Veronica – Part Three

by

Reagan Kavanagh and Diana Walker

This work of adult fiction – based loosely on characters portrayed by Russell Crowe – includes adult language and experiences; you have been warned.  Additionally, some content is categorised as NC-17 for graphic descriptions of violence and details regarding the mind and behaviour of serial predators.  The child shown above is a professional model, and her photos and portfolios are available on the internet.  No copyright infringement of original work is intended.  Copyright Reagan Kavanagh and Diana Walker 2006

REAGAN

The day after seeing Veronica at the museum and the one captor with her, I returned to the profile I’d worked on earlier.  Hearing the voice of a second of her captors – if indeed, he was one of them rather than a go-between – hadn’t helped me a great deal.  I pulled out the files of the five children killed prior to Veronica’s abduction and went through them again.  Maximus walked up to where I was working at the dining table and sat across from me, the open files on the table between us.

“Did seeing the man holding the child assist you in any manner?”  I shook my head.

“Not really.  Aside from knowing that he was clearly uneasy about being there, there isn’t much to go on.  I don’t trust him regardless of his saying he would help us if we came after her; I don’t trust people who hold others for ransom or any other reason.  But looking at these files again does clarify one thing, beyond any doubt.”

“And what is that?”  I flipped to the autopsy reports and post-mortem photographs of the children.

“These aren’t the first children whoever this man is has killed; these are the ones we know he’s killed.  He’s too organised and these kills are too clean for him to be a novice.  According to the police reports, there was nothing found at the dumpsites …that takes a highly organised killer, and serial killers – no matter how smart they are – aren’t organised early on.  It also takes an organised killer to be smart enough to move the body away from the kill site.  Moving the body requires transportation and planning.  He’s thought ahead, planned carefully, and is killing outside of what would normally be his comfort zone, the comfort zone being close to where he lives or works at that point in time.  Wherever he is, he finds a spot for the kill that’s well away from where he’s currently living and takes the child there so he won’t be disturbed, and no one will hear or see him or the child.  Once he’s done with her, he moves the body well away from that spot because he wants to use it again, assuming he stays in that geographical area.” 

I sighed as I closed the files and looked back at Maximus.  “I only wish I could see photos of his earlier kills …that’s where we can get a clear signature, the signs that tell us what he needs psychologically to obtain satisfaction from his work.  The signature tells us why he kills.”  I tapped the stack of files.  “What we see most clearly in these files is the evolution of his MO, and he’s getting better at that with each child.  He’s going to keep getting better – and harder to catch – each time he does this.” 

DINO

I got to the house at 0230.  I must admit I was a little disappointed in the welcoming party.  All but one of the lights in the villa were out; apparently, everyone but Terry was asleep.  My body was still on Dallas time where it was early evening.  I had stayed up to date on the Forsythe case so the flight over had been mine to do with as I pleased.  None of the entertainment on the plane was engaging so I had slept; I pick apart action films, and chick flicks are a drag when a man is alone.  Now I was ready to get caught up with everyone.

Terry pulled me into the compound.  He had the late watch; from the way he was armed, he could hold off a major assault all by his lonesome.  I could see two handguns, a knife, the currently shared M-16, and extra ammo; no doubt, there were other weapons cached around the roof and on his person.  Tio wouldn’t stand guard without at least a couple of flash-bang grenades squirreled away and within easy reach.

I didn't expect an effusive welcome.  After all the man was standing guard.  “I didn't think I would miss your ugly mug.”  The pat I gave him on the shoulder confirmed he was wearing body armor.

The tightness around Terry's eyes loosened, but he never stopped scanning the perimeter.  “It's not me you were missing.  Admit it, Mate.  You missed Reags' and Diana's home cooked meals.”  He started walking back to the building.  He wouldn't want to be away from the high vantage point on the roof for too long.

“Well, yeah.  In Dallas, I know that I can eat well at least twice a week.”  Both Reags and Dee invited me out weekly.  I dropped my bags at the head of the stairs and followed his retreating footsteps to the roof.

“We got sloppy, Dino.  Yousef's phone call ended that.  Diana stood guard with me last night ‘till it occurred to me that it would be unfair to ask that of her when she’s not even been through basic training.”

I remembered my first few times on watch.  I was scared shitless, and we were in the middle of Camp Lejeune.  The worst I would have gotten for fucking up was a significant dressing down from my DI.  Dee has major league balls for even attempting her first guard duty in a combat zone.  Since she was shut out of standing watch, I knew she’d be contributing something; she wouldn’t be waiting meekly.  “What do you have Dee doing instead?”

He laughed.  “The tension on the trip wires is all her.  They'll take a foot off if anyone walks through.  We'll hear the scream before the electronics notify us.  Most days she's tinkering with the locating equipment for incoming calls.  Don't be surprised when she asks you to call in when you’re out and about.  She's trying to improve her speed on getting a trace.  Oh, and be sure to rinse EVERY glass and dish you use, or there will be hell to pay.  She found an ant in the sink.”  Terry's clear enjoyment of having Dee around banished my doubts of her being here.  “Go on down and see her.  I know she's not asleep.”  He nodded toward the sliver of light from the right side of the house.

I would have to say that my prohibition on being in Terry and Dee's life has been lifted completely.

DIANA

I heard a tentative knock on the door.  Why would one of the bad guys knock?  There had been no gunfire from the roof; Terry would have at least gotten off a warning shot.  It probably was Dino, but I would take no chances.  I grabbed one of Terry's extra weapons and clicked off the safety before Dino added, “It's an Irishman bearing salsa.”  He knocked again.  “Are you decent?”

“I do have clothes on though the 'decent' part is debatable.  Come on in.”  Dino poked his head into the bedroom as I reset the safety and put it back on the nightstand.  I turned to see Dino's wide eyes. 

“Were you prepared to use that thing?”

“As prepared as I can be in the circumstances.  The only thing that saved you was the salsa.  I know I'm not a good enough shot to have missed it, and I’d hate to reveal my desperation by licking it off the floor.”  I sighed.  “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

He was a sight with his arms laden with a bag of tortilla chips, a bowl of salsa, and two beers tucked between his arm and his body.  “I couldn't find the silver platter, but you have pretty much anything else a man could want in that kitchen.”  I scooted to the middle of the bed, and he bounced onto the bed next to me.  “Don't worry.  I have Terry's blessing to be here.”

I gave him a quick hug before diving for the salsa and chips.  “Good thing you have these,” as I ripped the bag open.  “I would have been forced to dip with my fingers.”  I offered him the open bag, which he declined with a shake of his head.

“Those are all for you, Beautiful.”

“Oh, puleeze!  Don't say that around Terry!  He'll shorten it to 'Beaut' or 'Bewdy.'  I don't think I could stand that.”

He popped a beer open and took a drink.  “How have things been around here?  How are Max and Reags doing?”

“I've only wanted to kill her twice, slap her once, and thrown up my hands in disgust once.  There is a reason polygamy never caught on – two women can not share the same house.  She is eating at least; I keep sliding food in front of her when she's concentrating, and she eats it without thinking.  I know her well enough to know that when she’s focused, she forgets to eat.”  I munched on the heavily laden chip.  “Max is, well, Max.  On various occasions he’s managed to get the stick out, though he’s gone even more silent that usual.”

