Tucker, Sven, T.J., and Ryan were to drive down to the harbor and board the ship from land. This time, they were armed with their choice of firepower. Tucker chose the SIG Sauer with two extra magazines.
The rest of the team would split to search targets Stuart had identified. All five of the other targets were located within the past twelve hours on land, near the area of the Capri and Tradewinds. Several were staying in residences nearby.
The squads used the cover of darkness, leaving the compound just after midnight. They only had one chance to make the raid, grabbing as many of the six targets as they could. Vandershoot was the prime target.
As their caravan approached the outskirts of Las Palmas, Tucker’s and Fredo’s groups headed south along the coast. Coop and the divers drove straight through the city to rendezvous with the fishing charter to get closer to the cruise ship via sea.
Tucker parked his Jeep in an alley across the main commercial harbor drive, leaving Ryan with the vehicle to coordinate with Stuart and Gibson at the hotel. Fredo, Armando and others had split off and headed back to the Tradewinds Hotel where two of their targets had been located. They would also explore the neighborhoods nearby for the remainder.
As planned, Sven cut the chain link fencing to gain entry, avoiding the guard station, and snuck along the dimly lit pier. Although some forklift operators were stacking pallets nearby, they were focused on their work. Tucker figured they’d wait for morning to start loading. The cargo bays had been left open, however, and the gangway was chained off, but not guarded.
Inside the ship, they spotted two armed guards sitting behind a desk.
With no one guarding the gangway’s lower entrance, it was easy to climb the crisscross structure and wait just under the cargo hold opening.
“We’re ready to board,” Tucker whispered into his Invisio.
“Copy that,” Ryan answered. A few seconds later, Tucker heard, “That’s a go, Tucker. God speed.”
Sven tapped on the side of the opening with his KA-BAR, which provoked the desired inquiry from one of the guards. As he peered over, Sven pulled him out, twisted his neck, yanked his upper back, and dropped him into the bay. At the same time, Tucker climbed up the other side of the gangway and tackled the distracted second guard, disabling him quickly but leaving him for Sven and T.J. to immobilize. He scampered into the crew hallway, searching both directions and found the area completely clear.
He signaled for Sven and T.J. to join him.
Staying to the outside stairwells, they climbed three floors until they reached the galley doors, which were chained shut. Sven’s compact bolt cutters made fast work severing the lock, which gained them access to the kitchen. The entire galley was completely empty. Even the washers and garbage incinerators were idle.
They moved between stainless steel rows of food preparation stations and ovens then through a small crew lounge and out into one of the main restaurants and beyond to the lobby area. The fancy décor and the piped-in music was surreal. But instead of scores of housekeeping staff polishing the floors and wiping down the surfaces, the floors were littered with dirt, paper, half-filled crates, and broken bottles. Leftover trays of food and empty wine glasses were thrown on the floors.
They’d been given a diagram of the ship but also found one posted on the wall by the elevators. They were looking for the Penthouse Suite area, mid hip, floor 11. Amazingly, the elevators had not been disabled.
“We’re on deck 11,” Tucker informed Stuart.
“Roger that, Tucker. Still a go. Let us know when you identify the Dutchman.”
There were four Penthouse suites on this level, two on each side. They agreed to do two at a time on each side, and if their target wasn’t on this floor, they would continue going down each floor until they found him.
On the count of three, he and Sven used their small breaching charge, which was relatively quiet. Both rooms they opened were vacant. Down the hall, a door opened, and two young girls poked their heads out, clutching their nightgowns. Tucker put his finger to his lips, and they disappeared quietly.
Running to the other side, they did the same to the next two Penthouse doors, popping the locks simultaneously. This time, they hit gold.
The African warlord, General Two Fingers, sat up, staring into the barrel of Tucker’s SIG. Two young girls with him scrambled to the other side of the bed and covered themselves, whimpering.
“You are so awesomely dead, my man,” the General growled.
Tucker knew he was staring into the face of pure evil. “And you’re going to jail, my man, for a long, long time.”
Vandershoot, on the other hand, wore a flannel sleeping gown and socks and had been sleeping alone. He stared back at Sven in disbelief. T.J. secured both men in zip ties behind their backs while Sven gagged and hooded them.
“We have the General and the Dutchman,” reported Tucker.
“Roger that. Great work.”
They were escorted down the hallway like the scumbags they were. Doors popped open, young girls of several nationalities stepped outside to watch. As Vandershoot passed by one of them, she spat on him.
T.J. followed behind to watch for an armed attempt to foil the capture, but with the end of the barrel pointed to the General’s temple, the few guards—who appeared to be private security and not regular Civil Guard—did nothing and dropped their weapons.
As the foursome left, using the gangway, a small crowd of dockworkers had gathered, without any armed militia. Just before they reached the Jeep, they heard the sound of several hull breaches being detonated.
Cooper’s team had managed to make sure that ship and all its cargo would not be sailing for parts unknown without spending some considerable time in dry dock. It would remain in the shallow water until inventory and investigation could be completed.
