Peace - A Navy SEALS Novel (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 3)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “How did you get so smart, you big bear?” Holly asked.

  “Not smart, just the luckiest guy in the world,” Bull whispered.

  “Make love to me, Bull,” Holly said, pulling away, and began unbuttoning her blouse.

  Bull caught hold of her hands. “It’s too soon for that, and you know it.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Holly said softly, putting his hands on her breasts. “Unless of course you don’t find me attractive.”

  “I’m either attracted, or else my heart’s trying to pound its way out of my chest,” Bull replied, drawing her to him again.

  __

  “Well, my busy little bee,” Chuck began, sitting down across from Peace, and sitting back in his chair with arms folded across his chest. “I know I told you we’d like to get you into mission operations; but the details from your newest excursion, along with unauthorized use of a CIA operative on foreign soil, makes me think you’ve decided to set up shop without us.”

  “Okay, okay,” Peace said, clasping his hands in front of him on the table. “Go ahead, lay it on me. I did explain everything in detail for you at the drop, did I not?”

  “Oh thank you for your kind consideration in this delicate matter,” Chuck replied, sarcastically. “This is official. Brett said to rein your ass in. Consider yourself reined. Nice work, by the way. I told you, you were a natural.”

  “I explained the circumstances concerning my friends, leading up to Landry’s untimely demise. Did you get confirmation, from Julio, everything went well on his end?”

  “Oh, he’s happy as a clam. When I asked him how he could suddenly become your personal cleaner, he answered with his new two word vocabulary.”

  “Bite me?”

  “Julio is rapidly becoming as annoying as you recently,” Chuck sighed.

  “How’d you like the Alvarez thing?”

  “Now that was the real spice in the rice,” Chuck answered. “You know we were tracking a shipment due in to Batiste’s former home base, right? Well, guess who showed up in town to monitor cleanup operations at Batiste’s little port-of-call?”

  “Alvarez?” Peace asked incredulously.

  “One and the same,” Chuck confirmed. “It seems you have fallen into another shit pile and come up smelling like a rose.”

  “Where’s the ship, and what do your sources say about Alvarez’ reaction to what we did at Batiste’s place?”

  “The ship has been hanging around in International waters for the last couple of weeks, about a hundred miles from the coast of Mexico. No communication gets through to them, period. We’ve shut them down. As to Alvarez, all he saw was the tail end of the cleanup. We have a lock down on everything there.”

  “Alvarez knows there was a shootout, and Batiste’s gang is history. What he doesn’t know is we’re on to the terrorist angle. He’s playing it cool, making behind the scenes inquires, and putting vast amounts of money into politicos’ pockets. The fact Julio says he’s still hanging around, means he knows something’s coming into port. They all think they’re just too cute for words, and money will make everything business as usual.”

  “Bull told me we received a get squared away order from our commander,” Peace mused. “Since I don’t believe in coincidences, and I saw Julio’s face when I mentioned Alvarez…”

  “Yep, the stuff you took off of Landry about Alvarez ties him in real nice with this Ensenada hot spot. We have the ship under 24/7 satellite surveillance, and those folks are stopped dead in the water for now.”

  “So, Seal Team Six will be making a visit on the high seas,” Peace concluded.

  “That’s the plan,” Chuck nodded. “Once we take over. The ship ports in Batiste’s facility, and we wait for Alvarez to make our day.”

  “Sweet,” Peace grinned. “I love it when a plan comes together.”

  “What plan?” Chuck laughed. “You and Julio go Ronin on me, and then all of a sudden it was a plan? Jesus, Peace, you better check the bottoms of your feet, pal. The edge you’ve been tightrope walking on is so sharp, you’re probably cleft right up to the ankle.”

  “Ronin?” Peace laughed. “Rogue Samurai, huh? I bet Julio will like that reference. Hey, look how well the police connection in the SDPD worked out.”

  “Another example of unauthorized use of CIA assets,” Chuck countered.

  “Assets you would not have without my other adlibs. With this new info, I have to get married quick. I’m not going anywhere without making Jill my wife.”

