CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

 

Leena turned around and took the litter out of the LEB. Matthew helped Troy onto the barrels.

“Alex…” Troy started.

“I’ll be right there,” Alex said. “Pete, you and Bill are next. MJ, you go after them.”

Pete waited for Troy to disappear on a litter. He and Matthew set Bill in the pipe. Matthew helped him into the tunnel. MJ checked to make sure he had all of his supplies and got down from the loft. He took the cameras from her. Alex watched from the loft until they left.

“What are we doing here?” Matthew asked. He helped her down from the loft.

“Looking for whatever Larry left me,” Alex said. “It’s not on or in his body. It has to be here. If we leave, there’s no guarantee someone else won’t take it and give it to Eniac. Larry lost his life and…”

Alex gritted her teeth against the avalanche of sadness that came with her words. To avoid feeling, she rolled up the ladder made by Larry’s team and stuffed it in the side pocket of her pants.

“I’ve looked everywhere,” Alex said.

“This is Larry right?” Matthew asked. “So not under, right?”

“Not under,” Alex said. “Larry never bothered to pick up anything he dropped, let alone put something under anything.”

“So above?” Matthew asked.

“Too obvious,” Alex shook her head. “It’s not in here.”

“He wouldn’t have put it on the Internet,” Matthew said. “If he had access he would have sent a signal.”

Alex nodded.

“It’s got to be in the duct,” Alex said. “Remember how fascinated he was with the underground utility folks we know. He’d spend hours talking to them about sewers and…”

“Drains,” Matthew said.

“And drains,” Alex said.

“Which one?” Matthew asked.

“What were the words?” Alex asked.

“What, who, why, war, warp, wonderful…” Matthew said. “All W’s. But I don’t think there are twenty-three drains.”

“Five,” Alex said.

“Larry loved numerology,” Matthew said.

“Right,” Alex said. “But the fifth from here, or from the vertical drop?”

“We’ll check them both.” Matthew nodded toward the intake duct. “Let’s get out of here.”

Matthew helped her up to the edge of the pipe.

“Do you always rescue hostages from underground?” Matthew asked.

“No, but we do seem to be underground all the time now,” Alex said. “We didn’t used to be. But I guess with all the drones and stuff, it makes some sense. Let’s go together.”

“You won’t tell Erin. I don’t think she’d care, but…”

“No way.” Alex stretched her arms down to stabilize him and help him into the duct. He lay down on the litter and she lay on top of him. She put on her night-vision and infrared goggles. “Did you know there’s an ancient tunnel system that runs through Europe?”

Matthew shook his head.

“At one point, we thought there was a system of …,” Alex shook her head. “Something.”

“What?”

“I don’t remember,” Alex said. “In fact, I just remember telling someone that. Weird. Shit, my head is starting to throb.”

“Let’s get out of here,” Matthew said. Alex held onto his shoulders. “Here we go.”

“One, two…” Over his shoulder, Alex counted the drains she saw after they passed. “We just passed it.”

She yanked on the rope and they slid to a stop. She crawled off Matthew and went toward the drain.

“Anything?” Matthew asked.

“I think so.” Taking out her Leatherman Freestyle, she rotated the tools to open the needle-nose pliers. She slipped the pliers through the grate to grab what she saw. “Got it.”

She carefully pulled it through the space in the drain grate and crawled back to him.

“What is it?”

“USB drive,” Alex said. “But it’s too obvious.”

“Larry hated those things,” Matthew said.

“Right,” Alex said. “It’s a decoy.”

Matthew pulled on the rope to signal the top that they were ready to go. They began speeding through the pipe again. They made it all the way to the vertical section. Alex crawled back into the tunnel. She crawled as fast as she possibly could until she found the fifth duct.

And saw nothing. Disappointed, she collapsed against the pipe. Her face against the frigid pipe, she felt the cold permeate her body.

“Larry,” she whispered. “Larry.”

Out of nowhere, her mind flashed to an image of his big, bright Howdy-Doody smile when he learned they used common glow sticks for light in dark places. He looked every bit the farm boy he’d been. He always had three or four of them in his pockets. Over the course of his internship, Troy had taught him all the “off the book things” to do with glow sticks, including nipping the end to put something inside. Larry had grown adept at it. He could nip the end and slip a micro SD disc inside. He’d reseal the glow stick leaving only the tiniest mark. He sent Helene video letters and music for her phone this way.

Alex looked in the drain again. Sure enough, there was a glow stick tucked against the edge. They must have dragged the men through the tunnel. She wondered what it had cost Larry to set this here for her. She closed her eyes for a moment.

“Alex! We have to go.” Colin’s voice echoed down the pipe.

Using the needle-nosed pliers of her Freestyle, she got the glow stick. She turned it over until she saw a micro SD disc inside. Larry had left it where she’d know to find it. Smiling, she crawled as fast as she possibly could to the vertical duct.

