Disclaimer: I don't own it or get paid for it : ) I don't own the
characters and therefore have no hope of making any money off this.
Yeah, another review!
End of Chapter 32
Terri and Stiles concocted an elaborate plan to get her to the Stiles ranch undetected: She would fly to Miami, rent a car there and drive to South Carolina, then take a taxi to the border. The next morning, they would be met by Stiles' stepmother, Katherine who would drive them the rest of the way. If not for having to drag along two restless toddlers, Terri would have enjoyed the journey; it was a little like the old days.
CHAPTER 33
"Hello."
"Moreland?"
"Who's this?"
"Your former bodyguard; I believe 'spook boy' is what you called me."
"Hey! How've you been? It's been a long time."
"I need your help."
"That's right, no time for pleasantries, just straight to the point. That's what I like about you guys, you don't fool around. What can I do for you?"
"I need to see your brother."
"Yeah, you and a few million other people. What else can I do for you?"
"I'm serious. It concerns national security."
"Okay, okay I'll see what I can do. But you've got to give me something. I mean what am I supposed to tell him?
"I can't tell you. Just tell him it's for an old friend from the CIA and I can't go through the regular channels. Oh and uh, it needs to be within the next three days, if at all possible."
"Gee, you don't ask for much."
After several more minutes of what Stiles considered unnecessary chit chat, Moreland agreed to help. **************************************************************************** ****
A large white bubble mailer arrived at the main mailroom of the CIA's Langley, Virginia complex. The return address read Nassau, Bahamas; the recipient was Tom Gage.
Inside the mailer was a bundle of letters addressed to six of the CIA's top men: Jackson Haisley, Carl Reese, Tom Gage, Lex Samuels, Joshua Nankin and Robert Quinn. In addition to the letters, the mailer contained instructions that each man open his letter in the presence of the other five.
Director Gage called a meeting. The six men gathered in the conference room expecting a briefing on the latest bombing in Iraq. Instead, they got a shock none of them could have seen coming-well most of them.
"Good morning gentlemen." Gage held up the mailer as Carl passed out the letters. I was instructed that each of us is to open his letter in the presence of the others."
"Mr. Gage, do you have any idea what this is about?"
"No, Mr. Haisley, I do not."
Joshua, as usual, had an irregular comment as he looked at the post mark. "The Bahamas. "Hmmm, I had a nice vacation there a couple of years ago."
"The letters have been examined and scanned by security. I suggest we open them."
Each man carefully opened his envelope, took out his letter, and began reading. Lex was the first to see the signature: "Terri." As soon as he saw it his eyes raced to the top to read the short note:
"To: Director Tom Gage, Deputy Carl Reese, Jackson Haisley, Lexington Samuels, and Joshua Nankin
CC: Robert Quinn
Four years ago, you were told I was killed in North Korea. Four years ago, you were lied to. I was rescued from the North Koreans by CIA agents Emery Johnson and Alex George and taken to a safe house in London for further instructions. The next day Mr. Quinn arrived. When I told him that Joshua was our mole, he said he knew and offered me a deal: my freedom for my silence.
Joshua was passing information to the North Koreans under Mr. Quinn's direct oversight. Quinn had me rescued from the Koreans but sent me to a private inner torture chamber. I was instructed that if the North Koreans found out I was alive they would most likely kill me; they couldn't risk that I would talk and apparently, neither could Mr. Quinn. He didn't say so specifically, but I understood that he wanted his arrangement with Joshua and the North Koreans kept secret. He knew that if I was allowed to return to Langley, I would expose Joshua. If I exposed Joshua, he would have to expose Quinn.
Quinn told me it was imperative that I 'disappear.' His solution was to fake my death. Unfortunately, disappearing meant no contact with my family or my husband. When I protested he said I should be grateful to be out of the Korean's hands. I was given the tools to create a new identity and enough money to begin a new life. Mr. Quinn said he didn't want to know where I was going though I suspect that he made it his business to find out. I am very much alive; however, I no longer wish to live this way, in isolation. I have tried, without fail, to enjoy my life, but I cannot. I see no other way out of this situation; as long as Mr. Quinn is alive he is a menace to our country and others. As long as Mr. Quinn is alive I cannot be. My life is a sacrifice I am willing to make to ensure Mr. Quinn is stopped.