“How’s Terry?”  Dino’s raised eyebrows added the questions he wouldn’t articulate.

“He’s not smothering me by being overprotective if that’s what you mean.  He’s given me some basic security rules that are reasonable even to me.  Since we don’t know for sure if the bad guys know I exist, I’m lying as low as I can.”  Dino’s dirty chortle didn’t stop my briefing.

“Terry thinks the surveillance is off us now after Yousef’s phone call, though we haven’t been able to test that.  No one has left the compound yet to verify if we’re being followed.  Terry had Reags spend most of the day out by the pool while he and Max checked the surrounding roofs for reflections; you should have heard her bitch about her poor, fair skin.”  I grabbed the ubiquitous note pad and pen to make a note.  “Someone will have to get sun screen tomorrow; we’re flat out, and even using it, Reags is still burned.  If they were watching today, they weren’t using binoculars.  Terry thinks that first phone call was to get us rattled.  Yousef didn’t do his homework; that got everybody more focused.”

“Well, now that I’m here and an unknown face, Terry and I can check for tails tomorrow.  Are you willing to tell me how you two are doing together?”

“We’re fine.”  Well, that initial statement wasn’t very enlightening.  Dino could care less about our relationship; his real question was about Terry’s readiness for this extraction.  Time for briefing mode again.  “He’s less light-hearted than he is at home.”

“Has he gotten cranky yet?”

“No.  Sometimes he gets lost in thought.  When he does, I sit beside him until he looks like he’s coming out of it.  Reags, on the other hand, keeps talking to him and then gets annoyed when she has to repeat herself.  Max goes off and does something else when Terry doesn’t hear him, then comes back when Terry’s mentally here.  He’s eating like a horse, but his alcohol intake is waaaaaaaaaay down.  If we want to find him, the first place we look is in the pool.”

“All those are good signs.  He’s going through his pre-planning stage.  He is putting every possible scenario through that steel-trap mind; since he has no data, he’s creating his own so whatever we find seems familiar to him.  He’s not intending to specifically shut you out.  Don’t take it personally.  He does that to anyone he’s around.”

“Back home, we’re not the chattiest couple even when it’s just us.  Our silences are so comfortable, but he doesn’t go so deeply into himself as he has here; he's normally at least aware I exist.”

“It’s all sounding pretty normal.  Want some advice?”  I nodded.  “When we make the final decision to go in after Veronica, I mean set the date and time, he’s going to be as mean as a bear with a sore ass.  Let him be.  Don’t try to joke him out of it when you’re alone though you may have better luck than I did.  Wait ‘till some of the rest of us are around so he’ll have to put on his public face.  He doesn’t realize what he’s doing at that point, at least not in an interpersonal sense.  Over the years, I’ve learned to live with it.”  He stopped, looked very uncomfortable, but made the decision to continue.

“How much has Terry told you about our wild times before he met you?”

“Not very much.  All I care about is generalities about what he’s done before that have made him the man I love today.  I don’t think knowing the specifics would buy me anything.”

“Without the specifics then.”  Dino cleared his throat.  “Don’t be surprised when ….”  He stopped and bounced his foot.  “He may ….”  He sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  “In the past, Terry has ....”

I needed to help the boy out.  “Give me the specifics if it will help you tell me something I ought to know.”  I steeled myself to hear the details of one of their trips to a whorehouse.

“As soon as he goes into final planning mode, he can get pretty rough, above and beyond grumpy.  More than one ….”  He thought better of what he was going to say.  “I have no idea how he will treat you; it may be better if he leaves you alone for a while.  He’s too focused on his mission to care about niceties.”

I shook my head once.  “Finish your ‘More than one…’ thought.”

DINO

This is one tough broad. 

I was a little annoyed I had brought up how Terry used to act, but Dee deserved to know how hard it could get.  Once I had put some time behind her rejecting me, I had scanned her security ‘chat’ with Reags; I couldn’t read it word for word, for Dee had been speaking to one person in the world – Terry.  She had told him everything that most couples stumbled through discovering about each other, if they ever got it out at all.  She had told him how to keep her safe as well as showing him the way to destroy her. 

When Terry got to his difficult phase, my one fear was that Dee would think his mood was because she was along.  She would take the ‘blame’ on herself for being a burden on him.  I also feared for her physical well being because he can get pretty volatile coming up to a mission.  From Terry’s and my brief arrival conversation, she had made this job easier on him.  His delight in telling 'Diana stories' was clear.  Holy crap!  The trip wire!  “Let me see your hands.”

Dee had studiously kept her palms inward away from my view since I had come in.  Silently she rammed the chip into the salsa bowl; I had gotten the bird with that gesture.  She held out her hands palm down; I could see the red line across the back of her hands.  I turned her palms up.  There was less of a line where the wire had dug in there than on the backs, but she was going to have a nasty set of bruises.  At least the cuts on her palms were already healing. 

“I knew we didn’t have any gloves so I wrapped my hands in the tail of my t-shirt.  I picked a lousy day to wear a short shirt, didn’t I?  No wurries though.  I got Polysporin on the cut places as soon as I got back from the embassy.  I knew Reags had volunteered to cook dinner so I could slather ….”

“You could have broken a bone in your hand!  Would you have told someone then?”

“Max would have known – one of the security requirements.  Reags and I don’t leave the house alone so he would have taken me to the doctor's and left Terry to finish running the wiring.”

“Terry never noticed, did he?”

She shrugged.  “I didn't want him to see.  I was pretty sneaky about wrapping them when we were getting the tension in the line.  Just as sneaky as you’re being about answering my question.”

“Dee, he may not see you as you.  After we leave here, he’ll be back to his old self, though it may be rough getting from here to there.  I’ll make you a deal; if I see anything that is not his SOP, I’ll tell you, and I’ll give you my best guess about what’s causing it.”

“Ah, but who’s going to decipher you?”

“I’m easy.”  That put a smile back on her face.  “I’ll start bouncing off the walls.”

“You do that already.”

“When it gets really bad, Terry normally tackles me and sits on me because I’m disrupting him.  One time in Korea, he sat on me for six hours.  I almost didn’t get my pre-mission fuck.”

“Now that would have been tragic.”  The sarcasm dripped from her words.  “See, here’s the way around that.  You have to hack into his laptop and be sure it’s a line item in his planning document.”

I wondered if I could recruit Dee to get into his Project and Excel templates to add those line items.  “Besides maiming yourself to prove your toughness, how are you doing?”

“Good enough that I won’t complain any more than I already have.  I’m almost through all the books I brought with me initially.  I would swap with Terry, but I can’t see him with d’Enrody’s excruciating details on gaits and fences.  See?  Your eyes are getting glassy with the mere mention.”  It’s as good a time as any to get the rest of the surprises.  I went back into the hall and retrieved my bags.

This time Dee was expecting me to re-enter the bedroom so I wasn't staring down a gun barrel.  “You aren't moving into the bedroom with us.”  That was definitely a statement, more of an order, and absolutely not a question.

