Back in the Trenches Part Three
by
Diana Walker
This work of adult fiction, loosely based on
characters portrayed by Russell Crowe, includes adult language and
experiences;
you have been warned. No
copyright
infringement on the original work is intended.
Copyright Diana Walker
2006.
DIANA
“Ron, I’m out of miracle ideas AND enthusiasm,” I confessed to Ron Traub over good steaks last night. “It really looks like we need to send the team back to their other duties until a better lead pops up.”
“Let’s spend tomorrow morning brainstorming. I’ll take over the enthusiasm for a while; you record the ideas.”
“It’s worth a shot; we need something to kick start us. I’m not too keen on looking for Gunther devolving to only you and I stuck in a cramped office together for years. I do like working with you, but my life is not here.”
I’ve already given at the office, and last I saw, we no longer have a draft military. I feel drafted, and I’m starting to be resentful about being the only damn person in the Pentagon in that state. I’d been plucked away from everything and everyone important to me, and I’d been glad to do it. Well, not really glad, but I could help, and I would up to a point. However, I can see a very long search in front of us.
Sure, I have Jack Aubrey and East Driscoll
Terry may have pinpointed the real reason for my frustrations when I called him after dinner. “Diana, it flattered you when you got the call. You were the only person who could do this job. You expected you’d be able to find him quickly, accept your commendation, and get the fuck out.
“Now it’s turning personal. You hate to lose. It’s becoming a competition between you and whoever the fuck this is.”
He was right. It is getting personal.
We’ve spent three days following NSA’s leads, and nothing has popped. Let the brainstorming begin.
I enter the small antechamber and take off my Kevlar as I’ve done every swinging morning. Terry’s shirt that I wear under it doesn’t smell like him anymore, but I’ve continued to wear the body armor every day because I promised Terry I would. He’d made a good point at dinner, i.e., the bad guys wouldn’t know others on the team could predict Gunther as well as I. Terry had appreciated my recitation of his correct points and my list of security measures when he was dressing to go climb on another plane the last time I’d seen him. I’d been grateful he’d been willing to come to me if only for the one night. We’d appreciated each other throughout the short night.
I sigh as I enter our conference room/office. I hate feeling defeated. Ron has saved me the ignominy of having to erase Hilde’s personal information from the board. He starts the brainstorming session by reciting the rules; I write them in a small corner of the white board.
The team starts firing off ideas; I scribble like a woman possessed with no thought as to what I’m recording. I can only hope we can decipher some of these when we get to the action phase.
There’s a lull in the rapid-fire ideas. I take the time to review the two-column list when the fourth one up from the bottom hits me. “Wider circle for Hilde – additional 12.”
“Who said this one?” My voice is sharper than I would like and not from breaking one of the brainstorming rules about not interrupting.
NSA pipes up. “That’s me.”
“You already have additional names from your search on R&R night?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” I want to hit him up side the head and then kiss him.
Everyone’s laptops flip open; internet connections are made; and excited requests are made for names. We have our miracle.
I transfer the brainstorming ideas into my own laptop, write Hilde’s vital statistics on the white board for easy reference, and motion for NSA to sit with me for a quiet chat away from the rest of the team.
“How many more names do you have?”
“I broke them into possibles, probables, and guesses. In the guesses, there are about 50.”
“You’re still running this part of the show though I’d like to kick your ass for not bringing this up sooner.” His shy smile reminds me so much of Terry’s. “Do you realize we were about one day away from disbanding without accomplishing what we’d set out to do?”
“No, Ma’am. I didn’t.”
“In the future, make sure whoever you work with knows how you’ve structured your results. You’ll save everyone a lot of worry. Now, go make sure everyone remembers the websites to check their data.” He deserves some kind of ‘atta boy’ for this, but frankly, I’m peeved he didn’t bring it up sooner. Letting him continue to run this part of the research should be enough.
I take a quick train trip at lunch even though I have to put my Kevlar back on – one train stop up is the Cemetery. I hadn’t been to Arlington on this trip to DC yet to visit my great-uncle who's buried there.
I wanted to talk to him about how he’d had such nerves of steel then, and I’d been rattled over not being able to find Gunther. I come from sterner stock than the way I’ve been acting lately. I wish I’d had the opportunity to know him in person as an adult.
Sitting with Uncle J. D., I finally rationalized my anxiety as fear of the unknown. We still don’t know why we need to find Gunther. He hadn’t contacted any of his old cronies or any group or government who might employ him. He had no requirement to check in with any agency. Until he went missing, he’d not done anything wrong when he got out of prison. Staying under the radar isn’t illegal in any country.
Yet, with his background in this day and age, the potential for what he might do had made the suits nervous. We will find Gunther and find out what his intentions are.
I resolve to handle my actions more effectively. I may fear the unknown, but it doesn’t have to affect the way I deal with the team. I probably should delve deeper and see how my fears may influence how I treat Terry, but I’ll do that when I get home, if I ever get home.
With a little more time to spend at Arlington,
There is the requisite number of military men, some with girlfriends, some with buddies; they are in civvies, but you can’t miss the sidewalls. A few retired couples and families showing their young children their nation’s capital. A very obnoxious woman (she’s from New York; her grating, overly nasal accent only adds to everyone’s annoyance with her) is with her extended family and starts fretting about whether they are in the right line for the Kennedy gravesite. The knowledgeable people around her reassure her she is.
She continues worrying about whether they would get to see the Kennedy gravesite before they need to show her kids the Smithsonian. She voices that she doesn’t care about seeing the Unknown Soldiers or the changing of the guard there loud enough for groups around her to hear.
There is an uncomfortable shuffling in the line at her statement, but everybody gets over her rudeness. That is, until she keeps going on about how she doesn’t care about the Unknowns. After about five minutes of her yammering, you can easily spot the Marines in the line. Their necks are red, and the veins are popping out. Their fists are clenching at their sides.
I had lost Richard Whittaker soon after high school; he is a Marine. He might be dead, but he is still a Marine. Just like Dino will always be a Marine. Richard sat beside me in Algebra. He had the most amazing apple green eyes and hair so blond it was white. We never dated but not from lack of me trying to get him interested; he was very shy around girls. I call on Richard’s memory to do what I did. I lie to put the woman in her place.
I tap the woman on the shoulder and say to her, “Excuse me. My father did not come back fromViet Nam
That shuts her up, and I have what could only be called an honor guard around me. The guys with buddies are the first to arrive at my side. The guys who are with girls leave them, and the girls don’t seem to mind a bit. None of them says a thing to me. Just stand there with me, almost defying the woman’s husband to say anything. Actually, he seems embarrassed about the way she had been carrying on.
After we file by the gravesite, the gentlemen leave me, and everyone troops over to the Unknowns, even the obnoxious woman and her family. I make sure I am within hearing distance on the walk over; their whole party doesn’t say a word from the time I talked to her until they crowd their way to the front of the steps to watch the changing of the guard. Had she said anything on the way, I had been ready to beat her senseless. I do notice that some of the military guys make sure they are close to her during the ceremony, probably to escort her away should she get out of line.
I probably should have confessed my lie to my honor guard, but I’m not sure they would have understood my motivations right then. I think the woman needed a personal impact, not the lecture about how those remains represent ALL who had died in war. If she had been willing to make those statements atArlington
I think this is one lie God will forgive me.
MAC
When we finally find Hilde, it is on NSA’s SWAG list, Swinging Wild Assed Guess. It really is in the category of ‘Then a miracle occurs.’
Hilde Schedenheiser is H. Calicoriente. I’m the one who drew her name.
Since we now have more people who know, I mean really know, Gunther, I’m no longer standing guard. I’m in full research mode, or at least I was until we found Hilde.
H. Calicoriente started having many similarities to the missing Hilde Schedenheiser. Calicoriente showed up in Buenos Aires
“Will you recognize her voice if you hear it on the phone? We’ve only got one shot at this,” Ron asks Diana.
“I think so, but my Spanish sucks.”
The Seal speaks up. “Mine doesn’t. I’ll try to talk to her about finding a new export rep. If she thinks she has a new client on the line, she’ll try to sell me on her services while you listen in. CIA, I need a good rundown on a cover company in Argentina."
We’ve all taken up another of Diana’s habits; we call each other by affiliation in the office. To her credit, Diana had eventually learned everyone’s name through my drilling her in our nightly dinner conversations while she was being hidden.
NSA starts working on the speakerphone to boost its signal, be sure we had the clearest connection we can get, and show the call as coming from the cover company. CIA gets the information for Seal and the clearances we need to use it. I’m booking flights for Diana and me to Buenos Aires;
TERRY
Fuck. Isn’t that the way it always goes? Now that Diana is free to call me, she’s had to leave a message.
“Hi. I’m going to be out of DC for a few days. Mac’s going with me, and I’ll be careful. I love you.”
On the off chance she hasn’t already left, I call her cell.
“Hello?” Her voice has a decidedly happy ring to it, but there is a crowd around her from the noise.
“You’re not onboard yet. I’ll make this quick. I love you. Take care.”
“Hold on there, Boomer. I’m leaving tonight; Mac’s coming in tomorrow. We have to change planes in Dallas.
“I’ll be there with no visible bells on. You’ll have to frisk me to find them.”
I suppose I gave her the idea by jingling the change in my trouser pocket as she neared me.
