“This is Fallon,” she said. “I have eyes on the subject.”
Across from her, Grayson crouched next to a low stone wall and said, “I have eyes on him, too. He’s crossing north across Olivia now. Continuing west on the north sidewalk.”
“I got him” I said. “Grayson, you and Sherri start down the sidewalks on either side. Quick, but quiet. I’ll be in the middle of the street between you in ten seconds.”
“This is Williams. I have him ranged and sighted. I’m standing by.” Jared sounded like the consummate professional, no fear or panic in his voice at all. I knew that this was his element. And I also knew he wouldn’t take a shot unless ordered to. He’d finally come to grips with who and what he was and had conquered his demons, if only for a little while. I felt emboldened, knowing that he was perched up there and had our backs.
As I crossed Elizabeth Street, I slowed to a fast walk. I could see Darchevsky now, not even a block ahead. Grayson and Sherri were just a few yards ahead of me and fifty feet behind him. He stopped at the corner of Simonton Street for a second, then crossed over and continued down Olivia, just two blocks from Duval Street. Even though it was still early, I could see that Duval was already active, people crossing in both directions on the sidewalks.
Just then a Key West Police cruiser turned off of Duval onto Olivia. It stopped and the blue lights came on. Darchevsky stopped in his tracks halfway between Simonton and Center Street. I drew my Sig as I came abreast of Grayson and Sherri and out of the corner of my eyes I saw them draw their side arms also.
As Darchevsky started to turn, the three of us stopped and I shouted, “Darchevsky! Don’t move! You’re under arrest!”
He was next to a long wall, with a picket fence on top of it. He moved quickly across the street and behind a parked car. In a split second he raised up and fired two shots. Grayson and I returned fire, as we steadily moved forward.
I heard Sherri call out, “I’m hit.”
“Jared, shoot to maim,” I shouted. A second later, there was the thunderclap report of my M-40 and Darchevsky rolled out into the middle of the street, his weapon flying away from him.
I ran to the sidewalk where Sherri lay on her side. Blood was already spreading across the front and back of her blouse, just above her right hip. I knelt down as she looked up and said, “Guess next week’s marathon is out of the question.”
I pulled her blouse up, exposing the wounds. It was a through and through, the exit wound slightly larger than the entry. I reached into the pocket of my cargo pants and pulled out two packages of Quikclot and two self-adhesive bandages. “This is going to burn like all hell, kid,” I said as I ripped the first package open and poured the granules into the exit wound. I quickly pulled the backing off one of the bandages and pressed it firmly in place as she tried to muffle a scream. Then I ripped open the second package and did the same thing on her belly wound.
“Doc, get over here, riki tik. Sherri’s down, but okay.”
“Almost there, Gunny,” came his reply.
The sound of a siren split the air and the cruiser sped forward, stopping in the intersection of Olivia and Center Street and the cop shut off the siren. Other sirens could be heard seemingly from every direction. Grayson had Darchevsky face down with his knee in the man’s lower back. Doc came running up, so I left him to attend to Sherri and went to help Grayson who already had flex cuffs on Darchevsky’s wrists and literally yanked him to his feet with one hand.
He didn’t stay on his feet long. As I strode toward him, I unleashed an overhand right that landed squarely on his jaw, dropping him like a back of concrete. “What part of don’t move did you not understand!” I shouted down at the unconscious man.
I turned to the cop and said, “Get an ambulance here, now! Officer down!”
The cop ran to his patrol car and called it in. Several voices were talking at once over the comm. Suddenly it all went quiet and Deuce’s voice came over it, “Jesse, report.”
“Darchevsky’s in custody. Unconscious with a superficial wound to his right hand and a broken jaw where he fell. Sherri was hit, but is awake and talking. Ambulance is on the way.”
“Roger that. Everyone converge on the corner of Olivia and Center Street. The vans are on the way. Good job, everyone.”
