more out of place here.”
Alex nodded.
“Where we’re staying, we have space to be together as a family,” Joseph said. “It’s what we needed most. So, thank you assholes for blowing up my house while my wife is recovering from cancer surgery.”
Alex smiled.
“I heard you beat the sim,” Joseph said.
“It was a team effort,” Alex said. “Not just me.”
Joseph gave Alex a soft smile. He reached over and mussed her hair. She laughed.
“I’ve heard rumors that you’re thinking of leaving the military and taking the team with you,” Joseph said.
Alex turned to look at him. Joseph’s position was to manage the needs and wants of the individual team members. He had an almost eerie knack of keeping his finger on the pulse of what was going on with the team.
“We’ve been offered a position at Zutterberg’s contracting firm,” Alex said. “I haven’t worked out all the details. But they’re offering me ownership, so I’d have control over everything we did.”
Joseph nodded.
“What’s the team saying?” Alex asked.
“Oh,” Joseph said. “No one thinks you’re serious.”
“If I was?” Alex asked.
“Some would retire. I would,” Joseph said. “Some would come with you. Some of the younger people might want reassignment. I don’t think it’s a hundred percent. Everyone has to look at what’s being offered and what works for their family, their career.”
Alex nodded.
“I guess . . .” Joseph shrugged. “Have you ever thought about where you’d like to be in twenty years?”
“Alive?” Alex asked.
“There is that,” Joseph chuckled.
Alex nodded.
“You’ve lived with this threat for a long, long time,” Joseph said. “Sometimes I wonder if your hopes and dreams have been lost to the ever-present need to overcome the next death defying obstacle. I worry that the pressure is molding you into someone you won’t recognize.”
Alex glanced at him and nodded.
“I’ve been pretty off since this thing happened with Ingram,” Alex said.
“Yeah,” Joseph said with a sigh. “Have you ever wondered if he did that to keep you distracted so you won’t know what you know?”
“Troy said something like that to me last night,” Alex said. “It’s why I asked you to come here.”
“To figure out what we know, you and I,” Joseph said.
Alex nodded.
“Any ideas off the top of your head?” Alex asked.
Joseph gave a slow shake of his head.
“I’ve thought about this very topic for . . . years,” Joseph said. “And now, I wonder: Why was I valuable enough not to kill when the team died but so easy to kill now?”
“Did they actually want to kill you — you know, when you were shot in the tunnels,” Alex said. “Or did they kill everyone when they knew you were on leave?”
“Or blow up my house after we’d left,” Joseph said. “It’s the same fucking thing. I manage not to die with our team and then not die now.”
Joseph’s head turned to look at her.
“Makes you look that much dirtier,” Alex said.
“God damn it, Alex!” Joseph started.
“Hey, you don’t have to convince me,” Alex said.
“Maybe that’s what’s missing,” Joseph said. “Maybe you should be wary of me.”
“We’ve been through this a million times,” Alex said. “I still believe that you were left behind as a patsy. When you weren’t charged, they set up the tunnels to kill you when you went to check the vault.”
“But . . .” Joseph started.
“Nothing’s happened to make me change my mind,” Alex said.
Joseph collapsed into himself. Scowling, Alex gave him a slow nod.
“Let’s start here,” Alex said. “The Wakhan Corridor seems to be at the middle of the missing SEALs.”
“The nature reserve Afghanistan?” Joseph asked. “Really?”
Alex nodded.
“Why did we go to the Wakhan Corridor the first time?” Alex asked. “It was long after the Soviets had left, and years before 9/11. We didn’t have an assignment there. Why did we go?”
Joseph glanced at Alex and then turned back to the beach. She watched his face as he was trying to work something out.
“I want to say that I don’t know,” Joseph said. “But I have an idea that I should know.”
“Great fishing in crystal-clean water?” Alex asked.
“Tommy,” Joseph said with a snort. “I just have this feeling that . . . I . . .”
