Crystal Clear

by Serena Zane

  Rivera quickly told them about Jag and what their purpose was, he valued his own skin too much to withhold that kind of information. He would sell out anyone if it meant saving himself. Probably even his mother.

  Cindy picked up several items Montgomery thought she might need. Her friend threw in another GPS System and Cindy laughed.

  “You know I already have one of those, right? I believe they’re standard issue.” She pulled the one off her belt and showed it to Montgomery. Cindy was known for her bad directional sense.

  “Yeah, but you can never be too careful. It helps to have a backup.”

  Cindy conceded and let Montgomery throw in whatever she felt like without saying much else. When they finished, the backpack Montgomery handed her weighed a ton. Cindy shrugged and figured she could pare it down later. There was no way she would be able to tote all the gear and be able to stand upright. She could just see herself falling over a cliff because she couldn’t hold her balance.

  They got to her room and Montgomery put a restraining hand on her arm, “wait a minute.” Montgomery dug in the pocket of her cargo pants. “Here you go.” She handed Cindy a handful of Ziploc bags. “These are from Chase. He says to make sure you keep your cell and gun dry on the river. It wouldn’t hurt to throw that extra GPS in there as well in case your stuff gets soaked.”

  “Does he always think of everything?”

  “Pretty much, it’s all that boy scout training when we were young. I couldn’t even get through the Brownies.”

  “I never had anything like that, sounds like it was fun. The closest I had was Jackson.”

  Montgomery gave off an understanding sigh, “Yeah.” She knew about Cindy’s childhood and the man that raised her after her father was killed.

  Cindy snapped to attention when she noticed Kevin Garrett coming down the hall towards them.

  “Looks like we are going to have company...” Montgomery stated as she looked at the broad-shouldered man approaching them, her mouth spreading in a smile. “Hey there.”

  He leaned down and gave Montgomery a quick kiss. “Hey.” Kevin Garrett was a model agent and someone all agents at F.I.U.W. tried to emulate.

  Cindy envied her friend’s relationship with Garrett. She wished she could find someone half as wonderful. Sometimes Cindy longed for male companionship, almost as much as she longed for field work, but she really wanted something more.

  She watched Garrett and Montgomery greet one another. Garrett leaned close to Montgomery and said something in her ear. Cindy could see the hair move on Montgomery’s neck as Garrett talked. She was genuinely happy for her friend.

  “So, headed out on a solo mission?” Garrett asked as he focused his gaze on Cindy, “Big stuff Hawke.”

  Geez, does everyone know? Cindy thought, but then she shouldn’t really be surprised. If Montgomery knew then Garrett would be in on it as well. They didn’t keep secrets from each other.

  “I’m ready. After all, I’ve been with the agency as long as Montgomery.” Cindy felt a bit defensive. Garrett had a thing against females in the Agency doing dangerous missions without backup. She could understand after what happened to Montgomery, but according to her friend, Garrett was overprotective before the incident too.

  Soon, Cindy said her goodbyes to them and headed back to her room to pack. Tossing the contents of the backpack on the bed she rifled through them. She grinned looking over the gadgets Montgomery threw in: the extra GPS System, an extra cell, two .22 pistols and ammo to supply an army. She took the handful of plastic bags Lucy had given her from her pocket and bagged up items. It wouldn’t do to be caught off guard.

  Cindy retrieved her flight maps when she got done with her pack. She charted her course up to Bend, Oregon. It would be a long flight. Smiling as she opened up her nightstand drawer, Cindy took out the ten Snickers bars she hid there.

  “At least I’ll have chocolate to keep me company.” Laughing she tossed the candy bars onto her bed with the large pile of things to pack. She pulled out her duffel for her clothes and got to work.

  Chapter 3Jack Wilde grinned across the table at his opponent. The man’s intelligent eyes glinted in the brilliant light of the chandelier glowing over the poker table. Jack looked at his hand again and quirked an eyebrow as he waited for the man seated across from him to call, raise or fold.

