by David Spell
“You know, Andy predicted this,” Smith grinned, shaking his head. “Right before that mess in downtown Atlanta, he saw the handwriting on the wall and he claimed best man status. I told him it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, but it looks like he was right. If she says ‘yes,’ do you think maybe you’d be one of those guys that stands next to the poor sap getting married?”
“You mean the groomsmen?”
“Yeah, would you be one of them? I bet Em would also want Elizabeth to be one of the chicks that stands next to her.”
“Those are the bridesmaids and yeah, buddy, I’d be honored to stand with you.”
“Thanks. As you can see, there’s a lot of stuff I don’t know. Maybe you can kind of guide me a little? I’ve never asked a girl to marry me before. I sure don’t want to screw this up.”
McCain slapped the bigger man on the shoulder again and laughed. “Sure, I’d be happy to help. Let’s go get this debriefing done so we can get back to our women. We’ll talk later about the best way to ask her.”
Smith breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Chuck. I knew I could count on you.”
Chuck stopped by the restroom and Scotty continued on to the hangar, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. As he walked in, he saw the SEALs, the SAS, and several of the Marines gathered around one of the Air Force Pave Hawk crewman. Smith wandered over to investigate.
Sergeant Thomas was animatedly telling of his time on the ground with Agent McCain. “One of those gangsters jumped out of the humvee with an M-16 and McCain blasted him. A minute later, the driver tried to draw on him and he put a round into his head. McCain then jerked the cartel leader out of the vehicle and slammed him down on the ground.
“Agent McCain tried to interrogate him and asked where the virus was. They were on the other side of the hummer from me and I couldn’t see anything, but I could hear everything. The Mexican said something about suing him and that he was going to rape McCain’s wife while he watched and kill his whole family.
“Man, that was the wrong thing to say! McCain told him, ‘The most you could hope for from me was a quick death and you just lost that by threatening my family.’ We had two groups of Zs coming towards us and a few minutes later McCain dragged this guy to his feet, picked him up, and threw him out into the street, in front of the zombies.
“He’d already told me to head back to the helicopter and that he’d be right behind me. I started but turned back in time to see that cartel leader get up from where he’d landed and start running. McCain shot him in the leg and then took off after me. Those two groups of Zs grabbed that scumbag and ripped him apart. I doubt there was anything left of that bastard.
“And then, just a minute later, Agent McCain saved my life. Some Zs had gotten between us and the helicopter. Most of them were slow-movers but this one sprinter came charging at me. I was focusing on the ones right in front of me and didn’t even see him, but that CDC agent put a round in the runner’s head, dropping him right in front of me.”
The warriors all nodded appreciatively at Sergeant Thomas’ story. There would be no sympathy from them for Corona or the others who had invaded their country, murdering, enslaving, and brutalizing so many people.
Scotty Smith spoke up. “Chuck’s been my boss for almost two years now. I’m only scared of two people on the planet: my girlfriend and Chuck McCain. I’ve seen a lot of combat but if I could only pick one guy to stand beside me, it would be him. Trust me, let’s just be glad he’s on our side.”
McCain and Admiral Williams walked to the front of the room, ready to start the debriefing. The admiral congratulated everyone on a successful mission and they had a moment of silence for those who had lost their lives. The final tally was one hundred and forty-six dead gang members. There were thirty-four prisoners who would soon be on their way to Guantanamo Bay. The assault force sustained two dead, two wounded with serious injuries, and six with minor wounds.
The debrief lasted almost six hours so Major Singleton had the dining staff serve lunch in the hangar so that they could eat while they worked. Everyone was ready to get back to their families.
Finally, Chuck gave the CDC agents the order to board Admiral Williams’ Blackhawk for the ride back to the Centers for Disease Control location. The warriors all shook hands with their new friends, the camaraderie born out of fighting beside someone creating a lifelong bond. Williams approached McCain, making no effort to get on the aircraft.
“You’re not coming with us, sir?”
“Not today,” the elderly man answered, extending his hand to Chuck. “I have a few more loose ends to tie up, but I’ll fly out and see you in the next couple of days. You and I have some things to talk about. For now, enjoy being with Elizabeth. She’s a lovely lady and I’m very happy for the two of you. Rest up a bit and I’ll see you soon. And congratulations, Chuck. That mission could not have been executed any better. You and your men did an exceptional job.”
Centers for Disease Control Compound, East of Atlanta, Thursday, 1615 hours
The reunion with Elizabeth had been sweet. She had put on some makeup and fixed herself up nicely, McCain thought as he wrapped his arms around her. He also noticed that Nicole Edwards had dolled herself up as well, standing with Beth, Emily, Grace, Amy Fleming, Candice Marshall, and others as the helicopter touched down. Jay Walker strode right up to the scientist and embraced her, the two of them moving away together, talking quietly.
Chuck motioned with his head towards the couple. “I guess there’s a story waiting to be told.”
Elizabeth giggled, wrapping her arms around her husband again. “Oh, yeah. I’ll fill you in later. I also want to hear about the mission, at least whatever you can tell me, but you look kind of tired. Maybe you need a little nap before dinner?”