“Did you get it?” Half way up the vertical ladder, Matthew yelled down to her.

She nodded.

“Alex, stop fucking around.”

Colin’s voice came from the top. Looking up, she saw only white. Blizzard Albert was unleashing his wrath upon them. As quickly as she could, she climbed the ladder to the top. She was within a foot of the exit when she saw Raz’s worried face. Trece was holding a blanket for her. Colin looked irritated. The three formed a cover to the duct. Trece pulled her out. He held the blanket overhead. Raz helped her into her heavy winter coat, hat, and gloves. Trece dropped the blanket over her shoulders.

“I have to advise you against flying,” her friend from SF training and leader of the Delta team, JS, yelled over the wind. “The Medivacs are grounded and…”

“The Jakker is flying,” Vince yelled. “Most of the team is aboard.”

“If you crash, you…” JS’s eyes spoke his personal and professional concern.

She smiled.

“We can get you out of the storm,” JS said. “You can fly from there.”

Alex put her hands on his shoulders and their eyes held. She hugged him.

“I will come to get you,” she said in his ear. “Anywhere, any time. It’s my job to show that to the men. Not to play it safe. Not to be safe. But to prove to every service member that no matter what hole, bayou, jungle, frosty plain, or sand trap they are lost in, I will come for them. That belief has saved a lot of lives.”

He clasped her tight.

“Plus, he acts crazy as hell,” Alex said in his ear. “But Zack’s incredibly safe. He’d never risk our lives.”

He stuffed something in her pocket.

“Love note?” she asked.

“Barf bag,” he laughed.

With one last squeeze, they let go.

“By your leave, my men and I will escort the hostages to Brooke Army Medical Center,” JS said. “Their emergency team is waiting for us. We’re driving to the edge of the storm and flying from there.”

“Good thinking,” Alex said.

He saluted her. She returned his salute.

“Merry Christmas, Alex,” he said. Calling his men, they retreated to the waiting ambulances.

Raz nudged her aside. A team of MPs from the 91^st Security Forces Squadron began moving into the intake duct to do the forensic work and review. The press would learn that the 91^st Security Forces Group had noticed some anomalies in this deactivated ICBM site and gone to look. When they took a look, they realized the LEB hadn’t been decommissioned. By the end of the day, the LEB that had been home to Larry’s Special Forces team would be documented, analyzed, and destroyed.

“Ready?” Raz asked.

They followed Vince and Trece to the wires. The men hooked in Alex and she began her bitter journey through the snow and ice to the helicopter. White Boy pulled her into the helicopter and sent the wire back for Trece. Joseph pulled Raz in and sent the wire back for Vince.

“You’re wanted,” Sergeant Dusty gave her a head set.

The helicopter swayed. Royce grabbed her and set her in a seat next to him. Raz fell into the seat next to her. They strapped in. She pulled on her headset.

“Fey,” Alex said.

Sergeant Dusty moved the microphone in front of her mouth. She smiled her thanks.

“Fey,” Alex said.

“I have three people waiting to talk to you,” Zack said. “One of them is the President.”

“And the other two?” Alex asked.

“Your father,” Zack said. “And me.”

“Reverse order,” Alex said.

“Don’t come up,” Zack said. “Our consoles are barf sensitive.”

She waited through the series of clicks as he disconnected from the recordings.

“Where’s Larry?” Alex asked Raz.

“They took him to Brooke,” Raz said. “He needs a military autopsy for his family to get benefits. Helene and Ben are on their way to San Antonio.”

She closed her eyes against her own tears.

“They found the Greek team,” Zack said through her headphones. “It hasn’t been announced. I heard it from a Navy SAR Spec Ops team in the Philippines. The Greek Team fought back and was slaughtered. The guy said they were hacked into pieces and dumped.”

“Where?”

“Aurora Memorial National Park,” Zack said. “Just off Nueva Ecija Aurora Highway.”

“To be found on Christmas,” Alex said.

“They have a sign that says: ‘Merry Christmas Fey.’”

“Ho, ho,” Alex said.

“That’s three, Alex,” Zack said. “Our families, Larry’s team, Greek team.”

“Ho, ho, ho,” Alex repeated. “Heath must be dead as well.”

“I got the call because the word was that the Fey found a dead team in North Dakota too. Fey failed to get them in time. All hostages suffocated. I set the record straight. You’re a real hero today Alex.”

“Yea me,” Alex said. “What’s the word on the home front?”

“No Julie,” Zack said. “Everyone else is accounted for and at your house. Even Bestat is there with the kids. My kids are in heaven. Of course, Teddy’s begging to go to his girlfriend’s house.”

“He’s so like his father,” Alex smiled.

“He’s a much superior person than his father, Alex, and you know it.”

