by Lara Sweety
“Why?” A rough voice posed to the man on the other end of the call.
“You don’t ask ME, why, you asshole. You won’t have a clear shot. I guarantee it. There is enough firepower there to make you and your boys dust in the wind. You’ll do as ordered. Fuck it up and I’ll take you out myself! They’ll be stateside about eighteen hundred hours Sunday. Proceed as planned.”
Click.
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“You catch all that, Captain?” Brian wanted to make sure Jake knew exactly what was coming down the pike.
“Asshole,” he slid under his breath. “Yeah. I knew it was just a matter of time until they would catch up with us. It’s going as planned. Brian, I need you on this detail. You know once we go stateside, it gets personal too. I can get everyone cleared, after than we are on our own. Are you still in?”
“Yes sir. I’m not going to leave those lovely ladies to the wolves.”
“Glad to have you on board.” Jake hated the thought every time he had to put men in harm’s way. Well-planned missions had kept him from losing anyone. He never took anything for granted in his planning.
“Double-check arrangements for everyone, Laurel and Jen, Shannon and Jess and Adam, Ben and Ellia, you, Morrison, Seth and Rachel.” Jake was agitated. “I want a fucking armory and a helicopter at that farm and all the surveillance we can muster. We are putting down not too far away. I’ll give you coordinates. Double-check the transportation, supplies, and firepower. Get Morrison down here to go over the flight plans. I want any remaining details wrapped up quickly. We’ll reconvene at nineteen-hundred hours.”
“Yes, sir. Sir, should I recruit more men to assist?”
“Part of this is personal, Brian. Anyone would need to know that going in. I can’t ask these men to put their lives on the line for a personal firefight. Each one of the women is a good hand with a gun. Laurel and Shannon are sharp shooters, Ellia is CID, Jen is police, and Rachel is a hunter. I think it will be resolved before they catch up with us anyway. I’m just hoping the son of a bitch doesn’t send an entire platoon!”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter 26
The Gulfstream C-20 was mostly silent, except for mild banter between Morrison, his co-pilot, and air traffic control. Not knowing what lay ahead of them, no one felt like they had been on vacation. The controlled atmosphere of the island was looking better by the minute.
Captain LeGrande had split up the group. He, Brian, and Adam together with some volunteers that Tanner had garnered after sharing a brief version of the problem with trusted platoon members. Jess would lead the other group as they split between planes. Jake’s group took off a couple of hours prior for a stop in the Gulf for supplies.
The two planes would land on a private airstrip in the middle of the state and divide into specially equipped Suburbans. They would proceed to the farm and set up camp in the dark of night. The farm personnel would have the area secured and ready to process everything for those joining them.
The back-forty cabin would serve as a rear position. A Seahawk would rest over the ridge, camouflaged into the green. The area’s caves had been mapped out, Jon boats with fast inboard-jet motors, ready to slip over the river shallows at high speed, were tethered in a slew to hide them from prying fishermen. Jake figured the provisions had been complete overkill, but he was going to have all the bases covered.
He’d given the Navy a lot of time, made a lot of friends, a lot of connections, called in a lot of markers, and promised several favors. He stared out the window of the plane into the fading blue, deep in thought.
Jake hoped this would be his last stand. This fight had come too close to home and he didn’t like having his work in his back yard. It scared him—an emotion he wasn’t used to entertaining. Everything he had left in the world was in danger—Laurel, Jess, Adam and their extended family. He knew they were bait, but they were together, and that would make it easier for him to control the situation.
The plans went like clockwork and soon a weary group was settling in at Siddy Creek. The girls stayed in Laurel’s room. All the windows and doors had been braced or covered. The guys divvied up the upstairs. Sleep shifts would start with those coming in sleeping late to rid themselves of jet lag. Guard assignments were planned in advance. The house filled up under the guise of a family gathering.
