“Really?” Jean had expected Nick to tell them there were no prisoners. “A woman assassin like Lynn?”
Nick chuckled. “No one’s like Lynn. We’ll be using them to help us gain entrance into a terrorist compound at Pilot Hill. They’ve been making it into a halfway house for Isis cell members.”
“Why the hell doesn’t the FBI and Homeland Security move on the compound like an army? How many will you be going against? Maybe I should start going on more missions with you,” Rachel said.
“They don’t want these guys in the news or in the courts. In truth, any action we take with them is legal. They’re saboteurs without country or uniform. They’re plotting the destruction of America on our soil. That means they can be executed just as the saboteurs in WWII were. We’re not sure at any one time how many they have at the compound. Denny Strobert will be providing us with satellite surveillance of the place. On your last note, Rach, you did an excellent job spotting for me on the ‘Starlight of the Seas’ mission, but as we talked about in the past, Jean and Quinn will need one of us alive if a mission goes sour.”
“I know… it’s just I’m a bit jealous of Cala’s ability to do what she’s done – taking flying lessons, learning to crew a boat, cleaning crime scenes… oh, wait a minute… maybe I’m not that excited about her many talents,” Rachel joked.
“Let’s get the Daughter of Darkness raised along with Quinn and then I’ll take you along anywhere I go. I’ve been asked to reacquaint myself with fighter jets. We’re thinking about getting a Harrier jet if it will fit on the Valkyrie helicopter landing zones. I’m sure they’re thinking of having one at the compound.”
“You flew jets?” Jean, learning something Nick hadn’t shared yet, dropped the cute pose, and grabbed on to his arm. “Who’d you shoot down?”
“Nobody. We were going on a mission in Syria to steal one of their jets we had heard the Russians installed an advanced tracking system on. I learned how to fly a MiG23. Our Delta team crossed into Syria through Turkey to Taftanaz Air Base. The report was false. They didn’t have anything on their MiG23’s so I stole one of their Mi-8 Russian helicopters and flew my team out before they knew what we’d done. The base was in an uproar because we made it seem as if they were getting hit by incoming rockets. The black op fun part started when we called out for help from the fleet in the Mediterranean Sea. I flew the Mi-8 onto the USS Eisenhower Aircraft Carrier. They sent their air-wing to meet my pursuers. It didn’t end well for the Syrians.”
“Holy crap, Dad!”
Nick, who never thought of his deployments, combat, or training as entertainment, realized for the first time he should be sharing it, in particular with Jean. He already had no doubt she would be in combat. “Sorry, kid. I tend to forget about my past as it becomes the past. In any case, we were flogged for using naval assets in the region for a black op. My CO was an old Vietnam vet. He told the Admiral who called him we were all on the same side, thank you for the assistance, and go fuck yourself if you think saving American servicemen is a tragedy. The Admiral laughed and said he’d take the heat from the morons over him. I heard they became best friends.”
“How many past surprises do you have stored in your Muerto mind,” Rachel asked.
Nick sipped his drink with calm satisfaction. “I don’t live in the past. When you two trigger something from my past, I explain it. I have found a crew to collaborate with who are as monstrous as I am. They served America, kept on with what skills they could develop within their range as cold blooded killers, and we serve now to defend America. We will not defeat this Islamic scourge by pretending they don’t exist and it’s all a misunderstanding.”
“So… if I said tell us everything… what would you do?”
“I’d tell you to go upstairs and get to work on your homework. You would of course be grounded for eternity. Your Mom and I love the passion you achieve your objectives with, but you scare both of us with the lack of foresight you show in achieving them. I’m not shy about answering questions about my past life, but be careful of what you ask for. Some things cannot be explained as if they were a trip to the county fair.”
“Understood,” Jean replied with grim acceptance. “I don’t care much about flying stuff. I want to be on the ground, stopping bad people.”
Nick smiled at Rachel burying her face in her hands. “Understood, Viper.”
Rachel peeked out from between her fingers. “We’re going to hell.”
“Welcome to my world.”
*