Chapter 3

"We can't leave without my two daughters!" cried a very distraught woman just as Steve gave the order for the helicopter to take off. Steve motioned for the pilot to continue before he turned to face the hysterical mother.

"We searched the compound. We have everyone. There's no one left. They must be on the other chopper," yelled Steve over the drone of the rotating blades.

"No! We sent them with Maria when we heard that the cartel was preparing to attack the compound. She promised to hide them until it was safe. I was afraid they'd be taken captive, tortured, raped, and murdered."

"Where were they being taken?" demanded Steve as he quickly considered the situation.

"Maria lives in the village about two miles south of the compound. She had a small house on the hill by a sharp turn in the road. I know who you are! You can't leave my daughters behind to be slaughtered by these bastards!" insisted the sobbing woman.

Steve quickly spoke to the pilot and returned to where the woman sat with eight other Americans from the conference, along with several injured Rangers that were being attended by his men.

"I'm going to be dropped off in the jungle half a mile or so from the village. I'll find your daughters and get them out safely," assured Steve.

"By yourself? You have lots of men. Take them with you! You've got to save my girls!" insisted the frightened woman.

"The U.S. can't have a force on the ground here in Colombia. I can't ask anyone else to do this. It falls on me. I'll promise you this. I won't return without your girls," guaranteed Steve as he readied his equipment so that he could rappel from the chopper as it hovered over an opening in the jungle.

"Steve, be careful," croaked Jason as he watched his friend prepare to leave the helicopter. "Good luck!"

"You just take care of that wife of yours, and your baby," replied Steve just before he disappeared from sight.

Steve raced for the shelter of dense undergrowth as soon as he hit the ground. Once he was certain that his presence had gone undetected, he began working his way toward the village where the two girls were supposed to be hidden.

As he neared the small village, it became quite obvious that the cartel forces were in disarray and striking out blindly after suffering defeat at the hands of the SEALs. Trucks loaded with armed men raced up and down the road. They would frequently fire their weapons, usually into the air, but occasionally into structures near the highway.

Several trucks were parked along the street in the village. The cartel thugs were looting small stores, and destroying what they could not use. Steve observed the situation with disgust before he turned his attention to the house near the sharp curve in the road. One of the cartel trucks was parked alongside the structure. That worried Steve.

Fearing he had no time for caution, Steve hurried across the narrow road and quickly concealed himself in the dense plant life. A very short time later, he was near the home on the curve and able to observe a small yard in the rear, where two girls were held captive. Two men held each girl while the apparent leader took his time squeezing and molesting the older girl.

From the protests the girls made, Steve easily identified them as Americans. They were older than he had expected, but he had little doubt that they were the sisters he sought. Lying near the home was a lifeless body of a middle aged woman.

He considered his options as the men continued to torment the girls. Gunfire, while pretty common, was likely to alert others that something was happening in the back of the home. Steve made his decision just as the leader ripped the older girl's shirt from her body and then quickly slashed her bra and tossed it aside.

The men were so intent on watching the topless teen squirm that they failed to notice Steve silently approach. It was the last mistake they ever made. Steve used his big knife to end the abuse of the girls. Less than thirty seconds later, the five men lay dead.

"Girls, I'm an American! I'm here to help you. Will you trust me?" asked Steve as gently as possible.

"Who wouldn't trust Steve Hammer?" retorted the older girl as she wrapped her arms around Steve and sobbed quietly. "I knew you'd come! I even told Sam that they'd send in SEALs, and you'd be one of them."

"You know me? I guess I can understand that, but why'd you think I'd show up here to help you?" questioned a surprised Steve.

"Jason Hunter's one of your best friends. Everybody knows that Steve Hammer takes care of his friends. Is Jason with you?" asked the older sister.

"No, I'm alone. We've got to find a safer place right now," insisted Steve as he withdrew from the girl's embrace and quickly searched the bodies of the dead men. He came away with two handguns and a semiautomatic rifle. He slung the rifle over his back, next to the one he had already been carrying with him and tucked the handguns into his waistband.