“What if you focus on that feeling?” Alex asked. “Just close your eyes. If something comes to mind, you can say it.”
Joseph did as he was told. He didn’t speak for a few moments.
“There is something,” Joseph said.
He fell silent for a moment and then opened his eyes with a gasp.
“We were trying to figure out why there was a Soviet base there,” Joseph said. “I mean, that’s what we did, so I assume that’s what our assignment was. But I don’t think I ever saw the actual assignment.”
“The buildings were ruins, even when we were there,” Alex said.
“Yeah, but think about it,” Joseph said. “Tajikistan was a part of the Soviet Union. So the borders of the Wakhan Corridor are . . .”
“China, Pakistan, India,” Alex said.
“Yeah, but Pakistan wasn’t what it is today,” Joseph said. “They were no threat to the Soviets. China, either.”
“India, I guess,” Alex said.
“This is an area of Afghanistan that the Taliban won’t enter,” Joseph said. “The borders of Pakistan and Tajikistan are not guarded. They could ship all of their opium through there without any problems. But they don’t even go there.”
“The weather is intense,” Alex said.
“The Allied Forces have never gone into the Wakhan,” Joseph said.
“There also isn’t a great road,” Alex said.
“My point exactly,” Joseph said.
“So why a Soviet base?” Alex asked. “I’ve never thought of it.”
“What I remember is that we were in the area, so we stopped by,” Joseph said. “We spend a few days at the old fort looking around and meeting the Kyrgyz. Looking back, I think Charlie was trying to figure out why the base was located there.”
“And?” Alex asked.
“Right,” Joseph said. “You, Jesse, and Jax spent your time there inoculating kids and helping pregnant women.”
“Making connections,” Alex said. “One of those babies just found one of our missing SEAL platoons.”
“Exactly,” Joseph said. “But friend-making was not our assignment.”
“It should have been,” Alex said. “And the way people are rotated in and out of Afghanistan now! No one’s even there a year! You can’t form the long-term connections that give good intel. Most of the intel that comes out of there is completely crap. Charlie gave us time to really get to know people — all over the world. That’s why we were so effective.”
Alex’s eyes flicked to Joseph’s face. He gave her a soft smile. It was a familiar rant. Alex gave him a sheepish grin.
“Sorry,” Alex said. “Did you find out why the Soviets were there?”
“No one seemed to know,” Joseph said. “But that’s true with a lot of things in the Wakhan. There’s evidence of all kinds of activity, but . . .”
Joseph shrugged. Alex scowled.
“From the Silk Trail?” Alex asked.
“Quite possibly,” Joseph said. “There used to be a lot of people through there in the summer.”
Alex nodded. Remembering another time, they watched the beach and the night for a while.
“Do you remember that thing that Nathan found?” Joseph asked.
“Thing?” Alex asked with a shake of her head.
“It was like a tiny key,” Joseph said. “Definitely a woman’s. Beautiful in its own weird way. The chain was broken. I know Nathan showed it to you because it had a tiny bee stamped on its side.”
“What?” Alex asked. She sat up straight and turned to look at him. “Are you joking?”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Joking?” Joseph asked. He was so surprised that he sat up straight.
“Did you hear what the little guy I was just talking to said?” Alex asked.
“No, I was in here talking to Raz,” Joseph said. His voice was rising with intensity. “You can ask him. He brought me up here and then went to get you. And before you ask, I’ve never seen that man before in my life.”
Alex shook her head at him.
“Why?” Joseph said.
“He told me that the ugly bee has a compartment inside it,” Alex said. “He said the key was stolen from the crypt of Saint Josef the New of Partos.”
“Key?” Joseph raised his shoulder in a shrug and shook his head. “What key?”
“You were just talking about a key that Nathan found!” Alex said.
Joseph didn’t say anything for a moment. His teeth raked his lips for a few minutes.
