Thank you to everyone for your resoundingly-positive reviews. I think I have replied to everyone, with the exception of those of you who can't accept private messages. So, I say 'thanks' to you here!
And I hesitate to post this chapter today, when this weekend we lost so many brave SEALS who are working quietly, and usually behind the scenes, keeping our world a safer place. I feel highly inept to portray their dedication and bravery in the line of duty. So, this story is dedicated to them - the SEALS and their families who today are grieving the loss of their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers of SEAL Team Six. It is also dedicated to the other Team members who are grieving the loss of men they worked with so closely.
So, for what it is worth, thank you from a grateful nation. ~ljw~
Chapter 9
Monday morning
Danny was dressed in combat fatigues, boots and black tee shirt, standing with his feet apart, both hands firmly gripping the carbine pressed against his chest, a wide grin on his face.
~~~H50~~~
"How'd-? When?" Steve gave up on speech and simply stared at his friend with what Williams fondly referred to as "aneurysm face".
"Cat got your tongue, Steven? I must say," Danny paused for effect, then swept one hand around him, showing the dense, green foliage of the jungle around them, "you could have picked a more picturesque… and less noisy place for a vacation."
Steve met him halfway and slapped Danny on the arm. "I don't believe it. What are you doing here? Let's get on board... you've got a lot of explaining to do."
A familiar voice called from further in the jungle. "Hey guys, this one's still alive."
"Chin?"
Danny nodded and his devilish grin managed to get wider. "And Kono."
They heard cursing and saw Chin pushing Ochoa through the brush toward them.
"You can't do this," Ochoa argued. "I am the president."
"Well, excuse me, but I believe there was an election last week that said otherwise. Now move," Chin ordered. "You're coming with us. And you're not hurt that badly, so step it up."
"No. I refuse."
"What'd you say?" Danny asked in amazement, turning to stand in front of the man. "Really? You refuse. You think we're going to let you go because you don't want to go with us? Yeah, well, you're nuts." He grabbed the man's arm and helped Chin push and prod the man toward the chopper, muttering, "Refuse all you want to and let me know how that works for you."
"No! I want that girl," he screamed. "I need her."
At that, Ali, dug herself further into Steve's chest, gripping her fists into his shirt.
"Hey, hey, you're OK," Steve assured her. "Remember, I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you? He won't ever hurt you. I promise."
"Hey, Boss," Chin called over his shoulder, grinning at McGarrett. "Looks like you have some explaining to do, too," he said, nodding toward Ali.
"Let's get this bird in the air first," McGarrett told him as they entered the clearing next to the Blackhawk. "Anyone got zip ties?" he asked. "Tie that nut job up, nice and tight."
"Morning, Boss," Kono yelled to be heard over the rotors, leaning out of the chopper after all the others had boarded. "Looks like you've got a new friend."
"I do. This is Aliyana." He took off the sling and prepared to place her in the chopper, but she clung to his neck, holding tight, watching as Ochoa was pushed into a seat in the rear of the Blackhawk. "It's OK. This is my friend, Kono. Remember, I told you about her. Let me sit you down and I'll hop up right next to you."
She let go of his neck and he sat her in the opening and climbed in, reaching for her when he moved into a seat.
He glanced into the cockpit and found his pilot friend, Dave grinning at him. "All present and accounted for?" the pilot asked.
"Yeah," McGarrett replied, shaking his head and grinning. "And it looks like everyone has some details to share."
"Hey," Dave shrugged. "You needed help. Why should I recruit someone else to do something I can do myself?" the pilot asked. "Besides, business was slow – too many storms for sightseers this week. Great week to take a vacation away from paradise. You guys ready to get out of here?"
"Oh, yeah," Steve assured him as the Blackhawk smoothly took off, banked and headed north. He turned back around and settled in his seat, focusing on his team. "So... explain yourselves," he told them, grinning.
"The governor had already given us vacation, because we finished the Aukai case," Chin. "We had no excuse not to come."
"Really?" Steve couldn't stop grinning at his team. "No excuse at all?"
"That's our story and we're sticking to it," Danny replied, an answering smile of his own.
"Well, in that case, all we can say is 'thanks'," Grayson added from his seat next to McGarrett's. "I take it this is your team?" he asked the commander.
Steve nodded. "Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua," he said, pointing to each of them. "Guys, this is Lieutenant Grayson. You know Buck and Boomer, and Jackson and Vega are over with them."
"Hey, Kono, how ya doin'?" Boomer shouted. "If you're free, I could use a little TLC."
