The response from the central command area was swift. Hawk put everyone into play in an effort to track where Elwood's entourage had gone once it left the base. The obvious choice of tool in the investigation was air traffic control data.
"No dice," Mainframe reported to Flint. "I've reviewed all the data. Either they were jamming when they got airborne, or they're using spook gadgets to hide their signature. I find it hard to believe they were trimming treetops the entire way with the terrain around here."
Flint bent over and looked at the playback of the radar data. Mainframe showed him the sequence. Elwood's helicopter, designated Papa One-Two-Four, lifted off at around nineteen hundred hours, according to the security videos, but never registered on radar. It was a phantom aircraft, just like the ones that had hit the mountain in the initial attack.
He straightened again, frustrated. "What else can we use?"
Mainframe sat back in his high backed chair. He thought for a moment. "Well, we could send a recon unit out to scout for a trail of breadcrumbs."
"Real options," Flint groused.
Finally, the tech's patience broke. "Look, I don't have a lot to go on here. I don't even know who the bad guys are right now."
Flint arched his back, trying to relieve tension. Several pops ran up his spine as it realigned. He felt the grab of one muscle release, easing his stress.
"You're right," he admitted. "Maybe we need to quit assuming and figure out what we're up against first."
"Should I get a pencil and paper?" Mainframe asked, half serious.
Flint let it slide. "All right, we have Elwood, who doesn't exist because no good spy would be caught with his file folders hanging out."
"Right, and we have a Cobra bug, which sorely suggests he was playing both sides."
"Which doesn't mean anything when you come right down to it," Flint added, "because any number of agencies on our side would use whatever they thought was the most effective piece of equipment for the job."
Mainframe was getting into the game. "Enter the Joint Chiefs who sanction his presence here and his taking Suarez into custody."
"But if they didn't know he was a switch-hitter, they'd think he was a good guy."
A curious thought occurred to Flint. "What happens when they don't get the package they expect?"
"They'd keep it quiet," Mainframe said. "She's a confidential delivery as it is. If she doesn't arrive, they're not going to admit to it publicly, let alone have it filter through channels that they let someone like Suarez slip through their fingers."
Flint folded his arms across his chest. "So, if you had to guess, how much you think they'd be willing to pay to get her back?"
"From what I know, the contract wouldn't be for her," Mainframe said. "It would be on Elwood, if he's one of their own. Agencies don't kiss and tell. Elwood's probably got a long story for whoever will listen for the right price."
Flint agreed with the assessment. "And Cobra's a high bidder."
"Only Uncle Sam has a bigger wallet at this point."
Flint's head ached. He rubbed at his right temple, trying to quell a growing headache that seemed to have no intention of slowing. He inwardly cursed himself for not safeguarding Suarez more. An even deeper part of him whispered quiet regrets that he had not done as she had asked. His conscience was clear to some degree until he at inevitably confirmed that she had been made an experiment, probed for answers to questions she could not answer. It would be bad enough if his own government had her, but it would be even more horrendous if Cobra had custody.
"Any sources in Washington you can pull?" Flint asked, pushing away images of interrogation techniques Cobra frequently employed.
"I have people doing some checking. Nothing back from them so far, though."
"Keep me informed," Flint said. He began to turn when Mainframe stopped him.
"Flint," the tech said tentatively. "I think you should know I haven't exactly been green-lighted to help you with this. I mean, I know it seems like everyone is looking for Elwood, but it's not what you think. The JCS lost its package, and that's about all they care about at the moment. You just happen to have the same goal for the moment, and Suarez ain't it."
"Anyone tell you not to help me?"
"I was, well, advised to not put forth my best foot for you."
"Dare I ask by whom?"
Mainframe grimaced. "Probably not a wise idea. Look, let me do what I can without kicking up any dust."
Flint gave Mainframe a gentle punch in the shoulder. "I appreciate it."
The command center was a collection of quiet murmurs and the sound of keyboard keys being tapped as operators sifted through resources, trying to cull any information on Elwood and his whereabouts. Flint joined in the effort, assuming his place at an open workstation. He had never been that interested in the center's abundant resources of information except when it pertained to the mission at hand. Even then, he only concerned himself with the information he needed to know, not where it had come from or who had obtained it. Now, he was desperately wanting to know how it was done, who gave the tips and facts that were combined into the large, overall picture of a mission objective.
He sensed Mainframe looking over his shoulder as he worked.
"Anything I can help you find, Flint?"
Flint kept working, though he really had no idea where he was going. "You said they'd put a contract out on Elwood if he was one of their own. How do we find out if they've done that?"
Mainframe gave a chuckle. "You're not going to find it on there. It's not like it's a website."
Flint's anger popped to the surface. "Then how to do we find it?" he said loudly, frustrated, causing heads in the command center to turn in his direction. He did not care.
"It takes a few phone calls, some street contacts," Mainframe explained softly. "I can make those calls, but it's going to take time."
"Do it," Flint said firmly.