“Nathan is Ingram’s older brother by upbringing,” Joseph said in a low tone.
“Any ideas where the key is?” Alex asked.
“I remember him giving it to you,” Joseph said.
“What?”
Alex hopped out of her seat. She paced back and forth for a few minutes before sitting down again.
“What?” Alex asked again.
“Do you remember the key?” Joseph asked.
“I do remember he gave me something,” Alex said with a shrug. “He was always finding things where no one would expect them.”
“Picking masterpieces out of garbage heaps,” Joseph said.
“He was amazing and generous,” Alex said. “He gave me a lot of weird and beautiful things.”
“Do you think you still have the key?” Joseph asked.
“No idea. If I do, where is it?” Alex asked. “Thrown away by mistake? My jewelry box? Gave it to John?”
Alex shrugged and shook her head. She got up to pace. He watched her go from side to side of the secure balcony. After a few minutes, she sat down.
“Okay, let’s pretend that I’m your little brother,” Alex said. “You’ve gone on this mission to this incredible place. Beautiful, harsh, amazing. You’ve helped with births and talked to some of the nicest people in the world. You find some weird thing and give it to a teammate.”
Joseph nodded.
“You have no real idea why we’re on this mission,” Alex said. “It was not classified or anything. It’s a rare chance to share your life with the kid.”
“I’d tell him all about it,” Joseph said.
Alex nodded.
“Ingram is looking for the library,” Alex said. “He probably thinks this is the key to it.”
“He certainly might think that you are the key,” Joseph said.
“I am the key?” Alex asked. “Or I have the key?”
“Either,” Joseph shrugged. “Both.”
“Wow,” Alex said.
She crossed her legs and her elbows and leaned forward over her sore stomach.
“You think that’s why they destroyed my house?” Joseph asked.
“I think it’s possible,” Alex said. “Keep you distracted enough for us not to put this together.”
Joseph nodded.
“And, you’re right,” Alex said. “We didn’t go on a lot of unclassified trips. But we did go on a few. I wonder what would happen if we make a list of them and see what Nathan might have told Ingram.”
“I’ll do it,” Joseph said, seeming relieved to have something concrete to do.
“You think they know about the bee?” Alex asked. She leaned forward.
“No way to know,” Joseph said with a shake of his head.
Alex nodded.
“I think I need to go home,” Alex said. “Check the bee. Look for the key. Oh.”
Alex’s face went blank. She stared off for a moment.
“What is it?” Joseph asked.
“They blew up my house,” Alex said. “They could have stolen the key in the recovery or it’s blown up. I just . . . Do you think they blew up my house to get the key?”
Joseph shook his head. Alex looked a little lost and overwhelmed.
“How’s the translating going?” Joseph said, hoping to steer the conversation back to solid ground.
“Ji and his mom have translated every word into English,” Alex said. “It just still doesn’t make any sense. Of course. Just another mystery inside of another mystery.”
Alex blew out a breath and sat back.
“I think we’re missing the key to what puts it all together,” Alex said. “But hey, maybe it’s inside the bee.”
Surprised, Alex gasped. Her hand went over her mouth.
“Remember when we went to Ai-Khanoum?” Alex asked.
“Ai-Khanoum?” Joseph asked. “What’s an Ai-Khanoum?”
“Russian-Afghanistan border,” Alex asked. “Now the Afghan-Tajik border.”
“Wasn’t there an Indian Air Base a few miles from there?” Joseph asked.
“At Farkhor,” Alex said. “That’s right.”
“We went to some ancient city on a river there,” Joseph said. “I brought back an old coin for Alex.”
“We all did,” Alex said. “They were just lying around.”
“Wait,” Joseph said. “Raz just told me . . .”
“That’s exactly right,” Alex said. “We just picked up a platoon of SEALs at the now-deserted base in Farkhor.”
“What does that mean?” Joseph asked.
“I think I know where the last platoon was sent,” Alex said.
