Pancholi nodded and said, “Okay. My client was satisfied with what you provided us before. We’ll pay your price.” They discussed arrangements for the payment and the transfer of files, both of which would be done the same as on previous deals. WIJO had indeed been satisfied with Benedict’s earlier information, which had enabled them to evade U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not only getting several of their Jihadist volunteers inside the country but also helping to smuggle in certain high tech explosive devices as well.
Pancholi paid the check for their dinner and then they went their separate ways. Since he had been in the spy business for a long time, he had already managed to learn where Benedict was living in Paris. This was information he kept to himself, however. For later, if needed. Information was his stock in trade and he had a lot of it, just in case.
He grabbed a taxi for the short ride over to the train station in Pendik, an Istanbul suburb on the Asian side of the Bosphoros. It would take less than four hours to return to Ankara, thanks to the high-speed rail link which had been established five years earlier. By the time he arrived back home, thanks to the encrypted messages he’d be sending his client, funds would already have been transferred into Benedict’s account. Shortly after that, the requested files containing everything his client wanted to know about the three Thanksgiving Day parades would be in the hands of WIJO.
-----
“Will you marry me?” Oliver was down on one knee, holding the black box out in front of him with both hands, hoping Candace would like the diamond ring he’d selected. It was a pretty ring with the main stone an emerald cut, just over a caret, plus two smaller stones, also diamonds, one on each side. He’d pretty much maxed out all his credit cards in order to buy it but all that mattered was whether she would say yes.
Candace hadn’t been expecting this. She was thrilled and immediately said, “Yes!” while flinging herself into his arms and hardly even looking at the ring. She had no doubts whatsoever but was somewhat overwhelmed at taking this next big step. She knew he considered her his soulmate and she was very happy with their present relationship status. “But, Oliver … I thought we agreed to wait until after I graduated?”
“Well, it’s like the song says. If I like it, I should put a ring on it. I want to be introduced as your fiancé rather than merely as your boyfriend when we go visit all those embassies.” He hugged her tight and then kissed her, putting all the emotion he was feeling into his kiss and noting with pleasure just how eagerly she was responding. Finally, several long moments later, he managed to say, “Being married to you someday is all I can think about and if you can agree to our engagement, you’ll be making me the happiest man in the world!”
“Oh, Oliver! You know how much I love you! Show me your ring again …”
‘It’s your ring, if you really will accept my proposal. Here, let me help you put it on.” Taking the ring from the box he slid it onto her ring finger and noted it fit perfectly, just as he’d known it would. He’d been very careful to learn her exact ring size, without her knowing about it. “There …”
“Oh, I love it! It’s just beautiful and much too extravagant … I know you really can’t afford this … are you sure you want me to have it? We can still be engaged, even without the ring, you know!” She was having trouble finding words which might be appropriate and knew she was just babbling instead. It really was a gorgeous ring and her heart was pounding from her excitement.
They were standing just inside her apartment and he’d come over, supposedly to take her out for dinner. It was a school night for her but he’d been gone that past weekend, off helping Robert Ulrey search for a missing boy, and he’d only returned that morning. Thus, his dinner invitation had seemed quite normal.
Oliver had planned on proposing earlier and maybe making a bigger production out of it but finding the twelve year old, who had run away from home, had taken priority. Thankfully, the boy had been found all right, safe and sound, thanks to him. And, with their trip to the Mid-East drawing closer, he’d not wanted to postpone this any longer. He knew things would be hectic once the time drew closer to their departure and he didn’t want that to overshadow things. While he was pretty much alone and on his own, she had friends and family whom she would want to share the news of their engagement with.
“Can I take you out to dinner now, the way we planned? I want to enjoy seeing everyone look at you waving that ring around and then having them glance over at me, knowing I’m the one you’re agreeing to get married to!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nov 14, 2019
Charles Winword reached the end of his briefing to the Secretary of Defense and glanced around the room at each of the others also present. “Bottom line, this is a very credible threat and we don’t have much time to put a stop to it. Finding three separate terrorist cells, already here and prepared to inflict massive casualties, with only two weeks until that happens …”
Deputy Secretary of State Ted Hanson said, “But, we can’t cancel any of these parades … you do realize that, right? We’re just going to have to find some way to find these WIJO bastards. Can’t any of your sources help us with that?”
Winword said, “We’re fortunate we’ve managed to learn anything at all about this. It’s only because we had already put the word out to be extra sensitive concerning the Thanksgiving time period. We were expecting there might be some reaction to Candace Axtell’s coming to visit some of our embassies over there starting then. Our informants inside WIJO don’t know about that yet but we got this report in from Turkey, warning there is a definite attack being planned for right here in the U.S.”
Winword had walked them all through what Massallah’s informant from Ankara had reported. Without naming anyone, of course, he had assured everyone at this briefing that his sources were highly reliable. Simultaneous bombings at each of the Thanksgiving Day parades were not only planned, but thanks to all the information leaked by the Homeland Security traitor, those plans now had an excellent chance of being carried out. Undetected. The strike teams were already in the U.S. and would probably be using suicide vests worn by several fanatical extremist volunteers to inflict maximum damage at each parade site amongst the crowds of onlookers.