“Hadn't planned on it.”  I opened the case to pull out a couple of uni-sex best sellers I had picked up at the airport.  “I brought refills for the magic, green bag.  Since it sounds like we should be out of here soon, I thought this would tide the crew over for the next week or so.”

Dee never travels without her magic, green bag.  It’s green canvas with reinforced grommets for the leather covered canvas handles.  I first saw it when we went to DC for the Australian Ambassador's installation.  The straps on it fit her shoulder so well with the bottom of the bag hitting just at her waist, and it distributes its own weight like a good backpack does.  It was always filled with current reading materials (paperbacks only) and CD’s.  In DC it held CDs by Bob Seeger, Chris Isaak, Josh Groban, Elvis Presley, Hope Floats, the Beach Boys, and of course, Ernest Tubb.  It’s a traveling entertainment center.

She hugged me again as a way of saying thanks.  “Dino, you still haven't answered my question.  You’ve talked all the way around it, used weasel words, and haven't given me the example you started.  You have to tell me.  If it will help keep Terry safe, I need to know.”

“Keeping him safe – that's the team’s job.  We watch out for each other, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep him from getting hurt.  Keeping him whole – in every sense of the word - is also his job, but you’re his support system on that.  He's changed in small ways for the better since you came along.  He'll deal – you'll deal – with getting ready to go in together.  If it gets to be too much for YOU and he won't listen to you, I'll be right down the hall; all you have to do is yell.”  Yeah, right.  Like Dee wouldn't put his nuts in a death grip rather than call on someone else to help her if he got too rowdy.  She’d probably let things get out of hand if she thought Terry needed the release.  Her hands were proof of that.

“One last thing.  Thanks for the information, but either you tell Terry you’ve spilled the beans on how he acts or I will.  I’m no good at keeping secrets from him.  I don't want to start now.”

“I can do that.”

TERRY

Dawn …and I could hear someone rattling about in the kitchen.  Probably Reags and her early morning routine.  Maxie wouldn't be far behind her.  My night was over.

I was half-surprised Dino wasn't sacked out in our room.  They had been up ‘till 0500 talking; the light had gone out then.  Diana was asleep with her palms curved inward on top of the duvet - probably to keep the Polysporin from staining the covers.  She wouldn’t have wanted me to know the wire had cut her hands.  I’m not sure how she thought she’d explain the bruises on them, but she’d find a way.  I knelt beside her, picked up the hand closest to me, and kissed the bruise that was forming on the back of her hand.  What wouldn't she do for me?

She stirred.  “Go back to sleep.  We'll get a couple of hours in while it’s still cool.”  She smiled her sweet, sleepy smile and snuggled into the pillow. 

“I meant to stay awake after Dino left.  It's not fair you having to stay alert and me getting to sleep.  I'm sorry.” 

I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and checked the new note on the pad.  I added Polysporin to her shopping list.

Another two agonising weeks would pass before we had any further contact aside from Max’s weekly contact with the negotiator, and that call would be the most surprising of all.

VERONICA

It’s morning, and I’m the only one in the house right now.  When they all leave together, they lock me in my room so I can’t get out.  There’s a window up at the ceiling.  Houses that Egyptians build always have the windows up at the top of the wall so no one can see inside.  Even if you could get up there to look in or out, you couldn’t see anything because the glass is frosted. 

There’s a chair in here.  Maybe if I push my bed against the wall and put the chair on it, I can reach the window and get it open.  There’s no real lock, just a silly little latch.  Hey, it’s worth a try.  I know I could get out through that window and it’s not that far to the ground.  The worst I’d do is skin up my hands and knees when I land. 

Shit!  Wills would laugh, but Mom and Dad would have a fit if they heard me say that.  I got up on the chair, but I’m not tall enough to reach the window.  I started to get down and when I turned, I saw something under the other bed, right up against the wall.  It’s black and shiny.  Oh my gosh, it’s a cell phone!

MAXIMUS

It was shortly after nine in the morning when the telephone now reserved for contact from Veronica’s captors rang.  It was neither the day of the week nor the time scheduled for calls; this could not be a good omen.  I had been in the kitchen getting a cup of coffee when I heard the instrument’s unique ring and sat my cup down so suddenly that I sloshed coffee over the counter before running upstairs to the bedroom we had converted to our office.

“Max Espan.” 

“Who are you?”  It was the voice of a child, a very young female.  My heart leapt within my breast.

“My name is Max.  Is this Veronica?” 

“Yes.”  I heard footsteps and turned to see Cassandra standing just behind me, her eyes wide.  I motioned her to the computer as I hit the speaker button and spoke.

“Veronica, I am going to put the telephone on speaker.  Do you know what that means?”

“Yes, Sir.  My Daddy has a speaker on his phone at home.  Who’s going to listen?”

“Do you remember going to the museum some time back?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“There was a lady there, a rather tall lady with blonde hair.  Do you remember her?”

“Yes, Sir.  She was nice and she spoke Arabic.”

“She is here with me now, Veronica.  It would be good if she could hear our conversation.  Is that all right with you?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Veronica, are you using a cellular telephone or one that attaches to the wall with a cord, or possibly a handheld telephone?”

“It’s a cell phone.”  Cassandra was already at the computer, attempting to determine the location of the call.  I took a deep breath.  If the child was utilising a cellular phone, it was one she had found in whatever location she was being held.  Her call implied that she was currently alone.  If she was using a cellular, with luck, it was not a throw-away model and would have a GPS chip to enable us to track the location of the caller via satellite uplink.

“Are you alone, Veronica?”

“I am right now, but they’ll be back soon.  They’re never gone for very long at a time.”

“Veronica, I want you to listen carefully, do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“How did you get this number?”

“I didn’t.  I just punched redial.”  I had suspected as much, and Veronica was clearly an intelligent child.

“I want you to memorise this telephone number.  The owner of the phone might call someone else, and then you would be unable to call me back.  Can you do this for me?”

“Yes, Sir ….”

“65343119.  Repeat it to me.”

“653 ….”

“65343119.”

“65343119.”

“Say it again.”

“65343119.”

“Again.”

“65343119.”

“I want you to hang up now in case someone returns.  We do not want them to know that you have used the telephone.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Veronica, someone will always answer this telephone when you call.  If it is not me, there is a man named Terry, another called Dino, and two ladies – Reagan and Diana – who may answer it.  We are working together to find you and bring you home.  Do you understand what I am telling you?”

“Yes, Sir.  Are you really trying to find me?”

“We are, Little One, and we will succeed.  Whenever the men holding you leave the house, if a telephone is available, you are to call me.  Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir …yes, Max.”  I smiled.  With the use of my name, she had made the first step toward trusting me.

“Tell me the number again so I am sure that you remember it.”

“65343119.”

“Good girl.  Veronica, do you recall the name that Wills uses when he speaks to you?”

“Yes, it’s ….”

“Do not say it now.  We do not wish to take the chance that anyone other than we know of it.  Do you understand?”

“Yes, Max.”  I smiled.

“When we come to get you, we will call you by that name so you will know that we are your friends.  This will be our secret.”

