by Matt Lincoln
35
Linda
I was settled on the couch with a small folding table in front of me and the news on the television, listening to Slade bustle around my kitchen.
“This is weird,” I called out to her. “I’m not completely useless, I can help!”
“Shut up,” she said with a giggle as she brought over a plate of bacon and eggs. “I want to look useful, so CO doesn’t question what I’m doing.”
I let out a laugh. “Okay fine, but this feels weird.”
“Just eat,” she said as she went back to the kitchen. As I dove into my meal, I heard her cleaning up for a couple of minutes before she came back and joined me on the couch with a plate of her own. “Have you heard from your friend?”
“Yes, I sent him a text message letting him know I’m alright,” I informed her. “His responses have been few and far between, though, and I get the impression that they are not done with what they set out to do.”
“You know, I think it’s really cool that this is all happening,” Slade said as she carefully piled some eggs onto her fork. “The fact that we helped potentially stop an entire cartel is incredible.”
“It is,” I smiled, “but it’s not over yet. Once Jake confirms that it’s done, I think that’s when I will start to feel accomplished.”
“You know, even if he fails, we still did a lot,” Slade pondered. “I mean, the Coast Guard will probably want to go after them now after that attack. So, I mean, one way or another, they’re getting hit.”
“That’s true,” I replied as the doorbell rang.
“Crap.” Slade shoveled several forkfuls of eggs into her mouth before getting up to answer the door. “I knew I was cutting it close for time.” She grabbed my empty plate along with hers and dropped them both on the counter before heading to the door.
“Good morning, CO Morris, CO Watson,” she said cheerfully. I heard my door swing wide and listened as their footsteps echoed across my floor.
“Good morning, GM2,” CO Morris replied, his tone business-like in nature. “How are you feeling today, XO?”
“I’m feeling alright,” I replied as they all came into my living room and gathered around. “Please, sit! I’m feeling pretty helpless at the moment, but I’m very grateful that GM2 Slade is here helping me.”
“I’m glad you have some assistance here,” CO Morris replied. “I do know, however, that the last thing you want is for an impromptu meeting with your CO in your living room, so I will do us all a favor and get straight to the point. At what point did you realize the cutter was under attack?”
“Well,” I began slowly, trying to collect my thoughts, “when we saw the three go-fasts headed our way, it seemed rather unusual. I was of the mindset that we should prepare for the worst.”
“So you had Slade load up the 25mm and suit up the entire crew with body armor? That seems like a drastic measure.” CO Morris’ expression was solid and immobile. I glanced over at Watson for guidance but found none behind his usually-expressive brown eyes.
“It was a gut feeling, sir,” I replied cryptically.
“A gut feeling, that’s what you’re going with?” Morris didn’t look at all amused.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, sticking to my guns. “Three incoming potential targets plus an impending storm? That could be a recipe for disaster if we weren’t properly prepared.”
“I do remember thinking she was going overboard with the precautions,” Watson added, “but I didn’t stop her in the name of the training initiative, and in hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t. We were all safer for it.” His eyes met mine, and I saw a smile behind his serious expression.
“So, that’s what we are going with?” CO Morris asked incredulously. “What about the stealth boat that took our Coasties on board to administer first aid instead of having the small boat bring them in?”
I knew Jake and his crew were trustworthy, but I could understand why Morris would be upset about this.
“I can’t speak to that, sir, I was dealing with a lot at that moment.” I looked around at Slade, Morris, and Watson in turn. “I do remember that they had multiple men in handcuffs, and they needed room to fit them all and bring them back to the boat. I can assume that the crew would have rather gotten us some medical attention sooner rather than wait until we were on the cutter.”
“That’s logical reasoning for a civilian,” Morris pointed out, “but the manual exists for a reason. You were supposed to come back to the cutter.”
“The manual?” I asked, taken aback by the statement. “Lives were at risk. I’m all for following the manual, but I don’t think this exact situation was ever referenced.”
“That’s why the manual exists, Reyes. To cover out-of-the-ordinary situations. Who were the guys in the stealth boat anyway?” he asked curiously.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I do not know, sir.”
CO Morris let out a sigh of frustration. “So, let me get this straight. You see three blips on the radar that fit the size of a go-fast. You over-anticipate and get the boat completely ready for combat. Then you get greedy and go out on the go-fast, get shot in the back, and receive medical assistance from an unknown civilian, who has an unknown amount of medical knowledge.”
My jaw opened and closed once or twice as I took in his assessment. “Yes,” I said softly.
“And Mr. Watson, do you have anything to add to this?” CO Morris was all business. I had no idea which direction this would go in.
“Nothing other than what I had told you earlier, sir,” Watson replied confidently.
CO Morris stood up and began pacing the room. “CGIS is going to be looking into all of this. They are going to want to know every detail. Their findings are not only going to make or break your career, but it can also make or break mine and determine the longevity of this training initiative that I have worked so hard to push through.”
