“I understand, doctor, and have just the nurse for you.”
“Thank you. Let’s just pray I don’t need her.” Joyce hung up, and immediately called surgery scheduling. Though she hoped she wouldn’t be needed in Little Rock, this was Vicky’s father, and she wasn’t leaving anything to chance. She arranged for another surgeon to take her severe cases for a few days, and rescheduled the non-life threatening surgeries.
***
The next five hours were spent in silence, until Vicky’s cell phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Vicky, it’s your dad, honey”
“Daddy! Are you okay?”
“Yes honey, I’m fine.”
“You sound really tired, dad.”
“Who can rest in this place? Don’t worry about me, honey, you just take care of yourself and Aidan, okay? I’m so glad you have her, I sleep better at night just knowing she’s there, looking out for you.”
“Yeah, well. I’d rather she didn’t.”
“Listen, honey, that’s who she is. To wish that away, would be to change her into something she’s not, and I know you don’t want to do that.”
She thought about it, and had to reluctantly agree, “You’re right, as usual, dad.”
“So you’ll stick by her side, and finish your mission, no matter what happens with me?”
“Why is it so important to you, dad?”
“Because I’m a Marine, honey, and I understand what it means to leave a buddy behind.” Leonard exhaled, remembering a pain that never goes away. “You can’t come back from that, not completely. But Aidan has a second chance, and it’s important to me that she completes her mission, and I know she won’t, unless you are by her side. But honey, if she doesn’t do this, I’m afraid it may hurt both of you, in the long run.”
Leonard was afraid for his daughter, but he tried hard not to project that fear over the phone. He feared he had pushed her too far, for something he wished he could do himself. Worried that if the news was right, they would be walking into a war zone. Worried that his daughter could be hurt… or worse. All his worries, he was placing on Aidan’s shoulders. Relying on her to safeguard his daughter, as she had always done, from the first day they became friends.
“Okay, daddy, I’ll stick it out, but when I get back, we’re going to have a long talk.” She knew her father had served in Desert Storm, but he never once, revealed as much to her, as he had just now. “Until then, I’m still going to worry about you.”
“Well, that will have to do, I guess.”
“Listen, dad, I’m going to have Dr. Joyce McMillan, check in on you. She’s the best heart doctor out there, and she’s my best friend. Be nice to her, okay?” Vicky smiled, “I love you, dad”
“I love you too, honey. Can’t wait to hear all about your adventures, when you get back.”
From her seat in the next aisle, Aidan watched as Vicky talked on the phone, wishing she could find the words to soothe Vicky’s frustration. Damn it, I might have really fucked it up, this time. Aidan’s thoughts were interrupted by Jerry standing beside her, once again. He motioned toward Vicky and smiled.
She looked at him and asked, “Is it safe?” He shrugged his shoulders and she laughed, “Thanks man.”
Sitting down beside Vicky again, Aidan asked, “Was that your dad?”
Vicky nodded, “He’s tired, but sounding more like his old self.”
“Well, that’s a relief, thanks for letting me know.” Aidan started to get up, but Vicky stopped her with a hand to her arm.
“I’m…, I’m so sorry I yelled at you, Aidan.”
“No need to apologize, you had every right to. I was being a jerk, and—”
“No, sweetheart, you weren’t. I was, and I’m sorry for that. Dad reminded me of who you are, and I’m sorry I had forgotten that.”
Aidan was trying to make sense of what she was saying, but it wasn’t coming clear. Not that it had to make sense, as long as they were talking, and Aidan could be close to her.
“Aidan, I don’t want to change a thing about you, I love you the way you are, so don’t ever change, okay?”
“Uh, sure, kid, whatever you want.”
“What I want, is for this to be over, so I can be with you, acknowledge you as my lover, not as my Team Leader.”
“I know, baby, and I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you these past few weeks. I meant it, you know. We…, you and I together, can go back if you want.”
“No, we can’t, not now. We have to see this through, or neither one of us will be the same. Besides, I made a promise to my dad. So no more outbursts from me, when you say jump, I’ll ask how high.”
