Sorry for the long time between posts. It's taking a bit longer to wrap things up and RL keeps intruding. My horse decided to wrench his shoulder and is currently three-legged lame. Time is the cure, unfortunately, along with anti-inflammatories. At least now he is managing to get up without help after laying down to rest. There's nothing quite as invigorating as trying to position an 1100 lb. horse to get to his feet without getting caught in the process. Getting up every couple of hours to check on him hasn't been much fun either. Fortunately, my neighbors are retired and they keep me posted on his condition while I'm at work.
Anyway, I appreciate all the reviews and everyone seems unanimous in wanting all the details. There will be another chapter after this and an epilogue, too. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well.
Chapter 29
Thursday,
Bymer Pass
Southeastern Bacovia
1805 Local
Unwilling to pull his aim away from the man who'd surrendered, Tink watched Anatoli slowly swing Pick's rifle towards him. "What are you doing?" he growled, "Where's Lt. Tyler?"
"You try to kill me," Anatoli replied, firming up his grip, "Not so easy."
Tink rolled his eyes in exasperation, "The only thing we 'tried' was to get you away from the shooting." The last man started to ease back a step and froze when Tink glared at him. "Look, we're the good guys here."
Anatoli snorted, jerking his chin towards the bodies on the trail, "Does not look good. Looks same."
"So now what? You shoot me?" Tink gestured with his rifle towards his prisoner, "You shoot him? You become a murderer?"
"I am protecting myself, my family," Anatoli scowled. "I will do what I must."
"Will that include killing the witnesses?"
All three men turned towards the sound of a woman's voice. Carol stood there with Leonid at her side. Tink was first to recover, automatically warning his prisoner not to move before turning to look at Carol, "Get back, ma'am. Please."
"Leonid! How - ?" Anatoli suddenly brought the rifle up to his shoulder, sighting in on Tink. "You! You steal my son!" he spat angrily.
"Papa! No!" Leonid was torn between racing to his father and staying with Miss Montgomery. She wasn't that steady on her feet. If he left her alone, she would probably fall. He switched to Russian, speaking rapidly, "These are the Americans! I came to warn them about those men who threatened you and Mama. They are protecting me and Miss Montgomery." He glanced up at Carol before looking at his father again, "Grandfather helped her escape from the first men."
Startled, Anatoli lowered the rifle slowly, "You came out here on your own? When? How did you know about these men? We could not find you earlier."
Leonid flushed a little, digging a toe into the dirt. He wasn't sure how to explain what he'd done earlier without getting in a lot more trouble than he already was. You didn't tell your father flat out that he'd been wrong and dishonorable, especially in front of outsiders. "I - uh - I heard you and Mama talking after the Americans left." He glanced up to gauge his father's reaction and flinched. He hadn't merited a whipping in years but he was probably going to get one this time. His grandfather wouldn't be there to argue his side. He hung his head, continuing reluctantly, "I, um, took the phone and Rayna and went down the mountain. When I came back, those men were there," he pointed a finger at the surviving man, "I heard what they said and I had to do something. They were bad, just like the ones Grandfather was leading. I thought if I could warn the Americans and find Grandfather, we wouldn't get in trouble with the government."
Meanwhile, Carol had been quietly translating the conversation for Tink. She frowned as she did so, feeling Leonid trembling slightly. While Carol believed in boundaries and discipline in raising children, including the occasional swat applied to a rear-end, she did not condone beating. It was obvious to her that Leonid was afraid of what his father would do. She looked down at the boy, "Who did you call?"
Leonid glanced up at her, startled at the interruption, "A man, an American, Epp - ?"
Carol looked at Tink who nodded slowly, "Don Eppes with the LA FBI. He was the one who figured out who was behind the kidnapping." Tink turned and scowled at Anatoli, "The Colonel gave her phone to you and paid you to make that call. Why did Leonid have to do it?"
Anatoli's mouth opened and closed soundlessly, unwilling to admit what he'd done, or rather, what he hadn't done. He never should have listened to his wife.
Tink's eyes narrowed, "You worthless- ," he amended his language with a glance at Leonid, "You weren't going to call, were you? You took the money and would have left us hanging. Your son has - "
"Lieutenant," Carol stopped him although she certainly agreed with what he was saying. Insulting the man, however, - no matter how warranted - would probably come back on the boy. She turned to Anatoli, "Please put the rifle down, Mr. Tarchevsky, and step back. The people who come down that trail next will be the Royal Bacovian Army. You don't want them to find you like this."