  The pot was up to five hundred dollars. They played “Joker’s Wild”, his favorite game. The cards always seemed to go his way with the exception of nights like tonight. Despite his bluff, he wasn’t feeling it. Shifting in his seat he moved, restless. He needed some solitude.

  Jack had been edgy for the past six months, ever since his discharge from the Navy. He tried to release the need for action with his job as a white water rafting guide, and volunteering at SAR, Search and Rescue. The adrenalin rush of a rescue helped, but it wasn’t the same. Anyone who had been in the Service could tell the difference.

  “So Wilde, are you in or what?” His friend asked as the play moved on.

  It was his turn and he hadn’t been paying much attention to the cards on the table. He should probably call it a night.

  Patrick cleared his throat obviously waiting for Jack to make his move. Adam Patrick was a good man. They did just about everything together. Patrick got Jack the rafting guide job after he ‘retired’ from the SEALS. He currently worked as a reserve remote, though no one but his superiors and Patrick knew. As a remote he could still heal, but be on call if they needed him in a situation.

  Medical leave, that’s what they labeled it. Jack rubbed his knee. It still gave him grief. He had Patella Femoral Syndrome, basically an overuse injury which caused his knee to go out when used too much. Nothing like having your leg give-out in the middle of a firefight; it had been less than a year and Jack remembered vividly the repercussions of his faulty knee.

  His team had been on special assignment…

  They went to extract the daughter of a well known diplomat who had been taken hostage in Iraq by a militant group. It was a night drop, which put them in their element. Things seemed to be going along fine. They retrieved the girl from her upstairs room without a sound and made their way to the extraction point. The team moved quickly and silently until they headed down the stairs at the complex where the girl was being kept.

  His knee gave out and he tumbled down several steps. The noise gave them away and the guard on duty had just enough time to radio thru a warning to the hostiles as his team tried to make their escape.

  Trapped at the side entrance exiting the building shouts of alarm sounded as they grabbed the girl and dragged her back inside. Lt. Jamison went down in the front, one of his team grabbed the Lt. and dragged him inside as well, but it was too late…

  They'd acquired their target, but lost a great friend. Jack swore never to let that happen again. He went to the medic and informed them about what occurred. They told him that he would have to have surgery and would be unable to work for some time while he recuperated in physical therapy. He would be a liability to his team, and they couldn’t chance it.

  When Jack returned home to Bend he stayed depressed, but determined to overcome his disability. He had been a member of Team 6, the top dogs, and once a SEAL, always a SEAL. It was hard to let go.

  A hand landed on his back. “Jack, hey man, get with it. It’s your turn.”

  Jack looked up from his cards.

  The dealer looked at him expectantly. His opponent raised the pot again and Jake sighed.

  “I fold.” He laid his cards facedown on the table. “Good game guys, but I’m afraid the cards just aren’t with me tonight.” He shrugged and stood to go. As he prepared to leave he placed a hand on Patrick’s shoulder. “I’m going into the woods for a few days if you need me I’ll be at the old cabin. Later.”

  Patrick smiled at him. “Later. You watch yourself out there.”

  Jack
laughed and turned from the table. The only thing Jack had to worry about out at the old cabin was the wild animals, and even they seemed to stay away as though sensing another predator in their midst.

  Sauntering out of the casino Jack reached his pickup in no time at all. The Search and Rescue logo decal faded on the door and the radio inside was for mission communication.

  Patrick was a godsend. They’d been Eagle Scouts together growing up. A few months after Jack’s surgery, Patrick suggested a camping trip in the mountains. At least, Jack thought it was just camping. Patrick had something else in mind.

  They headed out on their trip, got to the area and Patrick started pulling out the rescue gear. Jack looked at his friend as he continued to pull out things Jack knew were not part of normal camping trip equipment.

  “I thought we were going to camp.”

