by SW Matthews
“I love you boys,” Doc said. “And I’ll see you soon. Just be careful and do a good job.”
“We love you too, Uncle Doc,” said Leef.
“And don’t forget the recording…”
They laughed. “The recording! We got it!”
As soon as Doc and Rosie were clear of the drone, Pol pushed the green button. The props extended from the sides and the craft rose. Then it was gone, faded into the morning sky.
“I hope we didn’t just make a huge mistake,” said Doc.
Rosie put her arm around his back.
“They can do it, Dad,” she said. “They have to.”
Chapter 31
The first thing Piper noticed was the noise—a loud droning. Then she felt a slight shudder. Turbulence.
She was on a plane.
She couldn’t see. Something was covering her head. It was gray, or maybe white? Maybe a pillowcase? She tried to remove it, but she couldn’t move her hands. In fact, she couldn’t even feel her hands, or her arms, and she was very cold.
A voice spoke. It wasn’t close by, and the noise of the plane made it difficult to hear, but it was definitely a voice, and deep. A man’s voice. He spoke with an accent—French, maybe?
A second voice spoke, but was quickly cut off. Piper thought the second voice sounded familiar. Was it Andy?
The first voice was louder now, seemingly berating or threatening.
“Andy?” Piper called out meekly. “Is that you?”
The voices stopped, and she heard footsteps approaching. They stopped in front of her.
“Good morning, mademoiselle,” said the French accent.
“Who are you?” Piper asked. “What is going on?”
The covering was removed from her face. Piper blinked away the brightness, then looked up at the man in front of her. He had dark and soulful eyes, but the rest of his face was in ruins. Terrible scars, lopsided facial hair, a missing eyebrow. A red cap covered the top of his head.
“You’re Sebastian,” she said.
He smiled as he sat across the aisle from her. “You have heard of me? How nice.”
“Not really,” Piper said. “Where is my husband? What’s going on?” She craned her neck to peer into the cockpit. “Skinner? Is that you?”
The pilot turned and looked at her. It was Skinner all right. But his face was swollen and bloody, his hair uncombed, and his clothes loose and torn. He looked at Piper helplessly, then turned back to stare straight ahead.
“Skinner!” she yelled.
She tried to stand, but her ankles were bound together. She squirmed, and found her hands were bound behind her back. She glared at Sebastian with angry fire in her eyes.
“Tsk, tsk,” said Sebastian. He rose from his seat, closed the cockpit door, then pulled out a large hunting knife.
Piper shrank back into her seat.
“If you know me,” he said, “then you know not to try anything stupid, eh?” He knelt down in front of her, cut her feet free, then released her hands as well. He sheathed the knife and sat back down across the aisle from her.
Piper attempted to rub life back into her arms as she eyed her captor. “What’s going on? Where is Andy? And Tucker?”
“Tucker? I needed him out of the way so that I may seek God’s vengeance. I was going to kill him—it was many years past due—but I could not bring myself to do it. He is my oldest friend, after all, and he did nothing wrong except survive, which was not his fault. He is an honorable man, and I am not a murderous cretin. The Father’s plan does not require his death.”
“So where is he?” Piper asked again.
“I abandoned him in the city. If I had dumped him in the wilderness it would have been like taking him home. But the city is foreign to his sensibilities. Things that are understood in the wilds do not apply there, and the people will not easily accept his simplicity. It will take him some time to adapt. He will eventually make his way back to Lakeland, but not in time to help you or AJ.”
Piper turned and looked out of the window. They were flying toward the sun, which was just above the horizon. “So he’s in Denver? And we’re heading back to Lakeland?”
“Clever woman,” Sebastian said. “You are so clever, why don’t you tell me why you’re here, and why Tucker is in Denver?”
Piper’s arms were starting to tingle, and the coldness of the plane was becoming more noticeable. “I don’t know,” she said. “I know Andy was worried you would come looking for him, but I don’t know why.”
