Lara was puzzled, “Yes, why do you ask?”
Archer replied, “Well, I’m single and I’d just like to get her name and phone number, that’s all.”
She replied flatly, “Her name is Abby, that’s all I know. I don’t have her phone number. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She put the Mercedes into gear and pulled away exasperated.
~ Ben ~ (Langley AFB Virginia)
“Son of a bitch, if it isn’t the Chief, how the hell are you?” yelled one of the Navy SEALS joining the mission.
Ben slapped him around, “Hey, Tank, you’re getting a little thick around the middle. Too much good food and lying around, I’d say.” Ben chided his brother. Tank was not in the teams when Ben was a frogman; he was in training. But, the two met during work-ups between tours and Tank was one of the guys relieving Ben’s team on the last tour in Afghanistan.
“Can’t say the same for you!” Tank huffed punching Ben in the gut. “How the hell do you do it? You’re rock solid.” Ben rolled his eyes, “Lots of broccoli, weight training and running. Oh yeah, and lots of sex.” The two men laughed.
Eventually, everyone arrived at Langley and the men and Rashida gathered for their last formal meeting with the SEAL Team commander. The two-star rear admiral was a familiar face and he winked at Ben as he meandered through the room greeting each individual. Admiral Pence was a quick-witted, brilliant commander. He was young to be a rear admiral. Ben knew him when he was Captain Pence and he was good man who cared deeply about those under his command.
Ben automatically saluted his superior, “Good Evening, Rear Admiral Pence.”
Pence smiled and saluted with a hopeful look in his grey eyes, “Good God, we’ll make it if we have you aboard, Chief.”
Glancing around the room, Ben knew every one of these guys. He had run into them either during work-ups or tours or in some bar fighting over a chick. He remembered every man’s name and even some of the details about their lives. After the meeting, they were allowed to stand down. The group made their way to the chow hall where a hearty buffet was laid out. For a moment, Ben felt like he was right at home, laughing and joking and swearing with a group of men he’d trust with his life.
At daybreak, three Dark Horse Guardians, half of the SEAL team, and piles of gear and weapons were loaded into a C-130 Hercules. The engines roared to life as the men brought on their personal duffel bags to use as pillows for the long flight to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The other half boarded another C-130 that was flying into Nevatim Air Force Base in Israel. Ben opted for the plane landing at Nevatim because he wanted to get there before the others to spend extra time with Moshe. The reason for taking two separate planes was just in case; he didn’t want to think of the possibilities. The most recent tragedies were still fresh in his mind.
Ben often hoped the U.S. would turn to Israeli methods of combat and learn from the unique and deadly techniques they employed. They were a small country with arguably the best fighting force on the planet. Thus, joint missions like this were not only smart but, in his opinion, the future of military prowess.
Unknown to most Americans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had constructed three bases in Israel due to the massive amount of American military development in the Jewish State. The premier center of high-tech warfare innovation had always been Israel. But now almost all of the forward-deployed innovative weaponry provided was from this staunch ally. Over the past few years the U.S. spent $50 million constructing Air Force hangars at Nevatim Air Force Base and $50 million on a project to construct Air Force Bases to house Israel’s unmanned aerial drones.
However, for this mission, much newer drones had been utilized by Moshe and The Unit. Among the highest tech indoor drones, were The Ghost, The Mosquito, and The Butterfly. The Dark Horse Guardians and The Unit headed by Moshe had been utilizing information attained by these tiny eavesdroppers to hone their mission to perfection.
It was 10 PM when the wheels left the ground, and the estimated time of arrival was 5 AM. Even though it was a ten hour flight, the worst part was the jet lag. Ben slept a large amount of the time, as was his habit.
The plan was for the SEAL team and Dark Horse Guardians to work with Moshe’s group, The Unit, otherwise known as the Sayeret Matkal, a secretive commando unit dating back to 1957. Training alongside this elite group, the Americans would perform mission prep for six days in buildings and alleys, similar to what they’d encounter. Mock-ups.
