“Collins got us fixed up this time. I’ve been told to take real good care of the old broad,” Kyle returned. “He said no parties. Not here.”
Cooper whistled as they entered the tiled foyer. Jake followed him to the kitchen, done in dark granite countertops and teak cabinetry. It was everything it had been billed to be. The view from the eating area was all ocean and beach.
“I get dibs staying home. You guys can go out on the boats tomorrow and puke your guts out. This place is fine!” added Lucas.
“Let’s get everything into the freezer and pick out your bedrooms. Then I want to have a team meeting downstairs in about twenty,” ordered Kyle. “Now, get your butts in gear. And let’s leave all the firepower and ammo in one of the vans, and pull them up close to the house. Locked. Got it?”
Without hesitation, everything was unloaded and stowed. Jake chose to share a room with Kyle and Cooper. Some rooms had four, others just three occupants. Jake felt safest around Cooper, who also didn’t drink.
At last they gathered in the spacious living room, sounds of the ocean pounding on the beach made for a pleasant background.
“We’re staying here at the resort owned by the Garcia gang, but only because our intel has told us that’s where all the gun deals are made. The guy we’re looking for, actually Naval Intelligence is looking for, is Wade Seacord. He’s a fifteen-year veteran dishonorably discharged due to suspicions of his obtaining equipment and firepower from retiring or discharged vets who are selling them to make a buck or two on the side. They uncovered a warehouse in Chula Vista chock full of all kinds of things, even drones and specialized robotics, cameras and scopes used by a variety of Spec Ops community.”
The Team grumbled. “Asshole,” and other choice words were bantered around the room.
“No parties, this time, so we’re going under the radar, but using the fishing as our cover for now. We want to find this guy and bring him back home to stand military trial. We’re not to hurt him or anyone else. The last mission got us in a bit of hot water. It was cleared since it turned into a rescue operation for the girls, but no more of that. We’re to avoid all interaction, especially with Mexican authorities. That said, don’t get in their crosshairs. We don’t know who we can trust.”
Kyle went over other details and then ended with the “Cast of Characters” as he liked to call it. “Pretend you guys are in a live-streaming play and you’re playing certain parts. In case we run across people we met before, Jake here has adopted this disguise. Jake,” he pointed straight down at him, “You are never to take those wraparounds off, you hear?”
“Roger that, sir.”
“I’ll make sure he’s shaved each morning, Lannie,” offered Cooper.
“I brought the clippers. No razors, if you don’t mind.” Jake didn’t want anything that could create a wound while away from home.
“Perfect!” Kyle listed a few more characters. “Armani, you’re still in the Navy, but lookin’ to get out, and not likin’ the new rules imposed on the rank and file. Danny, you failed a drug test and got booted, and have been unsuccessful getting onto any police or fire team. Fredo, you and T.J. have patched up your disagreements, but still not on good terms. If we need a good fight, you guys are it.”
T.J. and Fredo fist-bumped.
“We’ve got a charter for the morning that will take six. The rest of you can wander the town and just generally be ears.”
“Hey, Lannie, you got a picture of this character Wade Seacord?” Jake asked.
“Good thinking, Jake. Let’s see.” He flipped through a folder and pulled out a black and white photo, a San Diego P.D. mug shot, which everyone studied as they passed it around.
“This was taken four years ago for a DUI, before they found the stash. He could be bearded, wearing glasses now, might be tanned—just look for anyone who looks like him. He has no accents. But he does have a big fuckin’ dragoon tat on his back which should not be hard to miss. But he knows people are looking for him, so I’m thinking he’ll cover up more than he used to.”
“I’ve seen him at the Scupper before,” said Armando.
“Good, excellent. Now, we’re okayed to use the cells you’ve been issued so we can communicate. Remember, we want to look as normal as possible, so no vests, don’t go packin’ and I know we all came heavy, and no earpieces.”
Fredo swore.
“You got something you’re trying out, Fredo?”
“This little microphone I got, put it onto a button I can attach with a clip.”
“Not yet, because you won’t look natural monitoring it. Let’s hold off for now. Anyone else have gadgets?”
Jake knew most the team experimented with equipment, special pockets to store things, so it was a valid question.
“So, we got Ollie, Lucas, Alex, Tay, Jameson and Tyler on the boat. They meet right where they dropped us off today at 0-eight hundred. So, for the rest of the afternoon, we walk the streets and just look like a bunch of goofy guys being tourists. You text me or Coop if anything comes up we need to know about. I want you in triples or quads today. Dress is ugly shorts and shirts that don’t match. Except you, Armani. You can go designer if you brought any.”
Armando smiled with pride and the rest of the Team laughed, slapping him on the back.
JAKE WISHED HE could call Ginger, but had to obey the rules of silence while across the border. He, T.J., Cooper and Danny wandered down a garden path until they found the dusty streets of the tiny fishing village on the outskirts of the newer town with its shops and malls. There they passed by older men sitting on metal canisters or plastic stools, mending fishing nets or cleaning fish. A pack of children were chasing a chicken with a stick until a woman appeared in one of the doorways and reprimanded them.