“Okay …I won’t tell.”

“Very good, Veronica.  I want you to turn off the telephone now, and return it to where you found it so no one will know you have made use of it.  You are to call me back as soon as you are alone again.  Do you promise?”

“Yes, Max.”  She hung up, and I looked at Cassandra who was staring at the computer screen and turned to me with wide eyes.

“I’ve got the location.”  May the gods be praised; they had imbued Veronica’s captors with unbelievable stupidity.

*

Terry, Diana, and Dino had gone to the riverfront souqs early that day in order to obtain the best of the day’s produce off the boats coming down the Nile from the various farms further inland.  Diana was shopping; whilst Terry had accompanied her for her protection and to attain some normalcy in their life, I felt sure Dino saw the excursion as a means of getting out of the villa and temporarily alleviating his boredom.  They were surprised at Cassandra’s and my state of excitement on their return.  I told them what had transpired in their absence.  Terry was the first to comment.

“Bloody hell, Max.  Who would have thought the kid would be smart enough to hit ‘redial,’ even if she did find a stray phone lying about?”  We had taken coffee out to the pool deck and were discussing the events of the morning.

“I believe the phrase is ‘sometimes we get lucky.’  Even more fortunate is the fact that the phone she utilised was one that we could trace.  If they do not move her, we have a location.  Whilst it is tempting to go in after her immediately, I wish to obtain additional information before doing so.  She gave no indication that she had been harmed, nor that she was in any immediate danger.  When she next calls, I wish to ask if she has an idea of the layout of the villa in which she is being detained.  That knowledge would make our entry and exit faster, as well as imminently safer.”  Terry nodded, as did Dino and Cassandra.  “I think it likely we will hear from her this evening when it is time for evening prayers.  If she calls as soon as her captors leave the house – assuming all of them go – we should have ample time for her to describe the layout for us and to make a rough sketch.  Once we have an idea of the layout, we will have our local associates confirm the exterior appearance of the location and attempt to provide us a detailed floor plan.”  I looked at Terry before continuing.

“We now know we will be operating within a residential neighbourhood, and silence is critical.  We must match them, man-for-man, to the greatest extent possible if we are to maintain silence.  I would wish this extraction to be accomplished without a shot fired – in total silence – and to have any possibility of that requires additional manpower.”  He nodded as I continued.

“I have contacted our local employees, and they will be here this evening for an update and instructions.  They must enter the neighbourhood for us and devise a strategy to enter to house.  But for Dino, we were observed at the museum and would be easily recognised were we to venture into that area, as there are no expatriates residing there.  Three Arab males will not be noticed.  We will have our dinner no later than eight-thirty tonight; they will be here at ten.”  Our local employees arrived on time and were given the map coordinates for the villa, departing only moments after arriving and disappearing silently into the night.  Veronica had not called as I hoped.

*

It was time to review our arsenal beyond our side arms.  Though originally thinking to do that on the day we first saw Veronica, other matters had kept us busy until this night.  Having drawn the window coverings, we began opening packing cases.  My local contacts had obtained M-16s and one AK-47, the latter commandeered immediately by Terry; he seems to have a fondness for that particular weapon.  The M-16s were for myself, Dino, and our local employees; there was an additional one for Cassandra, in the event that she joined us in the extraction.  I would do all in my power to preclude that eventuality, as I did not wish to risk having her injured.  I knew my sentiments would anger her, but I was willing to weather her ire. 

I watched Cassandra break down one of the M-16s, swift and silent in her appraisal of its condition, pointing out to us a nick in the outer barrel, a unique mark that would serve to identify the weapon should it be captured at some point in time.  Terry’s observation, though correct in operational terms, annoyed me.  Dino – wisely – remained silent.

“Well, then, Reags, I’d strongly suggest that neither it – nor you – be captured …at any point in time.”  I bit back my anger at his casual response, knowing it would serve only to create discord; however, I would discuss it with him at a later time, and in private.  We worked well into the night and early morning, cleaning and familiarising ourselves with our weaponry, changing weapons to ensure that each of us felt at ease with each individual weapon.  While all M-16s are machined in precisely the same fashion, each individual weapon has its own idiosyncrasies; it was vital that each of us be comfortable with whatever weapon we might ultimately utilise. 

Around two in the morning, our individual and collective energies began to flag, and we were yawning.  I looked at Cassandra, lifting an eyebrow in question.  She nodded briefly before putting aside the weapon she was familiarising herself with at that moment and stood.  We were awaiting the return of our local informants and could not retire until their subsequent departure.

“I think anyone staying up this late deserves a fresh pot of coffee.  Maximus, why don’t you keep me company, and I’ll get one started.”  Terry stood and stretched as we left the room, and Diana began massaging his shoulders.  Dino remained in the lounge with them; I could hear his good-natured teasing of the two of them regarding massage parlours as I followed Cassandra to the kitchen and busied myself with the coffee maker –I do have a good understanding of modern kitchen appliances – whilst she made sandwiches from packaged meats, cheese, and bread she had purchased at the souqs.  When she turned, I spoke.

“Cara, I do not want you going with us to retrieve the child.  It is too dangerous.”  I was prepared for an argument, even for her response to be heated, but as is often the case, she surprised me.

“Maximus, I’m going in with the three of you, so just let it go, would you please?  We’ve already been over this, and you know that I’m at least as well qualified to do so as are you, provided you can put aside your masculine concern long enough to acknowledge that fact.  Veronica will desperately need a familiar face, a woman’s face, and even though she was drugged when I saw her at the museum, she wasn’t so drugged that she won’t recognise me.  She made that clear in her phone call.”  I sighed.  Terry had commented to me shortly after his original meeting with Cassandra last year that she was, quite possibly, the most determined woman he’d ever met.  That was prior to his having met Diana, and I shall say nothing further on the subject as Terry has not yet become sufficiently exasperated with her to share his own frustration as regards our opinionated women; I have little doubt that day will arrive for him, as it has for me.  For the present, I saw no point in fostering a disagreement; I had learnt long since to carefully select the time and place of any battle, and this was neither.  Later I would again press my case for her not being involved in the extraction, but on this night, discretion was the better part of valour.  I opened my arms and she walked into them; I held her close to my heart.

“Cara, I know you wish to be there for the child, but do you not understand that you are more precious to me than a hundred children?  Allow me to be self-centred for a moment; I think only of your safety …and of my own despair, should you come to harm.”  I felt her deep sigh as she nestled into my chest.

“Maximus, don’t you think I have the same concerns for you?  Have you given any thought at all as to what I would do should you come to harm?”  She raised her head and looked up at me before she spoke.

“I lost you once, Maximus …I would not survive it a second time.”  I had no answer for her; there was none. 

TERRY 

I had followed Max and Reags to the kitchen but stopped when I heard Max’s voice mention the extraction and stood there listening.  I needed to know if I could count on both of them to be 100% when we went in after Veronica.  What I learnt was that at this point, they were at a Mexican standoff; he was determined that she wasn’t going in, and she was determined that she was.  Dino had walked up behind me as quietly as a cat; we listened and looked at each other.  He raised his eyebrows and jerked his head back toward the lounge.  I followed him and waited to see what he had to say.