Diana has a 24-hour pass; I won’t spend four hours of it driving to the farm and back when we can cross the airfield in ten minutes. It was a very long ten minutes as Diana frisked me from the time she exited the terminal until we made it to our room in the airport hotel.
She’s checked all the socially acceptable spots on my body twice before we’ve reached our room. I can finally let out the groan I’ve suppressed on the tram to the hotel.
“Not there.” She has my shirt off and is working on my belt between our kisses. “Now that bulge looks likely; wonder if it feels likely?” She runs her hand tightly over my trouser clad cock and begins running her fingers over the ridge whilst helping me shed her clothes.
“Oh, it feels very likely. I think that’s where you have a very large bell.” My trousers drop to the floor, and I stumble backwards out of them to the bed, drawing my lovely, naked Diana with me.
“It’s not nearly as large as these two lovely bells in front of me.” I push her breasts together to hold them with one hand.
“Gong.” It is a dull, flat sound coming from Diana. The silly, extended metaphor sends us into peals of idiotic laughter. I much prefer the release laughter can bring to the tears she needed to shed at our last meeting.
She snuggles into my chest tucking her head into my neck. She reaches down and spreads my pre-cum round my head; she strokes with her fingertips before she palms it and circles my ridge with her thumb and forefinger. I inhale in steps each time she squeezes.
“I love how that gets to you,” she whispers as she kisses my neck and jaw thoroughly.
“You do have my number.” I make sure her forehead and eyes know how much her touch means to me and that they are loved as well with my lips moving over them.
I settle in to reacquaint myself with her breasts at a leisurely pace – how soft they feel in my hands, how her skin floats over the underlying structure. I watch her areola pebble with the lightest touch and her nipple harden. Diana sighs in contentment.
“It doesn’t feel the same when I do it.”
“I’m very glad for that. Softly, Diana.” Her hand on my cock has me close.
She slides down matching her slit with my cock giving me a hint of her warmth within. She throws her leg on top of mine, opening to me, straining upwards for more kisses, sinking back down on me to kiss me with her moist lips, giving me the time I need to back off but keeping me on edge.
After a prolonged kiss, she sighs her perturbed sigh. I normally I hear it when she is in the lounge or at the computer alone, never in bed.
“I never noticed how annoying the difference in our heights is.”
I laugh at her unexpected statement. “Why does that bother you now?”
“I want to kiss your face and love you at the same time. Like this, on our sides.” She laughs at her own absurdity.
“I was always taught that the purpose of a 24-hour pass was to be shagged silly; heights didn’t matter as long as we fit together here.” I give her a demonstration of how two people fit together. A satisfied ‘Unnnngh’ comes from deep inside her throat, and my breath catches in my throat with her heat enveloping me. “But if you want to add challenging the laws of physics to that, I’m game, as long as you don’t try to bend my dick again.” We smile remembering that night now; it was no laughing matter at the time.
“I told you that was an accident. I did kiss it and make it better. You can’t tell me that was all traumatic edema.” Diana elicits a smug smile from me before we start to work on making her wish come true.
I wish I had added a bent back to my bent dick hard limit. After much enjoyable effort, some interesting contortions, and many giggles at our attempts, I give up and flip her onto her back. I am ready for our science experiment to end.
“I know I can kiss you and love you this way.” Diana’s lips start out on mine with our tongues dancing together; somewhere along the way she decides kissing and tonguing my chest is more enjoyable as I slide deeply into her. Her tongue traces up to my mouth and begs it to stay with hers. I am more than happy to do whatever she wishes.
Diana forgets to breathe when I pick her up and hold her tightly to me. I feel the satisfying tightness in my balls with my fast, shallow strokes. “Please … more … like that.” I feel her orgasm start in her knees and back as she tightens around me and clings to me. She throws her head back; her neck is begging for attention that I can’t give it. I am too lost and bury myself deep within.
Diana shifts and supports herself on me as I lay her carefully back onto the bed and slip from her. I lay on my side beside her, nose to nose for an extended time, finally, her head safely on my shoulder, her hand reaching for my cock, mindful of how her slightest touch now is too much. I watch her smile fade as she drifts into sleep.
MAC
I watch Major Thorne and Diana waiting for me at the security check-in as I walk past the ticket counters for the international carriers. They stand within each other’s personal space without touching, much like Miri and I do.
When Major Thorne extends his hand, he has a far different look in his eye than the last time I saw him at an airport. I like this one a lot better.
“Mac, thanks for taking such good care of Diana.” The way her name slides from his mouth, you know he is a man in love. “Sorry I was such an arse when we first met.” Diana looks as startled as I am; she hadn’t put him up to the apology.
“No need to apologize, Sir.”
“Bring her back to me.”
“I will, Sir. Good health and one piece.”
The Major smiled softly at her, brushed her cheek, and watched her walk away.
Diana and I arrived in Buenos Aires
“Mac, I want you to go to the door with me. Depending how she reacts, I may not need you for more than that.”
“Whatever you need, Ma’am.”
Diana takes a deep breath as she stands on the sidewalk outside the tidy, small frame house on an unremarkable street, squares her shoulders, and walks up the path to knock on the door.
“Quien es?”
“Is this the Calicoriente home?”
The door opens, and a blonde woman looks out. She blanches when she sees Diana standing on her porch.
“I had hoped never to see you again.”
“Me too. May I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Günter.”
“Yes.”
HILDE CALICORIENTE
I hadn’t seen Diana Walker since she had convinced the German police I had nothing to do with Günter’s activities. Because of her efforts on my behalf, I had gone on with my life.
“Hilde, I need your help.” I owe her so much; I cannot refuse her request. The man with her stands inside the door as I wave Diana to the couch. He has the bearing of a military man; I had become all too familiar with them a lifetime ago. I sit across from her.
Her eyes scan the room, noticing Karl’s pictures around the room and his childish drawings on the refrigerator in the kitchen.
“Have you seen him in the last two months?”
The information on the émigré news line is true. Günter has been released from prison.
“No.” Diana and I had forged a unique relationship all those years ago. I had come to admire her directness and had learned to answer her questions with the same openness.
She nods to the man. “I’ll be right outside, Ma’am.”
“We had a hard time finding you.”
“I did my job well then. I took your advice. I turned my back on the life I’d been leading and started over. I had to.”
“Tell me how you got,” she gestured around the room and with a broader gesture indicating Buenos Aires,
“Because of your intercession for me the police gave me new identity papers. I knew I would settle in South America
“Why did you leave Mercedes-Benz?” Diana has done most of her homework since she located me.
“I wished to spend more time with Karl. With the skills and contacts I made with Mercedes transferred to my own company, I could work and be home with him more.”
“How old is he now?” This one piece of information will give Diana everything she needs to assure my cooperation.
“He is eight.”
“I thought you might be pregnant when you were arrested. I didn’t think the questions we asked you should cause you to throw up as much as you did.”
“Is that why you argued my case so strongly – so my child wouldn’t be born in prison?”
“No. I thought then you don’t choose who you fall in love with; I’m more sure of it now.” Diana Walker speaks of love? This is very different. Perhaps we both have changed our lives. “You convinced me of your innocence. I had to convince the bone-headed authorities.” A flash of the rebel I knew came through.
“You came in this morning?” She nods. “Would you like coffee? Will your bodyguard need to taste it first?”
Her warm smile still flashes. “Nah. The driver will; he’s more expendable.” Outrageous as she once was.
Once Diana is convinced I have not seen Günter, or Gunther as she has always called him, she instructs me on how to keep my child and me safe.
“How have you kept working for the military for so long?”
“I quit years ago after my mom died. I was dragged back in for this one case. Now I’m a farmer and a hausfrau.” She smiles as she says hausfrau. Her life seems to agree with her; she weighs more now.
“You are married?”
“No. I’m bad at relationships. I doubt if I ever will.”
“You are a good woman. The right man will come along.” She shrugs. “When you came, you asked for my help. You have not asked for anything.”
“I want you to talk to your son. If Gunther even suspected you were pregnant back then or has found out some way that he has a son, he’ll show up here. Find out if Karl has seen anything unusual. If either of you have seen or do see anything or think anything strange is happening, call me. We have no idea where he is or what he’s doing.”
Diana has finally frightened me. They do not know where Günter is. He could come for his son at any time.
“I will be watchful, and I will call.”
DIANA
Mac and I had spent more time on airplanes than we had on the ground in Buenos Aires,
We walk into a beehive of activity in the conference room/office. The white board has what looks like pro and con lists in three groupings. Earnest discussion is going on everywhere. Mac and I look at each other and shrug. We are both in the dark about what is going on until someone notices we are here and fills in the blanks for us.
Ron breaks away from one group and welcomes us home. “We’re operational and short-handed. The Seals were pulled out. Glad you’re back. Here’s the background on the three firms we’re looking at to come in and shore up the muscle.” He hands me a tidy, short stack of file folders.
I look at the three folders in my hands and fan them. I feel the ice form around my heart. My reason for leaving this Game is right in front of me.
I walk directly to Captain Bigelow’s office without an appointment. He is on the phone when I knock but waves me to a chair. I begin formulating my argument. I have come to Biggie prematurely; I don’t even know why we’re now operational. I talk myself out of that as being a hindrance. It doesn’t matter where Gunther was sighted. TEO is one of the three companies the team wants to bring in.
“Congratulations on the successful trip. Hilde called while you were flying; someone named Karl has seen Gunther.” Biggie’s eyes sparkle as if he has come in from a successful firefight.