  “We are,” Patrick said, “but in the meantime I thought we could look for the hikers that got lost out here two days ago.” He smiled at Jack and passed him the climbing gear. Jack, knowing his friend wouldn’t let up, laughed and took the gear from Patrick.

  After that rescue, Jack had been on sixteen missions, all successful. A good track record, it gave Jack something constructive to do. Jack also kept a TAC phone in his cabin, and worked as a reserve remote, but only until he completely healed. Jack intended to return to his unit, or find another way to serve his country. It had been almost six months since the surgery, and he was restless.

  He went to the back of the truck where his dog Copper waited patiently guarding Jack’s things while he played in the Casino. He gave Copper’s golden fur a good pat and thanked him, then swung up into the cab of his truck. Jack revved up the engine, as it started he smiled at the sound of the deep rumble from under the hood. That rumble meant freedom. Time to spend a couple days alone, just Jack his dog, a fishing pole, and some good beer. His favorite country station kicked on and Johnny Cash sang one of his old western tunes.

  The road twisted and turned as it wove its way uphill. He eventually came to a small gravel road which veered off to the left. The tiny path led to an old logging road no longer used.

  The trees canopied overhead, and some brushed the top of his truck. Although he wasn’t the only one to use the abandoned road, the path had become overgrown by infrequent use. Dusk had long since fallen, and the road was difficult to see.

  Jack liked it that way though; it meant that he would be left alone to think. Only occasionally would the local 4X4 club show up and disrupt the peace. Jack sped down the road with little thought for safety. He knew the area better than his own house, a fact that he was proud of. Everyone knew that Jack spent his time out here when he got tired of civilized life.

  When the nightmares became too intense he used this place as a sanctuary. He needed somewhere he could unwind. For a short time after Jack left the service he spent a small amount of time in a monastery studying meditation methods. Often he felt that was the only thing that kept him sane.

  He pulled up to the front of the old cabin and let out a relieved sigh, unloaded the back of his pickup and called Copper to him. His golden retriever eagerly jumped from the truck and followed him into the cabin. Jack lit the old kerosene lamp that stood on a table to one side of the room. The cabin was small, and a bit rickety, but served his purposes.

  He threw his pack on the cedar bed and bent over to light a fire. Fall in the area wasn’t too cold, but there was a nip in the air. The fire would help to take the edge off. Copper curled up on the mat in front of the fireplace. The firelight gleamed off the dog’s fur and created a golden sheen.

  “Well old buddy,” Jack looked at his dog after unpacking, “looks like another lonely winter for the both of us.” He knelt, scratched Copper behind the ears and smiled. Shrugging, Jack rose to begin cooking a late dinner. He’d skipped eating earlier and Jack was hungry. He glanced over the variety of baked beans filling his shelf and shook his head.

  “Should’ve remembered to go shopping before coming up here...” He grabbed his pole and tackle box. “Come on boy, let’s go get dinner.” It was late, but they should still be able to catch something.

  Copper wagged his tail and jumped to his feet to follow Jack down to the river. The Deschutes was dangerous at the best of times. Jack watched his footing as they neared the water. His favorite fishing spot wasn’t far from the cabin. He and Copper found their fishing hole at a small eddy.

  He placed his chair on a log, sat down, and pulled out his pole. There wouldn’t be long to wait for dinner. He smiled and licked his lips at the thought of pan fried trout fresh from the river. He and Copper settled in for the wait.

  Chapter 4The sounds from the small Cessna’s engines drown out most other noise. Cindy used the time to think. It seemed as if the Agency had hit a rough spot coming up against Jaguar. Montgomery almost lost her own life and her brother, Chase. Chase was another matter altogether. She didn’t quite know what to make of him. Before the latest assignment, he was carefree, and quite the daredevil, the exact opposite of his sister.

  Cindy sighed as she gazed at the panoramic view of her airspace. Life would be so much less complicated if she loved Chase.

