As we were hard at work on the next chapter we decided to make a few changes to the story in order to make things more exciting. In order to do that we needed to go back and change a few things in this chapter so please take a few moments and reread this chapter. The next chapter should be out soon! The wait is worth it!
As always, we own nothing but our imaginations…
Please send us a review and let us know what you think! Liz and Shana aka Romancing the Joes
Chapter 7 Council of War
Roger leaned down to nuzzle his lover's neck. The stars were bright, the ocean calm, and Penny was sighing his name. He figured it didn't get much better than this. He was a man in his own slice of heaven. The phone was ringing but he was ignoring it.
Penny turned her head, "Agh, Aren't you going to answer that?"
Roger shook his head and followed the curve of her delicious neck down.
"Roger! It could be Shauna, you should answer it." Penny rolled out of his grasp and passed him the phone.
Roger eyed it with disgust before jerking it out of her hand, "Somebody had better be dead!" he yelled into the phone without even asking who it was.
"She might be by now for all I know! Did you forget how to answer a phone?" Conrad bit out each word, fear and anger making his voice gravelly.
"What happened?"
There was silence for long minutes, "She's gone, Roger."
"Gone? Gone where?" Roger threw the sheet back from the bed and started looking around for his clothes.
On the end of the line Duke sat down in the wreckage of his library and dropped his head into his hands, concentrating on keeping his breathing steady, "They took her. I don't know where. Hell, I don't even know who."
"That's impossible! I sent her to you for protection! We covered our tracks! No one should have know or even guessed! Hell!"
Roger hurled a shoe across the room and let out a volley of curses, "Where are you? What happened?"
As he relayed everything that had happened from the moment the bad guys had come crashing though the window Duke's anger replaced his fear. Fear wasn't something he could use at this point but anger was. Anger would clear his head; allow him to think, and to plan. He would get her back, as soon as he knew who had her, he'd get her back.
By the time Duke had briefed Roger on what had happened Roger was dressed and in his office, furiously searching through recorded transmissions, data on the terrorist group that had targeted Shauna, and any other information he thought might lend him a clue as to where she was. The who had taken her was certain, how they had found her and where they had taken her was not.
Penny walked in with coffee and handed him a cup, squeezing his hand. Roger returned the gesture and turned his attention back to Duke. "It has to be the group we were tracking shortly before I sent her to you. I've got an agent in their organization I'll try to contact while you're in route. The group is based in Florida; chances are they went back to one of their old bases in the Everglades. We'll need help, Duke. I've got a few men I trust, get as many of yours as you can and get down here quick."
Duke grunted, "I can be down there in eight to nine hours. I have men who are closer. I'll need coordinates to your island, I don't care how you get them to me, just do."
Roger scoffed, "You think I'm just going to hand my location over to you on a silver platter? I don't even know if your damn line is secure!" Roger mentally reviewed the Joes he kept track of and where they would be coming from. He calculated flight paths and times and decided upon a rendezvous point.
"You'll need to get to Opa-locka airport in Miami. Cougar will meet you and bring you the rest of the way. It would help if you could bring along a few pilots and a chopper."
"Fine, I'll check in when my men are mobilized." Duke slammed down the phone and nearly threw it across the room. Damn that man! Stonewalling him wasn't going to help Shauna and that was their only goal! He ran his hands through his hair and concentrated on breathing in and out until the rage had passed and rational thought had returned. Roger was right, he ground his teeth as he admitted it, there was a good chance a phone on one end wasn't secure and they couldn't take a chance.
He called Flint and began rummaging through the debris for things he would need to pack. As the phone rang he made a mental list of things he would need to do before he left.
Flint was lingering over a second cup of coffee when his cell rang. He put down his paper and coffee and reached for the phone. He looked down at the read out and shot straight out of his chair when he recognized the number displayed.
"Allie, get in here, its Conrad!"
Flint mashed the answer button, "Conrad, it's been awhile, a while too long."
"Scarlett's been taken."
Flint's feet hit the floor, "What? How? Who?"
"She got into something and it went bad. Roger contacted me a week ago and I agreed to protect her until he took care of the situation. Conrad paused in his packing, searching for words. Flint was his best friend, hopefully he'd understand what he was feeling without hearing the words, "Dash, we, she, ugh..." he took a deep breath, just say it, "…we made up, Dash. And then some fucking terrorists came crashing through the window and took her away from me! Again! I'm going after them."
Allie had been listening to her husband's side of the conversation, Dash reached up and held her hand tightly over his shoulder; "We're coming too. Just tell us where."
