Chapter 10

In Washington, D.C. President Saunders sat in the Oval Office with his Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We need to address the public about Miss McGarrett's abduction." He stated to the occupants of his office. "I also want to send SAM 29000 out to get her in Italy."

"Why would we do that for this particular civilian Sir," Secretary of Defense Warren Jefferson asked Saunders.

Saunders turned to Admiral Falcone who negated his train of thought. The contents of the ERIS Act was specific. No one in his administration must learn of Kalani's involvement in the military.

"This young lady was kidnapped by the Egyptian Government. Taken forcefully and brutally from her family. Her abduction been nationally publicized. It would be in the Nation's interest to let them know she is safe and sound. We can do a Press Conference went she lands in Coronado of her release and state of recovery."

"So for Public Interest you want to use millions of tax dollars to send the 29000 to Italy to pick up a girl and fly her home? We don't do that unless the person is Military Personnel being escorted home by family members usually dead." Secretary of State Veronica Clemson supplied in shock.

"This young lady was stolen from her family, taken overseas and found in less then a month," Saunders fumed. "She is critically injured and commercial flight could damage her healing wounds by being in confined quarters with other passengers. The viruses and germs other passengers carry could jeopardize her already fragile immune system. With the 29000 we limit the exposure and we get her in and out of security as well as customs faster."

With that said the argument was over, every Secretary, General, Admiral and Attorney in the room finally agreed with the President.

"I want two SSAs, two FBI agents and three SEALS on that Plane."

"Sir, We understand the special agents but SEALS?" Chief of Staff Harold Dell asked.

Saunders smirked. "This girl's father use to be a SEAL. She grew up around these men and women. It would make her feel more safe and secure knowing that these soldiers are SEALS." He successfully skirted around Kalani's involvement with the Navy. "I want fighter jets protecting the plane as if I was on board as well. You can't be too safe or paranoid."

The room went into a flurry of activity with that said, knowing the President as said all that he was going to on the subject.


"Are you sure this information is correct," Sam asked Captain O'Malley astounded by the news he just announced.

"Yes, the President is sending the Presidential plane for your return home. We will keep Kalani in our care until it arrives tomorrow afternoon." Captain O'Malley answered. "What has been told to me is that they don't want to further compromise her immune system by commercial flight. They have a full medical kit on board. We can keep Kalani attached to the equipment for transport. Once at Coronado she should be able to be stable enough to come off the equipment."

"Thank you. I'll let Steve and Catherine know this turn of events." Sam finished shaking O'Malley's hand. Her returned to Kalani's room and looked at everyone sleeping around Kalani. The adults decided they would take turns staying awake to watch over Kalani. He had volunteered first.

He walked over to Steve, gently shaking the slumbering man awake. "What's going on? Is it my turn already?" Steve asked groggily.

Sam shook his head smiling. "No, I just received news about Kalani's discharge." He answered.

The statement jolted Steve awake. "Really?"

Sam nodded, "President Saunders is sending SAM 29000 to come retrieve all of us. It should be here by tomorrow evening," he supplied. "O'Malley says that even though Kalani may feel fine she still needs to be hooked up to machinery for a couple more days. Commercial flight would be detrimental to her fragile immune system with all the viruses and germs flying around from the passengers."

Steve nodded. Logically he knew that Kalani was still really not out of the woods, however with all her injuries still mending from the surgery, it only made sense that public transport could derail her recovery.

"Since this is a rare occurrence, we both know that the plane is going to be heavily guarded," it was more of a statement than a supplement. As trained SEALS both men knew there would be FBI, SSA, and three soldiers. Since the President knew Kalani was a SEAL they'd send three of her brothers in arms to protect her.

"Which team are they going to pull from," Steve asked, "You have any idea."

"Most likely Ghost Squad." Sam answered cryptically. Ghost Squad was the call sign of SEAL Team VI. They were the most effective elite force for extraction in all of the US Special Teams. The men on the team looked after Kalani liked a daughter or a sister. Out of all the teams they were Kalani's favorite group to HOP with.

Steve chuckled. His laughter woke Catherine up. "Steve what's going on?"

Steve looked to his fiance and smiled, shaking his head. "Nothing, Sam was just informed that Kalani can go home tomorrow. President Saunders is sending transportation and additional fire power."

Confusion showed on Catherine's face. "Extra fire power? Huh?" She still had the web of sleep taking residence in her brain.

Steve kissed the top of Catherine's head. "We're all flying home on SAM 29000."

The news woke Catherine up quickly. "29000?" She smiled knowing what the news meant. It would be as heavily armed as if the President himself were on board. Jets would accompany the journey. It would be difficult to attack in mid flight.

Kalani was pretending to be a sleep during the conversation. Her father's laughter had woken her up. She smiled internally at the President's goodwill and then really hoped it would be Team VI who came on the detail. She really missed those hooligans. Especially Alex he reminded her so much of a younger Steve. Always half serious but very dedicated and loyal to his brothers.

Alex Caulder relied on his instincts just like her father. Then there was Buddha, Bear and Fishbait. All four have been together as a unit for more than three years.