Checking the area carefully to see if he had been noticed, and finding no indication that he had, Steve made a quick scan of the contents of the cartel truck that was parked next to the building. He couldn't help but smile when he found a satchel of hand grenades behind the seat. They appeared to be rather old, but he knew that they would be quite helpful if things got hot. He grabbed the bag and gently lifted it from the floor of the vehicle.

"Follow me, girls. We've got to get away from here before we're discovered," insisted Steve as he led the sisters into the dense undergrowth. They had only gone a couple hundred feet when the older girl suddenly stopped. Steve swung around to see what her problem was.

"My tits are getting all scratched up. I need a shirt or something," complained the girl.

Steve glanced at the older sister's exposed breasts and saw several red scratch marks. She grinned at him and he blushed under her gaze. Steve lowered his weapons to the ground, removed his flak jacket, and then pulled his shirt over his head. He suppressed his own grin as the girl stared at his torso.

"I'm sorry about that," apologized Steve. "I should have realized how uncomfortable you'd be. Here, put this on and we'll get on our way."

"Are you kidding? Look how big it is. As you obviously just noticed, my chest is nowhere near as big as yours. Give me a minute and I'll tie a couple knots in it. That should help keep it from falling off at least."

"I never heard your name," admitted Steve. "You called your sister Sam. What's your name?"

"No one told you our names? Why didn't Mom or Dad tell you our names? Did something happen to them?"

"They left on helicopters headed for Navy ships in the Caribbean. We were pretty rushed. Your mother told me that her two daughters were hiding in a home in this village. She told me where it was and I promised I'd bring you kids back safely," replied Steve as he considered his next step.

"Everyone's gone? We're the only ones left? I'd be kind of worried if you weren't Steve Hammer," confessed the girl. "My name's Roxanne and my sister is Samantha. Everyone just calls us Roxie and Sam. How are we going to get out of here? Are we meeting a helicopter some place? Are they sending in more SEALs, or Marines, or something?"

"Not exactly," responded Steve as they resumed their trek. "The Colombians aren't going to be too happy with the U.S. for sending in troops and engaging the cartel forces without permission. We need to get someplace where we can be picked up, if they're even able to send in a chopper."

"That's bullshit!" insisted the older girl. "Our parents were here on government business and you're freaking Steve Hammer! They have to help us."

"Politics are always convoluted," replied Steve. "I promised your mom that I wouldn't go back without you. I always keep my promises, so you can sure that I'll take care of you girls and get you home safely."

"You promised Mom? I bet that made her happy. She thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread. She has all of your movies and she always watched your football games with Dad. Did she ask for your autograph?"

"We really didn't have time for any of that nonsense. Does Sam ever talk," asked Steve as he nodded toward the younger sister. "She hasn't said a word."

"She isn't a chatterbox, but you have to remember we were almost raped and killed. She's been diagnosed as slightly autistic. She doesn't like close contact very much. Remember that she saw you chop up those bastards without even working up a sweat, but she'll be okay as long as she hangs close to me. She likes you," added Roxie as she smiled at her sister.

"We'll travel a little longer, but once we get close to the road, we'll settle in and wait for dark. We'll be far less likely to have problems if we aren't seen by anyone."

An hour later Steve stopped in a small clearing. "We'll rest here for a few hours, then start out after it's full dark. We've got to try to get out of the cartel's area of influence as soon as possible. Right now you need to sleep if you can. We'll be covering a lot of ground tonight."

The two sisters quietly dropped down on the edge of the small clearing and stretched out in an attempt to get comfortable. Steve moved about fifteen feet away and settled down on the hard ground. Once he was comfortable that their position would not be discovered, he quickly fell asleep. A short time later a piercing scream woke him up.

He immediately sat up and looked for the girls. Sam was on her feet and sobbing while Roxie was beating something with a long stick. Steve hurried over to the girls to find a large snake hissing as Roxie wailed away at it. Steve pulled his knife as he stepped just behind the snake's head. Then he bent down and severed it with one stroke.

"Shit! That's a big snake!" managed Roxie as she dropped the stick and then hugged her frightened sister. "Sam and I both hate snakes."