Fredo and the boys who went into town had secured three of the four remaining targets, all without incident. Within an hour, all five men were delivered to the fishing charter. The dive team was loaded, and they all watched as the charter set out in the early morning fog to their rendezvous with the Stennis carrier group, for questioning. Seconds later, the four vehicles were back on the narrow road to the complex.
Other than the two guards on the cruise ship, no one was seriously injured. On the SEAL Team, only Lucas would be returning with a black eye.
It wasn’t even daybreak when they returned to the hotel, where congratulations were in order. Lt. Commander Gibson was coordinating with a Spanish Civil Guard patrol to search the ship and seize the contraband. Their arrangement with the Spanish government had been kept to the letter. Now it would be up to the Spanish courts and their jurisdictional departments to bring charges for the corruption and bribery of the local police and to dispose of the contraband.
For now, they’d put a dent into Vandershoot’s operation. It was hoped that with the interrogations, more arrests would follow and the smuggling operation would be seriously hampered.
Tucker knew better than to think they’d done anything permanent to the ring. But it was a start, and with the evidence they’d amassed both in person and with surveillance, it was unlikely that any of the men they captured would ever see their way outside of a jail cell.
He also knew that with enough money and power, anyone could ultimately get away. But they’d made it harder for the ring to function and perhaps given some of the families impacted time to take a breath and heal from the violence.
There was no celebration at the end of most their operations. Everyone just wanted to get home, so Gibson ordered them to retire and get some sleep in preparation for the long days of travel ahead.
When Tucker awoke, it was too early for him to let Brandy know they’d be coming home. They’d be stopping over in Virginia for debriefing, expected to take a day plus, and then, possibly be home in San Diego the day after, depending on the transport situation, he’d been told. Anxious to hear her voice, he dialed her anyway.
Her grogginess was suc
h a welcomed sound.
“Tucker, what time is it?”
“Too early but wanted to let you know I’ll be home in about three days. We’re just wrapping up here.”
“Wonderful.”
“Now go back to sleep.”
“No, I want to talk to you. I can sleep anytime.”
He began to unthaw, just hearing her voice. He felt like he was home already.
“How are my two princesses?”
“Your daughter eats like a horse!”
“I would expect nothing less. Is she walking and talking yet?”
Brandy laughed. “Practically. All those nice twelve-month sleepers and tee shirts we got as gifts at the shower, she’s nearly grown out of all of them. We’re talking eighteen-month, Tucker. She’s only a month old!”
“What can I say?”
“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Dad and Jillian. Thank you for that suggestion. And Joe’s been over nearly every day. We have a new back fence and gate at the side of the house. And you should see the garden. You’ll be impressed.”
“Can’t wait. How are you, sweetheart?”
“I haven’t lost any weight. The ladies on your team have been forcing food on me. I’m going to have to stop it or I’ll look the same as I did pregnant. Jillian has made some wonderful salads. Oh, and I have a surprise for you!”
“Tell me.”
“Then it won’t be a surprise.”
He loved teasing her. He planned to do a lot more of that in the coming weeks.
“Give me a hint, Brandy.”
“Nope. You’ll have to just keep guessing until I can show you. It has to do with the house, but that’s all I can say. I hope you like it.”
“We didn’t go out and spend a bunch of money, I hope. Did we, Brandy? Remember, our finances are spotty, at best.”
“No. Not that.”
“You found more palm trees.”
“Of course not.”
“I give up. Tell me.”
“Joe and his buddies have drawn up plans for an addition to our place. Making the second floor another unit. We could Airbnb it or rent it out or make it a studio. We just need your approval to go forward, Tucker.”
He was instantly concerned about where the money was going to come from to complete this major project. But he didn’t want to dash her hopes. It was just fun to hear the laughter in her voice, the way she enjoyed being a mother.
He couldn’t wait to get home.
Chapter 22
Brandy was thrilled to report to her father that Tucker was coming home. She and Jillian cleaned the house while her dad did some last-minute gardening. Some of the furrows needed to be deepened, and since they’d been spending so much time in the rear yard, weeds had cropped up.
The two palm trees were standing as tall as they could, although less than four feet tall. Her dad let her know that the shallow roots had taken hold and were expanding outward, a sure sign they were healthy.
Brandy loved to watch her dad tend to her garden. “You should get one out at the ocean, Dad.”
“I think I’d grow some killer artichokes, but I’d have to remove the firepit and the patio. I just couldn’t do that to Jillian.”
“I get you.”
“That’s one of the favorite things we do these days, sit back with a nice glass of wine and watch the sunset.”
She hugged him from behind. “Happy for you both, Dad.”
“I tell you what, though, just this little patch of yard is quite a bit to take care of. You’ve seen how much work it is.”
She nodded. “It’s more beautiful than I ever thought possible.”
“Wait until the flowers bloom. You’ll have mums until Christmas. Then next year, we’ll get an early start and get you some real flowers. We’ll get a climbing rose for your little fence here—maybe set up a trellis in front of the front door.”
“That sounds lovely. I can’t wait.”
“The snaps we’ve started will be huge, so you’ll have an outstanding spring. I plan on planting some bulbs, if you approve.”
