Monster (25 page)

“We will wait up,” Ansa said happily.

Rasheed followed the three FBI agents out to the foyer where they quickly put on their coats, hats and gloves. “Come, we will take my SUV so Cold will have plenty of room.”

“Sounds good, Kay,” Reskova said. “Dreyer told me he called ahead to the base, so all we’ll need are our ID’s.”

When they were on the way to Andrews in Rasheed’s vehicle Rutledge spoke up.

“I’ll take Cold home to his apartment later.”

Even Reskova laughed. “Over my dead body, you little bitch,” she said in Russian.

“What was that you said, Diane?” Rutledge asked.

“I said thank you, how thoughtful of you.”

Barrington laughed. “I’ll bet you did.”

“Yes, I know a little Russian,” Rasheed added, glancing back at Reskova. “I do not believe the Boss…”

“Never mind, Kay, just drive,” Reskova cut him off.

Chapter 18

Homecoming Visit

They spotted McDaniels right away from outside the cordon set up between people waiting to greet the veterans and the tarmac where the Special Air Mission flight landed. Ambulances and emergency vehicles were waiting to transport the stretcher cases to Walter Reed Army Hospital and Bethesda Naval Medical facility. McDaniels stood in full dress uniform amidst marines and army troops, some who were obviously walking wounded. McDaniels saluted and shook hands with the young men, speaking privately with each one. The returning troops waited with the stretcher bound wounded while their comrades were loaded into the waiting vehicles.

“God, the Colonel sure looks good,” Rutledge whispered.

Rasheed, who had absorbed a number of angry looks from the waiting crowd of well-wishers, tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Tears streamed down Reskova’s cheeks. Rasheed offered her a handkerchief which she took from him gratefully. Barrington had positioned Rutledge on the opposite side of Rasheed while he took up a position directly behind the three. Barrington also noticed the looks Rasheed was getting.

“Maybe we should have left you in the SUV, Kay,” Barrington said uneasily.

“I will be fine,” Rasheed said over his shoulder to Barrington. “In my country, I would be in real danger as an outsider amongst such a group waiting in opposite circumstances. Their young soldiers have been injured to free my homeland. I can endure their anger. You are right, Jen, the Cold Mountain is looking very well. I have never seen him with his Green Beret and military uniform. I will not allow him to return to my house, where Ansa will surely throw herself at him.”

Barrington, Rutledge, and even the teary-eyed Reskova laughed in muffled appreciation of Rasheed’s humor.

The anxious friends and family waiting for their loved ones spoke in hushed tones, waving small American flags. After the last emergency vehicle left the tarmac the returning veterans walked toward the waiting throng where cheers and applause went up from the crowd. Recognition was followed joyously by shouted names and waving hands. McDaniels walked at the rear of the contingent. Many of the young marines and soldiers glanced back toward him as if they did not want to lose sight of the big man. When the air base security detail opened up the restraining cordon, the crowd engulfed the returning heroes.

Not wanting to impede the family members, Reskova indicated she wanted her team to stay back away from the small celebrations. McDaniels was stopped by the surge of the crowd. He smilingly waited, obviously pleased at the sight. He had not noticed the FBI agents still waiting nearly fifty yards away. Many of the veterans were pulling family members toward McDaniels, introducing them to him. Soon, he was in the midst of handshakes and hugs, laughing when babies and young children were thrust into his arms for hellos.

“Jesus,” Barrington commented, a respectful awe in his voice. “It looks like the Colonel made a few friends overseas.”

Reskova turned away, trying to hide the sobs welling up as she realized suddenly how deeply she felt about McDaniels. Rutledge put a comforting arm around her team leader.

“You’re going to have to play a little harder to get than that, Diane,” Rutledge whispered to her, causing Reskova to chuckle uncomfortably and nod her head in agreement.

