Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Monday afternoon, Wyl and Rod boarded their flight and settled into their first-class seats.
“How about a martini?” Rod reached for the in-flight magazine to see if someone on a prior flight had done the crossword puzzle.
“I’d love one,” Wyl said.
As if sensing their need, the flight attendant appeared. “Drink, gentlemen?”
“Two vodka martinis, please,” Wyl said, “Tito’s if you have it. And a newspaper.”
“Certainly, Mr. Sterling. Is the Washington Post okay?” The flight attendant paused while passengers moved down the aisle toward their seats.
“The Post is fine,” Wyl said. The flight attendant hurried through a break in the boarding line before moving into the galley.
Minutes later, the flight attendant set their drinks on the console between the seats and handed Wyl The Washington Post.
“To a wonderful honeymoon,” Rod offered a toast.
Wyl tapped. “And a safe return to Sterling Ranch.”
They sipped their drinks, and Wyl opened the newspaper while Rod retrieved his pen to work on the flight magazine crossword.
Wyl gazed at his husband. I need to protect him. The
danger overshadowing their assignment was his primary concern, but the overwhelming desire to protect his husband from that danger took precedence.
In the Marines, he worked behind the scenes.
This mission required him to be on the front line.
Facing criminals was one thing, but Rod had no prior experience with the military or criminals.
Based on General Steinburg’s information, both Irish gents they needed to get to know held graduate degrees.
His lack of education added to his angst. Still, he knew cryptography better than anyone, so he would play up his strength as a cybersecurity expert while Rod handled academic discussions.
Come to think of it, having Rod by his side was a huge plus.
But all that aside, disregarding his fear of gunfire, he would take a bullet to protect Rod if needed.
They had to appear to be on an extended honeymoon.
That part would be easy. After their small wedding seven months prior, they had briefly discussed a trip to Europe for their honeymoon.
While the discussion didn’t include nabbing criminals, this trip would give them time together.
And Rod knew Ireland, so they could explore the wonders of the Emerald Isle as time allowed.
The U.S. Embassy in Dublin, 130 miles from their home base in Galway, had only high-level information about the mission.
They wouldn’t interact with embassy officials.
General Steinburg had worked only with top brass at An Garda Síochána, the Irish national police force.
Only a select few know of their mission, but they would have local support through the Galway headquarters.
The general also mentioned the involvement of British agents.
Wyl wondered if those agents would be James Bond types.
Dressed in dark suits, wearing sunglasses, brandishing pistols, and drinking their martinis shaken, not stirred.
He chuckled. To everyone else, they were a wealthy gay couple enjoying an extended honeymoon on the Emerald Isle.
“What’s funny, babe?” Rod asked.
Wyl shook his head. “Nothing. I was just thinking about the two British agents. James Bond popped into my head.”
Rod laughed. “I doubt the 1960s version exists today.”
Wyl shook his head. “Probably not, but our trip is no less important.”
“I bet we don’t have an Aston Martin to drive.”
“Probably just as well,” Wyl chuckled. “I wouldn’t get to drive it.”
“You can drive if you want, babe.”
“That would be a big no. I’m strictly a right-side-of-the-road kind of guy. Besides, I don’t want to add further jeopardy to our honeymoon.”
Rod grabbed Wyl’s hand and held tight as they leaned back for the long flight.
* * *
They landed at Shannon Airport at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 5th. After gathering their luggage and going through customs, they stopped at the Dan Dooley car rental counter. They had a long-term contract for their stay with an open return date.
“Sterling,” Wyl said as he got out his driver's license and credit card. Rod retrieved his license as well.
“Which of you is the primary driver?” the agent asked.
“I am. Rod Sterling.”
“Excellent, sir. And you, Mr. Wyl Sterling, will you be driving?”
Wyl shook his head. “I have no plans to get behind the wheel.”
“Very good, sir,” The agent busied himself with the paperwork.
“You probably should add your name, Wyl. You never know.”
“Sir?” the agent asked.
Wyl sighed and nodded. “Add my name.”
“Yes, sir. We are bringing your car around now.”
