The Colonel Vs. the Parson's Raven Chapter 2-The Raven is Cornered
Recap: Col. Casey's life is abruptly interrupted when an old friend re-enter's his life and slowly begins to unravel it.
Morgan stood statue still in the middle of the back parking lot of the Buy More store. In his arms was a bloody first aid kit, and in front of him stood the one woman he never wanted to lie to: Alexandra McHugh, his girlfriend. She was currently fuming at him, her foot tapping on the pavement, her hands on his hips, glaring at his face.
"Morgan, I asked you if that was dad's blood on the kit." She pointed to Morgan's chest, and then to her dad's black Crown Victoria roaring off into the main street. Morgan began to back away, and shake his head vehemently.
"No, no, sweetheart, I won't lie to you. It isn't Casey's. He's just helping a friend out who has a very bad stomach... cut…and his blood got on the kit." Morgan figured it really had the ring of truth to it and he looked right into her beautiful blue eyes, so like her dad's, trying to find out if she believed him.
She slumped a little and came up to take the kit. She placed it on the ground, and then reached up and kissed him deeply. "Morgan, I was so scared either you or dad got shot or something else. I love you both too much to lose either one of you. Do you think there is anything we could do to help dad's friend?"
Morgan returned the kiss eagerly, and then hugged her tightly. "No, honey, your dad is a very capable medic when he needs to be." Flashes of Ahman's pulsating belly wound came through his mind, and he had to swallow swiftly before he hurled up onto the pavement. Alex felt his shutter, and she squeezed back.
"That's why I love you so, Morgan. You believe the best of my dad." She put her hands on Morgan's face and searched his eyes thoroughly. She saw his concern, but she also saw that he was sure of her dad.
"He's a great man, Alex. Scary, but a great man." Morgan released Alex and bent to pick up the kit. Alex laughed heartily and then punched Morgan lightly in his arm. "Ouch, woman, you can be scary, too, you know." He grinned and then whispered in her ear, "I already think you are great." He clasped her other hand and the two of them walked back to the store.
As Casey spun out of the parking lot, he saw the familiar figure of his daughter approaching a very nervous Morgan Grimes. He grunted and then prayed for wisdom for his gnome partner, for he knew his daughter was a formidable wall that would not settle for lies. He grinned widely at the thought of his daughter, and was so very grateful that she had entered his life at his middle years. Now that Kathleen knew what he did, there was no more deception between he and his ex girlfriend, but there was also no sexual spark between them. His current relationship with Pastor Annie Coburn was admired and approved by Alex, and as Kathleen and her current boyfriend, Craig, got closer, Casey only felt relieved and happy for his daughter's mother. He fished out his Blue tooth, and began to speed dial his fiance, knowing that she could help him and Ahman find the safety his Arabic friend needed.
"Good morning, Pastor Annie Coburn speaking." Her alto voice instantly soothed Casey's nerves, and he growled softly into his cell.
"Parson, is it a go?" He paused and waited for her to switch the security measures on her cell phone so that no one could trace the calls between them. When he heard her sigh, he knew that he had the go ahead.
"John, oh, dear Lord, I missed your voice. And dear beloved, I miss you. This time away from you is killing my motivation here, soldier. When do I get some Casey time, Colonel?" Annie laughed softly, and clutched her cell closer to her ear. She was currently outside, watching the last of the cat tractors level the foundation rock for the new church building, and the construction noise was making it hard for her to hear his voice.
"Actually, Parson, I…I am coming now." Casey glanced back at the body resting underneath that wool plaid blanket in the back of the Vic, and he rubbed his forehead as he thought through what he needed to say.
"Oh, John, that's wonderful!" Annie exclaimed excitedly. "I could really use your help in making sure the contractors our architect secured are quality workers, and for some reason, I was never taught in pastor's school to read blueprints." Annie plugged her free ear to ward off the sound the tractor's back up signal, so she could listen to John better. However, what she didn't hear disturbed her. Usually, their conversation was sprinkled with his very dry wit, but today, he seemed somber and a little distant. Annie checked the street for traffic and began to walk away from the noise of the construction.
"John, what's going on? You sound…preoccupied." She knew how not to push this stoic man, but she valued the fact that he felt free to open up to her.
"Annie, you remember Ahman Remington, the British chaplain who was the Libyan nationalist?" John noticed that the body under the blanket was moving slightly, and a groan was heard from beneath it.
"Yes, he was the one who shot you and then helped you get out. Is something wrong with him?" Annie's heart beat sped up, for she knew how connected the two men became during a botched attempt at Qaddafi's assassination.
"He needs a safe place to hide, until I can help him get out of America. Is the cabin open?" Casey signaled onto the Interstate 5 entrance, and eased his large car easily into the traffic. He dodged several speeding cars to get into the left most lane, and then he gunned the Vic quickly to get out of the city limits. His eyes traveled to the rear view mirror, and he became a little nervous when the body in the back seat became even more agitated.
"John, you know anytime you need it, it is there. Do you want to stop by and pick up the key from me or can you get in with your picks?" Annie teased him a little, and he grunted softly, chuckling at her dig at his lock picking skills.