Alex smiled her acknowledgement.

“Anyway, Bestat is hanging out with the Northern Irish. It’s going to be an interesting afternoon.”

“But no Julie or Paddie,” Alex said.

“Correct,” Zack said. “Cliff just gave me the signal. Our lack of connection has been noticed. I’d advise you to take the President next.”

“Good plan.”

Alex waited for Zack to click her through. While she waited the usual five-minute-wait-for-the-President-even-though-he-called-you time, she leaned over Royce to Sergeant Dusty. He leaned forward.

“Did you call Larry’s parents?” she asked.

“Casualty Notification has been notified,” Sergeant Dusty said. “They won’t go out until they have positive ID. They are getting ready to contact every family and plan to do it within an hour of touch down at BAMC, sir. They asked me to remind you that you are to let them do their jobs.”

“Fey,” Zack said in her ear.

Alex nodded to Sergeant Dusty and sat up.

“The President,” Zack said.

Alex’s mouth ran through a report of what happened from Cheyenne Mountain to the missile site.

But her mind was already working on a plan for what to do in Denver. The Denver Police had made easy work of collecting the men sent to murder the Fey wives and families. And still there was no word on Julie and Paddie. She cursed herself for letting her brother’s son and estranged wife be a loose end. Her eyes flicked to Colin. She didn’t have to ask how he was doing. His face was a mask of regret and fear.

And her heart broke for Larry and his family. When this action was over, she would arrange to visit Larry’s parents. When she looked at the faces around her, she saw sorrow at the loss of their friend.

The helicopter hopped up and slammed down.

“Fey, we need to go up,” Zack said.

“Sir, I need to disconnect,” Alex said. “The Jakker has notified us of the need for oxygen.”

“Yes Fey,” the President said. “I’m told Blizzard Albert is underway and you are in the middle of it.”

“We need to get above the storm, sir, to get around it,” Alex said.

“You’re entering Canada?”

“We have permission to enter into every country in the world, sir,” Alex said. “The Jakker and his team have already received permission from Transport Canada. However, we’re just on the edge of this thing. We think we can stay in-country and get around it.”

“Good luck,” the President said. “And good work.”

“Thank you, sir,” Alex said.

Raz held an oxygen mask out to her.

“Last call,” Zack said. The helicopter began to rise through the storm.

“Dad?” Alex took the mask from Raz. “I have just a second.”

“Wanted you to know that my team has things contained here,” Patrick said. “You’re going for Julie?”

“Yes sir,” Alex said.

“We’re all safe and sound here,” Patrick said. “The Denver Police have picked up quite a few unsavory visitors to our fair state. They are waiting for you at Lowry along with the security out of Buckley. I hear Fort Carson is sending a team.”

“The only show in town,” Alex said.

“Yes sir,” Patrick said. “The Fey gets a lot of attention.”

“When everyone is bored,” Alex said. “Got to go. And Dad?”

“Yes Pumpkin?”

“Don’t take too much money from the boys from the North,” Alex smiled. For all of his friendly charm, Patrick was a card shark.

“Merry Christmas Pumpkin,” Patrick said.

“Yes sir,” Alex said.

She rotated her mic up and put on her oxygen mask. Looking around the chopper, she was glad to see that everyone had their masks on. The helicopter rocked back and forth in the wind. Their gear rattled and the chopper shook but somehow held together. Alex closed her eyes and took deep breaths of her oxygen.

“Sleeping?” Raz asked. Accustomed to the masks and the helicopter, they spoke between breaths in each other’s ears.

“Trying not to barf,” Alex smiled at him.

He put a protective arm around her.

“I smell pretty bad,” Alex said. “Death, body fluids, and mold.”

“I don’t care,” he pulled her into him. “You should rest. What’s on our plate is full of not easy or nice things.”

“Yes our plate is filled with bitter pie,” Alex said.

Next to her, Royce threw up into a bag.

“And you wonder why I don’t eat much on these trips,” Alex said. She patted Royce’s back.

“Bitter pie and barf,” Raz said. “Sounds like a country song.”

As if on cue, Cliff played the intro piano cords to “Golden Slumbers” by the Beatles, which was Larry’s favorite song from his favorite album, Abbey Road.

“Once there was a way to get back homeward,” Trece began to sing. Even with the oxygen masks, she could hear the team’s voice loud and clear. Alex rested her head on Raz’s shoulder. He kissed her hair and held her close.

“You won’t let this pull you into the darkness, will you?” he asked.

“Can’t,” Alex said. “I have a house full of guests. What would my mother say?”

He smiled. She looked up at him and they laughed. “Boy, you’re gonna carry that weight” came over the speakers and they took up the song. Cliff played the rest of Abbey Road and they sang for Larry. By the time “Here Comes the Sun” began, there wasn’t a dry eye in the compartment.

F