After everyone had their fill of the delicious feast, everyone started to clear up the table moved all the dishes to the kitchen, and wiped off the kids.
Once done, Buck sent the kids to their own rooms to play with their friends.
"Alright, let's move this to our room Eds. At least for the viewing portion, anyway."
Once inside the room, the team took a moment to look around the room. It was light and airy and clean, bed made, and sheets tucked in tightly, a nod to the occupants who slept there at night being long-time military and a testament to old habits die hard. It felt calm and peaceful oddly enough, the team unconsciously thought as they took their seats on the bed.
On the table beside the dresser was a laptop, plugged in and in sleep mode.
"Sit down. I'm gonna give you a quick rundown. After I left the station, I received a text from an unknown number, requesting to meet at the pier. Texter suggested they had intel I would find interesting."
"A meet?" Eddie frowned, "who was it?"
" Yes amor, a meet. And before you start." Buck said holding up a hand to ward off Eddie's building rant, "Yes I was aware that it could be a trap. However, given that it was noon and the meet was on a busy pier, I took a chance. It paid dividends."
Before everyone could chim in with their own concerns about the risks, she continued with a hand raised again and a pointed look, "I met with an old acquaintance I met years back. Someone who works in the shadows. You might have heard of him before, Eds. Goes by the name 'Ghost'"
Eddie looked at his wife blankly, " Ghost? Did you say Ghost made contact? I thought he only operates in Europe?"
"Si. Ghost, and he used to." Buck chuckled.
"Who is this Ghost you two are talking about?" Hen questioned with wide and concerned eyes.
"Ghost is a shadow in the intelligence community. A veritable specter in the dark. One of the most successful operatives the US has ever seen, former Army and ex-CIA. I don't know who has him now. But I figure he works locally. If needs be, we can pull him in for more help. But, for now, let's watch the drive. Go from there."
With an agreeing nod from all, Buck hit play on the laptop.
At first, there was nothing but black and gray on the screen.
Then the sound of breathing came through and the screen showed hues of green and dull gray and soft faint murmurs.
They could now see the swiftly and silently moving forms of men moving through grass and trees on the screen. Sharp hand signals and quick movements.
Two minutes later four men in camo moved into view, all carrying weapons.
The movement from all the men abruptly stopped with a raised fist from one of the men in front, as they hunkered down. Within a few minutes, there was an audible snap as a boot connected with the foliage. Rebel soldiers, four young men, came into view. Laughter in their voice and weapons in their other hands.
When they were just passed the group hidden in the trees, the frontman, their team leader, presumably, raised four fingers, then showed two fingers again, flashing the first two left, and then right. Four combat-clad men moved forward on silent boots and split off, two went left, and two went right. With quick and efficient brutality they grabbed a rebel each and dragged them off into the trees, throats slit. Quick and quiet, they rejoined the unit, and signs of their presence swept and erased.
They called in the incident and were told to sweep as they go 'Mission green'. With that as their confirmation, the SEAL recon team moved on. Shadows disappear into the jungle.
The screen went black and ended, showing the PC home screen.
The 118 sat in silence. Stunned at the quick and rapid violence they just bore witness to.
A moment later, Athena spoke, "So, because these four men were taken out eight or so years back, someone from those men's families or friends is hunting you and want to kill you? That's ridiculous!"
"It's a circle 'Thena, violence begets violence. Unfortunately, they were killed because a SEALs team on recon engaged four rebels. Was that ROE? Maybe, maybe not. The fact is they were there because we needed intel on possible choke points and the AO as a whole to extract an Ambassador and his family, as well as the vital intel that was in the embassy."
"So what happens now?" Bobby spoke, shaking off the horror of what he just saw and looking at the woman he saw as his own daughter.
"Now we wait. My team will land in the morning and then we will have a briefing and set up a plan of attack."
After closing the PC and pocketing the thumb drive, everyone followed Buck into the living room.
Eddie made a quick pit stop in the kids' room to check on them and their friends. Giving them each a snack and a juice box to tide them over till they left for their respective homes.
They spent the next two hours just talking and enjoying each other's company.
Once everyone left, Buck and Eddie cleaned up and put the kids to bed. Securing the doors and windows, they headed to their room and to their bed, where they lay together. Neither spoke as they reached for each other. Years together, as friends and lovers no longer required spoken words as they understood and read each other's bodies and eyes. Soft and callused hands touched, skimmed, and caressed as lips explored and tasted. As passion and love were fiercely given and fiercely received, two became one. Soft moans and declarations of love were the only sounds in the otherwise silence of the room.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable
Strength isn't found in the absence of struggle, but in the resolve to rise each time the world knocks you down. True courage is forged in the fire of adversity, and it's in the darkest moments that we discover how brightly we can burn.