They would not be setting down any backpacks and walking away as had been done before. No, this time the explosives would be carried in a manner just about impossible to detect by any of the surveillance techniques or high tech devices being used. And, since there would be many such volunteers at each parade, even if one or two were caught, there still would be several others. At the designated time, they would all simply blow themselves up or else, more likely, they’d get blown up by remote control. Boom!
Within minutes, WIJO would be claiming responsibility and voicing even greater threats, all to cause panic and pandemonium for the American infidels they hated so much. They might not succeed the way nine-eleven had succeeded, but they would consider whatever success they did achieve to be more than enough to justify the sacrifice their Jihadist martyrs would be making.
Drew Martinson asked, “What about searching for terrorists who have recently infiltrated here, even though they’ve already gotten past our security? Can all the immigration records for the past couple of months be further reviewed? If we can possibly identify any of them by screening through those records again, even though we don’t know where they are now, we then would at least have some specific people to look for in the three target areas. Finding any of them ahead of time might then lead to our locating the others.”
The Defense Secretary said, “That’s an excellent suggestion. Let’s do that. Hey, once we have a list of possible suspects, we can try and find them. We might even ask that new FBI Psychic Division for help. I’ve heard they’ve been very successful searching for missing people. Let’s not leave any possible stone unturned or any resource untapped.” He stared at Drew, knowing full well that Robert Ulrey’s group of psychics actually consisted mainly of supernatural wit
ches.
-----
“Hey, Missy? Do you miss the adrenalin rush? Supnats have adrenalin, right? Or, do maybe all your activities here at the academy somehow provide enough of that for you?” Sergeant Town was joking, of course, which he loved doing. And, having joined her and Marcus out here at their regiment’s bivouac site so he could continue providing the two of them with their intensive language training, even while they were in the field, he took full advantage of the opportunity to once again yank her chain. Marcus hadn’t come over yet and it was just the two of them.
She laughed and said, “You mean, do I miss those magic moments when I was over there with the rest of you Team Twenty-Two guys, wondering any minute if I was about to get blown away? Nah!” Giggling, she added, “You do, though, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess I do a little. Maybe a lot.” He laughed. “Being back here, helping you and the others learn how to speak Farsi and Pashto, knowing that might help save some lives someday? That’s okay. And, it’s nice kicking back with Frele and Chasen, enjoying a few tall cool ones now and then. But, I worry maybe I’m getting soft, you know? Being Special Forces for the past ten years has really made me who I am. Before that, I was nobody.”
“Gosh, Sarge! You’re gonna have me crying in my beer next … oh, wait! We don’t get any beer out here!” She laughed and it felt good. He laughed right along with her.
She really liked Town and the fact he had fully accepted her, had fought side-by-side with her, trusting she’d have his back just as he’d gone all in, covering hers … that meant everything to her. At the time, he hadn’t known she was a supernatural. But, in spite of her being a female, when they’d needed to be soldiers together, that’s what they’d been. They’d served as soldiers and had gotten the job done. And, they each knew they were alive today because the other had indeed done his or her job and had done it very well.
She realized it was the camaraderie which he and the other Team Twenty-Two guys had achieved, serving together and getting the job done, which he was really missing. And, it was getting those jobs done that he felt so proud about for those ten years he spoke of. Those were what made him a somebody and no matter what … he’d always have that. She was suddenly quite moved, knowing he indeed was being open and sharing something with her which he would only share with those other guys.
Fortunately, before her emotions might actually make her cry some girlish tears for real, Marcus came up. They spent the next hour and a half, all three of them deep in conversation during which not a word of English was spoken. Yes, the course was supposed to be intensive and it truly was.
Finally, they’d had enough and Sergeant Town said he was going back in. Looking at Missy, he told them he would be joining Sergeants Frele and Chasen for a few cold ones, which they’d foist to the two of them, stuck out here in the field for yet one more day of cadet training. They all laughed, knowing this was the final exercise in the field until next spring. Missy and Marcus both assured Town there was no place they’d rather be. Since they both actually loved being out there in the field, much preferring that to classroom training at the academy, they were pretty much telling the truth.
After Town had left, Marcus said, “You know I want to someday be Special Forces, right? Go Infantry, get through Ranger school and Jump school, then earn my Green Beret. Too bad I can’t fast track all that like you did. I mean, I know you got your Wings at Jump school, but geez! How did you then manage getting that assignment with Team Twenty-Two last summer?”
“Well, thanks to that special study the Army wanted to do about women in combat and what I’d shown them my first year here at the academy …”
“Oh, I read all those magazine articles. But, I’m guessing there’s a lot more to it than that. What aren’t you telling me?” He raised his eyebrows and grinned at her.
“Gosh, if I tell you, then I’ll have to kill you!” She giggled. “Why all this curiosity, anyway?”