“Sir, I’ll print out my trip report. That will have to be my last involvement with this operation. I have a distinct conflict of interest that will compromise my effectiveness on this team.”
He blinks owlishly taking time to consider my words. “TEO is one of the three contractors you’re considering?”
“With all due respect, I’m not considering any contractors. I have no idea why the team thinks they need to replace the Seals. Surely a Delta Force squad can go into Argentina
“The Seals had the language specialist.”
I’d known about the dearth of Middle Eastern specialists, but we don’t have enough people who speak Spanish? “Can’t we get a Delta Force candidate to translate for us?”
“Without advanced combat training? That would be more dangerous to everyone than taking a chance you could handle the responsibility of running a job. There have been no easy answers about anything associated with this.
“What concerns you about the contractor selection?”
I think about his question for only a moment when every fear I’d had about this situation starts tumbling out. “Terry Thorne and I are much closer now than when I first came forward with this information.”
“Hell, Diana, I know you two are living together. Why you don’t make an honest man out of the boy is your business.” So much for a discreet relationship.
“If I participate in the selection process and TEO gets the job, I’ll be accused of padding my own pocket. If I actively campaign against them and they are the best for the requirements, I could get someone hurt.”
“No one who knows you will ever think that. If it comes to a Congressional hearing, I’ll go.” He rocks back in his chair; I’m about to get a concession. “Stay out of the process then.”
“OK, for grins and giggles, let’s say I do stay on the team. Critics will say I’m treating the TEO operatives too easy. If another company gets the job and I have a legitimate beef with one of them, the contractor can come back at me that I’m miffed my boyfriend’s company didn’t get the job. I can’t do that to Terry, and I won’t hamper the operation by always second-guessing myself about my motivations. God knows, I’m always questioning my actions as it is.”
“You’d probably work TEO guys harder than anyone else but yourself.” A vision of commanding Terry all day at work and then falling into bed with him flashed through my head; it wasn’t a pretty sight. No, Terry definitely can’t be one of the people we bring on the team; that would guarantee a break-up. I WANT to stay with him.
“Your past track record will support you on your team management. I’ve read the reports you submitted; as long as you’re consistent with what you’ve done in the past, you have my full support to kick any ass that needs it.” For a very cautious man, that was a ringing endorsement.
I’m down to my last argument. “You don’t need me anymore. Your own words, several team members know Gunther as well as I do. Please don’t put me in this position.”
“I want the best people on this extraction. You are the best.”
Time to make my last insinuation. “I could always quit.”
“And be in Leavenworth
“You’ll have my trip report in two hours, Sir, along with a memo documenting my concerns about continuing with the additional contractors on board, Sir.” Now that will piss him off royally; we’ll now have a paper trail all the way to Admiral Webb. I’ll be covered, and Captain Bigelow will be twisting in the wind in case bringing in contractors goes south. One thing is certain; I’ll never work in the oversight department again.
“You’ll have plenty of time to write it since you won’t be in the deliberations on who to bring on board.”
“Thank you for your time, Sir.” It takes every bit of control I have not to slam his door as I leave.
DINO
“Hey, Buddy! We got our first DoD contract.”
Terry eyes gleam. It was never about the money. Chits are in the bank if we ever need some additional help. “It took long enough for one to come through. What’s the down side?”
“You and Sooze are stuck in the office.” He groans. None of us is really cut out for management no matter how much we complain about the hardships of fieldwork.
“Max is going as well?”
I have to get a dig in at him; the day wouldn’t be good without it. “Your reputation precedes you. They asked for Max and me specifically.”
“If you blow through DC, try to get Diana out of the office. She’s forgotten you.”
“Weak, Buddy. Very weak.”
Terry walks Max and me to the office door. “Be safe.”
When Max and I get to the ops center, it’s utter chaos. Nerds are breaking down equipment; the only woman in the room is screaming into the phone to be heard; and the Delta Force guy is pacing. This doesn’t look good. Oh, Christ! We might as well invoke the ‘bullshit clause’ right now; that’s the one where we triple our fee. We’d come up with the concept when we first contemplated taking on government projects to protect ourselves from bureaucratic interference.
A little guy walks to us, extending his hand. “Ron Traub. You must be the Dallas
“So it would appear.” Max is the master of understatement.
“We’re moving out to the practice range. Grab a box and haul it down to the van. Delta, you have escort duty for these two. Be sure they get their briefing materials. Start reading, Fellas; you’re two days late. CIA, get the lead out. You can walk and talk at the same time.”
Our first DoD operation, and we’re moving men? Our tickets require an escort? We’ll have to arms qualify? Oh, yeah. I’m invoking the bullshit clause.
The new office set up is an entirely different matter. It is quietly efficient, not the utter chaos we experienced at the Pentagon. A tall, dark-headed man meets the van and directs everyone to a conference room. He points out all the requisite outlets and turns the worker bees loose before he comes to Max and me.
“I’m Mac. You must be Dino and Max. Welcome aboard. Thanks for helping out with the move. Have you met everyone yet? That’s CIA, FBI is on her left, and NSA is under the table. Delta is obvious. Have you finished the briefing materials yet?”
“It was a short ride here.” Frankly, Max and I were too shocked at the high school field trip nature of the van ride over here to get any reading done.
He looks distinctly unhappy with my answer. “Let’s get your weapons issued and see if they need tweaking. The Boss wants you to know your own body armor is fine, but you’ll be using GI fire power.”
Max and I are happy with our possibilities in the armory. It will save us a day or more in getting our own cache whenever we get to wherever we are going. Maybe at least scanning the papers would have been good. It could at least tell us where we’re going.
I can bluff I’ve at least looked at the Apple Dumpling Gang’s information. “What’s the weather been like?”
“Here or there?” The Army supply clerk is as grumpy as a Marine supply clerk is.
“There.”
Mac steps in with a quick answer. “That’s on page three. You didn’t get far. You’ll be awake all night getting caught up. Start with the operational plan. We start walking through the scenarios tomorrow. Let me give you the short version so you can choose your weapons. We’ll probably be in an urban setting with highs in the 90’s and humidity of 50% or more. We don’t want to go loud unless we forced. Choose your poison.”
The office was the picture of intent activity. Apparently, they were going back through the ops plan, poking holes in it, looking for any advantage that could be taken or a work around for the most likely equipment failures.
“Remember, we are there at the invitation of the Argentine government. We want to be in and out with as little fuss as possible. You’re late, Gentlemen. Find a seat, and we’re looking at scenario B.” I hadn’t looked at the woman in the corner yet, but I’d fucking know that voice anywhere.
Dee. Dee's in charge of the Apple Dumpling Gang. Aw, shit.
She gives no indication she knows us. She does appear annoyed we’ve interrupted a planning session with our late arrival. The NSA nerd points out a comm satellite problem that had cropped up this morning, and the ETA on 96% reliability isn’t expected until sometime late next week.
“What do we do in the meantime? Remember, KISS.”
“We go with basic RF. If they break down mid mission, bird whistles. The codes with MP3 files are in the Communication section.”
Dee reads every line item in the plans, waits a moment for comments, and if there are none, she continues. On one item, there is no comment, but Dee
“I think we have a shadow problem, but I’ll know tomorrow.” Dee
I have no doubt Delta will have a specific answer for her tomorrow.
“Gentlemen, may I see you outside?” There is no doubt she’s talking to Max and me; everyone else is called by their agency or military branch. She ushers us down the hall, peeks into an office, and finding it vacant, walks in.
I don’t know whether to call her Beautiful or drop and give her twenty. “Dino!” and she gives me the warm hug I’m used to from her.
“Max! How’s Reags? How pissed is she that you were called to active?” She hugs him too.
“She was resolute but happy that the firm has made inroads in the military work we had wished. She will be pleased to know you are well.”
A switch snaps in Dee's
“Our friendship brings up another set of problems. I know you won’t expect any special treatment, and I’ll do my best not to expect more from you than the rest. You have to remember, you are walking into a team who’ve relied on each other for a month now. Either one of you has a problem with any one of them, you have a problem with all of them. Friction is not something that would please me.
“I hear you didn’t read the briefing materials on the way down here. By oh-seven-hundred tomorrow, you need to have the maps and scenarios down cold. We start the run-throughs for the different locales tomorrow.
“I’ll cut you some slack, but you need to understand Gunther before we leave on Sunday. Monday is takedown day. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into his head. You both are terrific amateur psychologists.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She gives both of us a quick peck on the cheek and walks to the door.
Before she closes it on two very astonished men, she tosses over her shoulder, “By the way, Dino, you are the Spanish language specialist, and Max, you’re the German. And don’t you dare think of invoking the extraneous information and action clause.” Aw, shit.
MAXIMUS
The original planning to capture Günter Klostermann involved the integration of Delta Force and Seal squads. That would be difficult at best, but long before specific plans could be made, the Seal squad was re-deployed and the Delta Force personnel cut to a token. The extraction will now be accomplished with Mac, two Delta Force soldiers, Dino, and me.
The plan itself is simple. We are to encounter Herr Klostermann on the street, put him in an automobile, and take him to the embassy for interrogation. The specifics are the entangling factor. He has been seen in three different locations – the school his child attends, a local market, and at a post office some distance from the other two. We do not know his abode. He follows no pattern. He has no known associates in the Argentine. He has never been known to carry a weapon.
