V Plague (Book 13): Exodus Read online

“Black Hawk coming fast,” Bill said.

  His head was tilted to the side, eyes closed as he listened to a sound that hadn’t registered with the two younger people. Anna leapt to her feet, fear on her face as she imagined a load of CIA killers bearing down on them.

  “My men,” Sean said calmly, glancing at his watch. “Right on time, too.”

  He looked up and met Anna’s questioning glare.

  “The call I made earlier.” He shrugged. “Thought we could use some firepower around us.”

  “How did they get here so fast?” Anna asked.

  “This team was in Georgia. They were getting ready to head back to Afghanistan, but I’ve got enough authority to shuffle schedules around, so I re-tasked them and sent a different one overseas.”

  Less than a minute later, an unmarked Black Hawk helicopter screamed over the roof and banked sharply to bleed off speed before settling onto the grassy field between the house and barn. The side door was already open and eight men wearing black tactical clothing with rifles slung down their backs jumped out. Sean stood and raised a hand in greeting.

  “Better get your checkbook, Bill. These guys are the best, and they don’t come cheap.”

  8

  Sean left the porch to greet the men, leaving Anna standing next to her father.

  “That there’s what I was talking about,” he said with a grin. “You do know your hubby is quite the badass, don’t you Pumpkin?”

  “Never heard a story from him, but I asked around. Probably don’t know as much as you, but I know enough.”

  “Everything I could find out, he’s a good man. Unless you’re a bad guy,” Bill said. “Then, all bets are off.”

  “Dad?”

  “Yes, Pumpkin?”

  “Did you have anything to do with us getting married?”

  Bill didn’t answer immediately. They stood there and watched as Sean approached each man, greeting him with a handshake and quick, rough hug. Once the pleasantries were out of the way, they gathered in a tight circle with Sean in the center, listening intently to what he had to say.

  “Well? Did you?” Anna asked when Bill remained quiet.

  “I might have pulled some strings to make sure you two bumped into each other. After that, nature took its course. Would have been sorely disappointed if you’d kept your nose in the air and not given him a chance.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Anna asked, smiling despite herself.

  “You’re just like your mother. You have no idea how hard I had to work to get her to notice me. Then, it was next to impossible to get her to go out with me. She was always walking around like I wasn’t worth her time. But, in the end, I wore her down.”

  Anna chuckled and shook her head.

  “What?” Bill asked.

  “Mom told me the story years ago, Dad. She fell in love with you at first sight. Decided right then and there she was going to marry you. But, she wanted you to work for it. She always said you appreciate something much more if you earn it.”

  “Your mother could be a bit of bitch.”

  Bill smiled and wiped away a tear that had formed as he thought about his wife.

  “Where do you think I got it?” Anna asked, taking her father’s hand in hers.

  They fell silent as Sean broke away from the group and led the men towards the patio. He joined them, the heavily armed soldiers forming a loose rank and watching. None of them failed to notice the Brigadier General, and there were a few raised eyebrows and murmured exchanges amongst them.

  “Five hundred K. Each,” Sean said, looking at Bill.

  “They know what they’re getting into?” He asked.

  “They know. This will be retirement money for all of them. They’ve been doing this shit for a while.”

  “Do you have four and half million dollars, Dad?” Anna asked.

  “Four,” Sean interjected before Bill could answer. “I don’t want your money.”

  Bill looked at his son-in-law and smiled before turning to stage whisper to Anna.

  “Told you he was a keeper!”

  Sean briefly looked away, but not before Anna could see him blush.

  “And, yes, I’ve got the money,” Bill continued. “I’d like to meet them before I start writing checks, if that’s alright.”

  Sean nodded and moved out onto the grass, Bill following. Anna stayed where she was, suddenly very self-conscious about the uniform she was wearing. Starting with the man closest to him, Sean began the introductions.

  They moved down the line, Bill pausing in front of the next to the last man. He frowned as he stared at the powerfully built soldier with bulging biceps and hair hanging below his shoulders.