Before getting some much-needed sleep, the group met in the dining room for a debriefing of sorts. “We are on our own, folks. You all knew that going in. Here are the details.” Jake proceeded to explain what he could.
Beginning with the reason that Jake took Laurel and Jen into protective custody, he held everyone’s attention, as the explanation proceeded. He was almost done with the outline, when Morrison piped up.
“Tell them,” Robert Morrison insisted. He wasn’t one to beat people over the head with it, but he felt the detail was important. It was time the whole group knew.
Jake raised his eyebrows at Morrison. Robert nodded and motioned him to continue. “The person Steve Laughlin was with was Lieutenant Morrison, who was here as well at the time.”
Jen took over at that point. “This explains why you are also on the hit list, Robert. You are one of the few who can substantiate Steve’s sexual preference, and that’s bad news for Senator Arnie Laughlin. It’s an important factor in Senator Laughlin’s campaign for the presidency; his backers don’t like people that don’t fit their mold.” She looked back at Jake.
Jake was firm. “Lieutenant Morrison is a good Navy man. He’s devoted to his country and treats his oath like any man here. He’s been instrumental in the success of many of the missions at my command. He’s a brilliant intelligence officer and an outstanding pilot. End of story.” Jake was sick of the whole thing, believing it shouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. He didn’t understand it, but he figured people’s personal business was just that—personal. Morrison had never made it an issue.
“This is all tangled up somehow, and we have yet to uncover the common thread. When we do, they can make the arrests and Laurel, Jen, and Robert should be out of danger.”
Jen nodded her head in acknowledgement, “I was debriefed, to a point, by Captain LeGrande sometime after arriving at the island. I’m sorry I couldn’t share that until we came back. It was the best way for me to investigate and see what other connections I could come up with. Unfortunately, I haven’t picked up anything else yet.”
Laurel looked a little miffed, but nodded in quiet understanding. It wasn’t much more than what she already knew.
“If it was in the best interests of everyone, then so be it.” Laurel sighed. She’d had a lot of time to think on the plane and had decided she just couldn’t control everything the way she wanted to. She was used to taking care of herself—but now?
There was a silence as everyone considered.
“Our stumbling block is that we don’t have the evidence we need to tie the good Senator to the death of the Jen’s parents. I think if we find that link, we will find the rest of the story quickly. There has to be something we are all missing. Tomorrow, I want the farm to be business as usual. There are armed guards everywhere. Every one of us will be armed, but we can’t go firing off indiscriminately. Be cautious, I don’t want anyone getting hurt because we’re jumpy. Ben and Ellia will be going to the cabin. Jess, Shannon, Adam, and Brian, you will be here. Jess and Adam will take care of our firepower, Brian—logistics, Shannon—bee stings.” He winked at Shannon.
Jake showed everyone a map of the farm layout and placement of equipment and arms.
“Seth and Rachel have agreed to take care of the logistics of keeping the entire outfit fed, clothed, and the house going. Morrison—intel, and keeping watch on Jen and Laurel. Above all, we have to keep it looking like nothing more than a family gathering. That’s all, you’re dismissed.”
Laurel chuckled, “Aye, aye sir.” Jake rolled his eyes at her. He didn’t appreciate the humor.
Chapter 27
<
br /> “Shannon, you want to ride with me this afternoon? I’m going to check stock outback before I go to the cabin with supplies. I cleared it with the Captain.” Brian always had enjoyed talking to Shannon when he’d been at the farm.
“Sure Bri’! That sounds great. We have some catching up to do, anyway.” She grinned big. She’d always liked Brian Tanner. He was a good friend and easy to be with. She’d always been struck by his teddy bear looks. He was full-faced, rugged, fit but not overly hard, deep brown hair with brown eyes and huge; 6’10”-style huge. She’d seen a lot of people walk a big circle around him, but he never scared her. She loved his big smile and hearty laugh.
They saddled two of the farm’s big ranch geldings easily, tossing up the heavy roping saddles. The two horses seemed happy to receive the human attention with each itch scratched by a good brushing.