Sebastian raised his one remaining eyebrow. “You’ve been sleeping next to the man for years, and you don’t even know what he did? What caused him to be court-martialed and sentenced to prison?”
“I was sleeping next to him because he’s my husband,” said Piper angrily. “And no, he never told me what happened. I only know that it almost killed him, and Tucker and I have worked very hard for the last several years to help bring him back.”
Sebastian shook his head sadly. “Confession of sins is the first step toward healing and redemption—yet he was too weak to confess, even to you.”
He rose from his seat once more, walked to the back of the plane, and returned with a blanket, which he handed to Piper. She accepted it and wrapped herself up as he sat back down.
“Well, I am going to tell you about your Andy, then. Shall I? Would you like to know the truth of the man you married?”
“I already know the truth,” she said defiantly. “He’s a good man. He’s suffered. He’s been tormented for years. I don’t need to know more than that. And anyway, I doubt I could expect the truth from you.”
He tsked again. “So quick to judge. Well, I can only lead you to God’s truth; it is up to you to accept it.”
“Well you kidnapped me and Tucker, and dumped him alone in the city. Plus, you obviously hijacked Skinner’s plane and are likely threatening him too, just like you’re threatening me and Andy. So I don’t think it’s a huge leap to think you’re not trustworthy.”
Bash smiled. “I see your point. Maybe you won’t believe what I tell you. Or perhaps you will find God’s light and realize that my actions are justified.”
Piper remained silent.
“Okay then,” said Sebastian. “May I ask your name?”
“Piper Matteo,” she said, emphasizing the last name.
“All right, Piper. We have a long flight ahead of us, so I will start at the beginning. You see, your friend Tucker Zann and I have been friends for a very long time. We met in high school, when my mother moved from the French-Canadian area of Lakeland, in the ‘head’ as it is commonly called, to Montana. My father had died, and my mother’s family was in Kalispell. Tuck and I were drawn together by common interests. Hunting, fishing, trapping, shooting. We pushed each other to excel, and our competition caused our respect for each other to grow, along with our friendship. After high school, we enlisted in the navy together. We ended up serving together on a rapid strike force team during the Mexican war.”
“Zeta Two?” Piper asked.
Sebastian smiled. “So you do know something of your husband’s past.”
Piper nodded. “I know he was a pilot for Zeta Two.”
“Yes, and that is when Tucker and I met him. The three of us were assigned to Zeta Two. Your husband was the pilot, and his skills were… adequate, although not nearly what he believed them to be. Yet, he was supremely arrogant and stubborn. And although he was our team leader, he was not truly a member of the team. He held himself above the rest of us, especially in the beginning. Over time, a kind of friendship formed between him and the rest of the team, but he was always maintained an undertone of his superiority. He always made sure we understood that he was in charge.”
Piper shook her head. “That doesn’t sound like Andy,” she said. “He’s very considerate. He was even willing to sacrifice—”
“It was, and is, your Andy, my dear,” Sebastian said. “He was reprimanded numerous times for disobeying orders. Unfortunat
ely, he always came out on top. Dumb luck caused his decisions to always turn out to be the correct ones, which resulted in his punishments being minimal—just small slaps on the wrist, so to speak. So he continued to disobey, and take risks, and get away with it. That is, until our last mission.”
Sebastian took a deep breath. “There were eight of us on the team. AJ was the pilot of our Bee, Jesse was our copilot, and I was the tail gunner. Tucker and his dog, Ranger, made up the sniper team.”
“Dog?” asked Piper, surprised.
Bash nodded. “All the snipers had canine companions to watch over them while they were focused on their target. Let’s see, who else? Shep was our machine gunner. Ray handled the cannon of the LIAR.”
Piper cut in. “LIAR?”
