Chp. 39

Jack had been in the hospital for five days, and surprisingly, no one had threatened Alexx, Sam or any of the team. Alexx volunteered to go to Jack's apartment and get him some things, more in hopes that she could gain insight into the man, than to actually provide him with clothes. Sam at Horatio's and Meghan's , to give Alexx a break. Joe noted the pained expression on his daughter's face when they arrived at the former soldier's apartment.

"What's wrong?"

Alexx shrugged. "Seems kind of…lonely, I guess."

Joe nodded as they walked up the stairs to the second floor and found the apartment. "Jack was never one to need people to lean on." Joe said, as they entered.

Alexx turned and fixed her father with a hard stare. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe, you saw what he wanted you to see?"

"Alexx, the man's a trained operater, with seventeen years experience with three elite units."

"Meaning?"

In reponse, Joe nodded to the living room wall. Alexx turned and noted the pictures covering the wall. They were mostly of a group men and she could pick out Jack easily, even with a beard and sunglasses, which he wore in all the photos. She assumed that the men with him were his former teammates, and Ken and Mike were in a few of the shots as well. She could see Jack age in the photos as well, from a young man full of promise with a brand new Ranger Tab, ready to take on the world. Then he matured into an experienced Special Forces and Delta Operator. Then she could see a change in him in certain pictures, and she surmised these were taken around the time Jack's wife and son were murdered. She also knew that this wall wasn't about bragging or proving something. Jack didn't need that. No, this was about preserving the only life he knew. In that moment Alexx knew she could never fully purge that part of him, and in truth wasn't sure she wanted to. Because in the midst of the war, death and killing that was a part of his life, was a large portrait of his family, and Alexx understood that was what he valued most.

000

Jack was annoyed. He wanted to get out of the hospital and get back to hunting down Clavo and whoever else had been involved in the pedophile ring that Sam and Anya were caught up in. He'd just finished breakfast when a man arrived in his room, dressed in a nondescript blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie. The guy had that lean athletic quality borne out of a lifetime in Special Operations Warfare. Jack knew because he had it himself. "Help you?" He asked, when his visitor didn't introduce himself.

"Captain Jackson Caine, U.S. Army SFOD-D?"

Jack didn't answer for a minute, then finally said, "That's sufficiently off putting. You IAB? Oh, no let me guess, Military Police." AIB had come calling three days into Jack's hospital stay when it was clear he would die, and they informed him in no uncertain terms that he was in real trouble. The bastards had even taken his weapons.

The man stepped forward and extended his hand. "My apologies, Captain. Jeff Duncan, SITU."

"SITU?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows. During his time as a Green Beret and Delta operators, Jack had worked with a lot of federal agencies, foreign and domestic, but he'd never heard of SITU.

"Special Investigations and Tactics Unit." Duncan said. "Officially, we coordinate local, state and federal law enforcement agencies under a central umbrella, allowing our agencies to gel and work together with less bureaucratic red tape." Duncan supplied.

Jack noted the man's use of the word officially. "And unofficially?"

Duncan nodded. His hunch had been right. Jackson Caine was exactly the kind of man SITU needed to succeed. "Unofficially, you do the same things you did with Special Forces and Delta." Duncan said.

The two men were silent as Jack considered what he was being offered. Finally, Jack looked at his visitor. "I have a request."

"Name it."

"I want to hunt down Clavo Cruz and put him six feet under."

The SITU agent smiled. "We thought you might."

Jack nodded. "Alright then. Where do I sign?"

000

Another week passed before Jack was deemed well enough to be discharged. His father had insisted that he move in with him to convalesce, and when Meghan had sided with Horatio as well, Jack had consented. Two days after his release from the hospital, Pavel Delko brought him a get well present.

Jack eyed the hard gun case and looked at the other man. "Pavel, you didn't have to do this."

"I know, but it made my blood boil that in a country where a man would sacrifice so much, the authorities could still take away his weapons." He said, placing the case face down in front of Jack on the coffee table. After checking to make sure Sam and Madison were nowhere close by, Jack flipped the clasps and opened the case, his jaw dropping to the floor at what was inside. His Wilson Combat 1911 had been replaced with a full size Kimber Tactical Law Enforcement/Rail Light II .45 caliber pistol, and a PRO version of the same weapon, the only difference being it was slightly smaller and better suited for concealed carry. His Wilson Combat M4 had been replaced with a Rock River Arms M4, complete with a quad rail system and plenty of bells and whistles. Not only would Jack get the job done, but he'd look good doing it.

Jack looked at Pavel, and smiled. "Thanks, Pavel."

The Russian nodded. "Just find that walking abomination and make him suffer for what he has done."

Jack nodded, his face hardening. "He's a dead man walking, guaranteed."