"Thanks, I was hoping you'd say that. We're going to rendezvous at Opa-locka airport in Miami. Roger's place is on some island in the keys. I assume you're in Boston?" At Flint grunt of affirmation Duke went on, "Get the first flight out."
Allie took the phone from her husband's hands, "Duke, I'm still in contact with several people from the team. I'll get them mobilized, you just get what you need and get down there. Anything else we can do?"
Conrad smiled briefly, "Just get down there fast. I'll call you in a few hours from a new number."
"We're on it. Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" Duke hung up and called Wild Bill. Bill didn't need to know any details, only that Scarlett needed him. Twenty minutes after Bill hung up, he had given instructions to his foreman, loaded his chopper with supplies and a few cowhands, and was on his way.
Flint took his phone back, "You get the numbers; I'll start packing." Allie logged onto their computer and pulled up a list of contact numbers for their close friends from the team, people that would drop whatever they were doing to help rescue one of their own. They split the list in half and started making calls as they finished their packing.
All around the United States former members of the G. I. Joe team became mobilized, headed for South Florida. One by one they began to arrive and made contact with Flint, Lady Jaye, or Duke. Shipwreck was the first to arrive and began taking stock of what each team member had brought with him or her. If there was something the Joes thought they would need and didn't have, groups of two or three would go out and get whatever it was that was needed.
Duke contacted Flint when he and Bill had picked up the last man they needed from out West. "What's our status?"
"Several of us are here, Shipwreck has been coordinating shopping trips to get what we don't have. Gung Ho is the only one we haven't been able to get a hold of."
"Good. Keep trying GH; he probably let the battery on his phone die down. Roger's still trying to locate the group that took Scarlett. He's contacted his undercover agent and is waiting on a reply."
In the late afternoon shadows of the bayou, Etienne La Fitte, better known as Gung Ho, was wrestling with an alligator. "Give it up, you scaly, green…" He had been out on the bayou fishing that morning when his cell phone rang. Only a handful of people had that number and they would only call if it were important. He'd picked the dang phone up and a gator had attacked the boat. Everything had gone in the water and the damn gator had swallowed his phone! Gung Ho wrapped his muscular arms more tightly around the gator's neck and dragged the beast to shore. The phone was ringing again!
Lady Jaye tried Gung Ho again as Flint unloaded their luggage from their rental car. If that damn marine didn't answer his phone soon, they'd have to go on without him. She wasn't going to leave another message. She was about to end the call when a strangled voice answered, "Duke?"
Jaye laughed, "Finally! Gung Ho you sure know how to make a lady wait!"
"Jaye?" The strangled voice asked
"Yes. Hey, are you all right? You're out of breath." Jaye managed to make out something about a gator swallowing his phone. She cut his story short before he became too involved in the telling of it, relayed the necessary information and asked for an ETA. If he could get out of the swamp fast enough he might actually make it to the airport before everyone left for Roger's. "Gung Ho, if you get to the airport and we're not there, call my cell phone. I'll arrange for someone to pick you up."
By the time Duke and Wild Bill arrived with Dusty and Spirit, everyone was waiting for them except Gung Ho. Roger's man, Cougar, who had dropped Scarlett in that canyon days ago was there also. He was talking to a few of the guys, swapping war stories no doubt. Cougar rushed to meet him as the chopper landed, motioning to Bill to keep it running.
"Roger heard from his contact. He knows where she is. So far, she's alive. Your men are all here except for your Cajun Marine; I'll come back for him later. Lift Ticket brought a chopper with him and Flint has split your men into groups for the trip to the island. We got all the equipment onto the two choppers that were already here. Since you've got room, we'll load a couple of people onto your chopper and go to the island immediately. Roger will fill you in when you get there." When Duke looked up the Joes were loading and Flint and Lady Jaye were running towards Bill's chopper.
Cougar ran back towards his chopper and lifted off, Lift Ticket and Wild Bill following close behind him.
A short time later the three choppers were sitting down on a tarmac outside a high stone wall closing in several stucco out buildings and a beautiful three-story house. A woman with short blonde hair was waving to them. Cougar jumped out and greeted her.
"Everybody listen up!" He shouted to be heard over the noise of the Joes. "This is Penny. She'll take you in and get you something to eat. You need something, you ask Penny. We'll have a briefing in one hour."
He nodded and Penny stepped forward, "If you would grab whatever personal gear you can carry and follow me, I'll show everyone to their rooms. I'll have someone bring in your weapons and equipment in a moment. We have a room designated for your gear and will let you check on everything after the briefing. If you find there is something you need that has not been provided, personal or military, let me know and I'll take care of it. " She greeted the Joes by name and took them to their assigned rooms, reminding them that food was waiting on them in the dining room downstairs when they unpacked.