“Tio, we have to know that both of them are totally committed to this, with no reservations.  If they aren’t, someone could get killed, and it sure as shit won’t be Reags.”  What the fuck could I say?  He was right.  Truth be known, Dino and I would take a bullet for Reagan as fast as Max would, and that’s the problem for most men where female operatives are concerned.  Men in our Anglo-Saxon culture have been taught from childhood to take care of women, to protect them, and we do it without even thinking, irrespective of the danger to ourselves.  Might as well face reality here …we’re all part of a cultural heritage that has taught us that a man will put his life on the line for a woman.  Any man I know would do the same.  I thought for a tic.  I wondered if the Yanks were successful in training that protective behaviour out of their men, as they have many more women in the armed services that do the Brits or the Australians.  I doubt that training took with Dino as underneath his gruff exterior, he’s a true Southern gentleman.  Max, Dino, and I all had to realise that Reagan is an operative and an employee.  On this job, she’s another member of the team.  I needed to put my rescue and protective instincts directly on the cargo and not on a team member; the rescue team's safety is ALWAYS secondary to that of the cargo.  I'd learnt that in the first afternoon's orientation session with Luthan.  Of course, Luthan's prime intention was to protect the firm, not the noble principle I had ascribed to it at the time.  I hoped that TEO had found the balance between corporate profits and altruism.

Diana had put on her poker face, and I couldn't tell if she had the same concerns about me going in that Max had about Reags.  If she did, I doubted I would hear about it until I left K&R altogether.  She wouldn't want to worry me about her reactions before then.  She had sat in situation rooms with entire teams in the field; now she was worrying about one specific individual, and that was a first.  At least I hoped this was the first time she’d been worried about a man she was sleeping with going loud.

“Well, for the moment, we let them try and sort it out.  I’m thinking that we go in this Friday.  We give those two until noon Wednesday to get their shit together, and if they don’t, we go to Plan B.”  He gave me a look.  Diana looked up, seemingly interested in Plan B.

“And just what the fuck is ‘Plan B’?” 

“Tie Max to the bed, have Diana with a gun on him for back-up, and take Reags in because of the child?  Hell, I’m working on it, Dino.  I’m working on it.”  Diana looked like she would be delighted to be allowed to shoot someone, anyone.  She didn't seem to care that it might be Max.

*

We were expecting our local blokes back at any time and wanted to be close to the door when they hit the gate.  Given that all of us were still up and about and our neighbours were having a party, we didn’t have anyone standing watch at the moment.  That would have been a bit suspicious.  However, we didn’t want our local hires attracting any attention from the neighbours in trying to rouse us, thus our reason for staying in the lounge where we could hear them arrive.  We didn’t have to wait long.  Before I’d half finished my cuppa, the bell from the gate rang, and Dino went to key them inside.  When they walked in, they were wearing unmistakably self-satisfied smiles.  I motioned them toward the kitchen, and we followed them whilst Dino secured the gate.  Reags poured coffee or tea according to their preference, and we all returned to the lounge and sat.  Max looked at Mahmoud, a man he’d worked with in the past and who was the acknowledged leader of the three.

“What did you find?”  Mahmoud smiled widely at Max before turning to the rest of us, the gold crown on one of his front teeth gleaming in the lamplight.

“Ah, Mudir, you will be pleased.  We have much to report.”  He smiled again and turned to his fellow conspirators. 

“Abdullah …tell him of the house.”  Abdullah smiled and took a notepad from his pocket, flipped it open and laid it before us on the coffee table.  Fuck if you don’t get lucky from time to time …it was a sketch of the floor plan of the villa.  He sat back with a self-satisfied smile on his face.  We looked at each other, then back at him before Max spoke.

“How did you obtain this, Abdullah?”

“The lights were still on in the front room when we got to the villa.  I knocked on the door and told them I was lost and trying to find the home of my wife’s brother.  I said I was thirsty and asked for a glass of water.  Malek – the leader – invited me inside.”  He’d let him into the house?  And Malek Khalid al-Ramzi was there?  That was more than we’d dared hope.  Reags took a deep breath at that little bit of information, then smiled and laughed.

“I do love an Arabic custom that’s all but codified into law.  If someone asks an Arab for water, he or she is duty – and honour - bound to provide it.  It’s a custom that’s as old as this culture.  You die in the desert without water and could be executed for refusing to provide it to someone who asks; even if you have only enough for yourself, you share what you have.  Of course al-Ramzi let him into the house.” 

I had to laugh at that.  “I thought that was regimental lore.”  Dino looked at me.

“I didn’t know that – about the water.”

“And whilst Malek was in the kitchen getting you a glass of water, you just waltzed about and checked out the villa?”  Mahmoud laughed before answering.

“Not at all, Mr. Thorne.  I simply followed him; when an Arab invites someone into his home, he affords the stranger every courtesy, and he expected me to follow him.  Had I not done so, he might have suspected me of trying to steal something, not that there was anything there worth stealing.  I simply looked around as I walked and made the sketch later.  Their water, by the way, was very bad …city water, rather than bottled as you have here.”  He paused to take a sip of his tea, looking at Max as he did.

“Did you learn anything else?” 

“There were three still awake, Mudir, in addition to al-Ramzi.  The fifth man – the one who was with the child at the Museum - was not in the room.  He was asleep in the center bedroom off the hallway; I saw him as I walked past and heard him snoring.  The child was in the middle room and appeared to be asleep.  I suspect that when the others retire, the one in the front room will move into the room with the child to insure she does not wander about during the night.  There are three bedrooms, one bath, a lounge room, and the kitchen.  The center bedroom appears to be reserved for the child and her keeper; there are three beds in one bedroom and two in each of the other rooms.  I do not think there is anyone involved who was not there tonight.  There is a stairway going to the roof but no second floor.  You may wish to know that one of the five was shown great deference by the three who were awake.  I have not seen him before, but he is evil …it radiates off him like a foul odour.  Of the five, he is the most dangerous and, I think, the greatest threat to the child.”  He stopped and looked at his friends and again, Mahmoud smiled.  Max looked askance at him before speaking.

“And what were the two of you doing whilst Abdullah was inside?  Sitting about with your dicks in your hands?”  I choked back a laugh, and Reags bit her lip to stay quiet as Dino grinned.  That was the first time I’d ever heard Max speak colloquially, and I hadn’t known he had it in him.  Diana didn't seem surprised at Maxie's statement; perhaps she knows him better than I’d realised.  Ismail answered.

“Whilst Abdullah was in the villa, I went up the outside stairs in their garden and made my way onto the roof.  These are very stupid men, Mudir …they have their weapons under a cloth on the roof; they will rust quickly in this humidity and be useless.  I found four AK-47s and half a dozen grenades but no launcher for them.  There are extra clips for the AK-47s; I counted six in addition to the ones in the weapons.  There are also 17 additional clips for 9 mm handguns.  Nothing more.  The handguns must be in the villa, as they were not on the roof.  I have no way of knowing what may be in the villa aside from the handguns.”  He sat back and sipped his tea before continuing.