We meet at oh-seven-hundred. Diana stresses the need for speed and stealth to maintain a healthy diplomatic relationship between the United States
After each attempt, Diana gathers both soldiers and observers to discuss the problems and the successes. We revise the plan.
“Guys, you have our ideas on how to handle the contingencies. Why didn’t you try some of them?”
One of the soldiers speaks. “Ma’am? When the situation turns to shit, we improvise.”
Diana questions him. “How long has your squad been together?”
“In this configuration? Eighteen months give or take a few.”
“How long has this squad,” pointing to each of us in turn, “been together? About 18 minutes. Your squad improvisations started out as scripts like this, maybe in someone’s head, but you trained on them over and over; they became your squad’s MO. You know exactly what each man will do in any given situation. We don’t have the time to train repeatedly, at least not over days or months. Try learning how this group will handle the possible ways Gunther may react,” Diana’s voice has been calm and reasonable throughout her explanation. She now steps into the soldier’s space and shouts, “By reading the fucking plan!” She smiles sweetly at him. The original team Diana had trained over the month can scarcely contain their smiles of recognition.
"Now let's see what mischief we can cause you this time."
At dinner that evening, Dino begins complaining of his treatment at Diana’s hands.
“Did you not notice how she taught us in the manner she thought best suited each of us? She did not once raise her voice with you.”
“That’s what I mean, Max. She looked so hurt when I screwed the pooch. Like her ass is on the line for bringing us in. Man, I never want to hurt her that way again.”
“She absented herself from the decision to bring in additional people. She felt it would be unfair to TEO because of her close ties to us.”
“How’d you find that out?”
“I overheard Mac tell her he was stepping in as her conscience as she had requested. He told her to ‘let up’ on you. Whilst we cleaned our weapons, I asked him to tell me the background on how we were selected. He did.”
“Well, Dee's
“In what way?”
“FBI hangs on her every word. NSA points out the smallest detail that’s not working. CIA has gotten clearances to sit down in any country along our route. And then there’s Mac …now I don’t know what’s going on with him, but whenever there’s a weapon, he’s between it and her. After Dee
“Our sometimes distracted Diana seems to be a formidable presence in this arena. It would appear she has intentionally mislead us with regard to her operational capabilities.”
“I don’t think she intended to hurt us by holding back on her past; I don’t think she was allowed to tell us. I’d only heard about the security classification on her badge when I was in; I never knew anyone who had it until now. She’s the real deal.”
She is indeed.
TODD MAXWELL, NSA
I’m along on the trip to handle communications and electronics. Jennifer’s extensive network at State will be useful if the mission tanks. Mike will be at FBI headquarters in DC to arrange for any help we may need when we get back and to take charge of Gunther when he returns to the States. Ron’s the only person who has already moved on to his next assignment.
Diana walks down the aisle, sits down, and promptly falls asleep. Dino is pacing the aisle, then sitting, then popping up like a Jack in the box. Max sits beside Diana; she wakes enough to punch his shoulder as if she’s arranging her pillow just the way she wants it. Max stares straight ahead. Mac is messing with the silencers. The two Deltas have commandeered a row each and are sacked out.
I wake Jen an hour before we land. I’m getting pretty good at that; now if I could only convince her to let me keep a change of clothes at her place, my life would be close to perfect.
Diana’s awake and starting to talk to each of us. She has the guys who are going in all grouped together, and they are laughing. She comes to Jen and me with the front line guys behind her.
“OK, these guys will be the first ones off the plane. I want you to do a quick radio check when they get on the tarmac and then again once we get to the embassy. Todd, show me your ticket for your commercial flight home.” I let her see the envelope. “Good. OK, folks. It’s show time. Let’s hope it’s a boring day.”
Both radio checks go well. I have nothing to do until Diana taps me on the shoulder.
“He’s across from the school.”
I relay the message and get the acknowledgement. I give Diana a thumbs up.
Every ham radio operator I’ve ever known hunches over the receiver, and none of them has been able to tell me why. We’ve speculated it’s the attempt to get the last little bit of power from it or it’s the mistaken notion they can hear better. I’m hunched over my radio receiver with my hands clamped over my full earphones.
I hear Max first. “Herr Klostermann, kommen Sie mit, bitte.” I hold up my index finger to Diana.
“Venido con mí, por favor.” Dino’s voice is not as commanding as Max’s, but it sounds more dangerous to me. I add my middle finger to the one I already have raised. Diana smiles.
“We’re on our way in.” My ring finger goes up as well. She punches my shoulder. If she hit Max this hard on the plane, he’s going to have a bruise.
“Time for me to go to work.”
GÜNTER KLOSTERMANN
“I only wanted to see my son.”
“I hate to be a prying old woman about this, but why do you think you have a son?”
“He is the correct age. I have seen him with Hilde. Pieter told me Hilde had not written to him; she had something very big to hide to leave Pieter. They had gone to Gymnasium together.”
Frau Walker looks most skeptical. “That’s pretty circumstantial. No facts.”
“I saw a picture of them when I was in prison. In the immigration newsletter. I saw her name.”
“Still no facts.”
“Have you seen him? He looks like me.”
“I’ve only seen his picture.”
“Look, look at me at six years.” My fingers tremble so the old picture tears.
She sees the truth. “My son, he looks like me.”
“OK, let’s say I think he looks like you. Why did you disappear?”
“I do not disappear. I leave Germany.
“I don’t believe you. I think you’re seeing your old terrorist friends. You met them in Honduras
“I want my son to grow up safe. If I make bombs again, how can he be safe?”
“Wait here.”
“Where would I go? My son is here.”
DIANA
Something is drastically wrong with Günter. The man I knew before spoke English eloquently as well as several other languages. Now, he sounds like he has trouble even forming words, and his thoughts are elementary at best.
“Jen, can you do me a favor? Can you get me Günter’s prison records? Quickly.” That was the part of his life none of us had researched. Researched, hell. We hadn’t even so much as looked at it.
Jen was gone less than ten minutes. “They need to upgrade their prison computer systems. It was an easy hack. Here, let me get you in.” Her fingers rap away at my keys. “There are his basics. Browse to your heart’s content.”
The first page yields nothing I wasn’t expecting except for a notation on his release. Loosely translated it said, “Special medical release.” What the fuck?
I go directly to his medical page and read a long series of entries starting two years before his release. Günter was badly beaten in prison, and he spent the last two years he was incarcerated in a hospital ward. Their prognosis was that he would have the intelligence of an eight-year-old.
We had been chasing a brilliant ghost.
My throat tightens, and tears begin to fall on my keyboard. In an odd way, I had respected Gunther. I admired his intelligence; at the same time, the way he used it repelled me. That was the pre-prison Gunther.
I pity the Günter who sits down the hall, an eight-year-old who is trying to make his way in an adult world. I shake my head; who would be willing to care for him?
I’m angry. Waste of any kind angers me. I have a long laundry list of people and institutions who anger me.
I’m at the top of my own list. I started my search for Günter on a shitty foundation. I didn’t do the original research to make sure all the facts that I thought I knew were still valid. I wasted a lot of time and money chasing the brilliant ghost who is now a scared little boy.
I’m angry with the team before me who went off on the chase the same way I did.
I’m angry with Günter. If he hadn’t been trying to hurt innocent people, he wouldn’t have been in jail.
I’m angry with the people who hired him.
I’m just angry. I can channel this anger. I can make this right.
“Jen, please find me a secure area with a conference phone. Then get me Admiral Webb, Captain Bigelow, the Klostermann decision maker at CIA. Tell them I need to brief them quickly on Klostermann.” That should get them all out of their fucking meetings and talking to me. At least I can get the bloodhounds off his back.
If Hilde still loves him, she can get him somewhere safe. She knows this town; I don’t. I can help with some cash to get her over this initial hump. I can take in some more boarders and call them Günter’s Ponies.
I owe him this much.
GÜNTER KLOSTERMANN
Frau Walker left me a long time. She returns with a stern man. He speaks Arabic to me.
“I know it is Arabic, but I do not know what he says. I have not spoken it for 12, 13 years. I have only spoken prison German.” It was then that I begin to cry.
The stern man came to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I do not know why.
He now speaks German to me. He is the man who stopped me in the street. “I believe you, Günter. I believe you wished only to see your son. I regret what happened to you in prison. I did not know.
“Hilde fears you, but she will see you.”
“I see my son now?”
“Not yet. First, you must speak with Hilde. I require your promise to do as she wishes. She will help you find a job and an apartment. Then – when she is comfortable with you – you may see Karl.”
“His name is Karl? My father was Karl.”
Frau Walker and the stern man lead me out of the room to Hilde. She is still the pretty girl.
“Do not cry, Hilde. I will work. Let me see my son, please.”
EPILOGUE
Max arrived home from the mysterious military support expedition he and Dino had undertaken. He hadn’t been gone as long as either of us had expected.
As he held me, still murmuring his hellos, he also added, “Cara, it will not be wise for you – for any of us – to dismiss Diana’s operational skills in the future. I wish you to live long enough to both bear and raise our children.”
DIANA
“Ron, I’m out of miracle ideas AND enthusiasm,” I confessed to Ron Traub over good steaks last night. “It really looks like we need to send the team back to their other duties until a better lead pops up.”
“Let’s spend tomorrow morning brainstorming. I’ll take over the enthusiasm for a while; you record the ideas.”