Aidan looked at her and smiled, “Okay, kid, we’ll see it through together, and when we get back we’ll get married, and make beautiful babies together.”
“Promise?”
“Yeah, baby, with all my heart.” She crossed her heart, like she use to do as a child, bringing a smile to Vicky’s ashen face.
“Permission to hold your hand, Team Leader?”
Aidan smiled, and took her hand, kissing it tenderly.
Vicky watched her, then added, “You understand of course, that I was referring only to this mission. As soon as we get back home, when you say jump, I’ll say, on me.”
Aidan laughed for the first time in a long time. That’s the Vicky she fell in love with. The rest of the flight was much more comfortable for the group. Still holding hands, Vicky laid her head on Aidan’s shoulder, and soon fell asleep. The closeness and warmth of Vicky’s body, helped Aidan relax, enough to sleep, as well.
Several hours later, Aidan’s phone vibrated with a new text message. She opened it up to find the photo of Vicky, with her hands in the air, after she received her marksmanship ribbon. Aidan smiled, her pride welling up again at the sight of her lover so happy and confident. She set it as her phone’s wallpaper, and put the phone back in her jeans pocket. Looking over at Vicky’s face, so gentle and soft, asleep on her shoulder, Aidan allowed her doubts to return to her thoughts. She felt trapped by her own doing. Driven to resolve what she blamed herself for, leaving Samantha behind with the enemy. Caving in when Vicky insisted on going with her, then treating her as a subordinate rather than an equal, during boot camp. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by Vicky.
“It’s okay, honey, we can do this.”
“What?”
She raised her head, and pointed at Aidan’s knee, bouncing up and down.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was doing that.”
Vicky knew that Aidan bounced her leg nervously, when she was worried about something, or felt trapped, or perhaps in this case, a little of both. “Stop worrying, Aidan, everything is going to be all right, you’ll see.”
Aidan leaned over, and kissed Vicky on the forehead, praying she was right.
***
As the flight attendants prepared for landing Aidan huddled with Jerry and Vicky, giving them some last minute instructions.
“We’ll be staying in Baghdad overnight, and hit the road at daylight. It’s about a seven hour drive, depending on road conditions, and other things.”
She didn’t specify what the other things were, but Jerry knew she was talking about IED’s, and suicide bombers in cars. “Once we’re on the road, you’ll have to turn off your cell phones, unless it’s an emergency. That will save on the battery charge, because we won’t have electricity, where we’re going.” She looked at Vicky apologetically, “I’m really sorry, but cell phones also set off the IED’s, so we can’t take any chances.”
Vicky nodded her head, she knew that from their training, but with her father in the hospital, it was almost too heavy a weight to bear.
“So you should call, and check on your dad, as soon as we get to the hotel, okay? It’ll probably be close to 10 p.m. in Little Rock, by then.”
Chapter 14
Courage comes in many forms, shapes and sizes. Whether it be the soldier, or policeman, or the firem
an, who charges forward in spite of the danger. Or the parent, or teacher, or the neighbor, who shields the child from harm’s way. There is the physical courage that could cost a person their life. And then there is the mental courage, that could cost a person their sanity, a fate worse than losing their life. And while Aidan received medals for her courage, there was no medal for the kind of courage Vicky will soon need to possess.
“Mr. Montgomery, my name is Dr. Joyce McMillan. You may remember me from Vicky’s college days, or when we were in Washington for Aidan’s ceremony. I’m Vicky’s friend.”
“That’s right, I remember you, Joyce. Vicky use to write about your antics all the time.”
“Oh, well, I’ve outgrown those days. I’m a cardiovascular surgeon now, and Vicky asked me to check in on you. If it’s okay, I’d like to do a little examination?”
“Sure, she said you would be visiting.” He pulled the blanket back, and exposed his chest. “Help yourself, Doc,” he smiled at her, “but just so you know, I’m ticklish.”