Tink watched Anatolia silently as the man stared at Carol before glancing down the trail. He felt like cheering. This was the Carol Dzurick he knew. Despite her battered appearance and ill-fitting clothes, her calm, reasonable tone reeked of long-established authority and quiet courage. She expected to be obeyed and she would not flinch.
Anatoli glanced from the woman to the big man, feeling ashamed and somewhat worried. She sounded so sure of herself. How could he have strayed so far and not seen? The consequences might have been deadly for the entire family if Leonid hadn't taken it upon himself to honor the ancient pact. He looked down the trail again. Everyone knew the Bacovian Army could be ruthless when confronting enemies. Would that be how they saw him? Who was this woman?
"Mr. Tarchevsky," Carol repeated quietly.
With a resigned sigh, Anatoli put the rifle down against the boulder and backed away nervously. As soon as the barrel was no longer aimed at him, Tink moved forward to secure his prisoner. The man had been listening unabashedly and almost seemed startled when Tink put him on the ground and hogtied him. Satisfied the man would stay put, he hurried over to find out what happened to Pick. He hesitated for just a moment, steeling himself for what he might find, before circling around to the far side of the boulder. Pick was curled on his side at the base, unmoving. Swearing quietly, Tink knelt down next to the smaller man, "Pick? Can you hear me?" He slid a couple of fingers along Tyler's neck, checking for a pulse.
"Is he alive?"
Tink glanced up to see Carol looking worried as she stood braced between Leonid and the boulder. He nodded as he carefully ran his hand over Pick's head, looking for injuries. A few seconds later, he grunted to himself as he traced an egg-shaped lump near the back of Pick's head. Gently probing it, he couldn't find any blood. That had to be a good thing. Pick groaned suddenly, weakly flapping a hand in the direction of his head.
Encouraged, Tink shared a hopeful look with Carol and leaned in a bit closer, "Pick?" He watched as Tyler's eyes blinked open and squinted as he groaned again. When he started to push himself up, Tink lent a hand, helping Pick sit up with his back against the boulder.
Slouched forward, with his head resting in his hands, Pick stayed still for a few seconds before slowly turning his head towards Tink. "We win?" he whispered, his voice somewhat rough.
"No thanks to the Navy," Tink grinned in relief. "While you were napping, the Marines took care of business - as usual."
Pick lifted his head a fraction, attempting a glare, "Didn't want to spoil your fun. Know how giddy Marines get when they're shot at." His voice was somewhat stronger.
Feeling a nudge, Carol looked down at Leonid, "Yes?"
"They don't like each other?" Leonid whispered, looking a little worried.
Carol smiled, still half-listening to the two men, "They're best friends. They're just letting each other know how worried they were." She grinned down at Leonid, "You should hear them when they're happy."
Satisfied that Pick wasn't seriously injured, Tink stood up and froze as a harsh voice yelled something in Russian. Immediately he lunged towards Carol, trying to get himself between her and Leonid and whatever this latest threat was. There was a burst of automatic rifle fire and everything went black.
o o o o o
Thursday,
Trail to Romanian border
Southeastern Bacovia
2330 Local
"We can handle the watches," Sokol scowled at Edgerton while gesturing towards Fyodr and Josef. "Go sleep off the jet-lag."
The two men glared at each other before Edgerton finally shrugged. There was no way he'd ever admit it but his ass was dragging. "Fine, but if anything happens, or you even suspect something might happen, you wake me. Understood?" Somewhat mollified when Sokol nodded firmly, Ian turned towards the campfire and spread out his bedroll near where Harm and Mac lay sleeping. They were only about two miles from Trask's campsite. Ian would have preferred putting more distance between them but it was late and neither the Rabbs nor Gunny Walters could handle any more travel. He hadn't been surprised about the Commander or the Colonel needing rest but he'd been shocked as hell to find out the Gunnery Sergeant had been wounded earlier. Josef had outed Walters, scolding the big man in Russian and in a way that had Mac, Sokol and Fyodr smiling. Then the old man had turned magician, disappearing into the darkness and returning fifteen minutes later with not two, but three horses. Two belonged to Josef and third must have come from Trask's camp. Ian didn't really care one way or the other. Having them made it easier to move the Commander and the Gunny. The third was the packhorse, still carrying supplies, which made the camp a little more comfortable as well as providing some food. Josef had offered to strip off the pack so the Colonel could ride, too, but she'd turned him down. Instead, he'd rigged a hand-hold for her out of rope and attached it to the saddle of Rabb's horse.
