Ron and Chris exchanged glances and stepped in behind the Captain while the two MP's waited for them to pass before they followed behind them.
“Uh, sir, we're not in any trouble, are we?” Chris asked.
“I don't think so.”
The two men exchanged glances again. Chris opened his mouth as if he was going to ask another question until he saw Ron slowly shake his head sideways.
Upon entering General Bowman's office, they were immediately shown to a large oak desk with three empty leather chairs around it. “Go ahead and take your seats, gentlemen. The General will be with you in a moment.”
“You don't look so good, Hawk.”
“I'm tired…and weak. I let my guard down twice over there and nearly got killed.”
Before Chris could say anything, Major General John Bowman walked in, prompting Ron and Chris to scramble to their feet. “Sit down, gentlemen,” he barked with a smile. “Good to see you again.” General Bowman extended his hand to both men, who had remained standing until he sat down first.
“Well, how are you two doing?'
“Fine, sir.” Chris answered quickly.
“I've been better, sir.” Ron managed.
“Yes, I've read the report from Colonel Carter. “You have been through quite a bit, Master Sergeant Hawkins. Why not tell me what happened, starting with day one.”
Ron thought back and began talking about the planning brief with the CIA field agent, Brad Davis. He explained to General Bowman how he would travel with another field agent, Lyna, posing as his wife to pick up Sheik Abdullah's daughter, Mariam. “We arrived that evening and waited 'til morning. That's when all hell broke loose.”
It was silent for a moment as General Bowman began reading the file in front of him. “Go on.”
Ron told him how the events unfolded from there up to the point of the sniper taking out “Blackbeard.”
“You have no idea who pulled the trigger?”
“No sir. By the time I reached the berm where the shots came from, it was abandoned. I saw a helicopter in the distance but could not tell what it was. It was heading in the opposite direction.”
Silence again. Ron and Chris exchanged glances. General Bowman was intently looking over stacks of reports, deliberately selecting certain documents while leaving others in a pile. Carter put that much together in such a short time? He thought.
“Sir, I might add, for what it's worth, the bird looked like a Russian Ka-50, Black Shark.”
The general looked up slowly and set the documents down, ignoring Ron's last remark.
“What I'm about to tell the two of you does not leave this room, is that understood?”
“Yes sir!” both answered readily at the same time.
“Good. I am going to tell you both because of your contribution to the team over the years, your devoted loyalty, which has been vital, and because how it concerned you directly. Besides, we go back a ways with some solid history, all of us.” The general paused to look at them.
“Yes sir, we do.” Ron answered.
“Hawk, what if I was to tell you Lyna is not who she says she is?”
“What-what do you mean, sir?”
“I mean your so-called wife works for the French DGSE - General Directorate for External Security. She's one of their top agents, who happened to be on loan to the CIA.”
The two senior NCO's looked at Bowman incredulously. “WHAT?”
Her real name is Chloé Dubois. Her father is French, her mother Jordanian.”
Ron and Chris were visibly stunned. They looked at each other, eyes and mouths wide open. Ron did not know what to say.
“She was part of an elaborate plot, one of which did not fully include Brad Davis.”
“Ah, excuse me sir,” Chris interrupted, “but your implying he knew nothing of what went down in Fallujah and his mission?”
“To a point. He believed, like you, there would be a successful pick up of Miriam and another package. And yes, by the way, he was called to Kobani leaving him a bit dismayed as to why he had to exit before the Fallujah pick-up was complete. In fact, he was instructed not to inform you of his departure.
Chris looked over at Ron. “I guess we were wrong about him.”
“Even within our own agencies, there is a faction leaning towards the Saudi-led Sunnis and another buddying up to the Iranian led Shi'a elements.”
“Sir,” Ron inserted, “clearly there was a set-up of some sort. Are you saying Lyna, uh, Chloé was behind it?”
“Partially, yes. However, the plan did not unfold the way they envisioned.”