“Where?” Joseph asked.
“Joey and Máire’s valley,” Alex said. “Remember there was an old church there? We ruled it out as the site of the library because it doesn’t match the maps. I haven’t had a chance to check it out.”
“Farooq and Felicia’s beautiful wedding would have been a great story to tell your younger brother,” Joseph said. “But wouldn’t Felicia call?”
“Not necessarily,” Alex said. “She usually goes home to Chicago this time of year and takes her girls with her. She might not know they are there.”
Joseph was quiet for a moment before he looked at her.
“Sounds like we need to go to Afghanistan,” Joseph said.
“Probably,” Alex said. “Denver, too. But . . .”
“What?” Joseph asked.
“I’m grounded by General Fonti,” Alex said. “I’m to take the rear. Get out of the field, off the battlefield.”
“We couldn’t go ourselves?” Joseph asked. “How is that possible? We can’t really give this to someone else.”
“Exactly,” Alex nodded.
Alex gave him an idle nod.
“I’ll tell you this,” Alex said. “If a platoon of SEALs showed up in that valley, they would be detained by the tribe out of hand. Our agreement with the Taliban was that the valley would remain neutral — no opium, no American military. I can visit only as a member of the tribe, not as military.”
“The SEALs are being held in your valley by your children’s tribesmen,” Joseph said.
After a moment, he began to snicker.
“I can just see that shit Ingram’s face when he finds out,” Joseph said.
Alex smiled while he laughed.
“Do you want to stay with us tonight?” Alex asked. “The kids would love to see you.”
“I should head back,” Joseph said. “Our kids are overwhelming for Nancy now. She needs my help.”
Alex nodded and stood up.
“It is beautiful here,” Alex said mild
ly.
“I want to go home, too,” Joseph said. “What’s the word on The Factory?”
“The rehab continues,” Alex said.
“Would you sell that to Zutterberg’s company?” Joseph asked. “It’s being rehabbed with US military money and designed by the Army Corps of Engineers.”
Alex bit the inside of her lip and shook her head.
“I haven’t figured it out,” Alex said. “Every time I think I’ve made a decision, something happens, and I change my mind.”
Joseph squinted at her.
“You’re really lost,” Joseph said, almost to himself.
“I . . .” Alex said. She looked at him for a long moment. “I grew up thinking that life went like this — you start here, work hard, advance, work hard, advance some more, work hard, continue to advance.”
Using her hands, Alex marked her way up a ladder with each situation.
“Sure you can quit at any time, but I honestly believed that life was additive,” Alex said. Using her hand again, she marked her next steps. “Go to Basic. Get assigned. Get your Airborne. Get your Beret. Get on a team. Work hard. Get promoted.”
“Sure, I could get off at any time,” Alex said. “But it would work the same way. I’d meet a great guy. We’d fall in love. We’d have our first child, and then a few more. I’d work intelligence or maybe run for office or simply hang out with the kids. Every choice, like every action, had a logical, natural, knowable outcome. Then . . .”
Alex’s face was so pinched with pain that Joseph put his hand on her knee.
“Everyone died,” Alex said in a soft voice. “And natural, logical of my life went out the window completely. Cause and effect? Not for me.”
Alex blinked back angry tears.
“No matter how hard I work, no matter what miracles I pull off, I just get knocked over,” Alex said. “If it wasn’t for Max and John, and now the kids, I . . . and still sometimes I wish . . . Paris vault . . . You know?”
Alex nodded as if her sentence made sense. She saw tears streaming down Joseph’s face. He simply nodded.
“Me, too,” Joseph said.
“My fucking mother thinks I’m autistic,” Alex said. “How can I tell Princess Rebecca that I’m not autistic — I’m mind bogglingly terrified. I have zero idea what is going to happen next and absolutely no idea why any of this shit is happening! Every time I think I’m close . . . some crap happens, and the thread is lost.”
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