There was a fresh fruit vendor selling pineapple and other local fruits in white paper cones, drizzling with red hot sauce. They looked tempting but Jake waved them aside for fear of getting sick. The sun was hot on his now-fuzzy head and his new beard had grown out nearly an inch and itched in the afternoon heat. He was going to go for a swim when they returned to the house.
A pair of little girls approached them to sell hand made braided bracelets and dashboard dolls for pennies. Each of the men bought several and dolled out their US dollars generously.
They noticed Tay and Ollie with Kyle and several others haggling with another street vendor selling necklaces made of shells.
With their pockets bulging with inexpensive trinkets for their kids, the four SEALs entered a small cantina where the food smelled great. Outside the crowds of tourists had died down in the heat of the day. Upon taking a table in the corner, Jake and Coop ordered a mineral water, while T.J. and Danny asked for a local beer.
Sounds of a Jeep echoed through the little dive. The squeal of brakes and then the slamming of doors came just before the doorway darkened as four uniformed men entered the room.
They were dressed in the light brownish green colors of the Mexican military, not the black uniforms of local police. Each took a stool at the bar. The ranking officer removed his cap and set it on the vacant stool beside him. As he turned, Jake came face to face with General Cortez.
Chapter 12
GINGER TOOK THE girls to the library again for the Storytime hour and had arranged to meet up with several other wives and their children. On the way, she picked up Brandon and Maggie at Christy’s, and agreed to keep the kids at her place until Christy was done with work. Libby brought Gillian and Will. Luci brought Ali and Griff.
The eight SEAL kids sat together, some naturally holding hands or placing arms around each other’s shoulders. The three mothers looked on to make sure they behaved.
Luci had taken away Ali’s slingshot again just before the librarian was going to be hit with a wad of chewing gum as she sat to begin the reading. His mother quickly stashed it in her bag, out of sight.
“Honestly, I checked him before we left the house. He sleeps with this thing and we have rules about him
taking it to school, or to public places. But he’s getting better and better at sneaking it or hiding it somewhere on his clothes,” said Luci.
“A SEAL in training?” Libby smiled.
“Heaven help us, because I overheard him talking to Danny about learning to throw knives. I’m not going to have a single piece of wood paneling intact, and I know he’ll practice on my throw pillows. I’m holding off on a decision until we can get some control here.”
“Maybe that’s how you make him understand. Tell him what the cost it would be for you,” added Ginger.
“He doesn’t really understand no. He thinks it’s no for now, or, no unless I can get away with it. I think it’s a cultural thing, from what he learned as a street urchin in Iraq. Those kids made up their own rules. At least he had a father, up until the end. So many of those kids perished because they had no one except themselves to keep them safe. Very sad.”
“I think that’s why he’s so attached to the sling shot Danny made for him. It did save his life, didn’t it?” asked Libby.
Ali’s last desperate run to the waiting arms of Danny, who was in the helicopter ready to take him away from the war and carnage, nearly ended in disaster when the boy fell. The fighter who was pursuing him, after killing his father, was not expecting that the boy would scramble on the ground, pick up a pebble, place it perfectly on the rubber tubing of the sling shot, and shoot it smack into the center of the pursuer’s forehead, knocking him backward. This skill Danny had taught him in the hours they practiced while waiting for their pickup, had actually saved his life. Ginger didn’t blame the boy for wanting it by his side constantly.
But Ali’s behavior at school was beginning to become a problem, she told them, since he fought on the playground not like a child, but like a young man in survival mode. He was so strong he could overpower even the older kids in school. His little brother, Griff, bore the goose eggs and bruises he received from the rough play with his adopted brother.
“I think you have a born warrior there. His father was military, and now he grows up in the shadow of Danny,” said Ginger. “I’m glad I have girls!”
Libby and Luci laughed.
The story was engrossing for the kids, who were naturally inquisitive and not afraid to speak up. But toward the end of the story, Ginger saw Ali had lost focus sitting with her two girls and was watching another group of preteen boys in white robes, sitting around a table, in an animated discussion. She recognized them from the last time they were at the library. She made a note to discuss this with Christy, Kyle’s wife. She also decided to remark about it to Luci and Libby.
“Ali is watching those boys.” She pointed through the open doorway to a table beyond, near the checkout counter, where the young boys were sitting, having their heated discussion.
“Yes, last time he said he knew who they were,” whispered Luci.
“We need to let the men know when they get back,” added Libby.
“I’ll be sure I tell Danny when I next talk to him.” She examined her hands and Ginger knew she was sorry for the same reasons Ginger was sorry. She missed her husband and was hoping he hadn’t found himself in harm’s way.
After the reading, the book was given to one lucky child to take home on loan. That child would be the first person to let the book leave in his possession. The librarian smiled sweetly and presented it to Jasmine, whose eyes got as big and round as saucers. She hugged the book to her chest and came running to her mother.
Their whole group perused the shelves that had been specially arranged for the reading today, and chose books they wanted to check out. At the checkout counter, there was no sign of the young boys, so Ginger stopped looking for them.
