Black Ops Brotherhood: Tightrope Part 36

When Reyes swung around and hit her in the face, the shock of the blow made her fall backward. When she hit the floor, her service weapon flew out of her hand, and before she could process what had happened she found herself in Reyes' clutches. Instead of shooting him as soon as she entered the room, she'd made the fatal mistake of hesitating.

By all rights she should be dead, but Reyes had hesitated, too. Now, as Felix stood there pointing a gun at her, she had to find a way to stall him and give Danny a fighting chance. She had to figure out a way to stand between a vulnerable Danny and a deadly cartel. In the end, she'd wind up taking a bullet somehow, but it was a sacrifice she had to make to save Danny.

Recalling Reyes' words to her, she realized he'd given her something she could use. She glanced at him, pleading with her eyes for him to stop Felix. Reyes squeezed his arm around her protectively and pointed his gun at the bathroom.

"He's in the bathroom. Kill him so we can get out of here," Reyes said.

Felix swore and cautiously opened the door, then stepped inside the dark bathroom. She and Ely glanced at each other unconsciously when they heard a shuffle and a thud before two shots rang out. Rio slumped. There would be no way Danny could've escaped that close a range.

"Oh, G.o.d, please no," she whispered.

Knowing security the way she did, it would take at least two minutes before anyone came into the room to investigate the shots that had just rung out. When Reyes eased his grip, she raised her foot and came down hard on his arch with her heel. He grunted, and she broke free. When she got away, she ran toward the bathroom and stopped when she saw the body on the floor.

"Danny!"

Before she could utter another word, she was thrown to the floor. Five successive loud shots rang out. She quickly got up and saw Eli Reyes fall to the floor. Danny lowered the CBP service weapon he'd taken from Felix right before he'd killed him. He pulled her into his arms as a sudden rush of people came into the room.

"Are you okay, babe?"

"Me?"

Sweeping his hand over her swelling cheek, he kissed her. "No one's taking you from me."

The color drained from his face, and he closed his eyes. This situation had taken its toll on his weakened condition. As his room filled with more people, he slumped against her. "Help me back to bed."

Dan relaxed in his bed in his room-at home. Because of what had happened in the hospital, moving him and having SEALs stay at the house was a lot safer than risking the civilian population at Sierra Vista Regional. He'd been at the hospital for five days, and nothing new had cropped up as a concern. Doc had taken the guest room and four SEALs were scattered throughout the house. Schotzie had been moved from her bed in the kitchen to their bedroom. While he lay in bed watching TV, she raised her head and looked at him.

"Come on, girl, I missed you, too," he said, patting the s.p.a.ce next to him.

Amazed at how cautiously she climbed on the bed, she circled a couple of times and rested next to him. He heard his mom and dad come in the house and introduce themselves to his teammates. He was sure he'd scared his mom half out of her mind with what happened at the hospital. But like Rio, his parents rarely judged and only offered advice when they felt they were being helpful. He ran his hand over Schotzie's soft coat and relaxed.

"Mi hijo?" his mom called from the doorway.

"Friend," he said to Schotzie when she raised her head. "Come on in, Mom."

"Is this your dog?" she asked.

"No, she's Rio's. Sit down," he said, moving over making a s.p.a.ce for her. He grimaced involuntarily with pain because cracked ribs were a b.i.t.c.h and took forever to heal. "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have kept what I did from you," he said, taking her hand.

"Is it always like that?"

"No, they usually don't follow us around."

His mother cupped his face. "I worry, mi hijo, but I'll always worry. It's part of being a parent. Don't feel like you have to keep things from us."

The pain crept back into a place that made breathing difficult. He cleared his throat to avoid a groan. His mom didn't need anything else to worry about.

"I won't, Mom."

After a few minutes his room was crowded with people coming in and out visiting and checking on him, but all he wanted to do was sleep again. Doc looked him over and gave him a little more pain medication to ease the discomfort from all the movement and activity that day. Dan completely understood how people got hooked on drugs. The one he'd been taking made him feel as if he were floating on a cloud, almost like subs.p.a.ce. He heard the house clear out and quiet down as he drifted in and out of sleep. Alex taking his vitals woke him.

"Doc, where's Rio?"

"She's in the spare room. Why?"

"Is she sleeping with you? 'Cause I don't approve," Dan said.

"No, dumba.s.s, she didn't want to bother you, so we're hot racking."

"The only man she's hot racking with is me. Go get her."