“It’s worth a shot; we need something to kick start us. I’m not too keen on looking for Gunther devolving to only you and I stuck in a cramped office together for years. I do like working with you, but my life is not here.”
I’ve already given at the office, and last I saw, we no longer have a draft military. I feel drafted, and I’m starting to be resentful about being the only damn person in the Pentagon in that state. I’d been plucked away from everything and everyone important to me, and I’d been glad to do it. Well, not really glad, but I could help, and I would up to a point. However, I can see a very long search in front of us.
Sure, I have Jack Aubrey and East Driscoll
Terry may have pinpointed the real reason for my frustrations when I called him after dinner. “Diana, it flattered you when you got the call. You were the only person who could do this job. You expected you’d be able to find him quickly, accept your commendation, and get the fuck out.
“Now it’s turning personal. You hate to lose. It’s becoming a competition between you and whoever the fuck this is.”
He was right. It is getting personal.
*
We’ve spent three days following NSA’s leads, and nothing has popped. Let the brainstorming begin.
I enter the small antechamber and take off my Kevlar as I’ve done every swinging morning. Terry’s shirt that I wear under it doesn’t smell like him anymore, but I’ve continued to wear the body armor every day because I promised Terry I would. He’d made a good point at dinner, i.e., the bad guys wouldn’t know others on the team could predict Gunther as well as I. Terry had appreciated my recitation of his correct points and my list of security measures when he was dressing to go climb on another plane the last time I’d seen him. I’d been grateful he’d been willing to come to me if only for the one night. We’d appreciated each other throughout the short night.
I sigh as I enter our conference room/office. I hate feeling defeated. Ron has saved me the ignominy of having to erase Hilde’s personal information from the board. He starts the brainstorming session by reciting the rules; I write them in a small corner of the white board.
The team starts firing off ideas; I scribble like a woman possessed with no thought as to what I’m recording. I can only hope we can decipher some of these when we get to the action phase.
There’s a lull in the rapid-fire ideas. I take the time to review the two-column list when the fourth one up from the bottom hits me. “Wider circle for Hilde – additional 12.”
“Who said this one?” My voice is sharper than I would like and not from breaking one of the brainstorming rules about not interrupting.
NSA pipes up. “That’s me.”
“You already have additional names from your search on R&R night?”
“Yes, Ma’am.” I want to hit him up side the head and then kiss him.
Everyone’s laptops flip open; internet connections are made; and excited requests are made for names. We have our miracle.
I transfer the brainstorming ideas into my own laptop, write Hilde’s vital statistics on the white board for easy reference, and motion for NSA to sit with me for a quiet chat away from the rest of the team.
“How many more names do you have?”
“I broke them into possibles, probables, and guesses. In the guesses, there are about 50.”
“You’re still running this part of the show though I’d like to kick your ass for not bringing this up sooner.” His shy smile reminds me so much of Terry’s. “Do you realize we were about one day away from disbanding without accomplishing what we’d set out to do?”
“No, Ma’am. I didn’t.”
“In the future, make sure whoever you work with knows how you’ve structured your results. You’ll save everyone a lot of worry. Now, go make sure everyone remembers the websites to check their data.” He deserves some kind of ‘atta boy’ for this, but frankly, I’m peeved he didn’t bring it up sooner. Letting him continue to run this part of the research should be enough.
*
I take a quick train trip at lunch even though I have to put my Kevlar back on – one train stop up is the Cemetery. I hadn’t been to Arlington on this trip to DC yet to visit my great-uncle who's buried there.
I wanted to talk to him about how he’d had such nerves of steel then, and I’d been rattled over not being able to find Gunther. I come from sterner stock than the way I’ve been acting lately. I wish I’d had the opportunity to know him in person as an adult.
Sitting with Uncle J. D., I finally rationalized my anxiety as fear of the unknown. We still don’t know why we need to find Gunther. He hadn’t contacted any of his old cronies or any group or government who might employ him. He had no requirement to check in with any agency. Until he went missing, he’d not done anything wrong when he got out of prison. Staying under the radar isn’t illegal in any country.
Yet, with his background in this day and age, the potential for what he might do had made the suits nervous. We will find Gunther and find out what his intentions are.
I resolve to handle my actions more effectively. I may fear the unknown, but it doesn’t have to affect the way I deal with the team. I probably should delve deeper and see how my fears may influence how I treat Terry, but I’ll do that when I get home, if I ever get home.
With a little more time to spend at Arlington,
There is the requisite number of military men, some with girlfriends, some with buddies; they are in civvies, but you can’t miss the sidewalls. A few retired couples and families showing their young children their nation’s capital. A very obnoxious woman (she’s from New York; her grating, overly nasal accent only adds to everyone’s annoyance with her) is with her extended family and starts fretting about whether they are in the right line for the Kennedy gravesite. The knowledgeable people around her reassure her she is.
She continues worrying about whether they would get to see the Kennedy gravesite before they need to show her kids the Smithsonian. She voices that she doesn’t care about seeing the Unknown Soldiers or the changing of the guard there loud enough for groups around her to hear.
There is an uncomfortable shuffling in the line at her statement, but everybody gets over her rudeness. That is, until she keeps going on about how she doesn’t care about the Unknowns. After about five minutes of her yammering, you can easily spot the Marines in the line. Their necks are red, and the veins are popping out. Their fists are clenching at their sides.
I had lost Richard Whittaker soon after high school; he is a Marine. He might be dead, but he is still a Marine. Just like Dino will always be a Marine. Richard sat beside me in Algebra. He had the most amazing apple green eyes and hair so blond it was white. We never dated but not from lack of me trying to get him interested; he was very shy around girls. I call on Richard’s memory to do what I did. I lie to put the woman in her place.
I tap the woman on the shoulder and say to her, “Excuse me. My father did not come back from
That shuts her up, and I have what could only be called an honor guard around me. The guys with buddies are the first to arrive at my side. The guys who are with girls leave them, and the girls don’t seem to mind a bit. None of them says a thing to me. Just stand there with me, almost defying the woman’s husband to say anything. Actually, he seems embarrassed about the way she had been carrying on.
After we file by the gravesite, the gentlemen leave me, and everyone troops over to the Unknowns, even the obnoxious woman and her family. I make sure I am within hearing distance on the walk over; their whole party doesn’t say a word from the time I talked to her until they crowd their way to the front of the steps to watch the changing of the guard. Had she said anything on the way, I had been ready to beat her senseless. I do notice that some of the military guys make sure they are close to her during the ceremony, probably to escort her away should she get out of line.
I probably should have confessed my lie to my honor guard, but I’m not sure they would have understood my motivations right then. I think the woman needed a personal impact, not the lecture about how those remains represent ALL who had died in war. If she had been willing to make those statements at
I think this is one lie God will forgive me.
MAC
When we finally find Hilde, it is on NSA’s SWAG list, Swinging Wild Assed Guess. It really is in the category of ‘Then a miracle occurs.’
Hilde Schedenheiser is H. Calicoriente. I’m the one who drew her name.
Since we now have more people who know, I mean really know, Gunther, I’m no longer standing guard. I’m in full research mode, or at least I was until we found Hilde.
H. Calicoriente started having many similarities to the missing Hilde Schedenheiser. Calicoriente showed up in Buenos Aires
“Will you recognize her voice if you hear it on the phone? We’ve only got one shot at this,” Ron asks Diana.
“I think so, but my Spanish sucks.”
The Seal speaks up. “Mine doesn’t. I’ll try to talk to her about finding a new export rep. If she thinks she has a new client on the line, she’ll try to sell me on her services while you listen in. CIA, I need a good rundown on a cover company in Argentina."
We’ve all taken up another of Diana’s habits; we call each other by affiliation in the office. To her credit, Diana had eventually learned everyone’s name through my drilling her in our nightly dinner conversations while she was being hidden.
NSA starts working on the speakerphone to boost its signal, be sure we had the clearest connection we can get, and show the call as coming from the cover company. CIA gets the information for Seal and the clearances we need to use it. I’m booking flights for Diana and me to Buenos Aires;
TERRY
Fuck. Isn’t that the way it always goes? Now that Diana is free to call me, she’s had to leave a message.
“Hi. I’m going to be out of DC for a few days. Mac’s going with me, and I’ll be careful. I love you.”
On the off chance she hasn’t already left, I call her cell.
“Hello?” Her voice has a decidedly happy ring to it, but there is a crowd around her from the noise.
“You’re not onboard yet. I’ll make this quick. I love you. Take care.”
“Hold on there, Boomer. I’m leaving tonight; Mac’s coming in tomorrow. We have to change planes in Dallas.
“I’ll be there with no visible bells on. You’ll have to frisk me to find them.”
*
I suppose I gave her the idea by jingling the change in my trouser pocket as she neared me.
Diana has a 24-hour pass; I won’t spend four hours of it driving to the farm and back when we can cross the airfield in ten minutes. It was a very long ten minutes as Diana frisked me from the time she exited the terminal until we made it to our room in the airport hotel.
She’s checked all the socially acceptable spots on my body twice before we’ve reached our room. I can finally let out the groan I’ve suppressed on the tram to the hotel.
“Not there.” She has my shirt off and is working on my belt between our kisses. “Now that bulge looks likely; wonder if it feels likely?” She runs her hand tightly over my trouser clad cock and begins running her fingers over the ridge whilst helping me shed her clothes.
