Chapter 31

By the time I got back to my study, I was in a foul mood. I felt liquid running down the back of my neck and knew that Myrna's slap had opened the cut again. I sat down and leaned, back thinking about what I had done. To my surprise, I felt a little guilty about the way I had talked to Myrna. Even though she shouldn't have slapped me like a little kid, I was still wrong in the way I had handled it. I had not only shocked myself and her with the venom in my voice, but I could still see the look of shock on Kat's face as I walked out. In all the years I had lived here, this was the first time I had ever used the command tone of voice, as it was always called in the Legion. I heard a knock at the door and said, "Come in." Carver came in, closing the door behind him. He sat down in the chair across from my desk and looked at me.

"Jon, what happened out there? I was thinking and not paying attention. I only caught the last part of the conversation. I do know Myrna and Kat are crying and upset about something. I've heard that tone of voice before, 'cause I have used it myself. Jon, what happened to set you off?"

I explained to him what happened, even though I didn't feel I should have to explain. He listened and didn't say anything for a few minutes while he thought about what I said.

"Jon, I know I haven't been around you and your family for long, but I think you did the right thing in this instance. You're right; she shouldn't have put her hands on you. I will say that even though I agree with how you handled it, you know you're going to have to apologize to her when you get control of your temper. I didn't come in here to castigate you, but to talk about what's going on. You know, I have thought about that bomb all afternoon, and for the life of me, I can't figure out who would be after me. I haven't been on any missions for years. I spent the last six or seven years training other men at Ft. Bragg. This just doesn't make any sense to me at all. Jon, I will kill any son of a bitch who tries to harm anyone in this house. Whether you like it or not, I am in, and I mean all the way on this one. I swore I would leave my service life behind me when I retired, but with all that's happened, I am declaring myself into this. Do you have any ideas as to who, other than the church, would want to harm any of us?"

"I'm like you, Carver, I have no idea who would go to all the trouble to set that fake bomb up or who would even carry a grudge against any of us. Hell, I haven't even figured out why, after all this time, the church is pushing me so hard. What has me stymied is, if they are after something I either know or have, why haven't they approached me with some kind of offer. The records they were looking for, they never found and I know why. I have them locked up in a safe place they couldn't get into if they wanted to. I have always kept my more dangerous cases separate from the others, just for that reason. I do know that the two men out at the barn were the church's, because I already know what they were looking for, and it wasn't there. Carver, to tell you the truth, I am stumped and I'm not afraid to say so. I do know that I have seen or crossed paths with the leader of these churches before somewhere. It wasn't in this country, but I have no idea of where. I have Interpol checking a couple of photos for me, but I am still in the dark as to the reason why this is all happening now."

We sat and threw ideas back and forth until my cell rang and it was Tiny, just checking in. He was laughing into the phone as he was talking to me. I could hear Sally in the background, giving him hell about something, but I couldn't make it out over the noise of the music. He said everything was fine and that the kiddie party was just about over. They should be home in about an hour or so. I told him about the gates and guard now on duty, and to make sure he honked when he pulled up to the gate so the guard could let him in. I told him under no circumstances was he or Sally to walk around outside because of the roving dogs. They didn't know any of us yet. He laughed and said not to worry, 'cause he had already seen what they could do. We hung up with him laughing at Sally, saying she could talk to me when she got home. I had a relieved smile on my face when I hung up the phone. From what I had been able to understand, Sally was doing fine, but I had a feeling Tiny had overstepped his bounds and Sally was mad about something. I felt like a hundred pounds had been lifted off my shoulders, knowing she was safe and having a good time. I knew I would get the whole story, blow by blow, when she got home.

"I take it Sally is having a good time from that grin on your face."

"Yeah, but I could hear her in the background giving Tiny hell about something. I have a feeling he is gonna be in trouble when she has a talk with Myrna after she gets home. Those two are always at each other about something. Hell, he is a bigger kid than she is and they fight like cats and dogs. I stay out of it because they love each other so much. Carver, I have that meeting with Jeb in the morning, then we are out of here for at least two weeks, maybe longer. That will depend on what my two men come up with while we're gone. I may have to fly back early, but until this is over, under no circumstances will the girls come back. As long as they are on that island, I know they are safe. If I come back early, I don't want to have to worry about them. You will be there and watching over them. I am taking several weapons with me, and I will make sure you are well equipped to handle security if I have to come back."

"How the hell are you going to slip weapons through customs, Jon? With all the new laws and restrictions, I don't see how you will be able to accomplish that little trick."

