Chapter 65

I was still sitting in the kitchen about an hour later when I heard Dina calling my name. I went up to see if maybe by some chance they needed me for something but I was outta luck as they only called me up to proudly show me their tent and how they had set it up. I looked over at Tran and she had that little grin on her face as she watched me ooh and ahh over all that they had done. I sat down on the bed and realized it was almost as comfortable as mine. That thing must have had fifty legs under it going in all directions. It was the most stable air bed I had ever sat on. The girls were all grinning at me and I could see from their faces they were all very proud of their little campsite. I got up and went to the door and as I went out I turned around.

"I think when we go camping in the near future I am going to let you girls set up the campsite. I have never seen a neater place to stay. I think you will all be very comfortable sleeping in the tent while the team is here. All of you remember they will be in charge of your safety, so do as they say, even if you don't like what they tell you to do."

"We will, we promise!" They all three shouted out to me.

I just smiled and went back to the kitchen where my cell was ringing. It was Charley and he brought me up to date on all that had happened. I told him what I had found out and he insisted that his special unit team be included in any raids looking for the weapons. I told him that would be ok with me but they would have to be directly under the Seal Team Leader's orders and they would be in a lot of danger the whole time. I went on to tell him that if any of the men were married, then they were out because I had enough widows to think about without adding more to my list. He agreed, saying that ninety percent of them were single and that they were all ex-military of all branches. He hung up saying he would put them on alert and to just call when I was ready for them. I didn't tell him where we would be raiding because that was on a need to know basis and I hadn't picked the places yet. I knew I was going to have to sit down with Preacher and decide real soon.

I called the Director and brought him up to date and was told the President had put the Special Ops teams from all the bases under my control till the weapons were found so I would have experienced men to handle the raids. When I told him what I had promised the State Police Commander, the Director said he wanted a complete list of Charley's manpower so he would have the final approval of who we would use. I knew he wanted to run a quick background check on them since this was classified. I told him I would have Charley fax it to him if he gave me a number to fax it to. He did and I wrote it down with him saying they had found the AWOL Colonel with his throat slit outside Reno about three hours ago. We talked about a few other details before he hung up, saying he had another call.

I called Charley back and gave him the news and explained the reason I thought was behind it. He said he would get it sent out within the next ten minutes. He thanked me profusely several times for getting them included, and I finally got a little pissed.

"Charley, don't thank me because they may not live through the raids and I, for one, am glad that I don't have to pick them and have that on my conscience. Think about what you're saying, my friend, and what it means when you have to make the family calls when you lose some of them. I have had to do it and I wished to God I never had to."

"I'm sorry Harry. I know what you're saying, but these men have been training for this for years and were never called on. For some reason, we were never needed. I know I am being overly enthusiastic, but I am so proud of all of them. Believe me I know what I will have to face, but I want them to have their chance and thanks to you, they finally will. Harry, I know you don't know them but they are some of the best I have ever seen in urban fighting."

"Ok Charley, but just remember what I said. You may be condemning some of them to their deaths."

He went on saying he would get the list sent out and that I would be as proud of them as he was and I just sighed. He hung up and I called Preacher. He tried to go off on me over this morning but I cut him off, saying I would be there tomorrow and I thought I knew where the weapons were. He said fine, but he was going to have a private one on one talk with me before I left tomorrow. I waited a minute before I spoke, knowing what he was saying, and now I was mad.

"Preacher, I ain't no kid anymore and though I know I can take you, I am not going to go through all that macho bullshit. I will tell you right now I will shoot you in the leg and leave you for the medics. I am responsible for my family, not you, and these little soldier games don't work with me anymore. Do you fully understand me?"

He didn't answer me for about three minutes. When he did, I was ready for more shit but I didn't get it.

"I'm sorry Harry, but in all the years we have known each other, we have never let each other down. I did this morning, and I could have gotten one of the girls killed. You don't know how much this is eating at me. I let you down in the worst way."

"Preacher, I am not holding a grudge but you have the soldier mind set. Until you finally find someone that means more than your own life, you will never change the way you think and do things. I have been the same way all my life, but since Sandra came along I have changed, and even I didn't know how much until they were in danger. They are uppermost in my mind, not you or your team or the Director or anyone else. I will do what needs to be done but they will always come first."

"I understand Harry and I think maybe you're right. I will follow orders from this point on and I promise you my men will cover your back so you can go back to the girls when this is all over. Besides, the Director told me if I didn't do as I was ordered, I would be taking early retirement when this was over."

I busted out in a laugh and he told me he was too young to retire and he wanted to stay in as long as he could. He swore and declared he didn't know what he would do as a civilian, anyways. We both got a laugh and I told him I would be there tomorrow as soon as I could. I would get Team Three squared away tonight when they got here. We hung up with him saying he would see me tomorrow.

Tran had come in and got some tea and caught the tail end of our conversation. She just smiled at me as she sat down and waited for me to finish.

"Harry, are you sure Sandra wasn't some kind of military genius in a former life or something? I can't believe she knows so much about strategy and this type of thing. She is up there with a pencil showing the girls where the team will be taking up stations outside and how they will be set up with overlapping fields of fire. What is she talking about? Harry she is ten and already acts like she has been in a war or something."

I started to laugh, but the serious look on her face squelched the laughter. I was trying to think of how to answer her when I saw movement outside. I held my finger over my lips in the sign of silence and drew the fifty. I motioned her to the floor and went to the front room for a better look. When I saw what had caught my eye, I called her in and we watched as three Bradleys pulled up in front of the cabin. It was Team Three and they were an hour or so early. I waited until I saw Butter climb out then opened the door to greet him.

I was standing on the porch when Sandra went flying by me and jumped from the porch right into his arms. He went down and then the whole team was out with a defensive perimeter up and covering them. The ones who were free came over and pulled them both up off the ground, making fun of him for being put down by the chief that easy. He had a smile from ear to ear as he carried her into the house. She introduced him to Dina and Dana, saying they were her new sisters. He went to one knee and shook hands with both of them with that big smile still on his face. I finally got them settled down, telling him the chief would show the team their quarters. He looked at me in surprise before saying anything to me.

"That's why the extra Bradley, Harry. We brought portable sleeping units to set up to stay in."

I started to tell him about the sleeping arrangements but Sandra went off on him.

"Butter, you and our team sleep in the house with the rest of us. I have your quarters already set up, and there is extra room and beds ready for the two extra men you brought along. I don't want to hear about the team sleeping outside again."