Chapter 43
Anaconda Vise
2300 hours local time, 28 February 2002, Bagram AFB, Bagram, Afghanistan.
"And this is for the questions that don't have any answers
The midnight glancers and the topless dancers
The candid freaks, cars packed with speakers
The G's with the forties and the chicks with beepers
The Northern Lights and the Southern Comfort
And it don't even matter if the veins are punctured
All the crack heads, the critics, the cynics
And all my heroes at the Methadone Clinic
All you bastards at the IRS
For the crooked cops and the cluttered desks
For the shots of Jack and the caps of meth
Half pints of love and the fists of stress
For the hookers all tricking out in Hollywood
And for my hoods of the world misunderstood
I said it's all good and it's all in fun
Now get in the pit and try to love someone"
The sound of Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba" echoed around the Hangar as the men of Alpha and Bravo Team prepared for Battle. Off to one side, Deeks and Three had both finished field-stripping their M4s for the umpteenth time. Three then went to work on his M9, while Deeks loaded shells into his Remington M870 shotgun, which would hang from his pack by a strap. Meanwhile, Chester was making sure he had enough rounds for his M203 Grenade Launcher, which was attached to his M16.
For the time bombs ticking and the heads that hang
All the gangs getting money and the heads that bang bang
Wild mustangs and porno flicks
All my homies in the county in cell block six
The grits when there ain't enough eggs to cook
And for DB Cooper and the money he took
You can look for answers but that ain't fun
Now get in the bed and try to love someone
Meanwhile, Tony, who like everyone else, (except Chester), carried an M4 as his primary, was finishing up the final touches on "Jordan", his new modified BAR "Scattergun", which was named after the late Lieutenant Commander. Following the events that had led to the Commander's death, Tony had given his 1st Scattergun, which he had named "Ziva", to Malachi. However, Tony still kept "Liat", his L96A1 Sniper rifle that he named after his daughter.
"Sky Train!" Tony yelled as he waved over his son.
"What's up Old Man?" Three said as he walked over.
"Three, if you and Deeks have to knockdown any doors, I want you to be first through the door" Tony ordered.
"Yes Sir" Three said. Despite being Tony's son, Three always displayed the proper Military respect and decorum when the occasion called for it. "Permission to speak" Three said as he stood at attention.
"Granted" Tony said as the music in the background switched to Limp Bizkit's "Rollin'".
"Any reason why I'm gonna be 1st?" Three asked.
"Deeks is gonna be a father" Tony said as he loaded AP ammo into his specially modified 30-round clips.
"So" Three said. "You've been a father for nearly 19 years, you've always been the 1st one through the door" he pointed out.
"I know, that's because it's my job" Tony said.
"Yes Sir" Three said. Tony then checked his watch, which read "23:20"
"Kill the music" he ordered.
"Sir" Three said.
"Gather up" Tony said as he held his rifle over his head. Everyone quickly gathered around. "Listen up boys" Tony began. "This is it. Revenge, for all those taken last September" he said. "Ok then" Tony said as he pulled back on the slide of his M4A1. "Lock n' load" he ordered.
1345 hours, 28 February 2002, Olivia Falconeri's townhouse, Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York.
Olivia Falconeri was reading a book when she heard a knock on the door. She placed the book down and went to answer it. She unlocked the dead bolt, and threw open the door. "Can I help you?" she said. Standing in front of her, was a gentleman, dressed in a dark blue suit, a black overcoat and a gray fedora.
"Ms. Olivia Falconeri?" the man asked.
"Who wants to know?" she asked.
"I'm looking for your son, Richard" he explained.
"And you are?" she questioned.
"A friend"
"Well my son's friends call him Rick, so who the fuck are ya?"
"An acquaintance then" he said.
"Come in" Olivia said skeptically. She stepped back and aloud the man to enter her home. "Your name?" she asked.
"Gotti, Peter Gotti" he said as he removed his hat. Olivia knew the name. Peter Gotti was the younger brother of John Gotti Sr., who was an old ally of Sonny's before John's untimely passing. His son, John Gotti Jr. had taken over, and broken ties with the Corinthos Family, and in the process ordered a hit on Sonny's grandson, Anthony "Three" DiNozzo III, and inadvertently killed Karine DuBois, Three's girlfriend. In response, Olivia and Sonny's 2nd eldest child, Rick, had killed Gotti.
"Oh please, allow Elena to do that" Olivia said. "Elena, please take Mr. Gotti's coat" Olivia said. Elena did as instructed, and then quickly frisked him.
"What the fuck is this?" Gotti protested.
"Do you think me stupid, Mr. Gotti?" Olivia asked. "My Son, Rick, killed your nephew" she said. "Is he armed?" Olivia asked.
