Three days later
Wednesday evening
December 1 – 5:23 p.m. MST
Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, CO
Alex turned on her desk lamp and sat down at her desk. It had taken her all day, but she’d finally managed to get there. Her secure home office was off limits until the security was upgraded. She rubbed her face and gazed longingly at her coffee pot. She was already in big enough trouble for coming to work. The coffee would send John straight over the edge. He’d probably chain her to the bed.
She smiled at the idea and looked at the stacks of work in front of her. To her left was a stack of opened mail. To her right lay a stack of urgent security memos. She swept the security memos into her trash can with her right arm and gasped.
“Ow, ow, ow, ow,” she grabbed her right chest.
“What did you do?” Sergeant Dusty stuck his head in the door.
“Those memos hurt me,” she pointed to the memos in the trash can.
He gave her a wry look and called down to the team room for MJ. A few minutes later, MJ came into her office. He checked her bandage and re-situated her right arm in the sling. He tightened the strap to restrict her range of movement.
“Your wound is seeping. Again,” MJ said. “Must be important memos.”
“Urgent,” she grinned.
“Do I need to tape your arm down?” MJ asked.
She shook her head.
“What are you doing here?” Alex asked.
“Waiting for you,” MJ gave her a ‘what else’ look. “The team wanted to ask you about something. We heard you were coming in, so we waited.”
“Why are all the lights off?” Alex asked. “Where is everyone?”
“Hiding,” MJ smiled.
“They sent you as their emissary?” Alex grinned.
“Yeah right, send the guy who can’t talk to ask the question we’ve wanted to ask for more than a year,” MJ smiled. “No, Dusty was supposed to do it but he chickened out.”
“Hey!” Sergeant Dusty said, and stepped into the office.
“I came in to see if you were drinking coffee and injuring yourself,” MJ said. “We’re waiting for . . .”
Her door opened, and Raz stood in the doorway. He wore a wool cap over his turban of bandages and his wool outdoor wear. MJ rushed to his side and help Raz to the couch.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” Alex got up.
“Takes one to know one,” Raz said.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked.
“The team would like to get a Fey armband tattoo,” Raz said. “Like your green ‘F’ tattoo, but in a different color.”
Alex raised her eyebrows. She felt a wave of sorrow, and her eyes filled with tears.
“Um . . . ,” Alex cleared her throat and shuffled the papers on her desk.
“That’s why no one has done it or even asked,” Raz said.
Alex bit her lip and nodded.
“My uncle is in town,” MJ said. “He and his family came for Thanksgiving. They wanted to meet Honey and all that. They’re staying through Christmas. He’s willing to do it – just the armband – but only if you say it’s all right.”
“What . . . ,” Alex cleared her throat. “What color?”
“That burnt orangish cinnamon color you wear sometimes,” MJ shrugged. “I don’t know, the women picked it out. They say it will work on everyone’s skin – even Royce’s.”
“You want one too?” Alex asked Raz.
“Oddly, I do,” Raz smiled. “My first tattoo.”
“The whole team?” Alex asked.
“Including me,” Joseph said from the doorway.
She looked up at him. For a moment, their eyes met and lingered in grief and memory. He nodded.
“It would mean a lot to the team,” Joseph said. “And I think it’s time.”
His eyes flicked to the picture of the Fey Special Forces Team photo on the wall, and back to Alex. She smiled.
“Let’s do it,” Alex said.
“Great,” MJ said. “We thought we could do it in here. There’s more space.”
“Why not?” Alex shrugged. “That way I can get caught up while you work.”
“Oh, you’re getting one too,” MJ insisted.
“My right arm is a little tied up right now,” Alex said.
“There’s nothing wrong with your arm,” MJ deadpanned. She smiled.
“I’ll get one,” Alex said. “I will. I just . . . it took me all day to get here. I’d like to get done what I can while I can.”
“Fair enough,” MJ nodded.
“Sergeant Dusty? Can you get everyone?” Alex asked. “MJ, you go too. I want to ask Joseph something.”
Raz moved to get up.
“Stay there,” Alex pointed to him.
“Thank God,” Raz lay back on the couch.
Joseph walked to her desk and MJ left the room.
“You sure you’re all right with this?” Alex asked.
“It’s hard, Alex,” Joseph said. “Really hard. But . . . we have to grow or get in the box and let them bury us. I’d rather grow.”
Alex smiled at his use of one of Charlie’s favorite expressions. He gave her a self-conscious grin.