“Oh, it feels very likely. I think that’s where you have a very large bell.” My trousers drop to the floor, and I stumble backwards out of them to the bed, drawing my lovely, naked Diana with me.
“It’s not nearly as large as these two lovely bells in front of me.” I push her breasts together to hold them with one hand.
“Gong.” It is a dull, flat sound coming from Diana. The silly, extended metaphor sends us into peals of idiotic laughter. I much prefer the release laughter can bring to the tears she needed to shed at our last meeting.
She snuggles into my chest tucking her head into my neck. She reaches down and spreads my pre-cum round my head; she strokes with her fingertips before she palms it and circles my ridge with her thumb and forefinger. I inhale in steps each time she squeezes.
“I love how that gets to you,” she whispers as she kisses my neck and jaw thoroughly.
“You do have my number.” I make sure her forehead and eyes know how much her touch means to me and that they are loved as well with my lips moving over them.
I settle in to reacquaint myself with her breasts at a leisurely pace – how soft they feel in my hands, how her skin floats over the underlying structure. I watch her areola pebble with the lightest touch and her nipple harden. Diana sighs in contentment.
“It doesn’t feel the same when I do it.”
“I’m very glad for that. Softly, Diana.” Her hand on my cock has me close.
She slides down matching her slit with my cock giving me a hint of her warmth within. She throws her leg on top of mine, opening to me, straining upwards for more kisses, sinking back down on me to kiss me with her moist lips, giving me the time I need to back off but keeping me on edge.
After a prolonged kiss, she sighs her perturbed sigh. I normally I hear it when she is in the lounge or at the computer alone, never in bed.
“I never noticed how annoying the difference in our heights is.”
I laugh at her unexpected statement. “Why does that bother you now?”
“I want to kiss your face and love you at the same time. Like this, on our sides.” She laughs at her own absurdity.
“I was always taught that the purpose of a 24-hour pass was to be shagged silly; heights didn’t matter as long as we fit together here.” I give her a demonstration of how two people fit together. A satisfied ‘Unnnngh’ comes from deep inside her throat, and my breath catches in my throat with her heat enveloping me. “But if you want to add challenging the laws of physics to that, I’m game, as long as you don’t try to bend my dick again.” We smile remembering that night now; it was no laughing matter at the time.
“I told you that was an accident. I did kiss it and make it better. You can’t tell me that was all traumatic edema.” Diana elicits a smug smile from me before we start to work on making her wish come true.
I wish I had added a bent back to my bent dick hard limit. After much enjoyable effort, some interesting contortions, and many giggles at our attempts, I give up and flip her onto her back. I am ready for our science experiment to end.
“I know I can kiss you and love you this way.” Diana’s lips start out on mine with our tongues dancing together; somewhere along the way she decides kissing and tonguing my chest is more enjoyable as I slide deeply into her. Her tongue traces up to my mouth and begs it to stay with hers. I am more than happy to do whatever she wishes.
Diana forgets to breathe when I pick her up and hold her tightly to me. I feel the satisfying tightness in my balls with my fast, shallow strokes. “Please … more … like that.” I feel her orgasm start in her knees and back as she tightens around me and clings to me. She throws her head back; her neck is begging for attention that I can’t give it. I am too lost and bury myself deep within.
Diana shifts and supports herself on me as I lay her carefully back onto the bed and slip from her. I lay on my side beside her, nose to nose for an extended time, finally, her head safely on my shoulder, her hand reaching for my cock, mindful of how her slightest touch now is too much. I watch her smile fade as she drifts into sleep.
MAC
I watch Major Thorne and Diana waiting for me at the security check-in as I walk past the ticket counters for the international carriers. They stand within each other’s personal space without touching, much like Miri and I do.
When Major Thorne extends his hand, he has a far different look in his eye than the last time I saw him at an airport. I like this one a lot better.
“Mac, thanks for taking such good care of Diana.” The way her name slides from his mouth, you know he is a man in love. “Sorry I was such an arse when we first met.” Diana looks as startled as I am; she hadn’t put him up to the apology.
“No need to apologize, Sir.”
“Bring her back to me.”
“I will, Sir. Good health and one piece.”
The Major smiled softly at her, brushed her cheek, and watched her walk away.
*
Diana and I arrived in Buenos Aires
“Mac, I want you to go to the door with me. Depending how she reacts, I may not need you for more than that.”
“Whatever you need, Ma’am.”
Diana takes a deep breath as she stands on the sidewalk outside the tidy, small frame house on an unremarkable street, squares her shoulders, and walks up the path to knock on the door.
“Quien es?”
“Is this the Calicoriente home?”
The door opens, and a blonde woman looks out. She blanches when she sees Diana standing on her porch.
“I had hoped never to see you again.”
“Me too. May I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Günter.”
“Yes.”
HILDE CALICORIENTE
I hadn’t seen Diana Walker since she had convinced the German police I had nothing to do with Günter’s activities. Because of her efforts on my behalf, I had gone on with my life.
“Hilde, I need your help.” I owe her so much; I cannot refuse her request. The man with her stands inside the door as I wave Diana to the couch. He has the bearing of a military man; I had become all too familiar with them a lifetime ago. I sit across from her.
Her eyes scan the room, noticing Karl’s pictures around the room and his childish drawings on the refrigerator in the kitchen.
“Have you seen him in the last two months?”
The information on the émigré news line is true. Günter has been released from prison.
“No.” Diana and I had forged a unique relationship all those years ago. I had come to admire her directness and had learned to answer her questions with the same openness.
She nods to the man. “I’ll be right outside, Ma’am.”
“We had a hard time finding you.”
“I did my job well then. I took your advice. I turned my back on the life I’d been leading and started over. I had to.”
“Tell me how you got,” she gestured around the room and with a broader gesture indicating Buenos Aires,
“Because of your intercession for me the police gave me new identity papers. I knew I would settle in South America
“Why did you leave Mercedes-Benz?” Diana has done most of her homework since she located me.
“I wished to spend more time with Karl. With the skills and contacts I made with Mercedes transferred to my own company, I could work and be home with him more.”
“How old is he now?” This one piece of information will give Diana everything she needs to assure my cooperation.
“He is eight.”
“I thought you might be pregnant when you were arrested. I didn’t think the questions we asked you should cause you to throw up as much as you did.”
“Is that why you argued my case so strongly – so my child wouldn’t be born in prison?”
“No. I thought then you don’t choose who you fall in love with; I’m more sure of it now.” Diana Walker speaks of love? This is very different. Perhaps we both have changed our lives. “You convinced me of your innocence. I had to convince the bone-headed authorities.” A flash of the rebel I knew came through.
“You came in this morning?” She nods. “Would you like coffee? Will your bodyguard need to taste it first?”
Her warm smile still flashes. “Nah. The driver will; he’s more expendable.” Outrageous as she once was.
*
Once Diana is convinced I have not seen Günter, or Gunther as she has always called him, she instructs me on how to keep my child and me safe.
“How have you kept working for the military for so long?”
“I quit years ago after my mom died. I was dragged back in for this one case. Now I’m a farmer and a hausfrau.” She smiles as she says hausfrau. Her life seems to agree with her; she weighs more now.
“You are married?”
“No. I’m bad at relationships. I doubt if I ever will.”
“You are a good woman. The right man will come along.” She shrugs. “When you came, you asked for my help. You have not asked for anything.”
“I want you to talk to your son. If Gunther even suspected you were pregnant back then or has found out some way that he has a son, he’ll show up here. Find out if Karl has seen anything unusual. If either of you have seen or do see anything or think anything strange is happening, call me. We have no idea where he is or what he’s doing.”
Diana has finally frightened me. They do not know where Günter is. He could come for his son at any time.
“I will be watchful, and I will call.”
DIANA
Mac and I had spent more time on airplanes than we had on the ground in Buenos Aires,
We walk into a beehive of activity in the conference room/office. The white board has what looks like pro and con lists in three groupings. Earnest discussion is going on everywhere. Mac and I look at each other and shrug. We are both in the dark about what is going on until someone notices we are here and fills in the blanks for us.
Ron breaks away from one group and welcomes us home. “We’re operational and short-handed. The Seals were pulled out. Glad you’re back. Here’s the background on the three firms we’re looking at to come in and shore up the muscle.” He hands me a tidy, short stack of file folders.
I look at the three folders in my hands and fan them. I feel the ice form around my heart. My reason for leaving this Game is right in front of me.
I walk directly to Captain Bigelow’s office without an appointment. He is on the phone when I knock but waves me to a chair. I begin formulating my argument. I have come to Biggie prematurely; I don’t even know why we’re now operational. I talk myself out of that as being a hindrance. It doesn’t matter where Gunther was sighted. TEO is one of the three companies the team wants to bring in.
“Congratulations on the successful trip. Hilde called while you were flying; someone named Karl has seen Gunther.” Biggie’s eyes sparkle as if he has come in from a successful firefight.
“Sir, I’ll print out my trip report. That will have to be my last involvement with this operation. I have a distinct conflict of interest that will compromise my effectiveness on this team.”
He blinks owlishly taking time to consider my words. “TEO is one of the three contractors you’re considering?”
“With all due respect, I’m not considering any contractors. I have no idea why the team thinks they need to replace the Seals. Surely a Delta Force squad can go into Argentina
“The Seals had the language specialist.”