"I'm not very fond of them myself," acknowledged Steve as he cleaned his knife blade by driving it into the ground and pulling it back out several times before wiping it on his pant leg. "We still need to rest, so lie back down and try to get some sleep."

"You first," insisted Roxie as she and Sam waited for Steve to return to his previous resting spot and lie back down. As soon as he was settled, the two sisters immediately dropped down next to him. Without saying a word, the girls seemed to silently communicate as they snuggled up on either side of Steve.

While he was slightly uncomfortable having the girls that close, Steve realized that fear controlled their actions. He closed his eyes and soon fell back to sleep.

It was almost totally dark when he next woke. The two girls were still sleeping. He could hear their slow, rhythmic breathing as he watched their stomachs rise with each breath. Knowing that they needed their rest for the journey before them, Steve remained still, allowing the girls the opportunity to continue sleeping.

He turned his gaze to the stars as he considered his options. He had no doubt that it was dangerous to remain in the part of the country controlled by the cartel. The two girls were his responsibility and he was determined to get them safely back to their parents.

As he mulled the situation over, he felt Roxie stir. She moved up along his body until her face was even with his and then she kissed his cheek. "Now I can tell my friends that I kissed Steve Hammer!"

"You know that I have a girlfriend, right?" questioned Steve. "You also need to know that you're underage and we're going to avoid anything resembling romance. I promised your mom that I'd keep you safe, and that includes from boys."

"Duh! Do you think anyone on the planet doesn't know that you and Gwen Anderson are lovers? Everyone also knows that you're safe for other girls to be with since you're 'a regular Boy Scout' according to Jordan Quick. I'm 16, so I'm not a kid, but I know you're totally committed to your girlfriend. I also know that I can flirt with you and not worry about you taking advantage. I saw the movie about Jordan Quick's life on TV.

"How many girls are able to say that they slept with Steve Hammer, or they kissed him, or he saw their tits? I just wish they were bigger. Mom's are pretty big, so mine will probably get bigger. Just wait a year or two."

"We won't be having this conversation again," cautioned Steve. "I'm charged with your safety and that includes saving you from boys, or men. You don't need to be any bigger. You're brave, smart, and have a very nice figure. Boys must be chasing you like crazy already. You and I will be great friends, but only friends."

By this time, Sam began to stir. Once she opened her eyes and looked at Steve and then Roxie, Steve gently slid her away from his torso and stood.

"We have to get started, girls. We need to get out of this area and find a ride home. Let's go," encouraged Steve as he started down an almost invisible path.

The Anderson family had gathered at Ted and Paula's home by early evening. Beatrice Patterson sat with Paula's mother at the kitchen table as the rest of the family hustled all around them.

"I know how worried everyone is, but your grandson is no ordinary young man," began Caroline. "He's got his work cut out for him, but he'll pull it off. I've got complete confidence in him."

"I appreciate your faith in Steve, but it's still very nerve wracking. Gwen is holding up quite well, but it's obvious that she feels the strain. Lisa is worried sick about Jason, even though she was told he'd pull through. Your granddaughters are enduring a great deal of emotional pain. I admire their strength," observed Beatrice.

"All of us need to get packed. I've told the pilots to plan on flying to DC tomorrow," announced Paula. "By all of us, I mean Gwen, Lisa, Kate, Jordan, Charlie, Ted, and me. Becky and Ashley will be going with us, too. Our rooms will be ready for us when we get to the hotel. Jason's expected to arrive at Walter Reed Friday afternoon. We should be settled into our hotel tomorrow and have a good night's sleep when we see him Friday, if he's able to receive visitors."

"I really appreciate that everyone's so concerned and supportive," proclaimed Lisa to her family. "I really love the guy and knowing my family loves him, too, helps a lot. Our baby's going to have the best family ever."

"That's for sure!" agreed Kate. "With Jason for a father, Dad for a grandfather, and Steve for an uncle, our little girl will have it made. Nobody will dare bother her."