"Da" Elena replied in her Muscovite accented Russian.
"Place the gun in his hand" Olivia said as she turned away from him. Elena did as instructed.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gotti asked.
"This" Olivia said as she turned and fired. In her hand was a M1911 pistol. The bullet struck Gotti dead center in the chest, piercing his aorta, killing him instantly. "Have Max & Milo dump him somewhere he won't be found for a while" Olivia ordered Elena.
"Yes Mam" Elena said.
0500 hours local time, 1 March 2002, Shah-i-Kot Valley, Afghanistan.
"There it is" Tony said as he looked across the flat lands into the foothills, approximately a ½ mile away. "Objective Remington" Tony said.
"Satellite imaging shows at least 5,000 AQ fighters hold up in the valley between the hills and the mountain" said Colonel Todd Manning, who commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment.
"In order to break into the valley, we'll have to secure the 2 hills there" pointed out Major Alan James Quartermaine Jr., who was Todd's XO and commanded one of the Ranger Battalions.
"What does Intel say about those hills?" Tony asked.
"They're held by Pakistani 'volunteers'" Alan said, using air quotes.
"And those volunteers consist of?" Todd asked.
"The Pakistani 8th Infantry Division, backed up by those 5,000 AQ fighters" AJ said.
"Jesus H. Christ" Tony said.
"That's upwards of 35,000 men" AJ said.
"I know" Tony said. "Admiral Carsten will arm his Air Wing with bunker buster ordinance. That'll take care of most of em. After that, the German 36th Attack Helicopter Regiment will make several passes. The men they don't kill will most likely take off running" Tony said.
"Ok then" Todd said as he handed the satellite images to Tony.
"What's this?" Tony asked as he pointed to a hill that over looked the 2 they were targeting.
"Last sate sweep didn't show anything" Todd said.
"I'm gonna have a look for myself" Tony said as he grabbed Jordan. "Quartermaine, have on of your men saddle some up some horses" he ordered.
"Yes Sir" Alan said.
"Ironman, with me" Tony yelled.
"On your Six, Top" Chester said as he grabbed his M-16. The 2 men walked over to the horses and climbed on, their weapons slung across their backs. "You'll be hearing from us Todd" Tony called out.
0600 hours local time, 1 March 2002, Shah-I-Kot Valley, Arma Mountains, Afghanistan.
"Let's leave the horses here" Tony said as the 2 men dismounted. Tony unslung Jordan off his back and flicked off the safety. Chester did the same as he pulled back on the slide of his M-16. "Alright then, let's move out, nice n' low, keep it quiet" Tony said. Tony and Chester slowly made their way up the hill, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. By 0630, that had reached the crest of the hill. "Hold up" Tony said as he knelt down and held up his fist. "There" Tony pointed, to a small hole in the cliff side, the entrance to a small cave.
"What do ya think?" Chester asked.
"20 clams says that cave has a nice overview of the hills" Tony said.
"Only one way to find out" Chester smiled. Slowly but surely, crept their way towards the entrance to the cave. When they reached it, they took up positions on either side of the door. Tony carefully peeked around the corner and took a quick count.
"I count a dozen or so hostiles" Tony whispered. Chester nodded and took a look himself.
"Far side of the cave, you see that?" Chester whispered.
"Triple-A" Tony whispered. "Anti-Aircraft Artillery"
"Oerlikon GDFs, 35mm," Chester said. "They overlook the hills. When the Krauts do their flyover, they'll get ripped to shreds, not to mention what'll happen to our own boys"
"You go left, I go right" Tony said.
"With pleasure" Chester said as he placed his finger on the trigger of the M-203 grenade launcher. At the same time, Tony grabbed an M-33 baseball grenade off his web gear. He pulled the pin and tossed it inside. After a few seconds, it exploded. When it did, Chester moved and fired his grenade launcher too. Once it exploded, Chester quickly ejected the spent round, and inserted a fresh one.
"Move!" Tony yelled. The 2 men quickly rushed inside, guns blazing. Tony dove to the right, opening fire with his scattergun. He took cover behind a crate and finished off several men before they could react.
On the other side, Chester fired off several rounds, killing the final 4 men. "Clear" Chester yelled.
"Same here" Tony said. "Spike the guns" Tony ordered. "I'll be outside" Tony said as he stepped towards the entrance. As he did, he saw a wounded man crawling towards the door. When the man saw Tony, he babbled something incoherent. Tony remained silent, instead, pulling his Colt 45. revolver from his waist holster. "This is for Kyra" Tony said as he cocked the hammer and fire off a single round into the man's face.