I’d known about the dearth of Middle Eastern specialists, but we don’t have enough people who speak Spanish? “Can’t we get a Delta Force candidate to translate for us?”
“Without advanced combat training? That would be more dangerous to everyone than taking a chance you could handle the responsibility of running a job. There have been no easy answers about anything associated with this.
“What concerns you about the contractor selection?”
I think about his question for only a moment when every fear I’d had about this situation starts tumbling out. “Terry Thorne and I are much closer now than when I first came forward with this information.”
“Hell, Diana, I know you two are living together. Why you don’t make an honest man out of the boy is your business.” So much for a discreet relationship.
“If I participate in the selection process and TEO gets the job, I’ll be accused of padding my own pocket. If I actively campaign against them and they are the best for the requirements, I could get someone hurt.”
“No one who knows you will ever think that. If it comes to a Congressional hearing, I’ll go.” He rocks back in his chair; I’m about to get a concession. “Stay out of the process then.”
“OK, for grins and giggles, let’s say I do stay on the team. Critics will say I’m treating the TEO operatives too easy. If another company gets the job and I have a legitimate beef with one of them, the contractor can come back at me that I’m miffed my boyfriend’s company didn’t get the job. I can’t do that to Terry, and I won’t hamper the operation by always second-guessing myself about my motivations. God knows, I’m always questioning my actions as it is.”
“You’d probably work TEO guys harder than anyone else but yourself.” A vision of commanding Terry all day at work and then falling into bed with him flashed through my head; it wasn’t a pretty sight. No, Terry definitely can’t be one of the people we bring on the team; that would guarantee a break-up. I WANT to stay with him.
“Your past track record will support you on your team management. I’ve read the reports you submitted; as long as you’re consistent with what you’ve done in the past, you have my full support to kick any ass that needs it.” For a very cautious man, that was a ringing endorsement.
I’m down to my last argument. “You don’t need me anymore. Your own words, several team members know Gunther as well as I do. Please don’t put me in this position.”
“I want the best people on this extraction. You are the best.”
Time to make my last insinuation. “I could always quit.”
“And be in Leavenworth
“You’ll have my trip report in two hours, Sir, along with a memo documenting my concerns about continuing with the additional contractors on board, Sir.” Now that will piss him off royally; we’ll now have a paper trail all the way to Admiral Webb. I’ll be covered, and Captain Bigelow will be twisting in the wind in case bringing in contractors goes south. One thing is certain; I’ll never work in the oversight department again.
“You’ll have plenty of time to write it since you won’t be in the deliberations on who to bring on board.”
“Thank you for your time, Sir.” It takes every bit of control I have not to slam his door as I leave.
DINO
“Hey, Buddy! We got our first DoD contract.”
Terry eyes gleam. It was never about the money. Chits are in the bank if we ever need some additional help. “It took long enough for one to come through. What’s the down side?”
“You and Sooze are stuck in the office.” He groans. None of us is really cut out for management no matter how much we complain about the hardships of fieldwork.
“Max is going as well?”
I have to get a dig in at him; the day wouldn’t be good without it. “Your reputation precedes you. They asked for Max and me specifically.”
“If you blow through DC, try to get Diana out of the office. She’s forgotten you.”
“Weak, Buddy. Very weak.”
Terry walks Max and me to the office door. “Be safe.”
*
When Max and I get to the ops center, it’s utter chaos. Nerds are breaking down equipment; the only woman in the room is screaming into the phone to be heard; and the Delta Force guy is pacing. This doesn’t look good. Oh, Christ! We might as well invoke the ‘bullshit clause’ right now; that’s the one where we triple our fee. We’d come up with the concept when we first contemplated taking on government projects to protect ourselves from bureaucratic interference.
A little guy walks to us, extending his hand. “Ron Traub. You must be the Dallas
“So it would appear.” Max is the master of understatement.
“We’re moving out to the practice range. Grab a box and haul it down to the van. Delta, you have escort duty for these two. Be sure they get their briefing materials. Start reading, Fellas; you’re two days late. CIA, get the lead out. You can walk and talk at the same time.”
Our first DoD operation, and we’re moving men? Our tickets require an escort? We’ll have to arms qualify? Oh, yeah. I’m invoking the bullshit clause.
*
The new office set up is an entirely different matter. It is quietly efficient, not the utter chaos we experienced at the Pentagon. A tall, dark-headed man meets the van and directs everyone to a conference room. He points out all the requisite outlets and turns the worker bees loose before he comes to Max and me.
“I’m Mac. You must be Dino and Max. Welcome aboard. Thanks for helping out with the move. Have you met everyone yet? That’s CIA, FBI is on her left, and NSA is under the table. Delta is obvious. Have you finished the briefing materials yet?”
“It was a short ride here.” Frankly, Max and I were too shocked at the high school field trip nature of the van ride over here to get any reading done.
He looks distinctly unhappy with my answer. “Let’s get your weapons issued and see if they need tweaking. The Boss wants you to know your own body armor is fine, but you’ll be using GI fire power.”
Max and I are happy with our possibilities in the armory. It will save us a day or more in getting our own cache whenever we get to wherever we are going. Maybe at least scanning the papers would have been good. It could at least tell us where we’re going.
I can bluff I’ve at least looked at the Apple Dumpling Gang’s information. “What’s the weather been like?”
“Here or there?” The Army supply clerk is as grumpy as a Marine supply clerk is.
“There.”
Mac steps in with a quick answer. “That’s on page three. You didn’t get far. You’ll be awake all night getting caught up. Start with the operational plan. We start walking through the scenarios tomorrow. Let me give you the short version so you can choose your weapons. We’ll probably be in an urban setting with highs in the 90’s and humidity of 50% or more. We don’t want to go loud unless we forced. Choose your poison.”
*
The office was the picture of intent activity. Apparently, they were going back through the ops plan, poking holes in it, looking for any advantage that could be taken or a work around for the most likely equipment failures.
“Remember, we are there at the invitation of the Argentine government. We want to be in and out with as little fuss as possible. You’re late, Gentlemen. Find a seat, and we’re looking at scenario B.” I hadn’t looked at the woman in the corner yet, but I’d fucking know that voice anywhere.
Dee. Dee's in charge of the Apple Dumpling Gang. Aw, shit.
She gives no indication she knows us. She does appear annoyed we’ve interrupted a planning session with our late arrival. The NSA nerd points out a comm satellite problem that had cropped up this morning, and the ETA on 96% reliability isn’t expected until sometime late next week.
“What do we do in the meantime? Remember, KISS.”
“We go with basic RF. If they break down mid mission, bird whistles. The codes with MP3 files are in the Communication section.”
Dee reads every line item in the plans, waits a moment for comments, and if there are none, she continues. On one item, there is no comment, but Dee
“I think we have a shadow problem, but I’ll know tomorrow.” Dee
I have no doubt Delta will have a specific answer for her tomorrow.
*
“Gentlemen, may I see you outside?” There is no doubt she’s talking to Max and me; everyone else is called by their agency or military branch. She ushers us down the hall, peeks into an office, and finding it vacant, walks in.
I don’t know whether to call her Beautiful or drop and give her twenty. “Dino!” and she gives me the warm hug I’m used to from her.
“Max! How’s Reags? How pissed is she that you were called to active?” She hugs him too.
“She was resolute but happy that the firm has made inroads in the military work we had wished. She will be pleased to know you are well.”
A switch snaps in Dee's
“Our friendship brings up another set of problems. I know you won’t expect any special treatment, and I’ll do my best not to expect more from you than the rest. You have to remember, you are walking into a team who’ve relied on each other for a month now. Either one of you has a problem with any one of them, you have a problem with all of them. Friction is not something that would please me.
“I hear you didn’t read the briefing materials on the way down here. By oh-seven-hundred tomorrow, you need to have the maps and scenarios down cold. We start the run-throughs for the different locales tomorrow.
“I’ll cut you some slack, but you need to understand Gunther before we leave on Sunday. Monday is takedown day. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble getting into his head. You both are terrific amateur psychologists.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She gives both of us a quick peck on the cheek and walks to the door.
Before she closes it on two very astonished men, she tosses over her shoulder, “By the way, Dino, you are the Spanish language specialist, and Max, you’re the German. And don’t you dare think of invoking the extraneous information and action clause.” Aw, shit.
MAXIMUS
The original planning to capture Günter Klostermann involved the integration of Delta Force and Seal squads. That would be difficult at best, but long before specific plans could be made, the Seal squad was re-deployed and the Delta Force personnel cut to a token. The extraction will now be accomplished with Mac, two Delta Force soldiers, Dino, and me.
The plan itself is simple. We are to encounter Herr Klostermann on the street, put him in an automobile, and take him to the embassy for interrogation. The specifics are the entangling factor. He has been seen in three different locations – the school his child attends, a local market, and at a post office some distance from the other two. We do not know his abode. He follows no pattern. He has no known associates in the Argentine. He has never been known to carry a weapon.
We meet at oh-seven-hundred. Diana stresses the need for speed and stealth to maintain a healthy diplomatic relationship between the United States
After each attempt, Diana gathers both soldiers and observers to discuss the problems and the successes. We revise the plan.
“Guys, you have our ideas on how to handle the contingencies. Why didn’t you try some of them?”
One of the soldiers speaks. “Ma’am? When the situation turns to shit, we improvise.”
Diana questions him. “How long has your squad been together?”
“In this configuration? Eighteen months give or take a few.”