The pair stepped up and headed off toward the rec area. The “back-forty”, as it was known, was really just a small chunk that had been a piece of Grandpa Siddy’s original inheritance. It had a cabin on it with electricity and a road from the main to the house. Another road had been cleared to the river dock that had been built several years ago by Jahn. The acreage had been set aside for four-wheeling, hunting, and miscellaneous human use. It included the farm junk yard.
Every farm had one, Shannon thought. There were dead tractors, cars the teenagers had wrecked, empty barrels, miscellaneous farm equipment that no one wanted to part with for one silly reason or another, a dead combine, twisted barn tin from storms, beat-up water tanks, gates destroyed by bulls trying to get to cows, and anything else that someone thought they might need a part from down the line, and stuff that wouldn’t burn easily.
Shannon eyed things first as they approached on horseback. “Hey, we both have boots on, you wanna cruise the junk yard?” Shannon was excited. It was fun for her to get a glimpse of the farm’s past, all lined up in rusting rows.
“Sure. What about the horses though?” Brian knew there might be quite a bit they could be injured on.
“There are a couple of trees down there to the right and I’ve got leads in my saddle bags. We can tie them up while we look.”
Tying off the two geldings once they arrived, the two set off to peruse the contents of the junk yard. They laughed together as Shannon crawled up into an old combine, just to have to bail because of a swarm of incensed yellow jackets. She was lucky to escape without being stung. When they got to the row of rusting vehicles, Brian quizzed her on the history of each one.
“Well, that one was mom’s car when she was a teenager,” she pointed to a faded green Charger. “It was almost a classic by the time she got it. The smashed up brown 80’s Chevy 4x4 was Adam’s first truck; ditched it an ice storm. The little Escort over there Dad bought for us to sit in and wait for the bus when we were little, so Adam and I didn’t freeze to death. We lived at the old house down the road until I was in the fourth grade, then Mom and Dad built the new house up on the hill. I wrecked the car right before we moved, trying to learn to drive without any help!” The recollection had both of them laughing heartily and Brian pulled her into a side hug.
“That’s you Shannon. Try first, ask questions later, silly girl.” He grinned at her and for a moment their eyes met and neither knew why, but they stopped laughing. It unsettled Shannon. She moved down the row, something had caught her eye.
She high-stepped her way through the tall grass and studied something, under a large river maple, at the end of the row. “I don’t remember that being here, but I guess it has always been here. Brian do you have gloves? I want to see what’s under that cover.”
__________________________
“Where’s Shannon?” Jess asked his father and Laurel, who were in the barn checking on the horses.
“I think she and Brian took the two big chestnuts out for a ride to the cabin.” Laurel answered, smiling at Jake as she moved to the next stall.
“Why?” Jess’s look was wrought with confusion.
“They are checking the cabin so they can return with supplies. Figured they’d enjoy a ride and some company. Checking cattle too.”
She smiled as she passed another stall, “Looks like Jake’s crew has been doing a fine job. Everything is in order here.” Laurel was happy to return to see that each of the horses was doing well, including the babies. Each foal was fat and sassy. The cattle had faired no worse for her being gone either.
Jess had no reply. His stomach was in knots and he turned to walk back out of the barn. He still didn’t know what was going on with Shannon or why she was confusing him acting so girly. Was she flirting with Brian, too?
Jake shot Laurel a winced grin and trotted down the aisle to stop Jess at the doorway. Jess heard the boots coming toward him and turned, narrowing his eyes at his father with a questioning look.
“Jess, hang on—son—hey,” Jake put his hand on Jess’s shoulder.
“You know, I’ve watched you two the whole time you were growing up. Every time I was home, it was Shannon this and Shannon that. Best buds. Everything you did, you did together. Then, you became a SEAL and she went to college, but I don’t think things have changed so much. Son, tell her how you feel. Talk to her. I made a huge mistake not following my heart once, and I don’t want you to make the same mistake. You’ll never know how she really feels if you don’t talk to her about it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Jess shook his head and tried to walk off. Jake grasped his arm in earnest, “Talk to her son, talk to her.” Jake knew that his son was a man of few words, just like him. Sometimes, he knew too, that wasn’t such a good thing.