In the background, Chester remained silent as he prepped the C-4. Chester had only met Tony's late sister-in-law a few times. All that he really remembered was that she had been married to his brother Rick, before she was killed on 9-11. He also knew that Tony and Kyra had been quite close when they were younger. The truth was, Chester had always known about Tony's father, the mobster, despite that BS story Tony had told him when they were in Ireland all those years ago. "All set Top" Chester said as he watched Tony holster his revolver. Tony nodded and the 2 men exited the cave, and Chester blew the charges, destroying the guns, and sealing the cave. "Should I radio in?" Chester asked.
"Quiet" Tony whispered as he grabbed Chester and pulled him down. "You here that?"
"What?" Chester whispered.
"Take cover, back by the entrance to the cave" Tony ordered as he popped a fresh clip into his BAR.
"Got it" Chester said as he pulled his side arm, an M-1911 45. and took cover as instructed. A minute or so passed, when a man finally appeared. Like Chester and Tony, he was dressed in desert fatigues. In his arms, he carried a Barrett 50. Caliber Sniper Rifle. As the man got closer Chester stepped out. "Freeze!" he yelled as he aimed his 45. "Hands" he yelled. The man froze in his tracks. He placed the sniper rifle on the ground and held out his hands. "On your knees" Chester ordered as he motioned with his weapon.
"You can do the same, Yank" said a heavy German accented voice from behind Chester. Chester turned his head slightly, and saw a man, an H&K MK-23 handgun in hand.
"I'd guess Württemberg, by the accent" Chester said as he tossed his gun to the ground.
"Very good" said the man as he stepped closer. "Out here alone are we?" he asked.
"Not quite, Officer Rommel" said as voice from the ledge above. "Drop it, Wolf" Tony ordered as he took aim with his BAR Scattergun.
"Welcome back, Tony" said Wolf as he holstered his weapon. Tony smiled as placed his rifle across his shoulder.
"Master Sergeant Chester Martin, US Army Special Forces, meet Officer Wolfgang Rommel, GFIS" Tony said as he stepped down.
"Nice to meet ya" Chester said as he held out his hand. Wolfgang took it. "And who's this fucking guy?" Chester joked as he pointed his thumb at the Sniper.
"Vac" Tony said as he gave him a nod.
"Tony" the man replied in turn. "His name is Sergeant Vaclav Jezek, of the GSG-9, German Special Forces" Tony said. "If there are no need for further introductions, myself and Sergeant Martin have other business to attend to" Tony said. "Let's go Ironman" Tony said.
"Nice to meet ya" Chester said as he picked up and holstered his 45. and then grabbed his M-16, slung it across his back, and followed Tony.
"What's the GSG-9 doing in Afghanistan?" Chester asked once they were out of earshot.
"Spotting for the airstrikes" Tony said as they hustled down the hill. As they reached their horses, a flight of F-18 Super Hornets flew overhead. "Come on let's move" Tony yelled.
0630 hours local time, 1 March 2002, Gaza Strip, Israel.
"Target on the move" said Liat into her radio, as she followed the man with her binoculars.
"I got him" Austin, or rather, Captain Marcus Sharon, replied as he flicked the safety off of his sniper rifle.
"Range, 200 meters, wind, 3 miles out of the west" Dana said next to him, as she looked through her scope.
"Copy" AJ said as he took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. The rifle, a Remington 700, kicked against his shoulder. AJ and Dana watched as the bullet struck the target in the side of the head. "Target down".
"Shall we depart?" Dana said as she turned to look at him.
"Indeed" AJ smiled. "We should be home just in time for breakfast" he said with a smile as he slung the rifle onto his shoulder. "Come on" AJ said as the 2 of them rushed back to their vehicle, a tan Range Rover. As the approached the vehicle, AJ heard a piecing whistle that he was all too familiar with. "MORTAR!" he yelled as he knocked Dana to the ground, diving on top over her, shielding her with his body.
Just as AJ had gravely predicted, a Series of Mortar rounds came crashing down around them. After a minute or 2, the attacks ceased, and AJ finally raised his head. Dust, sand and soot hung in the air, a lot of it sticking to AJ's sweaty body. "You ok?" he asked Dana as he coughed.
"Yeah, I'm ok" Dana said. "You can get off me now" he told him with a small laugh.
"Sorry" AJ said as he moved off her. "Where's Liat?" he asked as he looked around. "Oh God" he said when he saw Liat, her body motionless, lying on the ground not too far from them. "Liat!" AJ yelled as he ran towards her. He skidded down to his knees as he slide next to her. He quickly checked her for a pulse. When he found one, he quickly placed his ear to her mouth, and looked out at her chest. "Ok, she has a pulse and is breathing, but she's unconscious" AJ determined. "She needs a doctor now" AJ said as he scooped her up into a cradle. "You drive" he yelled. Dana quickly started the engine as AJ laid Liat in the backseat.