Settling down, Ian closed his eyes wearily. A couple of hours rest would see him right. Once they got off this godforsaken trail and crossed into Romania, maybe the cellphones would start working again and he could check in with Eppes. This time Trask really was dead, along with the rest of his men. Ian hoped they enjoyed their time in Hell, they'd certainly earned it.
o o o o o
Kate took up her post next to Harm and Mac, watching the rest of the group carefully. Edgerton and Sokol both had a dark tinge about them that made it difficult for her to relax. Kate supposed it had something to do with their professions. Edgerton was a sniper after all, and who knew what Sokol had done as part of the KGB. Despite that, they had firmly opposed Trask. She would give them the benefit of doubt but she wasn't about to trust either of them. Josef was another story altogether. It was a trifle unnerving. He could still see her, even though Mac could not, and had a disconcerting habit of bowing whenever he caught her looking his way.
Sokol took the first watch, a blanket draped over his shoulders as the night grew cooler. Mac still had his coat. He'd refused to take it back. Fyodr turned in immediately and so did Josef after he'd checked on his horses one more time. Kate relaxed and let her senses reach out the way Tess had taught her. There were little pools and eddies of darkness all around them, growing deeper and more numerous until they merged into the solid blackness of Tchort's Forest. Kate frowned a little at the level of activity that was still going on. She thought Avis had dealt them a pretty severe blow. Speaking of whom, Kate turned and smiled as Avis appeared nearby. She was getting better at sensing her mentor as well. She waited patiently as the woman stayed still for a few moments, no doubt assessing the threat level around them.
After a few seconds, Avis walked over, smiling at Kate as she knelt down next to Harm and Mac. They were snuggled together with one bedroll spread out underneath and one over top. Mac was on her side with her head on Harm's shoulder and an arm draped across his chest. Kate watched as Avis placed a hand over each of them for a few moments. Neither really moved but Kate thought she could sense a deeper relaxation in both. "What did you do?" she asked when Avis stood up again.
"Chased out a few shadows," Avis replied, smiling slightly. "Their sleep should be a bit more restful."
Kate nodded slowly before blurting out the question she'd been itching to ask, "What are you exactly? I mean, you keep saying you're just a guardian spirit and that you knew Mac when you were alive but none of it makes sense. I'm a guardian spirit, too, and what happened today was way beyond my pay grade. That - that Thing swatted me away like a gnat and you blasted it out of existence."
Avis regarded her steadily for a little bit. "I am what I am," she said finally, holding up a hand when Kate started to speak again. "What was happening was out of the ordinary and required extraordinary measures. One of Hell's minions took possession of a mortal to accomplish its goals. Such things upset the balance and cannot be tolerated."
Kate's eyebrows rose, "Trask?"
"No," Avis shook her head, "although he was firmly in its thrall. It was the 'guide' Trask hired to get him through Tchort's Forest."
"Him? But why didn't he try something in the Forest? We couldn't have stopped him," Kate shook her head, looking bewildered. Trying to figure out the rules in this reality was nearly as hard as it had been figuring out all of Gibbs' rules.
Avis smiled grimly, "He didn't dare. The Forest doesn't like competition and it's far more established. He could do what we did - work subtly to achieve his objectives. It so happened that our objective was the same at that point - get out of the Forest."
"But - but, they're on same the side," Kate protested. "I don't understand. Shouldn't they have worked together?"
"Cooperation isn't a strong suit among such entities," Avis answered dryly, "The strong prevails and absorbs the weak along the way, even if they're supposedly allies."
Kate was silent for a moment while she thought it over, "But at the camp, that thing didn't appear right away. It waited until Mac had taken that ass down a second time. Then it stopped both of us in our tracks. Why didn't it do that from the first?"
"I don't know," Avis shrugged. "Such beings delight in mayhem and torment. I suppose it was toying with everyone. It was aware of you. Sarah and Harm weren't the only targets."
Kate shuddered a little, remembering the horrifying drain of her energy. She hadn't known that was possible. "Why didn't it affect you? And what was it doing to Mac? I thought it wasn't allowed to physically touch her."
"It wasn't. Doing so hastened its own demise," Avis looked somewhat grim. "And I was merely the vessel for restoring the balance. There were higher powers at work this night."
Kate's eyes grew round in surprise, "Wow." She frowned a little, glancing down at the sleeping JAG officers, "Mac's okay, isn't she? It didn't do any permanent damage, did it?"