Alex took out a blood pressure cuff and a thermometer. "Open up," he said, waving the thermometer in Dan's face. "That's not hot racking. That's rack sharing, and that's against the regs. You're an officer, and she's enlisted. I've got to talk to you about the fraternization thing you've got going on there with that petty officer, lieutenant."

"She's in a different command. Bada.s.s helped me out with that. Go get her before I get up and go get her."

"You're blood pressure's a little high, and you're spiking a fever. Are you in pain?"

"I feel a lot better since you gave me that last shot of subs.p.a.ce."

Alex laughed and said, "You didn't answer. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"I just need to be still for a few. I got bounced around more than usual today."

"The answer I'm looking for is yes or no. Are you this difficult with her?"

"The answer is yes. He's always difficult," Rio said from the door.

"Yes, I'm in pain."

"Was that hard? I'm giving you a little extra, so in about thirty minutes you're going right back to subs.p.a.ce."

Rio came in and sat at the edge of the bed. She'd taken one h.e.l.l of a hit to the face, and he noticed the bruise on her cheek was turning a nice shade of purple. He held his hand out to her.

"Come and sleep with me tonight, I'm scared."

She burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. I have a teddy bear this guy won me at the fair back in October. He told me it turns into a grizzly when it detects danger."

Chuckling at the memory of the story he'd made up when he'd won the bear and gave it to her made him hiss in pain. He pulled her against his chest and held her, even though it hurt like h.e.l.l. Yes, it was good to be home.

"No bears. I need something softer. Look at me; I'm in pain. I might not make it through the night. You've got to help out here."

Crawling up to him she rubbed her nose against his and said, "Ask me."

It had been so long since they'd shared any sort of affection. She'd been so tense while he'd been in the hospital and twitched at every sound. It was nice to see her smile and relax. He kissed her.

"You don't want to hot rack with that freaky guy in the other room. Sleep with me tonight, I've missed you."

"Is Dan okay, and did we figure out the mole in the CBP, Rock?" Dixie asked.

"He's fine, and the mole turned out to be the commander of the Naco Station, Felix Alverez. He and a land developer were the guys who set up the CBP agent that Bada.s.s is working with. He's about to drop the hammer and make a couple of more arrests as soon as the FBI and DEA are done combing Alverez's house. Apparently, there are some bank accounts in the Caymans that are loaded. He's also getting ready to seize the holdings of Montez Aviation, LLC, and Macey Land Development. I guess you can make another donation to the Panamanian treasury after the dust settles."

Dixie got up and walked to a series of pictures that lined one of the shelves in the office. During the next session in the spring, he'd be testifying before Congress at his confirmation hearing for his appointment to the Joint Chiefs. The pictures on the shelf were a living history of US conflicts over the last thirty-five years. He picked up one that had been one of the most meaningful missions of his life. It had been taken in Panama right after Operation Just Cause had ended. He smiled as he caught sight of a very young Rock and Bada.s.s in the picture.

"I need to talk to Dan and find out if our contact gave him any messages."

"Why would he do that? That would've been risky. Could've blown his cover."

"I still need to talk to him."

Dixie arrived at Sierra Vista's airport early the next day. Lieutenant JG Harman picked him up and drove them to a quiet neighborhood about thirty miles away. When they pulled up to the small house, he took a deep breath before opening the door. Thinking about almost losing a d.a.m.n good SEAL in the young lieutenant made him swallow hard. The man inside had earned a special place on his list of comrades.

He recalled the time he'd first met Dan and Shaq at his Dev Group command in Dam Neck, Virginia, a few years ago and how wide-eyed both young men were when they reported for duty. He'd had the privilege of watching these men mature as SEALs and Naval officers, but mostly he'd seen them grow into manhood. Two weeks ago, Dixie had approved Rock's recommendation for Dan to meet the command boards for his first step in a promotion to lieutenant commander. Dixie and Rock were grooming their successors, and if Dan stayed the course, he could easily see the young lieutenant as a future command staffer or even the Commander of Navy Special Warfare.

When the door swung open and he was ushered into the house, he noticed how stiff everyone became when he stepped inside. It bothered him that they all stood at attention when he walked into a room. He understood it was a respect due to him by virtue of his position, but when it came down to it, he was also a US Navy SEAL and had earned the Trident he proudly wore just like them. Even now, he wouldn't hesitate to pick up a weapon and fight beside them. These SEALs, regardless of rank, were his brothers.