"Shooters!" Dana yelled as she pointed ahead of them. AJ quickly drew his Jericho from his shoulder holster and fired off several rounds, killing the 2 on rushing men. He then quickly jumped into the passenger side of the vehicle (the left side).
"Go, go!" he yelled. Dana mashed the peddle and they were off.
0815 hours local time, 1 March 2002, US Positions, Shah-I-Kot Valley, Arma Mountains, Afghanistan.
The Germans had just finished their final helicopter sweep, when Tony and Chester returned. They quickly dismounted and reported in to Colonel Manning, who was in command of this particular phase of the Operation. "Nice to see you boys" Todd said as they walked up.
"Colonel" Tony and Chester said as they stood at attention.
"Some of my German friends tell me you ran into one of their spotter teams up there" Manning informed them.
"It was Wolfgang" Tony said.
"I thought the 2 of you had settled your differences?" Todd asked. "Or is now down to petty one-upmanship?"
"I plead the 5th" Tony said with a smile.
"The Airstrikes and strafing runs failed to knock out all the enemy artillery" Todd said. "We have orders to hold position until another round of strikes is available"
"It's a 2-hour flight back to the sea at least, that's a minimum of 6 hours, if you take into account the time it takes to re-fuel and rearm" Tony said.
"I have my orders" Todd said. As he did, the men all heard a very distinctive screech.
"INCOMING!" Tony yelled as he hit the deck. Artillery shells began raining down hell fire all around him. "Take cover! Take Cover!" he yelled as he scrambled back to the small gully where the Rangers where taking cover.
"Tony!" he heard a voice yell from behind him. Tony looked and saw Malachi sprinting towards his position.
"Mal!" Tony said as Malachi dove down next to him. "What the hell are you doing here?" Tony asked.
"Think I'd miss this" he joked as more artillery shells rained down, one of them exploding behind them, killing 3 Rangers.
"Jesus!" Tony said through his teeth.
The Shelling continued for another half-hour, before Tony had finally had enough. "Fuck this" Tony yelled as he stood up, bullets and shrapnel flying past his head. "Wait here" he told Malachi. Tony then walked over to Colonel Manning, who was trying to reach his superiors on over the radio. "Todd!" he yelled over the sound of the explosions.
"What?" Todd yelled.
"Who ordered us to stay put?" he yelled.
"Major General French" Todd yelled.
"Ok" Tony said before running back to the gully. "Major Quartermaine!" he yelled. Alan "AJ" Quartermaine quickly came running over.
"Sir" he replied.
"I need one of your men" Tony yelled.
"Sergeant Anderson" AJ said. The young Sergeant came running up.
"Sergeant, take a horse, and ride back to division HQ, find General Clark. Tell him that we're take hell from the heights, and if we don't attack, there ain't gonna be anyone left to attack" Tony ordered. As the Sergeant grabbed the horse and climbed on, a bullet struck him in the lower back, knocking him to the ground.
"Medic!" AJ called out. "Help this man" he ordered when one ran over.
"Damn" Tony said.
"I'll go" AJ said as he quickly jumped on the horse, spurred it, and took off, running along the top of the gully.
"Quartermaine!" Tony called after him, but it was no use, AJ was gone.
AJ rode off into the distance, enemy bullets cracking past his head. He made it off the field, and into a creek bed that ran back to Division HQ, where General of the Army Wesley Clark, the chairman of the joint chiefs, was supposed to be. As he rode along the creek bed, he saw 2 other men on horseback riding towards him, towards the battle. "General Clark, Sir" AJ said as he yanked his horse to a stop, and saluted as the general rode up.
"Major Quartermaine" General Clark said. On the other horse was his is son, Navy SEAL Lieutenant Nikolas Clark, who had been assigned as an aide to his father while the General was in country.
"Sir, Colonel DiNozzo requests permission to attack the heights" AJ said.
"Well, don't stand on ceremony, take it and kick em in the teeth" General Clark grinned.
"Sir!" AJ yelled as he saluted, and took off back to the front.
"Hell of a soldier" Wes observed. In his peripheral vision, he could see Nikolas stirring in his saddle. Wes smiled as he turned to his son. "Go on then" Wes said as he waved him on.
"I'm gonna join the attack Daddy!" Nik yelled as he took off after Major Quartermaine.
"Proud of ya son!" Wes called after him.