She grinned back at him, and said, “It must run in the family.” She took out her stethoscope, and placed it over his heart. “Mr. Montgomery, you were brought in with chest pain, do you have any pain now, or feel faint at all?”
“Yes. It feels like heartburn that won’t go away, and as for fainting, no, not yet, but I get really dizzy, at times.”
“How long have you had this problem?”
“For quite a while, I guess. Three, maybe five months or so. I remember it started before Aidan came back.”
“Well, because I know you’ve had a lot on your mind, since then, I won’t preach to you about waiting so long. But there’d better not be a next time.”
Joyce smiled at him, then put her stethoscope in her pocket, and began to examine his neck, specifically his jugular veins. Though she showed nothing but detached professionalism to Leonard, inside she was becoming very anxious. He’s got persistent chest pain, dizziness, and distension of the jugular veins, and that could mean that he’s about to have a myocardial rupture. She knew this type of rupture can take days to manifest, or come on suddenly, and be very hard to detect if the jugular veins hadn’t protruded yet. That makes it hard to diagnose ahead of time, but even then, can be easily missed during examination. Joyce could only hope she had caught it in time, because if not, it would mean death for Vicky’s father.
“Well?”
“Mr. Montgomery. I know you don’t know me very well, but—”
“You’re Vicky’s best friend. You helped her get through calculus in college.”
“And she helped me with chemistry.”
“I trust you, doctor. Do what you need to do.”
She patted his shoulder, “I’ll be right back,” and then walked out of the room, and over to the nurses desk.
“That man’s heart is about to blow. I need an OR, STAT!”
***
They landed with a jolt, on a very bumpy runway, where it took an hour to go through customs, but finally the team was on their way to the hotel.
Baghdad, the capital city of the Republic of Iraq, was once a priceless jewel in the desert, but now, it no longer enjoyed the thriving economy it once had, twenty years ago. The city was beaten down by the previous regime, to the point that people barely scratched out a living. And because it is tormented by insurgent attacks, that cripple the process of rebuilding, it had been deemed the worse place in the world to live. Yet, there is a growing economic upsurge, that even included American restaurants and businesses.
As the three rode through the streets of Baghdad, on their way to the hotel, Vicky couldn’t help but be inspired by the beauty of the city’s architecture. Aidan, of course, had seen the beauty of the city even when it was practically rubble, from the war. When Aidan was in the Army, she did three tours in Iraq. While in-country, she had spent a lot of time in Baghdad, including pursuing and wooing Samantha. Aidan wished they had time to explore the city more, so she could show Vicky the highlights, but this was strictly a business trip, with no time for sightseeing.
Thirty minutes after they checked in to the Hotel Baghdad, and got to their rooms, there was a knock on the women’s door. Aidan retrieved her knife from her backpack, and leaned against the door, braced for action. After she motioned for Vicky to stand behind her, she asked, “Who is it?”
“Fred, from Little Rock.” A man with a thick accent, said from the other side of the door.
Aidan relaxed her stance and unchained the door, letting him in. She had been told to expect a visit from their connection, and the code would be, ‘Fred, from Little Rock’. But the man was actually an Iraqi, who worked for the private firm they had just graduated from. Aidan quickly showed him in, and locked the door behind him.
“Are you Cassidy?” His tongue did not roll naturally over her name, but they understood what he said.
She nodded, and pointed to Vicky, “And this is Montgomery.”
“I was told there would be three of you?”
“There is, he’s in another room.”
“Please, get him.” Fred was a dark, handsome man, with short, straight hair, and a strong jawline. He had tight skin that looked like he rarely smiled. He was about the same height as Jerry, and wore camouflaged fatigues, clothes that were quite common in Baghdad.
Aidan nodded to Vicky, who walked across the hall to Jerry’s room. When they were all in the room together, Fred began talking.
“I am to help you on your next leg of Operation Pink Knight. Here are you new identities and passports. Give me your old ones, and I’ll lock them up until you return. Memorize these new ones, as if you were born with that name.”