Mainframe gave Flint a gentle tap in on the shoulder. "Why don't you go get some sleep? I'll page you when I have something. You're not going to be in a position to do anything if you're dead on your feet."
It was good advice, and Flint was willing to follow it. He was exhausted. His skin prickled with fatigue.
"Keep me informed," he said.
He knew Mainframe had meant that Flint should return to quarters and get some rack time, but the hospital was Flint's destination. He found himself sitting at Jaye's bedside, watching her sleep. He sat close to her, taking her hand in his and resting his head on the bed. He looked up at her, once again memorizing her features. Her hand was warm in his, a perfect fit, just as she had been to him.
He had literally dared her to come in for a final drink on that night. The first kiss was more of an accident than anything. They had all been out for a celebration beer. The team had been victorious on all accounts in thwarting yet another Cobra plot to harm civilians. They had put a major dent in its operations. It had been a long mission, one they all celebrated heavily upon their return to American soil, the team intact with no injuries. Beer had flowed quite freely. Flint and Allison had been the most sober to drive the rest to their off-base housing. One by one, she emptied the car of teammates until it was just the two of them.
He had poured a shot of Tullamore Dew for her and himself. He carefully neared her, afraid he would put her on the defensive. She stood her ground, though, raising her glass and aiming it at his as his eyes bore into hers.
"To victory," he said huskily, his voice failing to find a strong timbre. His legs felt weak.
She gently touched glasses with him, downing the shot in one take. He did the same, feeling the smooth burn of the drink as it coursed down his insides. Before he knew it, they were so close that he could feel the heat of her body on his bare forearms. All the feelings for each other, the mutual attraction that they had denied for so long disintegrated into a graze of the lips. It turned into the most passionate kiss he had ever known in his life. The taste of whiskey on her tongue mingled with his as they devoured one another.
He held her in his arms, daring to touch her in the most intimate places. She did the same, willingly following him to the bedroom. She was infinitely woman to him, a sharp contrast to the military operative she was to the rest of the team. Her cotton caftan was casual and soft. Allison was touchable, vulnerable when she trusted someone. Flint made every effort to ensure he did not betray that trust.
The wooden floors creaked as they moved in unison across to the bed. All the while, the battle raged in his head over what they were doing. He knew he should have stopped it, but she was quenching a thirst in him that he had felt so long. She was the one who could get to the very core of him, who knew he had vulnerabilities, just like she did. Allison was the one who had kept his thoughts sailing long after the day was done.
It was a night indelibly etched in his memory. They made love until they had no more energy and fell asleep. He yearned for the feeling of her next to him on that morning. The feel of cotton sheets and blankets on bare skin on that cool fall morning were ecstasy as he held her, her body a perfect fit to his own. She felt natural to him, as though he had waited for that moment all his life. He could honestly say he had not looked at another woman since meeting her. Allison had taken his complete attention. He lusted, yearned, and wondered about her all the time. He would purposely change the duty rotation just to be near her. It was only after that night that she objected to the practice. She had called it off for good reason. It would have spiraled out of control and would have hurt both of them and their careers.
It did not mean his feelings for her had turned off as quickly as the relationship had ended. In truth, he was uncontrollably under her spell. She was very good at fending him off in their daily work encounters, but tongues wagged nonetheless. Bill had told Flint at one point that the longing was so apparent that the only thing missing were flashing lights pointing down on the two of them. If Bill knew, then Duke and Hawk were certainly aware. It only enhanced the frustration Flint felt. Obstacles continued to block his one desire to be with Allison, without conditions and rules and regulations. It had been a one-night stand that he simply could not let go, no matter how hard he tried.
He felt himself drifting off to sleep at the side of the hospital bed, unwilling to stop it. He was right where he wanted to be – with her. The occasional sound would wake him, though not fully. Nurses would enter, doing their jobs. The normal operations of the hospital continued without regard of his fatigue. Still, he managed to find solid moments of sleep where nothing could have awakened him. Flint did not care if he snored, which Allison told him he did, but that it was nothing too bad.
When he finally awoke, he found the slightest movement brought sharp pain to his back. He had been hunched over the bed so long that muscles had seized. He gingerly began straightening, testing each fiber before fully extending his back to a sitting position. Allison was still asleep, and her hand was still securely in his. He gently extricated his hand from hers, stretching his arms above his head. He had slept for almost six hours. It was enough to rejuvenate him.
"You snore."
Flint whirled around, finding the source of the quiet, deep voice. Hawk sat in the corner, hidden by the shadows in the room.
"How long have you been there?" Flint asked, his heart thumping with surprise.
"Long enough," Hawk said. "How's the back?"
Flint smiled. "There's something to be said for being horizontal when you sleep."
Hawk remained in the shadows, content to keep the conversation quiet and his eyes hidden in the darkness. "I hear you put some ears to the ground to find Suarez."
Reluctantly, Flint admitted he had. "Yeah, I did. Is there a problem?"