  “I don’t mean to be indelicate here, but I don’t want you to compromise a mission by doing things out of the ordinary.”

  “She’s already pregnant. How much more reason to have a shotgun wedding do I need?”

  “Point taken,” Chuck agreed. “You have my blessing then.”

  “Thank you, Father Chuck. No China Syndrome to report in relation to Batiste?”

  “Not yet, but we’ll know more when we tear into that ship. I’m keeping an open mind. If the ship doesn’t reveal anything, the Alvarez connection will. This is going to be a delicate operation, Peace. We don’t want even one piece of paper lost during the takeover.”

  “That means we can’t Helo in. You’re thinking sub insert from a distance?”

  “That’s what we have in mind,” Chuck confirmed. “What do you think?”

  “It’s the only way we might be able to get aboard undetected. What if they have sonar capabilities?”

  “You are in the Navy, right? Man, we have subs that could go up and kiss the bulkhead of that ship without those morons knowing it.”

  “Good, then you won’t mind having us dropped off within a decent distance of the ship.”

  “Oh, I see,” Chuck laughed. “I didn’t know you Seals had become such pussies. Maybe we should use Delta on this.”

  “They could do it,” Peace observed. “Maybe you should.”

  “Now wait a minute, Peace,” Chuck said quickly. “I was just joking with you. I told you we don’t have anyone on Delta. Hell, three of your team members are intimate with CIA assets on this. I…”

  “Sorry,” Peace cut him off with a wave of the hand. “I couldn’t pass up taking a shot at you. I know why. Now, are we going to have backup on this? There are probably a lot of guys on board that ship.”

  “On site, no, but there will be aerial gunship support within minutes. What happened to one riot, one Ranger?”

  “Now we’re the Texas Rangers? What riot? We’re talking dirty nuke, bio hazard, mass terrorist killing spree. Oh… I see,” Peace shut up for a moment, rubbing his chin. “We screw up, and you nuke us from orbit, right?”

  “It’s the only way to be sure,” Chuck said, continuing Peace’s reference to a movie line in Aliens.

  “Yea, I can see where we could get real expendable if things go bad. All the more reason for me to tie the knot.”

  “You don’t have a problem with our cavalier attitude towards your team?”

  “We ain’t the Campfire Girls. We’ll just have to make sure we don’t get expendable. I want to bring Dan and Bull in on the details.”

  “Agreed,” Chuck said, extending his hand.

  Peace shook it, sealing what he thought might be a deal with the devil for his teammates.

  “By the way, Peace, start carrying that cell phone we gave you.”

  “Okay, but no frivolous calls,” Peace warned, “or it goes right back in the dresser drawer.”

  “Get out of here, you whacko,” Chuck laughed. “In case I don’t see you before the shit hits the fan, good luck.”

  “Jinx,” Peace called out over his shoulder on the way out.

  __

  “You two sure are quiet,” Peace observed from the backseat of Bull’s car. “If I’d have known I would have to be the trip entertainment, I’d have left you two in San Diego.”

  Bull grinned over at Holly, who then looked back at Peace over the seat.

  “I’m going to have a baby, Peace. It’s Ken’s, but Bull convinc
ed me I was right to want to keep the baby. We’re…”

  “That’s wonderful,” Peace exclaimed, patting Holly’s hand, as it lay over the back of the seat. “You won’t ever regret it.”

  “We’re getting married too,” Holly finished, covering Peace’s hand.

  “I want you to be my best man,” Bull added.

  “I’d be honored. How quick do you two plan on doing it?”

  “Real quick,” Bull stated. “With Jessup telling us to get squared away, I think it would be better to make it sooner rather than later.”

  “I agree,” Peace replied. “How are your parents taking all of this, Holly?”

  “Probably about the same as Jill’s are,” Holly replied with a smile.

  “That bad, huh?”

  All three of the young people laughed together.

  “We can’t please everyone, right Wolvy?”

  “That’s right Captain,” Peace agreed. “If these folks can’t deal with having superheroes in the family, that’s just too bad.”