“How long has this squad,” pointing to each of us in turn, “been together? About 18 minutes. Your squad improvisations started out as scripts like this, maybe in someone’s head, but you trained on them over and over; they became your squad’s MO. You know exactly what each man will do in any given situation. We don’t have the time to train repeatedly, at least not over days or months. Try learning how this group will handle the possible ways Gunther may react,” Diana’s voice has been calm and reasonable throughout her explanation. She now steps into the soldier’s space and shouts, “By reading the fucking plan!” She smiles sweetly at him. The original team Diana had trained over the month can scarcely contain their smiles of recognition.
"Now let's see what mischief we can cause you this time."
*
At dinner that evening, Dino begins complaining of his treatment at Diana’s hands.
“Did you not notice how she taught us in the manner she thought best suited each of us? She did not once raise her voice with you.”
“That’s what I mean, Max. She looked so hurt when I screwed the pooch. Like her ass is on the line for bringing us in. Man, I never want to hurt her that way again.”
“She absented herself from the decision to bring in additional people. She felt it would be unfair to TEO because of her close ties to us.”
“How’d you find that out?”
“I overheard Mac tell her he was stepping in as her conscience as she had requested. He told her to ‘let up’ on you. Whilst we cleaned our weapons, I asked him to tell me the background on how we were selected. He did.”
“Well, Dee's
“In what way?”
“FBI hangs on her every word. NSA points out the smallest detail that’s not working. CIA has gotten clearances to sit down in any country along our route. And then there’s Mac …now I don’t know what’s going on with him, but whenever there’s a weapon, he’s between it and her. After Dee
“Our sometimes distracted Diana seems to be a formidable presence in this arena. It would appear she has intentionally mislead us with regard to her operational capabilities.”
“I don’t think she intended to hurt us by holding back on her past; I don’t think she was allowed to tell us. I’d only heard about the security classification on her badge when I was in; I never knew anyone who had it until now. She’s the real deal.”
She is indeed.
TODD MAXWELL, NSA
I’m along on the trip to handle communications and electronics. Jennifer’s extensive network at State will be useful if the mission tanks. Mike will be at FBI headquarters in DC to arrange for any help we may need when we get back and to take charge of Gunther when he returns to the States. Ron’s the only person who has already moved on to his next assignment.
Diana walks down the aisle, sits down, and promptly falls asleep. Dino is pacing the aisle, then sitting, then popping up like a Jack in the box. Max sits beside Diana; she wakes enough to punch his shoulder as if she’s arranging her pillow just the way she wants it. Max stares straight ahead. Mac is messing with the silencers. The two Deltas have commandeered a row each and are sacked out.
I wake Jen an hour before we land. I’m getting pretty good at that; now if I could only convince her to let me keep a change of clothes at her place, my life would be close to perfect.
Diana’s awake and starting to talk to each of us. She has the guys who are going in all grouped together, and they are laughing. She comes to Jen and me with the front line guys behind her.
“OK, these guys will be the first ones off the plane. I want you to do a quick radio check when they get on the tarmac and then again once we get to the embassy. Todd, show me your ticket for your commercial flight home.” I let her see the envelope. “Good. OK, folks. It’s show time. Let’s hope it’s a boring day.”
*
Both radio checks go well. I have nothing to do until Diana taps me on the shoulder.
“He’s across from the school.”
I relay the message and get the acknowledgement. I give Diana a thumbs up.
Every ham radio operator I’ve ever known hunches over the receiver, and none of them has been able to tell me why. We’ve speculated it’s the attempt to get the last little bit of power from it or it’s the mistaken notion they can hear better. I’m hunched over my radio receiver with my hands clamped over my full earphones.
I hear Max first. “Herr Klostermann, kommen Sie mit, bitte.” I hold up my index finger to Diana.
“Venido con mí, por favor.” Dino’s voice is not as commanding as Max’s, but it sounds more dangerous to me. I add my middle finger to the one I already have raised. Diana smiles.
“We’re on our way in.” My ring finger goes up as well. She punches my shoulder. If she hit Max this hard on the plane, he’s going to have a bruise.
“Time for me to go to work.”
GÜNTER KLOSTERMANN
“I only wanted to see my son.”
“I hate to be a prying old woman about this, but why do you think you have a son?”
“He is the correct age. I have seen him with Hilde. Pieter told me Hilde had not written to him; she had something very big to hide to leave Pieter. They had gone to Gymnasium together.”
Frau Walker looks most skeptical. “That’s pretty circumstantial. No facts.”
“I saw a picture of them when I was in prison. In the immigration newsletter. I saw her name.”
“Still no facts.”
“Have you seen him? He looks like me.”
“I’ve only seen his picture.”
“Look, look at me at six years.” My fingers tremble so the old picture tears.
She sees the truth. “My son, he looks like me.”
“OK, let’s say I think he looks like you. Why did you disappear?”
“I do not disappear. I leave Germany.
“I don’t believe you. I think you’re seeing your old terrorist friends. You met them in Honduras
“I want my son to grow up safe. If I make bombs again, how can he be safe?”
“Wait here.”
“Where would I go? My son is here.”
DIANA
Something is drastically wrong with Günter. The man I knew before spoke English eloquently as well as several other languages. Now, he sounds like he has trouble even forming words, and his thoughts are elementary at best.
“Jen, can you do me a favor? Can you get me Günter’s prison records? Quickly.” That was the part of his life none of us had researched. Researched, hell. We hadn’t even so much as looked at it.
Jen was gone less than ten minutes. “They need to upgrade their prison computer systems. It was an easy hack. Here, let me get you in.” Her fingers rap away at my keys. “There are his basics. Browse to your heart’s content.”
The first page yields nothing I wasn’t expecting except for a notation on his release. Loosely translated it said, “Special medical release.” What the fuck?
I go directly to his medical page and read a long series of entries starting two years before his release. Günter was badly beaten in prison, and he spent the last two years he was incarcerated in a hospital ward. Their prognosis was that he would have the intelligence of an eight-year-old.
We had been chasing a brilliant ghost.
My throat tightens, and tears begin to fall on my keyboard. In an odd way, I had respected Gunther. I admired his intelligence; at the same time, the way he used it repelled me. That was the pre-prison Gunther.
I pity the Günter who sits down the hall, an eight-year-old who is trying to make his way in an adult world. I shake my head; who would be willing to care for him?
I’m angry. Waste of any kind angers me. I have a long laundry list of people and institutions who anger me.
I’m at the top of my own list. I started my search for Günter on a shitty foundation. I didn’t do the original research to make sure all the facts that I thought I knew were still valid. I wasted a lot of time and money chasing the brilliant ghost who is now a scared little boy.
I’m angry with the team before me who went off on the chase the same way I did.
I’m angry with Günter. If he hadn’t been trying to hurt innocent people, he wouldn’t have been in jail.
I’m angry with the people who hired him.
I’m just angry. I can channel this anger. I can make this right.
“Jen, please find me a secure area with a conference phone. Then get me Admiral Webb, Captain Bigelow, the Klostermann decision maker at CIA. Tell them I need to brief them quickly on Klostermann.” That should get them all out of their fucking meetings and talking to me. At least I can get the bloodhounds off his back.
If Hilde still loves him, she can get him somewhere safe. She knows this town; I don’t. I can help with some cash to get her over this initial hump. I can take in some more boarders and call them Günter’s Ponies.
I owe him this much.
GÜNTER KLOSTERMANN
Frau Walker left me a long time. She returns with a stern man. He speaks Arabic to me.
“I know it is Arabic, but I do not know what he says. I have not spoken it for 12, 13 years. I have only spoken prison German.” It was then that I begin to cry.
The stern man came to me and put his hand on my shoulder. I do not know why.
He now speaks German to me. He is the man who stopped me in the street. “I believe you, Günter. I believe you wished only to see your son. I regret what happened to you in prison. I did not know.
“Hilde fears you, but she will see you.”
“I see my son now?”
“Not yet. First, you must speak with Hilde. I require your promise to do as she wishes. She will help you find a job and an apartment. Then – when she is comfortable with you – you may see Karl.”
“His name is Karl? My father was Karl.”
Frau Walker and the stern man lead me out of the room to Hilde. She is still the pretty girl.
“Do not cry, Hilde. I will work. Let me see my son, please.”
EPILOGUE
Max arrived home from the mysterious military support expedition he and Dino had undertaken. He hadn’t been gone as long as either of us had expected.
As he held me, still murmuring his hellos, he also added, “Cara, it will not be wise for you – for any of us – to dismiss Diana’s operational skills in the future. I wish you to live long enough to both bear and raise our children.”
| The Cemetery |
|
| Kennedy Gravesite |
The graves of the late president
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, his brother Robert Patrick Kennedy, and his
widow, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis comprise the Kennedy
Gravesite. |
| Sidewalls |
The typical Marine Corps’
haircut shaves the man’s head about two inches above his
ears, creating a clean space known as sidewalls. |
| This Game |
The world of counterintelligence is
often referred to as this or the Game. |
| KISS |
Acronym for “Keep
It Simple, Stupid.” |
| RF |
Radio Frequency |
| State |
The Department of State |
| Herr Klostermann,
kommen Sie mit, bitte |
Mr. Klostermann, come with us,
please. |
| Venido con
mí, por favor |
Come with me,
please. |
|
Gymnasium |
German equivaqlent of American high school |