CHAPTER NINE

The colorfully-dressed man in that desert tower had to have been an ancient genie, but they hadn’t had to rub a lamp or gotten three wishes. No, this magical being had had an agenda of his own, and after questioning them and learning what he’d wanted to know, he’d decided very deliberately to give them parting gifts without their knowledge or participation. Without even telling them. They’d had to figure it out the hard way when things started getting weird.

In Carter’s case, he’d received the gift of language, hence his belief that the tower had been the actual Tower of Babel. It was almost a given that Rick, the doctor, would become a healer after their encounter, but some of the other guys’ abilities were a bit more obscure. Zeke, for example. He’d been one of the first into the tower, alongside Wil, who could now control the weather. Zeke was an archaeologist, and now, he had the ability to see the history of an object just by touching it. He was somewhat empathic with people, too.

He had come out with some freaky visions of things that had happened in Carter’s childhood the one time they’d been working with the medical team stationed in the building next door. They had wanted to map the extent of Zeke’s new powers, but they needed test subjects, and Carter had been volunteered. Zeke had just touched Carter’s arm and had immediately been struck with a vision of Carter’s childhood. An incident where he’d been beaten up by a group of older kids that had firmed his resolve to study martial arts and become as strong as possible, so that when he was older, he could stop bullies from hurting kids like himself.

Zeke had read the situation and every emotional nuance of Carter’s nine-year-old self. It had been a little embarrassing at first, but Zeke hadn’t spread the information around, and nobody had teased Carter about it after the fact. They’d all been learning to have even more discretion than they usually had to employ since getting these new powers.

Jeeves, for one, had agonized over how much to share of his visions of the future. Carter knew that was one of the reasons Jeff had sought Rose’s help in the first place. She’d had the gift of clairvoyance all her life, and she had more experience with knowing how much was too much for someone to know about their future. Since Jeff had been working with Rose, he’d been much steadier. Everybody had noticed it. Rose had been really good for Jeff, and most of the other guys envied them their relationship.

Hal, too, had paired up since returning to the States. It was a little different for them, of course. Hal had been in love with his best friend’s sister for years. Casey had been in love with Hal, too. And Hal’s gift had seemed so very dangerous to his life at first. He was the unit’s strong man. He could lift incredibly heavy objects, and he’d even stopped a speeding car that had been about to hit Casey a few weeks back.

When they’d finally gotten together, they had a long history of friendship and love to build on. The guys all wanted Hal to find happiness—just in case his new power caused his death. Every time Hal used his super-strength, he went into a state of near-coma for hours afterward. The more strength required, the longer he needed to recover. They’d all feared that someday, the cost would be too high, and Hal wouldn’t come back from the coma.

But reuniting with Casey—and marrying her shortly after—had seemed to stabilize Hal. Rose had foreseen a long and happy life for Hal and Casey, which had been a big relief to everyone in the unit. The guys were a tight-knit group, even if they had been put together based on their academic specialties. They’d bonded over time in the desert, and the tower experience had solidified that relationship. They were family now.

Zeke was sitting at a table, the prisoners’ belongings laid out in front of him. The two men had been searched and left only with their clothing. No shoes, belts or anything that they could use to harm themselves or anyone else. They’d been put into separate rooms. Cells, really. Jeff had directed them to build these rooms when they’d been remodeling.

They’d had a lot of downtime when they first arrived back in the States and not much to do on the island. The base commander had made construction materials available and told them they could remodel their building as they saw fit, since it hadn’t been used in years and needed a good coat of paint, as he put it.

It had needed a lot more than paint, but the guys had enjoyed doing the work. They’d turned their talents toward design and made a cozy nest for themselves. Jeff had insisted on at least two holding cells, and Hal hadn’t argued. They’d all come to respect Jeff’s foresight, and if he said they needed two cells, by golly, they were going to build two cells. They’d had the time and the materials. Plus, there was plenty of room in the old building they’d been given to work with.

They’d spruced up their own living areas first, but there were other parts of the building still under construction, and the guys worked on them as time allowed. If they were here long enough, they’d make a nice little home out of the old place, Carter knew. For now, they had just what they needed, including the two cells and a specially designed interrogation room, along with a few other specialized chambers that could be used for investigations.

This was one. An evidence room, of sorts, with a few instruments that might be useful in analysis. There was a microscope and some fingerprinting equipment. Carter didn’t know what it all was. That wasn’t his specialty. But other men in the unit had the training and scientific background that could prove useful in forensic analysis.

Zeke added his own supernatural ability to the mix. He’d been tasked to touch each of the items from the prisoners, to try to get a read on anything they might have been involved in recently. Like any good scientist, Zeke was being methodical in his approach, having directed the other guys to lay everything out, piece by piece, nothing touching anything else. He’d numbered every item, and Wil was standing by to take notes as Zeke handled each item in turn.

Hal and Carter were present to witness and as backup, should Zeke run into trouble. He’d had a couple of incidents overseas when he’d touched something really old or with a very violent past. He’d passed out a few times until he’d learned how to shut his senses down a bit so he wasn’t so open to every little thing.