The big man noticed that his wife was steering him towards their makeshift bedroom and he let her lead the way.
Later in the evening they patrolled the perimeter, catching up on the last week that they had been apart. Chuck discussed their attack on the gang’s base, leaving out the gory details, but letting her know that over forty captive women had been rescued, the cartel presence eliminated, and the bio-terror weapon recaptured. McCain mentioned the two dead and the two seriously wounded Marines, a costly sacrifice for their victory, but not as bad as it could have been.
Elizabeth described how, over a couple of days, she and Nicole had become friends. They had sat at the scientist’s desk as Nicole helped Elizabeth get familiar with their database of experiments and their current workflow. The goal was for Beth to figure out ways to take some of the pressure off of the researchers by handling their data entry and keeping it organized.
As they worked, Edwards had asked her how she and Chuck had met. Beth never got tired of bragging on how her husband had rescued her, just in the nick-of-time. Nicole had hung onto every word as Elizabeth told the story, the databases forgotten.
They had eaten together in the dining hall that evening, continuing their conversation, talking about their backgrounds and families. The epidemiologist had asked Beth about her family, but had seen the look of sadness cross the young woman’s face. Elizabeth shared how her parents had gotten infected and how she had been forced to kill her mother, then watching as the police shot her zombie father before he could infect anyone else.
Edwards had apologized profusely for bringing up such a sensitive topic. Elizabeth had given a slight smile and told her that it was Chuck who had helped her get over the guilt and, ultimately, the depression that she had carried over the death of her mom and dad.
The two women had ended up back at Nicole’s small room, sharing a bottle of wine, and talking into the early hours of the morning. The scientist had not had a close woman friend in years, and she felt surprisingly comfortable with Elizabeth. After several glasses of wine, Nicole had described how Chuck and his men had rescued her in the zombie overrun CDC headquarters. Dr. Edwards finally admitted to Beth that she had had a c
rush on her husband, expecting the other woman to be angry. Elizabeth smiled, patting her new friend’s arm.
“It’s OK. I understand.”
“You’re not mad?” Edwards asked.
“Of course not,” Beth smiled. “Remember, he saved my life, too. We haven’t been together very long, and I’m still not sure what he sees in me sometimes.”
Edwards draped her arm across the younger woman’s shoulders. “Oh, I understand what he sees in you. You’re beautiful, for sure, but you have a kind heart. You are a good person, Elizabeth, and Chuck McCain is one lucky man.”
Over the next couple of days, Nicole opened up about her feelings for Jay Walker. As she described their conversations, Beth got excited for her.
“This guy really likes you, Nicole.”
“You think so? I’m not sure what to think.”
“I’m probably not the best one to be giving relationship advice,” Elizabeth said, with a smile, “but this Walker guy has laid it all on the table. It’s up to you now. When he gets back, he’s going to be looking for some hint that you’re interested. Eventually, they’re going to send him back to Washington, D.C., but he seems like the type who will do whatever it takes to be with you, if you want him to. Do you like him or not?”
Edwards had looked at the younger woman and sighed. “I think so. I’ve always been focused on my career and really haven’t taken the time to date. I’ll take any relationship advice you can give.”
Elizabeth also told Chuck that Dr. Martin had been so impressed with her work that he had offered her a permanent position whenever they were able to get human resources back up-and-running. Not only was she working with the scientists, she was also helping organize Martin’s life. As the acting director for the CDC, he had to follow many different protocols, such as keeping detailed records of everything that they were currently doing for the time when things would be back to normal.
Within two days, Beth had gotten her head wrapped around what he did. Two days after that, she began taking tasks off of his plate and handling them. Martin was amazed at how quickly Elizabeth had figured out a way to make his life easier.
“I wanted to talk with you before I accepted his job offer,” she told her husband.
“Do you want the job? Obviously, there’s a need and everyone likes you and your work.”
“You wouldn’t mind me working at the same place as you? I really like what I’m doing. I know it’s just administrative stuff, but I feel like I’m a part of something important.”
Chuck smiled. “Take it. I want you to be happy, plus we can commute to the office together.”
The next day, McCain strolled into the lab carrying a black nylon bag with Dr. Nicole Edwards’ name on it. The epidemiologist was deep in conversation with an Asian woman, both scientists wearing white lab coats. Beth sat at Nicole’s desk, typing data into a spreadsheet. She winked at her husband, but kept working. Nicole saw the big man walk in and smiled, motioning him over.
“Welcome back, Chuck. I heard that it was a successful mission and that my neighborhood is secure again.”
McCain nodded. “Except for the occasional zombie sighting, that’s true. Hopefully, in a couple of months, you’ll be able to return home.”
“Wow! That’s good news! I’d like to introduce you to someone,” she said, nodding at the other woman. “Chuck McCain, this is Dr. Kim Bae-yong, the leading epidemiologist in the world.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am,” Chuck said, as they shook hands.
“And it’s very nice to meet you, Agent McCain. I’ve heard so much about you and your team’s work in combating the terrorists, as well as all you’re doing to eliminate the infected.”
Chuck smiled. “I have something here that will, hopefully, help you and your experts in finding a vaccine for this virus.”