“I’ve been thinking about this lately,” Joseph said. “I think it was hard for Charlie to start our team. He’d been on your dad’s team and worked with really amazing people. I think starting over, doing it all again, it wasn’t easy. I think that’s just how life is.”
“Everything always seemed so . . . official with Charlie,” Alex said.
“Our team seems that way to our younger team members,” Joseph said.
“Good point,” Alex said. “Thanks.”
He nodded to her and left the room.
“I’m going to start working,” Alex said. “I probably only have at most two hours before I fall over. How are you and Sami?”
Raz smiled at her. She shrugged.
“Honestly, she’s heartbroken,” Raz said. “She’s begged me for forgiveness. Twice. She’s hiding at your parents’ house so that she doesn’t have to see you, mostly. But she doesn’t want to see me either. She’s ended our relationship.”
“Forever?” Alex asked.
“That’s what she says. I’ve never seen her so distraught. She’s talking about selling her place and moving back to DC. If the official deed wasn’t in your father’s name, I think she’d already have the flat on the market.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Alex said.
“I wish you would,” Raz said. “I don’t hold her accountable. I don’t, but this running away thing doesn’t work for me. You know she told me Eoin thought something was going on.”
“No,” Alex said. “When did she say something?”
“That night,” Raz said. “When we went to bed.”
Alex scrunched her nose and looked away from him.
“What?” he asked.
“Poor Sami,” Alex said. “Sorry. I know that’s not me being a great friend to you. You were injured and had brain surgery, and my sister beat you up. It’s just . . .”
She paused to collect her thoughts before looking at him.
“I can’t think of anything worse for Samantha than knowing she can be under someone else’s control and have to do things against her will.”
“I agree,” Raz said. “I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be vulnerable to another person’s control. If I had access to that senator, I’ll tell you . . . He left her vulnerable. He started this mess. And I’d . . .”
“That’s why you and I don’t have access to him.”
He shook his head and made a disgusted face.
“One good thing is that all of this has gotten her more interested in therapy,” Raz said. “She went to see a few people last year, but nothing’s ever stuck.”
“She’s too smart,” Alex said.
“Sharp, honest, and self-aware,” Raz nodded. “Anyway, she’s working through a list of private-pay therapists. Your mom’s paying, so money is no object. I think she’ll find someone she can talk to. She really wants to get whole. She wants to be able to trust herself.”
“Kind of puts a crimp in the whole ‘let’s have a baby’ thing,” Alex said.
“It does,” Raz said. “And . . . I don’t know, it’s just sad. That’s all. Beautiful girl, smart, thoughtful, sharp, and all this crap. Breaks my heart.”
“You’re a good friend, Joshua Peretz,” Alex said.
He flushed, and she smiled. His hazel-grey eyes caught her eyes and for a moment, the look expressed what they couldn’t put into words. Someone moved in the hallway and he looked away.
“Work?” he asked.
“Sure,” Alex said. “You want to help?”
“Can I stay here?” Raz asked.
“I don’t see why not?” Alex shrugged. “They can tattoo in the chair or at the table.”
“Then I’m ready when you are,” Raz said.
“Okay,” Alex looked down at the stack in front of her. “First is a printout of an email from the G2 about the ear and the finger. Let me see . . .”
Alex logged into her computer and then into her email. She read the email and clicked through on the link.
“What’s the verdict?” Raz asked.
“I’m reading . . . ,” Alex said. “Short answer – the finger and the ear are not Jack Mac Kinney’s. ‘We apologize for not informing you sooner. We were waiting for confirmation of the source of the items in question.’”
“And where was that?” Raz asked.
“Uh . . . finger was removed from a corpse . . . looks like the person was cremated,” Alex said. “They must have taken the finger and then cremated the body.”
“Good thinking,” Raz said.
“Ew,” Alex said.
“What?” Raz asked.
“Family is one of those ‘save the body for the rapture’ folks,” Alex said. “The body was not slated for cremation. The whole thing is a big debacle. The Gardaí have arrested a couple of people.”
“I wonder if there’s something special about that particular body,” Raz said. “Something to hide.”
“That’s a good question,” Alex said. “I’ll ask.”
“And the ear?” Raz asked.
“They’re not sure,” Alex said. “DNA isn’t in the registry. They’re not even sure it’s Irish DNA.”
“The earring?” Raz asked.
“It’s Jack’s,” Alex said. “They postulate that they took his ring and earring and then . . . what?”
“What do you think happened to him?” Raz asked.
“No idea.”
