“Sweet baby Jesus.”
“What?” Lizzie pushed over to sit next to her and look at her screen. “Is that Senator Stanhope’s daughter?”
“Yes. I thought the name sounded familiar.”
“Why isn’t it all over the news then? Her father is a senator.”
“Exactly. If they realize they have a senator’s daughter and not just a bunch of preachers, it will be much worse.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“I wouldn’t if it wasn’t for the job. I look for different angles, think about things differently. And I’d bet a million dollars it’s why there’s nothing out there right now.”
“I want Charlie back. There’s got to be something we can do.”
“We will, Lizzie. We’ll figure out something. Hopefully, Rafe’s friend can help.”
“How can he help?”
“Supposedly he’s some kind of computer genius who can find out anything about anything.”
“He’s a spy?”
“I don’t think so. Rafe said he was a SEAL but lost his leg and was medically retired.”
“He could still be a spy.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think Rafe would have told me about him then.”
“That’s true. Can you call him? Maybe he found out something else.”
“Rafe or the computer guy?” Meghan wasn’t sure Rafe would want her passing Tex’s name around so for now, he’d just be the computer guy.
“The computer guy.”
“No, I don’t have his contact information. Rafe promised he’d call later. He’s playing basketball with his nephew.”
“How old is his nephew?”
“Same age as the twins, ten. He’s also got a niece who is eight. Awful nosy, aren’t you?”
“If he’s interested in my sister then I think I have a right to know. Looks like lots of kids at the family reunions.”
“Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a little? I just met the guy.”
“Sweet girl, you’re living in fantasy land if you don’t see it. Your face lit right up when you read his text messages. I think I’m right on target.”
Meghan didn’t know how to answer that. It’s not like she could disagree with Lizzie, but she wasn’t ready to own up to it either. Charlie needed their focus. If a relationship with Rafe was meant to be then it would happen.
“We’ll see. Right now, my focus is on getting Charlie and his group back.”
“Agreed. But it is nice to see you thinking about something other than work, and I don’t mean Charlie.” After she finished talking, Lizzie stuck her tongue out. It was like they were five and seven again. Next, she’d say she was going to tell mom on her. Well maybe not. She had to deal with her own children now.
“Fine. Now, why don’t you check on the kids and I’m going to try to get some sleep since we just have to wait.”
“I’ll come and get you for dinner.”
“I’ll be down before that.”
Lizzie nodded as she walked out of the bedroom and pulled the door shut. Meghan put the laptop aside after checking for emails one more time. Waiting sucked donkey balls. With a yawn, she leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes.
Chapter 9
Rafe wouldn’t admit it to Dawn, but it hadn’t been easy keeping up with Chase. The kid was a bundle of energy and after being up all night his energy stores were lower than usual. Or his age might be catching up to him, but he’d fight it off for as long as possible.
The whole Black Eagle Team was getting older. It was hard to believe that they were one of the oldest active teams. Most of them had been together since BUD/S. Jake Warner, their Master Sergeant, had picked them and managed to keep them alive through it all. When he’d added Cam Patterson a few years ago, Rafe hadn’t been sure he’d fit in. The kid was young and hot-headed but after a few months he’d settled in and become part of the team. Halo, his K-9, didn’t have his handler’s problem, he’d fit in right away. They loved that dog, and he’d saved their asses more than once.
After the game, he’d checked his phone for messages. There was still nothing from Tex or anyone else. He was getting antsy and imagined his little spitfire was probably bouncing off the walls. If he’d been in her shoes, he’d have been on a plane to Afghanistan as soon as he’d gotten the news even if it meant going AWOL. It was family and he worried she’d try to do something like it.
The bed called to him after he got out of the shower. It was tempting. Too tempting. But he needed answers and Meghan did too. He’d made her a promise and he intended to keep it.
As he pulled his t-shirt over his head the phone rang. Grabbing it, he answered without looking at the caller. “Hey, Tex. About time, bro. I was just about to call you.”
“Not Tex, but I sure as hell would like to know what information you’re waiting for from him.”
“Boss,” Shit he was in trouble now. Jake knew Tex, they all did, but he also knew he wouldn’t just call him to shoot some shit.
“It’s complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it, fast.” Fuck. This wasn’t going to go well.
“I was stuck overnight at the airport and I met a woman.”
“Why didn’t you just go home?”
“I could have, but I didn’t want to leave her alone.”
“Are you trying to compete with Murph now? Picking up women wherever you go?”
“Not even close. There was something about her. I can’t explain it.” No comment. Silence. Jake was already running scenarios in his head.
“Have you heard about the missionary group that was kidnapped?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Her brother is one of the hostages.”
“Fuck. That complicates things.”
“You could say that.”
“More than you realize. I’m sorry to fuck with your leave, but you need to get back to base asap.”
“I’ll get on the next available flight…”
“Just get to Buckley Air Force Base. There’s a transport on stand-by. And tell Tex to stand down. Understand?”
“Copy that.”
“See you soon, Rafe. Tell Dawn I’m sorry.”