"Relax, will you guys? I've got to put on my pants in the morning just like you," he said, attempting to ease the tension. A light laughter fluttered through the room, and some of the men who'd met him before eased somewhat. "Where's Dan?"

"I'm right here, admiral," he answered from the hallway. They shook hands as Dixie's power gaze zeroed in on Dan. "h.e.l.l of a fight you were in, boy."

"I got my a.s.s kicked, sir."

Laughing, he said, "Yeah, well, I understand you inflicted a little pain of your own. Can we talk a minute?"

"Yes, sir, right this way." Dan led him toward the back of the house.

They entered a bedroom, and it was clear by all of the medical equipment in the room that this was where Dan was recovering. In the far corner of the room, he noticed a huge German shepherd stand and growl at him.

"Friend." Dan reclined against the headboard of the bed and called to the dog. "Come here, girl."

The dog sat next to the bed, and Dan stroked her coat.

"Yours?" Dixie asked as he closed the door. He took a seat in the chair near the door.

"No, sir. My fiancee's, and Schotzie here is the first member of Special Warfare Group 5 Reserve Unit's new K-9 group."

"Is your fiancee the new dog trainer that Bada.s.s is always talking about?"

"Yes, sir. She's making Schotzie keep watch while she's gone."

"I understand that girl of yours is something else, too."

Dan smiled. "Scuttleb.u.t.t travels fast, and yes, sir, she is."

"She sounds like a keeper. Congratulations, son. Everyone seems to have taken me off their lists when I made my first star, but I still like to get out every now and then. Send me an invite to the wedding."

"You can count on it." Dan looked away for a moment. "Do we need to debrief, sir?"

"Yeah, we do."

"I guess that guy who tried to help me out really did know you. I thought I'd seen him before, and then he started talking like JJ, and it hit me. I saw him in a picture in your office.

There was the signal he'd been waiting for. He smiled at Dan. "JJ, Umberto, and I are all good friends and go way back. He's a very important man and has been for a number of years."

"Do you want me to start from the beginning? Or do you just want the message he told me to give you?"

Dixie had read the young SEAL's debriefing. Dan Gamez would indeed be the next generation of leadership because he knew how to play his cards just right. He'd left the information about pa.s.sing a message to his admiral out of his debrief. He had sense enough to protect his leadership and knew if the man had been on the level, Dixie would seek him out and get that message personally.

"I'm not making you go through that again, just give me the message."

"He said, 'the fox is closing in on the dove', sir."

It was a chilling message meaning that Umberto had given Montenegro information in order to save the integrity of the bigger mission and Dan's life. This young man had no idea how important the message he delivered to his admiral was for the security of two nations and to Dixie personally.

This kid was smart. Rock sure knew how to pick winners. There might be a spot for this young lieutenant commander as well as a new one-star admiral in Washington DC as staffers to the newest member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Chapter 30.

Cafe Nadier Tehran, Iran November 15, 2010/0917 Zulu Minster Bakri sipped his coffee and enjoyed a cigarette at his favorite cafe in downtown Tehran. His routine helped ease his transition into exile, and his Iranian hosts were most generous, ensuring his lifestyle had been maintained. The waiter came to his table, and he handed the man some money, then tucked his paper under his arm and walked into the building where he served as a consultant to a French energy company doing business in Pakistan. His job was to help them navigate the politics of his former homeland, and he'd proven to be an a.s.set because they were getting contracts previously denied them.

Stepping into his private elevator, he pressed the b.u.t.ton that would take him directly to his office. He withdrew his hand at the sudden sting to his finger. When he looked at the pad of his finger, he saw the small pinp.r.i.c.k. He disregarded it as he stepped out to his office.

"Bonjour, Lita."

"Bonjour, monsieur. Votre courrier est sur votre bureau."

Two maintenance workers walked in and asked her a question in Persian that he didn't completely hear as he entered his office. His mail and other correspondence were right where she said it would be. Lita was an efficient secretary and just as fastidious as he. He sat behind his desk and read through his correspondence. As the morning progressed, he felt as if he was coming down with the flu. By noon, he had a headache and was feverish. He coughed and tasted blood. His chest suddenly ached, and when he tried to stand to get help, he collapsed to the floor.

"Mr. Koval, how was your stay in Iran?" the man asked in French as he stamped the pa.s.sport. "It looks like you were here for business. What company, sir?"

"Societe du Pipeline Sud-European, and it was most rewarding."

"Good. Your luggage has been cleared. Have a safe trip back to Paris."