  “You guys are crazy,” Holly continued laughing.

  “Boy, wait till Jill hears you’re going to have a baby too. She’ll flip out. This will call for a celebration.

  “We have to recruit her to be Maid of Honor anyway,” Holly said. “Connie moved back to Arizona with her folks for the time being. She’s going to start fresh again next semester. Now that those guys took the deal from the DA, we won’t have to testify.”

  “I guess money can’t buy your way out of everything, after all,” Peace said.

  “It seems they found a whole lot of evidence connecting the dots on Landry’s computer,” Bull added. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Wolvy?”

  “Why no, Captain,” Peace answered, shrugging for Holly’s benefit. “It was just a bit of good luck Landry had implicated his posse in his drug dealings; and what do you know, he left the evidence on his computer.”

  “Simply amazing,” Bull agreed. “At least we didn’t have to make any more adjustments for safety’s sake.”

  “Yeah, I think we’re as high profile as we can get without Jessup putting us under guard.”

  “I can’t believe people can get into so much trouble for doing what’s right,” Holly commented, sitting back down in her seat.

  “No good deed goes unpunished,” Peace added.

  “Yeah Wolvy, but sometimes the bad deeds get the proper attention too.”

  “Very true, Captain, very true.”

  __

  “I can’t believe it,” Jill said, hugging Holly tightly, tears streaming down her face. “Our babies will be close enough to share everything.”

  Holly pulled back, when she heard Jill sob, holding her at arms’ length. “What the heck are you crying for?”

  Jill laughed, brushing away the tears with the back of her hand. “Sorry, I even cry if I see a McDonald’s commercial. It’s the hormones raging.”

  “Oh,” Holly replied thoughtfully, dropping her hands to her sides. “All the extras from being pregnant haven’t really sunk in yet. You’re not even showing yet.”

  Jill pulled up her blouse to uncover her stomach. It was no longer flat.

  “Yea, I am, but just a little. Where’d the boys go? Peace hardly said hello, before they dumped you off with me.”

  “Peace insisted on getting a couple of rooms so we can all spend some time together once we go out with your folks. They’re out taking a look around,” Holly replied, following Jill over to the couch. “Can you be my Maid of Honor?”

  “I’d love to,” Jill answered, surprise in her voice.

  “I guess Peace filled you in on what happened. I… I…” Holly covered her face, her voice catching as she tried to hold back the tears.

  “Never mind all that,” Jill said, putting an arm around Holly, who lost her emotional battle and began to cry in earnest. “He told me enough that we don’t have to go there today. I just figured you’d want someone close to you; but if I have my way, we’ll be real close soon.”

  “Th…the baby’s not Bu…Bull’s,” Holly sobbed. “He…he just…”

  “He’s a real man. He loves you,” Jill said, holding Holly. “Listen, the guys will be coming back soon. Why don’t we preggos move on to happier subjects? Have you told your parents yet?”

  Holly sat back on the couch with a sigh, and Jill pushed a box of Kleenex over next to her. Holly smiled her thanks, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose.

  “They know, but they didn’t want me to have the baby.”

  “Well, they’ll be happy as hell when you deliver their Grandchild,” Jill said, taking Holly’s hand in both of hers. “You watch their faces when you put the baby in their arms the first time. You’ll see how quick that abortion crap rockets on out of their heads.”

  Holly laughed, and nodded, almost hopefully. “I hope you’re right. Did Peace tell you what happened with Ken?”

  “No, but he didn’t really need to. Besides, I’ve really only talked to him on the telephone, and he won’t tell me much of anything over the phone. The official story is Ken fled to Mexico.”

  “I don’t think fled is the word. He did travel to Mexico, but it was in the trunk of his car.”

  Jill burst into laughter, and Holly joined her, the infectious nature of Jill’s laughter setting her off too. After a few moments, they were still giggling.

  “If we stay with those two dangerous bastards, we’ll end up as cold as they are,” Jill said, shaking her head as she leaned back with a sigh.