“They?”
“The French and an element of the CIA.”
“GEEZ!” Ron exclaimed in shock.
“Several factors unfolded in Fallujah, which led to your near fiasco.
“Well sir, I'd love to hear about it! Clearly, I believe God must have intervened.”
LTG Bowman chuckled. “Probably so. Based on what I was able to ascertain from all my sources, here's how it went down.”
Ron and Chris leaned forward to listen intently.
“Try to withhold your questions until the end, gentlemen.”
“Yes sir.”
“Hawk, this is going to sound crazy because it did to us, something we would never have approved up, but, you were being used as bait in the hope to lure Abu Waheeb, the leader of ISIS in Fallujah to an isolated spot for capture. Sheik Abdulla would convince Waheeb to come with him and members of his tribe to pick up a captured American Special Forces soldier. Once they arrived to the rendezvous point, they would turn Waheeb over to you and Lyna, thinking she was with the CIA.”
“Unbelievable!”
“Unfortunately, an informant within Abdulla's tribe tipped off Waheeb, which explains the ISIS force arriving ahead of Abdulla's men.”
“This-this story about Mariam…”
“Oh, it's legit. The Sheik still wanted his daughter out of Fallujah. He sees a lot of trouble for his tribe's alliance with ISIS, one that would eventually lead to a major confrontation.”
“And Chloé?”
“She knew there was trouble the moment ISIS showed up in the trucks and there was no sign of Abdulla's people.”
“That would explain her tight grip.”
“What's that?”
“Oh, nothing sir. I could tell she was afraid.”
“Maybe not as much as she let on. She had backup, on the eastern berm. Snipers.”
“More than one?”
“Possibly. We believe they were Canadians from the 427 SOAS.”
“The guys who picked you up.” Chris interrupted.
“They are part of a joint task force with the French. Chloé had them set up at the berm before the two of you arrived. She made sure you arrived at dusk and not earlier in the day. If anything would go wrong, which it did, they were to take out the threat.”
“They were a bit slow, I would think. Things got quite harry.”
“Probably waiting for a clear shot.”
“What happens to Lyna, I mean Chloé, now?”
“You won't have to worry about her, Hawk.” General Bowman looked at his watch. “In fact, she's already being flown out, heading back to France, I would imagine. The CIA wanted to debrief her but there was a French diplomat waiting at Carter's office to take her away.”
“What about Mariam?”
“She's okay. Wanted to go with Chloé, but she had a long conversation with Mariam in Arabic until she settled down.”
“And the CIA; Davis?”
“They maintain knowledge of the trade only, nothing about capturing Waheeb. He was a French target. Chloé convinced Brad to begin the mission immediately after your arrival. He wanted to wait a few days but she knew we would have aborted the mission had we found out about Waheeb as a target. She pre-empted any change in plans by moving forward the day of your arrival. Once we heard you were back in Kirkuk, we sent orders for your whole team to return immediately.”
“Sir,
all this stuff about 'Chloé,' how did all this fit with John Banks?” Chris asked.
“Well, I'll say this. After finding out who 'Lyna' really was, we did some digging. Turns out, he did not recruit her in '06, rather, she recruited him.”
“And ruined a man's reputation along with a marriage in the process.” Chris answered.
Ron deliberately cleared his throat with force. “Anything else sir?”
“No, not for you, Master Sergeant Short.” General Bowman answered looking directly at Chris. Thank you for your time.”
Both men were getting up from their chair when General Bowman continued. “Hawk. I need to speak to you a moment.” Ron and Chris exchanged uneasy glances. “Wait downstairs a moment. We won't be long.”
“Yes sir!”
Ron looked worried as the General sat down. “Hawk, I want you to be candid with me.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Did anything go on between you and Chloé?”
Ron felt uneasy and showed it by squirming a little. “Not really sir. I mean, she came on to me and if it were not for Chris, I might have-I might have, I don't know, sir. I might have done something I would have regretted the rest of my life.”