"Be there in a minute, Boomer," she replied with a grin.
"Hot damn," the SEAL exclaimed. "Doggie, I think she likes me."
Grayson looked at McGarrett, and added. "I think someone just got another shot of morphine."
Ali looked at all the newcomers and finally reached up and put her hand on Steve's face to get his attention.
He looked down, giving her a hug. "And this is Aliyana, the most important person on our team. What do you need, Baby?" he asked, expecting her to point at something, but was surprised when she actually spoke.
She glanced around again and then stared at him. "Where's your friend Grace?"
He looked at her in shock before a wide grin spread across his face. "I've been talking to you for two whole days and you won't talk back, and the first thing you ask is 'where's Grace'? You're something else, you know that?" He hugged her to him, planting a kiss on the top of her head, his team amazed at the ease in which he was dealing with her. "Grace is still in Hawaii with her mom."
"Can I see her?" she asked.
Danny joined in the conversation. "Well, someday soon, maybe you can visit Hawaii and she can meet you. You would have fun together."
She thought about it and then nodded, glancing up at Steve. "Mr. Flopsy, too?"
"Of course, Mr. Flopsy, too," he assured her, looking at the pink rabbit that had dirt and leaves stuck to him. He looked at the dirt on the girl's face and wiped a smudge away with his thumb. "You know, I think you and Mr. Flopsy both need a good bath."
"Haven't looked in a mirror lately, have you?" Danny asked.
Steve reached up and wiped a hand across his face, surprised when his fingers came away smeared in blood. "No. We've been a bit busy. But when the time comes, I won't turn down a hot shower."
Ali turned on her knees and touched Steve's face again.
"What'cha need?" He focused again on the little girl.
"You've got owies. One here and one here," she told him, touching his cheek and his chin.
He swiped the cuts once more and wiped his hand on his pants. "I'm OK," he assured her.
"I'll make them better," she promised, holding his face between her hands and kissing his cheek. "See. All better."
"Thank you. That is better."
She grinned and started asking questions, making up for lost time. "Why does Boomer call you 'Doggie'? Your name's Steve."
"Ali, I want to know that, too," Danny told her. "But Steve says it is a secret." He moved closer to her and whispered, "so, if he tells you, will you tell me?"
Steve laughed. "Nice try. Ali, Doggie is a nickname and I won't tell anyone how I got that name. Like Danny said, it is a secret."
She put both arms around his neck. "OK. I think I'll call you Uncle Steve instead."
He touched his forehead to hers. "I think that's a good idea," he agreed.
"Aww…" Kono grinned at him. "Boss, that's so sweet."
He looked at the goofy grins on his team members' faces and rolled his eyes at them. "It's been an interesting weekend," he admitted, a grin on his own face. He turned Ali back around so she could sit back on his lap.
They heard a commotion in the back of the chopper, and Ochoa yelled out. "I must speak with the commander. He must listen to me."
"What's he whining about?" McGarrett asked.
"You don't understand what you have done," Ochoa yelled at him. "I need the girl."
Steve glared at him. "Yeah, we heard you the last time. I don't get it. You kidnap her, drug her, send horrible photos to her parents, keep her locked up with a psycho nanny, and now you want her back? That makes no sense."
"My plan was to 'save' her and return her to her parents, ensuring that my people would once again see me as their benevolent leader."
The entire team laughed. "Well, then, how's that working out for you?" Grayson asked the demented man.
"Jackson?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"If he talks again, feel free to gag him."
"Gladly, Sir," the SEAL replied with a grin.
"How's Vega?"
"I'm fine, Sir."
Jackson agreed, "He'll be fine. We've got the bleeding stopped."
"Great job, Men."
McGarrett focused again on his 5-0 team, adding, "Great job from everyone."
"Anytime, Boss," Chin replied, his eyes crinkling with his smile.
Kono added, "Boss Man, we said we had your back."
"I know. And thank you."
"I have a question."
Steve turned to Danny. "Just one?"
"Well, I'm sure I'll think of more, but what was Plan B if Dave couldn't get a chopper?"
Steve chuckled. "This was Plan B, Danny. And thankfully we didn't have to go with Plan C."
"What's Plan C?"
McGarrett turned to Grayson and shook his head. Grayson grinned and replied, "We're lucky we didn't have to resort to Plan C. It would have been messy."
"So you had a Plan C?"
"No, Danny," McGarrett shook his head. "There was no Plan C. I knew I could count on you guys. I just didn't realize how far you would go for a 'vacation'." He returned to SEAL mode and asked, "Any word on the situation at the embassy?"