************************************************************
While Tom Gage was receiving letters from Terri, Frederick Stiles was receiving Terri.
"Terri! I can't believe it's you!" Frederick Stiles, a usually stoic man ran and hugged his daughter-in-law. He was thrilled to see her and a little bit jealous. As much as he loved his wife, he couldn't help but wonder how things would have been if only Hannah had turned out to be alive. He told his son that he was one incredibly lucky man.
"Hi Frederick, it's good to see you too! Would you like to meet your grandchildren?"
"You bet I would."
Terri introduced the general to Ava and Jack and watched happily as he talked with them; he fell in love with them immediately and the feeling was mutual. Jack, ever observant, looked closely at his grandfather.
"He looks like daddy."
General Stiles was in awe of his small grandson. Just as Jack noticed that Stiles and the General looked alike, the General was noticing how much Jack looked like A.B. when he was a child.
The General laughed. "He's pretty sharp, isn't he?"
"Yes he is, a little too sharp for his own good sometimes. I can't wait to get a picture of the three of you together."
"Terri, I hate to bring this up, but . . ." The General wanted to know what Terri knew about Kara. He wanted to know how his son was dealing with having two women in his life. "Well, A.B. didn't think he was ever going to see you again. He was devastated when they told him you were killed. I was worried about him for a long time; he needed someone in his life and . . ."
"And you told him it was okay to start dating again?"
The General nodded.
"It's okay. I know about Kara. I met her on the island."
"You met her? She already knows about you?"
"Yes and yes." Terri explained how she met Kara and how she and Stiles believed Kara figured out who she was and kept it to herself.
The General hugged Terri. "Well, I'm glad you're back in his life. He needs you!"
"Thank you General. I need him too! I'm a little nervous about going home; it's been along time and I'm sure both of us have changed somewhat but I've missed him."
Katherine joined them after convincing her grandchildren to take a nap. "The two of you have a strong bond. It may be a little rough in the beginning, but if you remember how much you love each other and how much you've been through to get here, you'll be okay."
Terri had been thinking about how different it would be living with him again in their house-in the real world. They'd had only four months together before they were separated and a lot of that was spent in the field. Now they would be adding two other people to the mix. "I hope you're right Katherine, I hope you're right."
Yeah, another review!
End of Chapter 32
Terri and Stiles concocted an elaborate plan to get her to the Stiles ranch undetected: She would fly to Miami, rent a car there and drive to South Carolina, then take a taxi to the border. The next morning, they would be met by Stiles' stepmother, Katherine who would drive them the rest of the way. If not for having to drag along two restless toddlers, Terri would have enjoyed the journey; it was a little like the old days.
CHAPTER 33
"Hello."
"Moreland?"
"Who's this?"
"Your former bodyguard; I believe 'spook boy' is what you called me."
"Hey! How've you been? It's been a long time."
"I need your help."
"That's right, no time for pleasantries, just straight to the point. That's what I like about you guys, you don't fool around. What can I do for you?"
"I need to see your brother."
"Yeah, you and a few million other people. What else can I do for you?"
"I'm serious. It concerns national security."
"Okay, okay I'll see what I can do. But you've got to give me something. I mean what am I supposed to tell him?
"I can't tell you. Just tell him it's for an old friend from the CIA and I can't go through the regular channels. Oh and uh, it needs to be within the next three days, if at all possible."
"Gee, you don't ask for much."
After several more minutes of what Stiles considered unnecessary chit chat, Moreland agreed to help. **************************************************************************** ****
A large white bubble mailer arrived at the main mailroom of the CIA's Langley, Virginia complex. The return address read Nassau, Bahamas; the recipient was Tom Gage.
Inside the mailer was a bundle of letters addressed to six of the CIA's top men: Jackson Haisley, Carl Reese, Tom Gage, Lex Samuels, Joshua Nankin and Robert Quinn. In addition to the letters, the mailer contained instructions that each man open his letter in the presence of the other five.
Director Gage called a meeting. The six men gathered in the conference room expecting a briefing on the latest bombing in Iraq. Instead, they got a shock none of them could have seen coming-well most of them.
"Good morning gentlemen." Gage held up the mailer as Carl passed out the letters. I was instructed that each of us is to open his letter in the presence of the others."
"Mr. Gage, do you have any idea what this is about?"
"No, Mr. Haisley, I do not."
