Betrayal
Chapter 27
Rangers PoV
October 31, 2011 2010 hours
Bodie, WA
I have no idea what the codes Steph, Sanders, Pike and the Spymaster talked in meant except for Tango, which usually means Target. The code Alpha in the Rangers meant the first or primary team, which responded to a situation. I have a suspicion of what the codes mean but I´m not yet sure. I gave my men a sign to remain silent for the time being and to wait.
In front of my very eyes my Babe changed into…I have no words it.
Now, I finally understood Yeats expression.
All changed, Changed utterly;
A terrible beauty is born
That she was: A terrible Beauty
A Warrior.
And I am irrevocably in love with her.
My attention was drawn back to reality as Steph exploded into a flurry of activity. She opened the bag that had been set aside earlier and took her clothes out obviously searching for something. I walked over to her to ask what in the name of all that is good and holy is going on, when she stood up with a satellite phone in hand dialing furiously.
"Call. Them. Back." She positively growled.
"…."
"Don´t give me that bullshit."
"…"
"Don´t insult my intelligence by saying you don´t have him under control. You know as well as I do that this "escape" wasn´t a coincident."
"…"
"I will make you a deal. You call them back and I will do your dirty work."
"…"
"It´s not…" stopping for a moment she closed her eyes. When she opened them, again fire burned in them.
"Well then we are decided. May their deaths be on my shoulders."
The expression in her eyes made me grasp for air. Never have I seen her so defeated, but before I was able to react her eyes changed back to the steely determination. She hung up and threw the phone to me saying.
"Destroy it!"
Obviously I didn´t react quickly enough, cause she snatched the phone back a second later and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces.
"I said `Destroy`. When I give an order you will do as I say immediately." Steph barked and dialed another number on another satellite phone. I heard the others snicker and turned raising an eyebrow. Morelli straightened and said.
"That is Nyx in combat mode. She orders and you better follow if you value your life." Before I could inquire, further my attention was recalled to Steph.
"Dispatch Chet, Daleth, Samech to Epsilon, Lambda, Omikron."
"…."
"Extraction Plan: Romeo, Bravo, Bravo, Zulu."
"…"
"Fourteen. Timeframe 36 hours."
"…"
"Eleven plus the Musketeers."
"…" Whatever the person on the other end said changed her blank face into a threatening smile.
"My pleasure. Consider it done"
"…"
"Thanks"
She threw this phone to me too, and this time I immediately threw against the wall.
"Good. You learn." She said. Sending me an approving look.
"Is the RangeMan Jet still here?" she asked next, still rummaging in the bag.
"Yes"
She threw me another phone.
"Send it back to Newark. The flight plans will be erased. You were never here." Her tone was leaving no room for argument. I did as I was told.
After I hung up, I saw Steph ripping a map into three pieces and writing something on each piece. Then she dug out another and wrote something on it too, folding it together again she threw it to Morelli. She stood up and began shredding her clothes. My jaw dropped. There she was my Babe, standing in front of all these men in nothing more than a plain black bra and panty set.
I growled. Other men have no business seeing MY Babe in her underwear.
"Oh please, Ranger. You have seen me wearing much less. And I am sure the guys have all seen a woman in her underwear at one point of their life or another. Besides, we have no time for useless decency. Guys listen up this is the plan." While she dressed herself into black cargos and a tight fitting long-sleeved shirt and armed herself with several guns and knives and ammo, she told us the hair brained plan of hers.
~~~~~oooo~~~~~
Stephs PoV
October 31, 2011 2015 hours
Bodie, WA
I stood a few moments in the middle of the cave unmoving. Analyzing the situation and adapting my plan for the case that someone finds my retreat.
Leland Anderson. A jealous, hypocritical, envious, prejudiced, incompetent, devious, greedy, stupid bastard.
He never liked being bested by a woman. And best him I did and I will do so once again.
I called my former boss and I wasn´t happy about what I was told. Apparently, one of the powers that be deemed it too dangerous to leave either Ranger or myself alive has sent in reinforcement. They think and rightly, so that I will tell Ranger the truth about what happened in the last years.
Evidently they don´t trust Ranger and the Merry Men to finish me off in retribution and considering Ranger just declined renewing his government contract they decided to get rid of both of us once and for all; because we know too much. Tying up loose ends and all. Well, they just made the biggest mistake possible.
You can threaten me all you want, but never ever threaten what is mine to protect!
I made another call setting in motion events they won´t be able to stop. It´s just a warning, though. If they don´t heed it, well let´s just say I still have one or two tricks up my sleeve….
Now I am going to tell them the plan….