He stopped up short and took a deep breath before looking at each of us in turn. “I am grateful that it turned out the way it did. We did not lose anyone, but a lot of that is due to these mystery people that showed up to help. This makes us look bad since we apparently can’t handle it on our own. I would caution you to watch what you say and how you approach this in the months to come.”
I silently nodded.
“Yes, sir,” Watson muttered.
“Dismissed,” CO Morris said, looking down at both of us with a disappointed expression before walking out of my apartment. Watson stood up slowly, gave me a small grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and silently followed CO Morris out the door.
As the door clicked shut, I turned to Slade.
“Holy crap, girl,” Slade breathed. “That was intense. You alright?”
“Yeah.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring down at my palms in my lap. “I’m glad Jake is safe, but he warned me this could impact my career.” I looked up at her. “I didn’t take him as seriously as I maybe should have.”
“Well, listen,” Slade replied with a more level voice. “If this goes bad, you still made a huge difference. Besides,” she stood up and walked into the kitchen, “you’ll have all of us there to support you if it comes to that.”
“You mean if I get masted?” I asked with defeat in my voice.
“Yes,” Slade replied as she started moving around the kitchen. “You know we will give you character references and can speak on your behalf, both yours and CO’s. And, well, I’ve never been masted, but the way I look at it, if there’s nothing you can do to change it, the best you can do is just roll with it. Whatever happens, happens.”
Slade popped back into the living room with two champagne flutes. “Here, have a mimosa. It’ll make you feel better.”
I laughed in appreciation as I took the glass from her. A Captain’s Mast, which was essentially a form of non-judicial punishment, where the Commanding Officer would hear the evidence presented by CGIS and any witnesses in regards to minor offenses that a member of his or her Command
might have committed. I’d be allowed to present evidence and character references, but at the end of the day, the fate of my career would land in the hands of a single person, which wasn’t ideal. I just hoped that if that was the case, I had enough evidence on my side.
“Hey,” Slade said, interrupting my thoughts. “Here’s to not worrying about that for now.” She held her glass up, and as we clinked them together, I allowed my worries to fade away with my first sip.
36
Jake
The sun was setting, and the small tin-roofed trailer tucked within the trees looked anything but menacing as we snuck through the weeds and fallen logs surrounding it. It didn’t comfort me, however. Rather, it had the opposite effect, as it meant any defense systems would be hidden from view, which would leave us unprepared.
Hawthorne and Angie were coming up from the back of the trailer, while Rosa and Hawk came up on either side of me. I knew Doc and Xavier were sitting out in the van, and one of the earpieces that Xavier had handed out sat snugly in my ear.
I kept a firm grip on the remote control as I waited for Xavier’s signal. The small camera mounted to each of our helmets assured me that he could see all of our movements as we worked. I looked over to my left to see Rosa crouched down behind some leafy greenery, her left hand on her holster and her eyes sharp with concentration.
“Header, Hawthorne, are you ready?” Xavier’s voice cut into my earpiece as clearly as if he were standing next to me.
“I’m ready,” I replied, my right thumb hovering over the joystick.
“Got it,” I heard Hawthorne reply.
“We’re on. Go for it.” At Xavier’s order, I shot the small robotic vehicle through the shrubbery and across the front lawn. The wheels were bigger than the body, allowing it to flip up the stairs before it rammed right into the door. When nothing happened, I looked up to see Hawthorne’s drone fly over the top of the building. The drone was feeding a live image back to Xavier in the van.
“There’s nothing up there, either,” Xavier reported back to us. “Looks like whatever surprises await you, they’ll be found inside.”
“Thanks, Xavier,” I replied before addressing the team. “You guys ready?”
I heard four distinct confirmations before I gave my order. “Go, go, go!”
We rushed the trailer from all sides. I heard Hawthorne’s countdown as soon as I reached the front door.
“Three, two, one.”
We kicked in the front and rear doors simultaneously with weapons drawn, swinging wide to ensure nothing attacked us from around the corner, but we were met with semi-automatic rifle fire that seared through my shoulder. We both swung in the direction of the rain of bullets and began firing back.
Santiago was backed into a corner, wearing a bulletproof vest over a Hawaiian shirt and board shorts. I took in the terrified expression on his face as we returned fire, hitting him square in the chest and poking a few holes in his arms. He dropped his weapon as I fired off my last round, which missed Santiago’s vest by a millimeter and hit flesh. The cartel boss dropped to the ground, struggling to breathe before collapsing on the floor in an expanding pool of blood.
Rosa, Angie, and Hawk followed us into the room, slowly lowering their rifles at the sight of Santiago’s dead body.
“That was easy,” Hawk chuckled as he looked up at us.
“Yeah, tell that to my arm,” I replied as I took inventory of my wound.
Don’t touch it, Rosa signed quickly. Let’s get you to Doc right away.
Rosa snapped her fingers and pointed to her headset, and Hawk picked up on her request immediately.
“Santiago is down,” he said into his earpiece. “Header is hit. Let’s bring the van in.”