Her door opened. MJ’s uncle and her Fey Special Forces Team friend Michael Scully’s brother, Jeb, stood in the doorway. He held up a portable tattoo machine. His red hair had more grey than the last time she’d seem him, but his wizened smile spoke his thoughts on the irony of the situation.
“You sure?” he asked.
Alex nodded.
“We’ll set up over here,” Jeb pointed to her conference table. “They want team leadership first. You want to go first?”
“I’d rather Mattie and Joseph did,” Alex said. “I want to work while I can.”
“We’ll try to keep it down,” Jeb said, and started setting up.
Raz got up from the couch. He took a chair from in front of her desk and set it next to her. He sat down with a sigh.
“I won’t be able to hear you,” he said.
Alex smiled. She didn’t want to tell him that she was glad he was there, because she really wanted him home resting. But she was glad he’d come in to help. Alex got the other chair for his feet. He smiled.
“Question: Is Jack Mac Kinney alive?” Alex asked.
She looked up to see Joseph unbuttoning his shirt. Wearing just his light-green T-shirt, he sat down and put his right arm on the table.
“You want it above or below the green one?” Jeb asked.
“Below,” Joseph said.
“Fine by me,” Alex said.
“Same design?” Jeb asked as he swabbed Joseph’s arm. “A string of Vivaldi F’s?”
“Please,” Alex said.
“Easy enough.” Jeb started to work.
“Maybe we should ask the team,” Raz said. “They’ve been working on this for most of the week.”
Alex looked up to see Sergeant Dusty grinning at her. Clearly, he’d arranged the tattoo party.
“Can you bring the team in?” Alex asked.
He stepped aside and the team filtered in. Vince came over to hug her. He let her go and Matthew hugged her. Trece came over to show her what one session with laser does to a teardrop tattoo. He and White Boy had shaved their heads to get rid of White Boy’s brown hair. Zack set a red rose on her desk.
“Okay, okay,” MJ said. “You’re wearing her out!”
Troy gave her a hug in response. The team’s mood was happy and light.
“The Fey would like to ask you about Jack Mac Kinney, so settle down,” Matthew said.
The team found seats around the table or at the sitting area. Royce and Margaret sat on the floor.
“Do we think Jack Mac Kinney is alive?” Alex asked.
“We’re fifty-fifty, sir,” Matthew said. “The Gardaí checked the locations you suggested and found nothing.”
Alex held up a memo with that information.
“I have a program tracking shipping packages and parcels from Ireland,” Troy said. “I’ve found some anomalies, but nothing outside of ordinary stupidity.”
“What about ships?” Alex asked.
“Nothing unusual,” Troy said.
“What about relief supplies?” Alex asked.
“What do you mean?” Troy asked.
“Ireland has a long history of sending relief supplies to conflict areas, particularly refugee areas,” Alex said. “I don’t know if it’s because they only received their independence in 1922 or they’re Catholic or what, but they are very generous with relief.”
“Relief packages aren’t subject to the same kind of scrutiny the other shipping receives.” Raz nodded and looked a little green from the effort. Colin kneeled down to check on him.
“Okay,” Matthew said. “Why would Jack go with the relief effort?”
“Anyone?” Alex asked.
“Could have been drugged,” Leena said.
“Sent in a packing crate,” Alex said. “Good thinking.”
“I keep wondering what would make him go,” White Boy said. When everyone looked at him, he blushed and mumbled something.
“No, tell them,” Trece said.
White Boy looked at Trece and Trece nodded.
“I had some time on my hands; you know, when we were in the ICU,” White Boy said. “I started to think about Jack; you know, try to think like Jack. Steve always says you have to think like an asshole to figure out what he’s up to. I’m no great thinker.”
“Aww,” the team said. Raz threw his wool hat at White Boy.
“Not a big stretch for you to think like an asshole though,” Trece grinned.
“That’s the truth,” White Boy chucked. “But I don’t think it would be a stretch for Jack either. I asked Eoin about it. He said Jack was people smart, but not book smart. He’s a hard worker too. Like me.”
White Boy nodded.
“So why do you think he’d go?” Alex asked.
“Oh right,” White Boy smiled. “I was thinking and thinking, and then I realized that from what everyone says, Jack really loved his wife. How do you say her name?”
“Neev,” Troy said.
“Her,” White Boy said. “I bet he’d go anywhere if he thought he was saving her or helping her. Eoin told me he would do anything for her ever since they met. ‘He just loves her.’ Eoin said that. So I figured he’s doing something for her.”
“What?” Alex asked.
“What does he do?” White Boy asked. “If it was me, I’d be guarding someone or maybe working in the yard or training or . . .”