"We're the ones that should be thanking all of you," countered Ashley. "You've taken Becky and me in and made us feel like part of the family. You've put us in movies and a couple of TV shows. We're financially secure, and mentally healthy. It's because all of you cared about us and took the time to help us when we needed it most."

"Not so," declared Gwen. "It's because you're both very capable, attractive women. That's why you're enjoying success. The fact that Steve is so loyal to his friends helped a lot, too. Becky's been in every movie he's made and it isn't because she lost a hand and he feels sorry for her. He firmly believes that she's a very good actress, and so are you, Ashley. You seem to be able to switch from production company manager to actress in the blink of an eye."

Changing the subject, Gwen continued, "Tomorrow, I'm going to spend part of the day seeing what I can find out about Steve's situation. I'll be calling on our congresswoman and, if necessary, some senators, if they'll see me. After all Steve has done for them, you'd think they'd send some support into Colombia to help him, and those kids."

The following morning, the 'Red Lady' as the corporate jet was known, landed at Dulles. Gwen was in the offices of her congresswoman shortly before noon.

"I understand your feelings and agree completely that Steve Hammer deserves our very best. I wish we had more citizens like the two of you," responded Congresswoman Blake after listening to Gwen's concerns about Steve. "This has become an extremely delicate situation. I understand that Colombia has just discovered that we still have a SEAL on the ground in their country. It's only a matter of time before they find out that it's Steve Hammer.

"They're going to think that the U.S.A. sent him into Colombia expecting special treatment if he ran into trouble. Every person on the planet knows who Steve is. That's exactly why he wasn't supposed to be on any dangerous or delicate missions. I haven't yet heard why the president gave the order to allow him on this one. The Colombians will want to negotiate this issue. They'll ask for all kinds of trade incentives, grants, and funds to forget it happened. Once they find out it's Steve Hammer, they'll triple their demands. We can't show favoritism here. Every service man or woman is as valuable as every other one."

"I understand that, but what can Colombia do if we send in a few dozen SEALs or Rangers to help Steve? They don't dare attack the U.S."

"It's not what they can do militarily. It's world opinion. The U.S. can't just invade another country's sovereign land because it wants to. That is what's known as an act of war. We're claiming the high ground when we flew in and rescued our citizens that were invited to Colombia on government business, and their government failed to protect our citizens. We can't play the same card again."

"What if I go to the press? I have a lot of influence with a lot of media people. I could make the government look pretty bad," pointed out an obviously annoyed Gwen.

"Yes, you could. But I assume you want to help Steve any way you can. You know him better than anyone else. Would he want you to make the government look bad? Make his country look bad? Embarrass his superiors, including the president? Steve's a fine man, proud of his country, and his service to it. If you make this a controversial issue, it will diminish his sacrifice and service. Would he want that? Would you?"

Gwen considered the congresswoman's statement before responding. "No, Steve wouldn't want me to do that. His service to his country is one of his proudest accomplishments. If I destroyed that, I'd never forgive myself. But is there anything we can do?" asked a dejected Gwen.

"Believe me when I tell you that the president is very concerned about the situation. He will do everything he can, within reason, to help Steve. We just aren't sure what that will be.

"The press will get wind of this before long. They'll be after you to make a statement. It is the president's wish that you be supportive of the government, the military, and of course, Steve. That's the best thing for him. Will you do that?" asked the legislator.

"I will," replied Gwen softly. "I'd never do anything to hurt Steve, or damage his reputation. I never dreamed something like this would ever happen. I'll handle my end of this, but let the president know that I expect him to do everything he possibly can to help Steve and those kids."

Paula, Lisa, and Jordan had been waiting while Gwen spoke with her congresswoman. They quickly determined that things had not gone very well when Gwen walked into the room. Gwen saw the questions on their faces and motioned for everyone to join her outside.

"Their hands are tied. She promised that the government will do whatever it can, but that may not be much. The big thing I learned in there is this; when the press finds out about this, we absolutely need to be of one mind. We're all extremely proud of Steve and believe in him, and his mission. We support the government's efforts one hundred per cent. We're confident that Steve and those two children will return to us safe and sound," stated Gwen firmly as the group climbed into their car. "Anything less will diminish Steve's efforts and service to his country. We have to be sure that Dad, Kate and the rest all respond the same way."