The ambulance arrived and the paramedics agreed with Doc, that she didn’t need to be transported. She was up and walking around, but with a slight limp. The bullet had passed through the fleshy part of her waist. Within five minutes, the rest of the team had converged on the scene with Hinkle, Mitchel, Charity and Jared the last to arrive by squad car.
When Darchevsky woke up, he was moved into the first van to arrive and unceremoniously dumped in the back. I noticed that Jared’s bullet had entered his right forearm, just below the elbow and exited near his wrist.
As Jared got out of the squad car, Hinkle was the first to greet him. “Crikey, mate, that’s one hell of a shot. That bloke won’t ever shoot right handed again.” Several of the others slapped him on the shoulder as he made his way over to Doc and Sherri.
“Sorry I couldn’t have prevented that,” he said pointing at her waist.
“Don’t be,” she said shaking his hand. “You fired when ordered.”
“And not before,” I said with a grin as Charity took his hand in hers and led him toward the vans.
“Everyone mount up,” Kumar said.
Within seconds, the two vans were leaving the four Deputies and the Key West patrolman scratching their heads. Ten minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot at the marina and after shaking hands with Special Agents Sherman and Elson, we boarded the Revenge. Three Shore Patrol officers were waiting to take Darchevsky into custody. Although the shooting took place in Key West, since it was one of theirs that was injured they asked Key West PD to take jurisdiction. Key West was just glad to have him off the island and the case wrapped up.
Stockwell was standing on the bridge with Deuce when I climbed up to start the engines. “How’s it feel, Gunny?” Stockwell asked.
“How’s what feel, Colonel?”
“Being back in the saddle, doing what you were meant to do, leading troops in the field.”
I just shrugged and while starting the engines I said, “Didn’t really have time to feel anything.”
“Great job,” he said. “Both of you. Y’all have no idea what this little op meant.”
“What do you mean?” Deuce asked.
“DHS isn’t a law enforcement entity, you know that. It’s the oversight agency of the FBI, CIA and all the other alphabet soup law enforcement agencies. You’ve just taken the first step in the Counter-Terrorism Command becoming a full-fledged arm of law enforcement. Both abroad and domestically.”
“So you’re saying this was a test?” I asked.
“No, not at all,” he replied as he started for the ladder. “I never had any doubt. I’m staying here tonight, since the G-5’s already here. See you at 0600.” He climbed down and started toward a waiting Navy sedan. On the dock, he turned and said, “Oh by the way, Doctor Burdick was here about an hour ago. I explained what was going on and she said she needed to get back to her patient anyway. The officer that was shot is in recovery and is expected to be back on duty in a week.” Then he got in the car and it drove away.
Doc called up and said, “Ready to cast off?”
“Yeah,” I replied. “Then get up here and take her out. I have a phone call to make.”
Doc and Dawson cast off the lines and Doc took the Revenge out Boca Chica Channel, while I went up to the foredeck to call Jackie. Once again, I caught her between rounds.
“You mad at me?” I asked.
“I was for about a second. The Colonel explained what was going on. Think you’ll find him?”
“Stop by the brig in a few minutes and you can slap him around a little, if you want.”
“You already got him?” she asked excitedly.
“Yeah, just turned him over the Shore Patrol and
we’re about to head back to the island. Want to join us,” I asked, hoping she’d say no, since we were already underway.
“I can’t. The officer that was injured stepped in front of me. I’m going to stay here until he wakes up. Go celebrate with your troops.”
“Okay, I’ll see you at the dock at 0600 and I promise I won’t be late.”
“If you are, I’ll kick your ass,” she said as she ended the call.
I climbed back up to the bridge and was suddenly very tired. It didn’t seem like that long ago, when I could go for days with just a couple of hours sleep. Deuce and Julie were on the bridge and as I climbed up, Doc started to get up from the helm. I stopped him and said, “Take us home, Doc.” Then I sat down in the second seat, put my feet up on the side console, leaned my head back and fell into a deep sleep.