“Well, I was talking to Chandra and …”
“Please don’t say you’re looking to me for any relationship advice! There’s all the Special Forces stuff which I know about but can’t tell you and then there’s all that boy-girl stuff I can’t tell you about since I just don’t know anything!” She laughed.
“Oh, puh-leeze! Very funny! Whenever I see you and Mike Ryan together … but, never mind that. Chandra read all those articles about you. So, when I told her how I want to be Special Forces someday, she said great. I can go do all that if I want. But, then she asked when I’d be finished playing hero and could promise I’d be there for her and our kids. ‘Cuz, until she knows I’ll always be there, she won’t be having any kids. With me. If we stay together, of course.”
“Wow! You’ve only known this person for maybe two nano-seconds and she wants kids already?” Missy was really not comfortable going where this conversation was going.
“Well, I realize two months might not seem all that long, but I’ve never felt this way about any girl before. She’s fine with not getting married until after I graduate. And, like I said, she’s fine with waiting awhile after that before having any kids. But, things with her got real complicated, once we … you know.” Since he was black, he didn’t exactly blush.
Nonetheless, Missy could sense his discomfort. “Good grief! You are asking me for relationship advice! I wish I could help you, Marcus, but I can only speak for how it is with my guy. I’m pretty lucky, maybe the luckiest girl there is, since Mike is all in for whatever happens with me. His unconditional love and support is what feeds me, makes me whole, allows me to freely follow whatever dream I may have, go where the fabulous fates frequently force me to go, fly where no female has flown before …!”
He laughed and said, “Stop! Now you’re starting to sound like Tracy.”
“Yes, but she’s merely saying all the stuff she gets from my brother John. It runs in our family.” She giggled and then got serious. “Look, I wish you and Chandra well, I do. I hope things can work for you two. But, I just don’t have any answers.”
“That’s okay. Thanks for listening anyway. I really appreciate that. I guess I’d better go.” With that, he turned and headed off towards his company, leaving her to return to hers.
For the second time that night, Missy again was moved emotionally, knowing he also was being open and sharing something with her. This time, however, she doubted it was anything which he would share with any of the other guys.
-----
Sally looked at her girlfriends as they sat around the table, enjoying a few free moments in Cullum Hall before they all had to retire to their rooms. “Troy has agreed to come to Thanksgiving at my house, so he can meet my family. I think that’s worth a few boyfriend points, right?”
Tracy said, “Not really. Points are to be awarded after he has you to his home to meet his family. I’ll be going with John to spend Thanksgiving with him this year. As you may recall, last year, he visited me in Texas.”
Sharon laughed, saying, “As I recall, it was when he spent Christmas with you in Texas that you began awarding points. The two of you have been like jackrabbits ever since!” Everyone at the table joined in the laughter.
“But, I had already met his parents earlier. Remember? I went to that wedding for Missy’s friend Alice and stayed with them then. And, I met them down here at the academy, of course. As for my awarding points and our doing it like bunnies?” Tracy sighed, long and loud, clearly recalling some very nice memories. “John will be here again this weekend, thank goodness! I’m pretty sure he’s going to score a few more points!”
Kelly turned to Kelsey and said, “Why is Tracy somehow getting to score more than we do? With our boyfriends right here at the academy, shouldn’t we be the ones with bragging rights?” She actually believed just the opposite as not only were she and Gary finding frequent opportunities but she knew Kelsey and Mitch were definitely doing so as well.
Sally said, “Wow! I’m surrounded by naughty nymphos! Here I thought I was
living at an academy for future female leaders, destined to go on and take their places at the highest levels, fighting for world peace and all that good stuff!”
Sharon said, “You are, you are! Only, you know what makes the world go around, right? We can’t be expected to bring world peace if we’re not getting some of that good stuff every once in a while, right?”
“What good stuff?” Mitch had just walked up with a few of the other guys. “Did I hear someone talking about world peace? You guys aren’t making fun of all those beauty pageants now, are you?” He walked over and stood next to Kelsey, looking around the table at the rest of them. “Too bad you’ll all miss being there at this Saturday’s big game.” Since it was an away game for the football team, down in New Jersey, they’d all have to be watching it on TV. He looked down at Kelsey and said, “Don’t worry, though. I have a feeling I’m going to really score a lot of points down there!”
While the guys were all curious as to why the girls all broke out laughing, what really was puzzling was the absolutely horrified look which Kelsey suddenly gave Mitch. Then, when she began blushing and was obviously very frustrated, that somehow caused the laughter to become hysterical. No explanations were provided, however, and everyone got up and left shortly afterwards.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nov 16, 2019
Sami Massallah was in Eskisehir, a four hour drive from Istanbul and where he could avoid drawing any unwanted attention to himself. He actually had some distant relatives who were living nearby. This location was close enough for Mamdouh Ozdemir, his informant in Ankara, to drive over in less than three hours. They had met there often, whenever a face-to-face meeting was needed. And, one was needed now.
Missy Makes Mayhem (Missy the Werecat Book 5) Page 20