"That shouldn't be a problem. We're all extremely proud of your guy," praised Jordan. "He'll be back before long and have some more amazing stories, if we can coax them out of him."

That evening at dinner, Gwen explained to her traveling companions how they needed to be very upbeat and positive about Steve's service and his chances of safely returning home with the two sisters.

"That makes sense," reasoned Kate. "Steve would be very upset if we whined and cried about how he's being treated by his superiors. We owe it to him to show how proud and confident we are that he'll save those two girls. I know I feel that way!"

Friday afternoon, Lisa received a call informing her that Jason had been admitted to Walter Reed. He had been evaluated, and was allowed visitors for short periods. Everyone agreed that Gwen and Lisa would visit him that afternoon and if he was strong enough, the rest would see him Saturday morning.

"Hey!" managed Jason when he saw Lisa and Gwen enter his room. That was all he was able to utter before Lisa reached his side and kissed him with great passion.

"I was so worried! How do you feel?" asked Lisa as soon as her lips left Jason's. "We saw some of it on TV. It was horrible!"

"Yeah. It wasn't all that cool in real life," quipped Jason with a weak grin. "I'll be fine. Doc thinks I'll probably be out in less than a week. How's our baby doing?"

"She's doing a lot better now, Sweetheart. She was worried about her dad, but now that she knows you're back in the U.S. and under expert care, she's happy as a clam."

Jason reached out with his good arm and placed his hand gently on Lisa's slightly swollen stomach. "Don't worry about your father, Little Darlin'. I'll be around for a long time."

Then Jason moved his hand from Lisa's stomach and took Gwen's hand and squeezed it. "Your guy pulled my ass out of the fire, Gwen. It was looking pretty bleak for a while. Then Steve came through that wall just before those bastards could finish me off. I wasn't even surprised when I realized it was him. He tossed me over his shoulder like a bag of grain and carried me to the staging area and worked on my wounds for a couple minutes. He loaded me on the second chopper and then climbed in with the rest of us. Mrs. Thompson started telling him her daughters were still on the ground, hiding out in some house in the local village. He never even blinked. He just had the pilot hover over a clearing so he could get off and go find the kids."

"Did he say anything? Will he make it back?" asked an emotional Gwen. "Tell me the truth."

"He told me to take care of Lisa and the baby, and then he was gone over the edge. He's the toughest son-of-a-bitch I've ever seen," responded Jason with emotion matching Gwen's. "Sorry about the swearing. It takes a while to adjust to civilian life. Brad and I have had this discussion several times after we found him in that snow storm. We couldn't believe how he survived that ordeal. He had been beaten beyond what most people could survive, never mind being alone, underdressed, and injured in a blizzard. I doubt if many men, Ranger or SEAL, could have survived. I wouldn't bet against him saving those girls and getting back home."

"Thanks, Jason. I think he'll make it, too. I just needed to hear it from someone that knows what he's going through. I'm so proud of you, and extremely happy for you and Lisa. The whole family is excited to have you back and delighted that you're going to be okay."

Gwen left Lisa alone with Jason and went to the waiting room. She knew her sister needed some private time with her husband. Gwen was thinking about what Jason had just told her when her phone rang.

"Hello, Amber. I haven't heard much from you lately. I guess you're pretty busy with your new position as White House correspondent for CBC. Congratulations on the promotion."

"Thanks, Gwen, but this isn't a social call. Bill Hardy is going to break a big story tonight on the evening news. Our network has obtained information that indicates that Steve is alone, on the ground in Colombia. He was part of that operation to remove our people from the attack by the drug cartel and was left behind to search for a couple of kids. Hardy will report that the president and congress are offering no help and have washed their hands of the situation. The White House asked that he sit on the story because the information could jeopardize Steve's safety. Hardy refused and insists he'll air the story tonight.

"Do you know if this is accurate? Can you tell me anything more? I realize it's a difficult situation for you, but I think it's important to have the whole story told. Is there anything you'd like to add?" questioned Amber gently.