Chin pointed toward the pilot. "Dave was monitoring that when we landed in Suriname. You might want to check with him."
Steve reached for a headset hanging over his head and put it on so that he could speak to the pilot. After initiating contact, Dave replied, "A team moved in after we lifted off this morning. The embassy is secure; some minor injuries, but no more casualties."
"Is Admiral Farris still there?"
"Yes, as far as I know."
"OK, we need a plan. What's our ETA?" McGarrett asked.
"Approximately 45 minutes to Trinidad. We can land on the grounds of the embassy if you wish."
"Let me get back with you."
Dave gave him a thumbs up and Steve took off the headset.
"So, what's the problem?" Danny asked.
"I don't know who to trust in the embassy," McGarrett told them. He motioned for Grayson, Danny, Chin and Kono to move closer so they could speak in private. "I know there is at least one unfriendly in there. He's from our own embassy in Guyana. Name is Chavez. He was on the phone with the soldiers who planned to down our chopper when we first arrived for the rescue. I just don't know how many others he has working with him. He's with Ochoa," he added, with a nod toward the man in the back of the chopper, "but I don't know how closely or the last time they've been in contact."
He continued assessing their situation, planning as he went. "We have wounded that need to get to the hospital and we also need to get inside that embassy. We don't know what conversations Ochoa has had with Chavez. For all I know, he could be expecting us."
"But he isn't expecting us," Danny replied, pointing to Chin, Kono and himself. "So we do have some element of surprise."
"And it is the American Embassy," Chin added. "We should be able to walk right in."
Steve nodded. "True." He then shook his head and grinned, "Of course, after they find out I've compromised a SEAL mission by incorporating civilians, I may walk out of there in irons."
"Hey, Boss, we've got your back," Grayson told him. "You did what needed to be done. Like you said, everything isn't by the book."
"Might know he'd fill your head with that," Danny muttered. "Grayson, don't listen to everything he tells you."
"It's worked so far," the young SEAL replied with a grin.
"Told you so!" McGarrett replied, flashing a smug look at Williams. "But we have another issue to deal with."
"What's that?" Kono asked.
"We need to get Ali home."
The girl immediately sat up. "Really?" She looked at him, her dark eyes huge.
"Really," he told her. "We're heading right now to meet your momma and daddy."
She looked up at him and tried to smile even when her eyes filled with tears. "I want momma," she whispered, turning so she could lay her head on his shoulder. Both arms went around his neck and she snuggled against him while he patted her back.
"I know you do. And you'll see her soon," he soothed her. "Now," Steve continued, changing tactics and looking at his team, while his hand continued to rub her back.
"Wow. Talk about multi-tasking," Danny said with a grin. "I'd never believe it if I hadn't seen it. A SuperSEAL Nanny. You've got this whole nanny thing down to a science."
"Can we focus?" McGarrett retorted. "If Chavez is still inside, I don't want him to know he's been made and start another coup. When we were there, he remained close to the admiral, even to the point of giving us orders on where to land the chopper. I didn't trust the guy then. And when I last spoke with Farris on the phone, he tried to warn me that something wasn't quite right."
"How about the president and his wife?" Danny asked.
"They were in an apartment behind the embassy. If we can get to them, we can ensure their safety while Chavez is taken down."
Chin nodded. "How about landing near the hospital, get the wounded out, keep Ochoa on ice, and the three of us can go to the embassy, look around and see how to get you in to see Sanchez."
McGarrett nodded and picked up the headphones. "That can work." He called to Dave once again. "Can you get us to the hospital? We'll plan our strategy from there."
"Roger that. And we're getting close."
"Roger. Out."
Steve turned to Grayson. "Vega is out of commission and will head to the hospital along with Boomer and Buck. I'll need you and Jackson to keep Ochoa secure. I know he is wounded, but let's keep him in the chopper until this is over. Are you sure your shoulder is good," he asked, nodding toward the blood on his uniform.
"Positive," Grayson replied. "It's really just a scratch. Don't worry about 'the president'." The words were punctuated with his fingers making 'bunny ears' in the air. "We'll keep him cooling his heels here until you decide what to do with him."
The chopper began its descent and Steve glanced down at Aliyana, forgetting her presence while he was plotting. He was surprised when he realized she was asleep on his shoulder, her face snuggled in the crook of his neck. He reached up and rubbed his hand across her back.
Steve heard a sound and glanced up at his team… each member had a cell phone and had taken a picture of Ali and him.
Danny grinned. "If that isn't a Kodak moment, I don't know what is."
~~~H50~~~
