Chapter 18: Safe at Last
Tony and the assault team ran toward the headquarters building, downstairs and back through the underground tunnel. They needed to get away from the area quickly. The gunfire was sure to attract the attention of the South Korean military that had surrounded the compound. It was only a matter of time before they stormed the headquarters building. The American assault team was there without the permission of the South Korean government. In other words, they were there illegally. Neither the CIA nor the President knew they were there. In fact, the President had expressly forbidden any rescue attempt. If the South Korean military caught this rogue American unit and notified their government, their President would immediately contact President Prescott. Even without catching the assault team, the South Koreans were going to figure out what happened pretty quickly. Before they did, Ian Calvert would have to contact Brad Hammond and notify him of the rescue. Brad would then contact the President and make up some sort of excuse. He would tell Prescott that Calvert had gone behind his back and worked outside of the agency. Prescott would be livid, but when the South Korean President called him Prescott would apologize and say that he had authorized the mission and that the CIA could not notify the South Korean government before the assault because of concerns over secrecy. The South Korean President wouldn't be happy with that answer, but it was not likely to cause any real diplomatic tension between the two countries.
And, because the rescue had been a success, Prescott would be hard pressed to bring charges against Calvert. Calvert would get a slap on the wrist and Hammond would be reprimanded for not keeping a closer eye on his employees, but both would be publicly praised for saving Almeida who would be recognized for his bravery and likely to be called a hero for helping to destroy Yuen's terrorist network.
A truck was waiting at the tunnel opening to transport the team back to the military base. They jumped into the back of the truck, pulled the door closed behind them and the driver took off. The ride back to the base was almost forty minutes, so they settled back on benches along the sides of the truck. There was a cooler filled with water bottles in one corner. Chase opened it and passed the bottles out to the winded team. Tony emptied the first bottle in one long drink, then signaled to Chase that he wanted a second.
"When's did you last have anything to eat or drink?" Chase asked as he handed the bottle to Tony.
"It's probably been at least 24 hours. The room I was in was dark; I've lost track of time. I don't even know what day it is." Tony stopped to drink from the second bottle.
"It's Thursday." Ben told him.
"Thursday!" Tony exclaimed. "I would have guessed possibly Tuesday, but I really thought it was Monday. I didn't realize that I had been gone that long. Michelle must be worried sick. When can I call her?"
"Probably when we get back to the base." Jack said. "Unless there is some reason why we have to continue to keep this quiet for a while, we can probably all contact our families as soon as we get back."
"Have you talked to her, Jack? Is she okay? Did she know you guys were trying to rescue me?"
"I haven't talked to her in a couple of days, Tony. She was doing okay at first, but she was pretty scared. She knows these situations don't usually have a happy ending. Kate spent some time with her and your parents have been there for her. We decided not to tell her about the rescue attempt. We just didn't want to get her hopes up."
The men rode in silence for a while as the adrenaline rush passed. Tony broke the silence. "Guys, I don't know how to thank you. I can't believe you all risked your lives for me. It's overwhelming to think you would do this for me." He shook his head not knowing what to say next.
"You would have done the same for any of us, Tony." Dave told him.
Tony looked at Jack. "I can't believe you talked Hammond into letting you do this."
"I couldn't talk Hammond into anything. He basically told me that he couldn't do anything, that his hands were tied. Prescott was refusing any negotiation or rescue."
"Then how did you pull this off?" Tony asked him.
"Ian Calvert did it. He called in a bunch of favors and went outside of the agency to arrange everything."
"Ian Calvert?" Tony said in a surprised voice. "I hardly know Ian. Why would he risk his career for me?"
Jack wasn't sure how much to tell Tony about his father-in-law. "Ian had his reasons. I'm going to let him explain, Tony."
Tony wasn't sure what Jack was trying to say but at the moment he didn't really care. He was finally safe and would see his family again soon. All he really wanted was to go home.