He’d be dropping all his defenses now, and he would be vulnerable. They didn’t expect any of these items would trigger an episode, but it was wise to be cautious, because some things that looked innocent on the surface were hazardous underneath. They’d learned that the hard way.

“Nothing exciting from the jacket,” Zeke reported. He’d started by touching the first item on their list, a new-looking designer jacket. “It was stolen from a high-end boutique last week.”

“Classy,” Hal murmured as Zeke moved on to the next item, a pair of sunglasses.

“These came from the mall kiosk. Also stolen when the clerk was distracted by this guy’s accomplice. They’re good at the snatch and grab,” Zeke observed, putting the sunglasses down before touching a pen that had been in one of the men’s pockets. Zeke started, jumping a little in his chair.

“What is it?” Hal asked.

“This was used to write some kind of…manifesto, I guess you would call it. Ranting and raving about the decadent West and the thieves that live here. Damn. This guy hates America and all the Western countries, really, but he’s got a special hard-on for the U.S.,” Zeke said before carefully removing his fingers from the pen.

Carter noted that Zeke’s face was a bit pale. Whatever he’d seen or felt from that innocent-looking pen had been intense. Zeke paused a moment before going on to the wallet. The leather billfold had been emptied of its contents, which were elsewhere on the table.

“Stolen,” Zeke mumbled, shaking his head. “Where’s the cash?”

“Here,” Wil answered, pointing to a spot on the table that held a wad of cash. “Why?”

Zeke replaced the wallet on the table before speaking. “Because I got a flash of something. The paymaster—whoever he is—paid this guy in cash last time, and I might be able to get something off the bills, if he still has any from that payment.” Zeke took a deep breath. They knew from past experimentation that money was difficult since it changed hands so many times. Money always had a history, and it wasn’t always pleasant. “Captain, could you hand those bills to me one at a time?”

“Sure thing.” Hal put on gloves before handling the evidence and carefully handed Zeke one bill at a time, starting with the singles first and working his way up the denominations.

Zeke discarded the first few bills after cursory examination. “Nothing pertinent,” he said before placing each bill on the table in front of him in a neat little pile. He did the same until they got to the first twenty-dollar bill. There, he paused.

“This bill is too young,” he said at once. “Counterfeit.” He closed his eyes. “Short history. Made recently. Nearby. I see the basement of a fancy house. A compound. Men and women working there on various projects.”

“Identifying features?” Hal prompted quietly.

“Americans. All ethnic backgrounds. Not what we expected. They’re not jihadists. Not the way we think of them. Their goal is something bigger than politics. Bigger than religion. They want to destabilize the entire world. One of them is saying something about human sheep. Confusing the human sheep.”

Carter frowned, shooting a look at Hal, but the captain was focused on Zeke. “Do you see any of them? What do they look like? Are there any animals in the vision?”

“Big dogs,” Zeke said immediately. “No. Wait. Not dogs. Wolves.” A shiver ran down Zeke’s spine. “And a tiger?” Zeke’s eyes opened, and he shook his head. “This doesn’t make sense, Captain. I’m sorry.”

“No, Zeke. It does make sense. You need to write down every last thing you saw, even if it seems crazy, and then tomorrow, we’re all going to have a little meeting with the base commander. It’s time we all got on the same page.” Hal’s expression was grim. “Stop for now. Make a full report on that last experience and have it to me before you turn in tonight. We’ll do the rest of this tomorrow.”

“What about the prisoners?” Carter had to ask.

“They’ll be okay for the night. Wil, you’ve posted guards?” Hal asked the other man.

“Yes, sir. We’re doing it in rotation. They will never be unobserved,” Wil reported.

“Good man,” Hal replied. “Then, there’s nothing more to do but carry on. You two have your orders. Carter, with me. We’re going to see how the women are holding up.”

 

When Carter appeared in the doorway to the mess hall, Hannah was relieved. Not that she didn’t like the other women, but they wanted to make a big deal out of the danger she’d been in, and it was something Hannah preferred to take in stride. She was a soldier, after all. She’d been in worse danger in the desert. A little mall abduction was nothing. Right?

The captain came in behind Carter and went straight to his wife, who just happened to be sitting next to Hannah. Carter held back a bit as the other men joined the group.

“I just want to thank you again, sir, for allowing your unit to come to my rescue one more time,” she said, feeling it necessary to put her thanks out there again. These guys—Carter especially, of course—had gone above and beyond for her a couple of times, now.

“I’m glad we could help out, Sergeant.” He looked at the table and seemed to note the coffee cups and absence of edibles. “Haven’t you ladies eaten yet?”

“We decided to wait for you,” Casey told her husband, placing her hand over his on her shoulder. When she looked up at him, it was clear to Hannah that they loved each other deeply.

Hal looked up at the other guys just entering the room. “Dan, can you and the others get the buffet trays out? The fridge should have everything we need.”