"The damage was reversible and Sarah will be fine, in time," Avis smiled. "Both Harm and Sarah's actions have brought them well-deserved recognition. Their resistance was much stronger than any had anticipated. It bought us valuable time to avert a number of potential catastrophes."
"I don't understand," Kate admitted, shaking her head. It had seemed like they were moving from one disaster to another.
"Despite what that man Trask wanted, it was no coincidence that Carol Dzurick was taken in Mac's place," Avis replied. She nodded at Kate's wide-eyed expression, "There was much more going on than a simple case of revenge. The Enemy saw an opportunity to destabilize an entire country. Gheorghe has been teetering on the edge, helped along by conveniently recurring memories of betrayal. He could have easily plunged his nation into civil war. That chaos would have likely spread to neighboring countries. Queen Margarete was not supposed to survive the attack in the ballroom. Nicolas was not supposed to take the second bullet meant for his sister. As always, the Enemy underestimates the sacrifices one makes out of love." Avis held up a hand, "Only one more question for tonight."
Although she had a lot to think about, Kate couldn't help feeling a bit frustrated. This was as talkative as Avis had ever been. She finally asked the one thing that had grown ever more puzzling as she learned more about Avis, "How did you and Mac meet?"
Avis grinned, "Simply enough. We met during the war." She shook her head when it looked like Kate was going to ask another question, "No more. We still have jobs to do." She continued to smile as Kate huffed a little before leaving to circle the perimeter. Once the former NCIS agent was gone, Avis looked down at Mac. "How much did you hear?" she asked quietly.
"A lot," Mac mumbled, sounding a bit groggy. She didn't bother lifting her head or opening her eyes.
"Go back to sleep," Avis ordered softly. "We'll talk about this later when you're feeling better."
"Yes, ma'am."
o o o o o
Friday,
Gapochka Trauma Center
Toprek, Bacovia
0030 Local
Trailed by a security detail, Carol quietly followed the Medical Director down the corridors to her son's room. She was dead on her feet but having finally learned about Nicky and Cat, she couldn't rest until she'd seen them both. The last six hours had been a nightmare beginning with the advance scout of a military rescue column shooting Lt. Bell. There'd been a few seconds of stunned shock and then her anger had erupted, first at the scout and then at the lieutenant who'd arrived soon after and had the gall to proclaim that she'd just been rescued. Her anger was nothing compared to Pick's rage. It was just as well that he'd been unable to stand or Carol was sure he would have launched himself at the scout. She then discovered just how thorough her children's tutelage of Russian had been as Pick resorted to language that would have made a longshoreman blush. She finally managed to get him to stop for Leonid's sake. Anatoli then captured everyone's attention when he declared that Tink was still alive. He'd been the first to reach the big man, no doubt hoping in part, to atone for his earlier mistakes.
Carol brusquely ordered the medic who'd approached her first to take care of Bell. Knowing time was of the essence, she dispatched the scout back to the trailhead with orders to call in a Medivac helicopter as soon as he could establish communications. The purpose was twofold - to have medical help and transportation waiting and to get the man out of Pick's sight. The ninety minutes it took to get everyone organized and to reach the trailhead had been agonizing. There, she'd taken her leave of the Tarchevsky family - by then, they were all aware of who she was - giving the blushing Leonid a kiss on the cheek and promising the stunned parents she would return. The scout had halfway redeemed himself by not only arranging air transport but also commandeering an ambulance and its medical attendants. Carol once again confounded protocol by sitting up front with the driver so Tyler could ride in back with Bell.
Their arrival at the local hospital had thrown everyone into a tizzy. Due to security concerns, the staff had only received a ten minute warning. That had suited Carol just fine. Instead of the usual plethora of administrative types and overly dignified senior MDs availing themselves of a royal ear, she got an abrupt, harried and very competent attending physician. He taken Bell first, getting him prepped for surgery and into an OR quickly. She'd been next, despite her protests that she could go last. No doubt sensing her trepidation as the nurse helped her out of the layers of clothing, the Doctor had maintained a clinical detachment as he catalogued and treated her injuries. Aware of her reputation as a horsewoman, he was very careful in examining the broken bones in her hand, finally delivering his opinion that, with therapy, she should regain nearly full strength and use. The Doctor also recommended she see a specialist to confirm that opinion. He didn't say a word about the heelprint on her skin that made it very obvious how her hand had been broken in the first place.