“Daffodils. Tucker’s favorite flower.”
“Ah, that was your mother’s as well.” He leaned on his shovel. “I know I say it too much, but she’d have been so pleased. I wish she’d have met Tucker.”
“I knew she was with me that day we got married, Dad. I heard her talk to me. I really did.”
Steve went back to working his hoe. Brandy knew she’d triggered a tear or two and realized he didn’t want to show it.
“Where exactly did you two get these again?” he asked, pointing to the palm trees.
“It was from their last mission. They rescued a young aid worker, who’d been kidnapped and trafficked in Nigeria. Her father lives in the Portland area and sent these as a thank you.”
“They’re beautiful trees. You know they get tall, don’t you? And they’re not cheap.”
“Oh yes. Tucker said he wanted to put them here in front like sentries, a good omen, protecting our family home.”
“With your addition and all these gardens, you’re building quite an oasis. Kind of reminds me of some of the places your mom and I visited in Italy or Southern France.”
“I’d like to travel someday, see all those places. Tucker’s been all over the world.”
“Well, when he finishes his years with the Navy, he should have a nice retirement. Then you can travel.”
“My thought exactly. Nine more years. Unless he decides to stay in longer.”
Steven stopped his hoeing again. “You think he will?”
“I don’t know. Now that we have Kimberly, I want him home more. But that decision is his to make and mine to support. That’s how it goes on the Teams.”
Joe stopped by to check on the irrigation in the back yard. He’d heard the team was coming home.
“Do you know what day?”
“Shannon’s expecting T.J. tomorrow.”
“O-M-G. Are they back in the states?” Brandy had forgotten to check her cell phone when she woke up.
“I think so.”
Brandy searched for her phone and finally found it tucked into Kimberly’s diaper bag. The instant she plugged it into the charger, the messages lit up. There had been three from Tucker. “Oh crap.”
She dialed and it went straight to voicemail. “I’m so sorry, Tucker. I just found out you guys will be home tomorrow. So excited here. Stuck my phone last night into Kimberly’s bag and forgot all about it. Can’t wait to see you! Let me know what time, and we’ll be there.”
Brandy did more laundry, mostly the baby’s, and while Kimberly was sleeping, she washed her hair. She changed the sheets on the bed, using the freshly laundered cotton ones with the expensive softener. She prepared a special meal plan for the whole day, so she’d be ready no matter when he came home and made Tucker’s favorite peanut butter brownies. Then she added a bottle of champagne to chill and checked on the beer bottle inventory, deciding it was adequate.
Now all she needed was Tucker.
Just after noon, she got the call she’d been waiting for.
“We’re all done in Virginia, got a flight home tomorrow,” he said. “Miss me?”
“Such a silly question! I’ve thought of nothing else these past couple of days.”
“How about Kimberly?”
“You know how that goes. As long as she’s fed and clean, she’s happy. But I think she’s waiting to be held by her big, strong daddy.”
“You want me to bring anything back for you?”
“Nope. Just you. What time do I meet the plane?”
“We got the red-eye, leaving like 0100, so nine or ten we’re estimating. Unless we get delayed.”
“Perfect. We’ll be there.”
Brandy had calls from several other of the wives, making sure she knew about the men getting home. It was agreed that there would be a beach get together with the kids on Friday night. She called Christy and asked her if Kyle was back in town.
“Oh, he’ll be there. He doesn’t like missing rotations, but it was important training.”
She put the phone down to monitor kids she was babysitting. “Sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t get over there to visit, Brandy. It will be great to see the baby.”
“She’ll be snuggled up.”
“I heard you had some help from your dad.”
“Yes, and Joe Benson came over and built our backyard fencing. He also built this beautiful pink playhouse, too. You’ll have to bring the kids over to play in it.”
“Yup, we’ll plan that too. So how did Tucker do? Did he say?”
“You know Tucker. I’m afraid he had to spend more time calming me down than being able to share much of what it was like over there, but he did fine, I guess.”
“So you were okay, then?”
Brandy realized too late that she’d perhaps alluded to the problems Geri and Bryce had had with their oldest. She didn’t feel comfortable going there. She hadn’t mentioned it to anyone but Tucker. Not even her father.
“Well, this being the first time I was alone with the baby got tough a couple of days, but I called in my chips. He told me to surround myself with the other wives and family. My fault for not thinking of that first. No worries.”
“Okay, but you know you can call me if anything comes up, right? Anything.”
Brandy felt slightly guilty not being completely forthcoming but didn’t want to burden her.
Then she got a call from Geri. The family was going through counseling. Lynn had gotten behind in school, but Brandy was happy to hear there had been no further contact with the creep who’d made the text messages.
“I guess your guy will be coming home any day now, so just wanted to say thanks for the support.”
“Any time, Geri. I’m relieved to know things have begun to return to normal for you guys. It could have been much worse.”
“You’re right about that. Bryce and I talk about that all the time. You know, they had a bomb scare last year in the high school. The administration has to deal with so many issues these days, it seems.”
SEALed Protection (Bone Frog Brotherhood Book 5) Page 13