Ricky "Buddha" Ortiz was more of a protective father figure to Kalani than a goofy older brother. He came from a large Spanish family and cherished familial ties over all else. He was usually the team's peacekeeper hence his nickname Buddha. Buddha always allowed Kalani to stay with his family during her Virginia Beach based missions. His wife Jackie was the doting mother she never had growing up. Jackie had taught Kalani the joys Spanish traditions. She and Buddha had taught her traditional Latin dances and Latin cuisine recipes.

Joe "Bear" Graves was her serious overprotective brother and she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved the moments that Bear let loose and wasn't so serious. He was the current squad leader, a hat he wears proudly. He had taken the command when his mentor Richard "Rip" Taggart left the service after a controversial Op in Afghanistan a couple years prior.

Rip? She missed the man she had lovingly called Uncle in the group. The guys just recently rescued Rip and a bunch of hostages from a Jihadist faction. As soon as he was stateside though, he was brutally murdered at gunpoint on a pier just a few miles away from Alex's beachfront home. The shooting had been broadcast on a live online video stream.

It was tragic because not even a month before they had also buried Beauregard "Buck" Buckley. Buck had been killed by enemy fire on their first attempt to rescue Rip and the hostages with him. He had taken a bullet between the ribs and suffered a ripped lung. The damage was so extensive he died from massive internal hemorrhaging during the team's attempt to get him to the Helios.

Buck was a fly by the handle kind of guy, he was the team's heavy weapons specialist. He always went in guns blazing it was almost bittersweet how he went out. He loved his country and he had always said he would lay down his life to protect his team and his country. He had done just that.

Armin "Fishbait" Khan was her counterpart on Team VI. They both were snipers and both fluent in many languages. You could usually find them on transports conversing in Arabic. They mainly conversed because Fishbait encouraged her to keep her Arabic up. He knew that it was one of the languages she didn't utilize all that often. Her deployments usually didn't have her in the middle east. He knew that she had learned the language through her godfather Sam Hanna.

Then there was Robert Chase. She didn't really know a lot about him since her really just joined the team. She did know that he and his family come from a long line of lawyers and civil rights activists.


In Virginia Beach, SEAL Team VI was being briefed about their latest op. All the guys have been on edge since the fall of two of their brothers. All were lucky they didn't get court marshaled for their rogue tactics out on the field during their failed attempt at rescuing Rip. Even the Captain verbally wiped it under the rug.

"Ok guys, I know were all on edge. We lost two of our brothers, but we have to go on. We have another one of our own to bring home."

This made everyone's hackles raise. "Little Bird was abducted from Coronado about a month ago. She somehow managed to escape and get herself to Sigonella, When arrived she was rushed into emergency surgery. She expired on the table and was revived."

Buddha, Bear, Alex and Fishbait all roared with anger. Little Bird was the only Naval female they really felt protective of. Being away from the states as much as they have lately they really haven't had time to pay attention to the news.

They knew Kalani's call sign was Eris but they called her Little Bird because she was so nimble and lithe she could soar through the air like a little bird.

"Silence!" The Captain commanded. All four quieted down. "We got lucky that she used her survival instincts. Anyway this is going to be an easy escorting op. All five of you will board SAM 29000 with three SSAs and two FBI agents. I want you armed to the teeth in case there is an on board breach of security. Little Bird isn't going to trust any of the other agents on board. You and her family are all she's going to allow close to her. She's going to be stuck in a prone position. She will be strapped onto a stretcher and attached to medical equipment."

The men looked at each other. This wasn't good. Kalani was stubborn to a fault. A trait she inherited from her father and grandfather. She'd rip those wires right out of her arm to defend herself in a second. They all knew what each other were thinking. They all were praying to God that the medical staff heavily sedated the young lady.


Twelve hours later the team boarded the Presidential Plan only to be met by hard stares. "Well if it isn't SEAL team screw-ups," one of the SSAs addressed them.

Alex went into attack mode, lunging for them Buddha and Bear were the ones who held the free-spirited surfer boy back from pummeling the asshole.

"How'd you land on this babysitting mission," an FBI Agent blasted at them.

"That's classified," Bear answered, "We're heavily armed. Some of us are hot heads and you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of our friendly fire."

"Why don't we just play nice," Buddha asked. "We're just here to bring our friend home."

The FBI Agent who blasted them rose his eyebrows. "You know the VIC? How?"

Bear crossed his arms over his chest. One thing he despised more than anything was bureaucratic types, "Quite frankly that answer is a little too over your pay grade," he supplied.

"Meaning?" The Agent asked.

Fishbait laughed, "You're going to play the dumb card? Guys he's going to play the dumb card." He turned to his team who joined in on his laughter.

"What's that suppose to mean?" The Agent's partner asked.

Robert the legal expert of the team smirked, "It means its classified. Need to know and you aren't privy to it."

"We're the FBI and those gentlemen to the right of you are Secret Service. We trump classified."

Alex laughed and Buddha elbowed him in the arm as a warning. Alex glared at his brother but kept his mouth shut.

"You see that's where you are wrong. It's so classified that it makes the Area 51 cover ups look like Watergate in comparison," Robert countered.

The two FBI Agents looked at each other not knowing where to take this pissing contest further. They looked to the SSAs who in turned shrugged. The team took the opportunity to find seats before take off.

The guys got settled into the conference room and quickly got into a game of poker. The flight would be thirteen hours long.