Tears dripped slowly from Michelle's eyes and traced wet paths down her face. She didn't bother to wipe them away. What was the point? They would just be replaced by others as she stared blankly at the wall of the hospital room. Her mother-in-law held her hand gently but offered no words of encouragement. Even Maria Almeida, whose children had long ago nicknamed her "Little Mary Sunshine" for her constant optimistic outlook, feared that this time there would be no happy ending.
The doctors had done all they could, but in the end, there was no way for them to stop Michelle's labor. Just a little over two hours ago at 3:12pm Pacific time, Michelle gave birth to her fourth child, a daughter who weighed slightly less than a pound. Michelle watched in horror as the doctors worked on the tiny infant. The baby lay still, making no attempt to cry or withdraw from the huge figures that towered over her. It was all so surreal as they put a thin tube down her throat into lungs which were too immature to work properly. They attached the tube to a machine that would breathe for her until her lungs could do it by themselves. Michelle watched as the baby; who was not much bigger than her hand, was whisked away from her and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Michelle was taken back to her own hospital room to recover and to wait for word on her daughter's condition. It seemed like forever before the doctor came to talk to her. Dr. Snyder was an odd looking man. He was very tall, probably 6 feet, seven or eight inches, and extremely thin which made him look even taller. He appeared to be self conscious about his height and stood a bit hunched over making him look older than he really was. He was soft spoken for such a big man and his voice was higher than she would have expected. She had noticed how gently he had handled her tiny baby, though and was grateful for that.
Dr. Snyder showed his hospital ID to the two CTU agents that were standing guard at Michelle's door. They checked it against the list they were given and granted him entry. He knocked softly before entering. "Mrs. Almeida?" He said softly as he looked at Michelle.
Michelle nodded knowing that if she spoke she would cry.
"I'm Dr. Snyder." He took her hand not so much to shake it but to give it a firm and reassuring squeeze. "I just wanted to stop by and say 'hello' to you and let you know that everything possible is being done for your daughter right now."
Michelle nodded again, tears now flowing faster from her eyes. The doctor squeezed her hand again.
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Almeida, this is a battle we aren't likely to win. The baby is so premature and her organ systems are so immature that I would be lying to you if I told you her chances for survival were good."
Michelle looked away from the doctor. It was Maria who spoke. "Doctor, is there any chance that the baby will survive?"
"A small one," he answered. "I've seen a couple of babies this premature survive, but they spent three to four months in the intensive care unit. It is possible that she'll live, I just need for you to understand that it isn't likely."
Michelle finally spoke. "Can I see her?" She asked.
"Yes, you can see her any time you'd like."
"Thank you." She whispered. "I'd like to see her now."
"Let me check with your nurse to see it's okay for you to go now." He left the room ducking beneath the door frame, something he really didn't have to do but seemed to do as a matter of course.
Michelle reached for a tissue and dried her eyes. She had cried so much during the last few days that she wondered how many tears she had left. The thought of having to see the baby for the first time without having Tony there for support was agonizing. She would call Hammond after she visited the baby and ask for an update knowing full well that if there was any good news that the agents outside her door would have delivered it. And if there was bad news, Hammond would be there to deliver it himself.
She got out of bed with little help from her mother-in-law. She was a bit sore, but having a one pound baby was nothing like having a full term infant. Joe weighed almost nine pounds when he was born. Memories of that day flooded her. She and Tony were so happy. She remembered the huge smile on Tony's face as he cut the umbilical cord. They were both laughing and crying at the same time. She contrasted that moment with this one. There was no comparison. She was at the pinnacle of happiness that day and now sat beneath an avalanche of sadness that seemed about to crush her.
Michelle put on her robe and slippers and waited for Dr. Snyder who returned in about five minutes with a wheelchair. He was so tall that he had to lean far forward to push it. "I thought this might be easier." He told her as he helped her sit down. He looked at Maria who stood next to Michelle. "I'm only supposed to let parents in the unit," he said, "but in this case I think I can make an exception."