The crowd broke into small groups as they walked toward the parking area. Two marines stayed next to McDaniels throughout the farewells, along with their immediate families of parents, wives, and kids. As the groups of returning veterans and their families streamed past the FBI agents, McDaniels was finally able to move with them, holding a little dark haired girl of around three years old in his arms. He spotted the FBI agents, surprise evident on his face. The marine to his left noticed and took the little girl from him. Before anyone could stop her, Reskova was running toward McDaniels. A moment later she was in his arms, her face buried in his neck. Rutledge grinned at Barrington and Rasheed.

“So much for hard to get.”

“Disgraceful.” Rasheed laughed in agreement. “It is a complete disregard for discipline.”

“I’m glad Dreyer didn’t come along,” Barrington added.

McDaniels had finally managed to put Reskova down. She clung to his arm while Barrington, Rutledge, and Rasheed joined them. McDaniels shook hands with the three agents while still holding Reskova under one arm. He turned and waved toward Rasheed as he addressed the two marines with him, one of whom walked with a cane.

“Abe, Jed, this is my old friend Kumar Rasheed I told you about. These other folks are my co-workers, Jen Rutledge, Tom Barrington, and my boss Diane Reskova,” McDaniels said, and then indicated each marine separately as he introduced them. “This is Gunnery Sergeant Abel Dominguez, and Staff Sergeant Jed Bocelli.”

The two marines shook hands with the FBI agents and introduced their families. They spent extra time with Rasheed, explaining they had met two of his old unit in Fallujah, and that McDaniels had told them all about him. As the two were being pulled away by their young children, parents, and anxious wives, the two marines stopped as one and snapped to attention, saluting McDaniels formally. He returned their salute stiffly.

“I’ll see you guys soon,” McDaniels told them.

“Count on it, Colonel,” Dominguez said. He turned away with his family, leaning lightly on his cane.

Bocelli just nodded and waved as he walked away amongst his small retinue.

“What did that mean, Cold?” Reskova asked, sudden dread lancing through her heart.

“I have to go back, Boss. It sure was nice of you guys to…”

Reskova burst into tears, turning away, and walking a few steps from the group. McDaniels looked at the others uncomfortably. Rutledge winked at him. Rasheed merely smiled and shrugged. Barrington walked over to McDaniels and whispered to him quietly.

“I think Diane was planning on a more permanent stay, Colonel. She’s been following the troop stuff in Fallujah religiously using Kay here as her play by play man.”

“Collect the woman, my friend, and let us return to my house for leftovers,” Rasheed jokingly ordered. “It is getting cold and dark out here.”

* * *

McDaniels walked over to Reskova, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders again. “Hey Boss, c’mon… I’ll be here for maybe a month.”

Reskova turned and hugged McDaniels. “I…I’m sorry. I never thought I’d see you again and… and now that you’re back… you have to leave again.”

“Diane, many of those young vets you saw arrive today will be going back too. I hadn’t planned on returning home this soon anyway. The units I had been assigned to were overdue for rotation. They’d already been extended three times. I…”

Reskova held her hand up to McDaniels’ face in a hushing manner. She looked up, wet tears glistening in the dusky light. “I…I understand, Cold. It’s good to see you again.”

Before McDaniels could react, Reskova pulled his head down, kissing him with ardor. McDaniels clutched her tightly to him. With Reskova’s scent and softness so close, he felt reality blurring. He returned her kiss with almost a violent aspect. Reskova moaned softly, her feet leaving the tarmac in McDaniels’ embrace. Barrington looked around, gesturing at the security personnel who had stopped to watch. The three FBI agents moved closer to the couple and began clearing their throats comically in unison. McDaniels pulled away reluctantly, still supporting Reskova, who opened her eyes, reeling from the intensity of the prior moments.

“You’re going to lose your nickname with stuff like that, Colonel,” Rutledge joked. “I think the tarmac was starting to soften from the heat.”

“Yes, this disgraceful behavior must be reported,” Rasheed chimed in, evoking more laughter from Barrington and Rutledge.

“I’m resigning as team leader, effective immediately,” Reskova told them. “I…”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Rutledge interrupted. “We’re just now getting used to you. We ain’t breaking in any newbies.”

