Fallen Pride (Jesse McDermitt Series) (31 page)

Stockwell was standing on the bridge with Deuce when I climbed up to start the engines. “How’s it feel, Gunny?” Stockwell asked.

“How’s what feel, Colonel?”

“
Being back in the saddle, doing what you were meant to do, leading troops in the field.”

I just shrugged and
while starting the engines I said, “Didn’t really have time to feel anything.”

“Great job,” he said. “Both of you. Y’all have no idea what this little op meant.”

“What do you mean?” Deuce asked.

“
DHS isn’t a law enforcement entity, you know that. It’s the oversight agency of the FBI, CIA and all the other alphabet soup law enforcement agencies. You’ve just taken the first step in the Counter-Terrorism Command becoming a full-fledged arm of law enforcement. Both abroad and domestically.”

“So you’re saying this was a test?” I asked.

“No, not at all,” he replied as he started for the ladder. “I never had any doubt. I’m staying here tonight, since the G-5’s already here. See you at 0600.” He climbed down and started toward a waiting Navy sedan. On the dock, he turned and said, “Oh by the way, Doctor Burdick was here about an hour ago. I explained what was going on and she said she needed to get back to her patient anyway. The officer that was shot is in recovery and is expected to be back on duty in a week.” Then he got in the car and it drove away.

Doc called up and said, “Ready to cast off?”

“Yeah,” I replied. “Then get up here and take her out. I have a phone call to make.”

Doc and Dawson cast off the lines and Doc took the
Revenge
out Boca Chica Channel, while I went up to the foredeck to call Jackie. Once again, I caught her between rounds.

“You mad at me?” I asked.

“I was for about a second. The Colonel explained what was going on. Think you’ll find him?”

“Stop by the brig in a few minutes and you can slap him around a little, if you want.”

“You already got him?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah, just turned him over the Shore Patrol and we’re about to head back to the island. Want to join us,” I asked, hoping she’d say no, since we were already underway.

“I can’t. The officer that was injured stepped in front of me. I’m going to stay here until he wakes up. Go celebrate with your troops.”

“Okay, I’ll see you at the dock at 0600 and I promise I won’t be late.”

“If you are, I’ll kick your ass,” she said as she ended the call.

I climbed back up to the bridge and was suddenly very tired. It didn’t seem like that long ago, when I could go for days with just a couple of hours sleep. Deuce and Julie were on the bridge and as I climbed up, Doc started to get up from the helm. I stopped him and said, “Take us home, Doc.” Then I sat down in the second seat, put my feet up on the side console, leaned my head back and fell into a deep sleep.

It felt like it was only a few minutes later when suddenly I woke up. It was dark and quiet. For a second, I had no idea where I was, or how I got there. I realized I was sitting on the bridge and the
Revenge
was docked under my house. My neck and knees were stiff and sore as I slowly stood up. Light softly filtered through the cracks around the big double doors in front of the boat and I could faintly hear voices that sounded far off and muffled.

I climbed down from the bridge and stepped over the gunwale to the dock. When I opened the door and went outside, I could tell by the angle of the sun through the trees that it was late afternoon. Looking at my watch, I confirmed that I must have slept the whole way back and at least two hours after Doc
guided the boat under the house.

S
tiffly climbing up the steps to the deck, I crossed over to the rear deck and stood there for a minute, taking everything in. A chopper was sitting in the middle of the clearing and a large bonfire was going at the east side of the bunkhouses. There must have been thirty people standing and sitting around the fire and at the tables. Trent was busy tending the fire in the stone barbeque and beyond the bunkhouses I could see his kids and Pescador running and jumping off the pier, then climbing up the ramp and doing it again.

Building
this place,
not really consciously, I had Alex in mind. Before she returned from Oregon when she left two years ago to take care of her sick brother. This was before we’d even gone on our first real date, or even thought about it. I’d felt empty inside after she was killed and now suddenly realized that what I’d built for us, before there even was an us, I’d improved upon for this group, before there even was a group. My little island was now a thriving community of people that cared deeply for one another in a way that many people would never understand.

Looking
down on my little island, for the first time in nearly a year, I felt whole again. I felt alive and suddenly I realized that life really is for the living and though I’d sensed it before, I now felt deep down inside that Alex would have wanted me to pick up the pieces, grab life by the horns and live again. I wanted Jackie here and I wanted to tell her how I felt about her. I resolved to do just that, as soon as I saw her in the morning. Right now I wanted to celebrate the success of a mission with my family.