"Not with me, no. But you know that old Chinese proverb – be careful what you wish for. In this case, you may get more than you wanted."
"Are you ordering me to back off?"
"That's your call," Hawk said quietly. Flint could see the whites of the general's eyes reveal themselves in the darkness as his focus shifted to Allison. "Just remember it doesn't involve only you."
Flint knew what Hawk meant. Risks were a part of their business. "She'd do the same if she were in my position," he said, taking his own turn to look at her sleeping form.
"But she's not. She's laying there with a hole in her back."
Flint wanted to shout as his anger grew. He felt as though Hawk were aiming the comment at him. "What's your point?" he said, controlling his voice.
The whites disappeared again in the shadows as Hawk focused on him again. "Taking risks is a part of our job. Sometimes, there's a price to be paid for doing that."
"So?"
Hawk was direct. "Is Suarez worth it?"
"I believe she is, yes," Flint avowed.
"Must have been one hell of an extracurricular event while you were out in the field with her to make her so worthwhile."
Flint did not like where Hawk was going. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means we've been friends a long time. I know you, Flint. I know you were holding back in that briefing, just like Duke does. You have a choice – you can either justify going after her with me, or you can bag the whole operation and call it even."
"I can't tell you everything without endangering the timeline. Suarez was specific about…"
"I'm not asking you for specifics," Hawk interjected. "I'm asking you to justify putting more people, including yourself, at risk to get her back."
Flint was quick to answer. "Because we FUBAR'd her op, that's why." Then, he corrected himself. "I screwed it up. She came to me for help, and I let my anger get in the way of what needed to be done. She tried to explain it to me, but I refused to listen. Now, Elwood's probably getting ready to rip out her fingernails, and I'm responsible for that."
"She wasn't exactly honest with us. You can't blame yourself for not trusting her. But there's a bigger issue here, and it's that you omitted details from us in the briefing about what went on in that mountain."
"I can't talk about it, Hawk," Flint said, feeling panic settle in his belly. Hawk was cornering him. For a brief moment, he knew what Suarez must have felt like, dodging questions at every turn.
"This isn't going to go away, Flint. If I'm asking these questions, you can bet the JCS or CIA are going to be doing the same very soon. And I guarantee you, they won't ask as nicely as I am right now."
"I'm prepared to deal with the consequences."
Hawk was quiet. He seemed to simmer in the darkness. Flint felt the tension from his commanding officer as it permeated the room.
"I can't protect you." Hawk's words seem to hang in the air. "This is like throwing a pebble in a pond. There will be a ripple effect none of us will be able to anticipate if it gets out of control."
The words stung at Flint as Suarez's voice rang out in his head. She had said nearly the same thing about all life events. He could never tell Hawk, could never reveal the moments with Suarez that were best kept confidential.
"Then cut me loose," Flint said. "If I have to do this on my own, I will."
"And what about her?" Hawk said pointedly, nodding toward Allison's still-sleeping form.
Flint looked at Allison sadly. Regret beat savagely in his chest. "She's something I can never have," he admitted in a near whisper.
"Maybe," Hawk said. "But you'll never know if you get yourself in the crosshairs of some agency." His frustration finally broke. "Dammit, Flint – let this go."
Anger caused Flint's jaw to clamp shut. His teeth ground slightly as he worked to control his rage. "Protecting the innocent is our job," he said in a near growl. "At least, that's the promise I made."
"Suarez is no innocent citizen, Flint. She's a player, and you need to be sure she's on the right side before you go running to her rescue. You're endangering your career, your teammates, and her," Hawk said, nodding again toward Allison.
Flint sat back in the chair. His fists clenched in anger, but he controlled himself. "Either order me to stand down, or give me the green light."
"In other words, stay out of your way?" Hawk challenged.
"Should I have ended that with a 'please'?"
Hawk shook his head. "Not your style."
Flint softened, knowing Hawk was trying to help. He knew the general would never have intervened in an effort to save his own butt. He was only looking out for Flint, and rightfully so. What the Joe team did reflected directly on its commander. Hawk was a fair man and a fierce warrior. He did not ask his team to do anything he was not willing or had already done himself. He had been around the block with Special Forces and covert operations. He had spilled his blood once, had seen good friends die in the line of duty. He was a warrior of high caliber to Flint, a man to be trusted. He commanded his troops with authority, but he knew he needed a cohesive sense of camaraderie among all the members of the team, from the enlisted support staff to command officers. Hawk's ability to lead was unquestioned, yet Flint suddenly felt his commander was being unfair.
"I can't let them have her like this, Hawk," Flint said, almost pleading.
"I know you can't," Hawk said, letting out a sigh, "which is why I'm affording you every resource you need to get her back in one piece. I just wanted to make sure your priorities were straight."
"You believe her, too?"
"No," Hawk said, his voice straining as he stood up from the chair. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked toward the door of the room. He gave Flint a rueful smile. "I just didn't like Elwood."