She smiled and thanked him and walked along side of the wheelchair.
Tony lay on a gurney in the hospital unit of the military base waiting to see the doctor. As uncomfortable as the gurney was Tony found it far better than the cold, hard dirt floor that he had been sleeping on for the last several days. He was starting to warm up, something he thought would never happen again. Two of the medical workers had cleaned him up finally getting all of the dried blood off of his face and neck. A nurse put a dressing on the cut above his eye. They were in the process of finding some clean clothes for him and told him that after the doctor saw him that he would probably be allowed to shower. Right now he was waiting for the doctor who would also have the results of the x-rays and the CAT scan that were taken earlier.
He was waiting as patiently as possible, but was anxious to call Michelle. We wanted her to be able to stop worrying. We wanted her to know that he loved her and he would be home as soon as possible. He had asked to call Michelle before he got medical treatment, but was told 'no'.
Ian Calvert had just notified Brad Hammond of the successful rescue. Hammond needed time to talk to the President, who in turn, needed time to talk to the South Korean President before any family members could be notified. They couldn't afford for the media to find out that the rescue had taken place and put it on the evening news before all of the key players had been briefed.
In addition to that, the South Korean intelligence unit had just arrested Weldon Hutchins in Seoul. Hutchins was proving a valuable find. He was hoping to lessen his own sentence by providing the contact information for Yuen's people in the US. He was basically singing like a canary and giving out every name and location for all of the men involved in the Los Angeles operation. The CIA wanted to find and arrest those people before news of Almeida's rescue and Yuen's subsequent death were released. If the terrorist cell in LA knew that Yuen was dead, they would scatter to the four corners of the country and never be found. As long as they thought Yuen was alive, they would go underground, but stay where Yuen could contact them.
So, in short, "no" Tony could not call Michelle, nor could any of the other men contact their families. And Ian could not tell them how long it would be before they could contact their families or when they would be able to go home. Tony tried to rationalize that his current situation was far better than it had been just a few hours ago, but that didn't make him feel much better.
Tony looked up as he heard a knock on the door. The door opened slightly and Ian Calvert leaned in. "Tony, can I come in?"
"Ian," Tony said, as he moved into a sitting position. He extended his right hand so they could shake. "Please, come in. I understand that I have you to thank for my being rescued. I don't know what to say. I can't thank you enough. Are you going to get in any trouble?"
"No, I talked to Hammond. On the surface it has to appear as if he is reprimanding me, but the truth is that he's happy that I did it. Bradford isn't as bad a guy as you might think. Believe me, Tony; he didn't want you to die. I'm sure that I'll get some official slap on the wrist, but there isn't much they can do to me."
"Ian, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I have to admit, I'm not sure I know why you did it. You were never known as someone who bucked the system. I know you and Brad lock horns at times, but planning an entire assault behind his back and in direct defiance of the President seems out of character for you."
Ian started to answer but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Mr. Almeida," the woman said as she entered the room. "I'm Dr. Wade. I didn't realize that you had company."
"I was just leaving." Ian told her. "Tony, the good news is that as long as Dr. Wade here says you are fit for travel, we have a flight out of here at 9 o'clock. You'll be home with your family before you know it."
"Thanks, Ian. We'll talk later." Tony said as Ian left.
Dr. Wade waited for Ian to close the door. "You've had a rough go of it. How are you feeling?"
Tony smiled. "I'm tired, I'm sore and I want to go home. Other than that, I think I'll survive."
The doctor smiled back. "I think you'll survive, too." She put the developed x-rays and CAT scan film on a lighted panel so they could both see them. "Let's start with the easy one." She pointed to the x-ray of his hand and arm. "I bet you aren't going to be surprised when I tell you that you have a broken wrist."
"No, I pretty much assumed that." Tony answered.