0900 hours local time, 1 March 2002, US Positions, Shah-I-Kot Valley, Arma Mountains, Afghanistan.
The enemy shelling continued as AJ rode up. "Colonel DiNozzo!" he yelled as he brought the horse to a halt and jumped. "Sir" he saluted. "General Clark says to kick em in the teeth" he smiled.
"Outstanding, Major Quartermaine!" Tony yelled back. "You have 1st Battalion" he ordered.
"Sir" AJ said as he saluted and ran off.
"Phantom!" Tony called out.
"Sir!" said Sergeant 1st Class Jonathan Cole as he ran up.
"Inform Howitzer that he has the left flank" Tony yelled, using Lieutenant Galtier's call sign.
"Sir" Cole said as he took off running.
"Ironman" Tony yelled. "Right flank" he ordered.
"And me?" Malachi yelled.
"With me" Tony said as he unslung Jordan from his back. "RANGERS!" he yelled. "Advance" he yelled. With a roar of "Hooahs", the Rangers scrambled out of the gully and on towards the heights.
"Keep low" Malachi yelled, M4A1 in hand.
"Spread out, don't make it easy for em" Chester yelled.
Meanwhile, with Tony in command of the Rangers, who would assault the smaller hill on the right, Colonel Manning, who would assume temporary command of the 22nd Infantry Regiment, ordered his men to advance on the hill to the left.
Back on the right, Tony called AJ over. "Sir" AJ said as he came running up.
"Can 1st Battalion support the 22nd?" he asked.
"We can Sir" AJ replied. Tony gave him an affirming nod before ordering his men to resume the advance.
"Rangers!" Tony yelled. "Charge!". Tony's men quickly advanced on the Pakistani's lower trench line, which was fronted by only a few stands of barbed wire. The Rangers easily made it through the wire, and it turned into hand-to-hand combat in the small trench.
Malachi fired off several bursts from his M-4, killing several of the defenders. When one of the defenders threw down his rifle and tried to surrender, Malachi shot him point blank in the chest. "He who hath no stomach for this fight, let him depart" Mal said as he stepped over the dead man's body and continued the advance. The remaining defenders of the 1st trench line were easily cut down as they tried to retreat up the hill.
On the right, Colonel Manning and Major Quartermaine were facing heavier resistance. "Keep low men, keep low. It won't get easier till we're on top" he yelled.
Meanwhile, on the left, Tony ordered his men to advance until they were under the enemy's guns, meaning that they were too low to be hit by artillery or machine gun fire. Realizing they were going to lose, one of the defenders broke ranks, and charged at Tony. Seeing this, Deeks quickly dropped his rifle and fired off a round from his Remington 870, blowing a hole right through the man's chest. Tony turned and gave Deeks a nod. Deeks returned it as he picked up his rifle and inserted a fresh clip.
Tony and his men quickly rushed the 2nd and final trench line, which like the 1st, was fronted by only a few strands on barbed wire. When they reached the top, they discovered most of the remaining defenders were in full retreat. Then Tony noticed that the only structure, was a small shack in the middle of the flat top. "Clear that hut!" Tony yelled.
"On it" Deeks said.
"Hold up" Three yelled as he overtook him and rushed forward. Along with some of the Rangers, Three quickly rushed the building, clearing it out. Once the hill was secure, Tony ordered the Rangers to deploy the heavy machine guns to the left side of the hill, to provide cover fire for the 22nd, who were still advancing on the bigger of the 2 hills. "Over there" Three pointed to an un-manned DShK heavy machine gun. "Grab it" he ordered.
"How does this thing work?" Chester yelled.
"He'll know" Malachi pointed to a man that was cowering behind some sand bags. Deeks reached over and grabbed him by the collar. The man began babbling in incoherent French. "He saying he's a French observer" Mal translated.
"He ain't French" Three growled as he grabbed the man's hand. "Here" he pointed to 3 black dots in the shape of a triangle that were tattooed just below the knuckle on the man's middle finger. "I saw these in Quebec, last year" Three said. "He's a CNP Guard" Three said as he drew his knife.
"No!" Tony called out. "I need that son of a bitch" Tony yelled. He quickly ordered Malachi and Chester to carry the DShK over to the rest of the machine guns. When the man initially refused to talk, Tony drew his Colt and shoved it right in the man's face. The man was quite talkative after that.
After a few minutes of suppressing fire, Tony ordered a ceasefire. He then turned and gave a nod to Chester and Malachi. "Three, kill that Canuck" Mal yelled. Three quickly drew his K-Bar and stabbed the man right in the chest.
"Come on Boys, let's do it again" Tony yelled.
"For God's sake, follow the Colonel!" Chester yelled.