"I'd like to meet with you and explain how I feel and what I know. Can we meet?" asked Gwen.

"I'm in Washington. I can't get back to Sparta for a couple days. Could we do it by phone?" requested Amber.

"I'm in Washington, too. You know the hotel we always stay at? Let's meet there in an hour," offered Gwen.

"You're in D.C.? Can you come to our bureau office? We have all the equipment here and an interview room, so it would be better quality. Can you make it to Market Street within an hour?"

"I can be there in ten minutes. I just have to let Lisa know that I'm leaving and then I'll catch a cab. I'll see you then," replied Gwen.

Half an hour later, Gwen was seated across from Amber Stahl with several cameras trained on her. "Gwen, let's begin with this. Steve Hammer has been doing promotions, including print and television, for the Navy since he first entered the Academy. It's common knowledge that he was allowed to travel to various events that most midshipmen would not have been granted permission to attend in return for promoting the Navy so tirelessly.

"It's also known that, while he trained and became a Navy SEAL, he was never sent on any dangerous missions. The Navy didn't want to risk losing him, or having a mission become a drama about one of the most famous men in the country, and even the world. They felt he was far too well known to be effective on a mission. SEALs are often involved in covert activities. Steve Hammer does not blend in. He stands out!

"Was Steve involved in the mission to rescue those Americans in Colombia? If so, why did the Navy break its own rule? Is he still there? Is he searching for the two children of Donald and Grace Thompson? What light can you shed on this situation?" finished Amber.

"That's a lot of questions, Amber. I can tell you that Steve was involved in the successful mission to safely remove Americans from harm's way in Colombia. If you watch the video of that day, Steve is the SEAL that hurries down the hill and through the hole in the compound wall. I recognized him at the time it happened.

"I am not exactly sure why the Navy relented and sent Steve on this mission, but I am very certain of why Steve felt honor bound to go. One of the few Rangers assigned to duty at that compound was my sister's husband, Jason Hunter. I'm sure you remember the time you saw him board a helicopter with his brother to head into a blinding snowstorm to search for Steve after he was abducted by that terrorist. Jason and his brother Brad searched three days, found Steve and brought him back to me. They saved Steve's life, plain and simple.

"I suspect that Steve called in every favor, and exerted any and all pressure he could manage on his commanding officers to be allowed on this mission. Steve holds his nation, and his family, in the highest regard. He loves my sister and respects her husband, Jason. He had the additional incentive that Jason and Lisa are expecting their first child in October. All of these reasons made it close to impossible to deny him the opportunity to go on this mission.

"Jason was wounded in the melee. He was hit three times and lost a great deal of blood. He told me earlier today that Steve came through that wall just in time to save his life. That's exactly why Steve went. It's what he does.

"When he learned that the two sisters were not on the rescue choppers, he had the pilot drop him off so that he could complete his mission of saving all the Americans that had attended that ill-fated conference. Again, that's what Steve Hammer does, and who he is. I have learned to expect nothing less.

"Steve would be the first to tell you that he is proud to serve his country and extremely proud to be a Navy SEAL. He understood the situation when he went on the mission, as well as when he jumped out of that helicopter to look for those girls. The Navy has not abandoned him, nor has his country! They will do everything possible to help him, but it's pretty much on him to find those girls and get them back safely. There is no one to 'blame' for this situation, except maybe people that do business with these drug selling monsters.

"Steve is a grown man, and is doing his best for those girls and for his country. I will not allow anyone to demean or belittle his efforts by trying to find blame for his patriotic actions. We need to celebrate his courage and dedication to country, and to thank the Navy for sending the very best man they had to save those people, as well as to act so decisively when he learned those two girls needed help. If not Steve Hammer, then who? There should be no controversy here. Jason Hunter is alive right now because Steve went on that mission. Those two sisters will be returned to their parents safely because Steve was on that mission. I'm proud as hell of Steve, as well as the Navy for having the intelligence, and the balls, to send him on this mission!" concluded Gwen with emotion.