  “Something wrong, esse?” The man growled.

  “Not at all,” Bill said. “Forgive me. You just look familiar.”

  “Cause he looks like that ugly fucker from the vampire movie with George Clooney,” a tall man who’d been introduced as Boogie called from down the line. “You know. That Machete dude. What’s his name?”

  “Danny Trejo,” a former Navy SEAL introduced as Goose spoke up.

  “Yeah, that’s the one,” Boogie said, smiling a toothy smile. “Ugliest son of a bitch I ever seen.”

  A chuckle rippled through the men and the man in front of Bill started to turn to face Boogie. Sean barked a command and they fell silent.

  “Nitro,” Sean continued with the introductions after glaring at the assembled men. “Retired Delta Force.”

  “I apologize if I offended you,” Bill said, shaking Nitro’s hand. “But, your friend is correct. You bear an uncanny resemblance to the actor.”

  “Better looking than Robert Redford, too, you ass bandits,” Nitro said to the group, frowning and flexing his giant arms.

  The man was intimidating as hell, and Bill took an involuntary step back. Nitro grinned, his entire persona immediately changing.

  “Sorry ‘bout Boogie,” he said. “He was a Marine. They don’t know how to act in polite company.”

  “Semper Fi, motherfucker!” Boogie shouted as laughter broke out.

  Shaking his head, Sean introduced Bill to the last man who’d remained quiet and still throughout the exchange.

  “Poon-tang. Also retired Delta, and a world class sniper,” Sean said.

  “Why Poon-tang?” Bill asked as he shook the man’s hand.

  “Cause he’d fuck a snake if he could hold it still long enough!”

  Boogie and Goose recited the line in perfect unison, both cracking up before they could finish speaking. Poon just met Bill’s eyes and shrugged his shoulders. Bill stepped back and looked over the group, smiling. The banter ceased as it was time to get serious.

  “Sean has filled you in on what we’re going to do?” Bill asked in a voice loud enough for all to clearly hear.

  Up and down the line, heads nodded in affirmation.

  “Any reservations, now’s the time to speak up,” Bill continued. “This is no bullshit, and there’s no walking away from this. Once we get our hands on the target, the clock will be ticking. There’s every chance the enemy’s schedule will get advanced when they learn he’s missing. That means there’s no time for sensitivity. We’ve got a job to do, and the faster we get the information we need, the better our odds are of success. Are you all on board?”

  It was quiet for a moment, then Boogie stepped forward and looked at Sean.

  “Did he just say sensitivity, boss?”

  “I believe that was the word he used, yes.”

  Boogie turned and looked at his fellow warriors.

  “Anyone know what the fuck that means?”

  Several of the men made a production of looking at each other and shrugging their shoulders. Sean shook his head and turned to Bill.

  “Sorry about bringing the B team,” he said, sounding sincerely distressed. “There weren’t any good operators available on short notice.”

  Bill threw his head back and laughed, clapping his hands together.

 
; “I’m assuming each of you has an account you’d like your money transferred into. Correct?”

  Each man dug into a pocket or pack, stepping forward individually and handing a slip of paper to Bill.

  “It will be wired today,” he said, sorting through the pile in his hand. “You should be able to verify payment tomorrow morning.”

  He turned and started towards the patio, pausing and turning back.

  “And, gentlemen. Thank you.”

  With a smile on his face, Bill headed into the house to initiate the eight wire transfers. Sean stepped forward and gestured for Anna to join him. He introduced her to the men, receiving surprised looks from most of them.

  “Tomorrow morning, Goose, Nitro, Monk and Bunny are going to Nevada with the General,” Sean said, ignoring the look he received from Anna. “The rest of you will be with me. Questions?”

  “Yeah, boss,” Boogie called. “What’s it like sleeping with a General? I mean, I know you know, but this one’s a woman!”

  Sean hung his head to hide a grin and turned away as the entire squad roared in laughter. He didn’t see the surprised smile on Anna’s face, but they did. She didn’t realize it, but that exhibition of humor just cemented her relationship with the men.