"HOOAH" The Rangers yelled as they stormed down the hill, Tony well out in front. They charged across the small valley that laid between the hills, before rushing up the far hill. As they got closer, Malachi's M4 jammed. He growled and tossed it aside, before reaching behind him and pulling out of his waist holsters, the 2 44. Magnum Revolvers Tony had given him a few months earlier.
Seeing his fellow Rangers advance, AJ, ordered his men to advance as well. A few minutes later, The Rangers were rushing the last of the Pakistani and Taliban defenders from their trench line.
"Malachi" Tony called out once they reached the top of the hill. "Take the Blockhouse" Tony yelled.
"On it" Malachi yelled.
"Colonel, behind you" yelled a voice, Tony turned and saw a Pakistani soldier, bayoneted AK-47 in hand, rushing towards him. Before Tony could raise his BAR, several bullets cracked through the man's chest. Tony turned and saw Nikolas Clark, side arm in hand, standing. Tony smiled and gave him a nod.
Meanwhile, Chester and Malachi easily overran the blockhouse. Inside they found several women, who had been accompanying the defenders. "What do we do with em, Colonel?" Malachi asked.
"Kamran Shah will deal with them" Tony said, soot, dirt and dust covering his face.
"Do we take prisoners, Sir?" Chester asked.
"G2 will want to interrogate them" Tony said. "Have a detail march em to the rear" he ordered.
"Yes Sir" Chester replied. With that, Tony collapsed onto a pile of sandbags. He reached into breast pocket and pulled out a flask. He took a couple of swigs before holding it out for Malachi, who had taken a seat next to.
"Like old times, huh" Mal said after taking a swig. He then passed it along to Chester, who took a swig himself.
"Just like old times" Tony said as a young 2nd Lieutenant walked up.
"Lieutenant Colonel" the man said.
"What?" Tony asked.
"You've been ordered back to Bagram for debriefing" he said.
"Fine" Tony said.
"Chester, you're in command until I return" Tony said.
"Yes Sir" Chester replied.
28 August 1994- New York Methodist Hospital, Manhattan, New York City, New York
"Come back in 20" Tony told Chester as he, Malachi and John exited the car. They walked through the front door of the hospital, and made their way to the front desk. "Kyra Castle's room please" Tony told the lady at the front desk.
"245" the lady said after she checked the book.
"Thank you" Tony said with a sincere smile. The 3 men made their way up to the 2nd floor, and then onto room 45. They found the room, and Jimmy-Jack was standing outside.
"Tony" Jimmy-Jack said as he opened the door.
"JJ" Tony nodded to him. "Wait here, you guys" Tony said to Mal and John. Tony stepped inside the hospital room, closing the door behind him.
"Hey Dad" He said when he saw Sonny sitting in the chair by the door.
"Hey" Sonny said. "She's been waiting for ya" he said as he pointed to the bed. Tony turned and saw his beautiful sister-in-law, a beaming bright smile on her face.
"Hey mama" Tony said as he kneeled down next to the bed. "Where's my little brother?" he said looking around the room.
"He went to get some coffee" Kyra replied. "Wanna meet your niece?" she asked. Tony gave her his trademark 1000-watt grin. Kyra reached over and picked up her new born. "Tony, I'd like you to meet Alexis Olivia Castle" she said as she handed the tiny bundle to Tony.
"She's beautiful" Tony said as he cradled her in his arms. "Absolutely beautiful" he said again. "Just like her mother". Tony smiled, handed Alexis back to Kyra, and then leaned over to give both of them a kiss on the forehead.
0930 hours local time, 1 March 2002, Wolfson Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
With Malachi out of the country, AJ, aka Marcus Sharon, and Dana, stood guard outside Liat's hospital room. The Doctors had assured them that Liat was fine, she had a minor concussion. She was now resting comfortably. "Oh Shit" Dana muttered under her breath. Austin turned and saw Director David, flanked Control Officer Amit Hadar, and the director's daughter, Ziva.
"Captain Sharon" Director David said. "I understand you accomplished your mission" he said.
"Sir, Officer Tuvia is in the hospital, and your niece was nearly killed, and the only thing you have to say is about a mission that you already know was a success" AJ said.
"What your tone, Captain" Amit threatened. AJ wanted to get in his face, but surmised it wasn't worth it.
"The Doctors said that Liat needs to remain here overnight for observation" AJ said. "That's none negotiable" AJ told them. Director David only snarled.
"Report to my office tomorrow morning" Director David ordered. With that, his group left, leaving only AJ and Dana standing outside the room.
"I'm gonna head home" Dana said.
"You want a lift?" AJ offered.
"Sure" Dana said.
