Angry ghosts

"Ghost."

For a long moment, there was utter silence in the room after Ekaterina's stunned word and then she looked at 'Jenkins'. Really looked at him. American. Male. She had heard hints that he had once been a US Navy SEAL, so the right service. About the right age. The right build. The right hair. Faces could change fairly easily and most of the available pictures of the man who had used that handle had been fairly bad. If he was the one who had been called Ghost… The man who had stopped a horrific attack on American teenage girls almost single handed, tracking the scum who had kidnapped the girls off college campuses right into Syria, and fighting to rescue them then that was incredible enough. But then, there was a similar man. One who had stopped a nuclear attack on Paris! Again, almost single-handed! She had seen classified records. Bodark had been involved in the cleanup of a lost nuke before she had joined them. The man who had stopped that stolen Russian nuke from blowing up Paris and the Pope had been a mystery. No past. No identification beyond a cover identity that was easy to discredit. The man did not exist. The French had been very annoyed with him for his tactics, but again, he had vanished just like a ghost. The few pictures that Russian Intelligence had managed to acquire of the man there had been also been very bad, but… The Kildar matched both descriptions. And from his reaction? It had been him.

There was only one thing to do. Any Western Special Forces or Spetsnatz would likely do the same! Muslim fanatics might want him dead. Everyone else?

Anastasia stared as Ekaterina slowly raised a hand and saluted the Kildar in the style of the Army of the Russian Federation.

"If you were Ghost, then this is likely from every professional soldier, everywhere. 'Well done'." Ekaterina said firmly. Then she added her own. "Bodark Salut!" She howled softly, her company's trademark.

Anastasia giggled at the Kildar's stunned expression. J was still oddly indistinct, but she could tell he was amused. She held her salute even when her arm started complaining. The Kildar shook his head and then returned it, American style. She held her salute until he dropped his.

"This is going to cause all kinds of problems." The Kildar said softly. "J? I figured you knew. Initial thoughts. Is there any way to spin this?"

"I wasn't going to say anything." J said weakly. "I didn't want you mad at me." Ekaterina had to snicker at that, despite the seriousness of the situation. That was all too true. The Kildar waved at him and the man continued. "Initial response? We are looking at a shitstorm. The reason you went dark was because of the fatwas and they are still valid."

Ekaterina inhaled in realization. Ghost had done miracles for the West, but in doing so, he had earned powerful enemies in any number of Islamic countries. Iran in particular. Al Queida wasn't as big now after the rise of ISIS, but they still had support in any number of places and if they found out where the man who had killed their declared leader was? All hell would break loose. Nutcases from everywhere would flood here to seek vengeance.

"Didn't Obama claim that his people killed Bin Laden in Pakistan?" Ekaterina asked slowly. Everyone looked at her and she shrugged. "I thought he claimed that the one Ghost offed was a double."

"She claimed all kinds of things to try and cut my funding. I pissed her off and the feeling was mutual." The Kildar said sourly. "No one believed half of what she said. Especially after Benghazi." Ekaterina nodded. Even for American politicians, that debacle had been stupid. Public and stupid, no less.

His phone had stopped ringing and now, it started again. He took it in his hand and stared at it. Then his eyes went hard and Ekaterina swallowed again. Anastasia recoiled from him as J moved back towards the door. To flee? Maybe. Whoever he was, he wasn't stupid. The Kildar's rage was dangerous. He keyed it on and spoke in a bright and cheerful voice. Everyone winced at that. Oh dear. He was beyond pissed.

"Kildar residence, how may we direct your call?" He asked. "Press one for lies. Press two for death and destruction. Press three to talk to a representative and prepare to be put on hold for at least two hours." His smile was an evil thing and everyone shuddered.

"Mike..." Pierson's voice from the speaker was hushed. From his tone, he knew how angry the Kildar was and probably why. He was worried. Smart man. "Um… You heard."

"Yeah." Mike's voice turned flat. "Did you do it?"

"No!" Whoever this Pierson said quickly. "It wasn't us. It wasn't the administration! Hell, it wasn't even the former administration. They knew better. Mike! We are investigating! We will catch whoever broke this!"

"Will you?" The Kildar asked, his tone still mild, if flat. "Not that it will do me or mine any good. You know, even with all the bullshit, even with all the angst and stupidity and silliness, I wasn't going to break my word. I gave my word to a real president. Not the jokers you have had for the last few years."