“I will.” The whole team was on leave, and he wondered why they hadn’t called in a different team. Jake hadn’t briefed him on the mission, but he didn’t need to be a mind reader to know where they were going. As much as he hated to leave, he wasn’t disappointed. Not being able to tell Meghan anything wasn’t going to go over well. His sister would understand, she’d been through it before. He hated having to leave so soon after he’d gotten there but it wasn’t the first time.
He’d finished re-packing his bag when his phone vibrated. This time he checked, half expecting it to be Meghan.
“Tex. Too bad you didn’t call about fifteen minutes ago.”
“Called in, huh?”
“You know it. Jake told me to tell you to stand down.”
“How did he find out you called me?”
“Because I’m an ass and didn’t check before I answered.”
Tex snorted. “Do you want me to stand down?”
“Did you find out anything else?”
“Some. They haven’t realized they have the senator’s daughter. That’s a good thing. But they haven’t made demands yet either.”
“Shit. Why take them then?”
“Not sure. But you’ll probably know as much as I do soon.”
“Maybe. You get better intel usually. Jake didn’t say much at all. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Do you think you could keep Meghan in the loop for me? I can’t tell her jack shit about anything and I’m worried she’s going to get herself into trouble.”
“She’s yours, right?”
“Yeah. Even if she may not want to admit it yet.”
“Then yeah, no problem. But you’d better let her know who I am, so she doesn’t freak out when I call her.”
<
br /> “Do you need her info?”
“Nah, I’ve got it already.”
It was Rafe’s turn to snort. Of course, he did. “I should have known. Thanks, bro. I appreciate it. This is going to get worse for her.”
“Most likely. There’s something weird with this whole thing. I’m not sure what it is yet, but I will find out.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll check in when I can.”
“Happy hunting.”
As he slung his bag over his shoulder, there was a quiet knock on his door.
“Come in.” Cindy opened the door and when she saw him the smile disappeared from her face.
“You just got here. Why are you going away?”
“I have to sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”
“But we didn’t get to have our tea party.”
“Next time, I promise.”
“You said that last time.” It sucked, he hated that he kept disappointing these kids. But it was his job. He dropped his bag and swooped her into his arms. Her tiny hands wrapped around his neck and she laid her face against his.
“If I could stay I would. But I have to save some people from very bad men.”
“Like Captain America?”
“Yes, kind of, yes. But I don’t have a cool shield like he does.”
“I guess it’s okay then. Will you come back when you’re done?”
“I will try very hard, but I can’t promise. Okay?”
“Okay.” She leaned back and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Uncle Rafe.”
“I love you too, Cindy. Be good for your momma.”
“I’m always good. It’s Chase who is always getting into trouble.” Placing her on the floor, he grabbed his bag and took her hand. As they headed down the stairs, the sound of his sister yelling at Chase punctuated his niece’s comment.
“See Uncle Rafe. I told you.” Rafe squeezed Cindy’s hand.
“Yes, you did. Let’s see if we can fix this. Sound good?”
“Yup.” Her sweet innocence squeezed his heart. They needed their father. Bob was killed in action a year ago, and they’d gone through a lot. He’d planned on taking some of the pressure off of Dawn. That had gone out the window when Jake called, but he could play referee before he left.
“Hey. What’s going on?” Dawn turned toward his voice and she saw his bag. He caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes before she turned again. What the hell was going on?
“Chase and I are working it out. It’s fine.”
“It didn’t sound fine. Cindy and I could hear you guys upstairs. Chase, you should never yell at your mother. She deserves your respect. What would your dad say if he heard you?”
Whatever Chase had been about to say died before it came out of his mouth. He may only be ten, but both of them had grown up a lot in the last year. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Dawn pulled him into her arms and looked over his head and mouthed the words, “thank you” to Rafe. “I’m sorry too, buddy. I shouldn’t yell either. I don’t want to have to argue with you every time I tell you no to something.”
“I’ll try to be better.”
“That’s all I ask. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mom.”
“You fixed them, Uncle Rafe.”
“I think they did it on their own, sweetheart.” She pulled her hand out of his and ran to her mother, who opened her arms to include her in the hug. As he watched the little family, happiness seeped into his soul.
“I hate to break this up, but I have to go.”
“But you just got here, Uncle Rafe,” Chase said. His little face still red from tears and anger.
“I know, but like I told Cindy, I have to go get the bad guys.”
“Can’t someone else go?”
“I’m afraid not. But I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“Wow, that didn’t take long. Is it what you were worried about? Dawn asked.
“Yeah.”
“Be careful.”
“Always. Now I want one of those group hugs before I go.” He had to admit, all that love was powerful, and it stayed with him as he boarded the transport to head back to Norfolk an hour and a half later.
The plane was airborne before he figured out what to tell Meghan. The only thing that made it better was that he’d be able to keep his promise and bring Charlie back home to her family. Not being able to tell her he was going was one of the hardest things he’d had to do.
Deciding to call rather than text, he dialed her number.