“Sure thing, Cap’n,” Dan replied, adjusting his trajectory to take him into the kitchen area. A few of the other guys followed, returning in short order with platters wrapped in plastic cling wrap, which they deposited on the big table.

Jeff took his seat next to Rose, and Hal took the chair Casey had kept open for him. Hannah was pleased when Carter chose to sit next to her, reaching toward the middle of the table to unwrap the first of the platters. He let Hannah choose a sandwich before taking his own and passing the platter around the table. Plates were handed out the same way, and a tub with utensils was on the table for those who wanted them. Other platters with coleslaw, potato salad and other side dishes were passed around as well, and before long, Hannah had a plate full. It felt like a picnic, in a way. Cold cuts and creamy salads, soda and iced tea, which they dispensed from big pitchers at the center of the table.

The kitchen staff was long gone for the night, but the unit was eating a hearty meal that had been left for them. Hannah was impressed.

They all chowed down, enjoying the camaraderie of a shared meal. Hannah felt like it was all a bit unreal. She hadn’t thought she’d ever see this room, or these people, again. Things had changed, once again, on a dime, and she had to adjust.

Wasn’t the Special Forces motto something about adapting and overcoming? She had to do that. Her life had entered a strange zone, and she had to roll with the punches, such as they were. So far, everything had worked out in her favor, and she hoped the trend continued. She thought these guys had a lot to do with her good fortune. Especially Carter.

As dinner wound down and platters with pie and slices of cake were passed around, Hal spoke. “Today was almost FUBAR, but thanks to Carter and his special talents, we were able to save the situation,” Hal said unexpectedly, garnering the attention of every person in the room.

Hannah was surprised. She hadn’t thought the day was effed up beyond all recognition, at all. She supposed, if the bad guys had managed to abduct her, the term FUBAR would work, but they’d averted that. Quite handily, she’d thought. Apparently, the captain thought different.

What she couldn’t figure out was what the captain had meant by Carter’s special talents having to do with her rescue? What were his so-called special talents? And what made them—whatever they were—so different from the talents of the rest of these Special Forces behemoths? She dearly wanted to know.

She’d spent a lot of time thinking about Rick and Rose and all the others she’d met here, and something just wasn’t adding up. There were all these hints that things were not quite as they seemed, but she had nothing concrete, except what she’d seen with her own eyes as Rick healed her foot and what little Rose had talked about when admitting that she was Madam Pythia from the new age shop.

“Now, we’ve all had a long day. You did well, despite the short notice and shoddy intel,” Hal went on. “I’m calling a mandatory unit meeting for eleven hundred hours tomorrow morning. All will attend, except those on guard rotation.”

Hal stood, and the rest of the men stood out of respect. Casey stood as well, joining her husband, and Hannah stood because she was a soldier too, even if she wasn’t in uniform. Rose just smiled, as if she knew something nobody else knew, which, if she really was clairvoyant, she probably did.

“We’re turning in,” Hal told them all. “Get an early night if you can. I expect big changes tomorrow.” Hal left on that concerning note, with Casey by his side. He was very solicitous of his wife, in a way that made Hannah wonder if there was a reason he treated Casey like a fragile porcelain doll.

“Casey’s pregnant,” Rose told Hannah in a quiet voice once the couple had left the room.

“Do you read minds?” Hannah challenged Rose with a grin.

“Nope. Not me,” Rose replied, “but it was pretty clear you were noticing the way Hal walks on eggshells around his wife. I think it’s kind of cute.”

It was, but Hannah wouldn’t be caught dead calling the captain of a Green Beret unit cute, no matter the circumstances. She opted for a safer observation.

“He’s very protective.” Hannah felt proud of the way she’d skirted that conversational pothole.

“They all are,” Rose admitted, her voice low, just between them. “They’re good guys.”

“The best,” Hannah had to agree.

“Good to see you ditched the boot,” Carter said near her ear while Rose answered something Jeff said to her.

“It’s honestly good to be rid of it. Now that my foot is better, it was harder than I expected to have to hide it all day,” she admitted. “Casey got me another pair of sneakers out of the storage cupboard. I’m going to owe you guys for all the gear I’ve been using.”

“Not at all,” Carter assured her. “The government is paying our way, and that includes supplies for anyone under our care.” Dan and some of the others got up and started taking the few leftovers into the kitchen. “Want to take a walk on the beach?” Carter asked in a low voice.

“Thought you’d never ask,” Hannah replied, feeling a bit playful. She was thrilled she’d have another chance to be here, in this magical place, with the man she…surely, not loved… Not so soon, right? But the man she admired above all others. Yeah, that felt right.

Though, she had to admit, the L word kept popping into her mind whenever she thought about him. Her more sensible side kept tamping that down. She hadn’t known him very long at all. Love took more time to develop. Didn’t it?

Whatever it was she really felt for him, it was intense. She wanted to be with him at all times. Even when they were just doing normal things. She wanted to be in his presence, hearing his voice, feeling the reassurance that he was there, and with her.

Gosh. When had she become so needy?

They left the others in the mess hall and headed for the dark beach.