"I can get into that cabin anytime I want, woman, but I need to see you and feel you in my arms, Parson." Casey growled, and Annie felt a shiver of excitement go through her body at his deep voice. She shifted the phone to her other ear, and laughed gently.
"My cabin, my congregation, my arms and my heart are always open to you, Colonel." Annie breathed out and she heard Casey release a large sigh.
"It is too long a journey, Parson, before I am at your side. Beloved…" Casey swallowed, deeply affected by her love and acceptance of him bringing Ahman to the cabin. "Do not tell anyone yet I am coming. My friend's enemies are too numerous and too evil to take anything for granted. Be safe, my Annie. I will be there at your apartment by tonight."
"Be safe, Colonel. Vaya con Dios". Annie waited for his answer before she hung up.
"Vaya con Dios, beloved." Casey's voice whispered in her ear, and then there was only silence.
Casey next dialed General Beckman's number, and once he was connected he simply said, "Casey 651419 secure."
"Colonel, report." Beckman's voice seemed strained and she was not in the mood for chit chat. Casey leaned over to a button near the glove box, pushed it and a computer screen rose up with her image on it. He adjusted the sound and then clicked off his cell, as he spoke to her directly on the computer's microphone.
"I have the Raven in the back seat, but he's been shot and tortured pretty badly." He slid into another lane and adjusted his speed so that no police would pull him over.
"Do you know who did this to him?" Beckman rubbed her forehead, and then leaned forward to the camera trying to see if Remington was visible.
"He told me someone by the name of Mohammed Rasheesh. The intel was bad and his cover blew all to hell. General, may I ask, why is a Protestant chaplain going undercover like that?"
"John," Beckman's head looked down, and she relaxed her body. Casey knew that the next words out of her mouth would be off the record, so he braced himself for what she needed to say. Meanwhile, he beeped his horn at several slow cars, and grumbled, "idiots" under his breath.
"Ahman notified the C.I.A. that he was going after someone who was undercover in Rasheesh's organization, another Libyan national that the resistance needed to shore up democratic tendencies there in Libya. We gave him the go ahead, with the stipulation that if caught, the C.I.A. would disavow any knowledge of his whereabouts."
"Of course." Casey grumbled, none too happy with that piece of information. He felt that Ahmn had been left high and dry to flap in the wind, but he could not risk saying that to his superior officer. "It sounded like it was a crap shoot even before it started."
"Exactly, Colonel. Somehow, Ahman's cover was blown, and the Libyan national is still caught undercover. I believe the whereabouts of that man is what Ahman was tortured for. Somehow, we need Remington to return and get that man out of there before the terrorists kill him. Do you think Ahman is physically ready to take on the mission?"
At that exact moment, the Arabic man slowly raised up and looked directly at the computer screen. John whipped around and looked very surprised to see his friend moving so soon after the impromptu removal of the bullet in his belly. The Crown Vic swerved and nearly hit a Geo Metro in the next lane, but John corrected the car skillfully.
"Good Lord, man, give me some warning." Casey growled and concentrated on his driving. Meanwhile, the General was studying Ahman, and noticed his numerous cuts and bruises on his face, and even in the light, the man's face was filled with pain. His head was wobbling slightly and she noticed his hand on the head rest, stained red with his blood.
"Diane," Ahman swallowed, and tried to concentrate on her face, which seemed to be swimming in and out of his vision. "It is always good to see your face, dear." He groaned slightly as he shifted to move closer to the front seat, and his hand went down to his belly again. "Your man, the Colonel here, did a great job being a field medic, General. However, I can not vouch for his driving skills, or his personal choice of this mammoth boat he drives." Ahman's eyes twinkled even in his pain, and the General couldn't keep her lips from forming a smile when Casey yelled, "Hey, quite dissing the ride, Arab."
"Crude American!" Ahman dished right back, and then he stilled and his head went down on the seat top near Casey's right shoulder. He gulped and then looked Diane Beckman in the eye.
"I will go back in, General, and free that man. I owe him my life." He nodded solemnly at the general whose face showed her pride at her ex husband.
"However, I am informed by Agent Grimes that you are being safely guarded by the Colonel until such time as he deems you worthy of the fight." Beckman sternly told Remington, who only lowered his head once more in obedience to her order.
"Get some rest, my dear friend." The General's voice softened as she noted his body language. "The Colonel has a friend who will guard your identity and your soul and bring you some needed peace, understand, Ahman?"
"Yes ma'am." Ahman slipped back down into the back seat with a loud groan and buried himself under the blanket.
"Casey out." John reached over and right before he turned off the link, the General looked him square in the eye. "You and your Parson guard him well, and bring him back to me, Colonel."
"Yes ma'am." Casey echoed Ahman's reply and he shut the link off. Just as he thought that Ahman had fallen asleep, he heard his friend's sleepy voice mumble from under the blanket.
"The famous Colonel Casey making out on the front porch with a reverend. Class act, Crude American." Ahman snorted.
"Hey Arab, you are just jealous, dog. Especially when you meet her, Major." Casey shot back and grinned widely in the rear view mirrow. The only response he got from the Arab was a snort and then a few minutes later, a soft snore.