“New names, is that necessary?” Vicky innocently asked.
Fred, a soft spoken man, replied, “Yes, you and Cassidy have too high a profile to use your own names. At the border they’ve been known to do a web search on people’s names, and her name,” he pointed towards Aidan, “is all over the internet right now. So you, Ms. Montgomery, will now be known as Becky Smith.”
Jerry looked at his new identity, and chuckled, “Hey, just call me Bill Conner.”
Fred turned to Aidan next, “And Cassidy, your new name will be Josephine Harper.”
Aidan scowled, “First person that calls me Josephine, gets a tongue lashing. Understand?”
Vicky giggled, and licked her lips, and when Aidan realized what she had just implied, she suppressed a grin, “Uh… just call me Jo, okay?”
“Becky, do you…,” Fred watched as Vicky ignored him, “Becky?”
Aidan nudged her, and she looked up, “What? Oh yeah, that’s me, sorry.”
Fred admonished her, “Another slip up like that, and you could end up in a Syrian prison, or worse.”
“Understood.” Vicky knew it was time to get serious, but if the truth be told, she was very frightened, and joking around helped alleviate the stress, just a bit.
“Your vehicle is parked on the ground level of the hotel, and gassed up. You should have found your supplies in your room by now, along with maps, a compass, and binoculars. You will be searched, so we advise no heavy weapons, they’d only take them away from you at the border. Is there anything else you need, before I leave?”
“I think you’ve got us set up, thank you.” Aidan extended her hand to him, and they shook hands.
“Good luck to you all.” He nodded to them, then left.
Aidan locked the door behind him, and looked at her friends. “Last chance. You can still turn back. If I could, I would, but you two do not have to continue on with me, if—”
Jerry and Vicky both protested at the same time, and when they calmed down, Jerry said, “We’re in this together Sarge, and we’ll see it through, right Scrappy?’’
“Uh, hello, my name is Becky, and yes, I want to finish this.”
Aidan smiled with relief. The thought of going in alone, with no backup, and without Vicky at her side, was inconceivable, but she had to offer, just the same. “Thank you b
oth.” Her eyes sparkled with unspoken gratitude, “Okay, guys, we’ve only got tonight to catch up on sleep, because tomorrow will be when it gets dangerous. So no drinking, no sex, and stick close to the hotel. It’s still not safe out there. Questions?”
Vicky timidly raised her hand, and Aidan said, “Yes, Becky?”
“Um, no sex, Jo? I thought, maybe, well it’s just that, we’ve been separated for so long, and…”
Aidan smiled at Vicky, appreciating how her nose crinkled shyly, “I feel the same way, kid, but now is the critical time for us. We have to keep a clear head, and not be distracted, okay? In the morning when we wake up, our mind has to be on the mission ahead, not on the night before.”
Vicky thought about pouting, and decided it probably wouldn’t do any good anyway, Aidan was still in the Team Leader mode. Instead she nodded her head in acceptance.
“So now is the time to make those phone calls, and get some chow, if you’re hungry.”
Vicky perked up, “Let me call home real fast, and then maybe we can eat, and maybe explore the hotel a little?”
“Sounds good. Jer…, uh I mean, Bill, want to join us?”
“Sure. I’m going to take a shower first though, and get cleaned up a little, and I’ll meet you guys, say in half an hour?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Jerry left, and Aidan walked over, and locked the hotel door behind him.
“And I’m also going to jump in the shower, since you’re making a phone call, Becky. Oh, and I’m going to lock the bathroom door too, so you won’t be tempted.” Aidan chuckled at her own joke, and grabbed her back pack, leaving Vicky alone with a cell phone full of missed calls.
She ignored the messages, and immediately called her father’s nurses’ station at the hospital. “This is Victoria Montgomery, and I wanted to check in on my father, Leonard Montgomery, please.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Montgomery, but there is a ‘do not publish’ beside his name, which means I can’t give that information out over the phone. It’s a HIPAA law.”
Remember, It’s You I Love: Operation Pink Knight Page 16