They finished the paperwork and moved to the area outside the main terminal indicated by the agent. The Mercedes E-Class arrived, and the gentleman delivering the car helped them with their luggage.
Wyl climbed into the passenger side, which was the driver's side in the States. “Damn, this is weird.”
Rod maneuvered effortlessly out of the airport and entered the M18 toward Galway.
“Shit,” Wyl kept muttering as his foot constantly pressed the floorboard on the passenger side.
“I’m glad you’re doing the driving. I was in London for a while, but always rode in the back seat.
Countries with historic British influence have left-hand driving.
In cabs, buses, or military vehicles, I paid no attention.
But being the only passenger, this driving on the wrong side of the road stuff will take adapting. ”
“Relax, Wyl. I can handle the driving if you can handle the criminals.”
“Sure thing, babe. You point out those old criminals, and I’ll take ’em down.” Wyl’s nervous chuckle said the scenario was not as much a joke as a probability.
The commute from Shannon Airport to Galway took an hour. In Galway, traffic added almost another hour to the commute, even with GPS. After what seemed like forever, Rod turned into the parking area for the Citypoint Apartments in Eyre Square.
“Traffic isn’t any better over here,” Wyl said as they parked.
“Many streets here are narrow, laid out before automobiles. That makes handling traffic a challenge. But we made it.”
Wyl chuckled, opening his car door. “You made it. I was just along for the terror.”
“Did you say pleasant ride?” Rod chuckled as he got out. “I could swear that’s what you said.”
“Uh…yeah. You believe whatever you say you heard, babe.” Wyl opened the apartment management office door and ushered Rod inside.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” the man behind the counter greeted them. “How may I assist you?”
“Wyl and Rod Sterling. You have a flat reserved for us,” Wyl said.
“Yes, sir,” the clerk nodded. “Our usual check-in time is 2:00 p.m. However, we have your flat ready. You can occupy it straight away.”
“Thank you,” Wyl responded. “We would like to settle in. The overnight flight, combined with the time change, wore us out.”
“And I see you are on an extended stay with us, with an open check-out date. I hope you can give us a nod a few days before your check-out so we can add the flat to our available list.”
“We can certainly do that,” Rod said.
“Gentlemen, your keys.” He handed each of them a key card.
“You are in flat 220. Up the stairs and to your right. The flat is fully furnished, including telephone, television service, and secure wireless Internet.” He held out a card.
“This is your unique Wi-Fi passcode. Let me know if any issues arise.”
Rod took the card. “We will need to fill the larder. Is there a grocery nearby?”
“There is a supermarket down the street, a few blocks.” He reached into a counter display and retrieved a sheet with the supermarket name, description, and directions. “If you need anything else, I am here to help.”
Wyl nodded, “Thank you.”
Back at the car, they unloaded their bags. “Seems like a nice place,” Rod said.
Wyl nodded. “Much better than a hotel. At least we’ll have a place we can relax.”
They carried their bags up to the flat and into the bedroom. Wyl grabbed Rod and held him tight. “You don’t know how happy I am to have you with me. While I don’t like putting you in danger, you ease my nerves about our Emerald Mission.”
“Emerald Mission?”
Wyl nodded. “You’re the one who mentioned Emerald Isle. I think we can call this our Emerald Mission.”
“I like that,” Rod said. “And you don’t know how glad I am to be here.
” Rod held Wyl tight. “I’d rather this were our vacation on our terms, but we’re here for a reason.
Being together makes me confident we will succeed.
Your experience in Italy is something you’ll never forget, but I wasn’t there to help you.
I’m here with you now and will do everything possible to keep you from harm.
I’m counting on us growing old together on Sterling Ranch. ”
“Me too, babe.” Wyl sighed. He needed Rod’s strength, but more importantly, he needed to keep Rod safe.
“After we unpack, let’s go for groceries,” Rod said. “We need to stock the kitchen.”
“Sounds good. Afterward, we can relax for the afternoon and evening.” Wyl started unpacking his bag, stowing things in a dresser drawer.
“Tomorrow, we need to connect with the Garda officials and learn the details of our mission from an Irish perspective. We must also contact the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and inform the Ambassador we have arrived.”