Sebastian nodded. “Oui, the dry LIAR was the rover. The Bee could also accommodate a raft, which we called the wet LIAR, but all of our missions were in the desert, so we never used it. The rover is a small vehicle, and fast. It consisted of a driver and gunner up front, and an armored cargo hold in the back, which could hold up to four people. In the middle was a rotating turret that could incorporate a variety of weapons. Our team chose the heavy artillery cannon.”
Sebastian continued. “The last member of our team was Melissa… my fiancée. The great love of my life.” He looked down at the floor and paused for several moments, and when he looked up at Piper, there were tears in his eyes. “She was small and fierce. Fearless and passionate. And strong, like you. We had been together for over a year, starting just after the formation of the team. We were supposed to get married that summer, before I started university in the fall.”
He wiped his eyes with a gloved hand. “The mission was routine. We took Tuck and Ranger to fifteen thousand feet for their jump. They were to infiltrate and dispose of a Mexican general, while the rest of us returned to our base and prepared for the retrieval. As soon as we received notification from Tuck, the strike team, in the rover, was to advance to the rendezvous point and pick them up. I would provide cover fire from the Bee until we were in a suitable location for them to load, then we would fly home. It was the kind of mission we had completed many, many times. Straightforward. But we did not know about the coming surge.”
“We were hit by the surge also, in Santa Fe,” Piper said.
Sebastian nodded. “Yes, they were quite adept at keeping it a secret, and their execution was admirable. Tuck called and said his target was dead, but that the reports of troop strength were incorrect. He said the Mexicans were preparing for a massive operation, and he was having a difficult time reaching the extraction point. Of course, we departed immediately. I moved to the nose gunner canopy, and we provided air support to our rover as it made its way toward Tuck and Ranger. We were taking fire from all directions. We had almost reached our destination when the strike team was hit. We were ordered to retreat, but AJ disobeyed that order. He insisted we pick up the three occupants of the rover.”
Sebastian’s gaze was distant, as if he was lost in the past, reliving the mission. “Shep was first. He jumped into the open cargo hold, and we lifted away to provide another round of cover fire. Next was Ray. When we dropped to recover him, he was still firing the cannon on, biting his cigar and laughing like a lunatic. But we got him on board.
“And finally, it was Melissa’s turn. She was hurt, but she had pulled her sidearm and was firing at the coming swarm. We descended to save her, but just as she was about to reach the ramp, an explosion rocked the helijet. Without thinking, I left my position in the nose turret and ran to the back. I was just able to grab hold of her as AJ lifted away from the wreckage. I pulled her to safety and secured her with the straps we used to tie down the LIAR.
“Ray was also back there, tangled in the straps. I stopped to help him, but AJ ordered me to take position in the rear gun turret. Ray told me he was fine, and that I should go shoot more ‘goddamn Mexicans,’ as he liked to say, God forgive him, so I hurried up the ladder into the tail gunner’s canopy. That’s when I heard the order to retreat—again. We were high enough that we were out of range of the small arms, and we hovered for a moment. Then Tuck’s voice came over the radio. My closest friend… the only real friend I ever had. He said he was surrounded and there was no way to save him.”
Sebastian looked up at Piper. His eyes were the saddest thing she had ever seen.
“Tuck told us to leave him!” he said, his voice cracking. “He told us that Ranger was dead and that we shouldn’t risk the team. He said it was hopeless, which is exactly what base had been telling us for the previous ten minutes. He told me to tell his family that he loved them, and that he was sorry for not making it home.”
Piper could feel her eyes starting to well with tears.
“But again AJ disobeyed orders. He dove, fast and furious, ignoring the yells from Jesse and myself to stop, and dismissing Tuck’s pleas to leave him behind. He made it to Tucker, and I laid down as much suppressive fire as I could as my friend ran from his cover, carrying the limp body of his companion.
“He had barely climbed on the ramp when we were hit with another explosion. The ramp was blown completely off. We took off like a bolt, as fast as the craft could go, but we couldn’t get elevation. I guess the blast knocked out a prop, I don’t know. All I know is that we were moving fast and low when everything rocked again. We flipped upside down and hit the ground hard. That was the last thing I knew for a long time.”