Then would come the dangerous part: insertion into the populace. The assassins would place themselves strategically where each hit would take place. Disguised as women in full burkas, the warriors would go to their designated target’s location and observe them for several days, living in safe houses. They would replace actual women who were living there, thus completely assuming an identity.
No longer would the United States fly contractors and special warfare personnel into missions with helicopters, as in the Bin Laden execution. They’d learned from that mission that the likelihood of things going wrong were enormously high. The new mission directive was slow and low.
The slow being the raft of human intelligence already living on the ground for months, if not years, to help in setting up the hit. Slow also referred to insertion into the populace, gradual and hiding within plain sight.
The low referred to the low profile the team would keep. They’d not be seen as soldiers, but part of the normal landscape, disguised as the enemy. These warriors were masters of disguise, linguistics and customs. Intelligent men and women willing to risk it all. This was a different kind of warfare. Identities were assumed, lives went on as usual, all without anyone noticing.
Hours later, as the C-130 roared toward its destination, Ben awoke and turned to Rashida offering her a bottle of water. She was a dark beauty with eyes the color of caramel. Her facial scars barely visible with concealing make-up, Ben felt certain she’d be perfect for the mission. “Are you ready for this?” His eyes met hers as he sought to gauge her determination. Judging by the fire in her eyes, he’d say it was fierce.
She guzzled the water down and answered him, “Yes, Chief, I’m ready. I will do whatever I need to do. I can take orders. You like my dance, yes?”
Ben smiled, “Yes, you have studied well. You are perfect. I’m just checking with you. I’ve got your back. Don’t forget that. Remember the game we played, it will be exactly like that. Just focus on the clock.”
For months, the consortium of warriors had been playing out the scenario on the Dark Horse gaming site in 3D and Rashida was one of the players for the last two weeks. She learned quickly and had an excellent memory.
Watching everything take place on a high definition screen with precise timing of every movement was not only educational, but the program was sophisticated enough to warn players of hazards not obvious to the human brain. Artificial intelligence, a misnomer really. There was nothing artificial about it. The group had become very proficient at killing on the screen playing the game; now they’d take it live.
~ Lara ~
Lara had invited Rusty and her mother to Clearwater Farm for an early version of Thanksgiving dinner. She had plans to be with Finn and Marcella for Turkey Day. As she pulled into the long driveway at Clearwater Farm, she noticed Rusty’s vehicle was already there. Dinner was being prepped when Lara walked in the back door, Einstein was whining for her attention.
“Gosh, you guys! I didn’t expect all of this!” Lara gushed.
Rusty wrapped his arms around her, “We didn’t want you to do all the work. Hell, you’ve got enough going on right now running the firm and making all sorts of decisions.”
Lara’s mother winked at her, “Yes, dear. We’ve been a little concerned about you lately.”
“Really? Why do you say that?” Lara was on the floor rubbing Einstein’s ears.
Rusty spoke softly, “In our opinion, and mind you, this is just our opinion – we have noticed a slight rift between you and Ben lately. We were w
ondering, just wondering, if you were feeling a bit depressed since Eliot’s passing.”
Lara’s mother took her hand, “We’re just concerned, honey, that’s all.”
A little shocked, Lara tried to process what they were perceiving. Depression. Yes, that was getting better, she thought. But she was filled with anxiety about Abby chasing Ben. What made them think she was depressed? Lara smiled weakly, “What on earth would give you such an idea?”
Rusty piped in, “Well, you gave the bungalow away to Hawk and that was a gift from Ben to you. It meant a lot to Ben when he gave you that. He was so excited and happy. And you seemed so pleased with it. When you turned it over to Hawk, Ben was hurt by it. But, maybe you didn’t notice. Then, you wanted to buy that new truck for Ben and he told you he didn’t want a new truck. He wanted to keep the one he has, because it holds special meaning for him. In case you didn’t notice, Ben’s a sentimental guy about some things.”
Lara’s mother added, “And, we’ve noticed that you’ve been spending a lot of time with Hawk. Ben never said a word about it, mind you, but we get the impression…well, maybe Ben’s a little bit hurt by that, too.”