“There are two old cars behind the villa.  A rusty Hyundai that likely will not start …even if it would, it is of little use unless they replace the tires as two of them were flat.  There was also a Land Cruiser.  Its petrol tank was full, and the tires are good.  I think they will use that vehicle should they try to leave the villa with the child; it is large enough to hold all of them.”  He stopped and shook his head in disgust.

“Abdullah says the villa is very dirty inside – he would not keep his goats there – and there are piles of garbage in the courtyard behind the kitchen door.  There were many rats.  The villa has not seen a woman’s hand in a long while.”  He leant forward, arms resting on his knees as he did.

“They are not cooking, Mudir.  There were no cook pots in the kitchen, only used paper and plastic utensils in the garbage bin.  They have been eating take-out; there were cartons from a Chinese restaurant as well as from one of the local Lebanese restaurants.  There was a shaii pot on the stove and empty glasses.  They have to leave each day for food and soft drinks …there were many empty soda bottles in the house.”  I sat back and looked first at Max, then over to Dino and Reags.  If they were eating take-out, someone had to go and bring it back.  That might work to our advantage when we went in; if two or three of them went to mid-day prayers on Fridays, it was possible that another might go out for food with the intention of having it waiting when the others returned from prayers.  That might leave only the one man in the villa with Veronica.  If we could get into the villa without a battle, we could get Reags and the child out immediately, leaving Max, Dino, and me to take down the others if they returned before we got out.  That might accomplish all our purposes, Reagan’s to be there for the child, Max’s not to have Reags in the house if we have to go loud, and Dino’s and my need to know that everyone was totally committed.  I knew Max and I would talk about this tomorrow and talk to these three again later in the week.  I know he trusts our local blokes, but there’s no point in anyone knowing our plans until it’s absolutely necessary. 

“I think we have sufficient armament to take them down.  What’s your read, General?”  He smiled before answering.

“As long as we take them by surprise – which we will – we should be well prepared.”  He stood and shook Mahmoud’s hand, then Abdullah’s, and Ismail’s, and they turned to Dino and me, repeating the process.  Max spoke as they walked to the door.

“Good work, Gentlemen.  There will be a bit extra in your pay packets at the end of the week,” and showed them out of the house.  They melted into the night as if they were never there.  When he returned to the lounge, Reags was talking.  In reality, Friday was the only logical time for the extraction.

“We could go in on Friday.  The streets are deserted during Friday prayers except for ex-pats …all the locals are at the Mosques or inside their villas hiding from the Mutawi who would drag them to the Mosques if they found them.  I would still expect at least three of them to be at the Mosque for prayers on Friday, particularly if they are as foolish as Mahmoud believes them to be.  It simply wouldn’t occur to them that anyone would try and take the child in the middle of the day and certainly not on their Holy Day during noon prayers.  You three will need to be dressed in native clothing – not necessarily thobes and guthras – but the sloppy slacks and shirts with sandals that the third country nationals wear; I’ll do dark pancake to help you blend in with the locals.  I can get away with my abayah again, as long as I darken my skin tone, ….”  Max cut her off before she could finish her sentence.  His voice was at its usual low pitch, but his tone was unmistakable.

“Cassandra, you are not going in with us.  We have discussed this matter, and you know my feelings.  They are not subject to change.”  I saw the flash in her eyes.  I could read Diana's thoughts.  “Uh, oh.  Here goes the Mena House fight all over again.”  Dino and I looked at each other before I intervened. 

“Max, Reags, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, shall we?  We have a lot of planning to do before we decide who’s going in and who isn’t.  And Max?  Mate, I hate to tell you this, but it isn’t your decision as to whether or not Reags goes in with us …ultimately, it’s hers.  She’s an operative just like the rest of us.”  He stood while I was still talking and was doing that clenching and unclenching crap with his fists again that told me his decision was final, and that what Reags did or did not do in this matter was none of my fucking business.  I stood to meet him.  If he wanted a fight, I was at the point that I was more than willing to give him one. 

If I had expected Reagan to take either side, it seemed I’d best think again.  She looked at Max, then at Dino and me and raised that eyebrow before turning on her heel and walking out of the room and up the stairs to their suite.  I heard the lock click into place just after the door closed.  Unless I missed my guess, Max would be bunking in the fourth bedroom with the radio tonight.  Wonder if he’d ever had a woman lock him out of his bedroom?  I turned back to him.

“If you and Reags are done with your pissing contest, you might recall that the final decision as to whether or not Reags is permitted to go in with us is ultimately mine.  That decision will be based on what is best for the firm.  What is best for the firm in this case is what will be best for Veronica.  The fact that Reags is your fiancé doesn’t mean fuck-all to me.  I brought her into the firm as a profiler, but the understanding between the two of us was that if I needed her as an operative, she would take that role.  In this situation, she’s an operative – and if her reputation is any guide, better than many I’ve worked with – as well as a profiler, and if as CEO, I feel that we need her to go in with us, she goes.  She’s your employee because this is your party, but on this job, she’s not your fiancé.  This is not personal, it’s business.  If you don’t like that reality, you can get the fuck on a plane back to Dallas tonight, and Dino and I will finish up here.  Whilst I strongly suspect that Reags may pack your bag, I can assure you she won’t be with you on the flight home because she’s totally committed to the child.”  He got that stubborn set to his jaw, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides, but he didn’t move.  The room was quiet for several seconds before he spoke, his voice low and deadly, as cold as I’ve ever heard him.

“Very well.  As you say, she is our employee.  But understand this …if so much as a hair on her head is harmed, you will answer to me.”  He turned and walked up the stairs and tapped on the door without even trying the handle; apparently, he’d heard the lock click over, too.  I heard the door open, and his footsteps entering their suite before it closed quietly behind him.  Now I knew how Commodus felt when Max had him in that hammerlock. 

*

I sat on the couch, rolling a glass of scotch back and forth between my hands, thinking.  Finally acknowledging – at least to myself - that I should have anticipated this when I asked Reags to come on this job.  We needed her skills and having a woman along when we went in for the child was a good idea.  Equally important were Max’s brute strength and his proven ability to kill silently if required and get away clean.  I knew Reags was a former operative with the FBI and that was part of why Dino and I’d asked her to work with us on a part-time basis.  We needed her skills as a profiler on this job, but there were also times we needed a female operative in the field, and her former supervisors had told me – in spades – that she was totally capable and 100% reliable.  This is a dirty business, and the reality is that there are times when the only way to get the information we need to retrieve our cargo is to have a woman get it for us.  I had told Reags that last fall when I asked if she’d work with us on demand, and she hadn’t batted an eye.  She’d known exactly what I meant, and I’d known she knew it.  Part of the problem now was that Max also knew it.