It felt like it was only a few minutes later when suddenly I woke up. It was dark and quiet. For a second, I had no idea where I was, or how I got there. I realized I was sitting on the bridge and the Revenge was docked under my house. My neck and knees were stiff and sore as I slowly stood up. Light softly filtered through the cracks around the big double doors in front of the boat and I could faintly hear voices that sounded far off and muffled.
I climbed down from the bridge and stepped over the gunwale to the dock. When I opened the door and went outside, I could tell by the angle of the sun through the trees that it was late afternoon. Looking at my watch, I confirmed that I must have slept the whole way back and at least two hours after Doc guided the boat under the house.
Stiffly climbing up the steps to the deck, I crossed over to the rear deck and stood there for a minute, taking everything in. A chopper was sitting in the middle of the clearing and a large bonfire was going at the east side of the bunkhouses. There must have been thirty people standing and sitting around the fire and at the tables. Trent was busy tending the fire in the stone barbeque and beyond the bunkhouses I could see his kids and Pescador running and jumping off the pier, then climbing up the ramp and doing it again.
Building this place, not really consciously, I had Alex in mind. Before she returned from Oregon when she left two years ago to take care of her sick brother. This was before we’d even gone on our first real date, or even thought about it. I’d felt empty inside after she was killed and now suddenly realized that what I’d built for us, before there even was an us, I’d improved upon for this group, before there even was a group. My little island was now a thriving community of people that cared deeply for one another in a way that many people would never understand.
Looking down on my little island, for the first time in nearly a year, I felt whole again. I felt alive and suddenly I realized that life really is for the living and though I’d sensed it before, I now felt deep down inside that Alex would have wanted me to pick up the pieces, grab life by the horns and live again. I wanted Jackie here and I wanted to tell her how I felt about her. I resolved to do just that, as soon as I saw her in the morning. Right now I wanted to celebrate the success of a mission with my family.
I ran down the steps and nearly sprinted across the yard. Yes, it was a yard, not a clearing or a landing zone. Even if there was a chopper sitting in the middle of it.
“Whoa, mate,” Hinkle said. “What’s the big hurry?”
“Hand me a beer, Donnie.” Then I spied two bottles of Pusser’s Navy Rum on the table. “Belay that,” I said. “Gimme a damn glass.”
A shot glass was produced and Deuce poured me a double. I raised my glass high and said, “Standing up on the deck just a minute ago, I realized why men and women who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because we long to be with those who once acted their best, who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity. I didn’t pick you. You were delivered here by fate. But I know you in a way I know no other. I have never given anyone such trust. As long as I have memory I will think of you all every day and I’m sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of you, my family.” A chorus of shouts went up and glasses and bottles were raised high. I tossed down the rum and it seemed to ignite a fire in me.
“That’s more words than I’ve ever heard you say at one time,” Stockwell said as he poured me another.
“Hi Travis. Is this fine Navy rum of your doing?”
“Deuce told me how you sea faring types liked to celebrate, so I thought I’d do what I could to help. Have a nice nap?”
“You must be getting old,” a familiar voice said from behind me. “I remember when me and you could go days with no more sleep than what you just had sittin’ there under that house.”
I spun around and was grabbed in a huge bear hug. When he put me down I said, “Rusty, when did you get here?”
“Julie called when y’all were headed back, so I tossed Rufus the keys and jumped in my skiff. Been here an hour while you been snorin’ away in that boat of yours.”
We celebrated until sunset then Stockwell and his pilot took off and headed back to the Air Base. Then we celebrated some more. But not too much. We still had Smith out there somewhere and there was still a watch to be manned. About 2200, those who would have watch drifted off to get some sleep before they had to go on duty. An hour later, I decided to turn in myself. Tomorrow would be a long day.
Chapter 14: Beltway Blues
I slept soundly in the bunkhouse and woke well before dawn. When I went outside there were two large carafes on the table, steam rising from both of them and a tray full of coffee mugs. Rusty was already up and he and Jared were poking the fire, trying to get it going again.
“Charlie makes good coffee,” Rusty said. I poured a cup and joined the two men by the fire. “She said she’ll have pancakes ready in 30 minutes.”