Joshua, as usual, had an irregular comment as he looked at the post mark. "The Bahamas. "Hmmm, I had a nice vacation there a couple of years ago."
"The letters have been examined and scanned by security. I suggest we open them."
Each man carefully opened his envelope, took out his letter, and began reading. Lex was the first to see the signature: "Terri." As soon as he saw it his eyes raced to the top to read the short note:
"To: Director Tom Gage, Deputy Carl Reese, Jackson Haisley, Lexington Samuels, and Joshua Nankin
CC: Robert Quinn
Four years ago, you were told I was killed in North Korea. Four years ago, you were lied to. I was rescued from the North Koreans by CIA agents Emery Johnson and Alex George and taken to a safe house in London for further instructions. The next day Mr. Quinn arrived. When I told him that Joshua was our mole, he said he knew and offered me a deal: my freedom for my silence.
Joshua was passing information to the North Koreans under Mr. Quinn's direct oversight. Quinn had me rescued from the Koreans but sent me to a private inner torture chamber. I was instructed that if the North Koreans found out I was alive they would most likely kill me; they couldn't risk that I would talk and apparently, neither could Mr. Quinn. He didn't say so specifically, but I understood that he wanted his arrangement with Joshua and the North Koreans kept secret. He knew that if I was allowed to return to Langley, I would expose Joshua. If I exposed Joshua, he would have to expose Quinn.
Quinn told me it was imperative that I 'disappear.' His solution was to fake my death. Unfortunately, disappearing meant no contact with my family or my husband. When I protested he said I should be grateful to be out of the Korean's hands. I was given the tools to create a new identity and enough money to begin a new life. Mr. Quinn said he didn't want to know where I was going though I suspect that he made it his business to find out. I am very much alive; however, I no longer wish to live this way, in isolation. I have tried, without fail, to enjoy my life, but I cannot. I see no other way out of this situation; as long as Mr. Quinn is alive he is a menace to our country and others. As long as Mr. Quinn is alive I cannot be. My life is a sacrifice I am willing to make to ensure Mr. Quinn is stopped.
************************************************************
While Tom Gage was receiving letters from Terri, Frederick Stiles was receiving Terri.
"Terri! I can't believe it's you!" Frederick Stiles, a usually stoic man ran and hugged his daughter-in-law. He was thrilled to see her and a little bit jealous. As much as he loved his wife, he couldn't help but wonder how things would have been if only Hannah had turned out to be alive. He told his son that he was one incredibly lucky man.
"Hi Frederick, it's good to see you too! Would you like to meet your grandchildren?"
"You bet I would."
Terri introduced the general to Ava and Jack and watched happily as he talked with them; he fell in love with them immediately and the feeling was mutual. Jack, ever observant, looked closely at his grandfather.
"He looks like daddy."
General Stiles was in awe of his small grandson. Just as Jack noticed that Stiles and the General looked alike, the General was noticing how much Jack looked like A.B. when he was a child.
The General laughed. "He's pretty sharp, isn't he?"
"Yes he is, a little too sharp for his own good sometimes. I can't wait to get a picture of the three of you together."
"Terri, I hate to bring this up, but . . ." The General wanted to know what Terri knew about Kara. He wanted to know how his son was dealing with having two women in his life. "Well, A.B. didn't think he was ever going to see you again. He was devastated when they told him you were killed. I was worried about him for a long time; he needed someone in his life and . . ."
"And you told him it was okay to start dating again?"
The General nodded.
"It's okay. I know about Kara. I met her on the island."
"You met her? She already knows about you?"
"Yes and yes." Terri explained how she met Kara and how she and Stiles believed Kara figured out who she was and kept it to herself.
The General hugged Terri. "Well, I'm glad you're back in his life. He needs you!"
"Thank you General. I need him too! I'm a little nervous about going home; it's been along time and I'm sure both of us have changed somewhat but I've missed him."
Katherine joined them after convincing her grandchildren to take a nap. "The two of you have a strong bond. It may be a little rough in the beginning, but if you remember how much you love each other and how much you've been through to get here, you'll be okay."
Terri had been thinking about how different it would be living with him again in their house-in the real world. They'd had only four months together before they were separated and a lot of that was spent in the field. Now they would be adding two other people to the mix. "I hope you're right Katherine, I hope you're right."