Sebastian took a deep breath before continuing. “Later, I learned that Jesse, Shep, and Ray all died in the crash. Only Tuck and I were pulled from the wreckage.”
“What about Andy and Melissa?” Piper asked quietly.
Sebastian stared at Piper without emotion. “They were taken hostage. Melissa was mercilessly raped, and her throat was cut. All in front of your Andy—who was later rescued.”
“My God…” Piper started crying.
“Yes, that’s right. Your dear husband caused all of that. His arrogance, believing he knew better than everyone, resulted in the deaths of four of our team—and the brutal rape of my fiancée.”
“But he saved her,” Piper sobbed. “He saved all of them…”
“It would have been more merciful had he followed orders and let her die in the firefight.”
“But then you would have blamed him for leaving her!” Piper insisted.
Sebastian shook his head. “No. We all knew it was hopeless. I had already accepted her death.”
“No you didn’t! You ran back to help her get aboard!” Piper wiped away her tears. “If he had left once Melissa was safe, you wouldn’t be mad at him. It’s only because he went back for Tuck—”
“Tucker told us to leave him!”
“If it had been Melissa, you would have done whatever you could to try to save her.”
Sebastian shook his head once more. “No…”
“You know you would have! You placed more value on Melissa’s life than Tuck’s—but Andy didn’t. He valued everyone.”
“He disobeyed orders!”
“And how many times had he done that before—and saved lives as a result? He was trying to do the right thing. The noble thing. Yes, he risked the team, but that included himself, and the code is to never leave anyone behind. You can’t condemn him for following the most basic element of training.”
Sebastian scowled, but remained silent.
“I still don’t understand one thing,” Piper said. “Why, after all this time? Why come after him now?”
Sebastian sat up straight. “The crash took my memory. I remained in the hospital for a long time, and when at last I was released to my family, my mother had remarried and had a new family. So I was shipped to my grandfather instead. My father’s father, in the ‘head.’ They’re simple, God-fearing folks up there, and my grandfather is especially pious. He reminded me of the salvation that awaited us all if we chose a life of servitude to the Almighty. My doctors instructed me to read as much as possible to try and ‘wake up’ my brain, but
the only book my grandfather had was the Bible. So I read it every day, for years. Every morning before leaving, and every night before going to sleep.
“One particular morning, I read a verse in Judges—a verse that has been a touchstone for me ever since. ‘And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.’ That morning I felt a calmness I had not experienced in years. And it was later that same morning, as I was following a beaver stream in my canoe, that my memory began to return to me. I suddenly remembered how my father had taught me how to paddle the rapids. It was just a single memory, but it was the start of a trickle, and then a flood. I sought out my military records and medical records and started putting the puzzle together in my mind.
“And then, finally, I remembered Melissa. And I remembered… I remembered what happened to her, to all of us, on that last mission. I have thought of little else since.”
He swallowed. “All records indicated that AJ was dead—killed in the hospital attack. So I sought out Tucker. I wanted to kill him. Looking back, I’m not sure why. It seemed right at the time. He was the only one left, or so I thought. I went to his family in Montana, but they said he had gone to Lakeland years ago. So I started working my way south. I have been searching for a year. It was only a few days ago that I stumbled upon him while he was hunting. I followed him to your cabins. And that is when I found out AJ was still alive. That is when the Father’s plan for me became clear.”
Piper had to ask the question, even though she already knew the answer. “And what is that plan?”
“To kill him, of course. After he suffers. Which you must play a part in, I’m afraid.”
“But he has suffered!” Piper exclaimed. “When I found him out in the western isles, he was almost dead; he was an outlaw, a pirate. He’s hated himself ever since that mission, I promise you—he’s tried to kill himself with drugs and alcohol. He’s suffered enough. He’s paid for his mistakes.”