"The problem is that you need an orthopedic surgeon. I can put it in a splint and bandage it, but as soon as you get back to the States, you need to see an orthopedic surgeon. This is a bad break and they are probably going to have to put a metal pin in it. You may end up with a couple of surgeries to fully correct that."
She paused for a moment to see if Tony had any questions. When he didn't, she continued, "The next set of x-rays is your ribs. And again, I doubt if you are surprised to find out that you have a couple broken ribs."
"No, that's not a surprise either."
"The good thing," Dr. Wade said pointing at the CAT scan "is that there are no internal injuries. The ribs didn't puncture your lung and there is no evidence that there is any internal bleeding. I didn't think we would find any. You would be in much worse condition if you had internal injuries, but we did the CAT scan as a precaution."
She paused again. "I need to do a full exam, but overall you are in pretty good condition physically. I can get you something for pain if you need it."
"That would be great." Tony said nodding.
"I am concerned about your emotional state. This has been a harrowing experience for you, Mr. Almeida. I'd like you to talk to one of our psychologists. You need to understand that developing post-traumatic stress disorder after an ordeal like this would not be unusual."
Tony looked down and smiled. "I was in the Marines and worked for the CIA long enough to know the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. My wife was a CIA agent, too, so she also knows what to look for. We'll watch for that, but right now all I want is food and a shower and to go home. I can't begin to sort out my feelings until I've seen my family. So if you don't mind, I can talk to a psychologist when I get back to LA."
"That's your choice, Mr. Almeida. I just want you to know that we have a psychologist here if you need one." He thanked her and she proceeded with a physical examination. When she was finished she pronounced him healthy although pretty battered up. He was taken to officers' quarters where he could shower and change clothes.
He couldn't remember the last time a shower felt that good. He stood in the warm water feeling as though he was stripping a lifetime of dirt from his body. After the shower he found his way to the officers' mess hall for some breakfast. It was not quite 5am but Tony knew from the smell as he neared the building that breakfast preparations were well under way. He entered the empty mess hall and was met by an eager young Private who snapped to attention.
"Sir" he said as he saluted.
"At ease, Soldier." Tony told him. "I haven't been an officer for a long time. No need to salute."
"I'm sorry, Sir." The Private said in a Midwestern drawl. Tony smiled at him. He couldn't possibly have been more than 18 or 19 years old. He had red hair and a boyish face and green eyes that just shone with excitement. This was likely his first deployment after basic training and he was still reveling in the fun of his first grown up adventure away from home. "We've all been following your story real close and it's just an honor to meet you. This is the most excitement we've had here since I've been here."
Tony was amused by the young man's zeal. "How long have you been here, Keller?" Tony asked reading his name patch.
"Six weeks, Sir." He answered.
"I'm sure if you're stationed here long enough there will be some real excitement. In the meantime, is there any chance I can get some breakfast?"
"Captain said you would probably be coming in early so Cookie put together something special for you. Have a seat, I'll bring it right out. Would you like some coffee? How about orange juice?"
"Coffee would be great. Do you have any grapefruit juice?"
"Yes, Sir, of course. I'll bring that right out." He snapped to attention again but this time did not salute, he made an abrupt about face and stepped off toward the kitchen.
Tony smiled and rubbed his forehead. He turned to sit down and realized for the first time that there was someone else sitting several tables away. He was an elderly man in civilian clothing. Tony's first thought was that it was Ian Calvert, but on second look saw that it wasn't Ian. This man was older and thinner than Ian and he had penetrating blue eyes. The man instantly looked familiar to Tony but like Brad Hammond and Jack Bauer before him, he couldn't place where he had met the man before.
The man stood and extended his hand. "Tony, thank God you're safe."
Tony shook hands with him and looked at the man closely. "Thank you" Tony said graciously. "Sir, I'm sure we've met, but I can't place you at the moment. I'm sorry."