They'd placed her hand in a temporary air cast and redressed the arm wound and Carol had refused any painkillers stronger than aspirin. She knew word would soon reach her family of her safe return and that security would come swarming. She had no intention of reuniting with everyone while half-addled on drugs. She did, however, take the offer of a bed and a private room. With the pressure finally off, exhaustion was seeping in and she needed to rest. Less than two hours later, Liz Parker had slid quietly into her room and awakened her. The two old friends had hugged, laughed, cried and hugged again. Carol told Liz more about Tink and Pick and learned with dismay that no one had heard anything from Sarah or Harm. She said nothing about what she'd gone through and Liz didn't push.
Finally, Liz told her about Cat and Nicky. After that, wild horses couldn't keep Carol in bed. Liz had come fully prepared for that reaction, knowing every mother's instinct was to be with their children in time of need. She'd already made the arrangements for Carol, Tyler and Bell. Tink had made it through surgery and was in Recovery. The surgeon had given his 'guarded but hopeful' speech and, barring complications, Tink would be moved to the room he would share with Pick in a couple more hours. As soon as it was safe, the two would be transported to the Gapochka Trauma Center where Nicky was recovering. Until that time, a security detail would remain with them. Meanwhile, Liz and the rest of the security team escorted Carol onto a waiting helicopter and flew her to the Trauma Center to see her son. From there, she would travel back to the palace to see Cat and after that, Liz told Carol in no uncertain terms that the only thing she would see would be a bed. The rest of the family could visit her there.
Carol slowed down as she approached the door to the suite that Nicky was in. Both security guards had quickly stifled looks of shock and stepped respectfully out of the way. She had no idea if their reactions were due to her unexpected arrival or the state of her appearance. Receiving a reassuring look from Liz, she took a deep breath and nodded. Liz quietly opened the door and stepped out of the way. Carol crossed the threshold and stopped, taking in the scene. Nicky's eyes were closed and his face pale with the slightest shadow of a beard appearing. A single wide band of bandaging went around his chest and there were numerous tubes and wires attached. She watched the steady rise and fall as he breathed and listened to reassuring rhythmic beep of the heart monitor.
Gheorghe and Harley had turned upon hearing the door open. Gus and El were asleep on the couch on the far side of Nicky's bed. Gheorghe had been the first out of his chair with Harley only a step behind, their initial shock giving way to joyous surprise. Gheorghe had slowed on his approach, letting Harley be the first to greet her daughter. He hadn't missed the quick flash of fearful wariness that had crossed Carol's battered face as he'd hurried towards her. He cautiously closed the distance while Harley quietly exclaimed over Carol's various injuries as only a mother could. When Harley finally stepped back, he was within an arm's length of her. Slowly extending a hand, palm up, he murmured softly, "Lyubov moya, pridI ka mne."
Carol stared at him for a long moment before slowly reaching out her right hand. Covering it lightly with his other hand, Gheorghe raised her encased hand up and gently kissed her fingers, "Ti takaya krasIvaya."
A sob caught in Carol's throat as tears welled up. "Oh Geordie," she managed to get out as the dam burst and she began to cry. He gathered her in and she buried her head in his chest and continued to sob. Gheorghe kept his embrace light, not knowing where else she was injured. He gave Liz a look and received a nod in return. Cat and Mo would see their mother later in the morning, she wasn't going anywhere else tonight. Trusting Liz to handle the logistics, Gheorghe concentrated on the woman in his arms. He had a lot of making up to do. Cat had broken through the wall he'd built around himself and exposed his actions over the last years to the light of day. There was little to be proud of and he now knew with devastating clarity what it would have felt like if he had succeeded in driving away his wife and children.
o o o o o
Friday,
Romanian border
0630 Local
The little group came to a halt. Mac and Harm exchanged a glance before turning a questioning look towards Sokol and Josef. "Mark?" Mac asked quietly, leaning slightly against Harm's horse. Sleep and a decent breakfast had gone a long way but she still ached and knew Harm's knee hadn't gotten much better.
Sokol rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at Fyodr, "The Romanian border is less than a quarter mile away, down around that bend."
"And -?" Harm chimed in. He had an idea of where this might be going.
Sokol humphed a bit, shooting a mild glare at the Commander, "And - the Romanian Army is camped there, waiting to rescue you and Carol Dzurick. I don't think they'll be that pleased to see me and I'm pretty sure I don't want to see them either."
"You think they'll arrest you?" Mac frowned, "But you, Fyodr and Ian saved us. We would have died back there. Surely, they'd understand the extenuating circumstances."
"I don't know that that would matter much," Sokol shook his head. He gestured towards Ian and Josef, "Let them think it was Edgerton and Tarchevsky. Once they leave with you, Fyodr and I can slip through and head back home."