“But you didn't.”
“That's correct, sir. I did not!”
“Then, you should have nothing to worry about.”
“But sir, I –I let my guard down. I was weak. I mean, just the thought…I—I”
“That's enough, Hawk. I want you to forget this ever happened.”
“But sir-“
“That's an order. No more said of this girl, Chloé, Lyna, or whatever she'll call herself, understand?”
Ron mumbled, “Yes sir.”
“No, Hawk! I want you to really understand what I am about to say. This is a security matter as well as a personal one. She does not exist. You two never met. Got that?”
Ron answered with more clarity, “Yes sir, I do!”
“Good, I want you to have this.” General Bowman handed Ron an envelope.
“What is it sir?”
“You'll see when you open it before you get home. I will say, congratulations, Sergeant Major Hawkins! You have served our nation well and deserve this promotion!”
General Bowman stood up, saluted Ron and extended his hand.
Ron stood with him, returned the salute and pumped the General's hand vigorously. “Thank you very much, sir!”
“Now, you and Chris get back to Colonel Carter. He's waiting for both of you with further instructions.”
“Yes sir.”
Ron bolted down the stairs and nearly ran over Chris outside the doorway.
“Well, you look happy. After all that?”
“My transfer was approved and—and, I was promoted to a Sergeant Major position! January 15, 2015!”
Chris exchanged a hearty good laugh. “Well I'll be…congratulations, Hawk! You deserve it!”
“Don't worry buddy, you're right behind me.”
“Next year, maybe.”
“Maybe? When did…”
“Hey! This is your day! Let's get back to the Colonel and see what he wants from us. Maybe he'll let us go home.”
“I sure hope so. I am sooo ready!
“You and me both, brother. You and me both.”
Colonel Carter spoke with them briefly at the HQ building and then released them for the weekend. “I'll see you Monday.”
“Sir?”
“Yes, what is it, Hawk?”
“What about Miriam?”
“Oh yes. She is with some of the 636th MI folks getting a debriefing. Do not worry though. Major Sheila Williams is taking good care of her.”
“But sir, I promised her parents I would take good care of her and keep her with us.”
“And so you will. This is still the plan, Hawk. But you need to go home tonight, talk it over with Sarah first since you have not been able to reveal your reasons for going there in the first place, which by the way, is still the official legit reason, no matter what happened.”
“Understand sir. Won't she…”
“She'll be alright, Hawk, trust me. Go home, talk it over with your family and we will see you Monday. The way I know them, I don't believe you'll have any trouble convincing them.”
“You're right, sir. See you Monday.”
16
Sarah Hawkins and Carol Short took a few minutes to sit down over some tea while the homemade pizza baked in the oven. The four boys occupied the den, busy with the X-box game, “Call of Duty.” Asha, content to hang out quietly in her room, had decided to paint her toenails and were letting them dry while flipping through the channels, stopping at America's funniest video's briefly, before finding something of interest on the Discovery channel.
“It's been a week and still no word from Ron.” Sarah stated worriedly.
“I'm sure they have their hands full with the mission and may not be able to communicate, you know how it is. I haven't heard from Chris either.”
“I know. I am just worried for some reason though. The other night I had a terrible dream about Ron. He was—well—he was…”
“Don't think about it. I am sure he is fine. You would have heard something if it wasn't.”
Sarah shared the story about Asha, Caleb, and Seth's confrontation with some of the high school kids in the neighborhood.
“What? That's insane. A third grader, fifth grader, and seventh grader, take on six high schoolers and whip their butt?” Carole laughed. “Somehow, I can see it, no; I wish I actually would have seen it.”
Sarah giggled. “I wish I did too, really. But I'll never say it to them.”
“And though she be little, she is fierce.”
“What?”
“Shakespeare. You never heard the quote before?”
“I don't think so.”