But after the four kids held hands with each other and formed a human chain on the way to Ginger’s car, she spotted the men again, lurking beneath a tree across the street from the library. It was scary when one of the youngsters broke away and headed directly toward them in a casual jog. When the boy was nearly upon them, Ginger noticed the sides of his face were deformed in a large reddish burn mark extending from his wrinkled eyelid down nearly to his jaw line. Though it was healed, it still looked painful.
Ginger advanced to her girls, picked up Maggie and shoved the other three behind her and whirled around to face the oncoming teenager. He was holding a large stubby stick in his left hand.
Ginger quickly finished loading the kids into the car and took off in the opposite direction. In her rearview mirror she saw the other boys catch up to him and stand together in a group, watching her leave. She didn’t see either of her other two friends. Her heart was pounding, certain that if she hadn’t acted quickly, the youth had intended on doing her harm.
She pulled over a few blocks away and dialed Luci.
“Did you see those boys?”
“Yes. Ali says he was a troublemaker from their old village in Iraq, the same boy he saw last week.”
“We need to report this. If they’re hanging around the library, we’ve got to warn the staff. I don’t want to go back there.”
“I’ll call the library,” said Luci. “Should one of us call the police?”
“I’m going to drop by the station. Hopefully I won’t have to wait too long if they see me with four children.”
“I’m going to call Libby and check on her as well,” said Luci.
“I didn’t see her leave, so let me know, okay?”
“Will do. Let me know if we need to do anything further with the police.”
Ginger explained to the kids she was going to take them to the police station and Brandon was cheering his lungs out. Luci texted her and said Libby had gotten home safely and had not seen the crowd of boys.
She had the kids hold hands and walked them all into the police station lobby. Behind thick glass, a clerk was sitting as she approached. She smiled at the kids. Brandon tried to climb up on the counter, but Ginger pulled him back.
“Can I help you?”
“We were just at the library.”
“Your name?”
“Ginger Green.”
The clerk wrote Ginger’s name down on a tablet. “OK, what brings you in here?”
“We were at the library just now, doing a reading for the children. These are my two and I have two others I’m babysitting. There was a group of youths gathered at the library, sitting around a table. They wore white robes. We saw them last week for the reading as well.”
“Okay.”
“Well, when we got ready to leave, they started to—well, one of them started to advance toward me and the children. He held a tree branch or something in his hand. He was menacing.”
“When was this?”
“Just a few minutes ago, literally less than ten minutes ago. My other friend who was there with her kids has already called the library to warn them, but I think someone should go check out these boys.”
“You say how many boys?”
“I think five?”
“And what were they wearing?”
“They all wore white robes, no hats or anything on their heads. They were like teenagers. But they weren’t dressed western. I’m sure others have seen them.”
Ginger gave her cell phone number and declined to write a report or make a complaint.
“If your officer checks with the library staff, I’m sure they’ve seen them there and could help perhaps with further descriptions. I just wanted to get out of there with the kids.”
The information was relayed and as Ginger put everyone back in her car, she saw a patrol car leave the garage, giving her a wave as he left in the direction of the library downtown.
The kids were talking amongst themselves in the back seats. As she drove home, she wished she had Jake to talk to. He’d know what to do. Her heart was still pounding wildly in her chest. What had started out to be a nice afternoon with her friends at the library had suddenly become scary.
She’d always thought Jake had the more dangerous job. Today, she felt the weight and respon
sibility of protecting little ones in an ominous situation, and now understood what Ali’s father must have felt like as their city was crumbling all around them.
She was going to have to be more vigilant and observant. Her idyllic world had revealed some of its dark side, and she was more vulnerable without her protector. She needed him now more than ever.
Come home, sweetheart. Please be safe and come home soon.
Chapter 13
AS THE GENERAL turned to face the cracked mirror over the bar, enjoying his beer, Jake averted his gaze to Cooper, who was already nodding. He’d seen the General too, and it registered that they needed to exit the place, but not do so as to attract attention.
He was hoping the cue ball look threw the General off in his recollection, but something in the man’s eyes bore a twinkle of recognition. Despite the mineral water he was sucking on, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and he had difficulty swallowing. He felt his palms sweat.
The lady bartender was keeping the military men happy, which meant the food T.J. had ordered wasn’t going to come soon, which also meant that they should just finish up and leave. He couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Someone shouted in the street, which was followed by a high-pitched whistle and some cat calls as a group of young boys rolled up the narrow street, smoking cigarettes and chattering with a couple of local girls. The youths checked out the inside of the bar and as soon as they saw the uniforms were quickly silenced and gone from sight.
That was what Jake wanted to do. He wished he had the “disappear” gene so all he had to do was click his fingers and, like a genie, he’d be gone too.
A young girl brought a tray of hot beans, rice and corn tortillas, as well as pieces of chicken and pork, vegetables and a mound of shredded Mexican cheese. T.J. motioned for everyone to help themselves. Jake rolled the tortilla with a generous mixture of steamed vegetables, adding the beans and rice, but didn’t trust the cheese. It tasted divine.
Band of Bachelors: Jake2: Book 4 (SEAL Brotherhood) Page 8