"Mike, we can fix this!" Pierson begged. Begged!

"Can you?" Oh, that was not mild. The rage that sang though the Kildar's voice was a terrible, terrible thing. "You know the Mullahs and sheiks will not attack you. Your current boss is strong. Inept at anything resembling diplomacy, but strong. You know what they will do as soon as this data hits the net." He turned to J. "How long?"

"Couple of hours at best." J kept his voice low, but shook his head. "The story is too good to keep to yourself unless you fear for your life. There are lots of people with grudges against Islamics now. Once the story hits the main Internet, it will spread. Go viral. I bet everywhere in a day."

"I see." The Kildar sighed and slowly relaxed. "Well, nice knowing you, Bob." He said sourly. "You can tell the bitch she won."

"She didn't do it, Mike!" Pierson actually shouted that. "She is scared shitless of what you are about to do!"

"Wise." Everyone but the Kildar in the room said that.

"She is my enemy." The Kildar said flatly. "She had proven that over and over. Until proven otherwise, I will assume she did it. That kind of dumb-ass tactic was and is her stock in trade after all." He shook his head. "Anastasia, better get the girls together. I will need to talk to everyone. Explain." He turned to J and did not speak his name even as he muted his phone. "Get Tolegen to put it back together and then get the hell out of here."

"You think I am leaving?" J demanded angrily. The Kildar shook his head.

"Yeah." The Kildar said firmly. "You don't need to die with us. No one knows you. You and Katya can disappear. Maybe you can do something? Make someone pay for this? You know what they are going to do, J. We cannot defend from a nuke and you know Iran has them. They are one of the few groups who will use them."

"So we plant yours in Tehran first." J said flatly. Kat actually wasn't surprised the Kildar had a nuke. She knew that the Russian government had handed him four of their smallest in exchange for whatever he had destroyed in Pankisi. She had never been able to find out what that had been and from what little she had discovered? She was glad of that. The few Keldara who had spoken of it had simply said that nukes were preferable. For Keldara to say something was worse than nukes? She had dropped her inquiries. She didn't want to know. She had been reasonably sure that Trishov had been trying to get a nuke back and paid for his silliness with his life. Nearly Kat's as well. "They want to play? We play."

"Bloodthirsty much? You have been around the Keldara too long." The Kildar complained. "You can get the girls out. Maybe hide them." It was not very well known that the Kildar had a harem. Fewer still knew that he used that as an excuse to give them education that was virtually unknown for poor people in the area. Kat only knew because she had taken lessons in the harem herself and been shocked at how smart the girls were. The Kildar doted on them and they loved him for it. Yes, it was a fully functional harem, but Kat had never seen single a girl complain about her treatment. Homework, yes. The Kildar's bed? Never. If anything, she remembered fights about who was next for it. "J, please?"

"How many will leave?" J asked softy. The Kildar looked at the floor and J shook his head. "You know how they feel. They live for the Kildar, they will die for the Kildar if needed. As will I. I didn't know what to expect when I came here. I knew a little of what you had done, but not all. I was just doing it for the thrill. I stayed because you and yours made me welcome even with all the ugliness of my profession. You are better than this, Kildar. Better than them. None of us will leave and you know it."

"No." The Kildar said weakly. "J, come on! You are the only one who can..."

"Wait." Ekaterina said slowly and everyone looked at her. "You have a nuke and some know about it. Not everyone." Her words were not a question. "Do the mullahs know?"

"Will they care?" J asked snidely.

"They are human." Ekaterina said softly. Even with the supporting pillows, her back was starting to hurt and she fought to remain upright. "Whatever they may claim in public, they likely don't want to die any more than we do. I now owe you my life twice. Give it to me, I will deliver it. I am already a pariah. If it is a Russian nuke, then the US won't be blamed if you blow it either as revenge or deterrence."

Anastasia hissed in horror, but both the Kildar and what had to be a spy looked at her with oddly calculating eyes.

"They will blame the US anyway. They always do. Admittedly, much of their problems stem from the US in some way." The Kildar shook his head and keyed his phone back on. A torrent of profanity sounded from it and the Kildar actually smiled. It was grim, that smile, but a smile. "Temper, Bob."

"Mike!" There was sudden silence from the phone and then the other spoke slowly. "Whatever you are going to do, don't! We have forces in motion to help-"

"You send anything into our airspace and we will shoot it down." The Kildar warned. "Manned or not, I don't care. I bet you know the Israelis gave us a set of their newest SAMs to field test for them in harsher winter conditions than they have in Israel. They work fine. So do the surplus ZSU 23-4s that I got from them at the same time for peanuts."