"Carver, I have a U.S. Marshall's ID, as well as an Interpol ID. According to International Law, an Interpol agent can carry any firearm over any border he chooses. That is an international agreement signed by over thirty countries. Since we will be landing in the U.S. part of the Virgin Islands, I am safe there. I own the island, which is a French Sovereign Entity. I can legally carry there too, since I have French citizenship. As of two weeks ago, Sally is also classified as a dual citizen. I received all her papers this morning, as well as her passport showing her dual status. She is also on paper as being part owner of the island we are going to. Hell, I haven't seen it yet myself, and I didn't know I owned it till I was told about it a few days ago. I also own majority share in the airline that does all the transport among all the islands down there. Carver, I own business and different stocks that I don't even know about. I have a Nigerian banker that has invested for me, and I don't think he remembers just what all I have my fingers into."

"Damn, Jon, you sound just like Myrna. She told me she has made millions playing around in penny stocks, and has money in twenty or more banks. I gave her my life savings two weeks ago, and from what she said, she has almost doubled the amount in that short of a time. I don't understand half of what she says, but I do know she is a lot smarter than I am. I tried to tell her I wasn't after her money, just her. She got mad at me, and wouldn't talk to me for two days. I had a nice chunk of savings that would have lasted me for the rest of my life, until she got hold of it. Now I have no idea how much I have. Jon, that woman scares the hell out of me sometimes. I asked her why she stayed here as a house keeper doing menial work. She flat out told me she was as much a part of your family as you are. Her mother worked for and was friends with your grandmother, and that she and your mother grew up together. They even went to college together, and you and Sally are the only two people she considers family."

I just sat and looked at him, feeling shittier by the minute, for the way I had spoken to her. I sat looking at the photos on my computer, trying to remember where I knew that man at the restaurant from. I pictured several different scenes in my mind, the different places I had been, and all the countries the Legion had sent me to over the years. Then I thought about him in bush clothes, and it hit me where I had seen him. I almost dropped the cell in my haste to call Maurice. When my call was answered, they said he was sleeping in the back room and they would prefer not to wake him unless it was an emergency. I told them it wasn't, but it was extremely important that he call me when he woke. I gave the operator my name and told her he already had my cell number. She asked what connection I had to his office, so I gave her my ID number. She thanked me and said she would give him the message as soon as he woke up.

Carver was staring at me in surprise as I hung up the phone, but before I could say anything, it rang again.

"Jon, this is Pete. Someone cut out a whole section of fence in the back, and from what I can see, they drove a vehicle into your property. Jon, the cuts are fresh and so are the tracks. If I am right about this, I suggest you look for some company real soon. We fixed the fence, but I don't like the looks of things."

"Thanks, Pete, call the sheriff and let him know what you found, and then finish checking out the rest of the fence, will you?"

"I just talked to him, and he and one of his deputies are headed back here as we speak."

I thanked him and opened my bottom desk drawer, handing Carver the extra forty and a couple of mags. I also got the thirty-eight out for Kat and motioned him to follow me. When we got to the kitchen, Myrna and Kat were drinking coffee and talking. I handed her the pistol and two speed loaders, putting my finger up to my lips. I whispered to Carver to lock the back door while I headed out to the front to see where the guard was. He was just walking by the porch with his dog as I came out.

"We have strangers on the property. I suggest you call the roving dogs in and get me introduced to them real fast."

He didn't say a word, just put a whistle up to his lips and blew into it. It must have been the type only a dog could hear, because to me it didn't make a sound. Within a couple of minutes, three Rotties came from three different directions and sat down in front of him. He had me walk up and stop along with him. Then he had all the dogs sniff my outstretched hand. When all four of them had finished, he said something to them, in what sounded like German, and they all seemed to relax as if waiting for me to say something. I looked at him, and he said I should command them to guard. I did and the three roving dogs were off like a shot in different directions. I told him what Pete had said, and that he should be on alert. I told him that I was going to look around a little. I also told him that Tiny and Sally would be coming home shortly, and what kind of a car they would be in. He said he would direct them to go straight into the house, since I was the only one the dogs would allow to be outside.

I headed around to the back of the house, and then remembered that I didn't know how to tell if the dogs had someone down and what to do next. I went back around the house and caught a movement from the corner of my eye by the garage. It was a man with a rifle, and he was drawing a bead on the security guard. I didn't hesitate, I drew and fired all in one motion. He went down to one knee and was hit from the back by a hundred pound Rottie. When he went flat, the dog grabbed him by the back of the neck and growled. The security guard had whirled around and seemed to immediately know what happened. He let his dog go too, and instead of running to the other dog, it headed toward the other side of the house with me running and trying to catch up with him. The guard yelled at me, telling me to watch the one by the garage. He would handle his dog, unless I spoke German and knew how to call him off. I slid to a stop and he went past me with his pistol out and disappeared around the house. Carver came out and I shouted at him to go back to the kitchen and to stay inside. He closed the door and I headed toward the garage. One of the other dogs joined me as I walked up to the man on the ground. I kicked the rifle away and patted him down while the Rottie still held him by the back of his neck, growling. I took a pistol out of a shoulder holster and threw it next to the rifle. I backed off about five feet and decided to see if the dog holding him would follow hand sign and waved him away from the man. He immediately released him and stepped back, still growling.