“On our way,” Xavier replied, and a moment later, I heard the familiar sounds of tires on gravel as they came up the driveway.
Doc and Xavier came into the trailer to see Santiago on the ground and the five of us standing around him.
“Come on,” Doc said quickly, grabbing me by the good arm and leading me out to the van. Hawthorne, Hawk, Angie, and Rosa stayed behind to clean up while Doc laid me down in the van and ripped the sleeve off my shirt.
“Another scar to attract all the ladies,” I joked feebly.
Doc narrowed his eyes at me. “Why is it always you that gets hurt?” He grabbed his first aid kit, swung it open, and started rifling through it.
“Luck of the Irish,” I quipped as I stared up at the ridged ceiling of the van.
Doc rolled his eyes. “At least you’re in good spirits,” he replied plainly.
“Well, we did win, didn’t we?” I gave him my best grin, although, with his hand firmly clamped onto my burning arm, I’m sure it was more of a grimace.
Doc worked in silence as we waited for the rest of the team to join us. Xavier was first back to the van, of course. He wasn’t much for fieldwork.
“How’s he doing, Doc?” Xavier asked, shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“He’ll live,” Doc cracked as he wrapped my arm up.
The rest of the team piled into the van after Doc helped me into a seat. I looked out the side window to see smoke rising out of the vents in the trailer.
“Setting a fire in the middle of all this?” I asked incredulously, looking out at all the gorgeous greenery surrounding us.
“I have an automatic fire extinguisher set to a timer,” Xavier replied calmly. “Don’t worry. That fire will never go past the trailer.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “Alright.”
We drove back to the pier, where Xavier’s yacht was docked to get situated and reconvene. After we had unloaded the van and returned all of Xavier’s equipment to his yacht, Rosa grabbed a handful of beers and began to hand them all out.
As I cracked it open and scanned the group, I realized that other than my arm, we had gotten through this mostly unscathed.
“So, we got Santiago,” I announced with a grin.
“Yes, and all his lackeys.” Hawk lifted his beer up in the air for a moment in recognition of that fact.
“Is there anyone else left from the cartel?” Angie asked as she took her first sip.
Xavier propped himself up on his knees with his elbows. “There is one son that is in the States,” he stated simply. “My intel tells me that he had no interest in his father’s dealings, but I’m keeping an eye on him just in case. Otherwise, no, there is no one else.”
The cartel is dead? Rosa asked, her face showing anticipation of what we all knew was true.
“The cartel is dead,” I confirmed.
Angie let out a whoop as Hawthorne stood and lifted his beer in the air. “The cartel is dead!” he shouted, and we all met his can with ours loudly. Rosa and Angie started dancing as Xavier started blasting music from the speakers, and suddenly, it was a party.
I stood back and watched the festivities for a moment with an appreciative smile. This entire mission had the potential to go sideways on multiple occasions, but somehow, we’d made it work. We all deserved to celebrate, but I knew our work was far from over.
There was now a void in the cocaine industry, and someone, or someones, would be looking to fill that void at some point in the near future, potentially bringing war and chaos to Colombia. It was our responsibility now to tamp down that threat before it grew too large to handle, but I took comfort in knowing that doing so would save countless lives.
For now, though, I would enjoy the company of my friends and teammates. I knew that soon enough, we would all be heading home, and I knew my first stop had to be to check on Linda.
37
Linda
My apartment was quiet since Slade was at work, so the knock on my door made me jump, even though I was expecting it.
I opened the door to see Chris standing there with a small bouquet of sunflowers and a bottle of wine.
“Hey, you,” I said with a warm smile and stepped aside to let him in.
“Hey yourself,” he
replied, handing me the flowers.
“Sunflowers?” I asked curiously.
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Flowers seemed appropriate, but I don’t know, roses seemed too strong. Besides, sunflowers are cool.”
“They’re great!” I brought them over to the kitchen and grabbed a vase to stick them in. “Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled and placed the wine bottle down on the counter. “The wine is for later since you’re stuck at home recovering for a bit. How are you feeling?”
It was my turn to shrug. “As good as can be expected, I guess.” I added water to the vase and set it on the edge of the counter. “I’m a bit sore but mostly frustrated that I need to relax for a while. I’d rather be working and helping everyone out with the repairs and recovery.”
“Well, you’re part of the recovery,” he said with a smirk as he wandered into the living room. “You need to take care of yourself first.”
“You’re right, it’s just hard.” I stopped behind him. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
“Do you have any more seltzers?” he asked as he took a seat on my couch.
“Yes, of course. Hold on.” I went over to the fridge and grabbed two seltzers before heading back into the living room and taking a seat next to him.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Chris said in a subdued voice as he cracked open the can and took a sip. “When Luke told me you’d been hurt, I was worried. When you didn’t answer my texts, I started asking him way too many questions.” Chris let out a sharp laugh. “At one point, he yelled at me to shut up.”
“Oh, damn,” I laughed with him, “I did text you as soon as I got home, though. I appreciate you checking in. I’m also glad you’re here.”