Jess shrugged him off and went on. Nobody knew Shannon like he did and it tormented him that she wasn’t interested in his type. She could be a huge tease sometimes, but he knew she wasn’t interested, or at least—oh hell, he didn’t know anymore. Why was she sending him mixed signals lately? Why did she want to dance so close to him? That, he thought, was the question he really wanted answered.
He knew she was going to slice his heart into shreds, but he needed it over. He needed to be sure he could never have her love. Time to pull on his big boy britches and face the music, he supposed. Why was it so easy to put on face black and carry an assault rifle into a den of terrorists, but so damn hard to face the woman he loved? Jess didn’t understand women. Even if she really was interested in him, he didn’t know if she’d change her mind later and run off like his mother had. That, he decided, he couldn’t take. Maybe he was better off without her.
__________________________
Laurel looked into every stall, the tack room, the office, the washroom, the collection area, everywhere. Everything was in place, every horse was accounted for. She noticed how the foals had grown in the two weeks she’d been gone and she couldn’t have been more pleased at how everything was taken care of at the farm.
“Jake,” she started softly, “thanks.” He nodded. “I know you are putting everything on the line for me and I appreciate it. I am just lousy at dealing with hurt. I don’t think I ever dealt with the pain of being left when we were young. I think things just happened so quickly, I buried it and moved on. Sorry about the crystal—and the knife thing.”
He chuckled.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He smiled gingerly stepping closer. “You’re forgiven.”
“I’m not sure where to go from here,” she sighed.
She found him right in front of her as she chose those last words.
He tipped her chin with his fingertips to look into her emerald eyes, the eyes he’d missed for so long. “Kiss me.”
She stared at him, not moving, her heart pounding. He cocked his head gently and lowered it closer, tentatively. Looking at her again, he closed the gap and captured her lips in a lingering sweet kiss.
Laurel and Jahn had always agreed, that if one of them passed on early, that the other would accept the idea of falling in love again. She just wasn’t sure Jahn would forgive her for it bein
g Jake. She decided, at that moment, that she might have to find out for sure when she got to Heaven.
Chapter 28
Jake pulled the group together again that evening to discuss the day’s activities and any intel findings. A couple of ice-cold longnecks sat on the table in front of people who would get to sleep that evening. Fresh strawberries and pineapple were savored, ice cream spoons licked carefully.
“Nothing new, folks. We’ll do this every evening. Anybody else have anything?” Jake perused the tired, quiet crowd.
Shannon bubbled, “Well, nothing that pertains to what’s going on, but we did find something cool.” All eyes were fixed on her as she told of what she and Brian had uncovered. “I don’t know why I had never noticed it. Toward the end of the junk yard where the trees started, there was a covered car. Brian and I love cars, so we couldn’t help but go look at everything down there. Anyway, there is a red ‘sixty-nine Camaro down there under a tarp! Brian and I think we can fix it. Where’d it come from, Mom?”
Laurel hadn’t been paying close attention; she already knew what was in the junk yard. “Well, I’m not sure. There is so much stuff down there, hard telling.”
“Well anyway, we uncovered it and it’s been wrecked. Bri’ says if the frame’s not bent we should be able to fix it up to really be something.” Shannon was giggly and Brian smiled at her giddy laughter.
“The damage is to the driver’s side front. Whatever it hit had to have been black. There’s black paint smeared down the side....” Brian didn’t get finished before Jen started choking hard.
Adam stepped behind her, and reached around her, ready to help her cough up the chunk of pineapple that had gone down the wrong way. “You okay now?” She nodded. “My parent’s car was black. Sorry, it just hit me wrong.”