Ouch! Kat had to wince hard at that and regretted it as her back hurt worse. Russian Intelligence had known he had anti-air defenses, but that? The ZSU 23-4 vehicle mounted anti-aircraft weapon system was old, the originals dating from the Vietnam War. But it was proven effective even against modern equipment. If he had upgraded the radars as heavily as he upgraded everything he got? Oh dear. Four 23 millimeter cannon made a hell of a firestorm for even armored aircraft to fly through. She knew. She had seen it, faced them in battle. She had lost comrades to such weapon systems. If he had more than one? She wouldn't want to fly anywhere near here without a lot of backup. Add top of the line Israeli SAMs and no one would want to try this place. Not even stealth aircraft would have a chance against that if the Kildar was half as prepared as she expected him to be.

"Mike!" The other begged. "Don't be stupid!"

"Stupid?" The Kildar asked, to all appearances baffled. "Why would I do that? That is the prerogative of the US government. Which, as I recall from my last conversation with you, I have absolutely nothing to do with." His tone was mild, but his eyes were flashing. "What was it your boss at the time said? Oh, yes. 'We protect US citizens. You are not US citizens.'" He shrugged. "Whatever. You want to brown-nose your new boss the same as you brown-nosed the bitch and her boss? Go for it. We are not American anymore. You have no authority over us. We have been ready for this. Well, not this per say, but something from you assholes. As soon as anyone starts shooting at my people, everything I have goes onto the net. Good luck keeping your government or any government running when the Albanian take hits the main streams."

Ekaterina didn't understand that and from the horrified looks on Anastasia's and J's faces? She was glad of that.

"Name your price." A new voice. A familiar voice. Ekaterina bit back a gasp as the US president came onto the line. "You are a mercenary. How much do you want?'

"My price?" The Kildar didn't seem fazed at all by the new voice in the conversation. "Oh, I dunno… A bunch of lives I want back. Lives that were cut short by people like you who lied to me, Sir." There was precious little respect in the Kildar's voice. "People who gave me inaccurate information, knowing it was inaccurate and got a bunch of my people killed in the need to keep their secrets. Well. Fuck them. Fuck you. I am sure that your good buddy Vladimir is shitting a brick right now too. Because he knows what my response is. He offered me a billion dollars for what his people gave me after Pankisi. After he found out I did not give all of them to you. I told him where he could stick it."

"Really?" The other man wasn't angry. He sounded almost appreciative?

"Yeah." The Kildar chuckled, but it held little humor. "He tried extra-legal methods next, but um… Some Spetsnaz are very good. My people are better. A few of the Russians survived. Which is better than what happened to your predecessor's team."

"What?" Ekaterina was hardly the only one to say that. Two voices spoke the same from the phone. Anastasia put her hand to her face and J? He was a statue.

"Funny story. I didn't fire a shot and neither did any of the Keldara." The Kildar said with a snort. "Did you know the Siberian Tigers are coming back? I didn't. I saw one here a while back and thought it was once off. An oddity. Maybe a hallucination. Then a team of my scouts found a mess out in the woods. Apparently, a team of American Marine Force Recon troops of all people dropped into the middle of a den of them out in the boonies. The surprise was apparently the same for both sides, but the tigers won the resulting fracas and got a free dinner out of it." He made a face as both voices from the other end gagged. Ekaterina felt a bit faint herself. "It was quite a mess from all accounts. We recovered their dog tags and a bit of gear. Which is how we knew they were Marines. I am afraid the bodies are um… gone. Bob? I know you have had other teams of soldiers moving through my area of operation fairly regularly and you know that my people shadow them for practice and to make sure none of you get ideas. Dropping Marines in here unannounced was a very bad idea. If the animals hadn't gotten them, we would have. They may be good. They are not that good."

"I didn't know anything about that, Mike." The one named Pierson said slowly. "Whoever did that didn't go through me."

"Foresooth, I thinketh something stinketh in the District of Columbia." The Kildar said with a snarl. "To hell with Denmark. To hell with you. You send anything my way or if Vladimir sends anything my way, all either of you will get back is pieces and maybe identification. Maybe. If I am in a good mood."