  9

  It was still dark the next morning when Sean and Anna stepped onto the back patio and, holding hands, began walking towards the idling Black Hawk. The four men who would accompany her to the facility in Nevada were already aboard, waiting for the General to join them. The couple moved slowly, neither wanting to be apart from the other.

  That had been the heated topic of discussion, late into the previous evening. Anna had initially insisted that she wasn’t going to leave. She argued that she could help, growing angry as Sean steadfastly refused. When she wouldn’t give up, he’d had to resort to reminding her that she wasn’t a warrior. Sure, she’d been an Army officer, but had never trained for, nor operated in, a combat role.

  This was a true statement, and a logical argument, but Anna had been beyond the point of listening to reason. Instead, his comments only escalated their disagreement until she stormed out of their bedroom, leaving Sean seated on the side of the bed with his head in his hands. After giving her a few minutes to cool off, he’d followed, pausing at the bottom of the stairs when he heard her voice.

  Anna had charged into the kitchen, surprising Nitro who was busily loading a plate down with what must have been half the food in the refrigerator. Snorting her anger at all males, she had ignored him and headed for the back door.

  “Know you don’t wanna hear it, but he’s right,” Nitro said, not taking his attention off the interior of the fridge.

  “What the hell would you know about it?” Anna snapped, reaching for the door handle.

  “Nothin’, I suppose,” Nitro grumbled. “Just another meathead Delta trooper here.”

  His words stopped Anna in her tracks, and she turned to face him.

  “I’m really sorry,” she said. “That was unfair… I’m sorry. I don’t remember your name.”

  “Pablo,” he said, closing the refrigerator and taking a seat at the table with a huge platter of food. “But, only my mom calls me that. It’s Nitro. Want some fried chicken?”

  He grinned at her and pointed at several pieces that were nearly hidden beneath half a pound of sliced roast beef. Anna stood for a moment, then joined him at the table, grabbing a drumstick.

  “I’m sorry, Nitro. I had no cause to snap at you like that.”

  “Mo prolem,” he mumbled around a mouthful of food.

  Anna giggled and bit into the cold chicken.

  “But, the boss is right,” he said a moment later. “You got no business going where they’re going. You’ll be safe as a babe in its mother’s arms with us in Nevada. Trust me.”

  He grinned and, out of habit, flexed his arms and bounced his pecs up and down.

  “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I can’t take care of myself!”

  Anna was starting to get angry again.

  “Got no argument from me,” Nitro said. “You going to eat that?”

  He pointed at the other drumstick, finger hovering a fraction of an inch above it.

  “Yes,” Anna said, batting his hand aside and grabbing the contested piece of chicken.

  Nitro sat back and looked at her, his face splitting into a huge grin.

  “Hell, General, I don’t think I got the balls to say you can’t do somethin’ just cause you’re a woman.”

  Anna bit into the fresh drumstick and shrugged.

  “Then what’s Sean’s problem?”

  “Gonna hit me if I say somethin’ you don’t like?” He asked.

  “Maybe,” Anna said, trying not to grin. “Just watch your step.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Nitro barked, then chuckled briefly before getting serious. “Look, General. It’s like this. Those boys are goin to a dark fuckin place. I’m talkin’ bout what they’ve gotta do once they get their hands on this CIA dickhead. It ain’t gonna be pretty.”

  “I’m not some little girl that needs to be shielded,” Anna protested.

  “Ma’am, respectfully, you do. But not why you think.”

  “What then?” Anna asked, finally calm enough to listen.

  Nitro munched thoughtfully on a fistful of roast beef, staring intently at her for a few seconds before speaking.

  “You got any idea what it takes to get a professional intelligence officer to reveal information he doesn’t want to give up?”

  “I’ve heard some things. Read some reports,” Anna said.