“It's from 'A midsummer night's dream.' He must have had Asha in mind.”
Sarah's mobile phone started playing, “Lady” by Styx, the song programmed for Ron's incoming calls. Jumping out of her chair, she scrambled to reach the source of music. “Ron?”
“Hey baby, it's me!”
“Oh Ron! I am so happy to hear you! Where are you? Are you okay?”
“Whoa, princess, I'm fine. I love you!”
“I love you too, darling. Where are you? Can you say?” Sarah heard Carol's phone ring in the background while she was talking.
“Chris! Hey, honey! I'm at the Hawkins, why?”
Both women held their phones away from their ears simultaneously when a cackling static screeched emitted from the speakers. Farsi jumped up from the floor and bounded passed Sarah for the front door barking. Asha who was nearly flying down the stairs followed him. “Daddy's truck is in the driveway!”
Sarah and Carol exchanged a quick glance and raced to the door right behind Asha, who was opening the door. Beneath the front porch light stood Ron Hawkins and Chris Short, smiling from ear-to-ear. “DADDY!” Asha leaped into his outstretched arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Chris? O' my God, Chris!” Carol threw herself into the arms of her husband.
Sarah rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Ron and Asha who was still holding on to him. “Oh, Ron!”
While Farsi was trying to jockey for attention, Seth came bounding out the door with Caleb, Christian, and Robert in tow, each heading for their fathers.
“Ron, I'm so happy you're home.”
“That makes two of us princess. Hey, what do you all say we go inside and eat? I smell something good.”
“Oh, the pizzas!” Sarah ran back inside towards the oven. Carole followed her.
Farsi finally got some pets from Ron as everyone shuffled through the door. “Good to see you too, boy.”
“Dad, why are you back so soon?” Christian finally asked.
“Long story, son, but we are finished over there.”
“Really, you don't have to go back again?”
“Not anytime soon. But, Uncle Ron has a
big announcement to make!”
“What announcement, dad? Asha asked.
“I'll tell everyone after we eat.”
“Aw. Come on. Why can't you tell us now?” Seth responded.
“I will, just hang on. Uncle Chris and I are going to get cleaned up a bit first.”
“But the pizza is ready, darling.”
“I say we eat first.” Chris said.
“Yeah, let's eat first.” Caleb added.
“Alright, princess, do you have enough since we came home unannounced?”
“Plenty. I tripled the recipe.”
“Mom, can Robert and I eat in the den?” Seth asked.
“Sure, why don't we all go there and eat, just like we do at our super bowl parties.”
“Yeah!” Seth responded with a raised fist.
After the food-fest of pizza and drinks mingled with surfaced chatter subsided, Ron announced, “Everybody ready for the big announcement?”
The room got quiet as he stood up from where he was sitting on the sofa next to Sarah and looking directly at her, extended his hand. “Join me please, princess.”
Sarah gave him her hand and came up to him, side-by-side, never looking anywhere but into his eyes.
“Well,” he began while looking back at Sarah, which prompted a big smile, “I am officially a Command Sergeant Major, effective 15 January, 2015!”
Before he could finish, Sarah, wide-eyed with surprise, jumped into him, nearly knocking him over—yelling, “Yess!”
Ron's three kids jumped up and threw themselves on him and their mother, nearly knocking them both over. There was a lot of cheering. The four Short's clapped. Sarah looked at Carole with a beaming smile as she wiped away a tear streaming down her cheek. “I'm so happy for you kiddo!” Carole said as she stood up to give Sarah a big hug.
When the evening was over and the Shorts were going out the front door, Sarah asked Carole, “So, what are you doing tomorrow?”
Carole gave her a mischievous grin and replied, “Oh kiddo, wouldn't you like to know?”
Sarah laughed in response. “Bye.”
The Hawkins family stood at the entrance when Ron announced, “Everybody back in the den. I have something else to tell everyone.”
Love In The House Of War Page 23