I ran down the steps and nearly sprinted across the yard. Yes, it was a yard, not a clearing or a landing zone. Even if there was a chopper sitting in the middle of it.

“Whoa, mate,” Hinkle said. “What’s the big hurry?”

“Hand me a beer, Donnie
.” Then I spied two bottles of Pusser’s Navy Rum on the table. “Belay that,” I said. “Gimme a damn glass.”

A shot glass was produced and Deuce poured me a double.
I raised my glass high and said, “Standing up on the deck just a minute ago, I realized why men and women who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because we long to be with those who once acted their best, who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity. I didn’t pick you. You were delivered here by fate. But I know you in a way I know no other. I have never given anyone such trust. As long as I have memory I will think of you all every day and I’m sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of you, my family.” A chorus of shouts went up and glasses and bottles were raised high. I tossed down the rum and it seemed to ignite a fire in me.

“That’s more words than I’ve ever heard you say at one time,” Stockwell said as he poured me another.

“Hi Travis. Is this fine Navy rum of your doing?”

“Deuce told me how you sea faring types liked to celebrate, so I thought I’d do what I could to help. Have a nice nap?”

“You must be getting old,” a familiar voice said from behind me. “I remember when me and you could go days with no more sleep than what you just had sittin’ there under that house.”

I spun around and was grabbed in a huge bear hug. When he put me down I said, “Rusty, when did you get here?”

“Julie called when y’all were headed back, so I tossed Rufus the keys and jumped in my skiff. Been here an hour while you been snorin’ away in that boat of yours.”

We celebrated until sunset then Stockwell and his pilot took off and headed back to the Air Base. Then we celebrated some more. But not too much. We still had Smith out there somewhere and there was still a watch to be manned. About 2200, those who would have watch drifted off to get some sleep before they had to go on duty. An hour later, I decided to turn in myself. Tomorrow would be a long day.

I slept soundly in the bunkhouse and woke well before dawn. When I went outside there were two large carafes on the table, steam rising from both of them and a tray full of coffee mugs. Rusty was already up and he and Jared were poking the fire, trying to get it going again.

“Charlie makes good coffee,” Rusty said. I poured a cup and joined the two men by the fire. “She said she’ll have pancakes ready in 30 minutes.”

“Where were you last night, Jared,” I asked. “I don’t remember seeing you around.”

His face colored a bit and he said, “Charity and I borrowed the Grady and went out fishing.”

“Fishing, huh? Have any luck?”

He grinned and said, “You might say that.”

“This young Devil Dog was telling me how you charged straight down the middle of the street at that assassin,” Rusty said.

“Telling sea stories are we? I walked
, not charged. Did he mention that Grayson was right beside me and Sherri was on the other side?”

“How is she?” Jared asked.

“She’ll be fine. Doc gave her something for the pain.”

As if on cue, Charity and Sherri came out of the bunkhouse, poured
coffee for themselves and came over to where we were standing. Charity kissed Jared, causing him to blush again.

“How’s your side feeling?” I asked Sherri.

“Kinda numb. Doc said that’s to be expected.” She hugged me and said, “Thanks for acting so quickly.”

One by one, the others started filing out of the bunkhouses. Deuce, Julie, Doc, and Nikki came across the yard and we all sat down at the tables, talking. Minutes later, Carl and Charlie came out of their new house with the kids,
all of them carrying stacks of plates, glasses, orange juice, and a huge platter of pancakes.

After breakfast,
those that weren’t leaving took care of cleaning up, so the rest of us could get ready. At 0500, Deuce, Julie, Doc, Jared, Rusty, and I boarded the
Revenge
and I started the engines. Stockwell insisted that Rusty come along, but didn’t say why.

I called Doc up to the bridge and had him take over for a minute, so I could talk to Rusty. We went down t
o the salon and sat down at the settee.

“What’s up, bro?” he asked.

Rusty and I have always been able to talk about anything. I’d known him since before Julie was born and we were like brothers.

“I’ve decided to tell Jackie how I feel and I need you to talk me out of it.”

“Talk you out of it? Hell, I been egging you on to do that for months. It’s obvious you two like each other. Why the heck should I talk you out of it?”

“What do I have to offer, man? She’s a doctor and I’m a boat bum and now I’m hooked up with a bunch of snake eaters and spooks.”