  Chase tried, but she didn’t respond to him like she should if they were going to be together. There was no spark. The problem, she just hadn’t told him yet. She wasn’t sure how she would break the news she just wanted to be friends. Once you cross the barrier, it’s really hard going back.

  The lights of the Bend airport started to come into view, and she radioed into the tower, “Cessna 469 asking for permission to land.”

  “Roger Cessna 469, this is tower 84, you have permission to land.” Cindy placed both hands on the throttle and prepared to bring in the small plane for landing. The sound of the wind rushed past the doors, and her adrenaline rose as she decreased power to the engines.

  This was why she flew. The adrenaline high was addictive. The plane started to drop and her stomach tilted, like it did on the downdraft on a rollercoaster. She eased back on the throttle as the tires hit the tarmac. The moment was fleeting, but gave her such a sense of ecstasy, she almost lived for it.

  She taxied down to the parking area for small planes her temporary high leaving her just as quickly as it came.

  Bend had a small airport. The majority of the planes here were personal aircraft or crop dusters. Several had the fire patrol decals on the side.

  The town, from what she had read on the internet would be just as tiny. Cindy liked small towns. She herself came from one in Germany called Bad Friedrichshall, just outside of Frankfurt. She grew up there until she was ten, and her Dad started moving around a lot. Recalling what made them move around caused her smile to disappear.

  Bend really was a beautiful place. She had noticed the wide spread of the city, and the lava landscaping not too far off in the distance. Cindy taxied her plane to the parking area and placed her craft between two similar ones. She opened the door and climbed down. Cindy grabbed her pack, which was considerably lighter than when Montgomery had packed it, and headed into the main building.

  The clerk dressed in a suit jacket and tie, his hair slicked back in the style many salesmen like to fashion.

  “Can I help you miss?”

  “Hello, my name is Alice Huntington. I believe I have a reservation?” Cindy greeted the clerk as she approached the rental counter. She was glad the Agency arranged for everything in advance. Cindy liked the cover they provided for her. Alice Huntington was a teacher, and the cover made a good explanation for the gear she needed to carry. If anyone asked about her laptop, she could always talk about the assignments she needed to plan, or papers she needed to grade.

  Her attention focused back on the clerk. She found salesmen oily, always pushy. He asked her if she would like to add insurance onto her rental plan for the car. Cindy didn’t like to be pushed, but she couldn’t do anything that would be too memor
able. Agents weren’t supposed to be remembered, flipping a lock of hair behind her shoulder she waited expectantly. She didn’t have long to wait. The clerk typed a few things into his computer and looked up at her grinning.

  “We have a lovely compact reserved for you. Will you be the only one accessing the vehicle? Or are you with company?” He looked from her to her bag.

  “No, I am alone. A small vehicle will do nicely.” Cindy pasted a smile on for the clerk, produced identification and filled out all the needed paperwork.

  Before long she had the keys to a little Kia in her hand. She went out into the parking lot and actually grinned as she noticed the red color, her favorite. Cindy tossed her bag into the passenger seat and started the engine. She opened the visitor’s guide map the desk clerk had given her and located the resort noting several key tourist areas she would like to see while she was in town. Too bad she wouldn’t have the time.

  Being from the New York office, she didn’t get to visit much of the Northwest, and she loved the green trees. Of particular interest was the Lava tube that ran for almost five miles underground. She shivered thinking about it. Small confined spaces gave her the creeps, but she liked to challenge herself by facing her own fears.

  Only Montgomery knew the real reason she joined F.I.U.W. She was eleven years old when her father was terminated by unknown forces. He had been a computer analyst and had run across corrupt data on a server he repaired. When he discovered the program was really a virus designed to steal information from the technological company he worked for, small accidents started happening. She gripped the steering wheel of the small compact and rolled to a stop at the intersection with a red light. Almost unwillingly, her mind went back…

  “Cindy hide, run and hide. And no matter what you see or hear, don’t come out. That’s important darling, do not come out. Promise me.” Cindy nodded her head.