“At least we have this evening. We can enjoy our first night in Ireland.” Rod unzipped his hanging bag and transferred the clothes to the closet. “It’s a fabulous country. We’ll explore as much as we can while we’re here. After all, we’re officially on our honeymoon.”
They stowed the empty luggage in the closet and strolled into the living room. “We should message General Steinburg to let him know we arrived.” Wyl took his iPad from his briefcase.
“Good idea.” Rod checked his watch. “It’s noon here, so it is seven o’clock in the morning in D.C. He’s probably in his office.”
Wyl tapped the on-screen keyboard: Sterlings arrived in Galway. Awaiting further instructions.
A few seconds later, Wyl’s government cell phone rang. “Wyl Sterling.” He paused, then smiled. “Yes, sir, General Steinburg. May I put you on speaker, sir, so Rod can also hear?” Wyl pressed the speaker icon on the screen.
“Gentlemen,” General Steinburg began, “I am glad you made it safely to your destination.”
“Yes, sir,” Wyl said.
“I spoke with Commissioner Seamus Kane, the top-ranking official for An Garda Síochána. As I mentioned in our Pentagon meeting, Ireland has a national police force. The entire country is about the same size in square miles as Maine. Dingle, located on the southwest coast of Ireland, and Belfast, on the northeast coast, are only 317 miles apart. You Texas boys drive 250 miles from your ranch to your place in Kerrville, yet you think nothing of driving that distance for a weekend.”
“General,” Rod chuckled, “you certainly did a thorough job of vetting us.”
The general returned a chuckle. “Rod, neither of you would be in Ireland now if we didn’t know you.
Now, back to Ireland. Commissioner Kane is the top guy and the individual who requested our assistance.
He assures me of their full cooperation.
Gardaí have been investigating the suspects for quite some time to no avail.
They need someone on the inside, and that’s where you two come in. ”
“Understood, general.” Rod glanced at Wyl. “Commissioner Kane. Is he our contact?”
“Good question, Rod. You two won’t deal with Commissioner Kane but with a local contact in Galway. Chief Superintendent Ciaran O’Brien is the top official for that district. Commissioner Kane has spoken to O’Brien. He is aware of your presence and expects your call.”
“Very good, general.” Wyl nodded. “What is your recommendation for contact with the Chief Superintendent?”
“Gentlemen, I strongly urge you to avoid face-to-face contact with Gardaí. A honeymooning couple would not interact with law enforcement. O’Brien will know how best to handle communication.
Use your government-issued cell phone to call his office and inform them that you are in the country.
He will take it from there. And speaking of cell phones, I assume you also have your personal cell phones? ”
“Yes, sir,” Wyl said.
“Good. Use your personal phones anytime you contact the suspects. Having a phone number they can verify helps with your cover. However, and this is crucial, always carry your government-issued phone with you. We can easily track your location through those phones. If Gardaí asks for your personal cell phone numbers, provide them. Having alternate methods of contact and location is very helpful. However, all contact with Gardaí or other agents on the mission is made using your government-issued phones. We don’t know what access the suspects have.
If they can break into the financial system, they could also break into other databases, including phone records. We want nothing to arouse suspicion.”
“Very good, general,” Rod said. “Is there anything else we need to know at this point about the mission?”
“Gentlemen, I cannot stress enough that you are the right two people for this job. I specifically chose you because of your expertise and suitability. I handled many missions, but never had more confidence in a team than I have in the two of you.”
“Thank you, general. We appreciate the support and the information,” Rod said.
“Be safe, gentlemen, and keep me posted.” The call disconnected.
“Ready to go?” Wyl asked.
Rod opened the front door and stepped outside. “We can load up on enough food for a week or so.”
“Good idea.” Wyl followed Rod and closed the door behind him.
After completing the shopping and stocking the kitchen, they settled in for the evening.
After a martini and a light meal, exhaustion dragged them to a stopping point.
Bed beckoned, and after a shower, they snuggled together in their new bed.
An uncertain period lay ahead, but both were too tired to focus on the Emerald Mission.