"You cannot do this alone, Mr. Harmon." The US President tried again, but the Kildar was having none of it.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I let you and yours steal everything I have worked so hard for? It is what you do." The Kildar snapped. "You have the right to take anything you want any time you want, because you are American and rich. Well guess what? I am rich too and I don't spend my money on prostitutes. Try and take my stuff. Please. You won't like what happens." He paused and then spoke a bit calmer. "And for the record, my name is Jenkins. You may call me that or Kildar. Not Harmon. Mike Harmon was American and served in your Navy. Me? I am not American according to Mrs. Clinton and your esteemed predecessor. None of your administration seem to be concerned with that. So, American problems are by definition not mine. I have other problems. Such as where I am going to put Vladimir's little toy before the shitstorm you Americans have dropped on me kills everyone I hold dear. I think Tehran would do nicely."

A complete silence fell. No one seemed willing to speak. To dare the Kildar's wrath.

"You fought hard to keep nuclear weapons from harming civilians." The President said after a moment. "You won't do that." He didn't sound very sure. Hell, Ekaterina wasn't sure if the Kildar was serious or not.

"Tell that to Chief Adams." With that, the Kildar cut the phone again ad hung it back on his belt. Only when it was secured did he slump. Anastasia rose and went to his side. She didn't say anything. She just wrapped her arms around him and stood there, holding him.

"Adams? It wasn't tigers, was it?" Ekaterina said softly.

"It was." J's voice was just as quiet. "But that came later. The teams were rather pissed. They had found a den of tigers out in the woods and um… Most of them were alive when they were dropped into the den in their skivvies. They got off easy."

"Adams was the field commander." Ekaterina said weakly. J nodded. "What the hell did those Marines do?"

"They were not Marines. They were American black ops. They were pretending to be US Marines. They faked being a team doing the usual training in the area until they got close to a group of Keldara kids. They gave the shadow team the slip." J shook his head. "Then they tried a snatch. It was their very bad luck that that group of kids were being chaperoned that day by Chief Adams. They demanded his surrender. Even surrounded with multiple automatic weapons aimed at him, he told them to and I quote 'fuck off'."

"Yeah, he would." Ekaterina remembered the crusty old sailor with a fond smile. "How many did he get?"

"Three dead, but he hurt them all." J sighed. "Radios were jammed, new tech. He gave one of the kids his radio and told them all to run. To report. They did. They heard firing behind them as they ran. Gunshots always make alarms sound across our land, let alone the claymore mines the Chief set as he led them a merry chase. By the time the Keldara response teams got there, maybe ten minutes later, there were eight wounded black ops left out of a full squad of eleven and the Chief was dead. We um… We were not gentle when we asked for information and they told us eventually that they had been sent to 'acquire' the nuke by any means necessary. Including taking children hostage since some people in high places know that the Kildar has a soft spot for kids. Their orders came from someone in the CIA but the previous president or his Secretary of State had to sign off on such a move. Adams fell protecting Keldara kids. He went into the dun as a Keldara honored dead. The survivors of the snatch team did go into a tiger den along with the bodies and they were alive when they did. They got off easy. The Mothers wanted them, Mother Lenka in particular. I shudder to think what she might have done. She liked Adams."

"Bozhe moi." Ekaterina breathed in horror, but not at the fate of the men. "His own country killed him."

"Not his country according to Mrs. Clinton. We are traitors after all for not kowtowing to her and hers. I am sure she danced with glee when she heard about his death. I sent a message to his remaining family. Only one replied, but I know they all got it." The Kildar shook himself hard. "You are free to leave when you are able, Ekaterina." He promised. "It will take even the worst of the nuts a couple of days at the very least to send forces here. We have time to prepare. For all the good it will do in the end. Damn her. Damn them."

Ekaterina looked at him and then at Anastasia who looked ready to cry. She didn't like people who made Anastasia cry. The she-wolf that lurked deep in Ekaterina's soul reared her head and growled in anger. Ekaterina didn't have many friends. Someone had hurt her friends. Someone would pay!

"I am not leaving." Ekaterina said fiercely. "I liked Adams too."

She had. That man had been irreverent, belligerent, sometimes silly and stupid, but he had also been fair to a Russian prisoner who he hadn't needed to be fair to. That had been memorable. The Kildar looked at her and then at Anastasia who shrugged. He looked at J who also shrugged.

"Fair enough. I know when to pick my battles." A weary warrior peeked out of the Kildar's eyes for a moment as he scrutinized Ekaterina. Then he smiled a much more natural smile.

"Want a job?"