“Where were you last night, Jared,” I asked. “I don’t remember seeing you around.”
His face colored a bit and he said, “Charity and I borrowed the Grady and went out fishing.”
“Fishing, huh? Have any luck?”
He grinned and said, “You might say that.”
“This young Devil Dog was telling me how you charged straight down the middle of the street at that assassin,” Rusty said.
“Telling sea stories are we? I walked, not charged. Did he mention that Grayson was right beside me and Sherri was on the other side?”
“How is she?” Jared asked.
“She’ll be fine. Doc gave her something for the pain.”
As if on cue, Charity and Sherri came out of the bunkhouse, poured coffee for themselves and came over to where we were standing. Charity kissed Jared, causing him to blush again.
“How’s your side feeling?” I asked Sherri.
“Kinda numb. Doc said that’s to be expected.” She hugged me and said, “Thanks for acting so quickly.”
One by one, the others started filing out of the bunkhouses. Deuce, Julie, Doc, and Nikki came across the yard and we all sat down at the tables, talking. Minutes later, Carl and Charlie came out of their new house with the kids, all of them carrying stacks of plates, glasses, orange juice, and a huge platter of pancakes.
After breakfast, those that weren’t leaving took care of cleaning up, so the rest of us could get ready. At 0500, Deuce, Julie, Doc, Jared, Rusty, and I boarded the Revenge and I started the engines. Stockwell insisted that Rusty come along, but didn’t say why.
I called Doc up to the bridge and had him take over for a minute, so I could talk to Rusty. We went down to the salon and sat down at the settee.
“What’s up, bro?” he asked.
Rusty and I have always been able to talk about anything. I’d known him since before Julie was born and we were like brothers.
“I’ve decided to tell Jackie how I feel and I need you to talk me out of it.”
“Talk you out of it? Hell, I been egging you on to do that for months. It’s obvious you two like each other. Why the heck should I talk you out of it?”
“What do I have to offer, man? She’s a doctor and I’m a boat bum and now I’m hooked up with a bunch of snake eaters and spooks.”
“Jesse, you’re a boat bum by choice and you don’t have to stay hooked up with this bunch. Tell Stockwell you’re done. Or not. Jackie’s a smart woman and knows what you guys do. You tell her how you feel and let her decide.”
“That easy, huh?”
“Sure it is, man. You two are like grunts and grits, made for each other.”
“Alright then. I’ll do it.”
An hour later we were tied up at the Boca Chica Marina dock. This time the Dockmaster did come out. I paid him a hundred dollars to dock the Revenge there for the day and had him fill the tanks. Stockwell was already waiting in the parking lot with Jackie. I started getting butterflies in my stomach when I saw her.
“Good morning, sailor,” she said as we walked over. She gave me a warm hug and a kiss then said, “Good thing you’re on time. I just bet the Colonel here how long it’d take me to kick your ass.”
“Jared, the SecNav has changed the location he wants to meet with you,” Stockwell said. “After a full review of the statements of everyone involved, he’s asked if you’d accompany the rest of this motley crew to the White House and he’ll meet you there.”
“The White House?”
Stockwell grinned and said, “Yeah, he was sort of ordered to ask you if that would be alright.”
“Ordered to? Who outranks the SecNav?” Jared’s brow furrowed. “You mean the President?”
“Are all these Jarheads slow on the uptake, Deuce?”
That caused me to chuckle a little. “Only us infantry, Colonel.”
We got in two Navy sedans for the short ride to where the G-5 was sitting on the apron, its engines already running. Five minutes later we were in the air, headed north. Stockwell had rooms reserved for us at the JW Marriot, just across from the Visitors Center, so we could clean up and change before being escorted the two blocks to the White House.
Once we were settled in the plane, reached cruising altitude and the pilot turned off the seat belt sign, I mustered the courage and turned toward Jackie. “I have something to tell you,” we both said at the same time and started laughing.
Fallen Pride (Jesse McDermitt Series) Page 25