“Hello?” Damn, he’d woken her.
“Spitfire, it’s Rafe. I’m sorry I woke you.”
“No. I shouldn’t have been sleeping still. Lizzie was supposed to wake me up after an hour. What time is it?”
“Eighteen hundred.”
“In English please?”
He chuckled. “Six p.m. your time.”
“Dammit. I should have been up hours ago. Where are you? It sounds like you’re on a plane. I thought you were in Denver.”
“I was, but I got called back. We’ve got a mission.”
“And you can’t tell me anything, right?” It hadn’t taken her long to wake up.
“Right. I’m sorry. But it’s classified.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know. I will call you when we get back. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to, but I’ll try to check on you.”
“What about Charlie? Did your friend find out anything else? I’ve had dead ends here.”
“He did, but it wasn’t much. Tex said they hadn’t asked for ransom yet.”
“I don’t understand how a group of Americans can get taken and no one is doing anything, and there’s nothing on the news or anywhere else. Only that first report we saw.”
“I know. But I’m sure there’s a good reason. Listen, Tex is going to call you if he finds out anything else so you won’t be in the dark. I texted his number to you. If you need anything give him a call. He will do what he can to help you.”
“Why would he do that? He doesn’t even know me?”
“Two reasons, one he’s a great guy and can’t resist helping anyone. And two, because you’re mine. That makes you family.”
“But we…”
“Don’t say it. We’ve talked about this. You’re not allowed to chicken out”
“Me? Chicken out. No way.”
“There’s my Spitfire. I have to go. But I’ll call as soon as I can.”
“Please be safe. I didn’t think I’d have to deal with worrying about you so soon.”
“I’ll be fine. Behave yourself.”
“What? I can’t hear you.”
“Bye, Spitfire. I love you.”
“Bye.” Meghan hadn’t said the words, but he knew in his heart she felt the same as he did. She’d taken the news better than he’d expected too. Unless she wasn’t awake enough to process what he’d said. It was a good thing she’d have Tex in case she needed anything.
It was another three hours before they landed at Naval Station Norfolk. As soon as he got off the plane, he headed to command. With no interruptions on the flight, he was able to grab some shut-eye. It wasn’t much but it was better than nothing and he’d learned years ago to sleep when he could. Not sure when they’d be shipping out, he’d take what he could get. It might be a while before he got any more.
“Nice of you to join us,” Ryan McLaughlin teased as he walked through the door. “We’ve been waiting hours for you.”
“Don’t they say the best is worth waiting for?” Rafe replied with a grin. His team was family, not by blood but something more.
“Bullshit,” Drew Murphy replied.
“Where’s Cam?” Rafe asked as he stored his pack.
“Outside with Halo.”
Before Rafe could ask if they’d heard anything else, the door opened and Master Chief Jake Warner, their boss, walked in followed by Cam and Halo. From the look on Jake’s face, they weren’t going to like what was coming.
&
nbsp; “Good timing, Rafe. Briefing starts in ten.”
“I beat Cam, why pick on me?”
“Why are you always giving me grief?” Cam asked as he grabbed a chair and Halo laid down on the floor beside him.
“Because you’re new. It’s our job.”
“I was new two years ago, what the fuck, man?”
Jake laughed. “You will always be the new guy. Might as well get used to it.”
They were already seated at the table when Captain Randall and their CIA liaison, Bill Lynch walked in.
“By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about the missionaries kidnapped in Bamyan Province. What you don’t know is that Senator Stanhope’s daughter is part of that group.”
Jake glanced at Rafe. He knew him well enough to know he needed to keep his mouth shut. Rafe tipped his chin and Jake nodded back.
“Have they made any demands?” Murph was their bomb guy. If something needed to get blown up, he was the man. Sometimes Rafe wondered if he enjoyed it a little too much.
“Not yet. We’re not sure they realize who’ve they’ve got either. But their silence is worrying JSOC. Bill will continue the briefing with what we know.”
After a few clicks on his laptop, the whiteboard displayed a photo of Miranda Stanhope. “This is the senator’s daughter. There are also nine others in the group. But she’s the reason we’re going in. The senator has been with POTUS since state notified him. We squashed the TV coverage to try to keep her identity on lockdown. But we’ve picked up some chatter that the Taliban is trying to sell the group for weapons.”
“To who?” Jake asked.
“The Iranians, ISIS, you name it. There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t want to get their hands on a group of Americans.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Ryan asked. He hated the Taliban and took every chance he got to kill as many of them as possible.
“We’ve got drones surveilling trying to find a location on our HVT but so far we haven’t dug up anything concrete.”
“Wait, so you’re going to drop us with no intel and we’re going on a scavenger hunt?”
“Jake, stand down. Bill’s doing the best he can,” Captain Knox interjected.
“We need more than ‘we think they’re somewhere in the mountains’. How the hell can we plan for that?”
“We’re working our sources. By the time we get to Kandahar, we should have verification of their location.”
SEAL's Spitfire (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Black Eagle Book 1) Page 7