Cover Girl hovered at the back of the line, waiting for her teammates to be given their room assignments before she got her own, "Penelope Green. You took my picture when I made the cover of Cosmo."
Penny laughed, "I did, and that picture jumpstarted my professional career. I was sad to hear you left the modeling world. You had a bright future. But then Shauna told me why you'd quit and I understood. I've never been on missions with Roger and Shauna but what they -, what you all do is important."
Courtney nodded, "Yeah. Thanks for understanding."
"You better get unpacked, now that everyone is here, well almost everyone, Roger won't want to wait. Perhaps after we get Shauna back we can sit down and talk. "
Courtney nodded, "I'd like that."
Penny smiled and turned back to go downstairs, issuing orders for food to be brought out and attending to the details of feeding and housing a small army.
Cougar pulled Duke and Flint to the side as the Joes walked in and brought them to Roger's command center.
"Finally! I thought I was going to have to do this without you Hauser."
Conrad advanced on Roger but Flint pulled him back, "Ignore him, you'll get her back faster if you do, then I'll hold him and you can wallop him."
Roger shook his head, "You can try. Anyways, Cougar filled me in on your men and equipment. We now have three choppers, Cougar will work with your pilots to upgrade the weapons after our briefing."
"You want to tell me how a private citizen has access to the latest in military weapons?"
Roger grinned, "Sure, if you want. Or we could get down to why we're here. I heard back from my agent."
Duke and Flint immediately sobered, "And!"
"Grab a cup of coffee, have a seat, and I'll give you the highlights so you can help with the briefing."
"Cougar told us she's safe for now."
Roger shook his head, leaning back in his chair, "No thanks to you, but for the moment, yeah, she's somewhat safe. They've beat her up and thrown her into a cell. I'm sure they'll be back later to beat her some more. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get this briefing under way so she endures the fewest beatings possible."
"Why did they target her?"
"Why her and not me? She pissed them off more than me? They underestimated her because she's a woman? I can only guess. That doesn't matter right now. But to understand who has her you're going to need a little history lesson."
Duke and Flint nodded and Roger continued, "You know that when the Joes broke up Shauna eventually came down here to work with my security agency. What you probably don't know is that she was a silent partner from the beginning. She wanted to be a part of the business but didn't want to leave the Joes to fight Cobra without her. So, she popped in now and then but mostly kept up to date from progress reports sent to her via encrypted email.
"We're private but occasionally take a contract from the government, state or national, to help them out."
"For a fee."
Roger sat up, "Of course. Listen Hauser it's obvious that you have a problem with me; I've got one you too. I'm more than willing to settle our differences once and for all after we've got her back. Fair enough?"
Conrad clenched his jaw, wishing he could beat Roger up now rather than later, "Agreed."
Roger once again sat back in his chair, putting on a casual front just to annoy Hauser, "Good. Now, shortly after Shauna came down here we accepted a government job putting a small terrorist organization in the Everglades under surveillance. We worked together along with a small team of our agents. We created a profile on the group. They called themselves, Citizens for a New World Order. Our profile was accepted and we were asked to continue our surveillance. We recorded an argument between two group members. One wanted out, it was getting to heavy for him; the other gave the usual, 'the only way you leave is in a wooden coffin' speech. We reported to our employers and were instructed to offer the man immunity if he would testify against the other members of the Citizens organization."
Duke interrupted, "This man would be the one Scarlett was protecting?"
"Yes. One of our agents made contact with the man and he agreed to testify if he could be insured protection. Our job was to get the man safely from the meeting place to our employer. Shauna had the guy in handcuffs and was loading him in the car when he took off. After a couple of days she tracked him to a base we didn't know about. We went to the base, took it over, and several members of the Citizens group were taken into custody."
"But not him."
"No. We knew the Citizens would reform and made arrangements to place a man on the inside. We needed someone new, just in case our people had been seen by someone who wasn't in custody." Roger looked at Duke. "I actually hired one of your undercover operatives, Ronald Blair."
Duke looked impressed, "Blair was one of the best operatives I've ever trained. He was a good choice."
"Yeah, which is why I'm worried about her, not scared shitless. He'll do what he has to do to protect her. He infiltrated the Citizens organization and began sending back reports. We tracked the group and with the information Blair sent us were even able to avert some of their missions. He contacted me shortly before you arrived to tell me she was safe and was at one of their abandoned bases." Roger called up picture on the computer screen in front of him, "This is where she is. Now what we have to do is figure out how to get her out, safely."