“Geez, Mom! Hawk saved my life. I owe him my life! He stayed by my hospital bed for nearly two days. I’ll never be able to repay him.” Lara blurted.
Rusty intervened, “We’re not criticizing you, Lara. We understand Hawk did something phenomenal that day. And, we understand your appreciation for his act of valor. We are all thankful that Hawk arrived in the nick of time.”
Lara’s mother added, “But we think Ben misses the time together, with you, alone. We just got the feeling that Ben might be a little jealous of all the time you’re spending with Hawk.”
Lara’s eyes flashed, “And, what makes you think such a thing?”
Lillian calmly asserted, “We’ve stopped by the house when you’re not here. Ben misses you, Lara. You’re at the office all hours of the day and night. You spend more time with Hawk than you do with your husband.”
Without holding back, Lara told them about Abby sitting on Ben’s desk and the photographs on the thumb drive in his leather bag. She described the lunches in his office she’d walked in on. And, Abby’s motorcycle ride. Lara flushed red with anger as she recounted each event. Rusty and Lillian listened with rapt attention.
At the end of her frenzied account, Rusty replied, “We didn’t know all of this was happening. Why didn’t you say something?”
Lara looked down at the floor, embarrassed that she’d lost control, “I didn’t want to believe it myself. I kept hoping each time one of these incidents occurred, he’d tell Abby to shove off. But he didn’t. I saw Abby with Hawk today at Eliot Stone’s estate. She had her hands all over him in the botanical garden ~ you should have seen her!”
Dinner was a continuation of the escapades of Abby. Lara felt a strong tug upon her conscience to warn Hawk. However, Rusty and her mother talked her out of it. They thought it would be best to leave the relationship between Abby and Hawk alone. He might like her, they deliberated.
Lara went to bed that night wondering if Hawk was making love to Abby. She tried to put the thought out of her mind. She watched TV in bed and had a bowl of ice cream with Einstein sitting next to her. She leaned over and whispered in his doggy ear, “We’re breaking the rules tonight buddy. You’re sleeping in here with me and you’re going to get this ice cream bowl on the floor when I’m done with it. And, I’m going to make a phone call to Hawk.”
The canine wagged his tail and stared at the bowl until Lara finished. Then, she placed the bowl on the floor and his bull dog body plopped down. She could hear him cleaning it out and smiled. Ben never allowed such indulgences but tonight Ben wasn’t there. Einstein was a great comfort to her, especially when he was away. She tapped her cell phone and heard Hawk’s deep voice resonate, “Hawk.”
“Jeez, you sound so wide awake for you at this time of night.” Lara started awkwardly.
“Yeah, I have company. Can I call you back…in the morning?” He whispered.
“Sure. Call me early, okay?” Lara whispered back. “I’ve got to talk with you.” Then she hung up with the uneasy knowledge the spider had him in her web.
~ Ben ~ (Israel)
Landing at 5:15 AM, Ben was rested but hungry as hell. Moshe sent several armored vehicles to pick up the team and the ride to The Unit’s war room was forty nine minutes long. The good news was, of the sixty-five terrorists released from Bagram Prison, two of them were already dead. Someone else picked them off less than ten hours ago. In this part of the world, that wasn’t unusual. There were always acts of violence taking place. So, the game would be changed ever so slightly.
Moshe had a small army of male and female soldiers at the ready to make the incoming men comfortable. They would sleep in an underground barracks-style building. The men showered and got ready for the briefing. While the others were eating, Ben sat with Moshe and his second tier commanders. He wanted to talk privately with the men in The Unit. He had been strategizing with them on-line for many weeks and they had helped him in past missions.
The 3D presentation would be given in the war room by Ben and Moshe. In the afternoon they’d gear up and do some serious planning and execution in a simulated environment.
Although she participated in all of the pre-mission work-ups, Rashida slept in the section with the female soldiers. The women were particularly gracious to her.
Ben watched as Moshe pulled Rashida aside, “You are comfortable with this mission and with what you have to do?” God, he’s predictable, Ben thought. Their bond was so close, Ben read Moshe’s thoughts, or so it seemed.