If I pursued using Reags in this extraction, I ran the very real risk of making an enemy of Max.  When he had gone upstairs half an hour earlier, I’d honestly expected one or the other of them to move into the fourth bedroom.  That didn’t happen.  My next expectation was to hear some indication of their opposing opinions in this matter.  Nothing …and if either Max or Reags had raised their voice, we would have heard it.  This villa isn’t air-conditioned; the floors are marble, and every sound anyone makes carries all over the bloody place.  I hate to say this, but Diana and I know every time those two have a root; they probably have the same knowledge of us.  Lately, those sounds have been pretty bloody often on both ends of the hallway.  Tonight the only sound aside from the clink of ice in Dino’s and my glasses here in the lounge was the soft murmur of their voices in what sounded – at least from here – like a very reasonable conversation.  I knew that Reags’ negotiation skills were good; they had to be to do what she had done with the FBI.  Was she good enough to get Max to back down and agree to her going in with us?  I heard the door to their room open and close again, then footsteps going down the back stairs.  We sat there drinking for over an hour.  I finally heard footsteps returning and moving up the back stairs, the door to their room opened and closed again …low voices, then silence.  A few moments later, I heard footfalls on the front stairway and looked at Dino as Reags walked into the lounge.

“I’m going in, as planned.  Maximus concurs.”  I asked the obvious question.

“How did you get him to agree?”  She walked to the bar and poured herself a stiff Scotch before turning to look at us.

“I reminded him of his attempt to get to Ileana and Marcus before the Praetorians and the fact that he was seriously wounded at the time.  I also reminded him that he gave his life in order to protect Lucius and he didn’t even know that Lucius was his child; all that mattered was that he was Lucilla’s child.  Maximus gave his life to protect a mother’s child; the names of the mother and the child are irrelevant where he is concerned.  I told him that I had put myself in the position of Veronica’s mother, that I could understand how she must feel, and that there was nothing I wouldn’t do – wouldn’t risk - to get Veronica home to her mother.  He went for a walk and thought it through, and he agrees.  So that’s it.  I’m going in.”  She took a long pull at her drink and looked at me again.  I nodded in agreement.  There was nothing more to say.  She put her glass on the table and walked back up the stairs to their suite, closing the door after she walked inside.  Someone, anyone …please remind me never to get into a pissing contest with this woman because if she managed to get round Max, it’s a given that I’d be the one to lose in any similar encounter.

Retrospective

TERRY

I’d put in the call to Lachlan over a month ago to give him the heads up that he’d be coming to Cairo as soon as the extraction plans finalised.  Following that, I called Executive Air and arranged for one of the Boeing Business Jets to be on call.  I’d also spoken with the director of Médecins Sans Frontières in Paris, and he would have the crew waiting at Orly when Lachlan put wheels down there to collect them.  He would be on the ground only long enough to load them and their equipment and take on fuel before putting wheels up for Cairo. 

Our contract with Executive Air specified that Lachlan was the pilot on any of our leases, and we’d arranged for the same cabin crew to be utilised each time.  That had added to our costs but was worth the additional expense.  We had only male cabin attendants for two reasons.  First, if one of us were to be injured, we would likely need the brute strength of men to help, and second, the three of us didn’t want to have the added responsibility of looking out for a female cabin attendant or multiples thereof in the parts of the world where we most often have need of a private jet.  We’d gone to another additional expense of having as part of our contract the fact that the cabin attendants would be firearms qualified as well as well-trained in self-defence.  To that end, we’d had the two attendants for our lease agreement trained in both areas, compensating them out of TEO’s pocket for the time they were off their regular job getting the required training.  Given that the skill set we required might be used by other Executive Air clients, I’d negotiated Executive Air to pay for the training.

Tonight - or rather this morning - Diana finally gave in to my urging and went to bed; I didn't want her to hear Dino's phone call regarding the medical team.  She may be aware of the reality that any of us could be injured, but I’d rather not slap her in the face with the requirement for a medical team on stand-by.  Dino and I split the two phone calls to get the exit strategy in motion.  In talking with Lachlan, I’d given him the interim stop at Orly to pick up the medical team; he would arrive on Thursday afternoon.  We would pack out of the villa on Thursday; Lachlan and Diana would take our luggage to the airport Friday morning.  The rescue would go down on Friday morning, and we should be on our way home by early Friday afternoon.  With luck, we would all be in Paris enjoying a good meal at Tour d’Argent by nine that night; I was counting on that, and had called for reservations.

MAXIMUS

We lay long in our bed that morning, until almost ten.  Finally convincing ourselves it would be not only inappropriate but also imprudent and rude to remain incommunicado any longer, we arose, showered, and dressed, leisurely making our way downstairs to be greeted by Terry’s frown.  There was much to be done, and he was not in a good mood.  I held Cassandra’s hand firmly in my own as we crossed the room, and she smiled at Terry in much the same manner as an indulgent parent with an intractable child.  Knowing her as I do, her question surprised me not at all.

“Someone piss in your cornflakes this morning, Terry?”  It was all I could manage to stifle my laughter at her forthright question and the startled look on his face, but I could not control my smile and let it break forth.  Diana is of a considerably more sanguine temperament than is Terry, and she laughed to be joined by Dino.  Terry frowned even more before he spoke. 

“Given that this is Wednesday, I’d hoped to get an early start on our plans for Friday, but you two have made a bollocks-up of that.” 

Diana spoke before I had an opportunity.  “Christ, Terry, give it a rest.  You and Dino got quite a bit done last night, and they’re here now.  We were all up late so lighten up and let them get some coffee so you guys can get to work.”  That earned her a frown as Terry turned back to where his laptop sat on the coffee table.  Dino – wisely – said nothing.  Diana followed us into the kitchen and once there, closed the door and turned to look at us.

“Guys, I don’t mean to butt into your business, but he’s just one of those people who seems to get really pissy before a big job.  I’ve tried to talk him around, but it’s not working.  Terry Hard-Ass has to be grumpy and make all of us suffer with him.”  Cassandra looked at me, then at Diana and back at me.

“Dee, can’t you ummm, well …you know?  Best thing I know for a grumpy man is an early morning quickie.”

“Believe me, Reags, I tried and no dice; he’s totally preoccupied with the job and his own needs.  If I pushed it at this point, he’d probably see it as some sort of mercy fuck.  He’s getting plenty as it is, and if you think he’s pissed off now, you don’t know the meaning of pissed off.”  As Cassandra is wont to say, ‘there is that,' though she chose this moment to make a tally.

“Okay, let’s see now …pool house, the walk-in linen closet, the unfortunate time I walked in on you in the lounge, before and after his guard duty every night.  No, upon consideration, the boy does not need a mercy fuck.  If anything, he probably needs a nap …without you.”  Their shared laughter at Terry's expense was good to hear.

Whilst Diana and I had shared a single sexually loaded moment in the kitchen, I was nonplussed to hear Cassandra's graphic recounting of their amorous escapades since moving into the villa.  I had been on operations with Terry without Diana and deemed it prudent to offer Diana and Cassandra the benefit of my experience on those occasions.  Further, and in pursuit of my own needs, it would allow me to purge my mind of those somewhat erotic images and return to the business of the day.

“Terry needs what all of us do at this time …to recover Veronica and return her to her family so that we may return to our homes …and our lives.”  By the time I had finished speaking, Cassandra had poured coffee for us and was just putting down the coffee pot when the door opened, and Terry entered, followed by Dino

“You lot close the door for a reason?”  The scowl on his face would have discouraged anyone from offering him charity of any sort.  Diana tossed out an offhand comment, and fortunately, Terry thought she was jesting.