The men put their heads together and figured out a plan. When they were ready they had Penny round their men up and send them to the War Room for briefing.
Roger started the briefing by giving the soldiers and abbreviated version of what he had just told Duke and Flint. He then called up a picture of the Citizens base on the large screen behind him, "This is the base where the terrorist group, Citizens for a New World Order, is currently holding Scarlett captive. Our primary mission is to safely rescue her; our secondary mission is to eliminate the threat the Citizens pose. This group has the potential to become the next Cobra. There is no G.I. Joe anymore. If this group reaches that level there is no one to stop them." He let them think about that for a moment before turning the briefing over to Duke.
"Okay, you see the base is in a triangular section of the Everglades. You will be divided into three teams. Lift Ticket, you will pilot the chopper for Team One which will consist of Lift Ticket, pilot, Roger, Stalker, Life Line, two of Roger's men: Michaels and Evans, and myself. Lift Ticket, you will land in this field here." He pointed to a small field near the base. We will covertly make our way onto the base. Lift Ticket, you will let us off and then join with the pilots from teams two and three, providing air support, the rest of team one will rescue Scarlett who should be here, in what they are using as a jail." Duke indicated a building on the map.
"Team Two will be led by Flint and will consist of: Wild Bill, pilot, Lady Jaye, Shipwreck, Rip Cord, Road Block, Life Line, and Roger's man Hooper. Life Line will provide on site medical assistance if Scarlett needs it. Wild Bill, you will also provide air support, the rest of you will go around behind the base and clear us a path out with Scarlett."
"Team Three will be led by Beach Head and will consist of: Roger's man Cougar, pilot, Cover Girl, Gung Ho, Rock-n-Roll, Dusty, Sprit, and Ace. You will attack the base head on, diverting attention away from teams one and two. Cougar will let you off and then offer air support."
"Pilots, be ready to land and extract your team. As soon as Team One has Scarlett we will head back here in order to provide Scarlett with whatever medical treatment she'll need. This compound houses a doctor and a surgery, if needed."
"Any questions?" They spent the next hour going over the plan again, working out details and answering questions.
After the briefing was over the men scattered to their various tasks. Duke took
the time to speak with all the Joes who had come to help and get GH caught up on what he missed. As Penny was about to walk Gung Ho to his quarters Duke quietly pulled her aside, "Penny, I don't know what Roger told you about my relationship with Shauna…" his words tapered off, he didn't know how to ask for what he needed.
Penny smiled, "It wasn't what Roger or even Shauna said, it was what they didn't
say that let me know how she really felt about you. She was thinking about you the day Roger kidnapped her in order to bring her to you."
Duke was stunned, "How do you know?"
Penny smiled even bigger and laid a gentle hand on Duke's arm, "She needed help finding a particular pair of gold hair sticks she wanted to wear. Walk with me, let me get GH settled and then I'll show you her room. I think it might help."
Duke nodded, "It would, yes."
Unfortunately Roger didn't agree, "Over my dead body!" Roger's words were whispered so low and menacing Penny almost didn't recognize him.
Duke's frustrated anger at the whole situation was still simmering just below the surface. He knew he had to work with Roger if they were going to pull this off but something had to give. "I have every right to see where she lived Roger!"
"You have no right! I don't care what the hell you think happened between the
two of you out there but when she gets back she's not going to want you!"
Hell, Penny thought as she sent GH a look that had him nodding and slipping away. She fit Roger like a glove, she was his other half, the missing part of his soul that allowed him to do what he did and keep his sanity. She loved him and generally accepted his rough and tumble way of dealing with Shauna and her relationship with Conrad, but not tonight. If Shauna were going to be saved he would have to set aside his hostile attitude and accept Conrad Hauser as a permanent part of Shauna's life.
Penny stepped between Duke and Roger, "You are both important to her. You both love her in your own way and you both want her back. But if she is going to be rescued the two of you are going to have to get over your stupid jealousy of each other and figure out a way of working together. If you don't you'll kill her just as surely as if you pulled a trigger!"
The screaming had gathered everyone's attention and Flint and Rocker stepped in to pull their friends away before permanent damage was done.
Flint and Duke walked for a long time before they came down to the dock to watch the moon shimmer over the water. Flint let Duke watch the water for a while, allowing him time to finish calming down. "I know you're worried about her Duke, we all are. Murray is a pig and he's territorial where she's concerned. They've been through a lot together and he has a right to be worried about her." Duke was silent, making no indication that he was even listening to what his friend was saying.