Rashida’s answer was immediate, “Yes, I will do anything. This is a good plan. I can do it. We will go through the drill many times, but I have memorized everything. I know my enemy intimately. I can manipulate them for the time that you need.”
Ben listened as Moshe softly grilled Rashida in the corner of the room. He knew Moshe’s concerns. They were the same as his. What if something went wrong? Just one tiny thing? It was a constant nagging fear that he pushed back every time it emerged. He had to stay positive.
It was late at night when Ben finally sprawled across his bunk, took out his phone and thought about calling Lara. Since he’d installed the AMAG security system, he could actually watch Lara while she was in the house. He had cameras outside, too. Since the last incident with him away, he was taking no chances now.
He tapped in the security code and he immediately saw Lara in bed. She was sleeping and Einstein was on the bed, too. Ah ha! She was breaking the rules! He noticed an empty container of ice cream on the nightstand and a bowl on the floor next to the bed and smiled. No wonder Einstein liked her so much!
He scrolled through the photos on his phone with his thumb hovering over her phone number, but thought better of it. He didn’t want to wake her. Quietly, he turned off the light near his bunk and slipped Lara’s sweat shirt out of his duffel bag and covered his pillow with it. Nestling his face against the soft cotton he inhaled the musky vanilla scent that was Lara. He closed his eyes and fell into the deep slumber of exhaustion unaware he hadn’t removed his clothing.
~ Hawk ~
He wondered why Lara wanted to talk with him. It was unusual for her to call him at night unless it was important business. Lara seemed hesitant and had awkwardly asked him to call her in the morning and hung up.
In the background, Abby was coercing Hawk to go dancing, of all things. Hawk had no idea how to dance or where the hell they were going. Abby insisted on surprising him. She was dressed in a snug tank top that left nothing to the imagination and jeans that fit her shapely rear just right. Hawk was smiling while Abby chattered away in the bungalow. She was full of energy but he wasn’t really listening to a word she was saying.
Her smile was intoxicating. Hawk didn’t need alcohol; he was having a great time just drinking in Abby’s beauty. But she kept insisting he have a few before they went out. He struc
k a deal with her. Although he didn’t want to, he acquiesced to one beer, but told her he’d have it at the bar. He didn’t keep alcohol at home. Abby brought her own bottle and tucked it into the console of the Subaru. Before they got into the car she pushed him up against the door of the vehicle and kissed him.
Hawk was pleasantly surprised and every dormant hormone in his body came alive at that moment. With her arms around his waist she tilted her head and barely touched her lips to his, as if beckoning him. He pressed his lips against hers and a tingling sensation ran through him. She could kiss, that’s for sure. Her lips parted and his tongue danced with hers. Damn, it felt good to kiss a woman. He hadn’t since Ellen died and so missed the warmth of a female body against his. How many times had he imagined this?
Abby pushed him into the passenger seat without a word and closed the door. “I’m in the driver’s seat tonight, honey!” she joked. The Subaru pulled away and they drove for what seemed like an hour.
“Where are you taking me?” Hawk asked half-joking. He really didn’t have a clue.
“Don’t worry. You’ll love this place. It’s very relaxed and laid back, like you!” Abby spoke playfully.
Approaching the beach, she pulled into a parking spot. “Well, here we are!” Abby announced. Hawk got out of the vehicle. It was an amusement park type of town on the waterfront with a seven-mile stretch of sandy beach. The place was filled with tourists even though it was late in the season.
“There’s a really hot band playing at this place.” Abby tugged Hawk by the hand. He followed her like a willing puppy. He wondered how she could walk in those stiletto heels, but she seemed to manage. They found a table for two but had to stand. It was the sort of place where you got a drink and walked around or danced. No place to sit. Hawk ordered a fake beer and planned to nurse it slowly. Abby was drinking single-malt Scotch, a very expensive brand. She sucked down two shots at the table before she tugged Hawk onto the dance floor.
Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) Page 14