"That's not fair. You two deserve some recognition for what you've done," Mac couldn't help arguing while knowing it was pointless.
Sokol smiled grimly with a glance at Fyodr, "I think we can do without that sort of recognition." He waved a hand, "Go on, go get rescued. It'll strengthen the ties between Bacovia and Romania. Margarete will be able to turn this to her advantage. Bacovia hit the jackpot with that young woman."
Ian now nodded, he'd been listening quietly to the exchange. Sokol had a point, he didn't think the Romanian military would cut the KGB agents any slack either. He gestured towards the packhorse, "Why don't you pull off what you need? No sense in being uncomfortable while you wait." He glanced at Josef and frowned a little, "Something wrong, Mr. Tarchevsky?"
Mac looked over at the older man, absently noting how much more respectful Edgerton sounded when addressing Josef. She understood the feeling. He had an old world charm about him and the courage of a lion, having helped save Carol and Dubby. She'd never met anyone quite like him.
Josef absently smoothed his mustache, glancing towards the woman. He'd been flabbergasted to discover that she was the real Colonel MacKenzie, Rabb's wife. That had led to the question of who the first woman was. He thought Dubby had enjoyed watching his face when he discovered he'd helped the Queen Mother. He'd learned that the American enjoyed a good joke. After the shock had worn off, he couldn't help thinking he should have figured it out. She'd spoken Russian like a native and every Bacovian worth his salt knew that Carol Dzurick was an exceptional rider. After that, he'd arched an eyebrow at the White Lady, deciding it couldn't have been a coincidence that the escape plan he'd come up with had been specifically suited to the Queen Mother's unique talents. God did move in mysterious ways. He cleared his throat, addressing the American but speaking in Russian. As he hoped, the Colonel dutifully translated for him, "I do not have the papers to cross the border."
Harm frowned. He understood Sokol's special circumstances but would the Romanians truly be that strict about the border? He looked down at Mac with a wry expression, "You know, we don't have passports either."
Mac rolled an eye at him, "Speak for yourself, Navy. Marines come prepared." Her passport was still zipped into the inside pocket of her ruined jacket. She smiled, "But I'll be happy to vouch for you." She turned serious, looking at Sokol, "Would the Romanians really give Mr. Tarchevsky a problem? They know why we're here."
Sokol grunted, "Hard to say - it would depend on the guy in charge. If he's an ass, then yeah, they could confiscate Tarchevsky's horses and take him into custody until someone in Bacovia requests his release. Meanwhile, his horses and belongings would be conveniently 'misplaced'." He glanced at Josef and repeated what he'd said in Russian. The old man vigorously nodded his head in agreement.
The group was silent for a few seconds before Harm spoke up, "Well, I wouldn't mind stretching my legs a bit. I could walk." He glanced over at Gunny Walters who nodded slowly. Mac regarded Dubby worriedly. He'd grown more quiet since they'd gotten up this morning and she was afraid his wound was becoming infected. They'd done what they could with their limited supplies but what they really needed was a hospital. What they didn't need was to waste time.
Ian was of the same opinion, "All right. Let's get moving. Major Sokol, Fyodr and Mr. Tarchevsky will stay here. The Commander, Colonel and Gunny will come with me. Seeing how we'll be guests of Romania soon, we can travel light on this last stretch. Colonel, you can help the Commander and I'll help the Gunny."
Fifteen minutes later, the four rounded the last bend in the trail. Less than one hundred yards away, a guidepost marked the border. On the far side, a pair of soldiers straightened suddenly. One of them pulled out a handset and spoke into it. By the time the four Americans made it to the dividing line, there were a dozen soldiers waiting with an officer in front. He bowed courteously, gesturing for them to cross the line. As soon as they entered Romanian territory, he introduced himself as Captain Deleanu. By mutual agreement, Ian identified himself first, pulling out his FBI ID and badge. He introduced Harm and Gunny and Deleanu greeted them in heavily accented English. When Ian turned to Mac, the Captain put up a hand and shook his head. From there, things moved quickly as Deleanu immediately turned them over to his medic. Faster than Mac would have thought possible, stretchers were deployed for the three of them and troops detailed. The Romanian Captain was equally well-organized and efficient. In less than thirty minutes, he had his small force moving down the mountain trail. Facing backwards, Mac watched as the Bymer Pass slowly receded from view and gave her head a small shake. The Pass had turned out to be as deadly as its reputation made it out to be.