Evan smiled at his son-in-law. "Don't be sorry. We've never met before, Tony, at least not formally. I see you at the playground where you take you children. One day your son's soccer ball rolled over near my dog. He was afraid to come near the dog so I tossed it back to him. You thanked me."
"I remember. You have the little cocker spaniel." Tony said nodding in recognition. "I've seen you there several times."
"His name is Spencer. We take care of each other. He was the runt of the litter. He wasn't of any value as a show dog so the breeder was going to destroy him. He asked if I wanted him. I was just starting to get sober and I decided that the dog might be good for me. It gave me something to think about other than alcohol. He's been a good companion." Evan stopped for a moment. "I wasn't at the park by accident, Tony. I come there intentionally to see you and your children…" he paused, "and Shelley."
Tony was surprised and a bid unnerved by Evan's last statement. Who was this man? Why was he watching Tony's family? "Shelley? You mean my wife? Michelle?"
"When she was a little girl, I called her Shelley. She's my daughter, Tony. I'm Evan Dessler."
Private Keller seemed to appear out of nowhere with a pot of coffee, a mug, cream and sugar and a tall glass of grapefruit juice all balanced on a tray. "Your breakfast will be right up, Mr. Almeida." He looked at Evan. "Can I get you some breakfast, too, Sir?" He asked.
"No thanks, Private. My days and nights are all messed up from the time changes. Right now my body thinks that it's time for bed." Evan said. He held up his coffee cup and gestured toward the pot Keller had just placed in front of Tony. "If Tony will share his coffee, I'll be fine."
Tony stood silent transfixed by the revelation that the man before him was his father-in-law. His first instinct was not to believe the story, but one look at the man told Tony all he needed to know. The resemblance between he and Michelle was undeniable and his resemblance to Michelle's brother Danny was stronger still.
"Have you talked to Michelle? Does she know you're here?"
Evan shook his head. "No, she has no idea. I didn't want to create any more emotional upheaval in her life than she already has. I've stayed in the shadows of her life for the past 25 years, now is not the time for me to reveal myself."
Private Keller returned with two plates and set them both on the table in front of Tony. One was loaded with a stack of pancakes and link sausages. The second had scrambled eggs, home fried potatoes, ham and an English muffin. "I thought I'd start you with this." Keller told him. "Cookie's got some real nice creamed chipped beef I could put over toast if you like."
"No, I think this will be enough, but thanks, Keller." Keller did his usual snappy about face and went back toward the kitchen. Tony thought he caught a hint of disappointment in the kid's eyes when he turned down the creamed chipped beef.
"So, explain what you're doing here. How did you get here? You've been stalking Michelle and me and our kids and now you turn up in Korea. I can honestly tell you that Michelle hasn't mentioned your name three times in the ten years we've been together and now you tell me you've been lurking in, what did you call it, 'the shadows of her life'. I'm sorry but this is a bit like the plot of a bad horror movie."
"You make it sound criminal, Tony. I never made any attempt to contact Shelley or to do any harm to any of you. I'm a father, undeniably not a very good one, but a father none the less. I love my children, you may choose not to believe that, but I do. I just wanted to make sure they were happy. Both of them spent a lot of unhappy years because of me. It's a joy to be able to sit in the park and watch Shelley with the children. She smiles and laughs. After all of the pain I inflicted on her, I'm grateful that she can still laugh." He shook his head. "Believe me, Tony, I never meant to hurt her or Danny or Anne. I loved them and I thought leaving them was the best thing for them."
Tony's initial reaction was to be angry with Evan. He knew how much this man had hurt Michelle; so much, in fact, that she almost never said his name or acknowledged that he existed. She spoke in loving terms of her mother, but on the rare occasion that she spoke of Evan, her tone was one of cool indifference. Now listening to him here, Tony was beginning to soften toward Evan. "None of this explains how you ended up here."
"That," Evan sighed "is a long story."
"It seems to me that we've got plenty of time." Tony said locking eyes with him. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"