“It is just so,” Rasheed stated, nodding in agreement. “I have no idea what a newbie is but I do not want to work with one.”

“You’re a newbie, Kay,” Barrington instructed with amusement.

“Oh,” Rasheed replied, quickly understanding the concept. “We have enough newbies then.”

“I…I can’t stay as team leader with what I’ve done,” Reskova continued, taking McDaniels’ hand. “We all know the rules.”

“If you could get over yourself for just a moment, Diane,” Rutledge said caustically, “you’d realize unless you plan on climbing Cold Mountain in front of our superiors no one will know.”

“Although I am disgusted at your behavior, Boss,” Rasheed said with a grin, “I will tell no one.”

“Ditto,” Barrington voted. “We also promise not to blackmail you with it, right gang?”

“Who said anything about no blackmail?” Rutledge began, but quieted suddenly as Barrington smiled and pointed at her. “What?”

“Don’t make me relate the specifics of our cleaning detail the other night,” Barrington warned.

“Why you… okay… no blackmail,” Rutledge promised reluctantly.

“Agreed,” Rasheed said. “Now, let us take this celebration to my house where my friend can become acquainted with the little Cold.”

“Little Cold?” McDaniels repeated questioningly.

“Never mind, Colonel, you’ll see,” Rutledge said, gesturing the group to follow her. “Let’s go. It’s getting dark and chilly out here. You ride shotgun, Cold, so Diane here doesn’t try to get to know you in the biblical sense before we get to Kay’s house.”

Only her head start after Reskova’s initial infuriated gasp saved Rutledge from an instant takedown on the tarmac. The three men watched the chase quietly. Barrington sighed and looked up at McDaniels.

“It’s been like this ever since you shipped out, Colonel.”

“But we did much good in the Terrorist War,” Rasheed pointed out.

“In spite of all this clowning around we were pretty good together,” Barrington concluded. “Dreyer and Aginson stopped trying to fry you and actually grew a set of balls between their bureaucratic asses. Diane really laid it on Dreyer over his relapse in the Mercado affair.”

“My head’s still ringing from that hello the Boss gave me. It could be jet lag, but I’d prefer not to know about the office politics until I sip a couple Jack Daniels.”

“Although I do not ever drink because of my religious beliefs,” Rasheed said, putting an arm up on McDaniels’ shoulder, “I believe I may have some of this devil’s brew you call Jack Daniels at my house. We will, of course, keep such things amongst ourselves.”

“Kay, you little weenie! You still haven’t told Ansa you throw down a shot once in a while?”

“There is no need to call my manhood into question over such a small point,” Rasheed replied indignantly.

* * *

McDaniels held the sleeping little Cold as Reskova sat next to him with her head against his shoulder. It was nearly ten o’clock in the evening. McDaniels had just finished giving the baby his ten o’clock feeding, competently burping him at the correct intervals. The group had been talking for hours, each one explaining an event which had happened while McDaniels was away.

The retelling of Reskova’s upbraiding of Dreyer had McDaniels laughing and nodding in enjoyment. The more serious elements of how much the team had accomplished in tracking down the threads spiraling out from the Mercado cell were condensed for security reasons. McDaniels noticed a change in Reskova. Her banter with the others, even Rasheed, caused him no little amusement. Reskova’s relationship with the team was worlds apart from what it had been on the Hughes’ mission.

“That was a great Thanksgiving, Kay,” Rutledge said finally, with the others echoing her sentiments. “Ansa, the dinner alone should qualify you for citizenship. Even my Mom never cooked Thanksgiving dinner any better.”

“It was nice of Dreyer to give us the long weekend.” Barrington stood up. “After all the food, I guess I’ll have to spend it in the gym. You ready, Jen?”

“Yep. You riding with us, Cold?”

Even Suraya laughed, having witnessed how Reskova had clung to McDaniels ever since the four had returned from Andrews Air Force Base. She took the baby from McDaniels skillfully.

“I will put little Cold to bed,” Suraya announced in a whisper, kissing McDaniels goodbye. “Please come over again before you must go back.”