  “I’m never leaving Bull,” Holly stated almost in a whisper. “I don’t care if he kills half of San Diego.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Jill laughed again. “We’re going to make great Seal wives. Maybe we could form a women’s auxiliary. Like I heard Ed’s wife, Nancy, tell some guys the first time I met Peace at the restaurant - she warned them to watch out, because she handled all Ed’s light work.”

  “That sounds like her,” Holly agreed. “Bull said she hardly blinked the night those guys came into the restaurant trying to kill Peace, Bull, and Dan.”

  “God, a lot’s happened in the time since I came to San Diego to find Peace,” Jill said, putting her head back.

  “From the way the boys were talking in the car on the way here, there’s going to be a lot more happen soon.”

  “If that’s the case, we’ll just have to keep each other company. This is my last semester. How much longer do you have?” Jill asked, sitting back up straight.

  “I graduated last semester. I’m taking a graduate studies course this semester.”

  “What’s your major?”

  “Biology,” Holly answered. “I hope to study forensics too, while I’m working. I had just sent my resume out a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve had some pretty decent offers from a few of the hospitals around here. I need to start paying my folks back some of what they sunk into my education.”

  “My Dad’s really upset about my moving down to the San Diego area, instead of beginning an internship at his law firm after graduation. He knows I’d be a liability during my pregnancy though, and he’s dealing with it okay.”

  “What do you plan on doing?”

  “Have my baby, and see if I can get into something I don’t have to spend a lot of time away from him for,” Jill replied. “Peace says we can afford to do whatever I decide.”

  “Him?” Holly smiled. “Did you cheat and look in advance?”

  “Guilty,” Jill laughed. “I couldn’t look away from the screen. I haven’t told Peace yet. Do you want to know?”

  “Nope,” Holly said emphatically. “I just want the baby to be healthy. I hope Bull and I can work something out so I can stay with the baby. At least my folks live in the area. If they really do take to the baby,

  I’m sure they’ll help out.”

  “You’ll have to pry the baby away from them, just wait and see. Even after all the hissy fits my Mom threw about my plunging into motherhood, she’s already started buying
baby clothes and things. If we’re both in San Diego, we can help each other out, and I know Nancy and Ed are excited about watching the baby.”

  “We’ll be able to get tips from Dan’s wife too, especially about buying stuff on base, and what kind of hassles we’ll have to go through,” Holly added. “Maybe things won’t be so bad.”

  “It’ll all work out,” Jill said confidently. “You’ll see, if…”

  A light knock on the door sounded, and Jill instantly was up and hurrying over to open it. Peace walked in, and gave her a kiss. Bull followed close behind, and after receiving a hug and kiss from Jill, along with congratulations on his impending marriage and soon to be Father status, Bull went over to sit down next to Holly.

  “Pack a bag with what you’ll be wearing,” Peace directed. “We’ll be staying in style tonight. We are meeting your parents, right?”

  Jill nodded. “They said they’d see us around seven, so we’ll have plenty of time to settle in wherever you’ve decided we’re sleeping tonight. This restaurant is casual dress, so we don’t have to make a big fuss about our clothes.”

  “The hotel, Peace picked out, has a piano bar,” Bull interjected. “Peace will be entertaining later.”

  “You don’t mind?” Jill asked Peace.

  “Hell no, you know what a hambone I am. I’ll sing for anyone, anywhere. Just don’t tell Ed. He’ll sue me for breach of contract, because I’m singing someplace other than his.”

  “I’ve already told my folks we’re getting married in two weeks, and it will be a small ceremony up at Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side,” Jill stated, as she took Peace’s arm, and led him over to the couch.

  “Wow,” Peace said with some surprise. “What did you need me for then, Wonder Woman?”

  “I wanted to see you,” Jill laughed, slapping his arm. “Besides, although my folks now know what we’re doing, I wanted to make some plans with you in person, goofy.”

  “How’d they take to your springing that on them?” Bull asked.

  “My folks are not too happy with me about anything I do right now, but they’ll come around. I guess you and Holly will be facing the same deal too.”