“Jesse, you’re a boat bum by choice and you don’t have to stay hooked up with this bunch. Tell Stockwell you’re done. Or not. Jackie’s a smart woman and knows what you guys do. You tell her how you feel and let her decide.”

“That easy, huh?”

“Sure it is, man. You two are like grunts and grits, made for each other.”

“Alright then. I’ll do it.”

An hour later we were tied up at the Boca Chica Marina dock. This time the Dockmaster did come out. I paid him a hundred dollars to dock the
Revenge
there for the day and had him fill the tanks. Stockwell was already waiting in the parking lot with Jackie. I started getting butterflies in my stomach when I saw her.

“Good morning, sailor,” she said as we walked over. She gave me a warm hug and a kiss then said, “Good thing you’
re on time. I just bet the Colonel here how long it’d take me to kick your ass.”

“Jared, the SecNav has changed the location he wants to meet with you,” Stockwell said. “After a full review of the statements of everyone involved, he’s asked if you’d accompany the rest of this motley crew to the White House and he’ll meet you there.”

“The White House?”

Stockwell grinned and said, “Yeah, he was sort of ordered to ask you if that would be alright.”

“Ordered to? Who outranks the SecNav?” Jared’s brow furrowed. “You mean the President?”

“Are all these Jarheads slow on the uptake, Deuce?”

That caused me to chuckle a little. “Only us infantry, Colonel.”

We
got in two Navy sedans for the short ride to where the G-5 was sitting on the apron, its engines already running. Five minutes later we were in the air, headed north. Stockwell had rooms reserved for us at the JW Marriot, just across from the Visitors Center, so we could clean up and change before being escorted the two blocks to the White House.

Once we were settled in the plane, reached cruising altitude and the pilot turned off the seat belt sign, I mustered the courage and turned toward Jackie. “I have something to tell you,” we both said at the same time and started laughing.

“Ladies first,” I said.

“I just received transfer orders,” she said. I tried to hide the pain those five words caused and must have succeeded, because she continued excitedly. “It’s really thanks to you
. The Surgeon General was so impressed with the operation to remove that bullet from your spine, he’s recommended me for a neurosurgery internship at Bethesda. How cool is that?”

“That’s great,” I lied, feeling all the air being sucked out of my balloon. “When will you have to leave?”

“I have until the end of the month to get things settled in Key West and report for duty. It shouldn’t even take that long. I have a sister in Orlando that’s already agreed to keep my dog and I’ll just put my car in storage. What did you want to tell me?”

She was very excited to start this new phase in her career that was obvious. What did I have to offer to
dissuade her? My mind was moving very slow. Fortunately, Rusty overheard our conversation, though he was pretending to not listen.

“Well, you gonna tell her about our partnership?” he blurted out suddenly.

“What partnership?” Jackie asked.

“Jesse’s buying half my bar,”
Rusty said with faked excitement.

“That’s great news. Between the two of you I bet you’ll have the finest bar and marina in the Keys.”

“See, Jesse. That’s exactly what I said.”

The rest of the flight lasted less than two hours, but it felt like two days. When we landed at
Reagan National, a DHS van was waiting and took us to the hotel where we split up. When I got to my room, I showered, shaved, and got dressed. To meet the President, one would normally wear a coat and tie, neither of which I owned. I wore the closest thing to dress clothes I did own, besides my uniform, a pair of navy trousers and a long sleeve white shirt. There was a knock on the door.

I opened it and Rusty said, “Glad I’m not the only one not wearing a monkey suit.”

“Thanks for what you said on the plane. I felt like a clown.”

“Forget it, man,” he said. “What are you gonna do now?”

“Do? She’s getting transferred. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m not going to do anything that might take that away from her. No way.”

“Then suck it up, Marine. Lif
e goes on.”

“Want a drink? The minibar is well stocked and it’s on the government’s nickel.”

“Sure,” he said. “Why not? Meeting the President is kinda big, I don’t mind tellin’ ya, I’m as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers.”

I opened two mini bottles of Bacardi, poured them into a couple of glasses with some ice and handed one to Rusty. “Is this what they pass off for rum up here?” he asked.

“The power elite up here don’t drink rum,” I said. “Only 15 year old scotch.”

“Another good reason not to leave the Keys,” he said as we both tossed down the tasteless clear liquid.