They made it down to the parking garage, where their shot up Range Rover was parked. "She's seen better days" Dana joked.
"Come on, we'll drop this piece of shit off a HQ, and then I'll take ya home" Austin told her.
"Ok" Dana smiled as she got in. A few minutes later, they pulled into the secure parking garage at Mossad Headquarters. They got out, and when AJ slammed the door shut, it shook and it fell off.
"Oops" AJ said with a laugh. "I'm over here" he said as he pointed to a back 2-door. "A 1987 Buick Grand National" he said.
"Nice" Dana said. "I like fast cars" she said.
"Where do you live?" he asked as he fired up the supercharged 3.8L V-6.
"Haifa" she said. "It's like an hour away, so if you don't…"
"It's fine, I live in Haifa too" AJ said as they pulled out of the garage.
Just over an hour later, AJ pulled into the parking garage below Dana's apartment building. He put the car in park and revved the engine a few times. The 21-year old Dana laughed like a teenager, as AJ gave her a smile.
"You wanna come up for a drink?" Dana asked.
"Its like 1100 hours" AJ said.
"So" Dana said.
"What the hell" AJ said as he killed the engine. They made their way up to her apartment, were Dana grabbed 2 beers out of her fridge. "You keep Budweiser?" AJ asked as he popped it open.
"I have a flare for the good stuff" Dana said. "You're hot" Dana said.
"I'm sorry" AJ said as he placed down his beer.
"Shut up" Dana said as she dropped her beer, leaped forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and attacked his lips with her own. AJ, who was surprised at first, decided to just go with the flow. Dana hoped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, using her momentum to knock him back towards the bed.
1130 hours, 1 March 2002, Tactical Operations Center, Unit Compound, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Ever since Tali had told everyone that she was pregnant, she had been desk bound by dueling direct orders from both her father and Tony. But with the Unit deployed to Afghanistan, and Izzy on maternity leave, it left on Tali and Bridget running things. Tali was now approximately 3 months pregnant, and wasn't showing yet. "So how does it feel? To be the mother of a gold medalist?" Tali asked as she leaned back in her chair. With Colonel Colleton in Washington, Bridget had been tasked with running the T.O.C.
"Pretty good" Bridget said with a smile. Unlike Tali, who was dressed in ACUs, Bridget was dressed in blue jeans, and a white Michael Kors button-down blouse. The only thing that differed her from a soccer mom, was her shoulder holster which held her 45.
"Like Father like son it seems" Tali said, referring to the Gold Medal Tony had one at 1988 Summer Games in South Korea.
"Or Mother like son" Bridget said.
"What do you mean?" Tali asked.
"I have a medal too" Bridget said. "92' Barcelona"
"Basketball?" Tals asked, to which Bridget nodded. "I never knew that" she said. "How come you never told me?" Tali asked.
"You never asked" Bridget said with a smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "Have you and Deeks talked about names?" she asked.
"Not really, I didn't want to distract him right now" Tali replied.
"A distracted soldier is a dead soldier" Bridget recited. "If it makes you feel better, Tony promised me that he'd keep an eye on Deeks for ya" Bridget said.
"So, what's it like having 2 kids with Tony?" Tali said with a childish smile.
"Look, the only reason that happened was because he showed up at the 11th hour" Bridget said trying to play it off.
"Like a knight in shining armor" Tali smiled. The grin got ever wider as Tali watched Bridget's cheeks burn bright red. "I knew it" she said as she slammed her fist on her desk. "I knew it" she repeated.
"Shut up!" Bridget complained, sounding like a 13-year old. Tali could only laugh as her phone rang.
"Colleton" Tali said when she answered. "Hey Iz" Tali said, smile on her face when she heard Izzy's voice. "What's up?" she asked. "Well congrats" Tali said. "Hang on, I'll ask" Tali said as she put her on hold and placed the phone on her shoulder. "Izzy is in labor, she wants to know if there's any way she can talk to Billy" Tali said.
"Tell her she can go fuck herself" Bridget said. Ever since the previous year, Billy and Izzy weren't exactly Bridget's favorite people.
"Sorry Iz, no can do" Tali said as she abruptly hung up. "Bitch" she added. "She still has no idea" Tali commented.
"No one ever said she was smart" Bridget replied, not looking up from her work.
"She worked for MI-6" Tali said. "You'd think she would have figured out that we were the ones who made sure Billy got the maximum penalty. We made sure that he paid for what he did to you and Tony" Tali said.
"Calm down Tals" Bridget said. "Besides, we'll be up in D.C in a few weeks when Jessica is due with Rex's child"
"Wow, you and Tony are gonna be grandparents" Tali said. "Feel old yet?" Tali joked.