White Boy shrugged.
“You smarties can figure that out,” White Boy nodded.
“Ok, who did the profile?” Alex asked.
“Leena, Colin, and I,” Vince said. “And I think his idea is valid. We found a number of times that Jack sacrificed himself for Neev.”
“Move to the Republic,” Colin said.
“Have children,” Leena said. “After the Maze, Jack wanted open space and quiet. His PTSD was bad, but they still had as many kids as she wanted.”
“Five,” Vince said. “I know you read the transcript of the interview with the Mister where Neev says she’s not a great mother. But her kids said they were great parents and grandparents. They agreed that their mom could be harsh, but they could chide her out of it. They called it ‘her moods.’ When she was nasty to Jack, he would laugh and laugh until she was laughing along with him. We think they were really happy.”
“He didn’t leave her,” Leena said. “No way.”
“I don’t think so either,” Colin said.
“If their kids could get visas, they’d be here with her,” Vince said.
“So what White Boy’s saying fits our profile,” Colin said.
Joseph got up from his seat, and Matthew sat down. He showed the team his new Fey Team tattoo. They applauded and he bowed.
“Very nice, Jeb,” Alex said. He nodded and started working on Matthew.
“Okay, so who lured Jack away from home?” Alex asked.
“If what you’re saying is true, that wouldn’t be easy,” Raz said.
“Damned hard,” Vince nodded.
“So what do we think would lure Jack Mac Kinney from his bed and out into the world?” Alex asked.
“Sick cow,” Cliff said.
“I bet you’re right,” Alex said. “Vince, can you call his son and ask?”
Vince picked up his cell phone and made the call.
“What is it that Neev said?” Raz asked. “Something about going to town.”
“I went to town. When I came back there was a note on my kitchen table,” Alex read from the transcript.
“I caught that, too,” Royce said.
“What?” Alex asked.
“Why did she go to town?” Raz asked.
“That’s right,” Vince said. “They belong to a co-op. Their milk is picked up and distributed. Their groceries are delivered from the co-op.”
“Same order every week, with a turkey or ham on the holidays, their daughter said,” Colin said.
“Neither of them is a drinker, and Neev is supposed to be a great cook,” Leena said. “She made most of their food.”
“Church?” Alex shrugged.
“They went on Sundays,” Royce said. “I spoke with their priest. He had no idea Jack was gone. He hadn’t seen Jack in months, but said that was normal. Neev came almost every Sunday, but Jack only came ‘when the spirit moved him.’ That’s a quote.”
“Gardaí?” Alex asked about the Irish Police.
“No,” Matthew said. “I talked to them; they had no idea Jack was missing. They were kind of freaked out about it. I guess the Garda stationed there is good friends with Neev and Jack.”
“Everyone seems to be good friends with Jack and Neev,” Leena said.
“Okay, so what could Jack have been doing that no one would have noticed?” Alex asked.
“Charity work,” Troy said.
Every eye in the room turned to him.
“According to this website, Jack Mac Kinney was in charge of the refugee charity drive,” Troy said. “They were collecting blankets, coats, and stuff like that for refugee camps. This year, they’re collecting items for Afghanistan.”
“Can it be that simple?” Alex asked.
“We’re supposed to be dead,” Raz said. “The team in chaos. Who else would find him?”
The team became very still. The only sound in the room was the buzz from Jeb’s tattoo machine.
“You’re saying that Jack Mac Kinney is in a refugee camp in Afghanistan,” Alex shook her head at the impossibility.
“Charahi Qambar or Nasaji Bagrami,” Troy said. “At least that’s where the coats and stuff were going. But the shipment left in . . . April.”
She pointed to Vince, who was talking on the phone. Leena tapped his arm and pointed to Alex.
“Can you ask him when exactly he saw his father last?” Alex asked Vince.
Vince nodded. They talked for a moment, and Vince hung up.
“He’s moved to the house,” Vince said. “‘To keep it warm until Mom comes home.’ The last time he saw his father was Easter this year.”
“When was that?” Alex asked.
“April 4,” Troy said.
“He said that he went through his dad’s stuff,” Vince said. “There’s nothing, not a check or a note or anything after mid-April. You should know that he hasn’t seen his mom since July.”
“Could Jack have been gone that long?” Alex asked.
“Sure,” Raz said.
“What about Neev?” Alex asked. “She arrived at our house last month. Where’s she been?”
“How did you get a hold of her?” Vince asked.
“I got the number from Rita and called the house,” Alex said.