  “Pffffttt!!” Nitro made a rude noise with his lips. “Ain’t the same, General. Not even close. Imagine standing there and watching a man get broken down to a sniveling, groveling shell of his former self. Smelling his fear, his piss and shit. His blood. Hearing him scream in agony and beg for death. That’s what I’m talkin’ bout. You ready for that?”

  Anna stared at him, the food in her hand forgotten as she tried to visualize the scene Nitro had just painted.

  “I can deal with it,” she finally said. “If that’s what it takes to find those nukes.”

  Nitro slowly nodded his head and leaned forward.

  “Can you deal with watching your husband do those things to another human being? Would you ever be able to look at him the same way again? Sure, if you go to Nevada, you’ll know he was involved in extracting the info. But it won’t be a movie playing in your head every time he touches you.”

  Anna sat and looked at the massive soldier for a long time, thinking about what he’d just said. He never broke eye contact with her, just stared back with a blank expression on his face.

  “There’s more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there?” Anna said softly.

  “General, if you weren’t married to my boss, I’d show you how much more there is to me!”

  Nitro grinned and looked away to let her know it was a joke. Anna smiled and pushed her chair back. Sweeping her crumbs from the table, she dropped the remnants of her snack into the garbage and paused to put her hand on Nitro’s giant shoulder.

  “I’m glad you’re coming with me, Pablo.”

  Nitro nodded without looking up, and Anna disappeared out the back door onto the patio. A few seconds later he looked up when Sean stepped into the kitchen.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “No problem, boss. I’ll bill you for my time. How much you think Dr. Phil makes?”

  Sean grinned and tilted his head at the door.

  “Who’s on watch?”

  “Poon’s on the roof with his rifle. Boogie and Goose is huntin’ in the woods. Makin’ sure no one tries to sneak up on us.”

  Sean stood in place, looking at the door Anna had gone through. He wasn’t worried about her. There wasn’t anyone that could approach the house and harm her with the three men that were protecting the perimeter.

  “Thinkin’ bout tomorrow?” Nitro asked, leaning back and shoving the empty platter to the mid
dle of the table.

  “Yeah. This CIA fuck, Delker, is in…”

  “Delker?” Nitro interrupted, fully capturing Sean’s attention.

  “Yeah. Why? Know him?”

  “Maybe. If it’s the same guy. You know how the spooks like to recycle names.”

  “Little older than us,” Sean said, looking intently at Nitro. “Likes Hawaiian shirts and straw hats.”

  “Sure sounds like the same fuck stick,” Nitro grumbled. “Did a job in Africa a few years back when the Congo was starting to go to shit. He tagged along. Was a royal prick. My team leader put a gun in his face before it was all over. Think he was about half a second away from pulling the trigger, too.”

  “What can you tell me about him?” Sean asked, taking a seat in the chair Anna had occupied.

  “Nothin.” Nitro shrugged. “He was a fuckin’ ghost. We was puttin’ down warlords, and he had a couple assets in-country that was feeding us intel. Oh, yeah. I remember that he was a SEAL before the Agency. Other than that, I don’t know. Can’t remember that he and I ever said one word to each other.”

  “Your team leader. Could he give me some intel on Delker?”

  “Maybe. Dunno. That was a long time ago, and he’s out, now. Got married and went all pussy. College, then took some fuckin’ suit and tie job, last I heard. But, you know, that girl he married. She was Agency. She might know somethin’.”

  “Think they’d talk to me?” Sean asked.

  “Probably. Never met her, but he was a good guy. If I vouched for you, don’t see why he wouldn’t tell you what he knows.”

  “Who was your team leader?”

  “Chase. John Chase.”

  “Know how to get in touch with him?”

  “No, but he’s a civilian now. Shouldn’t be that hard to find.”

  10

  It was one of those afternoons. The kind when anything that can go wrong, will. I barely stopped myself from picking up the laptop, that had just spontaneously rebooted for the fifth time in two hours, and flinging it against the wall. With a sigh, I reclined in my chair and waited for Windows to finish doing whatever the hell it thought it was doing.