He handed Nicole the bag, watching her eyes light up. The scientist put on her protective equipment and carefully opened the bag, relieved to see all eight vials of the bio-terror weapon in place. She glanced back at McCain to see if he was holding anything else.
“Sorry, but I don’t have your computer with me. It was a long, tough fight, and I forgot about it. There are some other people cleaning up the scene and I’ve asked them to look for it. If they find your laptop, I’ll have it delivered here.”
Edwards smiled and said, “Thank you. These experimental vaccines will help us so much with our current research. On another note, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Elizabeth. You were right. She’s a wonderful person and I’m happy she’s going to keep working with us.”
Centers for Disease Control Compound, East of Atlanta, Saturday, 1330 hours
The Blackhawk had landed at 1300hrs. Admiral Williams, Shaun, Tim, and Tom disembarked, the admiral’s assistant recruiting a few volunteers to offload another week of supplies provided by Major Singleton. Williams had greeted McCain warmly, asking for him to be available after he met with Dr. Martin. The scientist and the older man disappeared into Martin’s workspace.
When the admiral and the acting director of the CDC walked out twenty minutes later, they were both smiling. Williams nodded at Chuck.
“Is your wife around, Mr. McCain? I think it would be good for her to join us as we talk. Dr. Martin has very kindly offered the use of his office for the next hour or two.”
That’s interesting, Chuck thought. Admiral Williams was definitely not your stereotypical CIA type, wanting to keep a lot of secrets. He was security conscious, to be sure, but he was also glad to share as much information as possible with his subordinates. It was unusual, however, to have a spouse sit in on a work-related meeting, especially when one worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
“Yes, sir. Give me just a minute to find her.”
Five minutes later, Chuck and Elizabeth sat across from the Director of Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency.
“I’m going to get right to the point, Chuck. I’m replacing you as the director of the Atlanta office for CDC enforcement.”
McCain felt Beth stiffen as she heard her husband being fired. Chuck saw a twinkle in the admiral’s eye, though, and he was curious as to where this conversation was headed. Chuck nodded, not saying anything. He reached over and gave Elizabeth’s hand a reassuring squeeze. McCain hadn’t been looking for a job when Rebecca Johnson had recruited him to the new agency. Of course, he didn’t like the idea of being fired, but Chuck knew the admiral well enough by now to know that he had something else up his sleeve.
Williams stared over the desk for a minute before he spoke again. “We’ll talk about your future in just a moment, but I’d like to ask for your recommendation on who should take your place? Is there someone on your current team, whom you feel could fill the very large shoes that you’ll be leaving?”
Without hesitating, McCain said, “Eddie Marshall is your guy, Admiral. He’s a proven leader, with an extensive background in both local and federal law enforcement. He’ll do a fantastic job, plus he’s got two great team leaders in Andy and Jimmy. For that matter, Scotty and Hollywood could easily lead their own teams, as well.”
“That’s good to hear,” the admiral said. “He was my pick, as well, but I wanted to get your opinion after having served together as team leaders, and then as his boss.”
“Eddie will make a great director, sir. I’ve got to admit, though,” McCain smiled, “I’ve never been fired and then asked to name my successor.”
Elizabeth still wasn’t sure what was going on, but her husband didn’t seem too concerned about losing his job. Then again, the only time that she’d ever seen him truly rattled was when he proposed to her, she thought, suppressing a smile.
“Oh, I didn’t say I was firing you. I just said I was replacing you. I have another job for a man of your skills and expertise, if you’ll take it. The reason I had you direct that op against the cartel was that I needed to see you in action. You had the challenge of leading a diverse group of special operators, conve
ntional troops, federal agents, and even some citizen soldiers with the National Guard.
“Of course, you couldn’t leave well enough alone,” the admiral said, with a grin, “and you had to get Major Singleton to land so that you could get into the fight, as well. But, truth be told, I would’ve done the same thing. And you were in the right place at the right time to recover the virus and to deal with a very evil cartel leader.”
McCain glanced at Beth and saw the questions in her eyes. There are some questions that’ll never be answered, Sweetheart, he thought.
Williams continued, “I purposefully withheld some resources from you, but you still led your men to victory. I would have sent those Rangers and FBI agents in immediately if you’d needed them but you managed with the assets you were given, and even though significantly outnumbered, our mission objectives were met.”
“I didn’t have to do a whole lot of leading, Admiral,” McCain answered quietly. “Those men and women are warriors and just needed to be pointed in the right direction.”
Williams shrugged. “Don’t be so modest. You and a couple of your agents developed the ops plan, you oversaw their training, and you executed the mission.” He locked eyes with McCain for just an instant as he said, ‘executed.’
Beth’s eyes beamed with pride as Admiral Williams spoke of Chuck’s leadership ability. She was feeling much better about the direction that this meeting was moving. What was he going to ask Chuck to do? she wondered.
“So, my proposal is this: I need you in Washington. I’m adding two new assistant directors of operations. One of them will be filled by Lieutenant Colonel, soon to be full Colonel, Kevin Clark. He’ll be focusing on clandestine para-military operations abroad, and whatever else I need him to do in that realm.