“We need to ask Rita,” Joseph pointed to Leena, and she called Rita Drayson.
“Sir?” Royce asked. “Why is the refugee thing so weird?”
“Most camps are run by Medecins Sans Frontières,” Alex said.
“Doctors without Borders,” Margaret translated.
“We all speak French,” Colin chided Margaret, and she smiled.
“Alex knows people in every camp,” Matthew said.
“Doctors, mostly,” Alex said. “I just . . . it’s so obvious.”
“Maybe that’s why,” Raz said. “Hide him right under your nose.”
“But again, you’re supposed to be dead,” Joseph said. “No one could have predicted what happened.”
“Sir, no offense meant . . . ,” Royce started and then stopped.
The team turned to look at him.
“If the goal was to discredit you, what better way than putting someone in a place where you have a lot of contacts,” Royce said. “It’s kind of, ‘See she’s slipping.’ It could discredit you in the eyes of the international community.”
“Didn’t know he was missing. It doesn’t seem like many people did.” She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “It does explain why these actions are in the fall.”
The team fell silent again.
“Opium harvest cycle in Afghanistan,” Alex said. “Opium harvest is in . . .”
“April,” Troy said.
Leena raised her hand.
“Leena you don’t have to . . . ,” Alex said.
“Spit it out,” Joseph said.
“Rita says she talks to Neev once a month, usually by Skype,” Leena said. “She doesn’t know where Neev was in August, September, or October. She did speak with her on that phone number.”
“She could have been anywhere,” Alex said. “I wonder if she knows where she was. I have to remember to ask the Mister. Anything else?”
Leena shook her head.
“Okay, back to Afghanistan,” Alex said. “I’m excited that we’ve learned something about our dastardly villain.”
“What’s that?” Joseph asked.
“Someone at the center of this mess is involved in the opium trade in Afghanistan,” Alex said. “The poppy is scratched for resin in April; refine and ship to market in the summer; replant in September. When there’s snow on the ground, it’s time to fuck with the Fey Team again.”
“That’s got to be where Joiner got his money,” Matthew said. “You know, the money in Buffy’s secret accounts?”
“I bet you’re right,” Alex said.
“Could the product in the third locker have something to do with this?” Troy asked.
“I wonder . . . ,” Alex said. “It’s been there too long to be modern payoffs for drugs. Plus, the serial numbers match the gold you spent a decade looking for in South America, Troy.”
“Could be some kind of money laundering scheme,” Raz said.
“Maybe,” Alex said. “Do we have a contact in the Dubai drug market?”
“We do,” Trece said.
“Can you make some discrete enquiries?” Alex asked.
“I probably can’t, but someone from Steve’s team can,” Trece nodded.
“Thanks,” Alex said.
“So what’s next?” Troy asked.
“I have to make some calls,” Alex said. “If I find him, we go get him.”
“We?” MJ asked.
“Let me get through the calls first,” Alex said. “It’s not like calling the Ritz Carlton. It’s going to take me a while. I also need to . . .”
Colonel Gordon stood in the doorway. The team jumped to attention.
“At ease,” Colonel Gordon said.
He looked from person to person. His eyes finally settled on Jeb.
“You’ve got to be a Scully,” Colonel Gordon said.
“Jeb, sir,” he said.
“He’s my dad’s younger brother,” MJ said. “He’s here to . . .”
“It’s about time,” Colonel Gordon smiled. “Where’s the pizza?”
“We didn’t . . . ,” Joseph stepped forward to greet the Colonel.
“By all means,” Colonel Gordon said. “Ramirez, I bet you can’t stand being in any building now. Ready for a drive?”
“Yes, sir,” Trece said.
“Get that good pizza,” Colonel Gordon said. “Not the cheap stuff.”
Trece looked at Alex, and she nodded.
“Looks like you’ll be here a while,” Colonel Gordon said. “Mind if I borrow your Lieutenant Colonel?”
Alex got up from her desk and followed him out of the office. They walked down the hallway to his office. He opened the door and turned on the light. She followed him inside.
He turned around quickly. Unsure, she jumped back. He smiled.
He held out his arms and hugged her.
“I’m so glad you made it,” he said. “I’m sorry, I know it’s unprofessional. It’s just this time, with everything, and Steve . . .”
She heard him sniff.
“Thank you, sir,” she said. “You mean a lot to me as well.”
He stepped back and gave her a little nod. Turning in place, he walked to his desk.
“When were you planning to update me on the progress of this mission, Lieutenant Colonel?” Colonel Gordon asked.
Alex grinned and told him what she knew.
F