“Well, yeah, Terry.  Reags thinks you need a mercy fuck to improve your mood.  I nixed it because I figured if I offered, you’d just get your shorts in a tighter wad and be a bigger jackass than you already are this morning.”  To my surprise, Terry actually laughed.  Diana does deal well with his moods.

“Am I that bad?”  Cassandra and Diana nodded; I simply looked at him and shrugged.  He looked at the three of us for a moment and shook his head.  Dino gave us a thumbs-up behind Terry’s back.

“Hey, Mates, sorry.”  He pulled Diana in for a kiss on her forehead.  “This is the first time I’ve been on an operation that involved a child, and I suppose it’s getting to me.  It’s been a long run, and I’m more than past ready to be home.”  He looked at us again then continued.  “Let’s get you lot some brunch, then get to work on finalising this extraction, shall we?

TERRY

I’ve no idea what had really been going on when I walked into the kitchen and confronted the three of them, but Diana’s comment about a mercy fuck did serve to make me realize I had been a royal pain in the arse thus far this morning.  I made my apologies, suggested we have a bit of tucker, and then get to work.   

First on the agenda was the fact that Max, Reags, Dino, and I had to be intimately familiar with the neighborhood surrounding the villa where Veronica was being held.  We were planning a daytime extraction – something I dislike intensely – but given the local customs of Friday noon prayers and staying up three-fourths of the night, it seemed likely that between 1130 and 1330 hours on Friday would be best.  That gave us a two-hour window …half an hour to get in place and be sure that at least a couple of the men holding Veronica left for prayers, roughly two hours to get in and out (though I prayed it wouldn’t take us more than ten to 15 minutes, else the local police would descend on us like flies on a dead dingo), and still have 15 minutes to half-an-hour before the blokes got home from the mosque three-quarters of a mile away.  It would be dicey, but it could work.  Christ knows, I’d made things work in less time than that and with significantly less planning, manpower, and firepower than we had available on this job.  I’m also not sure as to why I’m taking this personally; this is Max’s gig, and he knows what he’s doing.  Perhaps I’m just accustomed to calling the shots and not doing so this time was getting on my tits.  Fortunately, and other than where Reags is concerned, he doesn’t take offence easily.

Reags had got Max to drive her south to the area just below Giza and had literally knocked on doors and talked to some of the local Egyptian women.  She had managed to get them to sell her their husband’s worn clothing after having Max try it on for size, telling the women that she needed them for a film in production by some students from the UK.  The woman’s ingenuity knows no bounds.  Of course, the best part of that little bit of ingenuity was watching Max bolt through the villa, up the stairs, and into the shower when they got back from that venture.  I think he stayed longer in the shower than the clothes did in the wash.  Given his former existence, he has a real aversion to being dirty and wearing soiled clothing …and I suspect wearing someone else’s soiled clothing would make his aversion even more profound.  Irrespective of cause, I think he was the cleanest person among us for the next couple of days.  Every time we turned round, he was back in the shower. 

Our greatest problem was going to be getting into the villa and grabbing Veronica without using our firepower.  We would be in a residential neighborhood, and the first shot fired would bring the local residents out into the street as well as the local police down on our heads within minutes.  This had to be an operation of more stealth than I recall having been required to use previously, and I’m known for being sneaky and quiet.  We always know that when we go in on an extraction there’s a significant probability of unavoidable contact with the hostage takers, but we were accustomed to making extractions in remote locations, places that we didn’t need to bother about civilians getting caught in the crossfire and no real concerns about the noise of firearms attracting the attention of anyone aside from the hostage takers.  This time we would go in with firearms but would use them only if there was no alternative; we could not afford to attract the sort of attention that gunshots would bring unless our lives or Veronica’s were at stake.  Ideally, this would go down in total silence.  None of us looked forward to slitting a man’s throat, but that was the way we needed to handle this job.

DINO

I nearly spit coffee halfway across the room when Reags came out with that pissing-in-the-cornflakes line.  It took everything I had not to laugh, particularly at the lemon-sucking look on Terry’s face.  If Max or I had come out with that, Terry would have probably taken our heads off at the waist, but she can get away with it and not just because she’s female.  Terry respects her because she knows weaponry, tactics, intel, and she’s done her time in the trenches.  You have to admit, that’s a pretty damned rare combination in a woman.  I knew all that stuff about her but this little gig gave me an insight to her that I wouldn’t have had any other way.  Knowing her as I do now, I’m know I’m lucky she didn’t castrate me the day I met her.

Reags had managed to get clothes for the three of us to wear over our usual gear and got sizes larger than we would usually need.  There wasn’t a lot of choice in the baggy clothes decision because we could hardly saunter down the street with our weapons in plain sight.  We had to have clothes loose enough to hide our grenade belts, side arms, and ammunition belts for the M-16s.  Her method for obtaining the clothes had been inspired, and I wondered how many Egyptian housewives she’d talked to before managing to get clothes for us.  I still laugh when I think about her making Max try on all that shit before she bought it, and I wonder what those women were thinking when they sold her their husbands’ clothing.  No need to worry about Reags’ clothes, as that black bag she’d ‘modeled’ for us one night would have concealed five M-16s, if necessary; fortunately, we didn’t need more than that.  I just hoped the weight of them hanging off her neck and shoulders wouldn’t leave her with damage to her cervical spine.  Anyway, we had a working brunch and got the game plan in order.

This was Wednesday, a day-and-a-half to get it all together …not a lot of time, but we’ve worked with less; come to find out, so had Reags.  The plan was to have our local team infiltrate the area around the villa and count the number of men who left Friday to go to noon prayers.  They would reconnoiter and return to meet us as we sat waiting in the Merc a couple of blocks away.  If our local guys didn’t see anyone leave the villa, we’d have to go in anyway because we couldn’t leave Veronica with those bastards any longer; the kid was in too much danger to run the risk.  We would go in as quietly as possible, with Reags carrying the M-16s for herself and Mahmoud under her abayah.  The three of us had decided we could fit our weapons under our shirts, thus alleviating some of the strain on Reags’ back and neck; she’d only have to carry hers and Mahmoud’s.  Obviously, we were planning on no one being out and about at that point because three men skulking around with M-16 shaped bulges under their shirts would hardly go unnoticed. 

The idea for getting the bad guys to open the door was for Reags to pretend to be in labor and have Mahmoud carry her right up to the front door and bang on it, shouting for help before anyone opened the door.  With luck, it would work …maybe.  Terry and Max would be on opposite sides of the door and I’d be behind Max when Mahmoud knocked; as soon as it opened, we’d push inside. 

Adjunct to the plan for retrieving Veronica was getting out of Cairo immediately.  That meant Dee would be waiting for us at the airport with Lachlan.  We had confirmation that he’d arrive tomorrow with the medics from Paris, and they would be at Le Meridien.  Lachlan and Dee would get our shit to the airport on Friday morning. 

At least that was the plan.

To be Continued

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