I opened the fridge and tossed him a Coke, taking one for myself. “Can’t meet the leader of the free world smelling like a cheap rum factory.”

Rusty walked over to the window and looked out over the imposing skyline. “Why do you suppose that Colonel insisted I come along?”

I thought about it for a moment. Rusty had nothing to do with the fishing trip, his only connection to it was his daughter. “Guess we’ll find out in about an hour.”

There was another knock on the door and when I opened it, Stockwell was standing there in a custom made suit.
He looked at the two of us and said, “They don’t sell ties down in the islands?”

“Couldn’t really tell ya,” Rusty said. “Never shopped for one.”

“Let’s get going, the van’s waiting.”

We followed him down the hall, where the others were waiting at the elevators. I just wanted to get this over with and go home. “What’s wrong?” Jackie asked.

I wanted to tell her, but couldn’t. “I don’t like cities. Too many people.”

We rode in silence down to the ground floor, out through the lobby and got in the same
DHS van that brought us here. A few minutes later we turned west on Constitution Avenue and passed the South Lawn then turned north on 17
th
Street for a block, finally turning into a security checkpoint at East Street. The van was checked over by Secret Service Uniformed Division officers then we proceeded through the barricades and turned left along the west side of the South Lawn and parked in a slot to the north of the West Wing.

“Okay,” Stockwell said from the front passenger seat. “We have to go through another security checkpoint and the Secret Service is very strict on what can be brought inside the White House. Best bet is put your ID in your pocket and leave everything else.
No purses, pens, knives, pretty much everything.”

As we got out, everyone left their belongings on their seat and we walked to the Lobby Entrance on the north side of the building. We entered the foyer area, with its high ceilings and matching décor on either side then straight through into the lobby itself, where we were greeted at the registration desk and issued our temporary ID’
s. The receptionist punched a button on the phone and said that ADD Stockwell and guests had arrived then asked us to wait. There were matching couches and chairs on either side of the room, with closed doors beyond them. After a few minutes a Secret Service agent came through the door on the right and said, “The President will see you now, Colonel.”

We followed him down a long corridor, through an archway then turned left down another long corridor, where two more Secret Service agents waited at the end. I recognized one from the fishing trip, Paul Bender.

“I see you left your chest on the boat,” he said.

“Good to see you again, Bender,” I said
ignoring the dig.

“Good to be seen. I never got a chance to than
k you, and especially you, Petty Officer Thurman.” Julie’s cheeks flushed just a little. Then he spoke into his coat sleeve, “Colonel Stockwell and guests are here.”

A moment later, he said, “Follow me, please.” We passed through what looked like an extremely thick and heavy archway that probably had steel doors behind hidden recesses, into a small alcove, built at an angle to the corridor. Another agent stood outside
an open door, as Bender walked though and stood just inside and off to the side.

“Come in, Colonel,” the President said. “All of ya, come on in.” He got up from behind his desk and
walked around it to greet us. The Oval Office was bigger than I’d imagined, with two large sofas facing one another in the center of a large oval rug that had the Presidential Seal in the middle of it. At one end was the Resolute Desk I remembered seeing pictures of, with a young John Kennedy, Junior under it. In front of the desk were two striped chairs facing a coffee table situated between the sofas. At the other end of the sofas were identical end tables and two more striped chairs angled next to those. He greeted each of us by name and thanked us for coming.

“Everyone have a seat,” he said. “
I’m really glad you could all make it.”

“Mister President,” Stockwell said. “This is Julie’s father, Rusty Thurman and Corporal
Jared Williams. Secretary Winter asked him to come along.”

The President shook hands with Rusty and Jared and said, “Don should be here in a few minutes to speak with you Corporal. Mister Thurman, you raised a fine young lady here.”

“Thank you, sir,” Rusty said. “I’m inclined to agree with you.”

After we were all seated, the President said, “Now, I know the FBI has some questions for all of you, but rest assured, they’re just trying to sort things out for the record. I didn’t get a chance to thank you for a great day of fishing
, what with all the chaos.”

“It was a pleasure having you aboard, sir,” I said.

“Laura was really happy when we sat down to supper the next evening. It really surprised her when I told her I’d caught the dorado myself. The second reason I asked you here was to personally thank you, Miss Thurman. It’s not going to be Miss much longer, though is it?”

“No sir, we’re getting married tomorrow.”

“Congratulations to both of you. I know you probably have a lot of last minute plans so I won’t keep you long.”