"He's also a damn fine solider or we wouldn't be here right now. We'd be at ground zero with no information on where's she's been or what she's been doing all this time."
Duke slammed his fist into the dock railing, "We wasted so much damn time! Damn foolish pride, where did it get us?"
"Maybe you needed the time apart to figure out how to be together."
"Don' t get philosophical on me Dash, I'm not in the mood."
"What would you have done if you had gotten married? The two of you had no idea how to be together. If we get her back…"
Duke cut him off, "No Dash, we will get her back and we will put the pieces of our relationship back together and we'll figure out how to be together."
Duke turned and walked back toward the house with out looking at Dash. Long after everyone had settled in for the night Duke searched the compound until he found Scarlett's room on the third floor of the compound. The third floor was private and contained living quarters for Roger and Penny, Cougar, and Shauna. Everyone had a corner room and the middle space was split into kitchen, the dark room Penny, and occasionally Roger, used for personal projects, dinning area, and living area complete with a large flat screen TV he was sure could pick up any television program broadcast anywhere in the world. Shauna's room was on the southwest corner of the floor.
He stood with his back at the door for a few moments giving him time to get used to the idea of being here. He had a feeling this room was like his library out west, her private sanctuary. He took a tentative step into the room and looked around.
He could see the moon lit water of the gulf out the window opposite the door. She had an armchair angled to face the view and the Irish throw he remembered had been given to her by her grandmother was tossed over the back of the chair. He pictured her there, legs curled beneath her, coffee cup in hand, looking westward. Does she sit there and think of me? He wondered.
He walked left and ran a hand lightly over the green and blue spread she had bought at the Atlanta Celtic Festival one May when they were visiting her family. It fit better in this room than in her quarters on base. He picked up a pillow and sat on her bed taking in her scent. He knew she was still alive, he could feel the connection between them humming deep inside. As he sat looking around her room he realized he didn't really know her anymore.
She had changed, grown in different directions. He scanned the pictures on the wall, some of the smiling faces he recognized, and many he did not. She had framed landscape photographs of Ireland and cityscapes of Atlanta.
The family photographs seemed to be out of date and he recalled she said her family was used to not hearing from her. Again he wondered if their break up had anything to do with that. He searched the room for anything familiar; surely there would be more than a couple of blankets and some old photographs!
Still clutching the pillow he jumped up and ran the few steps to her dresser, spilling her jewelry box over in his haste to find something in here that would connect him to her life. He found pearl drop earrings her father had given her, they had been her mother's, and could see her in the mirror humming an Irish jig as she dressed to go out, gently threading the precious earrings through her ears. He reached out a hand to touch her and the image disappeared. He cried out in anguish, she was so close but so far away.
He dropped the pillow and stumbled to her closet. He pushed her business suits and casual clothes out of the way. And there, in the very back of her closet he found what he was looking for, her old uniform. She hadn't completely forgotten him or the Joe team. Eager to find something else, more proof that she hadn't erased him out of her life he kept going through her clothes, opening dress bags to find her regular army uniforms and a turquoise robe he had given her for the first Valentine's Day they had celebrated after they had begun spending their nights as well as their days together.
A single tear leaked out of his eye as he remembered her trying on the robe and how the color looked with her pale skin and vibrant hair. He remembered her teasing him as she took it off. As he pulled the robe out of the closet a heavy white dress bag caught his attention. The bag called to him and he pulled it out almost knowing what he would find before he opened it. He hooked the long bag on the outside of the closet door and slowly opened the bag all the way and pulled it off, shaking as he did so. With her wedding dress hanging before him he could see her wearing it, her hair pulled up at the sides, flowing down her back with large curls falling over her shoulders, the old Irish lace in the veil brushing against her mother's pearl drop earring, sending them swaying as she walked down the aisle of her family's church.
His trembling hand fell away from the dress and he backed up, his mouth opening and closing, his throat so constricted no sound would come out until his knees hit the bed and he slumped to the floor, Shauna…oh, Shauna…" the words finally getting past the lump in his throat, " I'm not gonna let them hurt you. Dammit, I'm getting you back. I have to. I can't loose you again. I just can't. Shauna, do you hear me, I love you, Shauna!" With closed fists falling to the floor beside him, he bowed his head against his chest and gave in to the heartbreaking sobs he had been holding in for so long.
And not so far away as Scarlett lay on a cold, hard, floor, drifting in and out of consciousness she dreamed of Conrad calling her name …and weakly tried to answer his call with her own… "Conrad…"