One small victory came his way when Lawrence Pembury’s wife and child were located and rescued. Pembury was still in isolation when his family was brought to see him. Seeing them gave him a boost. Duncan took a personal interest in the matter and interceded with immigration authorities, helping to get Pembury’s wife and child their documents so they could stay in the U.S.
Kim Jeung Pak, the South Korean agent—Bolan never learned his real name—was recovered enough from his wound to return home after a few weeks. Preventing the smallpox virus from being taken by the North Korean cell, on both occasions, was a satisfactory result for the agent, even though it had taken place under unexpected circumstances. The involvement of the man known only as Cooper was the main factor in that result.
* * *
WHILE TAKING WELL-DESERVED R & R at a hospice, Bolan had frequent visitors. He spent a few days in bed, his body slowly recuperating from the abuse it had received, before he was allowed to move around. Bolan had no objections to the time he spent alone, staring out through the window of his room. His body would heal in its own time.
It was the slower, frustrating healing of his mind that concerned him. As the physical trauma faded and the stressless atmosphere of his surroundings allowed him to simply regenerate his thoughts, Bolan made no demands. He simply allowed everything to wash over him.
His first visitor was Joshua Riba. The Apache had come to tell Bolan he was on his way home. Back to his New Mexico haunts. He showed Bolan the new jacket he’d purchased to replace the one that had been bullet-holed.
“Now I feel better,” Riba said. “You getting there, friend?”
Bolan nodded. “Thanks for the help, Joshua.”
“Was a pleasure.”
“You ever need my help, just call.”
“And if you want to come and take the Apache cure, the offer stands.”
“I just might do that when I’m done here,” Bolan said. “Is Brognola taking care of you?”
“Fixed me up with a private plane to get me home. All to myself. I need to get home before I get too used to all this luxury.” Riba thrust out a big hand. “You’ll have to watch your own back now I’m leaving. And keep in touch.”
* * *
LEO TURRIN AND BROGNOLA made a combined visit. Bolan managed to put faces and names together.
Turrin was full of apologies. He carried some guilt over what had happened to Bolan.
“Leo, none of us knows how a mission is going to go until we’re in the middle of it. Nothing runs exactly to plan. Did we get the outcome we wanted?”
“Yes.”
“Then we did okay.”
“Except for Vic Bremner.”
“He pointed the finger in Rackham’s direction,” Brognola said. “If he hadn’t, that virus sale might have gone ahead. Hell, think of the number of dead if the North Koreans had used it.”
“Any indication of the target?” Bolan asked.
“The South Korean agency is tracking the cell behind it. They believe it’s a fanatic group that wants to cause unrest with the south. The North Korean government is denying any involvement.”
“I’d be surprised if they didn’t,” Turrin said.
They spent some time on idle conversation. Bolan realized it had been advised by his doctor, a distracting way to ease his thoughts on familiar ground.
“You look tired, Striker,” Brognola said. “We’ll leave you to it.”
* * *
DAYS LATER, SEATED IN the quiet dayroom, Bolan felt a shadow fall across his face. He looked up and recognized Laura Devon.
Only she looked altogether different.
She was in military uniform.
“Look at you, Sergeant,” Bolan said.
She pulled up a chair and sat facing him.
“You are looking better,” she said. “Well, at least a little better.”
“Ever the flatterer.” Bolan examined her uniform. “No doubt about it. You make that uniform look good.”
“I realized all I was doing was hiding away in Hardesty. Flipping eggs and frying bacon was just an excuse. The time I spent around you. What we went through. It told me to get off my butt and move on with my life. I was still in the reserves, so I called my old commander and said I wanted back in.”
“They’re lucky to have you.”
“That’s to be seen.”
Bolan reached out and touched her cheek. “No,” he said. “It’s a fact. You’ll be fine, Laura Devon.”
“And what about you, Cooper? Are you going to be fine?”
“Doctor says the scans he took show the pressure on my brain is subsiding. Give it a few weeks and I should be okay.”
“Only should, Cooper? Where’s your optimism? I remember a guy who kept going, dragging me behind him, and who refused to quit no matter what was thrown at him. I want to remember that when I’m in the middle of a firefight and I’m ready to run for cover. Cooper, you’ll come through this. I know you will.”
When she kissed him before she walked away, Bolan understood.
He was alive.
He had faced his enemies and come through.
Again.
The future stretched ahead, and he would be a part of it, taking the fight to the enemy. Alive to fight another day.
* * * * *
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ISBN: 9781460318829
Copyright © 2013 by Worldwide Library
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