"Shut up!" Bridget said as she crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Tali.
1800 hours local time, 1 March 2002, Bagram AFB, Bagram, Afghanistan.
It had been 1200 hours when Tony had arrived back at Bagram. And exactly one minute later, he had been placed in handcuffs by the base MPs. He was then rushed off to a dark room for the next 6 hours. He was handcuffed to a table, and was left alone. In terms of torture, this was nothing compared to what Tony had faced in the past. His solitude was loudly interrupted when the door to the room was thrown open and Army CID Officer, Major Hollis Mann stepped in. "Why am I not surprised?" Tony snarled as Hollis took a seat across from him.
"Have you seen today's paper?" Hollis asked as she slapped down a copy of the day's New York Times down in front of him. On the cover was a picture of the latest atrocity committed by ETA, the Basque nationalist group, against Spain's Fascist Government. "Fake end-user certificates. Cut-out companies, meticulously catalogued. There is hardly a warlord, dictator, or despot anywhere in the world that you're not on a 1st name basis with" Hollis began. "Not to mention, the murders, yes all the killings you committee on your adoptive father's behalf. The day President McCain made Sonny Corinthos his Chief of Staff, meant that he became untouchable for the time being. But not you, not Sonny's piece of shit son" Hollis smiled.
"May I?" Tony asked as he pointed to the paper. He quickly flipped to the back page, the sports section. "Miami beat Georgetown in OT" Tony said, referring to the Big East Tournament. Satisfied, Tony closed the paper and look up at Major Mann. "Enjoy it" Tony said with a grin.
"What?"
"This" Tony said. "Tell me I'm everything you despise. That I'm the personification of evil. That I'm responsible for the breakdown of the fabric of society and world order. I'm a one man genocide. Well, maybe not that, since I'm partially responsible for stopping the Catholic Genocide in Quebec, but I digress" he paused. "Say everything you want to say to me now, cause you don't have long" Tony informed her.
"Are you paying attention?" Hollis asked. "Or are you delusional? You have broken every arms embargo, every penal code ever written. I have enough evidence to put you away for consecutive life sentences. You are going to spend the next 10 years of your life going from a cell to a courtroom, before you even start serving your time. You thought you were so smart, though you were so slick. Well there was one thing you didn't count on" Hollis smiled. "We found Frank Smith's body" she smiled. "Ya know, the mob boss you killed back in 94'? And I'm willing to bet that that's just the tip of the iceberg" she yelled. When Tony only smiled at her, she continued her tirade. "I don't think you fully appreciate the seriousness of your situation"
"This morning, I took 2,000 men into battle. Of them, 144 were killed in action, another 234 were wounded. So trust me, I understand the seriousness of my situation. But I promise you this, I won't spend a single second in a courtroom"
"You are delusional" Hollis scoffed.
"Ya know, I like you Hollis… well… maybe not, but I understand you" Tony told her. "Let me tell you what's about to happen, this way you can prepare yourself" Tony began.
"Ok" Hollis chuckled.
"Soon there's gonna be a knock on that door and you will be called outside. In the hall there will be a man who outranks you by several pay grades. 1st, he'll compliment you on the fine job you've done, that you're making the world a safer place, that you're to receive a commendation and a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, and that when you return to the United States, you'll be given a new team, a CID MCRT' Tony told her. "And then he's going to tell you that I am to be released. You're going to protest, and you'll probably threaten to resign, and please feel free to do so, because that would absolutely make my day. But either way, in the end, I will be released. The reason I'll be released is the same reason you think I'll be convicted. I do rub shoulders with some of the most vile, sadistic men calling themselves leaders today. Mostly because I've killed some of them, but that's a story for another day. But some of my other clients, are the enemies of your enemies" Tony said as he pointed to the cover photo on the paper. "You see, if you're guess is that I'm the world's biggest arms dealer, you'd be wrong. The biggest arms dealer in the world ships more merchandise in a day than I do in year, is your boss, my boss… The President of the United States. Sometimes, it's embarrassing to have his fingerprints on the guns. Sometimes he needs a freelancer like me, to supply people he can't be seen supplying" Tony said. "So, you call me evil. But unfortunately for you, I'm a necessary evil" Tony smiled. Then, just as Tony had promised, there was a loud knocking at the door. "You should probably get that" he finished.
Please Review! Would love to hit 300!
A/N- (Chester's voice)- Next time on "28 Seconds: Strength & Honor"-
Malachi's R&R in Israel is cut short when one of his father's business deals goes south, and he is forced to turn to Marcus Sharon (AJ) for help. Finally, Tony and Bridget prepare to become grandparents.